Trouble in the springs !
Pairings: Ifa x fem!reader/character
Genre: M/F, Fluff, Comedy, Romance, Tense. W.C 4K
CW: Public embarrassment and a slight wardrobe mishap (no nudity).
Keep in Mind : Since I'm 21+, character in this story is 21+ because it's written from that perspective. Please don't repost my work anywhere else besides tumblr ! Likes and reblogs are welcome ! Also throwback to the Fontaine film festival event if you played it last year!
Description: After falling in love with Ifa when he showed up out of the blue at a surfing competition, Mualani incites you to ask him out at one of the parties hosted at the people of the springs. Much to your dismay you agree but really what's the worst that can happen other than a possible heartbreaking rejection ?
The rays of the Natlan sun sent waves of heat throughout the springs of the Metzli tribe. Sweat slicked every shoulder and brow while vendors stood in every corner selling ice water and fruit popsicles that dripped faster before they could even be eaten. You bought one before quickly slipping to find a seat in one of the open-air restaurants , hoping to cool down fast. Though the heat was slowing everyone down, the cheerful music of the bands playing and the rhythmic clanging of pans clacking never stopped. You opted to enjoy the natlan tunes, even ordering yourself a small mocktail while you waited for Mualani to come join you. After all, it was her idea to get lunch together.
You’ve been waiting for the past week to enjoy the restaurant’s seasonal specials and Mualani had insisted on getting you a discount. Telling you the owner was a long term friend of hers. However, as time kept ticking, she was nowhere in sight yet. Your legs started to bounce slightly whilst you kept gazing around. As soon as you took the last sip of your drink, you spot Mualani’s braids bouncing like twin snakes as she spins to scan the restaurant. You vigorously wave your arm until her eyes lock onto you and she runs to the table.
“I’m so sorry!” She yells out between huffs while grasping her chair. “ There was this awful customer who refused to leave and it took forever to send them out!”
You weren't even that mad—just extremely hungry. So after consoling her for a few minutes and reassuring her that you weren’t going to hate her for eternity, you both finally went up to place your order— Except the restaurant sold out right before you both went up to the counter. So with now you're both with the regular menu, disappointment etched onto your faces.
“ So uh, looks like things went a little sideways huh?” Mualani speaks up while scratching her head, breaking the silence.
“ I don’t even feel like eating anymore… I order this every time I come here…” You grumbled.
“ Well… at least it’s better than nothing.” She comforts, trying to lift the mood
“ Sorry, I was just really looking forward to it and I’m boiling in this heat. Guess it made me a little cranky.” You admit, feeling bad that it was affecting you this much.
“ Haha, it’s ok because tonight's party will perk you right up! Kinich is bringing a lot of juicy meat from his tribe to grill, and Kachina baked a BIG batch of volcano cakes !” She yells out with happiness, almost jumping from her seat.
“Oh, and Ifa is also coming and bringing a basket of delicious sauro crackers!” Her eyes filled with excitement.
You freeze. Ifa’s coming too?
At the very mention of his name, your pulse jumps, and a flutter of adrenaline skips through your body. Mualani observes this and a Cheshire cat-like grin appears on her face.
“ W-wait, you said he wasn’t coming though.” You say while trying to stable your voice. But despite how good of an attempt it was, Mualani saw right through your act.
“ That’s what he told me too buttttt Chasca informed me that his schedule changed at the last minute! Whyy? You don’t want him there?” She teases, resting a fist against her cheek.
“ What? No! That's ridiculous.” You hastily reply to her.
“ OH! So you DO want him there?” She retorts, a smile perking up.
“ H-huh? That's not what I said at all and I don't even care if he comes or not!” You try to convince her but the smile still never leaves her face.
“ Alrighttt,” She replies, her grin only widening. “ All I’m saying is he’s coming BY himself, looking to enjoy the party and maybe, just maybe, someone will come along and make it even better…” She rambles on and on, clearing emphasizing the opportunity.
You need to change the subject asap before your face combusts. “ a-anyways, who was this customer that kept you from making it on time? Maybe we can hunt them down and ask them to pay for our next meal.”
She lightly rolls her eyes at your escape but plays along.
“We just got a batch of new swimsuits and she demanded that since she was the first customer to buy, she deserved a discount! Can you believe that!?” She groans. “ It took forever for her to understand that sales don’t work like that and eventually she left, but I’ve never met someone so crazy.” She ends, huffing angrily in her chair. However, the next second her eyes widen and it’s almost as if a lightbulb popped into her head
“ Wait. Please tell me you haven’t decided on what you’re gonna wear tonight?” She asks you, leaning in.
Now that you think about it, the only sensible attire you have in your closet is just a plain old pink swimsuit.
