gardenofthieves - Tumblr blog

[gardenofthieves]

i'm

MORE THAN FRIENDS, LESS THAN LOVERS.

i really thought I'd be better off, but i missed you more than i thought i would. ( or : xiao texts you at 4:00 am. )

ft. xiao x genderneutral reader.

warnings : angst, fluff, modern au, post-breakup, hopeful endings, fine line by harry styles oh my GOD

xiao is good at leaving — which sounds harsh, maybe it's better to say he's bad at staying. xiao's bad at staying, yet he can't seem to leave you behind, either.

the room's quiet, empty — devoid of any trace of you, the only piece of you left in his part of the universe is an old sweater that was "more his style" draped over his desk chair.

double sided tape's still stuck to his walls and he inwardly groans at the fact he has to get rid of it someday — that he has to get rid of the pictures that used to be stuck to that tape, that he had to get rid of you completely.

it's cold, and maybe it's always been cold and he just never noticed. it's cold and all xiao can think about is how you'd be sleeping on the empty pillow beside him if it weren't for everything he did.

the screen of his phone illuminated his face, the only light in his otherwise dark room. xiao stares at your profile, wincing at the past messages he sent — at the nickname he set for you that he hasn't had the heart to change.

xiao isn't sure why he started typing — why now, when he thought that he was finally starting to get over it. he'd say when he was finally starting to forget, but you're not someone he wants to forget just yet.

he must've rewritten that text a million times, because in the hours of comfortable silence you both shared, xiao realizes there was so much more he wanted to say, yet he never said a word.

the words he never said, the things he never acted on are the same things that haunt him every minute he's awake — sometimes it even followed him to his dreams, the thought of what could've happened if he did.

xiao: are you awake?

xiao sighs, covering his eyes with the back of his hand. it feels like iron butterflies are floating in his stomach, like a mix of giddiness and anxiety, the kind that weighs on your chest till you can't breath.

my bb :) ‹3: no ?? wjy r u awake ??'

he can feel his lips quirk into a smile, even if it's for a split second. '

xiao : so you didn't learn to type while i was gone ://'

my bb :) ‹3: fuck u too

it feels like an eternity before you start typing again, and even then, you stop and rewrite before sending another directly after.

my bb :) ‹3: are you okay?

there's a pause between your texts, and you can feel your head pounding — you're not too sure if it's the morning cold or the fact xiao was talking to you.

my bb :) ‹3: why did u message me?

you see him type and you panick — sending strings of messages following your last. '

my bb :) ‹3: not that that's bad !!'

my bb :) ‹3: just because we're not together doesn't mean you can't talk to me anymore.

xiao can barely manage a laugh, and he can only imagine how stupid he looks right now, about to cry at just a few words.

xiao: i miss you.

and there he is again, yet as he types those three words, xiao can't bring it in himself to send it. not now, he thinks. not when he's just getting the chance to talk to you again.

xiao: you left your sweater here.

my bb :) ‹3: that's ok. u can throw it away if you want :]

as if xiao could ever throw out any of the things you've given him.

the cold envelopes him, his breath forming clouds in the mist. it's 4:00 am, and xiao doesn't know — doesn't want to know what it is about your everything that forces him to break down. that forces him to tear down the walls he's spent his entire life building up.

xiao: im sorry for everything that happened.

xiao doesn't think he'd ever be worthy of your forgiveness, but it's the crack of dawn and he doesn't think he'd forgive himself if he didn't say anything.

xiao: and for everything that didn't get to happen

your caller id fills his screen and xiao doesnt think he's ever been so unsure in his life. he swallows, yet it doesn't do anything to stop the panick settling into his chest. it passes, and he can only stare at his phone, unsure of what to do.

you start typing again, and for once, xiao understands what people mean by their heart dipped.

my bb :) ‹3: please pick up

you call again, and xiao picks up almost immediately. you're both quiet, the only thing assuring him that you're there on the other line is your breathing.

"hi." you start after a few minutes of sitting in silence, and what you'd give to be able to sit with him and not be worried of, well, everything. what you'd give for that silence to be comfortable again. "uh—hi, xiao."

xiao takes a breath, hoping it would calm his nerves and the shaking of his voice because god he missed hearing yours. "hi, [name]."

his voice comes out shaky anyway, and maybe that's just something he can't help anymore. your text floods his brain, because xiao could write a book with everything he wanted to say to you, everything he wished he could've said — yet when he finally got the chance to, he goes blank.

you laugh at the other end of the line and xiao didn't realize how much he adored your laugh until now. he hadn't realized how much he missed you until now. "i-im sorry for texting you i just — i don't know." he sighs, running a hand through his hair. even if he doesn't deserve your forgiveness, he knows you deserve his apologies. "you should sleep."

his thumb hovers over the end call button, he's not sure if it's because he had nothing to say or because he doesn't want you to hear him cry.

"wait don't i just— are you sure?" you ask quickly, taking a deep breath after. like you could feel him about to hang up.

"what?"

"are you sure that we're not ... ahem, that you don't think we can work anymore."

you sound exasperated, and xiao wants so badly to tell you you're wrong, to tell you about how everything reminds him of you, to tell you about the extra pillow, to tell you everything he can't.

"because if you are then .. ill leave you alone. ill forget it — ill forget we ever happened."

a four letter word has never held so much meaning over him and despite the repercussions it holds he's not sure what else would describe what you were to him. because if love wasn't what he felt, then he was sure that what the felt was greater than love itself.

"i— you don't have to answer that i just .." your voice echoes through his head and he's not sure when you'd let him talk to you again.

