Imagine waiting for the elevator when suddenly Lohen does the most insane thing to do in public. He traps you against the wall, and you're silently thanking the lords that there's not a lot of people who could see you. He has his hand beside your head, the other beside your waist, face so close, you could feel his breath against you.
He's playing with you again, purposefully putting you in this situations out in the open, hugging you from behind while you're talking to someone, even laying his head on your shoulders when you're waiting in line like those couples in carnival queues. And yet, you eat it up, because... perhaps you'll miss it when he has to go back to work his police job.
You'd give up everything to just hold him close to you as if you're not currently in public eyes, but unfortunately, you have the mental strength of a baby rabbit, and while you wished you could respond to his antics with the same courage he has to sandwich you against the cool mall walls, all you did was crouch, and squat, hiding your face with your hands as you whine.
──── ୨୧ ────
𐔌՞. .՞𐦯: Yeah my cosplayer fren did it to me, I'm still not over it as you can see
𐔌՞. .՞𐦯: I'll link whatever i was reading in a bit HAHAHA
Red-handed
Lohen (Genshin Impact) × Reader
In which he finds you with a Varka romance novel
──── ୨୧ ────
You have gotten your hands on a certain book that exists within the smallest communities of Mondstadt. The library is home to aspiring authors, and fiction writers. Notably, it's also home to people who... perhaps like the knights a little too much. This one... is a Varka romance book, and because you're easily amused by stories about what people think about such figures of Mondstadt, well you couldn't help but dive in. You wouldn't think a knight would find joy in hobbies like dissecting the character of your fellow brothers and sisters in knighthood, but it's quite fun to write about them. You get quite a lot of money from writing about Varka too. It becomes almost an embarrassing problem, however when you don't notice the hare behind you, reading a few words that unfortunately had Varka's name in it.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here!" You almost dropped the book you were holding and the colors drained from your face. Lohen's behind you, peering over your shoulder. "Vice captain Lohen! I didn't know you're here!" You stand up straight and salute, nervousness overriding your usual greetings. The two of you talked quite often, despite the difference in ranks (much less, companies), which makes your super secret hobby, err, very inappropriate.
"That's a shocked, bunny. Didn't know you were into reading such books." He picks it up almost immediately, and you try to reach for it, but he's keeping it out of reach, switching hands and laughing at your expense. "More importantly, I didn't think you're one to read a Varka romance novel." He's smirking, and you wished the earth swallowed you.
"Do you have a crush?" You look at him with furrowed brows, an expression that's akin to offense. He needn't probe much longer, breaking to a cackle. Your face showed the most sincere bafflement. "Tell me, tell me! Do I have fans writing about me too?" Lohen grins when you look away, suddenly sheepish. "I don't know what you're talking about," you try to defend yourself, but it only makes Lohen want to tease you more, investigate this secret hobby you've been doing with some of the other citizens of Mondstadt.
"Oh? Are you perhaps one of them?" You try to walk away, but he's fast. Lohen blocks your path, holding onto your hand. "You're blushing." "Well, what do you want me to do?!" You retorted, looking everywhere but his face.
"Admit it. You love writing about me~ I won't bite." He eases you to a hug, so uncharacteristic, yet it got your heart beating so fast. "Come on, bunny. Admit it."
"I... I do write about you... more than you think," You say, voice muffled from being so close to the vice captain, heart thumping out of your chest. Lohen hums in satisfaction, patting your head. You look up at his face, blush still present. "Can you let it go. This is already as embarrassing as it is!" You don't notice it, but from Lohen's perspective, you're red, looking up at him with furrowed brows, and that expression makes his heart very, very giddy. He's not letting it go, not now, not ever.
"Good job. Now, tell me everything you've written about me, and let's see if it's something I'd actually do, hm?" You look at him with a gawking mouth, resigning to your fate as he leads you somewhere else. "Maybe drop the Varka book while you're at it. Can't have you imagining about another guy when I'm around," Lohen snickers, and you groan, playfully punching him as he laughs at your suffering.
𐔌՞. .՞𐦯: [NSFW | SMUT] This is for all the Lohen artists who made him wear a bunny suit
W-woah Lohen!
Lohen (Genshin Impact) × Reader
[NSFW] What do you do when he comes home in a bunny suit?
──── ୨୧ ────
"Welcome back, Lo-" You couldn't complete the sentence, choking on your own saliva.
Yes, it's your boyfriend alright, your little ol' loveable Lohen, but something's a bit different. Perhaps, it was the fact that his knight uniform isn't anywhere, and it has been replaced by a rather skimpy outfit like that of a rabbit. A leather one piece that dares to let his cute nipples peek through, fishnet stockings that only highlight the suppleness of his legs, and the iconic black bunny ears on his head, making your head spin with want. Whatever his shenanigans were tonight, it seems he's bringing it back to home.
Your face is very, very red. "Why are you wearing a bunny suit?" You ask loudly, stuttering as you take in the sight. You swear you feel the nosebleed coming. "Did you walk home like that?!" Lohen just seems to smirk, strutting towards you so tantalizingly slow, almost like dangling meat in front of a lion. Once he nears you, his arms wrap around your waist, and he's looking at you with a smile, mischievous and languid. "Can't surprise my adorable partner?" You could feel his crotch rub against yours, and your face reddens when you feel him subtly grind against you. "As for walking home like this. I wore my coat, so you don't have to worry about other eyes getting to see all this." He leans to your ear, and adds, "I know how jealous my lover gets when I'm left to my own accord after all."
He kisses your ears, down to your neck, and you carefully wrap your hands around his hips, playing with the fishnet tights he sported. You're gulping, and he sees your throat bob nervously. "Go on, kiss me. I wore all this just for you, won't you indulge yourself with such a sexy little present?"
So you did. You wrap your arm around his waist, and hook your fingers on his choker, pulling him close, and kissing him with fervor. He moans easily into the kiss, holding onto your waist as he digs deeper. Your tongues clash and dance around. You'd reach the roof of his mouth with your tongue, looking for that ticklish part that makes Lohen giggle into the kiss. You don't even notice that you've been moving back, and back, until you feel the armrest of the couch behind you. The two of you fall into the cushions, still heated, still attached. Only when he leaves your lips does he stop to look at you, eyes in a haze, lips wet with your mixed saliva. His legs straddle you, and you swear his thighs are oiled up underneath the fishnets.
"You're so fucking hot, Lohen." You place your hands on his hips, urging him to grind onto your abdomen. He's ecstatic, grinding himself on you, moaning loud because he knows you love it when he does. "Dear Archons, you tucked it didn't you." You trace between his legs. "That's why it feels really good when you grind, huh?" You grin, rubbing him through the leather. "All for you, bunny," He manages to say, whimpering.
