"I just saw the latest leaks that Lohen's constellation is a rabbit. So, what if Alice turned him into a rabbit and asked you to take care of him? You have no idea the rabbit is actually Lohen, and the two of you end up eating, bathing, and sleeping together."
OH DEAR, ANOTHER ONE HERE?
Lohen x apprentice!reader: approximately 1.4k words (I genuinely cannot stop writing unless I’m satisfied with the background of the scenarios). Uhh might be ooc Lohen cuz..well..there’s really not much known about him. Use of “you” only. Not proofread bc I had to stop writing 7 times and continued building my mc house instead.
ALICE has always been one for entertaining almost every idea that pops into her or her daughter’s head. Somehow, as her newly appointed apprentice, you’ve been on the receiving end of the results. In fact, when it came to rather..material things, she’d just shove it to your hands like you had no choice! (Which you didn’t, really.) Hence, every time a guest comes over, you’d always hear about how ‘personalized’ your room was—given that there were things decorated that were contrasting, to say the least.
Looking around your room in a humble home in Mondstadt, you’d just have to agree with them, sighing as you recalled a memory of one of her whims.
“I tried experimenting on turning hilichurls into plushies!” She once excitedly exclaimed, holding up a cotton-made, somewhat creepy miniature of a hilichurl. “Isn’t it cute? My, my, I’d say we can even dress it up!” Giggling, she set it down for a moment as she talked (mostly to herself), while you had to stand there in silence. Because, what? What does she mean, she just turned a hilichurl into a damned toy?! Needless to say, that toy now rests in your nightstand with a few other trinkets. ‘Oh goodness, the poor hilichurl..he even has a frilly dress on now..’
If Alice wasn’t enough of a headache for you with all her weird experiments, the Vice Captain just had to come to the picture as well. He’d approached you with a smile once, on your first encounter outside Mondstadt’s gates, when Alice first sent you to the town. He was sent to welcome you in, and you thought he was a rather strange but easy to talk to guy. He was just to show you around, and it was the case for at least a week. Until after, asking if you knew how to fight. Once you responded no, he’d asked if you can make something to fight.
Obviously not! Was he crazy?! You had to smile at him just to not explode.
Since then, you’d tried avoiding him and Alice (which, really, you can only do so much before you get sentenced to #dropout).
Again, it’s not like you can hide from Alice anyway. Because she just showed up in your room. With a bunny.
“What the—!” Your shock was cut short by your mentor’s hand shutting you up as she tutted. “Now, now. I did tell you not to curse, yes?” You almost scoffed. Still, you nodded and she retracted her hand from your mouth to the.. oh, that’s a rabbit. Bunnies, you’ve seen, are definitely smaller. Oh dear, here’s another one of her experiments…
“This young one was–!” It was your turn to cut her off, “–was another unfortunate experiment? Or a just-to-be?” You sighed, taking the rabbit in your hand. It looks normal, even if it had unusually red and some sort of blue colored eyes. Still, you figured she was just about to use it. Hell, maybe she already started. Poor, unfortunate thing. You hugged it, caressing the fur in an attempt to comfort the animal. “Master, please stop torturing these souls!”
She gasped, hand on her heart like she was offended. “I do none of the sort, I’ll have you know! This is all in the name of advancing magic, dear.” As if. You rolled your eyes, “Okay, and how would this cutie have helped?” The rabbit seemed to jump a bit at that, which made you look pensively. “You’ll see! Buh-bye now, take care of him, ‘kay?” Before you could react properly, she was gone. So this is a male?
Clicking your tongue, you turned your attention back to the rabbit at hand. “You hungry, little guy?” Cooing at its affectionate nature—which seemed off, for some reason— you made your way to your kitchen area. You didn’t have much besides a few staple food items like cabbage, so you figured it would do. Not even bothering to cut it, you tore out a piece as you leveled your head the same as the animal, nudging the piece to its direction. “Here, eat.”
You swear the rabbit looked pissed. Shit, maybe it’s the type to explode? How different is this from the one that Outrider had? Better treat it nicely. Laughing awkwardly to yourself, you spoke in a slower, nicer tone. “Um..uh..bunny, eat this so you don’t die of hunger, ‘kay? Do you not like it? Aww.” Taking it into your arms once again, you tried feeding it to the best of your abilities.
After a while, it seemed to relax in its position in your chest. Yes, chest. Well, maybe it was comfy. “You sleepy, little guy? You know, you’re much better company than I thought.” Sighing, you thought of the people around you. It might be strange to be acquainted with an animal, but at least it doesn’t pose a threat. Yet. “Better than a certain mentor of mine or a crazy, battle maniac of a knight, at least.”
The rabbit didn’t seem to like that because you swear it just attempted to kill you with the way it jumped to your face. “Hey—!” What monster is this?! It almost tackled you into the ground!
After a good 10 minutes of arguing (?) with the animal, you were left laying down on the floor, breathless. You had to admit defeat—fortunately it didn’t kill you, but somehow it now opted to rest on your neck. Scary part is it seems ready to use its claws. You take back your earlier statement, this rabbit was nuts! Another scarier part is that it stinks.
“Okay, you maniac, if you don’t kill me first with your claws I’m gonna be killed by your hygiene.” Huffing, you strutted towards your bathroom. “Guess we’ll have to make sure you’re clean.” You had to bathe yourself, anyway. You set it down on the counter, preparing before undressing yourself and getting in the bath.
Until sudden splashes of water poured down your form as the rabbit jumped in with you. For goodness sake’s, isn’t it supposed to be scared of water?! “Ah come on! I was gonna clean you up after me.” Still, it’s not like you had the skill to battle and argue and nag a crazy rabbit in the bath, so you just suck it up, taking it into your arms once again as you grumpily reach for the soap.
You swear the rabbit looked pleased with himself as you held him in all your naked glory. Archons, even animals are perverted now? This is starting to get real strange, but you chose to ignore it for the sake of your sanity and tried your best to not displease the little animal. (Keyword: best, as it somehow had a goal to knock down everything that could be knocked down. It even got a hold of something sharp for some reason..)
By the time you’re getting into bed, you’ve stopped caring about the details. It’s been a real exhausting day. For some reason, this little maniac reminded you of someone who, for some reason, has yet to show himself at your doorstep with a request to make something for him yet again. In a way, it’s like an animal counterpart..
But you couldn’t think straight enough to care. Opting to put on meager clothes, because you’d rather not suffer through the heat of sleeping beside an animal with fur, and embraced it anyway. Even if it might just pounce and kill during your slumber. “Goodnight, little guy. You should..really thank me for.. getting you off of her hands, you know..?” You smiled as best as you could while your mind was fighting with unconsciousness, which won in the end anyway as you drifted off to sleep.
Unfortunately, you might have thought too much about the Vice Captain before you slept.
Because why else would he be in your bed, sleeping beside you, and basically cuddling you if not for you being in some sort of weird dream?!
That thought quickly evaporated as he shifted in his sleep, seemingly. No, this couldn’t be the knight that bothered you with that teasing smile and eyes. He looked too peaceful and innocent. You refuse to accept it.
Maybe you did something to offend the archons as he suddenly stirs awake, eyes taking in your form. “Oh? What a lovely sight to see in the morning. Dare I say, rivaling the one last night.” His lower morning voice echoed through the room, somehow having more audacity to shift closer and nuzzle into your form, as if he wasn’t already holding you with his hand in your waist and his other underneath your head. “You seem uncomfortable, little mage. I thought you found me cute?”
When Lohen's finished with all of his excruciatingly long Vice Captain duties, the first thing he plans to do is remove all the heavy clothing off himself and collapse face first on his bed.
But whaddya know? You were there too, already sleeping on his pillows like you owned it. He assumes you've been waiting for him but fell asleep before he could make it home.
Lohen blinks tiredly and takes a moment to just stare at your body in his bed. His brain almost short circuiting when he sees your bare legs barely covered. His blanket is right there!
Yeah, he'll talk to you about that later.
He begins to strip off his coat and armor and belt and whatever that was in the way which eventually left him clad only in a thin night shirt and boxers.
He says nothing when approaching you and silently adjusts himself behind you so he could wrap an arm around your waist and press his face into the warm skin of your nape.
You always smell so good in his sheets, all pliant and pretty. He wishes moments like this could last at least half the time he had on the daily.
His scent practically engulfs you, exuding faintly of patchouli and mint along with the summer heat that clung to his skin all day.. this manages to pull you further into the soft embrace of slumber.
He relishes in the simple comfort you gave him during the long nights he was particularly exhausted in. The steady breathing of your chest which he tries to match with, his legs interlocking themselves under yours automatically and his front pressed flush against your back to protect you from whatever lurks in the darkness of this room.
Soft and safe, that is what he likes to feel when he's done with Captain duties. This was much better than hugging a pillow.
Lohen curls closer— as close as his body will allow it, all lean muscle and limbs around yours like vines wrapped around a strong pillar. To him, you were something similar to that.
Someone who didn't see him as manic or impulsive. But as someone capable of being thoroughly loved and understood.
Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but to Lohen? You're definitely somebody worth fighting for.
原神 — the moment they realize they’ve fallen in love ! ft. Lohen, Childe, & Wanderer . . . wc: ~1.4k words each
— Reader drinks wine and champagne and gets drunk lol, Childe is called “Ajax,” reader is lowkey bitchin at hat guy ngl … buts its all g, soft wanderer awwww
Author’s Notes : I was listening to “It Might Be You” by Stephen Bishop and I had this idea hehe
Ი𐑼 – Lohen
It had been a few hours since the captain and vice-captain of the 5th company had been forcefully listening to Varka yap about his days before he became the Grand Master. You opted to drink your wine over and over in an attempt to make time go faster, and also to maybe drown out his voice. It hadn’t caught up to you that it had been your fourth bottle straight, and that a certain vice-captain’s focus shifted onto his captain, wanting to see what a very drunk, very dazed boss would do (and a red-haired bartender was beginning to get concerned, too!).
“Would you even believe that I failed those stupid prep exams!? I should get rid of those. Can I even? Jean might get mad at me, though…” Varka talked and talked, not realizing the captain of the 5th company was a red, hot mess.
You held your head with your hand, trying to keep sitting up straight, barely. “Mmm..? Maybe, I dunno…” you slurred your speech, not at all listening to him at this point. You stood up from your seat, your steps wobbly. “I’m gonna get some fresh air…” You announced to the two. Lohen knew that was code for ‘I feel like I’m gonna puke and I don’t wanna do it in front of my boss.’
Lohen followed your figure as it went outside of Angel’s Share, the door shutting behind you. He couldn’t deny that he was so, so curious to see you in this state. He made up some half-assed excuse to Varka, saying that he was ‘worried’ and that he should ‘check up on you.’
Varka smiled at Lohen’s poor excuse, knowing full well why he wanted to go out to you, even when Lohen wasn’t aware of himself.
Lohen stood up and went out, only to find you leaning back on the wall of the building, your eyes closed while holding onto your stomach, trying very hard to hold it in. Your flushed cheeks were noticeable in the moonlight, as well as your dizzy expression. Lohen found it absolutely adorable, especially the way you were so vulnerable at this moment.
