⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ fool me once, shame on you
wanderer x fem reader
When Wanderer finds himself in the predicament of chasing away a mortal girl who seems to stick closely to him, even when he is being bitter and cold. What happens when he's nice? warnings/tags: fluff, wan being mean, wan being in denial, crushes (both ways?), mc who has issues - implied trauma/relationship abuse (yeah that took a turn) wc: 2.8k
chuu's note: based on this post of mine ! also if u get the teen wolf ref ily. this is all in wan's perspective cos I wanted to write a pt 2 in mc's perspective but that may never see the light of day
"Quit following me!" Wanderer snaps, glaring at the girl who flinches on command before stilling herself. She stares at him, wide eyed - he hated those eyes of hers, they were irritatingly mesmerising to look at.
She was the same girl who would regularly walk under his designated tree that he sat on during breaks after long, torturous hours spent inside Akademiya lecture theatres. The girl he also shared a fair few of those Archon-awful classes with.
But she’s broken the boundary of a mere classmate already.
She was more than that now.
She was a pest, someone who kept bothering him no matter where he went.
Someone who had confessed her liking towards him, one too many times. But Wanderer wasn’t one for petty things like ‘love’ or ‘romance’, Wanderer was distinctively clear with himself that he would never harbour such a feeling in the eternity he lives in.
Even if they were as beautiful as the false sky above him, even if they treated the animals gently when no one was looking. Even if they had eyes as mesmerising as the-
"I'm sorry-" you begin, but the words make Wanderer roll his eyes as he turns back around to stomp away.
Truthfully, he hated hearing those words - apologies were always so easy to speak of, but they never truly solved anything. He would know better than anyone else - he had an eternity to atone for his sins. If a simple apology fixed all of that he had damaged, the burden he shoulders every second would be far easier to manage.
"When you say it that many times, you render the very meaning useless. What is it this time? Be on with it already and leave" he grumbles – he’s heard you apologise almost as frequently as your visits.
"I was just wondering if you could help-" your voice speaks a little more meekly and Wanderer stops himself from wincing at the way he shuts you down immediately.
"No"
"But-"
Wanderer lets out a long and deep sigh as he turns back around, so fast that you bump into him - knocking your head in the process.
He scowls at the foreign expression you’re wearing, you almost looked a little pitiful this time round.
Nonetheless, he takes one step back to keep a fair distance. His arms crossed as he quirks one brow upward, "Wanna hear it in Inazuman? いやだ!"
When he sees you’ve shut your mouth closed that instant, he knows the conversation has ended. Before he can see your eyes turn glossy, he’s already on his way.
He hates that his chest pangs as if he’s capable of having a heart.
He doesn’t understand you at all.
You keep coming back, no matter how terribly he treats you.
"Seriously, you failed? Since when did you get so bad at... never mind. Guess you really are hopeless after all. Perhaps you should repeat the year instead?"
The words leave his mouth without a second thought, and he’s already regretting his condescending tone when he sees the way you've swallowed thickly.
You blink away at the moisture building up in your eyes and shake your head.
"I hope I don't. If I do... we won’t be in the same classes anymore"
Wanderer can’t help but scoff into a smile, there you were again, replying to his cruel words with something sickeningly sweet. As if his cruelty only made you like him more.
"Then I hope you do" he mumbles, leaving your side.
It was odd.
You were quite good in your academics. The sudden shift in your grades was certainly surprising to even Wanderer. He finds himself thinking about it a little too long. Perhaps your request last time wasn’t to bother him, it was for support with the exam.
Wanderer sighs, feeling his chest ache at the thought – he dismissed you as if you were a fly.
And yet, despite it all, you continued to come back.
You continued to smile in front of him.
It made him feel awful.
"If she likes you for how you treat her now, perhaps that’s exactly why fuel's her desire, no?" Nahida sounds ever so much like a child when she speaks, but the depth of her words always seem to pierce through Wanderer. He didn’t know why he felt so compelled to seek Nahida’s assistance, perhaps he was just needing more clarity – mentally, of course.
"You’re telling me she willingly enjoys being berated by someone she likes?" Wanderer deadpans, only to see Nahida's green beady eyes staring expectedly at him. That woman never changed her expressions, it drove him insane. But what drove him to the very brink of insanity, was that her logic was fair.
"That’s absurd"
"Love is a complicated emotion, child" Nahida says as if she is all knowing and Wanderer scoffs loudly at the use of the word "child". She certainly got a rise out of speaking like that, even when she was a mere baby of a god compared to the rest.
Wanderer thinks about you and the way you don’t seem to falter or back down whenever he throws a snarky remark your way – snarkier than usual, constructed with the purpose of driving you away.
Yet you come back, every time.
“You know. You’ve known.” Nahida speaks up to halt his memories of you – and with the tone of her words, Wanderer feels almost ashamed, “You’ve just chosen to ignore that possibility”.
He wasn’t being scolded, but, he understands her words a little too dearly.