"i love you." xiao breathes. it's quiet — and the weight in his chest feels like it could swallow him whole. it's quiet and xiao can only hope that four letter word held enough meaning to be able to say everything he wishes he could. "even if you don't love me back, even if we're just a little more than friends and a little less than — less than what we had. "

"i miss you, you know that right?" you sniffle, and xiao wishes he never made you cry. "i miss you, but i can hate you so much sometimes." not i missed, because you don't think you ever stopped.

xiao whispers as fatigue creeps up on him. "i missed you more than i thought i would."

it's quiet as dawn stretches across the horizon, light purples an pinks brightening the otherwise grey sky. it's quiet and there's nothing left to say.

the birds croak outside his house and xiao' scared he's loved you just a little too late, but even if he isn't the one for you, if all of this is temporary, then he thinks that he'll be okay with the memories you share.

even if he won't be the one for you, no matter how much he really wanted to, he'll learn to be okay, because loving you was more than anything he thought he was capable of.

i love you's are whispered till you fall asleep, and xiao has hope that you'll both be fine.

© scaramew — do not repost, translate, copy, etc.

[gardenofthieves]

❝he pretends to be your husband as a favor…❞

note: modern!au ; f!reader ; do not copy ; reblogs are appreciated

a/n: for u @scaramew <3

kazuha (万葉)

please give this poor man a break. he is this close to having a heart attack because of the random stunts you pull. you were his first love, first girlfriend, first… everything! so, to do this to him out of nowhere would put him on high alert

“huh? husband? but we aren’t…? i didn’t…? you didn’t—“

you grabbed him by the collar and yanked him down to your level. “shh! they might hear you! married couples get 15% off today because its the owners’ wedding anniversary, ‘zuha! play along and we’ll take-out some desserts too!”

“ah, o-okay. that makes sense.”

kazuha won’t be able to stop thinking about it now. he didn’t expect himself to be so affected by you calling him your husband even though it was for pretend, and yet here he was pondering the idea of you being his wife… not going to lie, it did sound nice…

“quit dazing, it’s starting to get creepy,” you joked, as you two entered your shared apartment. he’s been acting like this since you went out for brunch, you thought, was he that uncomfortable by what you did?

taking a deep inhale, he blurted out through a sharp exhale, “call me your husband again.”

“eh? erm, okay? so… what did you think about our meal earlier, dear husband?”

fuck. it sounded better than kazuha hoped. today was probably the most he’s smiled lately. it was alarming how he got a high from hearing you refer to him by that title. he couldn’t explain it. for once, he was speechless. if could try using simple words, he’d say it just felt right to hear you call him so

“it’s got a nice ring to it, no?” he smiled, as he circled his arms around your figure and pulled you to his chest to get a better look of your reaction to what he said

childe (tartaglia)

call him your husband, you’ll get his attention. call him your hubby, you have him wrapped around your finger. time, location, and context didn’t matter; call him either of the two, and you have him looking at you

“yeah, baby?”

currently, you were at your class reunion and you were having the time of your life until you heard a classmate—who disliked you throughout highschool—whisper into everyone’s ear how she didn’t think childe was your boyfriend and theorized you only said so to save face that you were still single

now you weren’t easily irritated, things don’t easily get under your skin. however, she crossed the line, so you didn’t back down when she decided to put you on the spot to prove her point

“a classmate wanted to meet you,” you replied. your eyes told a different story, though. thank god, childe caught on quick when you glanced to your promise rings then to the classmate you told him about in the past

“you must be y/n’s boyfriend, right?” she asked, as her friends snickered at what was about to happen, “it’s nice to finally meet you! she never really told us you!”

“i’m her husband actually,” he corrected, quite patronizingly. he slung an arm over your shoulder then raised his left hand to show off the simple band he swiftly shifted to his ring finger earlier. “happiest day of our life. isn’t that right, doll?”

you nodded. thankfully, you were convincing enough for her to back off and receive a few whispers from the other attendees for her behavior and failed attempt to embarrass you

when she was out of earshot, you muttered a small, “thank you,” to your boyfriend. he promptly responded to it with a soft squeeze on your arm and a comment you didn’t expect

“anytime… though, i have no problems making the whole ‘i’m your husband’ shtick real, doll.”

[gardenofthieves]

for the longest time i thought bwaap and gratis were the same person 😶

[gardenofthieves]

yk what, forget posting schedules. i'll post when i feel like it.

[gardenofthieves]

hello new mutual hihi i'm from @/genshinology, this is my main btw. (been hiatus for so long that i just now trying to see who followed me huhu).

my name is auni and nice to meet ya!

hiiii! nice to meet you as well. how are you? :)

[gardenofthieves]

"i love you."

warnings, mentions of: character death, profanity, blood, hell, blood stained snow.

characters: childe, albedo.

summary: it was meant to be an harmless affair, it wasn't supposed to end like this...

a/n: i know this post is early but it was so tempting to post this...