"Maybe I should request Ms. Alice for a feminizing potion, hm? I bet you'd feel really good with a cunt." You bring him closer, chest touching, lips mushed together as you fold one of your legs for Lohen to grind on. He moans in the kiss, going higher, and higher the harder he rocks his body against your thigh. It is only when his moan becomes a high-pitched scream, and his eyes roll at the back of his head did you realize he had just cum from grinding his tucked penis against your thigh.
You don't feel the telltale sign of his orgasm in your thighs, and you surmised the tightness of the one-piece probably felt like a cockring.
"Poor thing, you didn't let anything out!" You patted his head brushing his strands off his face. "Let's get you untucked, then I'll make sure you cum for as many times as you possibly can." From the mischievous and almost sadistic grin on your face, Lohen could easily tell that you'll be using every card in your hands as long as he's fucked dry, be it by your cock (be it natural or strapped), or your hole.
And when morning comes, and he's late to work, Kaeya knows why he's limping the entire day. He was the one who proposed coming home in a bunny suit after all.
Prenup videos are like trailers to weddings, and I've always seen it in Filipino wedding culture, and I don't know if it exists for other cultures
──── ୨୧ ────
DILUC
- Everything is almost shot right in Dawn Winery. The two of you wouldn't want it any other way.
- Your prenup video would showcase your domestic life, how you met, and what loving each other feels like.
- I think I'd start off with a glass of wine, and two of you would clink your glasses. The screen would go black, and the story of your love would start.
- You wanted voiceovers, and you wanted to hear what Diluc has to say right at the wedding! Same goes for you. Diluc would be delighted to wait long to hear your message right at his wedding.
- Of course, it's not just about the luxury of being engaged to the wine tycoon. There's shots of both of you harvesting grapes together in the vineyard, feeding each other harvests, and having fun creating wine.
- Oh yes! We can't forget about Diluc's lovely eagle. There's shots of you feeding the bird or Diluc helping you put on those birdkeeper gloves too! It' as if you've seemlessly blended into his life, and his to yours
- Your special interests would show up in your prenup video! Perhaps if you did pottery, it's a scene of you and Diluc having a good pottery session, or if you're someone who likes cooking or baking, the two of you would do exactly that!
- WALTZING!! I think Diluc would waltz with you in an empty living room too. It'd be right at the end of your prenup video, right before your initials show up at the end of the screen.
- The color grading is warm and bright, maybe a bit bloomy, something out of a colored movie!
- Overall, your prenup video would be very domestic, something out of a very warm and comforting novel, that will surely make everyone in your wedding awe.
- Kaeya's secretly tearing up, by the way.
LOHEN
- Now hear me out. He would ask for something very difficult to make, I feel! Perhaps something that definitely includes hunting boars, hilichurls, and sparring! He's basically made your prenup video a character demo!
- I think he'd want the video to start where he's below your balcony, raising his hands high, and he's like "Bring your sword! We're going hunting!" And then you'd jump off the balcony, landing in his arms, and he'll spin a bit.
- Now if you like fighting, this is perfect! The entire prenup video would look like a fight scene that will have directors, cinematographers, and especially camera operators crying.
- "SIR LOHEN I SAID PRETEND WHY ARE WE GOING TO THAT HILICHURL CAMP?!"
- Of course, in the midst of a deranged battlefield, there's him pulling you alongside, the two of you laughing in your pj's as you're running to slay another hilichurl camp. The guests laugh at the site because not only is it so Lohen, but to see you engaging in his antics is very amusing, since you're naturally milder than Lohen.
- It'd be a very happy-go-lucky song playing in the background, which is hilarious considering the range of hobbies you both have. The song definitely matches the way Lohen lifts you in the air, dancing with you as if you two did not just take on a mitachurl in your pjs head on
- The two of you would be looking at treasures too, you holding up a cabbage that was in the late hilichurl camp's inventory, and what not.
- But of course, when the fight's dead and done, the scene of you and him eating your rewards in front of a bonfire would draw everyones attention away from the blood-thirsty newly-made husband, and to the kind of smile that says he's in love with you. He'll be looking at you the entire bonfire scene, and he'll even toast marshmallows with you.
- The dialogues in that scene flows natural. There was no script, just whatever comes to mind, as if the camera wasn't actively catching the two of you.
- The color grading is a bit on the cool side, but in that bonfire scene, it's both orange and blue, from the embers of the fires rivaling the cold night.
- "Are you ready to spend the rest of your life with me, bunny?" "Hell yeah I am."
- The scene would end with Lohen dipping you, nuzzling his nose against yours as the scene fades to black.
- Everyone feels happy for the two of you, laughing when the freebies you've given your guests were hillichurl masks and slime condensate. I think... Varka would cry at his wedding. He's raised that boy (or babysat that boy for far too long)
ALBEDO
- HE's DEFINITELY STORYBOARDED THE ENTIRE THING, asking you for input beforehand, and what theme you wanted to add
- I think he'd want something a little magical, but not in a dressing up as a prince, kind of bit, but like in a way where your relationship feels exactly that, maybe a bit intimate or personal
- For this, the two of you decided on Millhaven, and dragonspine, because you love the flowers, and the fact that you've visited him when he's cooped up in Dragonspine, working
- The two of you would have a run around in the flowerfields kinda thing and he'd definitely teach you how to make a flowercrown in millhaven
- You'd place your finished one on him and the two of you would be smiling
- And it'd matchcut to the two of you redecorating his dragonspine workplace! His cave laboratory slowly getting decorated with novels and cutesy figurines, his usually hard bed upgraded into a sofa bed that's actually comfy, and a bunch of pyro-infused lanterns across the little nook you've created for yourself
- Of course both of you will also have a snippet where he's doing a really pretty experiment that shows pretty lights and then the two of you would laugh when it works !!
- His drawings will always make a cameo! There's an animated portion DEFINITELY
- The camera pans to his sketchbook, and its like a 10fps animation of the two of you dancing before it matchcuts to both you and Albedo actually dancing in both Millhaven and dragonspine and it matchcuts alternatively
- The video ends with the camera leaving the sketchbook to Albedo generating a small alchemic flower to place in your head as you're "sleeping"
- The guests are in awe definitely. Durin is cheering loudly at the back and Sucrose is at the side complimenting the entire film
TRAVELLER
- Mr. Worldwide / Ms. Worldwide
- They travel a lot, so of course, your prenup video was shot on all nations in Teyvat. How they got the budget, you have no idea, but the traveller has a ton of connections.
- I think it'd go something like this: you're at Mondstadt, drinking wine in Angel's Share with the traveller, and they'll drag you off frame, and suddenly it matchcuts to them dragging you to one of the kiosks in Liyue, eating dumplings, or hanging out in Wangmin restaurant. Then you'd push them to the next scene, reading a few books in Yae's publishing house, before the traveller starts acting like they found something and bringing you to Puspa Cafe in Sumeru.