He has known. He has chosen to ignore the possibility that a pure and sweet mortal could ever be capable of twisting their liking towards something this terrifying. Cruelty.
Something about that very notion, it troubled him, deeper than he could ever admit. Because it reminded him of himself – Kabukimono.
“Why don’t you try be nice to her? I’m sure you’ll gain a new result – one you’re looking for” her voice is softer now, as is her gaze towards Wanderer, “Or perhaps, you may find that it’s not”
Wanderer looks away – Nahida was a god after all – she may even be the smartest out of all of them and the heavenly principles combined. She could see right through him, even without her powers.
"Hat guy..." a new voice startles Wanderer into a scowl.
"I thought I told you its bad manners to eavesdrop, Durin" Wanderer narrows his eyes at the little boy who has his hands up as if he was being arrested. He shakes his head frantically,
"I wasn’t! I was in the room, you just didn’t notice"
"You blended yourself into the wall, don’t get cheeky with me"
As Wanderer flops himself onto his bed, he stares up at the ceiling above him, dazed. He remembers your face like it’s etched into his memory – as if it’s haunting him, even when you’re still alive and well. Somehow, every image he has of you renders him completely helpless.
“I like you” you spoke bravely to him, after many, many failed attempts at getting him to come down from the tree he leisurely sat on.
He knew it took a lot of effort since you were still quite meek, despite your spurts of courage every now and then.
Mortals, they were incredibly determined when they needed to be – he remembered that thought as he looked at your eyes, bright as a flame.
But a confession like that was something of nightmares to Wanderer, especially from someone as sweet and tender as you. A girl who was just as kind to the grass she stepped on, as she were with the care she places on her friends and family.
Wanderer knew everything about everyone in the Akademiya. There wasn’t a name that he didn’t recognise. He wouldn’t let that be known to anyone, but he paid attention, always. There was little to learn in the curriculum anyway, especially after having lived through the history they’re all learning about.
It was a pastime of his to observe how mortals were – each one was special, different. They were beautiful creatures, even if they harboured uglier spectrum of emotions, and made mistakes that even fools could avoid.
Mistakes like confessing their affection to a puppet who holds no heart.
He remembers the way you looked worriedly at him amidst his silence.
Surely, you weren’t expecting too much, but you must have not been expecting the face he made that moment – as if his entire soul had left him.
“You wasted my time for a lousy confession? How disgusting-”
Wanderer cringes at the memory, scrunching his eyes closed as he turns into his pillow. He doesn’t take back his actions – the words were a calculated attempt at pushing you away.
Your face, you didn’t look at all upset. In fact, you were trying to hold back a shy smile – as if you’d been complimented. You looked even prettier–
Wanderer groans again, throwing the pillow once under his head, away from his grasp with an angry speed. Only, it doesn’t land at all.
At the lack of noise, he sits up to see a smaller figure in front of him, clutching onto the pillow. His eyes, round and innocent, his horns sitting tall and proud as always.
“Durin? What are you doing here?”
It was past midnight now, it was well past Durin’s assigned curfew.
Durin’s fingers grip onto the pillow a little tighter when Wanderer motions him to come closer.
“Are you upset about something?” Durin’s voice was meek, it softened Wanderer all at once.
“I didn’t know you were there, I’m sorry. I threw it to hit the wall, not you.” Wanderer mumbles and Durin nods. Durin makes himself comfortable atop Wanderer’s bed, he’s quiet, but Wanderer knows the boy well enough to know he was dying to speak about something.
When they first met, Wanderer barked about his chatty attitude one too many times – it resulted to Durin growing quiet, asking with his eyes as permission to speak. He’s wanted to undo that habit for some time now, but it hasn’t worked.
“Go on” he prompts, falling back onto bed as Durin’s eyes light up a bit.
“About this person. Don't you think... that maybe there's a problem with her?"
Wanderer regrets giving the dragon any chance to speak. He doesn’t regret barking about his chatty nature either.
"Of course there's a problem, she’s deluded" he huffs, feeling the mattress dip a little as Durin lays beside him. Wanderer scoffs as the little boy makes himself comfortable under the sheets.
"Maybe... maybe that’s what was taught to her. Love is cruel, unstable..." Durin shakes his head from side to side, there's a certain sadness in his eyes, "my brother Albedo told me humans attach to what’s familiar to them"
"Don’t concern yourself with my issues. You're thinking too much."
Wanderer doesn’t want to discuss the very real possibility with Durin since it holds a lot more darkness than he may have imagined. For now, Wanderer pats onto the little boys head, before ushering him to sleep.
Even though Durin was new to Teyvat, there was one thing Wanderer knew well about him. That Durin was a smart boy.
And Durin was right.
Over the next few weeks, Wanderer employs the thinking of Lesser Lord Kusanali. And her words truly do prove her status as the ‘goddess of Wisdom’.
He speaks to you with a sickly sweet smile, and doesn’t so much as lose his temper – not even once. Sometimes, his own words made him want to throw up, but he’s even more startled with the way you reflect the very same expression as him.