CHILDE

you and childe have been battling it out for the past half an hour, and your body was completely drained. it was sore and blood trickled down you ears.

a few weeks ago you fought a new dangerous enemy at the outskirts of liyue. you didn't have any experience fighting this beast, nobody did. you couldn't locate any weak points or anything, so your attempt was useless from the start. the beast left a nasty cut on your left eye, a bone deep cut down your dominate arm, and knocked you out. an adventurer found you bleeding out on a pile of rocks.

childe asked you where you were for the past week or so, but you brushed it off saying you were lost somewhere and bumped into something that scratched you up a bit. if he were to find out what really happened he'd go ballistic. a few weeks later, when he thought you recovered from your injuries, he begged you to spar with him. and you being you, you couldn't decline.

childe was now attacking you with all sorts of new tricks he learned during his latest mission.

a mischievous grin formed on childe's face as he knocked your claymore out of your hands. you couldn't do it anymore. your arms went limp on your sides.

no no, i can't give up, you thought. i'm fighting childe for fuck's sake.

you forced yourself to pick up your claymore and gripped the handle. you furrowed your eyebrows and slung it over your head. you tried to make up a game plan, but every plan's result was you dying.

as you made up your plan, childe was all ready on the move. you could see him locating your hand and the handle of your claymore, but you didn't have a strength to move.

an agonizing pain stung your right arm. you dropped your claymore as a scream crept up your throat. but you held yourself back.

you're okay, you're okay. you told yourself.

you took deep breaths and brought your arm to your face.

oh god.

blood was leaking from your wounds and a growing puddle of blood formed below you.

"shit shit shit." childe hissed. "did i- did i do that?"

with a 'clank!' he dropped his weapon(s) to the ground and ran over to you.

"no-n-no. you didn't i just- fuck, i fought something and i-" you were running out of time, you were loosing too much blood and too much time.

"it nearly killed me." you finished. childe ripped off a piece of his clothing with his teeth in attempt to wrap it around your arm. it was useless.

you toppled backwards and started crying.

"childe..." you choked. he got onto his knees and wrapped his arms around you.

"y/n... i can't- i'm so sorry." he sobbed. "i-i was being inconsiderate. i only thought of me, not-not you." he held your head and wept.

you looked up at him with teary eyes.

"no point-" a wave of pain washed over your arm. the pain was gnawing at you and you felt light headed. you clenched your jaw.

"Y/N!"

"n' apologizing.."

you coughed out blood.

"y/n... i'm so sorry, it's all my fault. please don't... don't leave me. just hang in there."

"you're right," you gave him a weary smile. "it's-" you gagged. "all your fault."

he looked down at your bloody claymore.

you tapped his cheek with your finger. he looked at you. "i love-.. you. a lot, o-okay?"

he nodded. he had one hand on your back, supporting you as you let go of your weight. you gave him one last nod and smile, then closed your eyes.

he blamed himself every night. if he knew, would you still be here, breathing? smiling? but what could he do?

you had lied, and he believed you. now you were dead.

ALBEDO

you had the great idea to watch the stars with albedo on the top of drangonspine. a change of pace, maybe albedo could have a break from his usual alchemy.

the two of you gear up, ready to storm up the icy mountain. albedo also planned on bringing his notebook to sketch some views, or to sketch you, perhaps.

hikes like these weren't unusual. as a reward of you and albedo's hard work, you planned peaceful hikes up the mountain and sometimes even stayed the night if the weather wasn't so bad.

and speaking of which, the weather that day was a bit gloomy... but when else would you and albedo go hiking together again? yes, he just finished a project, but his supplies for his new project come in tomorrow. and klee? babysitting her always lasted days. you were also busy helping the adventures guild with their upcoming event. there was no other moment than this one.

but you still had a gut feeling. you often found yourself asking, "what if something bad happens?" and often felt a pang in your chest when you looked up to the tip of the dangerous mountain. but the thought, "there is no other moment than this one," always reappeared when you thought of the subject of danger.

you scratched your head in frustration. the two opposing thoughts fought against each other as you tried to peacefully make a cup of coffee.

"are you alright, love?" you heard albedo.

"yes! just making coffee." the last of the dark liquid dripped from the coffee dispenser and into your mug. you added albedo's usual, a pinch of sugar and a drip of milk. you didn't know how he drank it. what was the point of adding the tiny proportion sugar and milk when you could barely taste it?

you walked over to his desk with a mug of the hot coffee in hand.

"are you almost ready?" you placed a hand on his back as you set the mug on his desk.

"mhm hmm. just have to wrap up my notes and we'll be off." he glanced at you. "make sure to put on a warmer coat, dear."

you nodded. minutes pass, and the two of you are headed up the icy mountain. you and albedo chit chat about the latest mondstadt news. the conversation soon flipped to klee and jean, then, as albedo mentioned klee, he suddenly stopped and grabbed your hand.

"albedo...?" you asked him, concerned.

"ava..." his voice trailed. then you heard it. the faint rumble in the mountains. your heart stopped. you knew something was wrong. you should've trusted your gut.

"avalanche!" you cried. albedo dragged you towards a small rock shelter. but, as you headed to the shelter, you screamed. then it happened. a boulder of rock shatter next to you two, debris flying everywhere. chunks of rock and snow flew all over.

it felt as if you were in slow motion. albedo let go of your hand and shoved you, hard, into the small shelter. then you saw it. the chunk of earth that pounded on albedo's blonde hair, the chunk of earth that knocked the life out of him, the chunk of earth that changed your life forever...

"ALBEDO!" you screamed. there was blood splattered all over the pearl white snow. you saw his body fall, and his last smile. he knew it was going to happen. but all he did was smile.

you stood there, helpless. you tried to move, but it felt like arms from hell were pulling you to the ground.

you could save him.

you could see his chest heaving up and down rapidly. he was fighting for his life. for you. for his family.

but what could you do?

you pulled back from the mental force holding you down, and stood. but it was too late. he was dead.

the moonlight shone over his limp, lifeless body and his teeth. he died with a smile, like a hero.

but he wasn't a hero. he saved your life, yes, but he broke your heart into a million pieces.