Wait, what?
Lohen shook his head before going over to you, leaning beside you as he peeked at your face.
“Caaaap, don’t you look great?” Lohen teased you, making you open your eyes and meet with his. You sighed as you heard his tease, your head going back against the wall.
“Not right now, Lohen…” You mumbled to him, your hand going through your hair to soothe your headache. “Why’d you leave Varka? He’s gonna complain later..”
“Varka’s a grown man, he can handle being by himself for a few minutes. Besides, I think he’d just find another unlucky knight to listen to his stories,” he said, earning a small smile from you. “And I think a little bartender inside is starting to get worried, you know.”
“Master Diluc?” You uttered under your breath, trying to straighten out your thoughts.
“Mmmhm. He looked like he was five seconds away from snatching your wine,” he told you with lilt in his voice, playful in his nature. “You look like you would’ve defended that bottle with your life, given how bored you were. That’s rude, y’know?”
You were startled that he caught on to your boredom– but then again, this was Lohen you were talking about. It was annoying how perceptive he was. You couldn’t get a moment’s peace with him at all.
“I don’t think Varka noticed… Did he?” You doubted yourself, looking at him. Then, you let out a breath that smelled of wine, your hand combing through your hair. “Ugh, I feel sick…” You complained, your eyebrows furrowed.
"Wouldn't you want to sit down if you’re feeling dizzy, Captain? I must say, you have less survival instinct than me, and that’s saying a lot,” Lohen said, going to see if there was an available chair from one of the tables set up outside the tavern.
“No thanks, I feel better standing…”
“That’s stupid, Cap.”
“Lohen–“ He didn’t listen to you, grabbing your wrist to make you sit on the chair, not noticing how your face grew significantly redder at his boldness.
“Rude…” You said, immediately leaning on the table for support. He sat right beside you, undeniably close, just in case you needed some support. Just in case.
“You’re sooo red,” he said playfully, a smile on his face as he stared at yours, watching your face become flustered. “Are you sure you’re alriiiight?” He knew you were, but he couldn’t help but tease you. It was basically second nature to him.
Although, your reaction was far from his expectations.
In your drunken stupor, you chuckled at his attempt at a joke, leaning back on your chair, a small smile on your face. He watched your expression as you laughed, the same light from the moon that highlighted your flushed face also making you seem so ethereal right now. He couldn’t help but smile too. He didn’t realize his face became red as well.
Your head landed on the corner of his chair, unbearably close to his shoulder. He wondered why you hadn’t just rested your head there. It was much more comfortable, he’d say.
“Should we go back inside?” You said softly, looking up at the sky from your position. “I feel like he’s going to tease us when we go back in, though,” Lohen laughed at your comment, inconspicuously moving closer so your head was on his shoulder.
“Sounds like him. Do you want to go in? I quite like the breeze right now,” he couldn’t be any more obvious that he wanted to stay there, even for a little while longer, with you. He thanked the archons above that you were drunk beyond saving.
“Mmm… No, not yet… I like it here,” you said, slurring your words as you got comfortable on Lohen’s shoulder. If he weren’t flustered already, now he was malfunctioning. Lohen sighed, leaning his head on top of yours with his face buried in your hair, savoring your presence.
“Yeah? You like it riiight here? With me?” He tried to get more out of you, that mischievous smirk back on his face like it was a permanent feature on him.
“Don’t flatter yourself, Lohen,” you said, smacking the back of his head with your free hand, the other resting on the table. He laughed at your action, smoothing over the place where you had hit him.
“Is this how a captain disciplines their officers?” He muttered almost flirtatiously in your hair.
“Don’t phrase it like that!” He laughed at your words, his fingers subconsciously going through your hair. It felt almost relaxing.
“Alright, alright! Calm dooown, won’t you? You’re already drunk out of your mind, do you wanna make it worse?”
“Shut up, Lohen…” Your reprimanding tone earned another chuckle from him, going quiet. He lifted his head from yours, looking down at your face. He didn’t realize he’d been staring for too long, not until you looked up at him and caught his gaze.
“…What?” You asked, confused on why he was staring at you. He looked away just as quickly, his face crimson.
“…Nothing.”
“Liar.”
“I’m serious, cap! Won’t you believe me?”
“Why would I ever?" You both laughed, completely forgetting about the Grand Master inside the tavern, probably chatting up the uninterested bartender. He watched your face, at how you just looked so comfortable with him.
You chatted like that for a while, not noticing the time pass by as the stars in Teyvat’s sky seemed to shine a little bit brighter, your laughter filling up the empty streets as your feeling of sickness started to subside.
He had a feeling then, that he wanted to feel like this every day, and that he wanted to feel it with you.
৻ꪆ – Childe
The Fatui’s gala always included very powerful figures from all over the nation, which would become useful in the Fatui’s future plans.
Childe was dressed to the nines in a suit that was tailored just for this occasion, a charming smile on his face as he entertained the guests on behalf of the Tsaritsa. He was easy to trust. With his charisma, you wouldn’t even guess that he was a harbinger, it didn’t match him at all.
You watched from afar, drinking the champagne that the servers had given you, not wanting to mingle in with the crowd yourself. You merely observed them, seeing façade after façade of the most powerful people of Snezhnaya. It was clear how uninterested you were, almost wanting to sneak out and enjoy your solace instead.
Childe finished his conversation with a duke from another nation, excusing himself as he saw you, looking too good for his own liking. He walked over to where you were, your eyes following his tall figure.
“How are you enjoying this, comrade? Up to your standards?” He asked you, getting a glass of wine from the tray of the server.
“It could be better,” you said, not trying to hide how utterly bored you were. You swirled your champagne around on your glass, looking through the crowd.
“Not liking it much, are you now?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t, but your face tells me all I need to know,” he saw a server holding some pastries he knew you liked, calling them over and getting two. “Eat up, comrade. Or is this not to your liking too?”
You huffed a smile at his words, eating the food in small quantities. “Demanding as always, Childe?” he hummed at your question, eating his own.
“No ‘Ajax’ today? I can never get used to you calling me that, comrade,” he commented on your use of his title, a smile on his face. You set down your glass, looking up at him.
“Official business means official titles. I can’t be caught being unprofessional with the Tsaritsa’s weapon of war now, can I?” You flashed him a smile, mirroring his own.
“You do have a point there, comrade,” he agreed, setting down his food on the plate. He thought for a bit, a hand on his chin. “Then why don’t we get out of here? What do you say?”
You thought about it for a moment, like you were even considering staying here. You nodded after a few seconds, letting Childe drag you into a private part of Zapolyarny palace where guests weren’t allowed. He’d make an exception for you.
The wind from the palace terrace made you feel at ease despite Snezhnaya’s harsh weather, glad to be away from the stifling crowd of masks and elegant gowns and suits. You and Childe leaned against the railing, taking in the scenery from high above.
“So…” Childe started. “Still calling me my title or what?”
You looked at him, his hair blowing in the direction of the wind, messing up its style.
“Do you dislike it that much?”
“Not at all! I’m just not used to hearing it from you, that’s all,” he explained to you, scratching the back of his head. He sighed, admiring the sight of the city… and you. He stared at you for a moment, your outfit perfectly fitting you and matching the theme of the gala. Safe to say, he was absolutely enamored by you.
“Staring is rude, Ajax,” your soft voice snapped him out of his trance, returning to his charming persona. You chuckled at his sudden shift. You said his name with such familiarity and warmth, it made him feel something he shouldn’t. You looked back at the city below.
“Can you blame me when you look radiant this evening, comrade?” Childe had a bad habit of buttering you up every chance he got. Yet, every time, it makes you blush and look away. It was one of the things you could never get used to with him.
“You flatter me.”
“Is it flattery if it’s the truth?” You thought he was joking, almost laughing before you properly looked at him, stopping yourself when you saw how serious he was.
“…Not technically, no,” you said, feeling hot all of the sudden, despite the cold. Since when was he like this?
He noticed your flushed out face, furrowing his eyebrows. “Are you okay? Is it too cold out here?” He asked, pressing the back of his palm to your forehead to check your temperature. You blushed even harder, turning away to avoid his gaze as you nodded.
He shrugged off the coat of his suit, wrapping it around your frame to somehow shield you from the cold.
“Let’s go over there. It’s warmer,” he said, catching your wrist as he pulled you under the shade of the palace. “Better?”
“Yeah, thanks, Ajax,” you said, looking up at him. Only then did he see how his coat fit you and how you looked so comfortable in it. Wow, you looked so…
He didn’t continue his thoughts as he shook his head, watching as you let the coat hang off your shoulders.
“What are you thinking of right now?” You saw how he kept on zoning out when he looked at you, thinking deeply— or maybe not thinking at all.
“…That you look beautiful today,” he said suddenly, in such a tender and meek way— unexpected from that of a harbinger— catching the both of you by surprise. His eyes widened as he processed what he just said, smiling to cover up his embarrassment. “Ah, I mean– uhm…” He stumbled on his words, looking away.
“Thank you, Ajax,” You chuckled as he fumbled, seeing him cover his face with his gloved hands. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”
“You say that like you’re being forced to,” he said, a small pout forming on his lips.
“I’m serious! You look good tonight,” you reassure him, a lighthearted smile on your face. “Not that you haven’t heard that today, anyway,” you added, adjusting his coat on your shoulders.
“I like hearing it from you better than those people. They just want something, most of the time,” he quietly says. You hummed. Being a powerful figure in Snezhnaya yourself, you understood where he was coming from.
“Some of the maidens inside seemed pretty interested, Ajax. You really don’t want to test your chances?”
“However interested they are, comrade, I’m even less interested. Besides, I’m too busy for that,” Childe clarified, his head leaning back on the wall.
Just then, from inside the palace, the music for the cotillion portion of the dance started.
“Are you sure you’re still not interested?” You asked him teasingly, looking at the window that could overlook the hall of the gala. “They look like they’re looking for you,” you said, seeing several damsels look around the hall for a ginger-haired harbinger.
“…Well, maybe I am a little bit interested in dancing with one person,” Childe mumbled, not looking at the window, but rather at you. You saw in the reflection of his gaze, tearing your eyes away from the gala and looking up at him. A sudden realization dawned upon you, but you didn’t comment on it.
“You should ask them to dance, then, no? It’s a waste of a good night,” You said.
“Hmm, okay…” He turned to you, offering his hand. “May I have this dance, then, comrade?” He asked you, his eyes shining in the night, a smile on his face. He looked relaxed and composed, but if you knew him more than the mask he wears, you’d know how nervous he was right now.
But all his thoughts went away when you smiled at him, putting your hand on top of his. “You’re quite the sweetheart, aren’t you, Ajax?” You said it like you expected him to ask you. How could you be so calm right now?
He pulled you closer into a dance, his hand on your waist, while his other supported yours. He started to sway you around, following the beat of the music that leaked from inside. In that moment, he couldn’t deny how enchanted he was by you.
Thirty minutes passed since you started dancing, your head rested on his chest as your steps began to become more minimal. Childe was basically hugging you at this point, his hand on your waist keeping you close. His chin rested on top of your head, the hands that held each other dropped to your sides, yet still enclosed. It all felt too natural for two people who worked with each other.