- It follows the same formula, the plaza of Court Fontaine with macarons, to the springs in Natlan, until it's both of you wearing white in the hands of the wind archon statue in front of the cathedral, having a drink.
- Your wedding is definitely BIG and diverse, from gods to humans, even the adepti!
VARKA
- He's traditional! I think the entire prenup would be made everywhere around Mondstadt!
- The scene would start with the two of you staring at each other while the bartender fills your glasses with beer. It goes black, and it changes to shots of the two of you in your old uniforms.
- If you're a captain of the knights of Favonius, it would be the two of you wearing knight costumes, frolicking and about
- If you met Varka while having any other occupation that requires a uniform, then you'll wear that!
- There will be a lot of running, a lot of chase, and most of all, a lot of flower crowns.
- He commissioned Venti for an original song to be played for the video, I just know it!
- If you're a knight like him, there will be sparring moments in the film where the two of you are using wooden swords, and laughing!
- It will matchcut from wooden swords to beer mugs, and he'll be like "For the groom and the bride!"
- Cyrus cries the loudest in the venue.
KAEYA
- Oh the two of you definitely had fun shooting the prenup video
- It's natural, yes, but very comedic.
- It will start with that trend where you do your outfit check, and he snatches you, bringing you to Falcon Coast in a different outfit.
- If he begs hard enough, maybe his wish to Ms. Alice to open up the Golden Apple Archipelago will be granted.
- Both of you are wearing white, playing in the sand, playing with the waters, and then all of a sudden, he brings you to a spin, dancing around as the water splashes around the two of you.
- Now if Ms. Alice agrees, then you'll have yourself a really enjoyable prenup video, going to different islands to get the perfect shot, dancing in the sand, maybe he'll even set up the perfect fairy-lighted candlelit dinner for the shot.
- Now, of course, there's not a lot of people Kaeya can rely on for his wedding, so Diluc is also unfortunately brought to aid in his prenup.
- Paralogism made me think that Diluc would've agreed to come because he knows when Kaeya's nervous. I think Kaeya would've been such a nervous wreck about the prenup video too, but you seemed to shake him out of his thoughts, urging him to have fun.
- Overall the film ends with him kissing you fully on the lips, your arms around his neck, one hand holding a bouquet. His hands are on your waist, pulling you closer
- I think... thr wedding is intimate! Kaeya's definitely tearing up during the reception!
𐔌՞. .՞𐦯: And thus completes the main plot of 3 Days 'till I'm Yours!
3 Days 'till I'm Yours
Albedo (Genshin Impact) × Reader
It takes a trip to Inazuma for you to realize you’re ready for him
[Updates every 3 days]
Masterlist | Next
──── ୨୧ ────
CHAPTER 8 | SUNDAY EVENING
It’s the last day of your Inazuman trip, and you’re unsure how to feel. Thoma was kind enough to bring everyone to the airport. He says it's an apology from the Kamisato heir for causing mischief. You tell him that it’s okay, though in reality, you’d probably block their account the moment you go back to Mondstadt. The flight back was sad as it was happy. Everyone will miss the architecture of Inazuma, the thrill of an adventure. Was it because you’ll be coming back to the responsibilities that await you, fourth year students, or Was it because it was your final year of education? All it takes is a thesis paper, and the On-the-job training to part, so why is it so emotionally painful?The fact that everyone will be working for their future excites you, but it also means that everyone will be seeing each other less. Some of you will leave Mondstadt, and some of you won’t have the same schedules anymore. The wind will bring you to them regardless, you feel. You’re not that religious, but you know Barbatos wouldn’t do you wrong. You hold onto the only constant in your life, the blond man with sea-hued eyes, who had been with you for so long, even through the rocky patches of that darn dinner table.
The moment the plane lands, everyone rushes to meet the Mondstadtian air. “OH MONDSTADT MY LOVES I MISS YOU SO MUCH!” Venti exclaims. If Aether and Lumine weren't stopping him, he would have kissed the ground. Diluc has been waiting outside, wearing a simple shirt and shorts, the kind rich people wear when they don’t want to brag about their wealth. Jean and Lisa are exhausted from everything that has transpired. You stretch from sitting for so long, and roll your shoulders.
“So what’s the plan now? There’s no such thing as an itinerary for when we land after all,” you mused, linking arms with Albedo.
Lumine grins. “Duh, Albedo’s place, and Chinese takeout!” Albedo blinks. “Why my place?” She shrugs. “Cuz’ your place is like Pinterest barfed all over it.” She smirks, hands on hips. “I also gotta reclaim my seat as Klee’s favorite friend, after all!”
“Oh about that.” Albedo scratches his cheek.
“Klee’s currently with uncle Varka.” Lumine wails. “Oh no. He’s going to be ‘six-seven’ing in no time!” Recently Klee’s influencing the grownups with modern slang, so it’s understandable Lumine’s appalled. The next time she’d see the guy… oh the horrors. He’s the type to go along with Klee's antics, and her being peers with iPad kids are terrifying. Albedo still can’t help but stay at the last topic, looking at the blonde girl and asking, “Does that mean all of you are crashing or…” He’s holding your hand, and Lumine knew exactly that whatever he had planned only consisted of the two of you.
“You just want (Name) to yourself!” He flashes a knowing grin, and she’s even more worked up about it.
“You do! Yeah, no. We’re going to crash in your place, and eat Chinese takeout, and watch whatever we can on your TV because I love (Name) more than you do!” Albedo laughs, his hold, tight around you in feigned possessiveness.
Diluc gives everyone a ride to Albedo’s place while Jean and Lisa go back to their apartment to recharge. They stop at a franchise of Wangmin’s restaurant, ordering fried shanghai, an assortment of dumplings, and pork and tofu. Once everyone’s in the apartment, they open all the ambient lights and turn on the humidifier. The sofa bed has expanded to fit everyone: you, Albedo, Lumine, Aether, Kaeya, Venti and the group’s new addition, Diluc. Everyone takes turns taking a bath, and changing to their night attire. Thank god Lisa made everyone buy matching Pajamas in Inazuma or this unannounced sleepover wouldn’t have happened.
“You don’t happen to have… y’know, wine?” Venti smirks, and Diluc deadpans. “Why would I bring wine? I’m not the guy in charge of that.” Venti pouts before turning to Albedo, who’s busy opening the A/C, and pouring chips onto a bowl. “Albedo, do you have alcohol?”
“I have canned Chuhai and Soju.”
“That barely does anything to me,” Venti replies, looking at his nails. “It does to me,” you comment, setting down the canned alcohol selections at the tea table that was set aside for the sofa bed. “Yeah cuz’ you're a lightweight.”
“Careful, you’re insulting a few people in the room.” As you say this, Diluc just scoffs, and Albedo does not react. “There’s only, what, three of you who can’t handle their liquor,” Venti says, butchering the word like he’s saying it in Fontainian.”Plus, y’all sleep on beer as if you’re not from Mondstadt.”