[gardenofthieves]

slow dancing with genshin men

₊ ° . ɞ — characters: zhongli , thoma , kaeya , itto.

₊ ° . ɞ — genre: fluff | modern au

₊ ° . ɞ — warning: not proofread !

₊ ° . ɞ — a/n: spoiling myself with this and my readers <333 | masterlist

☆ . ZHONGLI !

he's dazed as he takes in the scent of the chamomile tea kept on his desk in his small home office but then he hears the sound of soft music playing from the speakers in the living room , his feet unconsciously moving as if having a mind of their own they lead him to you , your figure swaying with the soft music and now you're in his arms with your back pressed flush against his chest , head placed on his collarbone as he holds you tight.

he wonders what he did to have you , but there is nothing to wonder about when you're here in his arms , your giggles filling in the empty living room giving it life as he mumbles sweet words of praise in your ears as the warmth of his body reaches yours.

he doesn't love dancing but if it meant having you pressed against him then he might dance and forget his worries and even the chamomile tea on his office desk.

☆ . THOMA !

it's always you and him in the small cosy apartment creating memories , creating so much more than he had ever imagined but today a new one was made , his forehead against yours as he holds your waist with one hand and the other holding your hand as he guides you step by step and you follow , slow dancing to the music in your head but to him it's your giggles whenever you take a wrong step or when he pinches your waist a little.

words can't describe what he feels but he feels many things as he hold you close and whispers jokes and pick up lines in your ears as you giggle ever so gently but now everything is rather slow and now be is mumbling endless words of reassurance and love as you have your head in the crook of his neck swaying to the music only you two hear.

this dance is an 'i love you' from you to him as he holds you closer than before as he places a gentle kiss on the crown of your head and today he just made a favourite memory which imprints itself in his mind , a slow dance with you in his arms and that's all he'd ever ask God for.

☆ . KAEYA !

it's midnight as he finds himself drunk on the exquisite wine you brought for him but the soft music which plays from the speakers is so audible to him and your figure which sways side by side on it's own dancing with the air in your hold but soon the empty space is filled by his very own as he snakes his arms around your waist getting a tight hold , he's drunk but to him you're the clearest face in the dark room only lit by a dim lamp. he presses a kiss to your jawline as your head is placed in the crook of his neck and he's slow dancing with , swaying to the music which just plays on and on.

he's drunk but sober enough to let you know he loves you , sober enough to look you in the eye and say he loves you , sober enough to see your eyes glistening in the dim lights and sober enough to kiss you like never before.

slow dancing now means a lot to him for now even if he isn't drunk he would remember what swaying to music with you feels like , he'd know — he'd know you're just the one.

☆ . ITTO !

the buzzing of the washing machine could be heard all over the small apartment , it reminds itto it's morning , and he suddenly remembers he hates mornings but then he hears you humming in the laundry room and now he's sleepily walking to you , so he could tell you to come to bed but now he's holding you tight and swaying with you as you keep humming to the song which plays on the small old radio he got from his grandma. messy hair covering his face as he shivers slightly as the early morning breeze brushes against his bare torso.

sleep in his eyes as he sways to the humming as he hold you close , the buzzing of the washing machine fading in and out just like his sleep , a pout on his face he mumbles sleepily in your ear as you giggle hearing him mumble like a child.

he hates mornings but if you're there to wake him by humming to the songs from the old radio then he might just love mornings a bit more and bit more and just to have you swaying with him.

reblogs are appreciated and requests are open <33

[gardenofthieves]

♡ good morning, darling!

♡ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: itto, childe, zhongli, xiao, diluc, kaeya, scaramouche, albedo x gn!reader

♡ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: fluff fluff fluff!

♡ 𝐚/𝐧: waaah this was so fun to write! | like/rb if you liked this please! consider giving me a follow if you liked it as well ^u^

ITTO wakes you up with a kiss on the nose, embracing you in his arms as you wipe the sleep from your eyes. "but i'm sleepy, itto.." you whine. nope. itto's having none of that. he’ll pepper kisses all over your nose, cheeks, lips, neck — until you decide to start your day. cuddle in his arms for a bit to start the day right.

CHILDE wakes up with his hands intertwined with yours. his hands reach up to rub your back, hearing your sleep-filled whines as he shakes you to wake up. childe leans over to kiss you on each freckle as you start to wake up, holding your hands in his abs rubbing his fingers over your knuckles.

ZHONGLI wakes up with him spooning your smaller frame. his arms are wrapped around you, like a knot blanket, and he watches your peaceful smile as he runs his fingers through your hair. “good morning, darling,” he smiles lazily. he cuddles you in his arms for a while before deciding to start the morning.

XIAO wakes up with the two of your bodies curled around each other, huddling for warmth. he can feel the intimacy between the two of you. he cradles your face in his hands, sleepily pressing a kiss to your cheek. “早安，我的宝贝。” he greets, hearing your hushed whines and giggles as he peppers your face in kisses.

DILUC wakes up with a smile on his face, knowing that he gets to wake up with his favourite person in the world — you! he runs his fingers through your hair, watching you smile sleepily as you start to wake up, wiping the sleep from your eyes. diluc curls his hands around you, holding you close and whispering good morning to you. time to start the day.

KAEYA greets you with the sleepiest smile adorned on his face, his messy bedhead hair and a faraway look in his eyes saying hello. mornings with him are calm and quiet, with kaeya kissing your lips and dragging you to the bathroom and doing the silliest dances in the mirror. kaeya adores being able to wake up with you in the morning.