“Why not dance with people with actual influence, Ajax? I feel like you’d benefit from that better,” you said quietly.
“Influence on what?”
“Y’know, the Fatui… Connections and stuff like that,” you explained, looking up at him. He looked down to see you. He hummed in thought, his hand on your waist moving to tuck your hair behind your ear.
“…Well, what about the one who has an influence on me?” He questioned softly, spinning you around when the music called for it. Just then, you landed close to his face, and you saw him look at your lips, and back to your eyes. Childe sighed then, pulling you closer to hug you, trapping you in his arms as he hides his face— which was currently blushing profusely— into the crook of your neck.
“What’s wrong, Ajax?” You asked gently, hugging him back in an attempt to comfort him.
I think I love you.
He was so, so tempted to just tell you, to risk your companionship, to risk you.
But, he didn’t. As much as he claimed to love you, he couldn’t, in a thousand years, imagine his life with you if he chose to risk it all.
“…Nothing,” he mumbled into your neck, letting himself savor your presence. Yeah. This was fine. This was enough for him.
᯽ – Wanderer
Nahida had assigned him on an important paired assignment a few months back, with his very willing partner— you.
You and Wanderer were complete opposites. He had a permanent scowl on his face and an aura that could scare away scholars from his mere glance. While you were one of the few people that grew to know how caring he was really like.
Recently though, your research paper with him was going downhill faster than the fall of a certain fatui harbinger, previous scholar! (Not that he cares.)
You were stressed to a tee, and it wasn’t helping that your partner had a habit of cramming like a maniac and getting things done right before the deadline. The results of your research didn’t match your hypothesis at all! Nothing also aligned with the papers you’ve already seen with similar topics. Your professor was really going to fail you now…
You were hunched back on the table, books, quills, and parchment paper placed in an organized mess that covered the entire table. Your hands were dirty with ink and papercuts were a common sight to you now. Meanwhile, a certain puppet calmly wrote on a scratch, looking as composed as ever.
While you… How could he even begin to describe you? You looked like you hadn’t slept in days— in this case, was true— and your hair stuck out from all directions because of how much your hand went through it in habit.
“Calm down, won’t you? Before you get permanent wrinkles on your face. You don’t wanna look worse than you already are, do you?” He said to you arrogantly, putting down his quill and turning his attention to your form.
You sighed, fixing your posture, your head in your hands.
“Just ‘cause you’re a puppet doesn’t mean you can say that about humans, y’know,” you commented halfheartedly, not in the mood to argue with him and his annoyingly pretty face.
“I’m just saying it like it is.”
“Maybe try focusing on the paper more than me, huh?”
“How can’t I focus on you when you look like an absolute mess?” He crossed his hands as he leaned back on the chair.
Maybe it was the late hour getting to you, or maybe it was the fact you were months into this and you were nowhere near finishing it, but you just couldn’t deal with him!
“Look, if you’re just gonna stay and bitch around, just leave. I can do more by myself and with you hanging around and doing nothing,” you couldn’t deny that the stress was definitely affecting your words and actions, but you felt unapologetic then, hyper-focused on the project that was due in a month.
Wanderer sighed. He wasn’t a stranger to the moments when you’d lash out on him, knowing it wasn’t really him you were angry with. He knew there was no use trying to get you to calm down when you were upset.
“Fine. But when I come back, you better have cooled off,” he said, standing up and leaving you in the library. Ugh, how annoying could he get?
You continued to work for a while, still stuck on the same thing.
You didn’t realize how much time had passed until Wanderer came back, this time with a cup of your favorite drink and some food from Puspa Café. He returned to your side, placing the food on the table and the coffee in front of you. You glanced at it, putting your quill down.
You stayed silent, suddenly feeling very bad about what you said to him earlier. He didn’t respond, watching as you drank the coffee, then sighing.
“Next time you do that, I’m dropping you as my partner,” he threatened, grabbing the paper you were working on before he arrived. You didn’t think much of his threat, seeing as he’s said several times before and yet, here you were. Still there.
“Sure…”
“I’m serious.”
“Uh-huh,” you said, leaning back on your chair, sighing deeply.
“Stop that,” he said suddenly, reading through what you wrote. He annotated on it, correcting your mistakes and adding his suggestions.
“Stop what?” You looked at him, now eating the food he’d gotten you. It was only now did you realize that you hadn’t eaten anything that day, and it was already late.
“That sighing. You’re so stressed, it’s getting bothersome.”
“It’s not my fault that this paper just can’t seem to cooperate!” You defended yourself, a frown on your lips.
“You’re not going to be able to control what the outcome of this study is. That’s why it’s research, you study it and see why it’s that way. So stop stressing your pretty little head and calm yourself before you break down,” he said.
“…You suck at comforting people, Hat Guy,” you mumbled, covering your face with your hands again, before taking a deep breath.
“I’m just telling it like it is. It’s not like you're going to fail because of that. I won’t let it happen,” you hummed at his words, finally looking at him.
“…Thanks.”
“For what? Not letting you fail? We share a grade, you know. If you fail, I fail,” he explained, crossing his arms.
“For dealing with me. I know I can be too much sometimes,” you admitted, your fingers fidgeting on the paper cup of your coffee.
“Sometimes?” He said mockingly, raising his eyebrow.
“Fine, all the time. Stop interrupting me,” you couldn’t hide the exasperation in your voice, your hand going through your hair once more.
“Continue then, Your Majesty,” little shit.
“Never miiind,” you said, taking back your words of appreciation. Your smile still held a certain weight that you tried to hide from him, that his words and actions still weren’t enough to calm the storm.
You both continued to work on it, yet the pressure was getting to you. You couldn’t solve the issues in your study, and when you did, you would find another problem that was hard to figure out. It was exhausting you, both mentally and physically.
Wanderer saw how the stress was building up again, evident in your frown and your overall state. By now, the library was almost empty, save for the few scholars who were also working on their own research papers.
You were so, so close to breaking down, and Wanderer noticed it before you did.
In your stress, you didn’t realize you had started tearing up, the tears dropping onto the parchment you were writing on, smudging the ink of what you wrote.
“Ugh, shit..” you exclaimed quietly, wiping your eyes. It proved to be useless, seeing as your paper quickly became stained with tears.
“Hey, hey, hey, what’s wrong? What’s bringing this on, huh?” Wanderer exclaimed in a surprisingly soft tone, wanting to reach out but not knowing if should. Carefully, he guides you to lean back on your chair, his hand on the back of your chair as he went closer to you, observing the way you avoided his gaze.
“I just… I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong… It’s so annoying…” You said through your tears, desperately trying to cover yourself in embarrassment. Wanderer pulls your hand hide away from your face, wiping your wet cheeks with a spare handkerchief he had.
“It’s okay. Just let it all out,” he says with such an unfamiliar tone, you couldn’t believe you were talking to the same person.
You quickly tried to compose yourself, your deep breaths turning into shaky sighs. Wanderer whispered comforting words to you in the quiet of the night like it was second nature to come to your aid.
“It’ll get better, okay? Don’t let it consume you whole. It’ll be okay, I promise,” he mumbled to you, waiting patiently for you as your tears finally dried, leaving you exhausted.
“Fuck, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault,” he said with such kindness. You wouldn’t expect it from the ice-cold scholar from the Vahumana Darshan. No one would.
He talked tender words to you for a few minutes, warmth blossoming in his chest. It was ironic that he could feel that way. But it reminded him of how human it made him.
It surprised himself that he didn’t think twice to comfort you and make you feel better. He knew that he wouldn’t do that for anyone else. No way.
You were the only exception.
As you two spent some minutes in comfortable silence, he realized one thing. He liked making you feel better. He always wanted you to feel good, even at the expense of his own convenience. It wasn’t like him at all.
“Feel better?” He asked you, rubbing your back to sooth you.
You nodded in response, still sniffling. “Yeah, I’m sorry again—“
“Don’t. Don’t say anything. Just feel better,” he realized then, that when the words came out before he could process it, that he felt something different with you.
He wouldn’t feel this warm feeling if comforted anyone else. He was sure of it. He knew he wouldn’t feel the need to ease their worries like he did with you.
He didn’t know what this feeling was. He should consult Nahida with it.
just hold my heartbeat close to you. lohen x reader
⟡ — blurb : headcanons for what lohen would be like as your boyfriend!!
notes ⟡ : gender neutral, vision barer reader, no use of y/n & no capital letters as a stylistic choice lmao sorry, sfw this time, established relationship, may be ooc, spoilers for his story quest.
notes II ⟡ : i had a whole lohen fic planned and half way through writing that i realised writing this before i post that fic probably makes more sense… so here we are!! first post on this account kinda nervous…
notes III ⟡ : might write varka headcanons next .. #mywife actually or diluc #myogwife not too sure.. lmk.
⟡ lohen was the one who confessed. it was after a spar, and it wasn’t at all romantic like he planned, but he just couldn’t bear to let you go home another day without telling you.
⟡ he’s big on physical affection and acts of service. he doesn’t think he’s particularly good with romantic words (surprising for someone who’s always talking lmao.) so he feels the need to compensate with touch or acts. he’s always holding onto your waist or gently running his hand up and down on your lower back. it soothes him to know you’re nearby.
⟡ as for acts of service, he’s willing to clean your weapon(s) for you without asking, or he’ll bring you things you’ll need for the day silently. maybe its a deep desire to prove himself to be useful so you won’t leave. he’ll obviously never admit it.
⟡ he tries his best to show affection verbally, even though he thinks his words aren’t adequate enough to truly convey his adoration for you. he calls you bunny, (yes i’m like everyone else on this okay) sweetness, dearest… whatever makes you blush the most.
⟡ you call him chicken as joke. (get it. loHEN. hen = chicken. please laugh.) but most pet names or terms of endearment make him smile and his cheeks turn a pretty shade of pale pink, which is always a win for you.
⟡ lohen often feels undeserving of you. deep in the night, when its just the two of you talking about anything and everything, he’ll turn to you and ask if you really want him of all people. he disguises it as a joke, but the slight glimmer of insecurity in his face and the barely noticeable tremble in his voice betrays him. it breaks your heart to see him looking almost lost and frightened. :c
⟡ dates with lohen is either sparring -> turns into more than that (👅), exploring, or eating somewhere. he’s always trying to improve his spice tolerance. you took him to wanmin restaurant once and he asked for “their spiciest.” it ended with him in tears while grinning from the spice (freak.) he’s been trying to bring his tolerance up ever since.
⟡ for someone so reckless, especially when he’s on the battlefield, he worries himself sick when you’re injured. he’s pushing people out of the way frantically to get to you, kneeling down to your side while he’s trying to coax you to look at him with shaky hands and an even shakier voice. (oneshot incoming 👀)
⟡ lohen refuses to leave your side when you’re recovering from a serious injury. he’ll fall asleep kneeling next to your bed, leaning his cheek on the mattress while his hand seeks your limp one. it takes varka himself to get him up from your side. if your recovery takes weeks, he’ll (eventually) go back to his duties as vice captain but his heart isn’t in it. even when he’s sparring, his hits are weak and lack the passion he so clearly has for fighting. his eyes constantly drift to the building where you’re resting, or he’ll space out thinking of you. things lose their meaning without you by his side.