“ I think I’m going to wear the same one I wore last time,” you tell her and her face immediately pulls into a small frown.
“ I just told you I got a whole new collection of swimsuits and you wanna wear the same old one? Come onnnnn I’ll even throw you a special friends and family discount” She pleads tugging at your hand.
“ Are you sure you’re not just trying to get me to buy and promote more of your stuff?” You asked with humor.
“OF course not! I just think you deserve something new and pretty to look in!” She retorts back. “ And I know just the piece to have eyes alllll over you.” She looks you up and down
However …. If Ifa’s coming, a new swimsuit doesn’t sound so bad…
“ Fineee, but make sure it’s not too expensive, Mualani! I still need to save up for my trip to Fontaine.” You tell her, waving a finger in her face, emphasizing the last part to make sure she can give you something within your budget.
But alas, at the mention of your agreement, joy fills her entire body, tuning out everything else before jumping out of her seat and pulling your arm.
“Yay!! Let's go right now!”
It’s a good thing you were already done with your meal.
Inside the changing room of Mualani’s shop, you finished tying the top of your swimsuit across your shoulders and behind your back. Although it took some effort, you managed to tie it snug enough. You moved on to wear your bottoms that had gold accents and finished by wrapping a sheer skirt patterned with blue and gold zig zags. Even without a full mirror, you could feel like this was truly made for you.
You stepped out, eager for Mualani’s reaction and once she caught a glimpse of you, she was in complete awe. Her eyes shimmering like the sea.
“I KNEW IT ! You look so beautiful ____!” she squealed, clapping to herself while bouncing with glee.
“ I have no idea where you got this but it’s perfect! Thank you Mualani!” You jump in to give her a quick embrace which she happily returns. She then makes a few last-minute adjustments to your outfit, before ringing up the purchase with a heavily discounted price, for which you are very thankful for.
By the time you were done checking everything out and doing each other's hair and makeup, you both stepped back outside where night had fully fallen. Stars were scattered across the night sky like murals seen in the masters of the night wind. A comfortable breeze mixed in with the smell of the ocean sifted through the springs. An abundance of lights glowed along the wooden boardwalks and gradually guests from every tribe began to arrive.
“ Come on ___! I see Kinich and Kachina walking over here. Let's go say hi and help them set up!”
For the next hour, you help Kinich unpack barrels of meat and season the cuts while Mualani assists Kachina with plating her volcano cakes on the buffet table. As you all continue, Xilonen arrives with a bottle for herself before going to rest beside the pool. Citlali and Ororon were the next to arrive with a few veggies snacks and fruit juice to munch and sip on.
By the time there was enough meat and sides for everyone to dig in, the party was in full motion. People were dancing in one corner to the beat of the bands and others were lounging in the warm springs. Some were almost asleep in the warm water while a few were playing catch with the koholasaur whelps. Luckily, Mualani had managed to snag a private section of the springs so you were all able to enjoy the water between the group. Ororon happily sat beside Kinich, who was manning the grill, while trying to get a very moody Ajaw to engage in a friendly conversation. Citlali, Mualani, and Kachina were all dining on the volcano cakes with satisfied looks on all their faces.
You lay next to Xilonen as you chewed on a piece of juicy meat, chatting with her about her recent troubles. She rambled about how she had more commissions than usual and how it didn’t help that a certain someone kept bringing a broken bike to her when suddenly Mualani’s voice broke you out of the conversation.
“ Ifa!! There you are!”
You swear you’ve never whipped your head faster.
There he was — strolling down the wooden path with a huge basket in hand and Cacucu flying next to him. He wore white shorts with an open button-up shirt that fully showed his torso. He also switched from his previous stylish boots to a pair of sandals that clapped against the wooden planks and the dark ink of his neck tattoo blended in beautifully with every accessory. His hat was missing, leaving you to admire his hair freely blowing in the wind — the silver strands reflecting the light.
He looked amazing as usual.
As he walked closer, you noticed that his swim trunks had blue and gold zig zags stitched into the hem, ones that oddly…looked similar to your sheer skirt . Realization slowely dawned on you and you suddenly realize why Mualani practically pushed you to wear this specific piece. Before you have the chance to whip her away for an explanation, she's a hop and skip away welcoming Ifa and taking the basket full of goods from his hands.
Ifa casually greets everyone before landing his gaze on you. A serious look etched on his face as his eyes rake you up and down, lingering more than they should. Then just as fast, he laughs out.
“Woah! I think we’re matching swimsuits ____.” with a genuine surprise in his eyes.
“ Haha… what a coincidence Ifa!” You reply with a strained casual tone. You sometimes hate how observational he is, no doubt because of his job.