SCARAMOUCHE is arguably not a morning person, but he’d show a rare, sleepy smile every now and then. scaramouche wraps his arms around you, tiredly burying his head into your shoulder and humming exhaustedly. you’re the only person who gets to see him all ‘vulnerable’ and ‘weak’ — he rambles, until you shut him up with a kiss.

ALBEDO is usually up before you, so expect breakfast and a steaming mug of coffee ready for you when you make your appearance in the dining room. albedo loves to braid/comb your hair before he decides to start the day officially. expect lots of sleepy cuddles in the morning as he tries to wake you up as well. ;)

heheee this was so cute and fun to write! i hope you enjoyed it too >< remember to leave a like and reblog and consider giving me a follow! ^u^

taglist: @bookuya, @mikachuchu, @starglitterz, @cherubbic, @noirkkat, @the-gayest-sky-kid, @ajaxeology, @icecappa, @almondoufu, @gnyuvile, @yeetmeoffjueyunkarst. @simplyxsinned, @heaven-dissolution, @xiaoyksa, @yua1106, @cruxdou, @mayple, @rim0na, @kamitoge, @abyssheart, @hushyouu, @thaliastea, @chichikoi, @cxlrose, @xiaos-tofuu, @yuezhong, @whsprd-lullaby, @myluvkeiji, @melkxsh, @haliya-mori, @kxllmelia, @irethepotato, @alonelysimp, @keiq0

[gardenofthieves]

itto!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHH i just got itto.

currently rolling on my bed giggling and kicking my feet. i feel like a high school girl with a crush LMAO

[gardenofthieves]

picture perfect.

maybe i stare at our pictures sometimes. (or, the pictures they have of you and the stories behind them.)

albedo, xiao, childe, kazuha ( separate ) x genderneutral reader.

warnings : fluff, modern au, blurbs, childe slander because is it really a keokomi post without it? , i use pretty to describe u alot, not proofread.

albedo.

polaroid on the back of his phone.

crowded subways, heavy book bags, impromptu study dates at the local café because albedo likes their cheesecake. being the last ones in the café, but it's okay because the waitresses like you and albedo has pretty privilege.

discreetly taking a polaroid of your more "focused" face, with small smudges of coffee around your lips, even though he knows for a fact you're not actually paying attention to the textbook and instead drawing moustaches on the pictures of his professors. albedo laughs to himself, yet immediately brushes it off when you ask him what's wrong.

albedo has a dumb smile on his face for the rest of the night, even as he tries to explain quantum theory while simultaneously fanning the polaroid under the table so it develops. it's very rare for albedo to get an off day, but he cherishes every minute he can get by your side. maybe if you're lucky he can kiss away the coffee from your lips.

xiao.

a picture of you as his lockscreen.

exploring the small city late at night, learning how to skateboard. black converse in contrast with your slightly dirty white ones, running around the park trying to step on each other's shoes to get them dirty.

blurry pictures of kissing xiao on the cheek while he tries to take a picture of the two of you. being able to see xiao flustered for the first time. cheeks and neck heating up with a hand covering the side you kissed as if he has to contemplate wether any of this is real. he can only sit in confusion before awkwardly laughing and denying ever being flustered. every time you've caught him staring only seems to make it worse, but with the meek question of "can i kiss you too?" there's no way you can say no.

xiao hates taking pictures, he hates how he looks in them, but he keeps this one, solely because he loves remembering your cheeky smile, small apologies he knows you don't actually mean for "ruining" the picture. xiao thinks you're cute, but he also rather die than let you see his lockscreen.

childe.

framed pictures with his family.

family dinners, kicking each other under the table and watching childe struggle to stop himself from laughing. suspicious looks from his siblings because they think you're both "just like them—but like, really old." childe having to fight with his family for your attention—he's almost sure they're more excited to see you, even though he's here for semester break.

childe trying to "sneakily" hold your hand when his dad asks everyone to stand together for a family photo. pulling you so that you stand closer to him, sticking his tongue out at his siblings when they pretend to vomit.

childe can feel his heart swell when his parents add your photos to the family album. blushing red and shushing his parents when his mom says it's because you'll all be related soon, at least, legally anyway. they're right, but he'd be damned if they told you before he could. even if it's at his own expense, childe manages to stir the conversation away from marriage and to "oh my god you were a cute baby!"

kaedehara kazuha.

"bad" pictures taken with a film camera.

calling kazuha a nerd for buying old film cameras at the thrift store, taking far too many pictures of the sky on the wall behind his bed, and maybe taking pictures of you when you aren't looking. random pictures of stray cats and pretty trees that he drops off in your shoe locker, occasionally accompanied with poems written in red ink, love letters and sticky notes telling you that he thought of you.

pictures of your messy hair just when class starts, kazuha laughing and refusing to let you get a hold of the camera because "you're always cute, don't worry about it." making up for it by forcing him to take "bad" pictures with you, which ends up failing because as you get it developed, he looks pretty either way.

kazuha can only stare at the pictures, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb against your knuckles. refuses to elaborate when he whispers "pretty." and continues on with his day. though, the old lady developing your photos thinks it's quite obvious who he was talking about with the way he looks at you.

© keokomi — do not repost, translate, etc.

[gardenofthieves]

Love your writing, but sometimes I dont feel included whenever its mentioned the reader blushes

i will take that into consideration! i'm sorry for being inconsiderate and thank you very much for the advice.

if anyone feels as if they need to speak up about my writing, please do not hesitate to reach out to me :)

[gardenofthieves]

"can i see you?"

warnings:

characters: childe, albedo, & xiao

summary: he texts you last minute if he could see you. before you could even text a reply, you hear a knock on your window.

