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genshinluvr · 2 years ago

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They Don't Deserve You

Pairings: Various Genshin Men x Isekai'd!Reader

Summary: Before going to bed, you suffer a painful headache. Baizhu, Dottore, Albedo, and Tighnari couldn't pinpoint the issue. Right before falling asleep, the headache comes back and knocks you unconscious. You end up waking up back in your world, only you didn't wake up alone in your bedroom. The men have teleported into your world with you.

Note: Omg, finally, a fic where the reader and the men are in the reader's world! This is a request, so keep that in mind! I didn't make the men meet the reader's parents because, well, how does one explain to your parents about having almost thirty men in your bedroom? So, instead of the men meeting the reader's parents, they will be overhearing the things that are said to the reader. I think this counts as a hurt/comfort fic. To the new and returning readers, please remember that I don't post anywhere else but on Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and on AO3 (Aaliah_exo).

Warnings: The reader gets compared to their cousin, and there's tension between the reader's mom and the reader, the ex-boyfriend.

Word Count: 9.5k

Before you and the twenty-five men went to bed, you had been experiencing a headache that felt like your skull was being ripped into two. The headache hurts so much that you nearly faint. It sent you straight to the infirmary room where Tighnari, Dottore, Baizhu, and Albedo are trying to figure out the cause of your headache.

“No fever, no chills, no coughs, no runny nose,” Baizhu murmurs, feeling your forehead.

Tighnari pinches the bridge of his nose. “They’re not sick, but they have a head-splitting headache that nearly made them faint,” Tighnari says, looking over to where you lie.

Dottore drapes the blanket over your body and places the prescription drug back on the shelves. The headache you’re experiencing would thunder through your skull; it would happen out of nowhere, sending sharp pains and hindering your activities. It’s not a migraine, though it can be mistaken for one. The headache came out of nowhere.

“Are you sure it’s not a migraine?” Dottore asks, turning to look at you.

You nod hesitantly. “I’m sure it’s not a migraine. I never get migraines,” you whisper, wincing when the headache reappears.

“Well, anyone can get a migraine. Headaches and migraines can be caused by stress. Still, people can also get diagnosed with chronic migraines,” says Albedo, sitting beside you on the examination bed.

“I don’t have chronic migraines. I would know if I was diagnosed with it,” you murmur.

Footsteps coming from the hallway echo, getting louder as the person approaches the room you’re in. Diluc steps into the room and knocks on the door to grab Tighnari, Dottore, Albedo, and Baizhu’s attention. You bring the blanket up to your chin and close your eyes, your eyebrows pinching up from the aftermath of the headache. Diluc’s eyes are locked on you, his heart squeezing in his chest when he sees the state you’re in.

Diluc crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the doorway. “If you’re all done checking up on [Y/N]’s condition, I believe we should take them to their room so they can rest,” Diluc says.

You slowly throw the blanket off your body and get off the examination bed. You’re relieved that you didn’t set off a thundering headache by getting off the bed. You walk to Diluc, who holds his arm out for you to take. You loop your left arm around his right arm and give the four men a weak smile.

“Thank you for taking care of me. I appreciate it. I hope the medication will help me with my headache,” you say.

“We’ll find the answers. We promise,” Tighnari says, smiling at you weakly.

Baizhu nods. “And as long as the headache isn’t recurring, then you should be okay after taking the medication. But for now, please get plenty of rest and drink some water,” Baizhu pleads.

Baizhu walks up to you and presses his lips against your forehead. You reach for Baizhu’s hands and squeeze his hands before letting Diluc escort you to your bedroom. The way Diluc held you while walking you to your room is like him holding fragile glass. He’s afraid that he will hurt you or trigger your headache. Diluc guides you to your bedroom, pushing the door open.

The two of you walk into your room, and Diluc helps you sit on your bed. You slowly lay down and pull your blanket over your body. Diluc fluffs your pillow and tucks you into your bed, pressing a gentle kiss on your forehead.

You close your eyes and watch Diluc walk to the window, pulling the black-out curtains closed. The nightlight in the corner of your room turns on when your bedroom turns pitch black. Diluc closes the door behind him, not before taking one last peek into your dark bedroom before shutting the door. You curl up into a fetal position, hugging your knees to your chest and burying your face into your body pillow. You peek from your pillow and crack one eye open, bleary eyes focusing on the small light in the corner. The nightlight gives you slight solace.

Just when you’re able to drift off to sleep, the familiar pain creeps up on you. You whimper in pain, clenching the blanket in your fist and squeezing your eyes shut. You begin hearing ringing in your ears. At first, the ringing in your ears was quiet, but it gradually got louder, almost deafening. White hot searing pain suddenly shot through your skull, knocking you out cold.

When you come to your consciousness, the light shining through your bedroom window shines in your face. You groan and cover your eyes with your hand, grumbling about wanting to sleep in more. The sound of your phone chiming made you freeze. You slowly open your eyes and sit up, only to see that you’re back in your world. You scramble out of your bed, accidentally stepping on something and tripping over something.

“Ouch! You stepped on my face!” Itto groans, rubbing his face with his hand.

Your eyes nearly pop out of your skull when you see the men sprawled out on the ground, coming to their consciousness at the sound of you falling and Itto groaning in pain. Once everyone has regained consciousness, they all look around and see they’re in an unfamiliar room.

“Where are we?” Gorou asks, his ears twitching at the sound of cats yowling, hissing outside the window, and dogs barking at the sound of cats yowling.

They all get off the floor of your bedroom and dust their clothes. You purse your lips, debating whether you should tell them that they’re in your world and your bedroom specifically. But you think it’s evident that the room is yours because of the plushies in your room and your shrine of a particular Genshin man.

You push past the men and walk to your phone, checking to see what time and day it is. It felt like a few months had passed for you while you were in Teyvat, but according to your phone, only two days have gone by. While you’re scrolling through your phone to see if anything has changed, the men start to survey their surroundings.

Posters and framed signed prints hang on the wall, and books are stacked haphazardly on a small bookshelf tucked in the corner of your room, a stack of hats on an electric fan. Your bed is filled with many plushies, five pillows, and seven blankets. In front of your bed is a desk with a flat monitor, a large glowing machine box underneath the desk, and seven water bottles sitting beside the monitor.

“I just noticed that [Y/N] has a lot of pictures, small statues, and stationary that looks like him,” You hear one person grumble.

“Yeah! Me too! Why him and why not me?!” Someone else exclaims, pointing at the prints on your bedroom wall with a pout.

Someone snatches your phone from your grasp, forcing you to look at the disgruntled men around you. You stare at the men like a fish out of water, unsure of how you’re going to answer their question. Quite frankly, you didn’t think this day was going to come. And now look at you, having to explain to all of the men why you have so much merchandise of a particular Genshin man that is standing in the same room as you and the others. The man in question was blushing and flattered that he was your favorite out of the rest of the men in the room (and the relationship).

“To be fair, I did not think I was going to be thrown into your world so suddenly. What I also didn’t expect was to return to my world with all of you accompanying me,” you said.

You made sure to look around your room to not make eye contact with anyone. One of the men walks up to your body pillow, yanks it from your bed, and holds it in front of your face. You feel your face become warm, and you shut your eyes, turning your head away.

“Then explain the body pillow with them on it,” you hear a disgruntled anemo user mutter, glaring at you through his lashes.

You snatch the body pillow and throw it back on your bed, face hot with embarrassment. “My cousin got it for me as a gag gift! I’m not going to throw it away!” You huff.

Before someone can interject, everyone hears a knock coming from the door. Your eyes widen, and you press your index finger against your lips, gesturing for the men to be quiet. The men around you freeze, and you slowly tiptoe toward your bedroom door.

You stand in front of the door, keeping your eyes on the floor. “Who is it?” You ask.

“[Y/N]? Are you still upset about the conversation we had a few days ago?” You hear your mother ask through the door.

You sigh, suddenly remembering the conversation you had with her a few months ago. It was a few days ago to her, but for you, it has been months. The men look at you curiously, and you shake your head, not wanting to explain to them what it is.

“Mom, I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to be left alone, please,” you plead.

You hear your mom scoff from behind the door. “I do everything for you, and this is how you treat your mother? You’re such an ungrateful child,” Your mom hisses through the door.

Your mom stomps down the stairs while muttering curse words under her breath about you. You walk over to your bed and sit at the edge, pinching the bridge of your nose. You returned a few minutes ago, and now you’re dealing with the conflict between you and your mother already?

“Do you want to talk about it?” Dainsleif asks, unsure how to process the interaction between you and the woman who gave birth to you.

You shake your head. “No. I don’t want to talk about it,” you scratch your head, “I don’t know how long we’ll be here, but you will see a lot of things about my family,” you roll your eyes.

“Oh? Will we be meeting your family?” Kazuha asks, not taking his eyes off the pictures of you and your friends hanging on the wall.

You press your lips into a thin line before answering, “That, I don’t know. My parents never let me date anyone or go out and hang out with my friends,” you sigh. “I’m not sure how they’ll react to seeing twenty-five men in my bedroom,” you chuckle.

“Putting that aside, does anyone know how we all get thrown into [Y/N]’s universe?” Thoma asks, looking around nervously.

Everyone shakes their heads. It was strange how you were back in your world with the men accompanying you. The last thing you remember was getting a head-splitting headache, knocking you out cold. You’re not sure how long you and the men are going to be in your world, but you hope it won’t be too long.

“What’s this?” Aether asks, holding up your phone.

Your phone’s screen turns on, showing the background of your phone. The background of your phone is a particular Genshin male character. Your eyes widen, and you snatch your phone from Aether, feeling the heat return to your face.

You clear your throat. “You didn’t see that,” you said.

You walk to your phone charger and plug in your phone. After plugging in your phone, you collapse onto your bed and close your eyes. It has only been a few minutes, and you already want to return to the abode to escape your life in your world. You prefer your life in Teyvat; no one is complaining about you, no one is starting drama with you, you’re not being compared to your cousins and siblings in Teyvat, and you live with your twenty-five boyfriends!

“You know what you should do?” Kaeya asks, sitting beside you.

You peek up at Kaeya. “What?” You ask.

Xiao points at every electronic in your bedroom. “Explain what these things are and why you have a glowing box under your desk,” Xiao crosses his arms over his chest.

You sit and blink owlishly. “Shit, I did not think this through,” you mutter, running your hands through your disheveled hair.

“Start with something that is easy to explain,” Zhongli suggests, his eyes not-so-subtly shifting to your bedroom wall that consists of prints of a certain Genshin man.

You got off your bed and went to the closest thing to you, your computer. You turn your computer on and switch the button at the bottom of your mouse. The mouse lights up, and the monitor lights up. When the monitor loads, you almost want to slam your head on your desk because of the background.

“You are quite obsessed with that man,” you hear someone mumble.

You cover the monitor with your body, clearing your throat awkwardly while entering your password to unlock your computer. You’re pretty shameless when it comes to simping over your favorite Genshin character. Still, now that it’s in front of everyone, it’s almost humiliating. But you’re not ashamed of loving this particular Genshin man.

“Forget about the strange technologies in your bedroom. I want to know why you’re obsessed with him and not me,” the blond grumbles, looking over in the sheepish man’s direction.

You let out a sigh. “I’m not going to explain my unhealthy obsession with him, alright? Plus, if my parents hear everyone speak, they’ll be suspicious of what’s happening and would try to walk into my room,” you said.

Heizou raises his hand. “What if we end up getting hungry?” Heizou asks, cocking an eyebrow at you.

You stare at Heizou and the other men around him, who nod at Heizou’s question. If you were to go downstairs to fetch something for all of the men to eat, your parents would be suspicious of what’s going on. Not only that, but you’re not entirely sure if the men will be able to stomach the food in your world. They should be okay, right?

“I’ll order something for us to eat. The issue is the small space in my room, and all of you need to get some fresh air and stretch your legs,” you murmur. “I’ll be right back. I’m going downstairs to see if my parents and siblings are home.”

You squeeze through the crowd of men in your room, slowly open your bedroom door and peek your head into the hallway. Your parents are talking to one another, and the sound of car keys jingles. You walk out of your room, close the door behind you, and step down the stairs. When you reach the living room of your house, you see your parents putting their shoes on, and your dad has his car keys in his hand.