⟡ he falls asleep and wakes up first. he likes to watch you sleep in the morning while he gently strokes your hair or your back. the start of the day is one of the few times he’s calm like this.
⟡ lohen likes to spoon with you, but somehow you’ll wake up with him sprawled half on top of you, his chin resting on your shoulder. he looks so at peace, its really cute.
⟡ his favourite place to kiss you are literally anywhere, but if he had to pick… your lips, cheek and shoulders. he likes pressing kisses to your cheek and feeling the heat from your flushed face on his lips.
⟡ he’s a biter. (not house trained. smh.) sometimes when you’re cuddling he just sinks his teeth lightly into your neck or gently tug on your skin with his teeth.
⟡ lohen loves a partner who is his equivalent. not necessarily just at fighting, but someone who is as good as he is at fighting but at something else. (does that make sense? maybe not.) he likes someone who can handle their own, its really attractive to him.
⟡ along the same vein, but there’s something soo attractive to him about a partner who’ll put him in his place. a lot of people fear him, so hearing you who’ll tell him off for being reckless or untidy is almost refreshing. you could be scolding him for his messes and then you turn around and see him looking at you with the biggest heart eyes. he’s so utterly gone for you.
hii !! i wanted to request hcs on how you think wanderer would react if his partner got jealous
i often see people depicting wanderer to be the more jealous one in the relationship and im curious about your take on the inverse
Jealousy, Jealousy｡⋆｡˚☽
Genshin Characters x jealous reader
Includes in this order -> Wanderer, Layla, Chiori, Cyno, Columbina, Lohen
a/n: I'm lowkey gonna add more characters to this
Links: masterlist | nav
Wanderer
He will notice faster than he lets on if you start acting off. He' very perceptive of your emotions because he cares a lot about you
Not the type to tease or make fun of you at all for being jealous
He has a history of abandonment and betrayal, so he understands your feelings a lot
Does secretly find it reassuring that you're afraid of losing him too. It makes him feel weird in a good way
He will bluntly say something like "You're really worried about them?"
His question is genuine, the concept of him even considering someone else when he already chose you is insane to him
Like he doesn't judge (partly because he also gets jealous sometimes even though he trusts you immensely) but he also knows that he's loyal to you
And he knows that you do trust him. He's done nothing to make you doubt him so he'll assume that it was either an outside cause or insecurity that caused you to feel that way
He will directly tell you that you have nothing to worry about because he's not interested in anyone else
If he weren't sure about you, you wouldn't be together in the first place
After that he will opt for non-verbal reassurance
Like he will definitely prioritize you (he already does, but even more-so), look to spend more time together even if it's just coexisting, go out of his way to do sweet things for you, etc.
He's terrible at initiating physical affection but he will do it if he thinks that it would help you
Imagine him hesitatingly asking if you want a hug
Will immediately agree if you ask for cuddles instead though
Don't call him out on being sweet, he will be embarrassed
Will try to subtly gauge your mood after a while, depending on whether you feel better or not he might bring back some of his sarcasm
NOT directed at your jealousy though, will never pick on something vulnerable
Loves you a lot and will try his best to reassure you
Layla
Will probably notice that something is off, even have a feeling of what it is, but doesn't want to jump to conclusions
Her own self-doubt makes her overly aware of other's feelings, but she also struggles to interpret stuff the right way
So she asks you directly. She cares so she wants to get to the bottom of this
If you admit that you were jealous she wouldn't know what to say at first
Someone caring about her this much is very blush inducing to her
Will be a little flustered but at the same time wants to reassure you as quick as possible
She's already the type to be really sweet to her partner and she will absolutely use this as an excuse to be even sweeter
Expect lots of affectionate words, she gets embarrassed saying them but she'll do it anyways
Also uses it as an excuse to nap and cuddle together
Chiori
Very straightforward once she notices that something up
Will ask you about it and will expect you to be honest. Her patience for unnecessary drama is thin
If you do lie she will give you one more chance to be honest by asking "are you sure?" but if you lie again then she'll lowkey just leave you be until you change your mind about lying or until you're over it
She's not one to press when you clearly don't want her to, and she will not blame you for wanting to avoid an emotional conversation, so she will trust you to handle yourself if you do go that route
Wonders if she did anything to make you feel like you can't confide in her and might bring that up in the future when your feelings have passed
Let's say you did open up though
She will take it seriously and will try to find out why you felt jealous
If the issue was a misunderstanding she'll clear it up and quickly move on, avoiding the same kinds of misunderstandings in the future by either reassuring you beforehand or just by communicating stuff better
If the jealousy stems from insecurity she'll definitely reassure you. She's very observant with her partners emotional needs
Has a habit of fixing problems at their source (not just in relationships, this is a general thing for her) so she might look more aloof than she feels
But she can be surprisingly affectionate when she realizes that you're upset so she's overall still pretty sweet. You can definitely tell that she cares
Cyno
It was because he was talking SO enthusiastically with this other person, you swear you've never seen his eyes shine this much (it was about a TCG Card)
Does NOT notice it on his own, he is way too dense
Because he doesn't realize the problem, he will accidentally make it worse
"Yes and not only is this person good at TCG, they also have the super rare card that I wanted to get for a while, they said they got it in a festival in Nod Krai, something about being forced to participate..."
Won't shut up about it
When you first tell him to please stop gushing about this person he looks at you in confusion
Gushing about this person?? In his mind he was gushing about TCG
Will apologize though, he would never make you intentionally sad and he really didn't mean to
Says that not even the best TCG player in the world would win his favor over you
Also he might have looked lively during the conversation about TCG with the other person, but it doesn't come close to how lively he looks with you sometimes (esp when you crack dad jokes like him)
Columbina
She will not notice for a while
If you start throwing hints, she will know that something is wrong, but not exactly what
It will randomly click for her
Imagine her tilting her head, asking "Are you jealous?" even though by then she already knows the answer
If you deny it she will just say "You are" and accept it as a fact. Once she knows, you can't fool her
If you do admit to being jealous she will lowkey be curious about it, asking you if you thought she'd leave you
She's not offended or accusatory or anything like that, just genuinely trying to understand so that she can best help you
Kinda giving therapy with her wordings
"What made you think that?"
Will reassure you by giving more affection, she'll lean on your shoulder and tell you that you worry too much in the calmest voice
Keeps this moment in mind and if you get jealous again in the future she'll point it out, but then also comfort you again
Lohen
Oh he WILL notice
And he thinks you're hot when jealous so he WILL make it worse on purpose
Usually he's the jealous and possessive one so he has to jealousymaxx you to make up for it
Leans in when hes talking with another person, smiles creepily charmingly, low voice, all that
To normal people it looks like he's threatening the other person. You're not normal and neither is he though, he is doing this on purpose.
He WANTS you to get mad at him
Has the most anticipating eyes when you angrily drag him away from the other person by his sleeve
Will absolutely tease
"Aww is my Darling jealous~?
"Stop calling me that and stop talking to that person"
"Stop calling you Darling or jealous?"
His masochistic ahh yearns to be slapped in the face by you, he's practically begging for it with his attitude
Don’t mind me being completely honest but you know when you feel your period coming, but you don’t have it yet and it just feels like you’re dying… could you do a Lohen x reader where he is doing his best to take care of reader?
Just a Bad Day, or is it?
a/n: You ask, and I shall deliver. My children shall never know hunger ( •̀ ^ •́ )✧
Warnings: afab reader, periods (it's on the label, read it), ooc Lohen maybe?? reader is a moody person but not a bitch (pms iykyk), reader is a member of the KoF
Whatever Barbatos had planned for you today, it was not going well.
Your routine as one of the Knights who were permanently stationed at Mondstadt was simple. Mondstadt was a peaceful all days of the year under the watchful eyes of the Anemo Archon. Even the monsters here were never as scary as the ones in other nations.
Then why was it so hard to exist today.
Instead of a gentle breeze and birds chirping out your window, you were greeted with a headache in the morning.
'That's fine,' you foolishly thought to yourself as you got ready and made your way to the Church to seek out Barbara.
Except.
She wasn't there.
Apparently, she had to accompany a squad of Knights to Dragonspine and was stationed there for the next week.
You sighed and made your way to your office at headquarters. Surely you'd be fine if you just stuck to paperwork, right?
4 hours later.
You lay down on the sofa of the Grandmaster's office as you tried to cover your eyes with an arm. The headache was now throbbing at your sides, pressing against your skull, and making you dizzy.
You had tried to get something other than paperwork done, but you ended up snapping at the new requits and the knights-in-training. You even made Razor almost cry, for which you immediately apologized and bought him a Sweet Madame at The Good Hunter.
Jean noticed your odd temper and recommended that you take some rest in her office. Which is how you found yourself here at the moment.
The sofa was comfortable and soft, but that's it.
The room was too bright, the chattering of the Knights outside the office echoed in and you had half a mind to poke your head out and politely ask them to tone it down, not to mention your lower back hurt a lot. But you just chalked it all up to a bad night's rest.
'Why the fuck does this room have no curtains?' you mourn to yourself as you twist to find a position where the sunlight isn't scorching your eyelids.
Suddenly, a shadow covers you, the faint scent of rust and bitter acid blanketing your senses.
You knew immediately who it was. There was only one person who'd come here, who'd actively seek you out the moment you were in misery, who'd move as quiet as a cat hunting in the shadows.
"Lohen," you whine, very much welcoming the shadow he cast, but not so much his presence itself, "not now please. I'm not in the mood."
"Well, good afternoon to you as well, Milady." He chirps, his voice dripping with delight.
"A little birdie told me a lady who's known to be gentle and soft was suddenly turned into a harsh superior."
You pry open your lids a little to peek at him. "Just a bad day," you explain, "I just need an hour or two of sleep, or a few bottles of Dandelion Wine."
"I thought terrorizing the new recruits and being the 'bad cop' was my job," he chuckles, as he positions himself better to shade you from the sun.
"Well, it's not bad to switch roles for a day, right?" You smile wearily at him.
Lohen says nothing at that, maintaining his weirdly permanent 'polite' smile as he gives you a look over.
"When did it start?" he asks.
"Start what?"
"This...whole thing you know?"
"Morning, I think. I had a small headache, so I went to the Church to ask for the deaconess, but she's out at Dragonspine as a healer for some squad. I tried to just...sit down, do paperwork, then tried to spar when that wasn't helping, ended up snapping at a few people. So Jean just told me to come here and get some rest instead."
"Why not just ask for the day off? You know she'd be more than willing to give you a day off." He questions, brushing away stray hair that fell on your face when you were tossing around.
"I can't do that," you murmured.
"And why not?" he tilts his face, his hair almost brushing your face.
Instead of coming up with an answer, you turn away from him, burying your face in a cushion instead.
He sighs, coming around the back to hold your shoulders and lifting you slightly. Once he sat where your head was, he gently maneuvered you to lie your head on his lap, while you let him do it like a disgruntled, uncooperative cat.
