genshin boys and the downfall of your relationship ☆
𓆏 › childe
from the beginning, you were wooed by his playfulness, the sneaky kiss in public, the sly hand slipping under your shirt when you're talking, the late-night conversations that span until the sun rose the next morning
you believed this was it; this was what sweet first loves felt like, always giddy and living spontaneously. a dashing smile thrown in your direction, silly gifts on your doorstep when adventure calls and he answers for weeks on end, security found in the matching rings he bought from his time in inazuma
but like first everythings, relationships are built to grow. but childe never does
the fluttering in your stomach is unpleasant. it's the cause for the shaking in your leg and the rambling thoughts plaguing your mind. you hadn't heard from childe in a month.
usually, when he is taken by his job as a toymaker, he'll write to you, even if only occasionally. a silly recap of strange events, a small doodle of him hugging you, sometimes even a souvenir to remind you he keeps you in his thoughts. this time, nothing.
the cold worms into your body in the dead of night. you know you should be asleep, but thoughts of him keep you glaringly awake. something tells you he’ll be back tonight, but even that prediction feels you with dread. when was the last time you felt secure in this relationship?
you perk up at the creaking of a door. it’s subtle, threatening to blow away in the night breeze, but you catch it by the throat. childe peers up too, eyes wide as he takes you in, illuminated by the moonlight.
“what are you still doing awake?” his voice, once capable of settling every doubt, only enhances your fear.
“is that all you have to say?” you croak, throat protesting at the lack of use. “childe, where have you been?”
your boyfriend steps closer, unravelling the red scarf from his neck and wrapping it around you instead. the material is cold against your skin. you would have preferred the night instead.
“babe, you know i had work.”
“for a month? and you couldn’t even let me know somehow that you were still alive?” your voice peaks and you find something cold drip down your cheek. “i thought you were dead.”
the confession hangs suspended in the room, and yet whilst you hope childe will acknowledge it, he only sweeps a finger under your eye. you follow the movement in your peripherals and notice the lack of jewellery on his hand. “did you miss me?”
“childe, be serious. this, this can’t keep happening.”
“i’ll write to you, name.” he takes a hold of your hand and kisses the back of it. “i couldn’t stay away from you even if i tried.”
you yank your hand back and the hurt that flashes across his face is more real than you’ve ever seen him act. “childe. i’m not joking. this isn’t about me missing you or just some petty issue. i’m scared.”
“of what, baby?”
your fingers curl inward at the pet name. “of us. of what it’s becoming. or what it hasn’t changed into.”
“we’re what we’ve always been. i didn’t find another girl while i’m away, if that’s what you’re asking.” he kisses your forehead lightly, delicately, like you’ll break under the touch. “you always did have the strangest thoughts. you know i love you. come on,you’ll catch a cold out here.”
you refuse his hand, opting to force eye contact. “that’s the thing, childe. we’re what we’ve always been, we haven’t changed. or at least, you won’t let it. we’re not new lovers anymore, you can’t just solve every issue with a gift or a kiss. i liked you back then, but i love you now. i care about you. if we want to stay together, you have to take this more seriously.”
maybe it’s his job that inhibits the progression of your relationship, or maybe he has never truly considered you as the end goal. maybe all you were was a first love and maybe his "i love you's" were never a lie, but also never a promise
maybe his heart is taken by you, but not his future
𓆏 › kaeya
your boyfriend’s resilience is his strongest aspect, at least that’s what you’ve always believed. sometimes you’ll trace the scar that runs jagged across his eye and wish your kisses could heal the folds of skin, wishing your embraces could erase the pain from his past. but sometimes, you’ll believe he doesn’t need it, that he’s taken his painful moments in his stride, never letting a setback diminish his efforts, never letting a soul tell him that he isn’t everything he’s pushed himself to be
his achievements stack one on one endlessly and the smiles down the street from strangers tells you he’s found his rightful place in the world
but just like how his eyepatch hides a permanent shame, his facade hides a brewing insecurity
“drink with me.”
“kaeya,” you laugh off his approach and stand from the bar stool, the warm atmosphere leaving you temporarily dazed. “i can’t, i have a mission early tomorrow morning. you know i get horrible hangovers.”
something foreign washes over his face. it’s cast away almost immediately, enough for you to believe it was a simple trick of the eye so you blink it away with a smile. leaning down, you kiss kaeya on the cheek. “then, i’ll see you tomorrow afternoon for our date.”
“hold on.” your boyfriend grabs onto your wrist, holding you in place. when you turn to look at him, you find his eyes looking elsewhere, before flickering to you. his mouth opens to distract you from the gesture, but you’re already turning to look as well.
diluc stands not too far from the counter of the bar, talking quietly to another girl. you recognise her as an adventurer from liyue who had quickly won over the heart of the infamous dark knight.
you hum in appreciation. “is that diluc’s girlfriend? they seem happy. good for them.” turning back to face him, you’re shocked to find his expression closed off. “is something wrong?”
when he smiles, you realise it doesn’t reach his eyes. “stay with me, darling, won’t you?”
“i can’t, i already told you.” you say slowly, as if he hadn’t heard you the first time. the grip on his wrist tightens. “kaeya, you’re hurting me.”
the hold stammers, but he refuses to let you go. “can’t you stay back just a little longer for me?”
“what is this all about?”
“nothing, i just miss you.” but his body language betrays his words. you look over at the happy couple in the corner again.
“let go of my wrist.” you say.
“i’m telling you to stay.” he snaps back. his eyes are burning into yours. “why can’t you just do this one thing for me?”
“you don’t control me, kaeya, don’t talk to me like that.” you try to shake off his hold but it only tightens and you’re sure if you were to look at it the next monring, it’ll be stained in blues and purples. “kaeya, i’m serious.”