“Oh, look who finally decided to leave their room,” your mom says, crossing her arms over her chest.

You ignore your mom’s snide comment. “Where are you two going?” You ask.

“Your aunt invited your mother and me over to talk,” your dad replies.

You notice the house was a little bit too quiet. It was too quiet for your liking. You didn’t hear your sister talking on the phone with her friends, nor did you hear your brothers screaming at the top of their lungs while playing video games in their bedrooms.

“The house is too quiet. Where are Andrew, Alex, and Alice?” You inquired, looking around for any signs of your siblings in the house.

You look at the shoe rack, noticing their shoes aren’t on the shoe rack. The area where they put their shoes is empty.

“Alice went to the movies with her boyfriend a few minutes ago; her boyfriend picked her up. As for Andrew and Alex, they left to go to the gym not too long ago,” your father replies.

“We’ll be back in a few hours. If you’re hungry, there’s food on the stove for you to heat up,” your mom says, putting her coat on.

You shivered at the thought of being the topic of gossip. You have been the main topic a few times before, and you certainly hope your parents won’t bring you up in the conversation. Knowing your family, they will be gossiping for hours while eating seafood. Your mom unlocks the front door and the gate, stepping out into the cold. Goosebumps immediately take over your body, sending sharp chills down your body. You wave them goodbye, closed and lock the front gate, then the front door.

You peek through the window blinds, watching your parents walk to the large white SUV your dad drives. The car roars to life, the headlights turning on, shining the things in its path. Your parents pull out of the driveway and drive off. A sense of relief falls over you after your parents leave. You turn to go back upstairs to inform the men but nearly go into a cardiac arrest when you see that they have been standing behind you the entire time.

“How long have you guys been standing there?!” You hissed, clutching your chest.

Your heart punches your ribs while you try to calm your breathing. The men examine your house, looking at the furniture and technologies curiously.

Al Haitham is the first one to reply. “We went to check and see what took you so long to return to your room. Someone,” Al Haitham looks at Kaveh with a blank stare, “was too impatient to wait for your return.”

“Hey! Am I not allowed to be worried about [Y/N] and their safety!?” Kaveh demands, glaring at the acting Grand Sage with his hands propped on his hips.

Pierro closes his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re allowed to worry about [Y/N], but did you forget that we’re in their house? They’re safe,” Pierro says, opening his eyes and scanning the living room of your house.

“In case you’re all wondering, unless you all eavesdropped on my and my parents' conversation, they’ll be gone for a few hours. My sister is out with her boyfriend, and my brothers went to work out at the gym,” you said, walking to the kitchen. “There’s food on the stove for us to eat, but I’m afraid there won’t be enough for us all.”

“You mention something about ordering food for us to eat. Would that solve the problem?” Cyno asks.

Your eyes light up. “Oh, right! Thank you for reminding me, Cyno!” You throw your arms around Cyno’s shoulders, hugging him tightly. “I’ll be right back,” you pull away from the hug, “I’m going to get my phone and DoorDash something for us to eat.”

You weave through the men and jog up the stairs for your phone. You unplug your phone from the charger and dash back downstairs. You panted and unlocked your phone, swiping to the DoorDash app on your phone. The men crowd around you to see what you’re doing on the small device that has a touch screen.

“What kind of food are we all in the mood for? Just a side note: there are a lot of us, so the price of the food and delivery will be on the expensive side,” you said.

“I’m open to trying anything. Therefore, I think you should pick out the food because this is your world, and you’re more familiar with the food than we are,” Pantalone says.

You stare at Pantalone, then look around. You’re not opposed to ordering food for the men, but you don’t want to order the things they won’t eat or can stomach. You purse your lips and tap your foot on the ground, trying to think of something to order. There are all types of food on DoorDash! The issue is deciding where you’re going to order and how much it’ll cost to feed almost thirty people.

You ended up ordering from different fast food places, unsure what the men would like to eat. Since they’re in your world, you might as well introduce them to the food from your universe. Plus, the foods from Genshin Impact aren’t too different from the food in your world. The only thing that’s different is the ingredients.

Seeing the price you’re paying for the food and delivery, you can hear your bank account crying in the distance. Let’s just say that it’s almost seven hundred dollars, and you ordered a lot of food for the men; they have big appetites. You tuck your phone into your pocket and collapse on the couch face down.

“What do we do now?” Capitano asks.

You lift your head and stare at the men. “We wait for the food to be delivered. I ordered a lot of food, so it might take a while,” you said, resting your cheek on the leather cushions. “When the food arrives, we can watch the TV for some entertainment if you guys want. Or we can just talk! Up to you guys,” you shrug your shoulders.

You and the men end up sitting and talking around the kitchen area while waiting for the food to be delivered. While standing around in the kitchen, the men look at the air fryer curiously. Dread falls on you when you realize that you need to explain to them what specific items are if they point at them like a curious child.

“Anything you have a question on, I will try my best to answer them,” you said.

After announcing that, questions came almost immediately. The first item to be questioned on was, of course, your phone. You explained to the men what a phone is and how it functions, and what you have on your phone. From the pictures to the apps to the people on your contacts list that you would text or call from time to time.

“What’s social media? It sounds a little bit intimidating,” Aether mutters, pressing on the Instagram app.

“It’s a website or an app that allows people to create and share content or network with those worldwide. It keeps us all connected to each other. Still, at the same time, it also disconnects us from one another because people are only focusing on their phones rather than the person they’re with,” you said.

While Aether scrolls through your Instagram, the men look over Aether’s shoulders to see what he’s doing. The people you follow look and dress interestingly. Some are at parties, concerts, or a casual day out, pictures of dogs and cats, and people dressing up like them or the people they know back in their universe. Out of sheer curiosity, Aether presses on your phone and starts to scroll through it. You only have twenty-two posts on Instagram. There are pictures of you with your family and your friends. There are also many selfies, a few photos of you at some event, and a— wait a minute.

“Who is that?” Heizou asks, clicking on the post.

You push yourself off the counter and check to see what they’re looking at. You nearly smack yourself for not deleting that post. It was a picture of you and your ex-boyfriend that you posted a few months ago. You grab your phone from Aether’s hands and quickly delete the old post, your face feeling hot.

“It’s no one important,” you mutter.

Ayato crosses his arms over his chest and raises his eyebrows at you. “You and that man were hugging in the picture, and he was kissing your cheek. He doesn’t seem like a nobody,” Ayato says, looking at you skeptically.

You put your phone on the counter. “He’s not in my life anymore, so he’s technically a nobody.”

Childe wraps his arms around your waist and rests his chin on your head. “Even if he’s no longer in your life, I’m sure we’re all curious about who he was to you,” Childe murmurs. Childe buries his face into your neck, tightening his grip on your waist. After seeing that picture of you and the mysterious man, the men couldn’t help but feel jealous that you used to date someone that wasn’t them.

You let out a sigh and rested your head on his shoulder, puckering your lips. “He’s my boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend, to be more specific. I broke up with him a few months ago in my world, and the breakup was messy,” you shivered.

“How was the breakup messy?” Gorou asks, blinking at you owlishly.

You’re about to answer Gorou’s question when your doorbell chimes, startling you and the men. You walk to the front door with Childe still attached to your body. The first batch of food has arrived, and you’re beginning to salivate at the aroma of food from the delivery bag. Childe and Kaveh help you bring the bags into the dining area.

“There’s still more food coming. I ordered different types of food that I think you all will like. The food in my world isn’t so different from the food in your world, other than the ingredients,” you said, tearing open the bag.

“You still haven’t answered Gorou’s question,” Dottore interjects, sitting in the closest chair beside you.

You continue to pull the contents out from the bag, setting them on the table and taking the cap off of some take-out boxes. You walked to the kitchen and pulled out the paper plates your parents were keeping in the pantry, thinking about how you were going to explain your failed relationship.

You sigh. “He’s not emotionally intelligent. We’ve gotten into arguments a few times before, and whenever I try to talk it out, he would avoid the topic,” you said.

“Oh, so, he lacks communication skills,” Diluc comments.

You nod.

“He also sounds like he doesn’t want to talk things out if he avoids the topic,” Dainsleif says, grabbing the paper plates from your hands.

You press your lips into a thin line and shake your head. “He always avoids certain things when we talk. Arguments are rare, but he ignores my text messages and phone calls when he gets mad at me.”

Scaramouche lets out a sarcastic laugh. “Well, your ex-boyfriend sounds like a piece of shit if you ask me,” Scaramouche rolls his eyes.

“And you’re correct because he is! I would beg to spend time with him, but he’ll tell me he was busy with work. According to him, work is keeping him occupied,” you roll your eyes, passing out napkins to the men.

“That’s an excuse, for sure,” Cyno mutters, peeking at the food on the table.

You nod your head. “It was! I later found out that he had a wife the entire time, even though he claimed he was single,” you roll your eyes.

Thoma looks at you in horror, almost dropping his plate of food on the ground. Thoma quickly composes himself and puts his plate on the table, steadying himself on the dining table while trying to process the information you have thrown out there.

“Your ex-boyfriend is a married man?” Thoma chokes.

“Unfortunately, yes, he’s a married man. I didn’t find out until four years later, by the way.” You run your fingers through your hair.

Everyone’s eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. How well did this man hide this information from you? There’s no way someone like him can get away with cheating, especially since your world has social media that can connect strangers with one another. Surely his wife must’ve known about him having an affair, right?

“Did you tell his wife about the affair?” Kaveh asks.

You shake your head. “There’s no way for me to find his wife’s name or her information. He lied about many things to me, yet I was stupid enough to believe his lies,” you chuckle bitterly.

“Don’t blame yourself for something you were unaware of. It is he who’s at fault, not you,” Kazuha reassures you, rubbing your back gently.

When the rest of the food arrived, all of you ate in comfortable silence. You will talk to each other from time to time while eating, but the men are busy stuffing their faces with food. You don’t blame them for that because you weren’t sure how long you and the men have been in your world after falling asleep back at the abode. Speaking of the abode, you miss it very much. You miss being able to cook with Thoma and listening to Childe sing loudly in the shower because he doesn’t close the bathroom door. You miss living in Teyvat with your boyfriends.

You’re not entirely sure how long you and the men will be in your world, but you hope all of you can return back to Teyvat soon. Months have gone by in Teyvat, but only one or two days have passed in your world. After everyone finished eating, you made them shower in your bathroom while you cleaned things up. Before you let them shower in your bathroom, you show them how to operate some things.

“I like the scent of it,” Venti says, sniffing your body wash after opening the cap of the bottle.

You clap your hand. “Now that I have shown you all where the things are and how to use some things in the bathroom, you can take turns showering. I can wash your clothes if you want,” you said.

“That would mean we will all be naked while we wait for our clothes to be washed and dried,” Itto clears his throat, looking at you with wide eyes.

You pucker your lips and nod. “That is correct, but it’s better to have your clothes washed and dried than sleeping in clothes that you have worn the day before,” you said.

Plus, you don’t mind seeing the men parade around the house butt-naked… if your family didn’t have security cameras installed around the house. Then again, they will have towels on to preserve their modesty. It’s a good thing your family owns a lot of towels, so one of them would have to share towels with each other or use your towel.

Your entire day consists of you washing the men’s clothes and cleaning up your bedroom to ensure plenty of space for the men to roam around and relax. Your room isn’t huge, and it certainly cannot fit almost thirty people. The sleeping arrangement is going to be an absolute nightmare.

Once all the clothes have been washed and dried, you hand the men back their clothes so they can change into them. You’re glad there are a couple of pillows and oversized blankets lying around the house. You might have to shop for more pillows and blankets when you have the time and money. But for now, it looks like you’ll have to sleep on someone while they sleep on your bed beside the other men.

Your family tends to always be prepared for something. And when you said they’re always prepared, you’re implying they buy large packs of shampoo, soaps, towels, toothpaste, toilet paper, water bottles, and deodorants. The men didn’t need to worry about those things other than possible new clothes and places to sleep and being hidden from your parents. This should be fine for now. Your dad travels for work, your mom is always at work, and your siblings are always going out with their friends. It shouldn’t be hard to hide the men. Still, you hope your parents or siblings don’t walk into your room unannounced one day because you don’t have any excuses for why twenty-five men are in your bedroom.