He gently starts combing his hands through your hair, making sure not to mess up your hairstyle or pull on any tangles. It felt nice, so you just sank your head deeper in his lap.
"Anything else that's bothering you, Liebling?"
You shift your head in his lap, prying your eyes open slightly, "Mmm…my lower back hurts. I probably slept wrong or something."
"What if I take the day off with you?" he suggests.
"No, don't do that. We can't just… dump our workload on everyone else and leave."
"Hmm. Then how about we both ditch work-"
"Lohen."
"-and I take you on a date instead?"
You halt at that idea, a date sounds very tempting to you, especially since Lohen was off to the expedition to Nod-Krai for a while, and even after returning, he spent much of his time at Dornman Port instead of Mondstadt city. Spending time together was pretty difficult.
"Oh, that would make you happy, wouldn't it~" he says, delighting in your lack of an answer.
"But we can't just leave- stop scratching my chin! I'm not a cat!" You protest as you try to bat his hands away from your face.
"No you're not," he coos, bringing his hand to painfully pinch one of your cheeks, "You're my little bunny! My sweet bun-bun."
"Shut up," you mutter.
He starts to push you off his lap, propping you up against the cushions. You were, admittedly, a little sour that your little moment of serenity was so rudely interrupted, which did not go unnoticed by the Vice Captain.
"Oh come now, don't look at me like that, Liebling," he says, smoothing over your hair, "Gather up your things. We're leaving. I'll let Jean know."
Before he could take a step, you tugged at his sleeve, wanting him to stay with you for a while longer. He turns at that, slowly pulling his sleeve from your grip, and cradling your hand in his instead.
"What is it?" he asks, squeezing your hand lightly.
"Can we…", you hesitated, mostly because you were still thinking about leaving work, "….go to the Cat's tail for our date? I feel like petting all the cats will make me feel much better. Maybe. I don't know, just...do something lowkey, I guess."
Lohen frowns at that, thinking deeply on your request.
'Perhaps not,' you thought to yourself.
"It's-it's alright, then we can just...do whatever you want-"
"Oh no no no no no no Liebling!" he cuts off, "I'd do whatever you want to do right now, I just..."
You raise a brow, "Just what?"
He sighs, dropping your hand and folding his behind his back, looking like the picture of a guilty person.
"Just...thought you'd say you wanted to go take down a Fatui camp as a date..."
"Whatever made you think I'd want to do that as a date?"
"I dunno," he shrugs, "I'll be honest, I expected you to be all, you know, pent up and frustrated. I know breaking a few knees brings me joy."
"It was one time, and I wasn't even pent up. I just wanted my subordinates to be safe. I went feral because they hurt one of the knights under me," you mumbled, ashamed that the incident made big news.
He simply nods at not, not entirely convinced, "Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Miss Ma'am. So Cat's Tail it is then?"
"Yes, please."
"Got it."
Once you two got permission from Jean to take the day off, Lohen escorted you to the Cat's Tail. While you loved petting all the cats and chatting with little Diona, Lohen was busy trying to get the cats to scratch and bite him with their sharp claws.
Thankfully, the cats in the Cat's Tail were all calm and seemed uninterested in engaging with him, which just led him to ask Diona for a poison cocktail (spoiler alert: she didn't make one for him). After that, he came up to your apartment to spend some more time with you.
"The orange kitty was so cuddly today. It really made my day!" You say, changing your clothes and plopping down on the sofa next to Lohen.
He chuckled as he wrapped a hand around your shoulder to pull you closer to him, "And Diona also went out of her way to mix a special 'mood booster' cocktail for you. That's Mondstadt bartenders for ya."
"I wish I could've stayed for a few more hours," you sighed, "But I could tell the kitties were all getting too spoiled and tired of me pampering them."
He looks at you for a moment, scanning your face, "Hmm."
"What? What is it?" you ask, knowing he's about to say something stupid, or unhinged, or both.
"You know, you're somewhat of a kitty yourself," he suggests.
"I am not!" You protest, yet you couldn't help but giggle as you enjoy Lohen's not-so-rare moment of silliness. Well, it was rare, given how he wasn't in the city all the time, but you cherished it all the same.
"You so are," he insists, "You get all huffy and puffy if I give you too much attention. But secretly, you wish I gave you more, don't you?"
"Hmph, I have other duties here, you know. I can't just keep thinking about my lover." You pout as you cuddle him more.
"Really now? Some new birdies told me that someone was quite worried and missing a certain someone during the Nod-Krai expedition. And also that someone was annoyed that I'd spend time in Dornman Port instead of here in Mondstadt city with them."
You pause, jaw on the floor as you hear the words of betrayal leaked by your juniors, "…I'm gonna break the new recruits' kneecaps tomorrow."
"Invite me, please. I'd enjoy a good show. And I can offer a few useful tips. A win-win," he suggests, poking the tip of your nose.
"You're always like this-"
Before you can even finish what you were saying, Lohen's poking agitated your nose a little, making you sneeze lightly. The sneeze itself wasn't the issue.
It's what you felt after it.
"…"
"…Liebling, are you okay?" He asks, wiping your nose with a napkin, "Haven't caught a chill now, have you?"
"Lohen." You ask quietly.
"Yeah?"
"Can you wait here for a while? I uhh…I'll be right back." You say as you hurry to the bathroom to clean yourself up. And there it was.
Your monthly visitor.
Not that you were unaware of it arriving around this time, it's just a feeling you forget every month and then get disappointed when it happens again.
Oh, how you wish Barbatos had made you an asexual amoeba instead.
But again, such wishes are worthless. How would you be in a relationship with your resident maniac if Barbatos had made you into an amoeba?
You quickly clean yourself up, thankful you had the hindsight to stock up on period supplies ahead of time. But you did so begrudgingly, harboring a deep grudge towards the things you had to do as a woman.
You step out of the bathroom, already feeling a tad more tired than you previously were, accompanied by the feelings of distress and agony for what you were going through.
Though you were pleasantly surprised to see that Lohen had laid out a few extra blankets and snacks in your absence.
"Lohennnnnnnn," you whine as you trudge towards him.
"Oh dear, what is it now?"
"I got my period." You sulk and flop down on the sofa, faceplanting on his lap.
"Aww, my poor darling," he coos, combing his fingers through your hair as he'd done in the Grandmaster's office. He shifts a little, grabbing something from the coffee table.
"Here, these will make your cramps a bit better. I got some chocolates for you here too! Feel free to munch on them all."
You get up for a short while, taking the painkiller he offered you. You then grabbed a few chocolates as you lay back down on his lap.
"You knew," you accuse, your tone of annoyance muffled by the chocolates.
"Hm? Yeah, I did," he shrugs as he says it so nonchalantly.
"What gave it away?" you ask, "My crappy mood? The headache? The unexplainable back pain?"
"Everything, to be honest," he says, petting your head, "That and also the fact that this happened to be the exact date last month that you wiped out that Fatui camp single-handedly. You certainly wouldn't have done that, I thought to myself. But seeing how the newbies shook in their boots every time you instruct them during drills made me believe it in a way."
"That I'd wipe out an entire Fatui camp on a bad day?" You thought aloud.
He nods, "That you'd be a force to be reckoned with on a bad day. I wonder why you weren't in the mood today."
"Too floppy, not enough bones in me to lift a sword," you say, reaching out for another chocolate on the coffee table, but then giving up as you realize it was too far to get without having to move from Lohen's lap.
He notices and grabs them for you, then unwraps a few to feed them to you himself, "Lethargy then. It's fine. We can take down a Fatui camp another day."
"Sorry." You mumble.
"Hey, now don't be sorry about it. I was just hoping you were in the mood to do something like that for…relaxation."
You scrunch your face in offence as he giggles, "Only someone like you would think fighting Fatui is relaxing."
"But now, I was thinking of…something else," he ponders, pausing to form his what you assumed were far from normal thoughts into words.
'On Barbatos' name,' you think to yourself. 'If he says something beyond hinged I'm going to-'
"Can you let me look at your blood? Pretty please." He pleads, pinching one of your cheeks for extra points.
"I will put a spear through you Lohen."
"Don't threaten me with a fun time Bunny~"
a/n: anon I TOTALLY get what you mean when you say that and that's what's made me pick this from the list of reqs I have (I'll write the others too, just not in order ig lol hope y'all understand) I'm one of the people who can just......yk feel when my period's gonna be down to the minute??? I do not know how to explain it but whatever the girlies get it and the ones who don't.......I'm so sorry ૮(˶ㅠ︿ㅠ)ა I hope you start your periods at home and never stain anything.
Also sorry if the fics are taking too much time, I got sick this week so haven't been able to write much ｡°(°¯᷄◠¯᷅°)°｡ , I am getting better so I'll work on Dottore's pt 2 and the reqs ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧
@luminarylorecat Do not repost, translate, adapt, feed into AI, or claim this work. Reblogs and links are appreciated; copying and reuploading are not.
summary — lohen hates seeing his pretty girl suffer. this month, he decides to do something about it.
themes — established relationship, suggestive ending, attempt at humor, period fic, fluff, a lil domestic
WC: 756
No matter how hard Lohen tried, he wouldn’t be able to fight the enemy that taunted you this time. Or so he had initially thought. After some careful digging on his part, he had stumbled upon an avenue that was perfect for you.
Though, maybe not so perfect for him.
“Lohen, are you—?”
“I’m good!” he said quickly, shooting upright from the table he was keeled over moments prior. “Super good! How’s…how’s things going, Bun?”
“You…really didn’t have to do that,” you replied with a frown. “I’m used to the cramps, so—.”
“Cramps? What cramps? Psh!” Lohen waved his hand in the air, grinning from ear to ear. “This is nothing, Bun! I’ve faced way worse pain and suffering in Nod-Krai. I’m fine, really! Really.”
The longer he grinned at you, the worse the sweat on his brow became. You frowned, your eyes running up and down the length of his body as he sat before you, upright and grinning at your kitchen table. His fingers drummed against the dark wood as time stretched on, and when another stomach-clenching cramp wracked through him, he gripped his hand into a fist and stifled a groan.
“Lohen,” you said, “come here.”
Immediately, he rose from his chair. Placing his hand in yours, he let you lead him to the couch, where you forced him to lay. Lowering yourself onto your knees, you grabbed a pliant plastic pack, disguised as a pyro slime. When you placed it on his lower abdomen, warmth spread through his core.
“Oh,” he said immediately. “ Yeah, that’s…that’s a bit better.”
He sighed, his eyes fluttering shut. You laughed, soft and quiet. He felt your hand on his face, stroking his cheek, and pressed himself further into your touch.
“I can’t believe you,” you said. “Enduring a Hexenzirkel trial, just to transfer my period cramps to you? I’m touched, but…it’s a bit drastic, don’t you think?”
His lips parted for his grinning teeth. “Nah, Bun. I think it’s the bare minimum.”
“If that’s the bare minimum,” you laughed, “then I’d hate to see what you’d say to other couples.”
He opened his left eye, smirking at you. The way you smiled at him made his cheeks flush with warmth, his heart seeped in the joy of knowing that, for at least one month, you wouldn’t be terrorized by those awful menstrual cramps of yours.