You look the picture of someone who’s encountered an unfathomable stench.
“I really liked your discussion in class. You should speak up more, you’re incredibly bright”
Of course, none of it was a lie – you were incredibly insightful, but it was the way in which Wanderer spoke that was entirely foreign to you.
He watches as your eyebrows scrunch a little, taking in the compliments as if they were shards of glass, sharp, and difficult to digest.
He doesn’t think he’s seen you like this, ever.
Wanderer smirks when you leave, albeit, sweetly farewelling him, he can tell you won’t be returning to pester him again.
At least not willingly.
Wanderer doesn't believe he has ever felt excited to enter into his shared class with you, but today, he’s itching to see how you may avoid his expectant gaze.
A gaze he never truly ever bothered casting on you, till you so recently stopped visiting him during breaks.
He had successfully driven you away. For good, he believes.
He’s simply relishing the fruits of his labour, of course.
That is, until his professor introduces the final assignment; one of Wanderer’s least favourite – group projects. To make matters worse, his professor has even gone through the trouble of assigning groups himself.
And to Wanderer’s luck, he’s ended up with the one person he’s been trying to drive away.
When the groups are finalised, everyone moves to sit next to their groupmates.
Everyone flocks to Wanderer, knowing well he won’t move first - and though Wanderer isn’t all too sociable himself, he’s gained a higher standing as one of the brightest in the class. And by nature, many are attracted to the thought of befriending someone intelligent, especially when given the opportunity to, served on a golden platter.
But Wanderer isnt all too fussed about the chatter as his new groupmates seat themselves beside him. He instead watches as you slow your steps down so you end up last at the table, a lousy trick so you could sit furthest away from him.
Though it was satisfying seeing you avoid him, Wanderer couldn’t help but drive the nail in further. Just for assurance.
Wanderer smiles sweetly at you, and you flinch on the spot, giving him an uncomfortably awkward smile back – it was clear you didn’t want this as much as him.
And that in itself, was a rather satisfying sight for Wanderer.
During discussions, you don’t even look at him for more than a second, and you’re quick to leave the classroom when the lesson ends.
On one occasion, he watches as you drop all your papers during yet another attempt to try to leave first.
He holds back a scoff and crouches down to help you.
You mumble a small apology and shakily reach for one of the papers. Wanderer’s eyes narrow in at your bare wrist that was revealed when your sleeve pulls up. Then, his eyes then trail to the papers in his hands, and he looks over at you quizzically,
“You’re failing? Still?”
You grow hot that moment and reach for the test papers, only to be held still. You wince a little and Wanderer is quick to soften his grip, “What happened?”
“bruised it from hitting a wall” you reply quickly, as if you’ve had it prepared, “and I’m not failing, yet”
Wanderer doesn’t want to let go, but he feels his chest ache all of a sudden. A terrible feeling that churns inside of him. Something felt off.
You know. You’ve always known.
Nahida’s words ring into Wanderer’s ears once again and he can’t shake it away anymore. He’s known this. Something is off.
Something was always off with you.
The next day Wanderer sees you stood in the gardens of the Akademiya. Instinctively, he shrinks into the branch he was sat on as if he’d be spotted, even though you were a fair distance away.
Even though you’re clearly no longer interested in him at all.
He narrows his eyes at the way your head is bowed down – your hair falling across your face.
He couldn’t quite get a gauge of your expression. But one thing that made him still, was the way your hands shook at your sides.
Wanderer finds himself getting up from his seated position, only to stop at the sight of a hand. He realises you’re not alone. Behind the tree must've been another figure – from this angle, Wanderer just couldn’t see it.
But he definitely saw the way the hand reached out the base of your neck and then up to the bottom of your scalp.
The fingers grip onto your hair harshly, pulling at you to look up.
Wanderer feels himself grow hot with anger till he scans your expression that was now visible.
You looked fine. In fact, you didn’t look distressed at all.
An unease settles across Wanderers body, with Durin’s words replaying back over and over again.
Humans attach to what’s familiar to them; love is cruel, unstable.
And with the way you've let yourself be kissed by whatever monster that stood in front of you, Wanderer understands it all.
Mortals. They were terribly foolish creatures.
And perhaps this time, he too will learn to be foolish.
Foolish enough to get involved.
Foolish enough to be brave.
Foolish enough to change your fate.
chuu's note: yeah, look... this as meant to be funny and lighthearted but when I was writing I was like, "hang on... why IS mc like this? lets give her some trauma" <3
but in all realness, I feel weirdly anxious posting which is weird cos I don't ever feel anxious... idk. maybe its cos its the first time I haven't been consistent w posting but I hope that feeling goes away cos I feel so yuck rn. anyways. goodbye~ pt2 may never see the light of day btw <3
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likes, reblogs and comments are always appreciated <3 lots of love, chuu!
my ao3 & ko-fi !!!