CHILDE

childe, your bestfriend. you regularly hung out with the ginger. he called them dates to riddle you up, but it was merely a platonic interaction. but lately, you found yourself hoping it was a little bit more...

you dazing off about today's events when you heard a buzz from your phone. you looked down to be greeted by a text from childe.

"can i see you rq?" you read. you smirked at the screen and replied,

"didn't we meet up 10 minutes ago?"

"too long :(( i miss ur face."

"fine stinky >:(("

you threw your phone onto your bed as well as yourself. you didn't bother dolling up, you were comfortable enough with childe. the two of you had been childhood friends for years after all.

but before you even adjusted to your bed, you heard a rock hit your window.

"childe..." you thought.

you slip open your window and let the boy jump onto your window sill.

"hey hey," he smiled. "missed you."

you gave him a sour look, but you were secretly fighting back a smile.

"what did you want?" you asked him. he simply smiled and said,

"just a little something."

he was crouching on your window stool. he looked so mesmerizing, the cool night breeze blowing through his hair with the moon light shining into the room casting a shadow with the shape of his figure on the carpet.

with his right hand hanging onto the top of the window, he placed his free hand on your arm.

"am i contagious or something? come closer." he laughed breathlessly.

you both were arms length apart, close enough to reach each other. what more did he want? you two were nothing but friends, right...?

but you pushed away all your thoughts and took a few steps closer. you were about six inches apart now.

"cmon! closer..." he wined, gesturing his hands for you to come closer.

you sighed and stepped closer, closing the gap between the two of you. you could practically hear him breathing. you could also see the faint freckles that were splattered on his face even better than ever before. he smiled from ear to ear. you cocked your eyebrow

"what else would you like, boss?"

he let out a breathy laugh. his eyes were squinted, and when he reopened them, he studied your face. he looked at your eyes, then your nose, then the space between your nose and upper lip, then your lips...

he examined your lips a lot longer than the rest of your face. he looked kinda serious...

"can i..." he cut himself off.

"boss?"

he licked his lips.

you mimicked his actions.

"can i kiss you?"

the question threw you off. childe wanted to kiss you?

your mouth hung open. you licked your lips, biting them slightly in the process. you slowly nodded. he placed his free hand on your jaw, rubbing it with his thumb.

then he placed his lips onto yours. they were rough, but a nice kind of rough. it was comforting. the both of you broke away after a few seconds. it didn't leave either of you breathless, but your heart did skip a beat.

"again." he whispered.

he brought your face to his and he kissed you. not like a placing-your-lips-on-theirs kind of kiss, it was a kiss kiss. he licked your bottom lip and rubbed your jaw. it made you feel warm and fuzzy. he made you warm and fuzzy. all the time, even when he wasn't kissing you.

"finally." he sighed into the kiss.

how did i not notice these feeling earlier?

ALBEDO

you were exhausted from your study date with albedo. the two of you went to a 24 hour waffle house to get your chemistry project done which was due next week, but albedo insisted that you'd get it done before then to get it out of the way.

"i only get things done at night." you told albedo.

"alright. let's meet up at a 24 waffle house a eight, how does that sound?"

the 'date' ended up being three hours of albedo scolding you about forgetting the whole periodic table.

"maybe that was a bad idea..." you mumbled to yourself as you checked the time. '11:48pm'. you sighed and stared at your phone for awhile. the screen started to dim and your eyelids started to droop until a 'ding!' from your phone surprised you.

it was a message from albedo.

"can i stop by your house for a bit?" he texted you.

you grumbled into your pillow and texted him back.

"why?? i thought you'd be asleep by now..."

"i want to see you." he texted back.

you raised you eyebrow. what was he planning now?

"we just saw eachother?? like less than an hour ago??"

he left you on read with no reply. you stared at your phone until the screen dimmed, and soon your vision started to dim as well.

a small thud on your window startled you from your daze. you peeked over the curtains and saw a familiar blonde. you slightly lifted up your window.

"albedo? i didn't think you were serious about coming over..."

he crawled into your bedroom with a small box in hand.

"i forgot to give-.. you t-this." he was out of breath and had both of his hands on his knees.

"albedo? are you okay? do i need to get some water?"

"yes please.."

"i'll get you a cold rag as well." you rushed out of your room and into the kitchen to fetch a water bottle.

you placed the cold bottle onto your bedside table.

"oh, the rag.. i'll be back." you turned to leave the room, but a hand pulled you back. your back was pressed against albedo's chest. you could feel it heaving and you could hear him breathing heavily.

"albedo..?"

he swallowed.

"i don't need anything right now... only you." he whispered into your hair.

goosebumps tickled your skin.

he reached into his pocket and rustled for the small box he had earlier. he opened and revealed a shiny silver necklace with a small crystal. you awed at the piece of jewelry as he wrapped it around your neck and clasped it.

"it's so pretty... thank you." you said softly.

he smiled and exhaled.

"i'm so glad you can't see my face." you laughed.

"hmm..." he hummed. you tried to look up to capture albedo's face, but was spun around. you were now facing albedo's neck...

he placed his hand onto the back of your head and tilted your head until you could see him.

