wonderful to say
warning :: fluff
includes :: diluc, thoma (pre-relationship), zhongli
character x gn reader | anthology
collab event, I’m Falling for You by @teyvattales :: watching the leaves fall
diluc
This was your favorite time of year. The rich colors of the leaves, the slight chill on the breeze, the way the world seemed to slow down and take it all in. Pumpkins, steaming drinks, spooky nights, and friendly company. Out of all the seasons, this was the best one, and you were determined to get that across to the man at your side.
“Hello there,” you grinned, rushing to his side to grab onto his arm. Wrapping your hands around his forearm, you gave him a little tug knowing it would alert him to your presence - and make him look at you.
“Hello,” Diluc replied as he glanced your way, eyes no longer focused on the dense trees that passed by as the two of you walked. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
You nodded, lifting the yellow flowers in your hand so he could see. “Yep!” Diluc opened the foraging bag resting against his hip and carefully placed the flowers inside. Glass clinked and rattled as he adjusted the contents to ensure they wouldn’t be damaged. You bit your lip, concerned they’d smashed before you had a chance to use them. Perhaps you should get more, just in case.
Something tugged at your hair but when you turned to see what, you were blocked by red leather and a focused expression. Diluc placed one of the yellow flowers over your ear, his gaze never wavering even though yours constantly did. When he was finished, he brushed your cheek with his finger and smiled at his work. In an instant, his eyes connected with yours, “Shall we?” You reached for his hand before he could pull away and placed a quick kiss to his gloved finger.
“Let’s!” you stepped forward, trying your best to hide your stupefied glee against your opposite shoulder.
The two of you walked for a time, side by side, in the quiet of the colorful forest until you happened upon a few of the cottages on the edge of the winery grounds. To your excitement, you noticed the people who lived there had made several piles of leaves. You stopped, contemplating an idea that was running like a wild child in your head.
“y/n?” Diluc stopped a few paces in front of you. His brows furrowed as they tracked your line of sight. You were distracted by the beautiful falling leaves, the fluffy pile in the distance, and the pounding of your heart. So, you didn’t notice him make his way back to you.
When was the last time you jumped in a pile of leaves? It had to have been when you were a teenager; when your life was less proper and you could splurge on the spontaneous desires of your playfulness. You felt your body lurch forward in a microsecond only for your mind to scold you for even trying.
You’ll ruin your clothes. It’ll put you behind schedule. People won’t take you seriously. Think, y/n.
Sighing, you turned back to Diluc and flashed him a wistful smile, “Sorry, I was lost in thought. We should get back.” You continued toward the winery a bit sad that you could no longer be as carefree as you once was, but you understood your position, and the need to grow up. Strangely, you noticed Diluc wasn’t behind you so you twisted your neck to call out to him when you were lifted into the air like a cat minding their own business. “AH! What ar--!?”
You shouted, laughter spilling through as strong hands hoisted you into the air and toward the pile of leaves. You were practically launched into them and the freedom of gliding through the cool autumn air mixed with the sudden sound of crunching, breaking, and collapsing leaves filled you with a joy you remembered so fondly. Laughing the way you did made it hard for you to escape the pile of leaves but when you finally managed, you burst from them.
“Diluc! What was th-” Your laughter turned to shock when you saw him jumping in after you. Instinctually, you put your arms up so he wouldn’t crush you upon landing, but it didn't matter much. He narrowly missed you only to force you to roll into him at the same time. Gasping, you popped back up, twisting to rest your hands on his chest and push the falling leaves away from his face. “What in the-?” you couldn’t stop laughing, even when you found him puffing away the shattered leaves from his lips or blinking at the dust, you couldn’t stop laughing.
Resting your head on his chest, you breathed in his scent as it mixed with the earthy scent of the leaves. The image of him leaping toward you lived in your mind. You replayed it over and over becoming more smitten each time. Considering how stern and reserved he was, there were moments you could see the child screaming in him to be free, but to see it come out swinging was ... unbelievable.
You raised your head, hands still cupping his forehead as you pushed the leaves away from him. The sun shined across the colorful leaves haloing his face, got lost in his hair. At this angle, it looked like a glowing crown. Laughing again, you smiled with so much joy even the fingers he grazed across your cheek couldn’t calm them down. “Mr. Ragnvindr, I never would have expected you to be one to play in the leaves.”
“It would appear I’ve forgotten why I stopped. I think there are several in places I’d rather they not be.” He furrowed his brows, shifting his hips under you only to cause more leaves to fall around the both of you.