“That’s because beer is disgusting,” Aether replies, putting his tongue out. “Thank you Aether. You’re one of the more normal people in this room, you know ball,” you mused.
“So you draw the line at beer, but you could easily down Blue Horse?” Venti asks, appalled. “That’s because Blue Horse is for forgetting,” Aether says, tapping his head, as if his answer is birthed by Albert Einstein’s own wrinkly brain. “ If I wanted to enjoy life, I’d choose Yakult Soju anyday.” Kaeya reaches out to hi-five Aether.
“Being lightweight just means you get tipsy at a cheaper price,” Albedo says, settling down beside you, taking your hand and dropping a piece of chocolate secretly.
Aether and Lumine take pictures, faceless, candid, anything really. Albedo reaches over to your back, offering you a massage. Venti would ask him to do his back next, but Albedo ignores it. Kaeya ultimately was forced to massage Venti-er at least do whatever Albedo was doing for you, but Venti would slap Kaeya’s hand from being tickled instead. It slowly mellows out, the cozy vibes bring slumber closer to the table, and Aether and Lumine end up the first to peace out, sleeping away on either side of the sofa bed. Venti would soon follow suit, lulled by the taste of alcohol on his tongue. Kaeya falls asleep next, head dropping towards Venti as he unknowingly snuggles the drunk guy. Now, it’s just you, Albedo, and Diluc, and honestly, despite the fact you’ve slept throughout the flight, you still find the urge to sleep again. With a yawn, you are about to sleep on Albedo, until he stands up, taking you with him. “Sleep on my bed tonight. Your body’s sore from the flight.” Oh yeah. You were rolling your shoulders and walking a bit funny from being cramped up in the flight. He takes you to his bed, not without Diluc looking back at the two of you. ‘Young love,’ He thought, a rare smile on his face. Albedo has been one of his friends, so to see him so expressive and observant around you made his cold heart melt, even just a little bit. Alas, he can’t indulge in sleep as much as everyone in this room has. “I’ll be heading home for the night. I’m sure Kaeya doesn’t mind seeing as he’s already asleep,” Diluc announces and Albedo gives him the ‘okay’ as the red-haired guy sets off back to his car. Oh, yeah. Lumine’s car is also in his apartment… Oh well.
In the meantime, you and Albedo are in the room. You’re tucked in, and Albedo is by your bedside, looking at his phone. His very own ambient lamp in the room is open, illuminating his face in a deep amber. Glass ornaments sat atop a shelf, and some decorated the book shelves in his room. The vibe in his bedroom was slightly different than his living room. Other than the cozy warm colors he had outside his bedroom, this was more soft, more light, more… intimate. He has succulents thriving in his work desk, and a spider plant hanging by his balcony window. He really did like taking care of plants, at least, he was better than you, definitely.
“Thank you, Bedo,” you say, relishing the way he rubs your arm from the blanket. He looks at you with a smile, the same kind of smile that’s soft and adoring, made more intimate and soft by the orange glow hitting his face. He doesn’t know that you’re thanking him for everything, for his efforts, as if this was gonna be the last. You’ve always wondered when the right time will come, where your answer will derail the relationship you had going on. You were anxious about dating within the group, and now, you’re anxious at the probability that everything will change with one simple yes.
Yes… you’ve wanted to say that for a while now. The answer to his efforts, the answer to his consistent, worthwhile efforts, that made you feel like you’re someone he wanted- no, needed to cherish. Now, it falls upon you. The timing felt right. You laugh to yourself, finding it hard to believe that the whole conflict with the Kamisato’s had its perks. You’ve realized that you’re deeply entwined together, that he’s just as serious as he says, that your little dispute has proven to you that you’re ready to commit to something. The Kamisato heir’s words still hang around the back of your mind.
"Why is that? Surely you're scared of him suddenly deciding you're not worth it. Keeping him pliant and waiting for five months? He'll be tired."
"Then that would mean he's not the right one for me."
It held weight, and the fact that Albedo is here with you at this moment meant that you’ve chosen the right man to pour your heart to. You already knew from the start that you’ve been committed for a while now, inches away from a label that changes the course of your fate. It’s scary, falling in love and holding onto an emotional baggage that you can’t lessen no matter how many times you’ve tried to control yourself (and in this case, bottling it up), but that moment when you’ve let your heart wrap around his, staining his shirt with tears, it gave you a push, the same push that’s urging you to hold his hand before he leaves.
He says good night, and almost leaves if not for your hand holding onto his. You’re not sure how to answer his lifelong question, and you feel almost embarrassed for what you’re about to say.
"You can sleep with me." Albedo's eyes widened at your proposition, looking back at you with uncertainty. You look away, realizing you can’t twiddle with your thumbs when your hand grips his. "I don't mind sleeping with my boyfriend." You look back at him, gauging his reaction; every twitch, be it his eyebrows, or his lips. It takes a while, a few seconds before Albedo breaks into a smile, not just the small intimate one he sports when he looks at you, but one that could make his cheeks hurt, the kind where his eyes are dilated. He kneels before your laying form, hands shaking in disbelief.
"Are you answering me, my love?" His voice shakes a little, as if he’s trying so hard to control his composure. You roll to your side, looking at him with the same smile he gives you, the same adoring smile when you look at him in a haze.
"What if I am?" He lays in bed with you, a little scared to hold you, to embrace you tight, because he now carries your heart with him. You hug him close, and he holds you tighter into his chest. His breath is shaky, and you realized that he’s tearing up. You look at him with shock, not expecting him to cry in front of you.
"Then you've made me the happiest man in my life." You wipe away his tears, and you laugh shakily. “Oh no, I made you cry.” He snuggles closer to the crook of your neck, his tears staining your pajama shirt. “Now we’re even.” “No we’re not, when you cry, I cry.”
He looks at you with such adoration, his hand caressing your cheek, although your eyes are glossy, as if you’re tearing up as well. "May I kiss you?" He whispers with such warmth, such love. You nod, closing your eyes, waiting for his lips to deliver its welcoming gift. His thumbs graze the apples of your cheeks, and his soft lips take you, kissing you with gentleness, the kind of softness that could make you cry. When he pulls away, you're smiling, and before you know it, you pull him back into your kiss, taking him with more fervor than the first. When you pull away, both of you are panting, taking deep breaths as he holds you deep into his chest.
"I love you so much."
"I love you too."
That night, you slept in each other’s embrace.
“They’re going to see us and take a picture if they wake up before us.”
“Let them. They’re probably used to it anyway.”