You and the men will be in your world for only a short time, right? Wrong. Because the next few days go by, and everyone is still in your world. Hiding the men is complicated because they would get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom to the point where your siblings ask you if you chug water before bed. You lie and say yes because you’re trying your best to stay hydrated. You’re glad your siblings didn’t question it and continue to ignore your constant need to pee.

Sleeping in one bedroom with almost thirty people is an experience. The number of people snoring, farting, twitching, and sleep talk is hilarious. You once woke up in the middle of the night because Itto flinched violently in his sleep. Itto will give you a sleepy smile, pet your head, sleepily apologize for waking you up and kiss your forehead before falling back asleep.

You completely forgot that Zhongli, Venti, Xiao, and Scaramouche didn’t need sleep. Sometimes you would wake up in the middle of the night, catching them sitting in front of your computer while binge-watching some show with the brightness level at maximum. The light from your monitor illuminates your bedroom.

“Why are you guys awake at two in the morning?” You whisper, lifting your head from Al Haitham’s chest.

“We’re watching a show. The shows from your universe are…. Interesting and quite educational,” Zhongli says, his eyes glued to the screen.

You blink at Zhongli and look at the monitor. They were watching a nature documentary on Netflix. It was cute, not going to lie. Seeing the four men sitting in front of your computer, watching nature documentaries, reminds you of your baby cousins watching Paw Patrol at eight in the morning. You’re too tired to scold them, so you lay your head back on Al Haitham’s chest and doze off.

Do you want to know who farts the most in their sleep? It’s Childe, but most of them fart in their sleep. You would think it’s Itto who farts a lot in his sleep, but that man just snores and twitches. It has gotten to the point where you almost decide to steal a Febreze spray from your parents’ bathroom and keep it in your room. You opted to keep the windows cracked open to let the fresh air into your room.

“That one,” Xiao points over to Childe, “passes gas the most out of all of us.” Xiao scrunches his face up with disgust.

Kaeya pats Itto’s shoulders. “This one twitches a lot. I may sleep on the ground, but I can hear him twitch in his sleep when it’s his turn to sleep on [Y/N]’s bed,” Kaeya says, looking over at Itto with an amused look on his face.

“I wish you have a lab in your house. It would’ve sped the process of bringing us all back to Teyvat,” Albedo murmurs, resting his head on your shoulder.

Pierro chuckles. “I don’t think normal civilians like [Y/N] and their family would have a lab in their house,” Pierro says.

You pucker your lips. There are ordinary people that have labs in their homes. Only they’re not for science experiments…. They’re for…. Illegal activities. But that’s something you won’t be telling the men just yet, or at least until all of you have returned back to Teyvat. Actually, should you be telling them about that at all? You watch the men quietly bicker with each other, too tired to even stop them from arguing. You plop back down on your bed, feeling your eyelids grow heavy.

Realization hits Baizhu, and he weaves over to where you’re lying. Baizhu presses his hand on your forehead to check your temperature. You open your eyes and look at Baizhu with bleary eyes. You rub your eyes, attempting to rub the sleep away.

“I didn’t get to check up on your condition, but how are you feeling right now since the last check-up?” Baizhu asks.

You sit up and give him a sleepy smile. “I’ve been okay. There are no headaches or migraines. I feel fine,” you said.

You hear your mom calling your name from downstairs. You scramble out of your bed and quickly walk out of your room and down the stairs. After you leave your room in a hurry, the men look at each other quizzically and fall silent. They stand by the door and listen. When you get downstairs, you see your mom standing in the kitchen, her hands propped on her hips, holding something in her hand. You cautiously approach your mom, and she gives you a dissatisfied look.

“[Y/N]. Your university sent us an email regarding your grades this week and….” Your mom trails off.

You make a face, confused that your university would send home a mail regarding your grades in the university. You know you’re passing, or at least the last time you checked, you were doing okay. You weren’t behind on any assignments because you checked to make sure you didn’t have any work that was missing. Plus, the men made sure you checked on your grades periodically.

“And?” You ask, waiting for her to finish her sentence.

Your mom hands you the paper, propping her hands on her hips. “You’re doing decent in school, but it’s not the best like your uncle’s daughter,” she says, “you’re doing fine in school, but she’s doing way better at her university.”

Ah. There it is. The comparison starts now.

You pinch the bridge of your nose and sigh. “Mom, what’s important is that I’m passing, right? I’m not flunking out of university. My highest GPA in the previous quarter was 3.9 GPA, and my GPA alone earns me a spot on the Dean’s List, mom. Isn’t that enough?” You ask.

She shakes her head, gnawing on the inside of her cheek. “3.9 GPA is good, but did you know your cousin has been getting a 4.0 GPA every quarter at her university? She’s also in the honors program, [Y/N]. You’re not in the honors program.”

“So what? My GPA is slightly below hers! Is she being in the honors program more important?” You ask.

Your face is starting to feel hot. It wasn’t from embarrassment. It was from anger and frustration. You returned to your world not long ago, and you’re already being compared to your perfect cousin who’s good at everything. You study hard in school for yourself, not for some imaginary competition where your parents pit you against your cousin. Your cousin doesn’t care about the dumb little competition; she does well in school, and you’re proud of her! She’s also proud of you for doing well in school. She would often reassure you that she doesn’t see you as an academic competition.

Your mom snatches the letter out of your hands and slams it on the countertop. “Yes, it’s a big deal that your cousin is in the honors program! Because she’s in the honors program and has a 4.0 GPA, do you know how many scholarships she has earned from her achievements?!” Your mom exclaims.

You laugh bitterly. “Mom, you know she and I don’t see each other as competition, right? The only people that see it as a competition are you, dad, and her parents. It’s weird to pit your children against each other,” you said. “This is how you cause rifts in families. You’re pitting me against her, and her parents are pitting her against me. She’s happy that I’m doing well in school, and I’m glad that she’s doing well in school.”

Your mom rolls her eyes and gestures for you to leave her sight. Before you leave the kitchen, you grab a water bottle from the fridge and walk back upstairs to your room. Upon hearing you coming up the stairs, the men quickly scramble around the room, trying to act like they weren’t eavesdropping on your and your mom’s conversation the entire time.

You grab the doorknob to your room and open the door, squeezing the water bottle before shutting the door behind you. Without saying a word, you open the water bottle and chug the water, trying to distract yourself from the previous conversation you had with your mother.

Al Haitham approaches you cautiously while you continue to chug the water. “Are you alright, [Y/N]?” Al Haitham asks, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder.

You finish your water, crush the plastic bottle in your hand and toss it into the nearby trash can. “Yeah, I’m fine! It’s just another typical conversation with my mom,” you said humorlessly.

Pantalone bites his lips before asking, “How often do your parents pester you about your grades?”

You snort. “When do my parents never pester me about anything?” You ask, plopping down on the edge of your bed. “Sorry if any of you hear my and my mom’s conversation. I guess the longer we’re here, the more you will see what I deal with almost every day.”

“Do you want us to get rid of the problem?” Capitano asks.

You blink at the masked (?) man, shaking your head slowly. You know what Capitano was implying, and as tempting as that sounds, you don’t want them to get in trouble because of you. Plus, getting rid of your parents, aunt, and uncle isn’t going to do anything. All it will do is cause issues that are bigger than it already is.

Dainsleif glares at Capitano. “You shouldn’t imply murdering your significant other’s parents, Harbinger,” Dainsleif hisses.

“Oh, please. I wasn’t implying murder; I was simply implying that we should talk with [Y/N]’s parents about comparing them to their cousin. They’re creating a rift between them and [Y/N],” Capitano says, brushing Dainsleif’s response off.

Scaramouche raises his eyebrows at the Harbinger and crosses his arms over his chest. “You? Having a reasonable conversation with [Y/N]’s parents? That’s something out of the ordinary for someone like you,” Scaramouche says, smirking with amusement.

Childe laughs nervously, nudging Scaramouche in the ribs with his elbow. “What Scaramouche mean is that we shouldn’t get rid of the people in [Y/N]’s life. Especially when that person is [Y/N]’s family member,” Childe says, pressing his lips into a thin line afterward.

You lie on your bed and throw your blanket over your body. You don’t want the men to see what you have to deal with every day before being thrown into their universe. It’s humiliating. You don’t care if your siblings see your parents tell you you’re not good enough; they’ve witnessed it many times throughout your lives. You don’t want your boyfriends to see how your parents treat you because it’s embarrassing.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Aether asks, sitting beside you while caressing your face.

You give Aether a weak smile and shake your head. “I don’t want to talk about it right now, Aether. It’s embarrassing,” you murmur.

“Hey, just to let you know, we’re incredibly proud of you and your achievements. Please don’t compare yourself to anyone, ever,” Tighnari says, giving your bicep a comforting squeeze.

You give Tighnari a strained smile. “Thank you, Tighnari. I’ll try not to compare myself to other people. It’ll be hard because my parents do it to me almost every day,” you mutter.

“You’re more than enough. Don’t forget that, alright?” Thoma asks, giving you a sympathetic smile.

You cover your face with your hand. “Stop, you guys are going to make me cry,” you grumble, rolling over on your stomach and burying your face into your bed.

Crying is the last thing you want to do. You appreciate the men comforting you and reassuring you that you’re more than enough. But seeing the amount of support you receive from the men you love is overwhelming in a good way. You love and appreciate them so much. They have always been there for you through your brightest and darkest days, providing you safety and solace.

Diluc pushes through the men and lies beside you, pulling you into his arms and caressing your hair. You bury your face into Diluc’s neck, trying your best to hold back your tears. You want to go home. You don’t want to be in your world anymore. What’s the point of returning to a place where you’re constantly unhappy?

Diluc presses his lips against your forehead. “You’ll be okay. We won’t let anyone hurt you,” Diluc whispers, wiping a stray tear that made its way down your cheek.

“I want to go home,” you whisper, gripping Diluc’s shirt tightly. “I don’t want to be here anymore. Why should I stay in a place where I’m always unhappy?” You murmur, clenching your teeth.

Albedo sighs and clenches his hands into fists. “We’ll figure something out. Trust me, we don’t want to stay in a place where we see you suffer either,” Albedo says.

“You’re doing well in your world. You’re on the Dean’s List with a 3.9 GPA, and we’re proud of you and your achievements here and back in Teyvat,” Al Haitham says, reaching down and stroking your hair.

You snort and roll over on your back, staring at the ceiling. You bite your lips, and tears continue to pool in your eyes, cascading down your face. “I may be doing well in school, but according to my parents, I’m not doing well if we compare it to my cousin’s GPA,” you whisper.

You wipe your tears away and sit on your bed. Before Al Haitham can sit beside you to comfort you, Kaveh shoves him to the side and takes the empty spot next to you. Kaveh pulls you onto his lap and hugs you tightly, ignoring the scowl Al Haitham shoots in his direction. Kaveh rests his chin on your head, swaying to the side.

“Your parents don’t deserve you. None of them do,” Kaveh whispers.

You bury your face into Kaveh’s neck. All you want to do is return to the abode and get away from the people that put you down. You never expect to return back to your world so suddenly. You assume a portal would open up, and you would get the option of whether you want to stay in Teyvat or return to your world. If you did have the opportunity, you would’ve chosen to remain in Teyvat forever. But alas, things are always unexpected and never go your way.

The silence is broken when your phone chimes. You jump and twist your body to look at the now-illuminated screen of your phone. A package was delivered to your house just a few seconds ago, and the delivery man rang the doorbell to notify you and your family. You wipe the tears and get off Kaveh’s lap, rushing downstairs to grab the package before any of your neighbors decide to steal them like last time.

You stop in your tracks when you reach the last step of the stairs. Your dad closes the front door with packages in his hands. He looks at you and holds up the cardboard box. You press your lips into a thin line, watching him lock the front door.

Your dad sighs. “[Y/N], this is the eighth time you ordered something online. You need to learn how to save your money. Don’t buy stupid and useless things online,” your dad says sternly.

“Dad, I ordered these months ago. They finally arrived after a few months,” you explain.

Your dad shakes his head, pointing an accusing finger at you. “I don’t care if you ordered these things a few months ago. You need to stop wasting your money on stupid shit, or else you won’t have any money left,” he scolds you.