"a-al..." you stammered. he smiled and leaned in closer and closer...

then, he placed his lips onto yours.

it felt right, it felt nice... it felt as if his lips belonged perfectly on yours. his teeth brushed over your lower lip as he stroked your scalp with his fingers.

your stomach did somersaults and 360's. his body was cold, perfect for the environment of your warm bedroom. his lips were soft and tasted sweet, you could taste the faint flavor of a citrus fruit.

you tried to break away, but his firm hand prevented you as he deepen the kiss.he smiled into the kiss, then let go of you. your breaths were in harmony. you stared at his the star on his neck.

without thinking, you brought your fingers up to his collar bone and traced the pattern with your fingertips.

albedo stammered with his words as he brought his hand up, but stopping himself. you quickly realized that you probably went to far, and placed your hand onto your thigh.

"sorry..." you mumbled, looking down to hide your face.

truth be told, he liked it. he loved everything you do. he was just too embarrassed to say anything...

XIAO

your eyelids started falling as you laid your head onto your desk. you had your phone in hand as you waited for xiao's message that he was safely home. the two of you agreed that you would always text each other when you were in danger and after hangouts, would text each other then you got home safely. well, at least you kept the promise...

whenever xiao got into fights, which was pretty often, he wouldn't tell you anything or even look you in the eye. you had to rely on rumors to find out what happened. you always wondered why he did so...

you were half dreaming and half awake when you heard your phone ding.

"can i see you?" you stared at the text sent by xiao.

"xiao, what do u want?" you eyed the screen.

"you."

a shiver ran down your spine. it wasn't necessarily odd for xiao to do this type of thing, but it was very unexpected considering how late it was. xiao would usually scold you for replying and staying up so late.

you heard a knock at your window so you pushed back the curtains to reveal a familiar green haired male.

you smiled uneasily at him as he crept into the cold atmosphere of your room.

"it's cold in here." he mumbled. you smiled at him as he looked around the room. he found your neat bed covered in pillows and plushies of sorts and snorted.

"if you came here to just discriminate the way i arrange my room, you may as well leave." you said, crossing your arms and scrunching your eyebrows.

he mumbled something then when to sit on your bed. he eyed your 'pet penguin' and picked it up.

"where'd you get this?" you walked over to the stuffed animal and picked it up. it had a tag on it which had written on it, "from: keaya to: you;)"

you cringed at the stuffed animal and placed it into a nearby drawer.

"lumine put it there as a joke. it's from..." you trailed off. you didn't even want to say his name. yes! keaya discrimination!!! whoooo

he reached into the drawer and pulled out the stuffed animal. he squinted his eyes at the small hand writing. after reading the tag, he closed his mouth and gritted his teeth.

"jackass." he said under his breath. you pretended that you didn't hear his remark as you walked over to the spot next to xiao.

but as you walked by him, he grabbed your hand and pulled you towards him. he was sitting on your bed as you stood facing his collar bone. he interlaced his fingers into yours and held your shoulders.

"if he ever bothers you again,"

you held your breath.

"tell me immediately."

you nodded into his neck and wrapped your arms around his waist. you leaned into him as you started to doze off again. xiao was nice and warm and his skin was rough.

xiao felt a smile creep up his face as he placed his chin onto your head. your hair smelt nice and fresh, like cucumbers and kiwis.

you started to dream again, but you were also half awake and aware of your surroundings.

"y/n," xiao called.

still half asleep, you drowsily looked up at him.

"hmm?" you hummed as you smiled at him with half closed eyes.

xiao thought about bailing because of the look on your face, but he held his ground. he removed his arm from your shoulders and held your face. the two of you were still holding hands. he grabbed your wrist and placed his finger tips onto your palm. he started rubbing your palm, and a warm sensation filled you. you felt drowsy again. it felt so nice and it made you all warm and sleepish.

xiao carefully placed his lips onto yours.

you felt a warm contact on your lips. you adjusted to xiao's hold. you quickly glanced at xiao before closing your eyes and smiling into the kiss. xiao continued to rub your palm with his thumb and tilted his head.

the two of you felt as if you were apart of each other, and when you broke away from the kiss he made you promise that you'd be with him forever.

[gardenofthieves]

"promise?"

warnings: albedo talking about destroying mondstadt

characters included: childe, xiao, kazuha, & albedo

summary: promises you two would make. would you accept?

CHILDE

• childe likes the idea of making & keeping promises. he likes the childish act of locking pinkies, it reminds him of his childhood.

• and because of this, you two would keep plenty of silly promises.

• but you've never taken one seriously, and he hasn't either.

• until this one promise..

you were sitting on a cool stone wall in the bustling city of liyue harbor waiting for childe to return. "urgent business calls", according to him. as you waited, you watched a trio of children running around and playing pirate. it reminded you of your childhood, and you wondered, if childe was here, would they remind him of his childhood & hometown?

as you thought, the said ginger approached you upon the stone wall. he smiled at you and met your eyes, noticing they were focused on something else. he glanced over to see the trio of children, giggling. it reminded him of his hometown, and reminded him of the desire he had to bring you there.

"y/n~.."

you turned into his direction, snapping out of your gaze.

"oh, sorry. i was lost in thought."

you smiled at him as he took your hands and walked you home. as you both approached your doorstep, tugged you into his embrace.

"w-what's this for?"

your cheeks flushed from his sudden actions.

"can we make a promise?"

he said, resting his chin on your head.

"of course. what is it?"

he let go of you and reached into his pocket. there he pulled out a fancy ring box.

you and childe have only been dating for a couple of months, it couldn't be true that he was going to propose to you now.

"give me your hand."

you gave him your left hand and rested the other on your chest. he slipped the silver ring on your pinkie finger and let out a chuckle.

you both locked pinkies as he said this,

"i promise that i'll bring you to my hometown someday, and we'll get married there."

XIAO

• you & xiao don't make many promises.