𐔌՞. .՞𐦯: This is very scuffed JHAJSAND ITS SUPPOSRD TO BE 11AM MONDAY WHY IS IT UPLOADED RAAAAAH
3 Days 'till I'm Yours
Albedo (Genshin Impact) × Reader
It takes a trip to Inazuma for you to realize you’re ready for him
[Updates every 3 days]
Masterlist | Next
──── ୨୧ ────
CHAPTER 7 | SUNDAY MORNING
The sky is painted a somber blue, the kind that signifies the waking hours of the sun. In the midst of a lonely lounge room, stood you and Albedo, both admiring each other. You got out of the room first, wearing a white dress, a pair of denim pants, and one of Albedo’s cardigans that you’ve kept, a lovely shade of navy blue. When he walked down the stairs and saw you in his clothes, he couldn't help but walk down a little faster. He’s wearing a pair of faded, wide-legged pants, a black turtleneck sweater underneath a white button down shirt, and a pastel blue and yellow wool cardigan with diamond patterns. “Your drip is so nice,” you mused, straightening the collar of his shirt and his cardigan. “Learned from the best.” He’s talking about Kaeya and Aether, the two people in this group who knew fashion so well that Venti and Albedo followed their footsteps. Those two only wore random shirts and shorts after all, until Albedo had gotten a crush on you, and Venti started presenting himself better. With everyone but them asleep, Albedo and you march off to a cafe closeby.
The cafe is surrounded by beautiful green plants, and fake waterfalls recreating the sounds of nature on a rocky pond. The both of you order a light Ham and Cheese croissant, him ordering a cup of sweetened americano, and you with your preferred drink of choice. Once you sat down, Albedo whips up his phone to take a picture, faceless but it spoke sentences of his life.
“How’s your coffee?” You ask, eyeing the dark liquid in his mug. You often take the best-sellers of every cafe you visit, so drinking the more plain concoctions have never crossed your mind. He pushes his mug closer to you, giving you the signal to try his drink. You find that the aroma is relaxing, the smell of coffee has always been a welcoming scent, the kind that greets you first in a cafe or the kind of olfactory support that lingers like a friend before you go to work. What you taste is dark and rich. Despite being a sweetened cup of black coffee, you find that it’s a balanced solution, the sugar not being too sweet and gritty, and perhaps the beans itself had a play in this cup of coffee.
“It’s really balanced,” you mused, feeling warm inside. “They made it so balanced. Usually, some other cafes can’t get the ratio right, but the balance between sweet and bitter is quite nice,” Albedo comments, taking another sip. “Try mine?” You do the same to your drink, and Albedo reluctantly takes it after a swig of water, sipping your drink and explaining what he liked and disliked about it, all the while you’re taking pictures of the cup, with a little bit of his torso. Sometimes his hands would appear in the picture, showing off his one ring. Someone could easily mistake it for a fiance, which would be comedic on its own. “I also wanted to ask if you’re okay, considering how last night was like,” Albedo starts on a new topic, and you smile, appreciating his care on the matter. Last night was a disaster dressed in a fancy man who’s eager to test your love for one another. You think of your words carefully. “I’m good. You came back to me, and that’s all that matters,” you reply, holding onto his hand and caressing the skin with your thumb, like he usually does. “I don’t know what I’d do if you left me. I trust that you wouldn’t, but it’s still not a really nice thought to put into someone’s head.” You’ve had your fair share of struggles; betrayal was a part of being human, no matter how minor or major it was. “I understand. What sir Kamisato did was uncalled for, but I’m also happy we had that conversation after dinner.” He’s gazing at you like you’re the only thing that intrigues him in the whole wide world. “You don’t have to act like you’re not jealous when these things happen.” You look away and twiddle your thumbs. “But it feels embarrassing to admit.” He’s chuckling. “My love. If anything, I’d be most flattered if you were more possessive of me.” You look at him, a little surprised. “Just as Lumine sai-” “No, I’m not marking you!” He laughs at your blooming face. “At least not yet.” He’s taken aback, before laughing hard. “Now who’s smooth, hm?” He’s looking at you the same way again. “You always look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like that.” You gesture to his face. “It’s like this rare look where your eyes are softened, and your lips are like going upwards, but not a full-blown smile.” He laughs at your description. “What’s rare about this face?” He asks. “It’s fondness, love. I’m always fond of you, and I intend to make this face when I talk to you because I love you so much.” You gain a tinge of red on your cheeks, and he relishes in making you blush. “You smooth motherfucker.” Albedo laughs at the silly nickname.
The moment you walk through the door, you hear Venti exclaim with a proud tone, “Told you they had a date! Gimme my money!” Venti cackles, extending a hand, only for Aether to say to him, “We didn’t even agree on a bet, everyone knows they went on a date, Venti.”
Lumine rolls her eyes before laughing. “We really don’t need to bet on that. They’ve been edging each other for the past five months.” “Why are you using sexual words for innocent contexts?” Lumine looks at Albedo as if he had lost common sense. “For comedy, because I’ve obviously become the comedy relief character for whatever you two have going on.”
“I’d say that’s Venti and Kaeya’s job,” Lisa mused. “You’re like the best friend who enables the lead to do stupid things.” Lumine hums, and nods at the thought. “I guess so.”
The final day is meant to be chill, so you’ve decided on going to a souvenir-filled district right at the heart of Inazuma city. The group split into two, and you find yourself walking alongside Lumine, Aether, and Venti, while Albedo, Jean, Lisa and Kaeya were together. Lumine has your hands wrapped around her arms, trying to make Albedo jealous.
“Is my baby girl best friend who I love so much, okay?” Lumine asks as the four of you walk around the bustling souvenir district. Many foreigners have come to find gifts as well, and you might have even seen the Fontainian student from before, looking for a charm or two. “Yeah! We were so worried when you weren’t in bed!” Venti added from behind. You laugh off their concern, “Yeah, I am.”
It wasn’t that much of a big deal, but even so, Aether and Lumine look at you with a guilty expression on their faces.
“I’m so sorry for not being careful. I didn’t know Ayato was that kind of person,” Lumine says seriously. “I wanted to treat you because I felt so guilty.” You wave your hand.
“It’s something we didn’t know would happen,” Aether added. “He’s always seemed so prim and proper around a lot of people.”
You laugh, and pat Lumine and Aether’s backs. “You’re fine, you’re fine. To be honest, that whole incident that night really did frighten me-” Aether and Lumine felt a little more guilty, until you continued your sentence. “-but it helped me put more trust in Albedo.” You look at your hand, specifically the ring around it. It’s small, and dainty, but it did come from Albedo; a promise ring that you’ve continued wearing even when the color didn’t match your jewelry.
“I wasn’t upset because of the situation, rather… I was upset because I felt like I didn’t trust him hard enough,” you say, caressing the ring.
“Oh, baby…” Venti says, hugging you from behind while Lumine holds you close. “I’m going to sneak into Ayato’s bed and I’m going to set the mattress on fire, okay?” You laugh at the thought. Aether then replied to Venti, “Please don’t do anything rash, Venti. We can’t have a crippling debt right now.”