You didn’t respond. Your dad hands you your packages before dismissing you. You exhale through your nose and walk up the stairs. After arriving at your room, you slammed the doors behind you, tossed your package near the window nook, and plopped down on your bed. The men didn’t say anything, knowing that you didn’t want to talk about what happened downstairs. They all heard it. What’s there to explain?

You point at the packages near the window nook. “Those packages were actually late gifts for my parents and siblings. There was a production delay, and they pushed the shipping and delivery dates back by a few months. It finally arrived, only for my dad to tell me not to buy useless things and waste my money on stupid shit,” you whisper.

You rest your head on Kaveh’s shoulders, letting him wrap his arms around you and press a gentle kiss on your head. You’re hoping this will be the last time you return to your world. If you return for the second time, you’ll make sure that it’s the last time you visit. You don’t want to stay in your world anymore. Your world isn’t home anymore. It doesn’t feel like home. Instead, it feels like an endless prison, an endless torture to your psyche.

You no longer consider your world as your home. I mean, how can you call it home when you don’t feel welcome in it? Home is where you feel safe, accepted, and loved. Home is where you can live in peace without having to worry about being compared to someone you once grew up with. Home is with the twenty-five men in your bedroom, the same men who nursed you back to health and saved you from many near-death experiences, the ones that encourage you to do the things you love.

“I’m never doing nice things for them ever again,” you whisper.

Cyno shakes his head. “Don’t. They don’t deserve you,” Cyno states.

Another few days go by, and you all fall into the routine of you hiding them and them sneaking in and out of your room when they need to stretch their legs. Because you and the men never left the house, there was no need for them to shower daily, and you had to wash and dry their clothes every day. You end up stealing some clothes from your brothers’ closet for the men to wear temporarily while their clothes and undergarments are being washed and dried.

Now, here you are, watching Netflix with the men lounging around you. Some are asleep on the floor, and at the window nook, while some are reading the books and mangas they took from your bookshelf. Your head was on Pantalone’s chest, and your legs tossed over Dottore’s lap when you heard a knock on your bedroom door. Everyone around you freezes while you grab your remote and pause the show on your TV.

“Who is it?” You call out, getting off your bed and looking at the men anxiously.

“[Y/N], Jacob is here to visit you. He said he wanted to talk to you,” your sister, Alice, says from behind the door.

Hearing the familiar name made your heart want to fall out of your ass.

“Who’s Jacob?” Venti mouths to the men in the room.

Heizou looks at you closely and then at Venti. “I think Jacob is the name of [Y/N]’s ex-boyfriend. You know, the one that was married the entire time,” Heizou whispers to Venti.

“What’s he doing here?” Ayato mutters, shutting the book and putting it back on the shelf.

You clear your throat loudly. “Tell Jacob to fuck off. I don’t want to see him or hear whatever excuses he’s trying to come up with,” you said sternly.

Alice groans and smacks the door. “[Y/N], just do it! Brandon is waiting outside for me in his car! You and Jacob can have a screaming match once I leave, alright? Mom, dad, Andrew, and Alex aren’t home,” Alice says.

You poke the inside of your cheek, your hands prop on your hips as you listen to your sister walk down the stairs. You turn to the men, gesturing for them to give you a moment before walking out of your bedroom and closing the door behind you. There stood Jacob, standing near the entrance of your room.

“What do you want?” You roll your eyes. “And make it quick because the quicker we get through this, the quicker you leave,” you said.

Jacob approaches you and stands before you, gazing at you sadly. “Babe, do you not miss me?” He asks.

You raise an eyebrow at him and laugh sarcastically. “Oh? You’re still calling me babe? Did you forget that I’m not your babe, Jacob? I never was your babe,” you spat, taking a step back.

Jacob ignores your comment and caresses your face. “I missed you during training, you know? Not being able to see you and visit you because of how far I was,” he murmurs.

You smack Jacob’s hands away from your face. “Don’t touch me. The only person you should be touching is your wife, not some random person you decided to cheat on your wife with,” you hiss.

“Babe,” Jacob pleads.

You shake your head stubbornly. “Leave, now! I don’t want to see your face ever again!” You demand, pointing toward the stairs.

Jacob grabs your wrist and pulls you toward him. You shove him away, accidentally shoving yourself against the door to your room. Before Jacob can say anything, the door to your room flies open, and you feel someone pressing their chest against your back.

“Who the fuck are you people?” Jacob demands, glaring at the group of men crowding at the door.

“Who we are is none of your business,” Zhongli states, glaring at the man standing before you.

”You either leave [Y/N]’s house unscathed, or you leave [Y/N]’s house with a broken nose. Your choice,” Xiao says.

Jacob scoffs and crosses his arms over his chest. “Oh? Are you going to harm [Y/N]’s boyfriend now?” Jacob demands.

“Eh!? Boyfriend!? Last time we checked, [Y/N] dumped your pathetic ass a few months ago! Now, leave and never come back,” Itto says, glaring at the tan man in front of him.

Capitano and Pierro step forward, blocking you from Jacob’s eyes. Jacob clenches his hands into fists before storming out of the house, with Capitano and Pierro following after him to make sure he actually leaves. You rub your temples and let Kaeya wrap his arms around you, rubbing your back. After what happened, the painful headache soon returned. You wrap your arms around Kaeya’s slim waist and bury your face into his chest, trying your best not to let it show.

“Let’s take your mind off that, shall we?” Kaeya murmurs, pulling you toward your bed and laying down with you on his chest.

“We might as well get some rest. That ex-boyfriend of yours is very draining,” Pierro says gruffly upon entering the room with Capitano beside him.

Pantalone nods. “The one that is in need of sleep is [Y/N],” Pantalone says, gesturing over to where you and Kaeya lie.

Everyone is situated in their spots, getting ready to go to sleep. Even though it was only six in the afternoon, everyone continued to lie in their temporary beds in your room to get some rest. Your vision soon blurs, and you fall asleep in Kaeya’s arms.

You’re rudely awoken from your sleep to the sound of an alarm blaring in your ears, making you jump out of your skin and scramble to shut the alarm while it’s still dark in your room. After turning the alarm off, you squint and rub your swollen eyes.

“I never knew you set the alarm to be that loud, [Y/N],” you hear Kazuha says groggily.

You stretch your arms in the air and yawn. “How else was I supposed to get up for school?” You ask, getting up to open the curtains to your room.

When you pull the curtains open, you’re greeted by a familiar sight. Your eyes widen, and your head snaps in the men’s direction, who are scattered around your room, slowly coming to their consciousness.

“Oh, finally! We’re back in Teyvat,” Gorou cries out happily, sprawled out on the ground before yawning into the palm of his hands.

Dottore stands up and looks over at Albedo, who looks discombobulated. “Yes, we’re back in Teyvat, but unfortunately, we don’t know how it happened,” Dottore sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

You collapse on your bed, letting Kaeya wrap his arms around you and pull you to his chest. “I’m glad we’re back home,” you murmur sleepily.

Home.

You and your twenty-five boyfriends are all finally home. Finally, in the comfort of your home in Teyvat, where no one can bother you, downgrade your achievements by comparing yourself to someone else’s accomplishments. You feel safe in the presence of the men around you. The men who will never compare you to other people, the men who cherish you, celebrate your achievement, and build you up. You’re finally home with the men who loves you, the men who deserve you. Your family did not deserve you, nor did your ex-boyfriend.

Home.

You’re finally home.

Note: Next week is going to be another request! I'm trying to get through requests while dealing with university stuff 💀 I notice that some of the things in my inbox are disappearing as well 🧍🏻‍♀️ I might open the inbox again, but I'm not entirely sure when I'll be able to do that. Maybe around March or late March? Who knows. My fics on AO3 are also only visible to those who are registered users on AO3, but I'm hoping to make them visible to everyone else very soon. Maybe once my winter quarter ends, or something. Or when it's close to ending. I'm closing my taglist very soon! I'm about to reach tagging limits on Tumblr, so, if you want to be on the taglist, the Google form is right [here]. Please make sure that you allow people to mention you/tag you in posts, or else I won't be able to tag you in any future fanfics! As usual, I ONLY post on my Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and my AO3 (Aaliah_exo)! Nowhere else except Tumblr and AO3!

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mikwaa · 1 year ago

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Shhh, they don't need to know, that's our little secret!

Prompt: You are having to keep the relationship hidden, how does he handle this situation?

Featuring: Diluc, Childe, Alhaitam.

Warnings: A little suggestive. This also contains headcannons of what they would be like as boyfriends.

A/n: This is a kind of thank you to the 100 followers, I hope you like it! And yes, I will do other parts with other characters<3

Diluc:

The reason why you and Diluc had to keep this relationship under wraps was simple. He had been involved in many dangerous things, he had been threatened with death many times. He didn't care about himself, but he did care if it affected you in any way.

But the fact that he was protective complicated things a bit, he always wanted to know where and how your next commission would be, so he could help you and keep you safe. And maybe sometimes he would even pull some strings to get you out of a mess. When you left work late, he would watch you until you got home, safe and well.

And so every more intimate encounter was in discreet places, he always took care not to leave any trace behind. Although sometimes, he forgot some clothes at your house, not to mention the love marks he left on you. Which, by the way, were sometimes in very visible places, and he always did it on purpose.

The public meetings were at the tavern, but there you were nothing more than friends. And so you couldn't spend too much time talking to him, after all Diluc wasn't much of a talker, so it would be kind of obvious if you spent too much time there. But as soon as you entered, all eyes would go to you, who was the beautiful person who always captivated Diluc's gaze as soon as they entered that tavern?

But still, he would constantly send you gifts. He always left a message without saying his name, but by the way it was written you knew who it was. He always sent you candy, flowers, stuffed toys, and anything else you wanted and needed. Not only that, but every time you went out on some dangerous errand, he would check on you as soon as you got home. He wanted to make sure you were okay.

If anyone talked about the two of you, he would just dismiss it. Despite the rosy hue that appeared on his cheeks, all he would say was that you were a fellow professional, nothing more. But he would apologize to you every time he had to say it, because he hated having to say such a thing. You were his romantic partner, and he needed to reaffirm that to you.

And if someone tried to flirt with you, Diluc would push them away from you at the same moment. He was just being protective, that was the excuse he said whenever Kaeya teased him. But the truth was that his blood boiled every time someone tried to take advantage of you, he just wanted to explain to everyone that you already had someone, and that someone was him.

Childe:

It wasn't hard to guess that Childe's main reason for keeping this relationship behind closed doors was his job. He was part of the Fatui, involved in a lot of bad things, and almost no one liked their attitudes, and Childe was no exception. So to avoid these things getting back to you, he thought it best to do it this way.

But it was very, very difficult for him to be discreet about you. He was one of the most extravagant men you've ever met, and he just couldn't hide it. He was always very close to you, so close that sometimes he left the obvious exposed. So much so that sometimes you had to pick on him, just to tell him to be more quiet.

He would even listen to you, and understand. He'd soon try to do things the way you said, but he'd forget and go back to acting normal for the next five minutes. He would buy you whatever he thought would suit you, be it clothes, earrings or necklaces, all kinds of accessories. Sometimes when you went out together, you would come back with bags full of everything he had bought for you.

Childe was not at all careful when it came to meeting you. In fact he would meet you at your little place, but he would go replete, full of pampering, just let it be known to anyone who saw it, he was going to meet his beloved. Not only that, but he would leave his clothes at your house every time he went there, leave various other belongings at your house, just to have an excuse to come back.

He liked to go out with you, especially in public. This is because he loved to show everyone what 'close friends' you were. If someone asked what you really were, he would just reply, "That's my companion, the most loyal and faithful one I have!" With a corner to corner smile, proud to have shown you.

And he always accompanied you on your commissions, no matter when or how, he always went with you. He wouldn't let his beautiful partner go out alone like that, he had to be there for you. He would fight with you and help you in any way he could, he was quite the clingy one if you wanted him to be. And sometimes he would pray that you would get some commission that would go somewhere far away, just to have the excuse to be alone with you.

The word was simple, hate, he just hated it when someone belittled you, he couldn't help himself. He would teach that person a lesson, a sort of veiled threat, because if he heard it again, that person was screwed. He would go to great lengths to make sure that no one spoke ill of you, you were too good for anyone to have any kind of complaint.