“Who cares about other couples?” he purred. “I just care about you and me.”
You laughed again, stroking his cheek under your warm fingers. Smiling at him so tenderly that it made his heart hurt, you said, “Me too.”
You leaned your head down, kissing him with your grinning lips. Lohen reached for the back of your head, keeping you pressed against him as he laughed. Digging his teeth into his lower lip, he stared after you with a smile, sweet throbs of dull, aching pain accompanying his pleasure.
“Honestly, I kinda like the cramps. We should do this every month.”
“You can’t pester the Hexenzirkel every month,” you replied with a giggle. “Though it’s sweet of you to want to try.”
“They have the right to say no, if they wanna. I’ll still ask though.”
“Doesn’t it hurt? Even now, it seems like you weren’t expecting it to be like this.”
“Hurts like a bitch,” he answered, the corner of his grin twitching. “But you know me, Bun. When has a little bit of pain ever stopped me from doing something?”
Lips closed, you laughed through your nose. “As far as I know, never.”
“Uh-huh.” He pulled your hand to his mouth, giving your palm a kiss. “So let your tough boyfriend handle this, alright? There’s no reason for you to go suffering every month if I can do something about it.”
“Hm? But before, you had other methods for it, didn’t you?”
He giggled, grazing his teeth along the inner aspect of your wrist. Talking into your skin, he asked, “What, you miss ‘em?”
Your eyes strayed from his, but your smile remained. “They weren’t bad.”
Playfully, he licked your pulse point. “You don’t have to be cramping for me to eat you out, Bun. You’re still bleeding, aren’t you?”
Your eyes fell closed. Lowering your head, you smiled, and rather shyly, nodded.
“Let me take care of that, then,” he purred. “I’ll get you real clean.”
“Stop,” you said, your words contrasting that wide grin of yours.
“Come on, princess,” he crooned, grinning against the skin of your forearm. Pointing at his face, he purred, “Your throne awaits.”
a/n: have the other drabble i wrote when i was on my period xD i thought it'd be funny if lohen transfers your cramps to him... and also hella sweet T_T ♡ ofc i am a firm believer that lohen likes period sex too. teehee.
oh yeah im also trying new formatting cause i wanna look like the cool kids hehehhh...yeah T_T
anyway... if you would like to be tagged whenever i post genshin drabbles/wips/teasers, please check my rules here! thank you! (˶>⩊<˶) ♡
🍵chai sippers🍵
@captaintucki, @astralgleam, @windsgasp, @pwushizz, @yenyentan
@ariaontheplanetsv6, @viviolettee, @agathawells,
masterlist | ask | ao3 | more of this pair
Synopsis: as a cupid migrated to Mondstadt, you found it that instigating love was your best calling. So what was with this man named Lohen, and why won't he leave you alone?
Tags: gn!reader, no use of y/n, general fluff, slight angst (blink and you miss it), lots of backstory for reader, slow-burn(?), annoyances to lovers, Lohen and reader physically fight at the end, brief mentions of stalking, banter, open ending, slightly rushed?, not proofread, English is not my first language, 6.8k words
Og post side story 1
A/N: we're just going to ignore how this took much longer than it should have...
Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa, did well in creating you.
The god of love, you surmised, was one that, in recent times seems more closed off, standoffish even compared to the humans that she rules over. She is a woman, who is seemed to have no love left for her people, an irony of all things considered her title and role, yet to compensate for that, she created the cupid race. Born to the Tsaritsa's command in order bring forth humans in romantic and platonic kinship, that was your purpose, your fate, and you couldn't have had it better.
Humans, for their endless entropy of emotions, were quite entertaining to watch when all you have to do is to observe and tie the strings to their soulmates. Their tears, their smiles, their blushes, emotions that you could never experience yourself with such detail compared to your mortal counterparts. And, in a way, you didn't mind. Observing these mortals brought you great joy in and of itself, as did bringing forth soulmates regardless of how far apart they existed.
Though, Snezhnaya was a nation quick to adapt to her majesty's mood, for now the nation of love was just an endless tundra, filled to the brim with scowls and alcohol brewing under their chins. You couldn't blame them. To live in a nation, whose reputation remained tarnished due to its aggressive military, was bound to make one grumpy. Even your mood fouled far often than it should have in these solemn conditions.
So, you took a different approach.
The north had no place for your everlasting boredom, so you ventured, from Snezhnaya to Nod Krai, skipping over the regions till you came to Mondstadt. The nation of wine and freedom. Even the air here was no short of impressive, with the scent of dandelions wafting through the air like the subtlest yet soothing companion. This region... Was all you could ask for in regards to humanity. Here, the knights wore honor as their greatest badge, the church worshipped with fervor regardless of their absentee archon, the men and women mingled with such unique romances, that you yourself could not help but sigh in utter delight at the sight of a couple giving each other flowers, or perhaps having a picnic together at the fresh meadow.
Truly, this is where you belonged.
Day by day, you sat on the windrise tree, munching on either a sunsettia or apple, positioning your (harmless) bow and arrow to an unsuspecting couple, and watching your arrow disappear into the wind to tighten the bond between the two humans. You watched, as their eyes lit up with renewed yearning, and the grip of their hands enveloped in their partner's grew stronger.
This was your whole life really. You slept on most days, when you yearned for a snack you'd simply wander around, careful to avoid the hillichurl camps and just pick up a fruit or two for your indulgence. And, when inspiration struck you'd carefully position your bow and arrow to strengthen the string of love regardless of its nature as romantic or platonic.
Ah but of course, people would catch on about your little whimsical life.
Sometimes, you left your bow on the tree during your wanderings, others you'd be a bit sloppy and fail to conceal your presence as much as you would've liked. It didn't matter, for the people of Mondstadt noticed, and you were happy to oblige to their little whims.
You'd see girlish letters asking you to send it to the object of their admiration, and you did. You'd see couples asking for your blessings and you gave them. You'd see little kids playing house, begging to allow their friendship to continue forevermore, and you'd help fulfill that wish. All anonymously of course. And yet, with each letter, heartfelt wish and whatnot, your heart didn't grow cold at the monotony, but warmer at the prospect of human kinship, sometimes bold and sometimes more reserved, growing even greater by the decade. You have practically lost count of the romances and friendships you've supported up until now, and you couldn't have had it any better.
But did romances only have to occur between humans? Why of course not!
Right now as of the moment, you sat on the branches of another tree, the grip of your legs over the branch taut, and the precision of your bow even greater. You were pointing your arrow to two lovely birds singing along in melodious harmony, and to think to not bind them in friendship was absolutely blasphemous. Obviously, the intensity of the arrow had to be lessened according to the bodies of the birds, but the calculations leading to that point were too vague and the chances of you messing up were far higher than expected. Too much intensity would kill them, might even cook them from the potency, and too little wouldn't do anything.
But mulling over it won't do much now would it? The birds would finish their singing sooner or later. You shot your arrow...
...And it turned into fowl. How great. You really needed to improve upon your arche-
"That was a nice shot there!"
You almost fell off of your branch.
Quickly adjusting your position so as to not fall off startled, your graze drifted upon the snarky and boyish voice below you. You really should've practiced concealing your presence better, but oh well. Instead of, what you would've preferred, a clean grass field, you were met with a young man, eyes dark, dead and crimson and with lovely dark hair. His uniform, you could tell, belonged with the knights of favonius, and he was covered in... Blood. You scrunched up your nose in discomfort.
"Hey now, don't look so displeased, I'm just a knight passing by!"
"A knight with so much blood," you secured your bow on your back. "I'm afraid I can't exactly trust a man with that much gore on his person."
"Just a few hilichurls ravaging the place out of order," he laughed, a bit maniacal, and your discomfort grew by the slightest. "I'm Lohen, vice captain of the fifth company of the knights of favonius," what a mouthful, "and what might your name be?"
Should you even tell him? Staring down at the man, grin undeniably cheshire and his eyes holding a sort of lack of light that you couldn't discern the emotion of, he still seemed earnest, if in a twisted way. His grip on his spear tightened the lightest, and his eyes always found themselves attracted to that bow on your back. Of course. War mongerers will always look for a sign to fight.
"Not a talker, eh?" You didn't answer either, and ended up going back to staring at the dead bird on the branch. You pitied it, it didn't deserve being at the end of your bow.
"Are you perhaps a hunter?"
"... What makes you say that?"
"Your precision at that bird was exquisite," oh? You didn't expect him to be the type for flattery. "And your bow seems to be high quality," he crossed his arms. Your gaze drifted again, and you couldn't help but watch as the blood dripped from his bangs to his nose, before eventually falling on the ground again.
"And yet, you're not dressed like one."
You narrowed your eyes. He was perceptive. You weren't all too familiar with Mondstadt laws, but poaching without a permit was surely enough a grave offense that had to be paid with a fine. Well, you would think, you haven't been interacting with human life directly for a long time now. To be faced with the implications of your own mistakes to not hide your presence better was truly distressing, especially since he knew your face and voice now.
"I'm just a typical wanderer, you don't have to worry about me," you paused, before speaking again. "I'm not here to cause trouble," in a way, the man questioning you looked like he caused greater issues than what of you might have done.
He chuckled, for whatever reason, you didn't exactly know. Instead, he brought his gloved hand to shoulder and waved, before eventually walking off into the distance, towards the city of Mondstadt. Though, with the way he kept glancing at you even after he left the scene, told you enough that he'd try to find you again, if only for the thrill of a good fight. You recognize that look all the way from the humans in Snezhnaya.
"Well, it's been a while since I had to tackle bloodlust instead of its other counterpart," you muttered to yourself, before jumping off that branch of yours, staring at the other tree and the fowl, that still had your arrow stuck through its eyes. Guess you were having meat for sustenance today then.
This Lohen was a real pain.
Day by day, you often spent your time sleeping or fulfilling the wishes of your fellow Mondstatians, yet you never did much after that. Explore? Sure, but due to the egregious amount of hilichurls near Mondstadt you weren't one to risk it. And yet, despite all your laxness, your lack of enthusiasm for anything that wasn't your purpose, you found it that Lohen wasn't one to like to leave someone peacefully minding their own business alone.
You rest near a pond or perhaps in Windrise, and you found that dastard Lohen grinning stupidly, his hand mildly shaking from gripping his polearm so hard, and always covered in crimson. You've grown to learn to ignore him, more often than not, since there wasn't much reason to just attack someone out of nowhere. At least he had the dignity for that of all things, even if most times he's just poking your bow to get a reaction out of you.
"It's a very fine quality bow. Say, care telling me where you had it made?"
"It's a family heirloom."
It wasn't, but its not like he could really do anything about that. You made your own bow and arrow, but he didn't need to know that.
Most times you just run away from him, your feet gliding across the harsh blades of grass as he calls after you with brash and hurried apologies that has no actual weight. All he wanted to do was fight, and you weren't one prone to violence by any means, especially when you knew, even with your limited combat experience, that you could end his life if you tried just the slightest. He wanted your bow to injure, but unfortunately for him you were created for love, and to hurt humans was something you didn't want to explicitly do in all things.