“Especially since you have a music major,” Lumine added, and Venti glares in feigned annoyance.
“But yeah. Seriously, I’m happy you and Albedo had that conversation. You’re like always bottling it all up in that head of yours,” Lumine says, patting your back. “I’m just surprised how you haven’t exploded from keeping it to yourself.” You scratch your cheek. “Crying at three in the morning worked for the past six years," you quipped, and the three of your friends looked at you with furrowed brows, and the most concern you have seen their face do. “I don’t know how to respond to that!” Lumine whines, and you laugh, entering a stall of snacks and edible souvenirs.
“I’m going to ruin the lives of whoever made you so scared to open up.” You’re laughing at Venti’s pissed-off face. “There’s no one really. I guess there was one back in elementary but that’s such a long time ago.” “Count your days, elementary girl-boy-whatever!” Venti exclaims, and Lumine had to shut his mouth with her hands.
You move away from the group to buy a few snacks. “I’ll buy this one for Ms. Alice and Klee,” you say, picking up a pack of mochi candy. “And then buy this for my relatives since they keep pestering me about Inazuma.” You look back and Lumine has a cart full of souvenirs. She gestures to Aether. “Aether’s the one getting a ton of gifts, not me.” Aether pops up beside her. "That's because some of these are for the org." Venti replies, "Which one? You're literally in like three of them, Aether, and the fact you're the diehard vice leader from the Xiao fanclub ." "W-WHERE DID YOU LEARN THAT?!" Venti cackles, ignoring Aether's questions. "Mister worldwide here who's in a ton of friendgroups, lend me your wisdom." Aether hides away and you laugh at the redness of his face. "I am also curious how you did it. You're like the most introverted guy when we were both in highschool," Lumine muses. "Nooo, shut up. I don't know how it happened either!"
Next, the four of you walk to a stall with little trinkets. Good luck charms, keychains, stickers, and the like. “You think he’ll like this?” You ask Venti, a small starry charm that looked almost like stained glass. “Albedo likes anything you give him. You could give him a rock, and he’s going to talk about sedimentary rocks or whatever.”
“Yeah, but I’ll be answering him.” All three gasped as they looked at you with shock.
“YOU ARE?!” Aether exclaims, wide-eyed.
“You’re going to answer him?!” Lumine holds your hands tight, overcome with shock and relief. “Yeah. He’s waited long enough,” You reply, holding onto your gift to him.
“It’s not because you’re threatened back then, right?” Aether asks, and you shake your head. You’ve come in peace with it since drinking coffee with Albedo.
“Well, it's not,” you say with a smile.
“The conversation I had with Albedo this morning really did it for me.” You look back at your friends, a smile full of certainty.
“Back then, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go into a relationship, cuz’ I didn’t see myself liking another person until Albedo, but now, I’m ready to open my heart to him.”
“I’m so proud of you. If he makes you cry, come to me and I will punch him, okay, baby?” You laugh at Lumine’s words. “I’ll put you up for that. Hell, you could be my maid in honor.” “YOU’RE THINKING THAT FAR INTO THE FUTURE?!” “Well, we’re both date-to-marry, so…” Lumine sheds a tear. “You’re going to be the first married couple out of all of us.” “Now you’re thinking way into the future!” The group laughs.
Your solitude mattered the most. Even then, you’re scared to commit to this relationship, but you know deep in your heart that as long as it’s Albedo, you’re ready to answer his courting.
“What if you make me the gay bridesmaid?” Venti snickers.
You stutter. “W-we’ll see…”
𐔌՞. .՞𐦯: The angsty part of this fanfic because Ayato is borderline an ass for this
3 Days 'till I'm Yours
Albedo (Genshin Impact) × Reader
It takes a trip to Inazuma for you to realize you’re ready for him
[Updates every 3 days]
Masterlist | Next
──── ୨୧ ────
CHAPTER 6 | SATURDAY EVENING
The bar is moody, with a rich air that comes from amber lamps and parchment paper housing the shadows of a pretty tree within its walls. The group learned from Thoma that Ayato had just rented out a private seating, encouraging everyone to come as they are with no need of such formal attire.
In the middle of it all was Ayato, wearing a periwinkle button down, brown office pants and highly-polished brown leather shoes, and Ayaka, his sister in a white tweet coat over her blue dress. "I'm glad you could make it." He smiles, eyes slowly gazing towards yours. You hide from his gaze behind Albedo's back, a bit flustered by his seeking eyes. Ayaka is really glad to see her friends, Lumine and Aether, but more-so when she finds out who her brother's gaze is upon. You're definitely taken, with the way you're holding onto the blond's hand. "Feel free to order anything you'd like. This one's on me."
The moment you take a seat, Albedo's next to you in an instant, determined to keep you away from the man. This made the man very amused as Aether and Lumine sat on the other side of you.
A boat of sashimi is situated in the middle, both sushi and sashimi in one place. Cocktails were being served left and right.
The night started normally. Ayato was talking about his businesses, about both the real estate, and his own personal business, renting apartments and vacation houses. You're just silently eating sushi, enjoying every bite. Sometimes Albedo would talk to you, asking about which sushi caught your eye the most. Both of you were oblivious to the stares coming from the light blue-haired siblings.
Out of the blue, sir Kamisato's sister talks to Albedo, what he does, what he majors in, and his art career. She's well-invested, and you stay silent, secretly feeling left out. Suddenly, she asks Albedo for a private talk, something about business, and his opportunities as an artist— er at least, you hope her words were honest. He looks back at you, and you nod, with your fingers a little too reluctant to let him go. Lumine and Aether look at Ayaka suspiciously, in a way that screams confusion. Why has her sudden interest in Albedo manifested? They look back at Ayato, and he’s gazing at you as if he’s finally had the chance to talk to you.
"Well, since my sister's very interested in your partner, I suppose you'll indulge me in a few questions? I am quite curious about you, after all." Lumine looks at Ayato with furrowed brows, the kind that stabs, protective. You look back at the two blonds and let out a grin. "Both of you act like he's going to devour me," you stated. "If something goes wrong, you go to me, alright?!" Lumine exclaims, and you laugh. Ayato replies, "Your friend is in good hands. I'm not going to hurt them." Oh the irony.
"So. You're being courted by him?" Ayato asks as he takes you to the high glass window that encapsulates the Inazuman cityscape. "Yes. He's been courting me for five months." "Five months? Such dedication for such an old tradition." Ayato leans at the railings, and in his reflection is you, looking at the city. The city lights reflect in your eyes, almost like diamonds, like stars illuminating the sky. Even so, Ayato could tell that something was heavy in your mind. No doubt, from his sister, whisking Albedo away. Well, he's not innocent. Ayato had told Ayaka about his encounter with you, leaving out the fact that you're taken and downplaying the other guy by saying he has feelings for you. "I guess. I like traditional courting practices more than the modern way, though." You shrugged, playing with the sleeves of your sweater.