Alhaitam:

As the great sage of the akademiya, Alhaitam might even have some who didn't like him very much, indeed. However, what he didn't want was for people to gossip about you, especially since you had a high position in the akademiya. And he didn't want people to associate that fact with your relationship.

It wasn't too difficult to hide the relationship, since Alhaitam was someone with enviable discretion. But even so he couldn't control himself when you were around, he could be immersed in one of his books, yet if you passed by him, he would look at you with a slight smile at the same moment.

Because of his hectic routine, sometimes you didn't see much of each other. But that didn't mean that you were apart, quite the contrary. Whenever you left the akademiya late, he would call you to eat something, he had to make sure that you would not stay long without eating. And after that he would discreetly accompany you home, where he would say goodbye to you from afar. And if you were lucky, he might even come in.

Certainly when he wanted to meet you, he would call you to his house, and there you could be more comfortable. But he would also be the type to make up a lot of excuses to get you to come to his office, often he didn't even have a real agenda, he just wanted to spend some time with you. Most of the time, the two of you would just lose track of time, you would spend hours in his office. And let's face it, that was a good reason for some distrust from others, since you often left there a bit messy.

And if someone did something against you, be it a threat or a bad joke, Alhaitam would call that person to his office and give him endless tasks. This was his way of keeping anyone who was malicious away from you, as well as anyone who even thought of flirting with you. If that were the case, you can be sure he would pass on even more tasks.

But in fact he would love to join you in a reading, he would bring two cups of hot coffee to go with it. But really, he just wanted to chat with you, the book didn't make much difference anymore. And you were the only one who could make this man laugh, or at least the only one who could quickly undo his stoic expression.

Even if there were a few buzzers here or there, Alhaitam always managed to stop them. And frankly, the frown he made could scare anyone. Besides, being the great sage had its perks, and no one would want to take a punishment from him. Sometimes he used his position as an advantage, it was only fair.

Every time you needed to work on a project outside the akademiya, he would take the day off to accompany you. He would go as your supervisor, but you both knew that was just a big lie. But in the end it was like killing two birds with one stone, you finished the project, and you spent time with him, wasn't that wonderful?

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yyuangss · 1 year ago

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INAZUMA COMMISSIONS ( DILUC RAGNVINDR )

summary ! in an attempt to give diluc the best present for secret santa, you spend some time to know more about him. though, the dawn winery owner has some unique tastes.

tags ! diluc ragnvindr x fem reader, fluff

word count ! 5.2k

note: hello hello @umgatochamadopercyval !! i got you for the @2023gisecretsanta event 🫶 i got a little carried away so i’m very sorry for the word length 😭 either way, i hope you enjoy it MWAH <3 i had a lot of fun writing this for you !!

When Barbara approached you asking if you’d like to be part of her Secret Santa event, you immediately agreed. She said she was going around inviting people she knew would be interested in participating.

You asked her who else had decided to participate in the event and she named a few others. Lisa, Kaeya, Sucrose, Venti, a few sisters from the Cathedral, Eury, Donna. All people you knew well since they constantly came to Good Hunter and you spoke to them while they waited for their food.

Barbara said she was still asking people to join. So once she had an even number, she’d go down a list and have them pick out a paper to see who their Secret Santa was. Everyone would get a month to find the gifts. Then, the gifts would be revealed at a Christmas party she was working on.

Nearly a week and a half after that, Barbara came rushing over to Good Hunter with a small bag in her hand. She was her usual cheerful self and more now since the Secret Santa event she planned out.

“(Y/N)! Do you have a moment?” Barbara asked, waving and standing near the side of the stall. She had been waiting to see when it would be available. Her smile showed just how excited she was.

“Give a second!” You said, smiling as well. After taking the current order and the customer went to sit down at one of the tables, Barbara approached. She showed off the small brown bag and you knew what she was hinting at. “How many people did you get to join?” You asked, making sure to wipe your hands clean.

“I got thirty people!” She said, holding the bag open. The number made your eyebrows raise. Barbara was very serious about this. You peered inside the bag. Small red and green sheets of paper were mixed together. The amount was smaller than what Barbara had said so you assumed she already went to some of the people.

You reached in, grabbing one of the slips at the bottom of the bag and pulled out a red slip. Barbara closed the bag once you got your person. She made sure the strings on the bag were tight so nothing would fall out.

“Could you check it to make sure you didn’t pull your own name?” She asked. You nodded your head.

“Of course!” You said, opening the slip of paper. You wondered whose name you ended up getting out of the bag. It would make shopping and searching for someone’s gift a fun experience. Hopefully it was Lisa. There were several new books you wanted to get for her and replace a few worn out books in her library. That was until you read the name of the person who would give you the most trouble searching for a gift.

Your smile faded slightly. In black ink, Barbara had written Diluc’s name on your slip. Her star and balloon drawn decorations on the paper made it more exciting than it actually was. Of all thirty people who decided to participate, you were the unlucky one stuck with Diluc. He wasn’t a bad person but you didn’t really know enough about him.

“Nope. Didn’t get my own name.” You said to Barbara, folding the paper in half again.

“Great! Thank you again for joining!” She exclaimed happily. “Remember not to tell anyone and you have a month from now.”

She waved before heading off. She needed to catch the rest of the people and hopefully finish this by the end of the day. As she sped towards the building of the Knights, you stared at her cursive handwriting.

The red haired male came into your mind. What were you going to get Diluc for Christmas? He was a reserved character. You couldn’t name a single thing he liked except grape juice. And there wasn’t anything else that stood out about him that would remind you of him.

For example, if it were Klee, you could have gotten her a new book bag or matching hats for her and Dodoco. Sucrose would be happy to get a new chemistry set. She definitely needed one after breaking a few beakers. Whereas Diluc… Nothing.

You started to think about certain gifts. Candles were a good option if that didn’t scream, ‘I don’t know you’. He never wore accessories. No rings, necklaces, or bracelets. Perhaps he didn’t like them but a hairpin from Liyue would be worth the trip. You let out a frustrated sigh, scratching the back of your head.

Was there anyone who knew what he liked that you could ask them?

Well, there were a few people. Now that you think about it, asking them probably isn’t a good idea either. Donna was off the table. You aren’t sure how far her title as a fan of Diluc’s went. And you also didn’t know if Barbara had asked her to be part of the event. That means Donna would definitely get jealous since you got the person she wanted.

Next was Kaeya. Asking him was fifty—fifty. He was rather sneaky and playful. Definitely the type of person to come up with a lie so you’d gift Diluc something he hated all because Kaeya wanted to mess with him. Or maybe you’d get the lucky half and he would be kind enough to actually say something his brother likes.

Then the people who worked for Diluc were also not a good choice. For one, you didn’t know them well enough to know if they’d keep this a secret. Two, they probably didn’t know Diluc well enough to tell you what he liked or disliked the most.

You were already stressed out, even if you had an entire month. You carefully stuffed the slip of paper into the front pocket of your apron. Thankfully, you were going on your break soon. You tapped your fingers on the countertop as you thought of what to do.

The worst idea yet came to your mind. You were just going to have to ask Diluc himself. You can't blurt out and reveal you got him for the Secret Santa event. Since your conversations with him are very brief, in order to do this, it needs to be in the most discreet manner possible. That way, it won’t make him get suspicious of you.

“Diluc!” He heard his name being called. Instinctively, he looked over at the tavern entrance after passing a customer their drink. He saw you approaching the bar while smiling at him. “How are you?”

“(Y/N).” Diluc gave a curt nod and picked up an empty glass cup. You sat down on a stool, watching him clean the area for you with a wet rag. “It’s good to see you. I’m doing fine. I assume your shift has ended?” He motioned to your uniform. You occasionally came to Angel’s Share when you were off the clock. It was just to relax for a few minutes and socialize before heading home for the day.

“I’m on my break right now.” You said. You scouted the first floor to see who was here. The floor was nearly deserted, only consisting of the tavern’s usual customers. You turned back to Diluc, thinking about the slip with his name on it in your pocket. “What about you? Are you leaving soon?”

“No. I may be here all day.” Diluc said. You needed to make this worth the while. No way were you leaving the city to go all the way to the winery. “Charles wasn’t feeling well.”

He finished wiping down the counter and threw the rag over his shoulder. He didn’t have his coat on since the tavern was relatively warm. The weather outside was getting colder as the days went on.

“What can I get for you?” He asked.

“A berry and mint burst.” It was what you normally got whenever you paid a visit.

As Diluc grabbed one of the glasses to make your drink, you thought this would be a good time to ease into the conversation. He seemed concentrated on making your drink so he probably might not be too responsive. Either way, you needed to try.

“I feel like we don’t talk a lot.” You said, as Diluc poured the light blue liquid into the cup. He let out a confused hum at your statement and set the bottle back down. He stepped away from the counter, searching for the remaining ingredients that belonged in your drink.

“And what do you mean by that?” He sounded as intimidating and serious as he always did.

“We don’t talk a lot.” You said. He carefully pushed your drink in your direction. “I think we’re more acquaintances than friends. Don’t you?” You grabbed your drink in one hand.

Diluc rested on the counter as he narrowed his eyes at you. His gaze seemed to be studying you instead of being mad at something you said. The guy sitting next to you left a few Mora on the countertop and left the tavern. He also left behind two cups to be picked up and cleaned.

“I say the same, yes.” Diluc said, scooping the Mora on the wooden counter.

His responses are repeats of what you say. It makes it feel like he’s simply not interested in having a conversation. Plus, he is always seen with an uninterested expression. His personality is nowhere near Kaeya’s.

Getting Diluc to talk is harder than you thought. At this point, you wanted to be straightforward and admit what you were truly here for.

“What’s your favorite thing about yourself?” You suddenly asked. Too strong of a question. He would figure out what your intentions were by it. Diluc raised an eyebrow as he dried one of the cups with a different rag than the one from earlier.

“What’s my favorite thing about myself?” He repeated your question. He glanced down at the cup before turning around. He sorted it out with the stack of cups used by tavern customers. You heard him say the question again but much lower this time. Eventually, he crossed his arms, staring at the wall before giving his answer. “I love my long, luscious and luxurious red hair.”

“Wait— What?” You sputtered.

“I answered your question. My favorite thing about myself is my hair.” Diluc faced you. He had his normal stoic expression. Was he telling the truth or poorly executing a joke? You squint your eyes. Diluc’s hair was well taken care of. Out of all his features, his hair and the color of it stood out the most. The length of it also suited him. Diluc with short hair was like a nightmare. Maybe because he never wore it in any other style except his ponytail. “Is that not something I can say?”

“No, no,” You said, taking a sip from your drink. The minty taste made your eyes water. “I didn’t expect you to say that. I thought you would have said your eyes. Your hair is really pretty.”

He managed to make his hair look like silk. There had been times you were tempted to touch it. As you put your cup back on the wooden counter, you thought of your next question.

“How do you get your hair to look like that?” You placed your chin on the palm of your hand. Whatever routine he said, you might need to start using it.

“Slime condensate.” Diluc petted the tips of his hair. Your expression changed to one of disbelief. “It needs to be the thick hydro slimes from Inazuma. I like to get them from Watatsumi Island since the area is surrounded by water.”

You had to take some time to process what he said. The infamous Dawn Winery owner put slime in his hair to keep it “luscious” and “luxurious” at all times. You had never heard of anyone putting slime in their hair. You scratched the top of your head. Whenever Diluc said something new about himself, the idea of giving him a gift for this event seemed impossible.

That wasn’t the only time you went to Angel’s Share. You went back for an entire week, trying to pry information out of Diluc. There needed to be one thing he liked and was willing to share with you. The only problem with that was to have him stop talking about his hair.

“I love my hair color. Did you know it’s natural?”

“It’s so hard to keep it this soft. If the slime isn’t from Inazuma, my hair gets all tangled.”

“Cut it? No, I’d never cut it. I’ve been growing it out since I was a child. My father’s hair was exactly like mine.”

You didn’t take him as the narcissist type or the kind of person to be full of himself.

Your last hope at getting him a gift was what he used for his hair. Diluc let you know what the process to get the slime condensate was. He said it is called an extraction. It was harmless to the slimes. In order for this to happen, he or someone else would grab hold of a slime. As this is going on, the other person will begin to pluck out condensate from under the bottom part.