You swear you see Mualani wink at you from the corner of your eyes. Still you brave through it all and manage to converse with him. He chatted about his latest ordeals which included going on a trip to Fontaine with Ororon and how they almost got into trouble with the law enforcement there.
“They’ve got some crazy rules, I almost lost my mind !” He laughs out, mid-bite of the meat kinich grilled up.
“ R-really? Is it that bad? I wanted to visit there once I saved up enough money.” You confess, anxiety beginning to prickle on your neck.
“Honestly I have no idea, I was in the city for a moment and the next thing I knew, some enforcers were chasing after Cacucu and I was left in a doozy for the next few days.” He tells you casually sipping on his fruit juice.
Archons. Now you don’t know what to do. You’ve heard the waters in Fontaine were excellent for swimming but how were you supposed to follow the rules when you don’t even know what they are? Someone needs to come out with a guidebook asap…
Catching the shift in your body, Ifa gently places a hand on your shoulder.
“ Hey don’t worry about it too much,” He says, voice low and soothing. “I’m sure there’s a much smarter way to travel than we did.”
Your chest eases a little at his touch and a smile blooms on your face. He always knew what to say.
“Could you tell me more about Fontaine? So I now what to expect when I get there.” You muster up the courage to ask him.
“ Sure thing!” He grins before adding “But can we move this conversation to the pool? After that long walk, my legs are dying to get in.”
You nod in agreement as the two of you walk side by side towards the edge of the springs. A thrill of anticipation stirring in your heart.
The warm embrace of the hot springs combined with the cool winds of the night made an excellent environment for you and Ifa to chat. With the water soothing your nerves mixed in with his naturally friendly disposition, you both conversed the night away, with a few others coming in and out. Right now, he was telling you all about fontanian movies and how Ororon wouldn’t stop quoting and imitating the lines.
“ No way he did that !” You exclaim, caressing the water slightly.
“Yup, right in the middle of the streets. Kept going on and on about fishes and shoes.”
The poor impersonation brought out a laugh in you and Ifa grinned to himself, pleased.
The conversation then fades into a comfortable silence as Ifa spreads his arms on the rim of the stone, with his head tilted towards the stars. With how often he works and travels, it’s no wonder he looks like he’s about to fall asleep. You lay your head on the stone, eyes slowly closing and the food in your system leaving you soft and warm.
Until something nudged your hip.
You blinked and turned your head— there floating, was a cute little koholasaur whelp staring at you with its big round eyes. He kept nudging his little nose into you and using his tail to swim in lazy circles.
“Awe, hey there little guy.” You exclaim, now sitting upright, softly caressing the babes head.
“ Looks like the little guy has taken a shine to you.” You hear Ifa say through half-lidded eyes.
“ Hmm, you think he wants to play with me?” You ask him, fully standing up in the pool with the water now reaching your waist. The babe was swimming in circles around you still looking up at your face. You really have no choice but to obey it’s every command.
“ Ah, do you see a ball anywhere? If you play fetch with him, he’ll become your new best friend” he informs, looking around for one.
You scan around the springs as well and smackdown in the middle was a lovely white, pink, and orange ball ready to be thrown around.
“ Oh over there! I’ll go get it now!”
You waddled towards the ball with the little whelp following right behind you, gazing upon your back. The conversations of the other guests gradually getting louder as you got closer. Once you grabbed the ball and hugged it to your chest, you felt a sudden tug at your back. To be more accurate, the strings of your top were pulling you back.
“W-what the !”
The little whelp had become fascinated with the gold and blue gem ringlets at the end of the strings of your top and unable to resist the temptation, he gripped them tight in his jaws. By reflex you move forward trying to pull the strings out but the whelp only pulls harder. The both of you are unable to give in which suddenly loosens the knot of your top. Your shoulder straps fall as a result and you squeal, dropping the ball and holding tightly onto your chest to keep your top in place.
“ Hey-y buddy, let go! ”You plead, trying to keep your voice low.
You twist to face him hoping it would be easier to grab him but hypnotized by gems, he just starts swimming in circles around you, keeping you like a dog on a leash with no end in sight. The sudden commotion caused the pool to ripple, ceasing the other guests discussions and drawing their attention.
Before you knew it, hundreds of eyes were on you. Witnessing the debacle of the little saurian trying to undo your top. Mortified, you stood helpless, desperately clutching to your dignity for dear life. Running out of patience, the little saurian suddenly pulls even harder than before and dives underwater. You lose your footing and slip halfway into the pool, water splashing everywhere. You’re now half screaming, half gasping for air as you wrestle the whelp as he attempts to drown you while still latching on to your top.