“me too.” a harsh squeeze. “i’m telling you to stay.”
“you’ve had too much to drink. i’m taking you back home with me.”
“is everything okay over here?” your head snaps up at the new voice, finding diluc with his girlfriend before you, concerned at the commotion.
you smile weakly, still unable to shake off your boyfriend’s hold. “sorry diluc, i think kaeya’s had too much tonight.”
the red-haired man huffs, unimpressed. “of course he did. i should be the one apologising to you, name. will you take him home?”
you laugh briefly too. “of course. what else would i do.”
a flurry of movement catches your eyes and in the chaos, you realise kaeya had let go of your wrist. turning, you find diluc knocked to the ground, the perpetrator a familiar man with blue hair.
“you think you’re so much better than me, don’t you, huh brother?” his voice tilters jeeringly. “now that you’ve gotten a girlfriend, you think you’ve beaten me? you think you’ve won?”
“kaeya! what are you doing?” you rush to the scene, holding your boyfriend back, your palm against his chest feeling his rapid heartbeat. “where did this come from?”
he turns mad eyes on you. “couldn’t you tell, name? didn’t you see him brag his new girlfriend right in front of me, thinking he can one-up me? he’s still over me beating him in the past, this is just a new scheme to get under my skin. well it worked, still doesn’t mean shit though, diluc. i’m better, i’m still better than you. my girlfriend’s better than yours, my life is better than yours, you’re nothing.”
though kaeya tries to patch up his insecurities, you can feel the repressed emotions threatening to explode behind every kiss. and though you promise that you won’t leave him either, your heart skips a beat in fright with every scattered glance and every coded conversation between your boyfriend and his brother
you realise it is true, then, when they say you must love yourself before you love others
𓆏 › xiao
the guardian yaksha, conqueror of demons, alatus the golden-winged king, xiao goes by many names but to you, he is simply just xiao
your first meeting seems alike a dream, a vigilant protector by your side warding off the grim reaper and sparing you a glance that made time stop and the wind cease its song. it was love at first sight, perhaps on both ends, and your relationship proceeded into something precious where his heart that only accepts few, accepts you
gentle touches and intimate, quiet sights, the small moments you shared with each other held close to your heart. perhaps it is the illusion that xiao was a secretive, selective person that led you to believe he would arrive with your every call
you found security in a mirage
throughout the day, you had spared multiple glances at the clock. you counted down the minutes of every hour and then every hour until sunset, until the clock finally struck 7pm and you were free.
dashing into the street, you waved goodbye to your boss and headed down in the direction of the wangshu inn in a state of ecstasy.
you hadn’t seen your boyfriend in days. of course, you expected something like this considering his reputable status in liyue, but it hurt nonetheless when your timetable and his activities avoided one another. tonight, however, it would be different. he had assured you with a kiss on the forehead and a caress of the cheek that he’ll make it for your one year anniversary, and the promise was sealed with a shared smile. today was even more so special because you had just been promoted in your job, meaning you had to transfer workspaces to inazuma.
how would you deal with the distance, you wondered in a spike of doubt, especially since the current distance was already barely tolerable?
you arrived on the roof of the inn just as the sun whispered its finally goodbye to the sky with an orchestra of pink and orange clouds, a familiar silhouette illuminated against the fading rays.
“xiao!” you call, hurrying over. “you made it.”
“i won’t be getting commissions tonight.” he shuffles over subtly, making room for your presence. “i owe you that much.”
“you don’t owe me anything. but thank you.” you sit beside him, butterflies erupting in your stomach. glancing sideways, you watch him watch the sun. “actually, xiao, there’s something i’ve been meaning to say.”
xiao turns to you, not just his head but his entire body language, encouraging you in the silence and holding your gaze in his eyes. “i’m listening.”
“it’s nothing that important, i promise.” you laugh slightly.
“anything you tell me is important.”
you bite your lip. “the thing is, i told you about my current job right?”
“the one in liyue.”
“well, that’s the thing. it might not be anymore?”
xiao frowns. “you got fired?”
“no, i got promoted. to inazuma.”
something passes across his face. his hand reaches over to grab yours, and he gives it a slight squeeze. “wait, that’s—”
“i know! it’s far.” though you weren’t sure what expression he’ll give at the news, you weren’t expecting the deep concentration on his face and the hand around yours. without knowing, you began to ramble. “i get that. and if you don’t want me to, i don’t have to accept the promotion, if you think it’s too much. i don’t want to put too much pressure on you and i know already we’ve been having issues with distance but—”
“not that.” xiao squeezes your hand again. “i have to go.”
you blink. “what?”
but he’s already standing, face to the wind. there’s that look of concentration again, but you realise it was never directed at you. a flash of golden glimmer and his staff appears in his hand. “name, i’m sorry but i we’ll continue this another time.”
“i thought you said you wouldn’t be accepting commissions tonight.” you stand as well. “you promised to be here.”
“i have a duty to serve. i’ll be back.”
“do your promises mean nothing?”
this time, he does spare you a glance. “the traveller. they called my name.’ he said as if that explained everything. and to him, it likely did. “i’ll talk to you later.”
the sudden turn of the wind left you alone and unsatisfied. the nerves from your conversation dissipate into disappointment just as the breeze turns cold. you hug your arms into your chest and seek warmth in yourself, but the hole that xiao leaves is gaping and wide.
waiting again, you sit on the roof of the inn.
xiao’s heart is guarded; for good reason. it is difficult to balance the crucial people of his life leaving those close to his heart few. but amongst those, there are some he simply cannot help but prioritise over others, and it is a pity that you are at the bottom
not really the happiest w xiao's one but !! how did this end up 2k+ words ?? i do have zhongli's one written so i might do a cont. of this if this is particularly liked !! thank you for reading ☆