You weren’t going to make it to Inazuma and return to Mondstadt in time for the party.

Sara went with you to find Herta and ask her to send your commission over to Inazuma. She was a little skeptical at how overly specific but she said with enough Mora, someone over there would be willing to take up the challenge.

That was two weeks ago. The party was in a week from now. You started to panic. Did no one take up your commission? You asked Lumine to take an impromptu trip to Liyue and see what items you could find.

She agreed. The Honorary Knight protected you along the way. Thankfully, there weren’t any monsters that attacked you on your trip. Liyue had rarer beauties that cost a lot more. In the end, it was going to be worth it. You found the gift after hours of searching. This was reserved only if the condensate didn’t make it to Mondstadt on time.

“Pardon me,” A tall, unknown man approached since there wasn’t a line. You could tell he was from another region. He had a box underneath his arm. His white, puffy coat covered his entire body. The hood he had on covered the majority of his blue hair. With good reason. The cold weather this year was entirely different. At least you were near the fire. “My name is Kamisato Ayato. I’m looking for a lady by the name of (Y/N). She requested a commission in Inazuma.”

“That’s me.” You said.

“Ah, wonderful. This makes it all the much easier.” He placed the box on top of the counter. The gloves he was currently wearing were white while the inside had a sort of dark purple lining. He removed the hood from over his head, settling his hands on top of the mysterious box. “The person who did your commission told me to be very careful with it. He said he went out of his way to make it the very best.”

“Did you come all this way just to deliver it yourself?” You felt a little guilty but Ayato let out a chuckle.

“No, no. I’m the leader of the Yashiro Commission.” He waved his hand, “I’m in Mondstadt for the holidays. I thought it was a good idea to bring over your commission. That way you wouldn’t have to wait too long.” He patted the box before insisting you take it.

You pulled the box over, noticing how heavy it was.

“Anyway, everything has already been paid for on our end.” Ayato said, adjusting his coat. “I was also told to pass on a message to you. If you had any more… Specific commissions to be done in Inazuma, simply request for Arataki Itto. He’s more than willing to help.”

That must have been the guy who did your commission. You hope to meet him in person one day to thank him over and over for what he did.

“Thank you very much.” You flashed Ayato a smile. He did the same in return, “Enjoy your holidays and your stay in Mondstadt!”

“Thank you,” He bowed his head, “The same goes to you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way.”

As soon as Ayato was gone, you decided it was a good idea to open the box. Your jaw dropped at the contents. It was a lot more than you had asked for. Considering what was given, you had definitely underpaid this Itto guy. Either he was a perfectionist or he was extremely reckless.

The jars of slime were actually much bigger than you expected. Maybe you should have been specific on that as well. How many hydro slimes on Watatsumi Island had to undergo an extraction to get all this condensate? Even though Diluc said the extraction process is not harmful for the slimes and they’re constantly growing, you’re starting to feel bad for them.

At least it arrived at a good time before the party. With the slime condensate here, your gift for Diluc was ready. But you had both items. There wasn’t any point in keeping the second gift for yourself. Maybe it would give you a hint on what Diluc likes. Hopefully next year, Donna was the one stuck with him instead of you.

The party was being hosted at Angel’s Share. It was closed for the holiday and with his permission, Diluc allowed Barbara to have the party there. So long as she prepared all the decorations and food. He didn’t mind making the drinks since it would allow him to keep a better eye on Venti.

When you arrived, the ongoing scene was a bit of a mess. Barbara was apologizing profusely to someone. You recognized one of them. Ayato, the man from the other day. He laughed loudly when he noticed Barbara beginning to tear up. Next to him was a girl who had similar features. She chuckled softly when Ayato hugged Barbara and reassured her everything was fine. The girl had to be related to him.

“You’re here.” You heard Diluc’s voice. He had been at the bar but spotted you as soon as you came through the door. His eyes landed on the gift you were holding. “If you’d like, you can leave that over there. Barbara said we’ll open the gifts after eating and once everyone is here.” Diluc motioned to a round table in a corner. Several of the partygoers left their gifts either on the table or on the floor. Some were big, others small. You were curious to find out which one was meant for you.

“Okay, thanks.” You went over to the table and placed the gift next to one that was the same size. You weren’t about to carry that around all night. The glass jars were too heavy for that.

After you put your gift with the rest, you decided to join the rest of the crowd.

You found out that Kamisato Ayato was Diluc’s closest friend. He and his sister, Ayaka, came to Mondstadt to celebrate the holiday with Diluc. Last year, he was the one who went to Inazuma to visit the siblings. Barbara was apologizing because she didn’t know they would be here. And if she did, she’d prepare a gift so that neither would feel left out. They let her know it was an unforeseen event and she had no reason to apologize.

Bennett and Fischl were the last to arrive. Afterwards, Barbara asked everyone to come to the first floor and get their gifts so she could explain the rules. You placed yours underneath your chair. Jean sat next to you, keeping hers on her lap and making small talk about who she guessed you had.

The table in the corner was soon empty. Whoever went first, the person who received the gift would go next. So on and so on until all gifts were exchanged.

Donna decided to start the chain off. For an odd reason, she had two gifts. You all gave each other the same knowing look. One gift was meant for her Secret Santa and the other was obviously meant for Diluc. If anything, you were already aware she had selected a better choice in present for him. Except Barbara didn’t let her give it to him right away and told her to wait until everything was over.

She had Bennett. From Bennett, it went over to Klee. He had gifted the little girl a new backpack and a tiny one for Dodoco. Klee’s gift went to Razor. He might have been the happiest one from the night. Eventually the chain went around to Albedo who had just opened his gift from Lisa.

“For my Secret Santa, I got (Y/N).” Albedo handed you a wrapped box.

It had candy canes all over the paper and a giant bow on the top. You heard some rustling inside. You tore the wrapping paper off the sides. Removing it fully, you opened the box and your eyes widened in astonishment. Albedo had carefully packaged two glass cloches beside each other. They contained flowers sprouting on the inside. He went as far as adding grass to the base and making it seem like a small garden.

“I managed to find a way to preserve cecilias and glaze lilies.” He explained and helped you take one of them out to show everyone else. “I remember you said they’re your favorite flowers. These will never die even if you take the glass off of them. And you won’t need to water them either.”

“Thank you so much, Albedo!” You said, opening up one arm to give him a hug. He reciprocated the action. “And I love how you painted butterflies on the glass domes!”

“Actually, they’re called cloches.” Ayato corrected from across the room, making your attention go from Albedo to him. Ayaka ended up smacking his knee with her fan. The entire room let out a collective laugh at the two siblings bickering.

Your eyes drifted over to Diluc who sat next to the Kamisato siblings. It seemed like he already knew he was going to be next. Both of his hands are on his lap, waiting to get his gift. He was staring at you intently and tapping his gloved hand against his thigh. You set Albedo’s gift next to your chair with extra care.

“My gift is to Diluc.” You said. You slid out the wrapped box from underneath your chair. You had both your hands holding the bottom side of the box. Watching your step, you made your way to the other side of the room where Diluc was.

“Ah, this should be interesting.” Ayato said with a grin on his face. He shifted in his chair, body leaning towards his friend. He seemed more interested in the gift than the person who was receiving it.

“It’s heavy.” You said, nervously. You gently handed it over to Diluc.

“Thank you.” He took it in his arms and placed it on the floor between his feet. Ayato moved his chair closer to get a better view of what your gift to his best friend would be. Diluc waited until you sat back down in your chair. He began to unwrap the ribbon you’d tied around the entire box. He pulled on one edge of the lace, allowing it to unravel on its own.

After that was over, he lifted off the top of the box. You watched anxiously to see his reaction to your gift. When Diluc saw what was inside, a small smirk came on his lips. Meanwhile, Ayato scrunched up his eyebrows at the peculiar choice. He realized what the items were and why exactly your commission had been such a weird request.

Diluc kept the lid on his lap. He crouched over in his chair and pulled out one of the seven items inside.

In his hands, Diluc held a glass jar filled to the top with slime condensate. There wasn't only one in there. You had asked for a minimum of three jars in your commission and sent over enough Mora for their troubles. But, being the nice person he was, Itto decided to get you a total of—

“Six jars of slime condensate.” Diluc held it up in the air as if he was examining it. You started to feel a little embarrassed when he spun it around and showed it off the rest of the crowd. They each side eyed each other, wondering what kind of present that was. You actively avoided their gazes as they questioned your choice. Why did he have to start off with the worst gift? “I’m assuming they come from Watatsumi Island?” He said in a slight teasing tone.

Diluc’s lips twitched upwards when he glanced over at you. He shook the jar a little, the slime bouncing around. It clinked against the other jars as he carefully set it back into the gift box. Next, he moved onto the second gift. Right beside all of the six jars was a dark red jewelry box. It had a geo symbol carved on the top which Diluc knew you got it from Liyue.

He placed it on his lap and cautiously opened it since he wasn’t sure of what was inside. Inside, the box had a black velvety texture. It had two separate sections. Ayato heard his friend let out a small snicker before composing himself and turning it around for the remaining partygoers to see.

“It’s a matching hairbrush and a hair comb.” Diluc said.

Both the brush and comb were designed to be the same. They had been marbleized with red and gold. What stood out the most was the hair comb. The accessory had been made to resemble a phoenix. Its wings were outstretched and the beak pointed upwards. If placed in the hair correctly, it was supposed to give off the illusion the phoenix was flying.

“Oh, how beautiful.” Ayaka silently complimented.

The jewelry box closed with a snap and Diluc set it beside the six jars of slime condensate. He closed the lid of his gift and a wide smile spread on his face. For some reason, you felt like he found this entire situation hilarious.

“Thank you, (Y/N). I’m especially grateful for the slime.” He said. Diluc cleared his throat right after and the smile disappeared. He ended up picking up his gift and announced who his Secret Santa was. “My gift is to Sucrose.”

The remaining gifts were passed around until everyone had opened their gifts. They were all thoughtful and generous.

Everyone loved their gifts and it was perfect for their personalities. Yet, your eyes kept looking over at Diluc’s present. He had to be lying. The party continued as normal. People broke off into their separate groups, ate the remaining leftovers and treats, and played a few games. The gifts, held dear in everyone’s hearts, were forgotten at the moment.

An hour passed and you thought it would be a good time to leave the party. You put your coat on as well as your gloves. Thankfully, you didn’t live too far from the tavern. There should still be a few guards patrolling the city in case of intruders.

“I’m going to be leaving now.” You said to Barbara while holding your gift from Albedo. You wanted to thank him again only to find out he’d left with Klee a long time ago. The little girl was starting to get sleepy and tried to play it off that she wasn’t tired.

“You are? Aw, I wanted you to stay a little longer!” Barbara said. Diluc overheard your conversation and he had already slipped on his red jacket.

“Allow me to walk you home. I insist.” He said, opening the tavern door. Cold air rushed in causing his cheeks and nose to get rosy. “Barbara, if I don’t return soon and everyone has left, don’t worry about cleaning the mess. Head home as well.” He instructed before leaving the tavern right after you.

The door closed. Diluc fixed his jacket as he began following you.

He only had plans to drop you off at your home safely and return to the tavern. You were both walking in silence. You glanced out the corner of your eye. Diluc’s hands were in his pockets. He had a small smile on his face. It was starting to get to you. The smile had the appearance he knew something and purposely refused to tell you what it was. You exhaled loudly, deciding to confront and get it over with. It would be better for him to be honest.

“You didn’t like your gift… Did you?” You asked, stopping in your tracks. You tilted your head to the side and turned to face him.

“I did like my gift. Why would you ask that question?” He answered.

“Why are you smiling like that then?” You nodded your head. It was really in the most innocent and subconscious manner. Diluc didn’t want you to take it the wrong way so it was a good time to come clean. Especially since the hunt for gifts and the party was over. He left his gift in the tavern, right behind the bar counter so no one would find it.

“I have something to admit.” He said.

Oh. Your eyes widened slightly. You took a step back. Donna was going to be mad.

“I lied to you. I don’t actually use slime condensate in my hair.”

Oh. You narrowed your eyes at the man standing in front of you. Scratch that, you were going to be mad. The smile on Diluc’s face grew a lot more visible.