• he thinks it's childish, and that a manly adeptus like him would do something so childish, locking pinkies.

• but when it came to you...

the both of you were admiring the view the roof of the wangshu inn had to offer in silence. there were many moments like these where you & xiao sat in silence, happy to be in each others company.

but today, something was bothering the adeptus.

and you could feel it in the air. it was more... awkward. it was as if xiao wanted to say something to you, but he kept hesitating. you wondered, what was the adeptus thinking as he overlooked lyuie?

recently, you were injured by a nearby lawachrul and didn't even bother calling out for xiao. it bothered him. did you not trust him?

it's been some time and xiao finally mustered the courage to ask you.

"i'm getting tired. i'm gonna head to my room."

you say, hoisting yourself up and stretching your arms. you start to head to room when you feel a tug on your wrist. you turn and where you are greeted with a shy adeptus. he's looking down but he also looks... disappointed.

"xiao?"

he doesn't reply nor does he look up. as an effort of comfort, you take his hands into yours. they're cold & rough. you pull him into your embrace, and you can feel his shoulders tense. and that's when, finally, he says something.

"do you trust me?"

he blurts. it was unexpected... is that what xiao was thinking when the two of you admired the view of liyue?

"of course i do. why'd you ask?"

he takes your hands into his. as he did this, you could feel his hands shaking. he gripped your hands and removed himself from your embrace.

"..xiao?"

"i want you to promise me something."

promise? xiao rarely ever does promises, unless it's urgent, that is.

"okay... what's the promise?"

he swallows, placing a cool hand on your cheek.

"promise me that whenever you're in danger, you will call my name."

KAZUHA

• sometimes you insist on keeping pinkie promises, and he doesn't mind them!

• in fact, he loves the smile on your face whenever the two of you lock pinkies and swear.

• but none of you really took it seriously, it was all child's play...

the two of you were on one of the peaks of guyun stone forest, overlooking the view of the distant inazuma. kazuha laid besides you, a pen & paper in hand writing a sweet poem for you.

"can i see?"

you'd occasionally say.

"not yet!"

you'd pout, crossing your arms and facing the opposite direction. he'd chuckle and return to his world of poetry, and when he was finally finished, he faced you, who overlooked the seas between inazuma & liyue.

"y/n, i'm finished, but i'm not sure if i should show you now..."

he said, teasing you. you didn't turn your head as quickly as he thought you would. he thought you were going to snap your head towards him...

but the way your eyes lingered on the foreign country with a glint of unease, it worried kazuha to the core.

what were you thinking about when you over looked the seas the separated two countries that are complete opposites? what were you thinking when you over looked the country where your boyfriend was wanted? the country where one of this loved ones... were killed?

"y/n..?"

he whispered.

"ah! yes?"

you turn towards him, your eyes & smile returning. it was almost fascinating how you were able to hide certain emotions. you blink at him, waiting for him to respond.

"i finished the poem."

your smile widened as he handed you the long awaited poem dedicated to you. you reached out to grab it, but the poem was snatched back by kazuha.

you looked up to him with a confused but troubled look.

"first, tell me why you were so lost in thought and what you were thinking about."

at first, his expression seemed... annoyed. but as you observed him further, it was really a look of sorrow. his eyebrows were slightly scrunched, but not because he was angry, but because he was worried for you.

"i-i was just thinking about inazuma, and how terrible the shougun was, killing your friend like that- with no mercy! i just-"

you gulped. kazuha looked upset. did you go to far talking about tomo?

"i-i'm sorry, but i promise i'll-"

"no, y/n."

he pressed his index finger to your lips.

"i promise i'll protect you from the dangers of inazuma."

ALBEDO

• albedo was used to pinkie promises, as he's kept many with his sister.

• though sometimes he doesn't have the time to keep them...

• but the two of you never keep pinkie promises, the two of you really don't have the time for such tedious acts.

• but one won't hurt...

albedo, one of the greatest alchemists of all of teyvat... capable of destroying all of mondstadt. sister rosaria has already warned you about what he was capable of, and to be on guard.

but, you're merely there because albedo wants an opinion from someone who wasn't familiar with alchemy. and, besides a few tests, he's never harmed you.

he seems... rather gentle with you & his litter sister, klee. you like to keep him company on the chilly mountain. you cook him warm food, help him with experiments, and protect him from any occurring dangers. and in return, he gives you knowledge and a place to escape to.

but lately, the alchemist seemed distant. maybe it was like he was planning something... but you pushed away your suspicion and decided to ask him.

you found him observing the reaction of a chemical and noting on his clipboard.

you called his name,

"albedo!"

startled, he straightened his back and cleared his throat.

"what are you up to?"

you smiled at him, crossing your hands behind your back and stepping closer to him.

"o-oh, this? it's nothing."

he smiled at you, placing his clipboard and placing his pen directly onto the words he was writing, hiding his notes. you squinted at his remark.

"are you... hiding something?"

you could see him slightly widen his eyes, then stammer for an excuse. he gave up and admitted,

"ehhaha... i guess you caught me."

"albedo...?"

he took a few steps forward, only inches away from your face. he placed his cool hand on your cheek.

"could you promise something?"

"that i won't tell anyone what you're doing? sure..."

the atmosphere was tense. you've never seen albedo like this. maybe sister rosaria was right all along..?

"no, not that."

he took a deep breath, then expended his pinkie.

"if i really do destroy monstadt... will you promise to stay with me?"

hello!! this is my first time writing one of these, so please excuse any mistakes.

thank you for reading! (*^▽^*)