“Admit it, you had fun for a split second.”
His expression softened, his gaze lingering on you for a moment before he reached up to pull several leaves from your hair. “I did.” You grinned and lifted yourself off him so he could sit up.
“Also, I can’t believe you threw me. How ru-” Your words were cut off the moment you looked at him. Your stomach flipped, heart pounded in your chest, butterflies scrambling wildly the moment your eyes settled on the small box he held in his hands. “... D-Diluc?”
“I don’t want to wait any longer.”
“ah-”
“Will you marry me?” Diluc opened the small box to reveal a ring you swore had your name written on it. It was perfect, exactly what you wanted with all of Diluc’s incredible consideration. Surprisingly, even though you knew how to answer him, it was hard to vocalize it with all the thoughts running in your head, all the emotions welling up in your chest, all the ‘absolutes’ and ‘without-a-doubts’ scrambling to burst through you. He waited, or tried to. With a small, nervous chuckle, he asked again, “y/n, will you marry-”
“Yes!” You shouted and lunged to kiss him. The sound of his relieved sigh was the first thing to make your tears fall, the second was the sigh of the ring on your finger, and the third was his closed eyes and glorious smile as you rested your forehead against him.
You pressed forward and he fell back into the leaves. Two soul mates once drifting in the flow of the universe finally finding their way together: to become one.
“I love you,” you whispered under the canopy of leaves.
“And I you,” he replied as he sealed his words with another kiss.
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(authors note: special surprise:: I got engaged (for realz)!!)
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thoma
There was something magical about the falling leaves. Something otherworldly, mysterious, and strange but, without a doubt, one of the most incredible things about the changing seasons.
You had this tradition. You weren’t sure when you started it, but it was one of your favorites. As soon as the verdant green leaves began to transition into reds, yellows, and oranges, you knew it was time. Every morning you’d wake up and check if today was the day; not to cold, not to hot, just perfect, and when it finally appeared, you made your move.
A blanket to lay on the crunching leaves, a container to hold snacks, a glass bottle for your favorite drink, and, lastly, whatever book you’d been saving for this special occasion. You’d pack it all in your basket or bag and head out to the small grove just beyond the noise of the village. People who knew you well knew when it was the right fall day; from the pep in your step to the smile on you face, you were as easy to read as the cover of your latest book.
It took you no time at all to set up and, soon enough, you were turning page after page while the burning trees above you decorated the ground in their color.
“Haha, I thought I’d find you here.” A familiar voice called to you, pulling you from the adventures in your book. You knew who it was in an instant; there was no fooling your heart.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Thoma?” you waved to him as he climbed the hillside, in his hands was a small basket that curiously caught your attention.
“I hope you don’t mind the intrusion, --”
“Do you want to join me!?” your heart flipped at the idea. When he said yes, you excitedly made room for him on your small blanket. “Here,” you gestured to the open spot and he quickly made himself at home.
You watched as he removed the items in his basket, nearly shouted when he offered you a warm cup of melted chocolate and milk. You typically kept this tradition to yourself, but you’d share anything with Thoma.
“Mmm, this is so good,” you hummed after another slow sip of the drink. It warmed your stomach and left a sweet tingle on your tongue.
“I also brought you some-”
“AH!” When you saw pile of smashed potatoes covered in seasoning and cheese, you nearly fainted.
“Hey now, don’t hurt yourself,” Thoma reached for the cup before you could burn yourself and laughed at the way your eyes lit up.
“Yummy,” you coed, hand covering your mouth as you ate the delicious snack. There was something about the fall and warm, salted potatoes that made you practically dance in excitement.
For a while, the two of you talked about the book you were reading, about how things had been for both of your busy schedules, and anything else that came up. You ate, drank, and enjoyed each others company under the falling leaves.
You liked Thoma so much that it hurt your stomach to be near him, but somehow it was far more painful to be separated. If only your friend felt the same way.
“Ah, this was such a fun day,” you exclaimed as you fell back on the cleared away blanket. With no more food or drinks, you made room so you could lay on your back and look up at the circle of branches above you. “I’m glad you could join me.”
“Me too,” Thoma replied as he put a few more items away in his basket. Truthfully, you wanted him to stay but he had things to do and you were too afraid to ask him anyway.
For a moment, you closed your eyes and listened to the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind, the distant conversations in the village below, the crashing of waves far below you. You always forgot how lovely nature was until you were smack dab in the middle of it.