“What?” You finally spoke up. “You’re joking, right?”

“No. I’m not joking.” He shook his head. Your jaw dropped at the confirmation. “I don’t use it. If anyone does, they must be out of their mind to put that in their hair.”

“So you were faking the entire time?!” You shouted. He had led you to believe his hair was his favorite feature and that he cared for it the most. All those times he complained about running low on slime and he might need to find a replacement before getting his new stash from Inazuma. Pure lies he made on the spot. He was so convincing, you thought all he loved in life was slime condensate. “Diluc, you’re such a jerk!” You would have punched him if you weren’t carrying your gift. He grinned briefly at your weak insult.

“Is it my fault you were terrible at hiding you had me for Secret Santa?” He said. He began to walk again and you sped up to join him. You had to be honest. Your attempts were very pitiful when you spoke with Diluc that entire week. It’s much easier to talk with him at the moment than beforehand. “Though, I like your gift more than Donna’s.”

That’s an accomplishment.

“Are you sure six jars were necessary?”

“Leave me alone.”

#@ 𝐘𝐘𝐔𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐒 ★ ⸻ 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐓 #gixrsecretsanta2023 #favoniuslibrary #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact x you #genshin impact fluff #diluc ragnvindr fluff #genshin diluc x reader #diluc ragnvindr x you #diluc ragnvindr x reader #diluc x reader #diluc x you #diluc ragnivindr x reader #diluc ragnivindr x you

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sunvylovebug · 5 months ago

Text

Love garden

↬ Warnings: No warnings …⁠ᘛ⁠⁐̤⁠ᕐ⁠ᐷ

↬ Female!Reader and person narration (⁠*⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠*⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡

↬ Author Note: I love Diluc<3 I've written some other stuff with Genshin characters, you can check it out on my profile if you're interested<3

↬ Summary: The uncrowned king of Mondstadt has begun to develop feelings for his childhood friend.

↬ Word Count: 1,003 Words

Since childhood, Y/N and Diluc had been inseparable. They grew up together in Mondstadt, sharing games, secrets and adventures in every corner of the city. Their friendship was as solid as iron, forged by years of laughter and loyalty, of promises and memories, of good and bad times together, little adventures and tons of love and care for each other.

As time went by, they both had to take separate ways, separating for a while, but even after so long their hearts were still connected, it was impossible to break a connection that had prevailed alive for so many years after all.

While Diluc, after years of being away from the nation, assumed his role as the owner of the Dawn Winery in the mornings and the enigmatic, mysterious and heroic Dark Knight Hero of Mondstadt in the evenings, Y/N found her own purpose after studying at the Akademiya of Sumeru, returning to Mondstadt to tend to a small garden that had been built in the heart of the city.

One day, while Y/N was in her garden arranging the flowers and making sure everything was in order, Diluc appeared unexpectedly. Although his face showed a serious expression, there was a soft intensity in his eyes that Y/N had not seen in a long time. "Y/N, I've been thinking about you." Diluc said, slowly approaching. "Can I stay with you for a moment?"

Y/N looked at him with curiosity and a slight smile on her lips. The garden had always been her place of peace, the place where everything seemed more pleasant, more simple and peaceful, Diluc's presence made it even more special. "Of course, Diluc. You're always welcome here."

He sat near her, on a small bench of the place, watching how she worked with delicacy and mastery on her plants, she already had a good time taking care of this place. A pleasant silence formed between them, interrupted only by the occasional birdsong and the soft rustling of the leaves as they moved in the wind.

"You know..." He began to say in a thoughtful tone. "Sometimes when I see the flowers here, they remind me of what we've shared since we were children, the days in my father's garden, the sunny days where we played hide and seek with Kaeya or Jean, or when we'd go looking for bugs and flowers with you... The times when as children, everything seemed simpler."

She looked up from the flowers, looking at him with a mixture of surprise and affection. They didn't usually talk about their feelings this way, but she felt there was something different about the way Diluc was acting.

"Kinda funny..." She said with a soft smile. "Maybe it's weird for me to say it like this but I've always thought that this garden is like a reflection of various connections I have with people, especially our friendship. I take great care of it cause it means a lot to me, as you do too, Diluc."

He was silent, but his eyes shone with an intensity that Y/N couldn't ignore. Finally, he leaned a little closer. "Y/N, there is something I need to tell you." He began, his voice filled with an unusual vulnerability. "How I've felt about you has changed over time. You're not only my friend, but someone I truly appreciate more than I could ever put into words. You are a beautiful girl, you are strong and honest, you are charismatic and kind, you are sweet and brave... I could spend all day talking about how I see you... but I'm scared, I don't wanna lose you because of the things I feel for you."

Her stomach flipped over, she felt her heart beating faster, her cheeks flushing as she listened to Diluc's heartfelt words. She wasn't sure how to respond, but the sincerity in his voice moved her deeply.

"Diluc, I've felt something special for you too, for a while now..." Admitted Y/N in a trembling voice. "But I- I didn't know how to tell you. I was afraid it might ruin our friendship."

Diluc smiled, a gleam of relief in his eyes. "You don't have to fear that, Y/N. What I feel for you has grown over time and I think it's something worth feeling together, if you'll allow me."

With a gesture full of tenderness Diluc took Y/N's hand, looking at her warm and comforting eyes with an expression that blended love and affection that became overwhelming to the young woman's melting heart.

"Let me show you how special you are to me, not only as a friend with whom I have spent countless moments together, adventures and good times, but as someone I wish to protect, care for and love as long as you and life will allow me to."

With her heart overwhelmed with emotion, she nodded slowly, looking into his eyes, nervous and excited by his words. Her trust in Diluc and the love she felt for him came together in a moment of pure connection. "I'd love to do the same, Diluc."

He ran a hand around her waist with a gentle smile and a soft shade of pink on his cheeks. He held her chin with his gloved hand and looked down at her. "May I?"

It was the happiest day for both of them. She felt like she would faint soon from so much emotion her heart was feeling, she nodded shyly and it was then that Diluc brought their lips together gently, a tender kiss full of the love and affection they felt for each other.

From that day on, the garden became an even more meaningful place for them, a place to spend time together and create many memories.

Each visit was a mixture of laughter and intimate moments, as Diluc strove to show his devotion and affection in every gesture and action. Through the seasons, through time and through life's changes, their new relationship blossomed so beautifully, just as the flowers did in Y/N's garden.

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circyexistforcontent · 2 years ago

Note

My overworld team is Diluc, Kaeya, Venti, and Zhongli. I love all of them equally, but as a tiny goldfish player, my primogems are limited. Still, I bought Diluc his Red Dead Night skin (he's carrying the giant tuna but I swear he'll get Wolf's Gravestone the instant it comes home) and both Kaeya and Zhongli have the BP weapons. And my beloved.... DPS Venti with R5 Stringless but 35k tap e. This team is a full DPS team,,, ehe?

TEAM COMP: DILUC, KAEYA, VENTI, ZHONGLI

♥ Kaeya and Zhongli just stare at the person they don't like getting more attention from the Almighty God. Diluc is just blushing at the new outfit he got from you. You dressed him up like a doll, will he say anything against it? N o. Venti is frolicking around Monstadt as he flexes his artifacts and bow. Because of this, there is a lot of bad blood around the team since neither of them like the other. Kaeya and Venti as well as Diluc and Zhongli may tolerate one another, they still have their guard up.

♥ Diluc is flustered about his new clothing, you really went on your way to buy this for him? Very well, he will cherish this and do his best to maintain the cloth for as long as he exists. He gets frustrated whenever he gets hit by a charged arrow, inspecting his coat and tunic to check if it has left a burn mark or tear. Sighing in relief that there is no such thing. He ignores how Kaeya rolls his eyes or scoffs whenever Diluc combs his hair back into a neat ponytail. He needs to look his best for the Almighty God, he can't waste how much money you spent to make him look like this. When he's participating in challenges he makes sure to kill the enemy as swiftly as possible, he needs to prove his worth. He has to pay back the kindness that you've shown him!

♥ Kaeya likes his new sword, when he does his idle animations he realizes how light and sharp the BP sword is. But still, he hungers for more. He doesn't mind that you didn't give him a new fancy outfit (that's a lie he really wants a new fancy outfit-) but if you focus more on the other team members he would turn salty and snarky towards them. It's a challenge since he is only a 4-star character and the rest are 5 stars, but does that really matter? Honestly, he never understood why vision holders are ranked. Everyone has just as much potential to overpower one another. And he is willing to prove that.

♥ Venti is so smug. Everyone! Move out of the way, the favorite has arrived. He doesn't outright say it but he makes sure everyone knows just how insignificant they are compared to him. Zhongli was tempted on multiple occasions to squish the green bard with a meteor if he doesn't learn to shut the fuck up. But he couldn't, even if he wanted to because of ✨Game mechanics✨. Venti does his best to prove just how great of a DPS he is, killing opponents with one charged arrow and forcing his HP to be high. He is the most envied teammate (what a surprise) and he loves it. He revels in their jealousy with a smile on his face. He doesn't care if Diluc has a shiny new outfit, it's not like his looks will be useful in challenges.

♥ Zhongli is just sitting over there, holding back the jealousy that threatens to spill over. He adores the spear you handed him, and he makes sure to polish it every day so it still shines as bright as the first time you gave it to him. He's ashamed to say that...he is jealous., of Venti. He does appreciate all that you do him, but...why not him? He knows he shouldn't be questioning your actions but he can't help but wonder about the possibility that it was him that you chose as your main DPS.

♥ Arguments are frequent, but the fights aren't physical. Venti would commonly be drunk which makes him easily irritable and as a result, would commonly start verbal fights with the other team members. Kaeya and Diluc have a little contest going on to see who would do more damage than the other. And Zhongli is just there sighing at his team's immaturity. But deep down Zhongli knows he's just as immature as all of them when it comes to your attention.

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tenjikyu · 8 months ago

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𝘋𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 - 𝘔𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘬𝘪 - 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘝

౨ৎ ⋆｡˚ Finally, the finale! After wayyyyy too long , fluff, the ending idk how to feel about but you’re getting what you’re getting and I wanna be done with this series already + I need modivation to get back into writing , it gets pretty romantic with Freminet but nowhere near NSFW.

PART IV • GENSHIN M.LIST

Tag list - @fisbred @gimmealamp @lucianidealz @sleepdeprivedpotato @unemiart @camryn-ciel67 @aruaruru @danika-redgrave124 @bunbunboysworld @kaoyamamegami @aphxdea @red1sg0ne @sleepndacloud @squishyboo @ally674 @hoo-hoo @probablynoposts @junevtv @og-winnie @exrellian @f0th3rr @cb97s-laptop @moonjellyfishie

The familiar green bard before you took off his hat with a bow, sending a friendly wave towards the other three in the room, whom were sharing knowing glances. In the many times you recounted your story to them, the green bard remained consistent with each retelling. You spoke of him with the fondest eyes, and the siblings could almost feel the pure love the bard had for you even before meeting him themselves.

In a count of shock, you quietly excused the both of you to the fontainian siblings, before closing the door behind yourself.

The two of you went on an emotional and very much sentimental walk, reminding you of the days you would talk to Venti about your problems and your struggles. About how Diluc’s 180 change in personality once he came back from Snezhnaya was a scary turn of events. About how Kaeya’s icy attitude rivalled his vision, and how much it upset you. About how the knights and maids couldn’t seem to get off your ass, despite your best efforts at politely telling them to fuck off.

You reminisced about your time in Fontaine to the archon, and Venti only nod his head and gave you a smile as he walked alongside you, pretending that he hadn’t snuck into the nation countless times to check in on you. You spoke of your growing relationship with the Fatui member, and how the Hearth children had taken you in as one of their own. How Navia had taken you under her wing and you didn’t spend a cent whenever she was around. How you and the former Hydro Archon were each others comfort buddies whenever bad thoughts came to mind, and how you aided eachother into adapting to the new world around yourselves.

As you recited your amazing time spent in Fontaine, the more and more you realised to yourself that you really didn’t want to go home. In the moment, you wouldn’t have noticed it, but looking back on it, it was clear that was Venti’s intention the entire time. He knew you better than you knew yourself, and he could see the internal debate you had been having with yourself since the incident. And so, giving you the chance to clear your mind if the bad, you had come to the conclusion that you didn’t want to return to Mondstadt anytime soon.