As of the moment, there you were, watching the crystalflies land on your index and watching as its wings flap with such beauty, yet as soon as Lohen came, it flew away, as if knowing that his bloodlust will get them killed. You remained nonchalant nonetheless, despite missing the pretty sight on your finger.
There came your dark haired knight, already covered in blood from Barbatos knows what he did, still with that annoying grin plastered on his face. It was beginning to become a part of your daily routine, and you couldn't have been more distraught at the fact that you were getting used to humans like these. You sat up from the grass, brushing the dirt from your outfit and already turning your back on him.
And he was... Pouting. Gosh, how much attention did he need really?
"Oh come on, not interested in a fight?"
"Not particularly."
Ignore, ignore ignore, that was all that was chanting in your head right now. Why did you even respond to his question? That you yourself didn't even know, people like him are bound to give up if you don't give them the thought of day, but here you were falling into a trap that he himself didn't know he placed.
"What do you even do then? Such great precision on your archery, and yet you're without a permit."
"Just for self defence," you breathed through your nose, "I might just attack you from your incessant questions now." Said through gritted teeth.
"Oh please do!"
"No thank you," your expression turned to one of disgust again. "Won't exactly count as self defence."
"I say it would, if I just strike right now," what was he even saying?! His body shifted, and now he was taking a stance for... Fighting! This man really doesn't know when to quit!
"I said no, Lohen!"
He pouted, and you practically shivered in your cloth. "Ahh what a buzz kill," he rolled his neck, and you could hear the cracks pop one by one, which was disturbing. Gods, he really was just planning on attacking you right then and there. One had to be a real kind of crazy to even do that without warning.
"And besides, it wouldn't exactly be a fair fight anyway. You have a vision and I don't." Why were you even trying to reason with him? You could've just walked away, never to see him again as you reside in a more secluded area. Your love for humans must have been so great to indulge even the irrational of humans, those who have only fight in their heart and brain.
"I'll throw away my vision."
You quirked an eyebrow. So much for just a fight? You wonder if he became a knight just to duel people. "You're a knight and I'm just a passing Traveler. Still wouldn't be fair."
"I'll compensate you!"
With what exactly? You almost said, but instead rolled your eyes. You've had enough conversation with this man and it was getting on your nerves. So, as promptly as you could, you began walking away from the man, ignoring his pouty protests.
He was interesting to observe however, maybe you should do more research on people like him.
You stood in front of Mondstadt gates, and could only sigh as you walked in.
To be completely honest, interactions with humans (aside from... You hate to say it but Lohen) were few and negligible in your long life, so, approaching the city with stone gates left you feeling a tad bit nervous. The guards greeted you kindly, which should be a source of comfort, and you bowed your head in turn, if only to be polite.
The city was quite... Lively. Lively for your taste specifically, with the children running amok and the constant company that was the bustling conversation between the people. You even saw some people releasing love letters into the air, which you cheekily collected and made sure to carefully place in your handbag. No rest for the cupid you supposed, you smiled into your cloak. But, as always, you wouldn't have had it any other way.
Your intention for even coming into the city, was, for one, to observe how Mondstadtians get along in their day to day lives, and to also gather more information about Lohen's environment to find out about what made him such a battle maniac. He was a tad bit of an enigma for you, inhibiting characteristics of a psychopath, yet still holding this humanity in him that signifies that he was more than just a man who liked to wander about and fight things and creatures for no reason. He was annoying, but in a way you wanted to study him. Just that, asking him directly, knowing that he'll be on your tails for as long as you exist afterwards, was not your particular cup of tea.
And this city was too cheerful. Too much for someone like him.
You truly wonder, you really do, what about this freeing environment made him so battle hungry? Even those with the more serious disposition, always carried that air of softness, or had at least some kind of care for their own city to crack a smile every once in a while. Him? He belonged more in Natlan than he did in Mondstadt. What made him so bored of this lovely city? You truly wondered.
Here, it felt as if the word "home" was personified in a way, the cozy warm feeling and the general public adding to that whole vibe of the place. And yet, Lohen feels like such a stark, cold contrast against that home which you've lived in for so many decades. You're not sure how to feel, and yet surprisingly enough you don't feel malice.
For now, you'd just enjoy your day. The children around brought you dandelions to your palms, and you smiled and pat their heads as a thanks for their gesture. With the limited mora you carried, you used it to buy some food from good hunter, and it was far more pleasing than of what you might have expected. You walked from area to area, taking in this glorious city with fresh eyes and a warmer heart, and your little love for humanity sparkled just a tad bit brighter, and it felt like such a great euphoria.
... If it weren't for the fact that you were being watched.
You noticed almost immediately when you checked out the Knights of favonius headquarters and then left to discover more parts of the city, but someone was certainly following you if anything. They were sneaky, that was to be sure, and certainly not to be messed with, but you couldn't sense any bloodlust on their person even with the unnerving presence watching you. You sighed, wishing you had eyes at the back of your head. It would save you the trouble of constantly looking back and seeing that your assailant had all but disappeared.
Couldn't even enjoy an afternoon. You sighed.
You suspect that Lohen might be following you. Why? Well, regardless of how well he did at deception, he couldn't hide his elemental traces regardless of how hard he tried. It didn't help that your senses were far more attuned to Teyvat than that of the normal person, but considering that Lohen hadn't done anything yet, you'd let him slide for once.
For now, you'd just buy a memoir to remember your trip.
"Any flower you'd like?"
Flora, you heard, offered you the array of flowers, and you couldn't help but chew on your fingers for a bit. Even if this was just a personal gift, it didn't make the act of buying something any less difficult. Sighing you asked for the Cecilias, but unfortunately someone had bought them already. The whole stock. Which was... Strange, but you could manage, and instead bought some small lamp grass.
The flowers were pretty at least, and the sun was already setting. You were about to leave the city gate, but unfortunately, were stopped by an all too familiar voice.
"Wait a sec!" It was Lohen.
He ran up to you while you were already on the path with a frightening speed that you hadn't seen him use before, which, to be fair, was expected since you hadn't seen him actually in combat before, and left him in the dust before he could actually catch up. He panted the faintest, and you could see from your vision that his top was the slightest ruffled. His face however, was a whole other story. It was flushed, a tad bit pink, likely from running to you so fast and so hurriedly, and yet he still kept that manic grin on his face that you've grown accustomed to.
"Lohen?"
"Yes, my liege?"
You rolled your eyes at the nickname, and then sighed, exasperated.
"Why are you here, exactly?" Choosing your words carefully. You wouldn't want to catch the unnecessary attention of the guards, who were watching your interaction with far too much interest than of what you might be comfortable with. Somehow, Lohen noticed your discomfort, and moved his body so that he was covering the sight of you from the guards.
That was oddly thoughtful.
"Can't get a chance to see the lovely you?"
"You can but I'm pretty sure that flattery wasn't in the topic of "meeting" me."
"Is it really flattery if it's all true?"
You raised a brow. Now he was acting slightly suspicious. He didn't seem like the type to care about overt complementing, especially since you assumed him to only acknowledge those that matched his fighting prowess. You didn't even clash your bow against his yet.
"Just tell me what you want Lohen."
You crossed your arms, and he pouted again. Seriously, you might just have to start counting the number of times he's being dramatic.
"Trying to get rid of me?"
"If you don't hurry up I might just," your glare didn't exactly match his carefree look, but then again your threat must have worked since he took out the thing that he was hiding behind his back-
And it was Cecilias. Huh.
... But they were covered in blood.
You stared at Lohen, then back at the flowers again, holding the crimson carnage and the distinct scent of iron. Tentatively, you grabbed the flowers, narrowing your eyes when the blood dripped into your palm.
"Why blood?"
"Well, I feel like red suits you."
"It suits you more," you sighed, picking one flower and twirling it between your index and middle. "Considering you're so battle hungry. I'd prefer it if it was white."
"Well, it wouldn't exactly say anything that it would match me now would it? I feel like I had to impart at least some of my charm."
Ugh. He had a point.
But then again... "Where did you get the blood from?"
"Oh do you really need to know?"
"I feel as if I must."
You stared at Lohen, who was consequently staring off into the distance with the most neutral expression you had ever seen, likely to not give away his thoughts. You narrowed your eyes and furrowed your brow, and he still had the audacity to act unbothered. You were seriously considering kicking him.
Forcibly shoving his body, which was frustratingly sturdy and didn't seem to want to budge, you looked behind him. There was nothing out of the ordinary of course, just guards doing their job and the sun setting from the long day that it spent. However, you were not one easily deterred. Squinting your eyes, you saw a few people walking out the city gates in the adventurer's guild uniform, their expressions foul and all, and as they walked passed, you noticed how the biggest one was holding his head covered in bandages, and his lackeys were talking about a concussion of sorts.
You whipped your head back to Lohen, not impressed in the slightest.
"Why would you fight someone so carelessly, Lohen?"
He was... whistling now? Gosh why doesn't he ever stay on topic?!
"Lohen."
"Oh fine, you really wanna know?"
Yes, you really did. And you were mostly sure that your expression conveyed that perfectly fine, much to his likely dismay.
He leaned into you, and for a moment you thought he was about to do something absolutely ridiculous, but instead all he did was whisper into your ear:
"I did it for the thrill. Say, isn't it fun to see these pitiful men limping and scampering all caused by my gift for you?"
"Wha- no, Lohen! Why would I ever want people to be hurt because of me?!"
"Eh, why not? I mean, personally speaking if you fought someone for me I'd be at your neck and call like a pitiful servant," you tried not to think about the implications of that.
"That's for you personally, not me!"
"Well, they are known to be slackers in the adventurer's guild, I was just roughing them up!"
You sighed, pointedly sighed, attempting to not let your absolute irritation with him show. He was at least observant enough to know he had fucked up, but at the same time it seemed like he didn't give a rat's ass about what you thought of it.
"Then take it as a token of... My gratitude!" Now he was just spewing bullshit, but who were you to call him out really? At least he returned to normal. His snarky, cheerful voice returned again, and you couldn't help but find it ridiculous that you were glad he returned to his original personality of all things. Seriously, you were growing soft.
"Gratitude for what?" You raised a brow, and all he did was chuckle.
"Well, as the knights say, for not running off when I quote on quote "behaved like a freak"."
You still behave like one, you almost uttered whilst rolling your eyes, but you had enough of self preservation to know when and when not to respond to precarious situations.
"Well then!" He finally leaned away, and you almost missed his warm breath hitting your face, "any other questions needing answering?"
Well, best to ask something mundane you supposed. "Why flowers?"
He was the one now staring at you, blankly in fact, his cheeks still pink of all things and definitely lost in thought. Then, with his bloody hand, he picked a flower in your hand, carefully making sure the blood wouldn't stain your outfit (which was a surprisingly thoughtful gesture) and placed it on your ear, the red a contrast against your face.
"You could say it's a trade."
You paused. "Trade?"
He grinned back, which he was doing awfully often. "Well, despite all the times I've already met you, I've found to it that, I actually still don't know your name."
You paused again, this time with more emphasis on the disbelief on your face. "So you want my name because you gave me flowers?"
He nodded, and you could only sigh.