"Why is that? Surely you're scared of him suddenly deciding you're not worth it." Your eyes widened at the words Ayato is saying, backhanded and thorny. "Keeping him pliant and waiting for five months? He'll be tired."
You look away. "Then that would mean he's not the right one for me." You frown, disliking the conversation. The thought of Albedo leaving you scares you, but you wouldn't put it past him if he did. "If someone cannot commit to courting for more than five months, he can't commit to the relationship for more than that." You look at Ayato with a frown. You want to walk away, but your feet are stuck. You can't even find it in your heart to walk away from the conversation. It feels like you're indebted. He did go through lengths and financial decisions for the trip after all.
"But you're scared." Your breath hitches, and you wish he doesn't notice, but he does.
"It's written all over your face. You love him but you won't bend your standards. That's a recipe for isolation." You glare at nothing in particular. Your hand makes its way to your elbow, and you grip the flesh around that. "Isolation does not scare me. I've been alone before, and I survived." Ayato smiles.
"What makes you think he won't fall for someone else, especially as my sister whisks him away for a talk." You're silent, not because his questions irk you, but because your reaction makes you disgusted with yourself. You DO trust Albedo, right?
So if you do, why do you feel paranoid?
"If I take you somewhere else right now, away from here. Would you have agreed?"
"No..."
"If he kisses my sister, then would you have agreed?"
"Ayato that's enough." A familiar voice enters the conversation. He looks at Lumine, Venti and Lisa, and they see your clenched teeth, your stiff shoulders, and your clenched arm. "I'm not letting you torment my friend just for you to get your way."
He puts his hand up in surrender. "Tormenting? Archon's no. I was just curious how deep they're willing to go for the love of their life." He looks at you so sweetly, that it's disgusting. "They're very committed. I'm quite satisfied." He walks away, leaving you to your devices.
They look at you, and your deep breaths, as if you are desperately trying to collect yourself. Lumine calls out your name, and she sees you take a deeper breath, before facing them as if nothing had happened.
"I'm... fine. I just wasn't expecting such a deep conversation." You put on your best smile, as if your entire being wasn't threatened a few minutes ago. There is no one to fool with that cracked mask, though Lumine seemed almost convinced none of that had broken your morale. Venti looks at you as you head back to your table, and whispers to Lumine, "They're not fine, at all."
"I should have known Ayato was gonna do that. It's my fault." Lumine grits her teeth. She hates seeing any of her friends in turmoil, and the fact that this happened because Ayato had taken a fancy to you was something way out of her calculations. "Lumine, you didn't know he was that vain. That's not your fault."
For the rest of the evening, you do not dare look at Ayato and Ayaka, nor do you look at Albedo. You catch the gaze of a worried Venti, but you smile and come back to conversing, as if that blank look of you spiraling internally was just you spacing out from the drinks. You're glad it even evades Albedo's gaze. You don't think you could open up to him about your conversation with Ayato. You’re ashamed to even feel neglected in his care.
Soon enough, it was almost midnight, and Ayaka and Ayato thanked everyone for the company.
"Ah that's the life! Thank you so much for driving us back, Thoma!" Venti lays in the main lounge, completely drunk and relaxed, taking the shape of the soft cushions, all the while everyone else except for him, Albedo, and Kaeya were in their rooms, taking baths.
"Y'know," Venti takes a swig of the alcohol bottle in his hand. "The moment Ms. Kamisato came to whisk you away on some private conversation, (Name) looked distraught," he declares to a deep-in-thought Albedo. "What were you two talking about anyway?" Albedo's knitted brows are a clue. "Your face tells me that Ms. Kamisato was discouraging you from courting (Name) any further." Albedo sighs in defeat. "So observant when drunk. How unheard of." He looks at Venti a lot more seriously. "That is the case, unfortunately."
"(Name) looked like they were conversing with a family relative they did not want near them," Kaeya states, reminiscing to the knitted brows, the awkward stance, and the imprint of their hand on their sweater, clenched to the point that it probably broke the skin.
"I mean, imagine if someone you just met asks you, an almost-taken man, for a one-on-one conversation, knowing well he likes you." That seems to shut Kaeya up, but it also makes Albedo perk up at the new information.
"Sir Kamisato did what?" That seems to pique Albedo's interests. "Hohoho, jealous?"
"No, but I am concerned." Venti likes the answer, and he drinks a little more.
"Dunno what happened, but when they came back, Ayato looked the same, expressions and everything, but he also looked defeated," Venti says.
"Source?" Kaeya asks, looking at Venti questionably. How the hell was he so perceptive when Kaeya could only feel the room spin that night? "It's the twitch on his lips. I swear forcefully smiling does that to you."
"And (Name)?"
Venti sighs, looking at his now empty bottle. "If I were you-" He points at Albedo with languid moves. "I would check up on (Name)," Venti slurs. "I don't know if you're just dense, or I'm just very perceptive, but your Honey-bunch sugarplum is not doing okay, that's for sure!" He gestures with his hands, becoming a little more incoherent from the extra kick of alcohol. Maybe it was him being drunk that was making Venti lose his credentials as a sound source, but Albedo can't lie that the drunk guy is always so perceptive. "I may be drunk, but I know the face they make when they're actively making themselves the teeny-tiniest person in the room!" Venti says, oddly with a soft smile. "You'll learn to see it. You might think they're spacing out, but really, they're spiralling."
Albedo heeds the advice of Venti, knocking at your door. "Hey, can we talk? I'd like to talk about what happened in the bar to clear things up," Albedo asks, voice muffled in the door. You open it, surprised to see Albedo with the most worrisome expression on his face.
"I don't want you to worry, or feel like I'm betraying you," He mutters, wrapping his arms around you. "I very much only have eyes for you." He says your name with such sweetness. "I don't doubt you in that regard, Albedo. You don't have to apologize because someone wanted to talk about something with you privately."
Albedo looks at your eyes. They're brewing with reassurance, but your expression pulls away from trusting him, and to the face you make when you're burdened. He sees it every time when you're on your work-from-home and he's on a video call with you. Your face has that expression when you know you're making yourself small by accepting tasks, you'd rather not do, and the same goes with you, neglecting your emotions for his comfort. He frowns, and it unknowingly makes you feel like you've failed him.