Suddenly, the left side of your body grew warm and when you looked to see why, you saw Thoma, arm resting under his head and face gazing upward, next to you.
Your heart skipped a beat. He was everything to you, everything you wanted in a partner, in a friend. How could someone as perfect as him exist so close to you. Thoma turned to look at you and you sharply looked away.
“This is my favorite time of the year,” he said, eyes glancing back at the falling leaves.
“... mine too,” you replied, hopeful your voice wasn’t betrayed by your overactive emotions.
Something bumped against the back of your hand. Deep down you knew what it was so you willed yourself not to pull away. Another bump, but this time it didn’t bounce away. It stayed, flush against your trembling hand until fingers curled over the side and rested in your palm. You looked at Thoma, whose cheeks held a shade of pink you didn’t normally see. Quickly, you flashed your eyes down to your hand and that’s when you noticed he was holding it.
“I-is this okay?” he asked, a bit more nervous than you normally saw him.
You stifled a giggle as you timidly accepted his hand, “Mmhm,” you replied and, as the radiant leaves fell all around you, the two of you moved a little bit closer, at the same time.
--
zhongli
The cool air made you wrap your jacket further around your body while you looked out over the harbor. The wind ruffled your hair but not so much to make it annoying. Luckily, you were comfortable enough to stay where you were, warm blankets, delicious smelling food, and freshly brewed tea were all on their way, you just had to be patient. Oh, and there was one other thing that made the chill bearable.
“Do you require another blanket?” Zhongli asked, pulling you more against him on the daybed. His arm rested over your shoulder, his body slightly twisted to be flush with your own as he leaned against a plethora of plush pillows to keep his position just right. You noticed him pulling at the bright, almost golden blanket further up your legs while his were left exposed.
Leaning your head against his shoulder, you watched a single leaf fall and let out a contented sigh, “Nope, this is perfect.” Snuggling into him, you felt his chest rumble as he chuckled, it made you do the same. “So, how did you manage to get a private room in one of the most esteemed restaurants in Liyue harbor, hmm?”
“The proprietor has accrued many ‘IOU’s in their dealings with the Wangsheng Funereal Parlor. I merely discussed an adequate trade to settle the debts.” Zhongli’s fingers passed over your arm, sending a shiver down your spine. He paused to take a sip of his slowly cooling tea before returning to his menstruations.
You nodded as if you understood, and then a dark thought came to your mind, “... Zhongli.”
“Mmm?”
“D-Does that mean ... they’ve had a lot of ... deaths recently or ... does that mean that they’ve made a lot of ... oh,” fidgeting, you turned to look back at the door that separated you from a potential murder.
Zhongli let out a hearty laugh, one you swore rattled the ground of the harbor. “What an imaginative thought. Rest assured there is nothing sinister afoot here. We merely came to an arrangement to settle their contract for the upcoming year.”
“Oh ...”
Zhongli continued, “As per the agreement between the vendors of the harbor and the parlor, the bereaved are allowed to choose what dishes will be prepared for the departed. It often happened that this establishment was, ‘busy,’ when they were requested and, so to ensure equal partnership, an updated contract was in order.”
“So, what is this?” you inquired as you watched several plates of food be delivered to the elegant and expensive table just out of reach. Carefully, you whispered to Zhongli so the staff couldn’t here, your nose brushing against his neck as you did so, “a bribe?”
“On the contrary, it was explicitly outlined in the contract. Through a bit extraordinary, they came to see reason in time.” Zhongli helped lift you off the bed, pulling another blanket around your shoulders as he moved toward the food so he could prepare you a plate.
“Mr. Zhongli, it appears you are far more devious than others suspect,” you teased, crossing your legs and accepting the dish he offered.
“Devious,” he repeated with a low hum and you shifted on the elegant cushions. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw his hand settle next to your hips. When you followed the path of his arm, you were met with rich, golden eyes staring intently at you. “Perhaps I am, devious,” he breathed and your heartrate increased, “Or, am I simply a man who knows what he wants.”
Zhongli leaned toward you, head tilted, eyes narrowing into slits but never once looking away from your own. “... and what do you want?” you asked, arms growing too weak to hold the plate anymore.
“Mmm, shall we discuss that?” You nodded, but it was so quick and short that, if he hadn’t been inches from your face, he wouldn’t have noticed at all.
Beyond the red railing and the drifting, yellow lanterns, the two of you shared a private evening under the decorative autumn leaves.