"It's (Name)." And you prevent him from seeing the redness on your ears, you quickly went on your own separate ways, carefully carrying the red cecelias in your hands too. Briefly, you heard Lohen testing your name on his tongue, but you promptly ignored him. It was sunset after all, there was no need to bother him much longer than you should have.
Cupid's way of delivering letters were simple.
First, they'd receive the letters of course, folded in a neat envelope, and they'd also read it, which was typical. Then they'd converge into either two routes, either guiding the words of the letter across the wind, making sure they reached their predetermined destination, or perhaps cupid themselves would come to that person in disguise and give them the love letter themselves.
Cupid rarely ever threw away letters, and only did so when it was an unwanted stalker of such. However, you might make an exception for the letter in front of you.
The letter in your hand, stamped with the favonius wax and with imported paper, was slightly crumpled and worn, reminiscent of a certain Mondstadter that you'd meet quite often in your current days. It was unusual, Lohen was never one to sit still and actually write a letter due to his personality, he'd, in fact, much rather just have an assistant take care of his paperwork, maybe overload acting grandmaster jean again, but he would be out in the wild killing the poor animals and hilichurls.
To write a letter to cupid? That was the ultimately bizarre part.
Carefully, you made sure not to tear the paper, and opened it without the wax ruining the letters. Inside, was, of course, the most crooked and hasty handwriting you had ever seen. So, you could at least confirm it was Lohen, but you never knew that he admired someone. Huh. Guess you learn new things every day, even if they slightly make your heart ache for whatever reason, which was something that you yourself didn't know of sorts.
Of course, you had to actually read the letter. Sucking in a breath, you began:
"Dear cupid,
Grandmaster Varka had told me to write this for whatever reason, which was... Annoying. But nothing I couldn't handle. See, there was this certain person I met in Mondstadt, nothing out of the ordinary, people do wander about and frankly it's none of my business. Still, they were sort of odd. Sitting on a tree of all things, and pointing an arrow with the nicest form I had seen, towards an unsuspecting bird. They were good, I could confidently say. But, unfortunate as it was they aren't too keen on seeing eye to eye in any of our prospects of whatever. I try to get along, a person with such talent surely deserves for a clean fight, but it was strange seeing them so adverse to fighting, considering that they're that talented. I couldn't even catch their name until recently! Their name was (Name), it sounded nice in my mouth at the very least, and I only got it when I got them a gift, and even then they seemed more than pleased to run away. Quite frustrating in my place.
Anyway, all I ask of you (which the other knights and Grandmaster are telling me to ask of you), is to help me find out more about them and what they want with me or anything else. They're far too intriguing for me to let them go, so I'm not inclined to do that. Give a sign or whatever, and give it quick.
From,
Lohen."
It was quite a short letter, and yet you didn't know how to feel about it, considering that it was about you of all people. Lohen wasn't one to mull over the details it seemed. He ran over how the two of you met, how he felt that your combat prowess was a gem in talent of sorts, and most of all, how willing he had been to continue talking to you, heck, even to find out your name. He wasn't a romantic, or something, he didn't write about how he felt when you ignored him, or how much desperation claws at him whenever he saw you running off or whatever. Instead, it seemed as if he was just trying to relay his points and quick, considering the tardiness of his writing and how many words he had cut and rewritten over and over again.
You didn't know how to feel.
How could you even tell him that his thoughts (confusing as it was) was being relayed to the object of his interest or whatever? You were cupid, and you had an admirer yourself, and yet, you didn't know how you were supposed to take it. With pride? Joy? Perhaps even indulge his rapid curiosity? You didn't frankly know, and you're not exactly sure you want to know.
For now, you'd carefully fold the letter and place it into your pockets and ponder, as the sun set and the moon's visibility shone again, you decided that you were going to think for a long while.
"Oh come on Mx (Name)!"
"No Lohen."
Ever since that letter, for whatever reason that you didn't know of yourself, you've been more inclined to allow Lohen into your vicinity. Well, Vicinity as in, the two of you walking together without talking or perhaps having a meal together. You still block out the nonsense that somehow escapes his mouth into the human realm, but that was something that you did all the time so you don't think it counts.
Though, no matter how hard you tried in blocking out the noise, he always had a way to ask the same questions over and over again.
"I'm not going to fight you Lohen."
"You're acting like fighting is going to drain the life out of you or something."
Somewhere in the back of your throat, you were about to say yes before calming yourself.
"I'm just simply not interested."
Couldn't he get that in the slightest? Plenty of times you've told him no, how you did not want to cross weapons near the statue of the seven, nor did you want him to surprise attack you with his polearm. He was usually tolerable enough, and that was made this whole ordeal double the annoyance.
You've made sure that your bow was nowhere near your hands lest he mistake that for agreeing to fight, and you were obviously careful enough to make sure your arrows were out of sight too, there was no need for him to get all too excited. You could already imagine the pout plastered on Lohen's face, but unfortunately you weren't going to give him the time of day.
... Hopefully you weren't going to give him the time of day. Nowadays your mentality was horrifically easy to change its mind with just the slightest persuasion, and you decided that you didn't like that at all. Curse that darn Lohen.
"(Name)!"
"Screaming my name is going to get you nowhere Lohen believe me."
Unfortunately, he's also gotten far more obnoxious ever since he's learnt your name, and it seems to be his favorite word to shout into your ear now. (Name) This, (Name) that, your own name was starting to sound like it wasn't supposed to exist with his frequent usage.
You could hear him audibly sigh, in disappoinment or whatever, and you couldn't help but roll your eyes. Him and his overt need for everything to go his way. You yourself couldn't believe that you found that a bit charming.
But then, you heard the distinct sound of metal clanging together to create a rather annoying chime, and when you looked back, there was Lohen, his vision in his hand and he... Tossed it to the floor?!
"Lohen what are you-"
"You're always one to ramble on and on about how you don't want to fight, so I have just decided to make things a while lot easier for you. Come on, I'm practically defenseless without my vision now aren't I?"
He's... Taunting you. No, his tone of voice seemed less mocking and way too level, more like, coaxing you. All this for a fight? He even grabbed his polearm in the midst of your irritation with him!
"Didn't we have a whole conversation on how it would still be unfair even if you threw away your vision?"
"Aw, you think I didn't account for that? Relax! I'll go easy on you."
And would you look at that. "I'll go easy on you"? What a laughable quote, as if you were far lesser than him. Well, technically you did run around in circles trying to convince him that you were weak, but now that you were closer and now that you were actually subtly fond of him, the whole thing stroked your ego in the opposite direction of what you wanted.
Well, if a fight is what he wants then a fight is what he gets.
Quickly grabbing your bow from your back, you allow the friction beneath your feet to drag you away from Lohen so you could gain some kind of distance and shoot your arrows. Of course, the arrows themselves came with their own safety features, you weren't actually going to hurt him, but it's best to give someone the illusion of their desire when said desire is going to actively harm them in the process. Three arrows went, two for each of his eyes and one for his head, but he easily deflected and swatted the arrows away with his polearm.
"Hahah! Bring it on!" That maniacal grin on his face again, you couldn't help but smirk in return of his enthusiasm.
Lohen was fast, he managed to close the distance between the two of you pretty quickly, leading you to quickly go on the defensive. His polearm slashed up, right then left, and you carefully dodged each hit. Luckily, the length of the polearm caused the swings to allow you to gain more distance, so by the time he was done with the first set of his attacks, you had already moved a great distance away from him to use your bow and arrow to shoot him again.
This time you wanted to test his reaction speed, really check the waters with what you could do and how long you could do it before Lohen could get suspicious about your lack of loss of stamina. Three arrows again, the first one aimed for his left hand, which he quickly dodged. The second came for his eyes, where he used his weapon to snap your arrow in half before it could actually pierce him. And the third for his feet...
Which he failed to dodge in the fraction of a second, so while it didn't injure much it still mildly poked him. You'd finally find his blind spot.
"What? Already failing to keep up pretty boy?" You suppose it couldn't hurt to tease him a little.
"Well, if it's you how could I possibly imagine keeping up?"
What a smartass. Still, you found yourself smiling along with him too, somehow finding the act of fighting of all things "fun", but for now you just had to focus.
You'd have to find a way to offset the balance of his footwork in order to pin him down with your arrows, but that would have to come later when his movements with his polearm became more sluggish. For now, you were perfectly fine with distracting him until you gained an opening.
He was clearly limping the slightest, you wondered if you actually pierced a toe of his, but his smiled never swept out of place, in fact his grin was possibly wider than before, and a face far more flushed with the prettiest blush you'd seen. A thrust of his polearm, of which you had to carefully dodge to the side.
"You're good at this! Makes me wonder why you didn't agree to a fight all those times," his tone was the breathy, and yet all you noticed was how he was paying attention to talking instead of fighting for now. You narrowly avoided his polearm, though it cut the bridge of your nose, and another thrust was about to stab you through the heart, and though you knew that Lohen put no killing intent behind that and would likely stop and declare himself winner or whatever, you still made sure to use an arrow of yours to prevent the stab altogether, even if it broke in half.
From this close a distance you could observe his face, the smirk he sported, the blood on his shoes and the feather from your arrow, his messy, unkept hair and wide blood red eyes. It was endearing, seeing him so joyful. Unfortunately for him though, you were excellent at providing distractions during a losing stalemate. His footwork was rigid, one that you couldn't displace, but his spear was fair game in your terms.
Carefully uplifting your foot, a difficult endeavor with the proximity of your bodies, you lodged the polearm between the small gap between the heel and sole of your boot, watching the handle get stuck momentarily. Lohen's eyes widened, his gaze suddenly blank, and you used that distraction to kick him. Hard. Real hard. The metal handle of the weapon, combined with the pointy front of your boot, did well in causing him to cough up spit within how hard his guts were kicked. He was practically sent flying, his back to a tree and his head pushed back. You cringed at the sight, and hopefully you didn't break any of his bones. Well, even if he did break a bone you'd still drag him all the way to Mondstadt church, uncaring of the glances just to get him healed.
For now though, all you had to do was point an arrow to his neck and assume your victory. Well, that and making sure your strength didn't kill him.
Quickly walking over, borderline running, your figure towered over Lohen who was clutching his midsection with his arms, and you couldn't help but contort your brow in worry. It didn't seem like you broke a bone of his, but you wouldn't rely on your judgement entirely. Even still, as Lohen stared up at you, delirious and all from the adrenaline, you couldn't help the spike of pride in your ego as you'd got even the chronic fighter to be stupefied. Crouching down, you carefully pressed the tip of the arrow over his Adam's apple, watching as his breath hitched for a hot second.
For a moment, you recalled your master's teachings in regards to using the bow and arrow.
"Pointing a cupid's arrow at someone is a great hit or miss. Your arrow, when released, either tightens the blossoming relationship and disappears into the wind, or breaks in half due to no mutual feelings between the lover and recipient. If you are in fight, you have to be very careful so as the arrow doesn't fade away."
"Yes ma'am," you remember responding.
The arrow, lodged between the gaps of your fingers, began to fade away, and your eyes could only widen in shock.
Shit.
Lohen seemed to catch drift of the disappearing arrow, and yet instead of the incriminating and confused look that you expected, his mouth instead widened into a grin.
