Fantasy Fest Series: By Your Side || Mu Ziyang [Werewolf!AU]
Title: By Your Side
Pairing: Reader x Ziyang
Genre: Werewolf!AU + fluff
Word Count: 2,774 words
Summary: Walking in the dark is always scary, but at least you had your new canine friend to be with you every step of the way.
A/N: Fourth installment of Fantasy Fest, which ranked third in the poll. I struggled a bit on deciding who to choose for this particular fic, but I finally settle on Werewolf!Ziyang thanks to some lovely followers! Ziyang is my bias wrecker in Oner (can you guess my actual bias) despite him being so underrated. So, this one goes out to you Ziyang!
okay can we talk about how HANDSOME ziyang looks in that gif?
a straight up GOD
still shocks me to this day that he didn’t rank in top 10 for ip visuals
world’s greatest mystery
let’s start, shall we?
you lived in a relatively small village where everyone seemed to know each other
businesses thrived, everyone was healthy and children ran around freely
the crime rate was also relatively low, especially since everyone seemed to always be looking out for each other and helping one another
for example you were well acquainted with the butcher’s daughter, the seamstress’ son, the woman who ran the local inn, etc
you felt lucky to call this safe haven of yours your home
so where did you fit in this picturesque image?
you were the village herbalist
at your cozy cottage located near the outskirts of the village, you planted and harvested medicinal plants, roots and herbs
your services often worked hand in hand with the village’s apothecary ran by a close friend of yours
hint hint nudge nudge wink wink
speaking of apothecary, you were headed there now after your friend had requested you via letter
entering the dainty shop, you saw your friend whispering angrily to an unknown presence behind them that you couldn’t see. when they noticed your presence, they coughed in surprise before awkwardly hurrying to the front counter to greet you
“hi (y/n)! glad to see you again”
“it’s good to see you, too. it’s been a while. is everything alright? you seem a bit flustered” you asked in concern
“ah no, i’m fine. don’t worry about it. some... things can be very annoying”
as if some presence was offended by their words, a jar unceremoniously was knocked off of the counter on its own. if it weren’t for your fast reflexes, it would have shattered on the floor
as you placed the jar back on the counter, you missed the way your friend’s eye twitched in annoyance
“sorry i’m really clumsy today”
you saw with your own eyes that they hadn’t even touched the jar, but you chose not to question it since you understood that they were secretive about certain things and you didn’t want to pry
“it’s okay. did you need something? you didn’t specify in the letter”
“oh, that’s right! i was wondering if you had any moonflower petals?”
thinking back to your garden at home, you couldn’t recall growing the said plant mainly because they were so delicate and hard to maintain, even for an experienced herbalist like yourself
“sorry, i don’t believe i have any” you apologized sadly
your friend looked disheartened, “i was afraid you’d say that. i desperately need some to make a cure for goblin cough”
like a switch going off in your head, you remembered that moonflowers were in season and if you were lucky, you’d be able to find some in the surrounding woods of the village
“i can go try and find some in the woods for you. i know exactly where they tend to grow and i’m probably the only one who knows how to harvest them correctly” you offered
“will you be okay? the woods can be very dangerous if you’re out there on your own” they questioned in concern
“i’ll be fine. you know how strong i can be. i’ll try not to wander too far in and i’ll bring my dagger with me for protection just in case”
although they seemed reluctant, they agreed to your offer. you knew they seemed to be in a hurry, so you made quick note of heading out to the woods tonight since that’s when it was easiest to find the flowers
when night fell, you set out to the woods with your trusty woven basket linked on your left arm and a lit lantern in your right hand
hearing the crunch of leaves and sticks under your boots, you used the light of your lantern to scour the area
moonflowers were a special species of flowers; they grew only during the night. like the moon it was named for, the petals were uniquely shaped into crescent moons. the flower also emitted a soft white glow that resembled moonlight
as you walked deeper into the woods, you heard the howl of an unknown creature in the distance that sent shivers down your spine
you were well aware of the numerous creatures that lurked in the forest at night so you were determined to make quick work and gtfo of there
in the corner of your eyes, you spotted that soft white glow you were anticipating for
walking past a few more trees, a huge smile grew on your face when you saw an entire patch of moonflowers growing under a cedar tree
as you carefully plucked the previous flowers and placed them into your basket, you heard a loud crunch behind you
you froze
you then heard the low grumble of a growl permeate through the air
fuck
slowly turning around, you dropped your basket and a squeak left your lips as you saw a massive wolf standing right in front of you
it was easily almost twice your size. its mouth was opened slightly, revealing sharp rows of teeth within. despite how dark it was out, you could still make out the wolf’s golden irises staring straight at you
falling on your butt, your body was wracked with tremors as you cowered in fear. your mind went blank and you completely forgot about the dagger that was hidden in your boot
the wolf took a few steps closer to you and you knew you were done for
clenching your eyes, you began to cry as you braced yourself for your impending death
imagine your surprise when instead of an agonizingly painful chomp, you felt a large smooth tongue lap away at your tears on your cheeks
even in your fear-induced state, giggles bubbled out of your mouth at the ticklish sensation
at the pleasant sound of your voice, the large canine happily increased in its ministrations and licked at your face more enthusiastically
“well you aren’t very scary after all, huh?” you mused as you scratched its neck. “you’re just one big cuddly puppy, aren’t you?”