Then— you feel a strong pair of hands grip your shoulders as they pull you upright. You look up as you blink out the spring water.
It was Ifa.
He quickly turns you towards him, shielding you from the rest of the onlookers. “Woah easy there, what’s going on!”
You and him both looked behind your shoulder and the whelp was still latched onto your strings, waggling his little tail with glee.
“Persistent little guy…”
Ifa then, quick on his feet, swiftly looks around and spots a small toy with little trinkets on it that clanks with every shake. He grabs it while still holding onto you and turns his attention to the whelp.
“Alright, you little rascal, playtimes are over. Look at what I've got.”
He shakes the toy in front of him. The whelp stares at it, taking in the mysterious object. His grip finally loosens in the process and the strings fall out of his mouth, now following the toy like a snake to a charmer. Happy that the toy did it’s job, Ifa throws it a good distance away from you both and the babe wastes no time swimming to it, eventually claiming its prize.
Silence fell and you were still clinging onto your swimsuit like it was your last lifeline. Face flushed with your breath stuck in your throat. You couldn’t even look at Ifa.
“I- sorry- I don’t know what-”
“Hey,” He comforts, voice gentle “It’s alright, come on.”
Ifa then guides you gently to a secluded part of the pool, with a rocky mountain acting as a barrier from the public eye. The noises were muffled, replaced by the gentle swish of the water and the night.
“ What a situation! You doing ok…?” He asks, trying to lift the mood but at the same time concerned for you.
“ Y-yeah, just humiliated beyond repair…” You confess to him. Although your eyes don’t sting anymore, the puffiness and redness don’t escape his keen eye. You realize that your top is still loose and you turn away from him very quickly.
“I’m just going to tie this real quick.” You tell him as you begin to scramble for the ties and assemble into the same pattern from before.
However, it’s been minutes and you’ve repeated the process multiple times. Mentally swearing in your head that if you didn’t get this top tied in the next few minutes, you were going to lose it.
Then out of the blue, you hear Ifa hesitantly speak up “ You-u uh you need any help ?”. This day really couldn’t get any worse. But you’re tired and you don’t want to engage with this anymore, so you swallow your nervousness and pride and agree.
“Okay. Yes, please.”
You hear the water slosh as he comes closer as he gently picks up the two strings, the warmth of his presence overwhelming you. The hairs of your back tingle every time his hands graze over it. It felt like an eternity passed before he was done but your top was firmly back into place, and you could finally rest your hands at your sides. A sigh of relief leaving your lips.
“ Thank you. So much,” you tell Ifa, finally relaxing into your skin.
“ Anytime. That took the life out of you huh” Hen jokes, crossing his hands over, a small grin appearing on his face.
“ You have no idea. When did these saurians turn into such rascals.” You joke out, finally turning yourself towards him.
“If you think this is bad, wait until you see the clinic.” He retorted back, letting out a small chuckle.
Silence envelops you too again and it gives you a chance to look at his face. A small splotch of blush spreads over his ears and cheeks. Looks like the situation affected him more than you thought. Before you can think, you blurt out
“ H-Hey, I don’t know if you’ll still be around tomorrow, but as thank you… why don’t I treat you to lunch? You hide your hands behind your back, turning your head slightly to catch his expression. “There’s a great restaurant that runs specials in the afternoon. It’s even got great food and music.”
“For real?” His eyes widen as he scratches his head. The blush on his cheeks and ears only grew.
“Yeah,” you nod, heart thumping. “It’ll be fun but only if you’re up for it”
“ S-sure, I’ve got some time.” He confirms, voice soft with averted eyes–You feel like you just won the lottery.
“ Great! Meet me in front of Djembe Studious at noon?” You specify.
“Sounds perfect!” he replies and then—without warning—he brings out his arm towards you, offering for you to take it. “ Let's go back, yeah, I’m sure everyone’s worried about where we are.”
You happily grab onto his arm and he brings you back safe and sound. When you both finally leave the pool and meet back with everyone, Mualani practically pounced on you after hearing what happened and immediately starts fustering with your top, bringing a laugh out of everyone. As you sip on some juice and listen to Ifa and Ororon talk about what veggies he’s going to grow next, you gaze upon the pool once more, and spot the the koholasaur whelp enjoying it’s new toy. Finally, a satisfied look on his face. If all goes well tomorrow, You just might bring him a treat.
Authors Note - It's already the 23rd of March here so Happy birthday to Ifa!! <3 One of our favorite anemo husbands and one of the best characters to come out of Genshin. I wrote this fic last summer , so I made some changes. If there are any discrepencies or errors, I do apologize for that. Either way please enjoy this fic and have a great day !