"I want you to say what you feel." He says your name. "I've been courting you for five months, and we've been friends for more than that, and I know that's the face you make when you're people-pleasing." You frown. "But I'm supposed to be okay with people talking to you, Bedo." You sigh exasperated. "You trust me when guys try flirting with me, and yet I..." there it is, the waterworks that come with masking your discomfort. "I feel stuck-up when I tell you about these things." Albedo's eyes soften, and he immediately sits with you on your bed, holding you close to his chest as you let out a sob. “And the way Sir Kamisato was insinuating that you were going to be tired of me any time soon was making me feel like shit, and I feel even more like shit when I realized I’m so fucking paranoid of losing you!” Your back racks with sobs, wailing onto his chest. You can’t even control the hiccups and the stutters. "I didn't want you to see me like this! You're the last person I want to see when I feel so shitty like this!" He rocks you back and forth, saying sweet nothings into your ear.
"Oh, (name)," Albedo whispers, wiping your tears despite it falling down continuously. "I'm very thankful that you're telling me these," he says, kissing the top of your head. "I didn't know you were carrying such a burden. I'm so sorry for not noticing it sooner."
"You doofus, don't talk while I'm crying. You're going to make me cry harder, and that's very embarrassing!" You say, barely coherent in between sobs. Albedo chuckles, and holds you even tighter. "How are you going to let your frustrations out if you're going to bottle it up, hm?" Albedo replies, softly teasing you.
"Mind you, I was okay bottling up!"
"Well, I'm not okay with you bottling it up, love," he says, rubbing your back. "It makes it harder for me to pamper you."
"I don't need pampering." You pout, sniffling and rubbing your eyes harshly. Albedo takes your hands, and he kisses your tears away. He's so gentle with you, and you don't know what to do about it.
"I know you don't, but I want to take care of the person I want my life to revolve around with." He looks at you with such a soft smile as he lifts your face so that your eyes only focus on him. Your hiccups die down, and you sniffle, unable to look into his eyes without tearing up a bit more.
"I'm sorry for worrying you like this, and... thank you for putting up with me."
"I chose you because I love you to the moon and back. You're never a burden, nor will you ever be one." He caresses your cheeks. "I want to treat your feelings as my own, and mine as yours. Okay?" You nod. "I love you so much, Albedo. I'm so happy you're here by my side."
Once you've calmed down, you’re munching on a rice cracker Albedo brought with him to your room. You ask Albedo what he and Ayaka talked about.
"Ayaka asked me about our relationship, and I told her that I am loyal to you, that your 'yes' matters more than any other thing in my life," Albedo says, and you smile into your rice cracker. "Even if I wait for months, maybe even years, you are the only one I'll ever choose." Albedo looks at you with a reverent gaze. "Sir Kamisato has been awfully close to you that evening. I hope he wasn't making you uncomfortable in my absence." You stay silent for just a bit. "I didn’t feel safe around him." Albedo gazes at you longer. “He kept asking what I’d do if you fall for Ms. Kamisato, and if I’d let him take me to a private one-on-one drinking session if you did.” You laugh, tiredly. "A lot of men nowadays are so shallow." You look at Albedo with a smile. "I'm glad that we have something deeper than that.” You twiddle with your thumbs. “But also, I think I’d rather die single if you fell for someone else.” Albedo’s heart skips a beat.
Silence ensues, the kind that's comfortable, maybe a bit vulnerable. Suddenly the door opens, and it's a very pissed off and drunk Lumine. "How dare you make them cry, you piece of sh-" You flinch in surprise. She sees your face, a little red and puffy, eating a rice cracker and a glass of water with a pillow on your lap. Albedo is right beside you, still holding you into his chest, with your legs draped across his.
"Oh shit, was I already late?"
"We talked it out, Lumi. We're good now," you reply, handing her the box of rice crackers. Lumine couldn't help but sigh, grabbing the box of crackers, and eating one, herself. "You know, I walked down, and Venti's sprawled around the couch like 'Oh! Albedo's making them cry. I heard them sob for like ten minutes and I'm not even on the second floor,' so of course I was worried." As much as you're very thankful for a friend like Lumine, there were much more...
"VENTI CAN HEAR ME CRY?!"
trifling matters at hand
"YEAH I CAN." You hear him reply, almost like an echo, but it's very noticeable. He says something else, but very inaudible, so you don't answer.
Instead, you cover yourself in the blankets, pushing yourself off of Albedo's embrace, and onto the wall. "I am perishing. Was I really that loud? Archons, that's embarrassing," you ramble to yourself. Albedo reaches over to you, and pats your head through the thick blanket. You hesitantly peek from your cocoon, and the onslaught of hug from Lumine came through.
"My wonderful, adorable, overworked bestie. That's progress!" Lumine smiles, nuzzling her head to your chest. "You were always this hyper independent person who needs no one else, but you're learning how to be vulnerable with someone, and that's okay!" You look back to Albedo, and he's staring at you, one hand brushing the hairs out of your face. "Also, you can afford to be at least more possessive in the slightest," Lumine muses. "You can't just do matching Jellyfish keychains and expect people to know. Sometimes you gotta mark'em u-!" A drunk Aether appears, smacking Lumine with a pillow. "They're not yet together, you dumbass!" Aether becomes a lot more fruity when he's drunk, you notice just now. "Seriouslyou're doin' great, hun. Well, I shouldn't tutor y'on how to handle a relationship. That's part of d'experience. If Albedo likes you mark'n him up or whatever, that's entirely up to him to communicate." Good Barbatos, that entire sentence was almost strung together too tight, but somehow you could understand his drunk rambling. He has his index finger out, but he’s looking a little too out of it to make a long conversation. "I'mma pass out on your bed." He flops to your bed, and he's out like a light. Lumine looks at Aether and lightly kicks him with her leg.
"Aether, you dumbass. Now I have to carry you back! I am gonna drag your ass back to the room."
Seeing the siblings drunk was amusing, and you laugh at their sufferings. "Thank you for cheering me up. It means so much to me to have you guys."
Lumine looks at you, hoisting her brother up, before shooting you a thumbs up. "We're always here for you, honeyboo." The door closes, and it's just you and Albedo.
"How do you feel?" Albedo asks, sliding down to lay next to you. His head is prepped on his elbows, and his free hand pulls you close to his chest. "I feel a lot better now." He smiles, that rare soft smile that he reserves for you. It soon becomes a smug smile. "You know. I'm okay with that." You're looking at him confused. "Marking them up-" You hit his chest with your head, and he lightly groans, laughing. "Don't say it like that!" He's doubled in laughter. "Sorry, sorry. You're just so cute when you're blushing." You hide your head in his chest, silently wishing it'd swallow you whole.
"There's a cafe near the vacation house. I was thinking if you'd wanna go there tomorrow morning." You look at his cerulean eyes, brewing with anticipation. "Nothing's planned in the morning. Perfect time to drink, no?" You nod and wrap your arms around his waist. "I'd like that... I'd like that a lot." Albedo pats your head and kisses your forehead. "Then it's settled. I've been silent for too long. I want to brag about the person I am courting tomorrow and onwards." You don't say anything about the soft-launch ideas that had been collecting dust in your phone for way too long. You’re better off acting nonchalant about it.