the wolf playfully loomed over your form and nipped at your fingers as if indicating to you that it was far from being a puppy
you chuckled, wiping away the slobber off of your face “sorry, i know you’re a big boy... or girl?”
the animal growled lowly in protest as you mentioned ‘girl’ to it
“okay, boy for sure. you scared me half to death!” you scolded in which the canine licked your cheek once again in apology
as you ran your hands through its thick fur, you admired how silky smooth his fur was as well as its pretty shade of ash blonde
“are you out here on your own?” you asked it
he shook his head
“that’s a relief to hear. you have someone to keep you company,” you said wistfully more so to yourself then to him
for as long as you remembered you lived alone, so you imagined what it was like to live with several others
you felt him nudge his muzzle into your neck in a comforting manner, making you smile softly
“well i have to head back home now. it’s not safe for me to be out this late and i’ve already gotten what i needed”
standing up, you picked up your fallen basket filled with your bundle of moonflowers
relighting your lantern with a spare match, you smiled at the wolf in goodbye and walked away to head back home
a few minutes in of walking, you heard rustling and you looked to see your new wolf friend trailing behind you
you tilted your head in confusion, “did you need something?”
he only walked towards you and nudged you forward, urging you to continue on your path. confused, you went back to walking but this time with him walking right beside you. then you understood what we was doing.
“ah, keeping me company and making sure i get out safe? thank you.”
you scratched behind his ears in gratitude, holding back a laugh as he struggled to keep his eyes open as you did so
when you saw the edge of the forest approaching, he halted to a stop, making sure he was well hidden in the shadows
“i’ll make sure to visit you again” you promised him, crouching down to his level. “in the meantime, what shall i call you?”
you were caught off guard by a masculine voice echoing in the back of your head
“ziyang” you repeated the voice in a whisper
the wolf barked in response, seemingly pleased that you referred to him by his real name
but how the hell did you know that?
you didn’t have any time to question it further because ziyang had ran back into the forest and out of sight
when you went back to the apothecary the next day to deliver the moonflowers, your friend was thrilled and paid you accordingly for your efforts
“thank you, (y/n)! you’re a lifesaver”
“it’s no problem. let me know if you need me to gather anything else for you”
you were all too eager when your friend indeed had a list of ingredients that they were running low on stock on, all of which were grown in the forest
something strong pulled at your chest at the thought of seeing a certain wolf
returning to the forest a few days later, you tried to follow the same path that you did the first time hoping it’ll lead you to ziyang again
while gathering a bunch of pygmy mushrooms, you heard a familiar low grumble and smiled brightly when you saw ziyang enter through the bushes
“i was hoping to see you again” you grinned, dropping everything to cradle his face and pet him affectionately
ziyang returned the affection with a lick to your cheek, rubbing his entire body into you and almost knocking you completely over causing you to laugh
“i see someone missed me too” you chuckled. “i brought something for you to thank you for escorting me out the other day”
looking into your basket, you took out a separate container and opened it to reveal a large raw steak you got from the butcher. holding it out to him with your hand, ziyang carefully pulled it away from your fingers and scarfed it down
you were pleasantly surprised by how gentle he was considering he looked like he could devour you in one bite
just like before, ziyang stayed by your side the entire duration
and so this became a regular thing for you and ziyang
every time you had to head back into the forest for ingredient scavenging, ziyang would always guard you throughout the process and walk you back to the entrance of the forest but never stepping out of it
you enjoyed talking to the large wolf, even though he never said anything back to you
however you suspected he understood every word you were saying judging by his body language
“the mason’s son is definitely fooling around with the merchant’s son, don’t you think?” *ziyang nods*
“i might have to skip dinner tonight if i want to make sure i plant the sapplings in time” *ziyang nips at your hand and shakes his head in disapproval*
“if you wore trousers, would you wear it only on your hind legs like a human or would you need custom pants to wear on all four legs?”
*ziyang has left the chat*
although no real words were exchanged, it was like you were talking to another human being no matter how silly it may have looked from the outside
you were once again walking through the forest to gather some more roots and plants for the apothecary
however, after fifteen minutes of being on your own (ziyang usually found you within five minutes of you entering the woods), your furry companion was no where in sight
you were beginning to grow worried when more time passed and he still hadn’t shown up
you heard rustling come from beside you. using your lantern, you held it out in front of you and just briefly caught ash blonde locks duck behind a set of trees
“ziyang? is that you?”
the male whimpered in response, making your eyebrows furrow in worry
why did it look like he was hiding from you?
“are you hurt?” you asked, taking a step forward towards him
you were astonished when the male growled at you in warning. however, it wasn’t in a threatening manner. it sounded like he was afraid
why would he suddenly be afraid of you?
“sweetie, it’s okay. it’s just me. you know i would never hurt you. come out, please?”
there was a moment of silence as ziyang contemplated your words before coming to a decision
however, you were astonished once more when instead of the four legged companion you expected, an unfamiliar male stepped out from behind the trees
the stranger was very tall and you had to lean your head up to look him in the face, which was framed with long light blonde hair. aside from a pair of trousers, he was devoid of any other clothes
but what caught your attention more was the fact that his entire upper body, hands, and feet were entirely covered in fur. your eyes trailed to the claws at the ends of his hands
moving your gaze to meet his eyes, you saw golden eyes looking at you with a mix of guilt, fear and a bit of hope
you could recognize those golden eyes and fur color anywhere
“...ziyang?”
ziyang looked physically relieved that you recognized him, but he made no move to step towards you
“it’s me...” he said, and you realized it matched that same voice you heard in your head a few weeks ago
“so this in entire time, you were a...”
“werewolf. i’m a werewolf and belong to a pack who rule these woods”
that explained why he understood everything you said and knew exactly how to find you each time you came
he wasn’t just a wolf
he was a wolf wolf
a diggity dang werewolf
while trying to process that thought in your mind, ziyang sighed sadly and took a tentative step towards you
“please don’t be afraid. i promise it’s still me. just in a different form than you’re used to” he explained and stopped a respectable few feet away from you
you should have been afraid of him, but you weren’t. just like he said, he was still the ziyang you knew and adored
slowly walking towards him, you gently placed a hand over his heart, feeling it beat rapidly against your palm
“it really is you. i was scared something happened to you tonight,” you lightly slapped his bare chest and he winced in mock pain
“sorry, sweet. to be fair, you scare me as well”
you cheeks tinted pink at the sudden pet name. “s-sweet? and how can someone like me scare someone like you?”
“how can you not? whenever you’re around, i feel this innate need to protect you. i get excited at just the mere thought of seeing you again. you look at me with those pretty little eyes of yours and i lose all focus. one smile from you and i’m completely at your mercy. what have you done to me? you’re absolutely terrifying”
you felt that same strong pull tug at your heartstrings again, overwhelming your entire being but you welcomed the warm sensation
his words only made your heart beat even more
“i still find the idea that a big wolf like yourself has fallen for an ordinary human like me”
“you better get used to it because i intend on courting this ordinary human as my mate”
“m-mate?”
“mhm”
now that he knew you weren’t afraid of him, ziyang seemed to have made a full 180. instead of the timid being a few minutes ago, he stood charismatically in an almost alluring manner. his eyes though still held that same playful and soft gaze you realized he always looked at you with
“you sure you won’t regret it? courting me isn’t an easy feat”
“for you, i’ll do anything”
at this rate, you had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before you fell for him too