“Mondstadt will always be the home of your birth, however it’s also the nation of Freedom. Freedom to fly wherever you want to go, and wherever you want to build your nest and settle down. No matter how long you stray from Mondstadt, it will always have a home waiting for you.”

Venti’s little speech had you in tears, and he opened up his arms just like all those years ago.

In a world full of uncertainty and the unknown, the arms of an angel would always be there to embrace you.

“At last, we’ve made it back to Fontaine!” Lyney practically combusts. Everyone around could see how dearly he was missing Fontaine, especially his twin sister who heard ALL about it.

“Hey (Y/N), wanna go for a dive later?” Freminet questions out of the blue, and you nod your head. You knew whenever he went into the ocean unexpectedly, in this case the second you got back from a LONG trip, that he had something private he wanted to discuss with you, and so you made sure to never decline.

As the day came to an end, you prepared your diving gear that freminet had ever so graciously bought you for your birthday (yk him being rich and all, fatui money goes hard) and met freminet at the rendezvous.

As he took your hand in his own, he guided into the water as he’d done dozens of times before. The oceans of Fontaine never seized to amaze you. Its gentle touch soothed your skin to the core, and as you descended into the depths of the ocean, Freminet never once let go of the grasp on his fingers.

The two of you enjoyed what the ocean had to offer you. Freminet tended to stick closer to the top of the water when you accompanied him, too paranoid to take you deeper as you weren’t as experienced as he was. Regardless, you continued admiring natures aquatic gifts. You found pearls, danced with domestic blubber beasts, picked flowers and located lost treasures. All the whole, Freminet was yet to let go of your hand, not because he was afraid of you running off, but because he simply refused to let go.

Freminet never wanted to let go of your hand.

Freminet never wanted to let go of you.

The skies soon turned dark, and signs of a storm were appearing, so Freminet was quick to escort you out of the water. What was originally subtle signs of a storm was now a full blown storm, and running back to the gates & all the way back to your home, all the while laughing your asses off, was having you fall further and further in love with every step you ran.

By the time you made it inside, the lighting was begging to strike & you immediately went to lighting a fire in order to help the both of you warm up. Freminet removed his cost he chucked over himself when collecting your left-behind gear, and it suddenly dawns on you how beautiful Freminet was on the outside. You always admired Freminet’s inner beauty, his charming and reserved nature, yet sticking up for himself and his own if needed, but you never really took the time to admire how gorgous he truly was. His hourglsss waist, his long golden hair, his long eyelashes, his slender thighs. His form captured your attention, and it didn’t take long for Freminet to catch your gaze.

“(Y/N), is there something on my face?” Freminet questions,

“Nah, come sit down by the fire, you just be freezing” you murmur out, patting the ground next to you.

The both of you sit in comforting silence, a common occurrence between the two of you. But for the first time, a bubbling urge rose from your stomach.

You wanted his lips.

You knew how he felt, and you had for awhile. Freminet kinda… sucked, at hiding his feelings for you, especially his ruined confession. And so, you decided to take the lead for once.

You slowly grabbed his chin, and his eyes widened in surprise. You slowly took his face in your hand, and tilted your head as you neared his face.

He didn’t take his eyes off you the entire ordeal, and as he closed his eyes, you took it as a sign to finally seal the deal.

You gently pecked his lips. It was somewhat quick and gentle, however when he leaned in and kissed you again, you couldn’t hold back any longer.

Freminet slowly moved into your lap, kissing you not with lust, but with passion. You grasped his slim waist and continued the assault of kisses on his face. The both of you continued your passionate yet loving make out session until you were both out of breath.

As you parted away from eachother, Freminet took your cheeks in his frigid hands and pecked your cheeks, before cuddling into your lap. Leaning against the couch, the both of you held eachother closley, absorbing eachother’s warmth.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited to do that” Freminet giggles, before cuddling closer into your neck. You sighed gently to yourself, before shaking your head lightly.

The both of you fell asleep embracing eachother that night, and suffered the consequences of not properly washing up after being in the rain. (Lyney fussed over the both of you, cooing at how cute the both of you looked with bright red cheeks and blocked noses. Lynette, ever your saviour, made herbal tea to quench your aching throats.)

A knock was heard at the door of the Winery, and Diluc’s curiosity heightened. First, Kaeya had received a letter in scribbled handwriting to meet at the Dawn Winiry (with a cheeky drawing of a certain musician at the bottom of it), leading Diluc into letting him in. Then, the charming melody of a lyre enveloped the air, which seemingly had no bard tuning it.

Now, a knock at the door?

Kaeya and Diluc looked at eachother, and decided to open the door. After all, the person knocking is either someone else who received a letter or is the mastermind behind this little scandal.

And so, on the count of three, the opened the door.

Three…

Two…

One..

“Hey Diluc, Kaeya. Long time no see, huh?”

Thank you to my OG DWH series followers, I can’t thank you enough for the patience with me and this series. Hope this didn’t disappoint.

#genshin impact #genshin #genshin x reader #genshin x male reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact x male reader #ragbros #diluc #kaeya #freminet #freminet x reader #freminet x male reader #lyney #lynette #lyney and lynette

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zlebooks · 2 years ago

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11 — after school activites

you weren’t the most religious person, but the sight in front of you is making you pray so the ground can open up and eat you.

contrarily to how you feel, a lot of people would kill for your situation; four of the campus crushes are completely swarming you and every single one of them is vying for your attention.

“so… did you guys do anything more than a kiss?”

“what the actual fuck, kaeya?”

“what was i supposed to ask?!”

you can hear the infamous brothers bickering on your left.

“how much did childe pay you?”

“ayato, play nice!”

the childhood friends from your right keep each other in check.

you consider fake fainting just so you can get out of this situation; your current situation with childe is already way too embarrassing, adding whatever this is into the mix just makes you wish you hadn’t entered this predicament in the first place.

as you were about to shut your eyes and suddenly drop on the ground to scare the boys, your knight in shining armor finally arrives.

“you’re scaring her.”

a deep voice interferes with the bickering of the four, their conversations come to halt as they look towards the direction of the interruption.

you feel your heart beating erratically against your chest, and when the older man comes close to shield you from the others’ further investigation, you pray once again hoping that he’s unable to hear.

this is your first time this close to the student council’s president, and you silently thank childe for bringing you.

the guy turns his head to you, nodding towards your way, “i’m incredibly sorry about them…” he smiles apologetically, before glaring at his friends for displaying bad manners to childe’s alleged girlfriend.

“it’s fine! don’t worry, they didn’t bother me.” you lie, smiling back shyly while gesturing at the boys.

you think that mona is finally rubbing off on you after all these years; while before you would have not hesitated to call them out for their unruly behavior, you find yourself lying through your teeth in attempt to appease zhongli.

“i like you already!” kaeya whistles, cheering.

“can’t you see that she’s lying?” his brother, diluc, snarks before muttering something along the lines of ‘that’s what you get for wearing an eyepatch’ under his breath.

“just because everyone can’t stand you doesn’t mean it goes the same for us,” kaeya bites back but diluc remains unfazed, as if this occurrence happens frequently with them.

a look of disapproval from zhongli is all it takes for them to shut their mouths, and you almost laugh at how submissive they are under your crush’s command.

“why childe?” ayato, whom you know as ayaka’s older brother, asks out of nowhere.

“huh?”

“looking at you, zhongli’s more of your type.” he continues and no one dares to move at this.

you could feel the sudden shift in the air around you. it became so much heavier, the oxygen you’re breathing feels unpleasantly still and damp— like it never went fully into your brain.

“are you using childe to get closer to him?” he points towards zhongli and you feel as if the air inside your lungs has been knocked out.

in the first few moments you have ever spent with ayato, so far you have gathered two things:

first, ayato is a major douchebag; he’s a complete gargoyle compared to his angel sister.

and second, does he know about your arrangement?

a snarl from your left comes defending you, “that’s low even for you.” and obviously tense kaeya says as ayato remains unmoved. you see thoma nudging the kamisato beside him, trying to pacify the quarrel that’s about to start.

“that’s enough.” your knight in shining armor says, his voice vibrating throughout the ground, “i called the four of you here to help around, not to bother one of our volunteers. now scram and do your jobs as student leaders.”

ayato finally backs down, shrugging as he leaves. thoma is quick to follow, although unlike the former, he mutters an apology on behalf of his friend.

kaeya takes a step closer to you to which zhongli responds with an intense gaze, but as the blue haired boy makes his intentions clear, the council president finally lets him through.

“don’t mind ayato, he’s probably joking around. besides, that’s just how he is with childe,”

“he’s doing bad as a friend then.” you respond curtly to which kaeya snorts at. “i really like you.”

the brothers take their leave, with the younger telling you he’ll see you again.

as you’re now left with zhongli, you start to notice the symptoms of nervousness all over your body. you begin to sweat buckets of water, your hands turning clammy, and your heart resumes to beating loudly against your rib cage. as much as you’d want to flee from the scene, you are unable to do so as invisible vines are holding you still.

“once again, i’m deeply sorry about them.”

“it’s fine! i… it didn’t bother me anyway, i mean.. it did kind of bother me but i didn’t take it to heart.” you manage to stammer out and great, now you look like an utter fool in front of him.

if your chances with zhongli were little before, now it’s reduced to zero.

“it doesn’t matter if you didn’t take offense in it, it doesn’t change the fact that ayato has overstepped his boundaries.” the older reasons out, he offers a polite smile— the one that you offer to a complete stranger.

he gestures at the path in front of you, telling you that he’ll take you on a stroll around the school premises to show you around.

“i take it that childe brought you here to help?”

“yeah.” you try your best not to grumble at the mention of the ginger.

“and you agreed? you must be a good person then.”

you try your best to refuse telling him the truth— i’m not a good person zhongli, the only reason why i agreed is because i was promised to see you— it was complete irony that the reason why you’re in this situation anyway was because of your lying nature.

so instead of telling him the truth like how a masochist (or just an overly honest) person would, you settled for doing what you do best:

“a good person for helping around or for going out with childe?”

cover up whatever your dilemma is with comedic relief.

you feel zhongli forcefully straighten up as he tries to hold in his laughter; he does not know if it’s appropriate to laugh at the expense of his friend.

“the former, i suppose.” zhongli answers, “but i’m happy that childe has found someone.”

you momentarily still, turning around to the older as you try to decipher what he meant.

“even if childe seems to be surrounded by people, he does still feel lonely sometimes. not even us, his friends, can draw him out in that box he made for himself.”

“i noticed how he didn’t randomly withdraw from conversations these days. we wouldn’t have known that it was because of you if childe hadn’t revealed his relationship,” zhongli adds, he offers a twinkling smile, genuinely relieved that his friend might have found someone for him.

you gulp your own saliva in order to lubricate your dry throat and not because you could feel another wave of guilt eating you whole.

whatever made childe less lonely was definitely not you.

“well, i suppose everyone feels lonely from time to time,” you decide to comment, trying to stir the topic away. the man beside you hums, “maybe.”

“do you?” you tried to resist the urge to ask but to no avail. “feel lonely, i mean.”

zhongli stays silent and you fear you might have asked him something extremely personal, but when he turns to you to respond after thinking of his answer, your worry went away.

“from time to time.”

“well, are you seeing someone?” the other’s eyebrow rises to your question so you immediately supply, “i mean, you know… so you could feel less lonely?”

“i am…” he clears his throat, “i am not seeing someone. and if i did, it wouldn’t be for the purpose to feel less lonely.”

“oh.”

the revelation surprises you more than you’d like to admit and you’re left wondering why you feel disappointed when in fact, you should be happy. you should be shaking from happiness in your position right now; you just found out that your crush for three years is readily available and is not seeing anyone else. although things are completely different now because while zhongli is single and ready to mingle, you were everything not.

in everyone’s heads, most especially zhongli’s, you’re already going out with his friend.

it’s almost funny that the reason why you’re in a fake dating situation right now ended up being a completely false rumor.

fuck.

while you would normally jump at the chance of dating zhongli, you’re pretty sure you wouldn’t be able to do so without looking like a homie hopper. you honestly couldn’t care any less with how people would think about you, but you’re pretty sure you need to remain in zhongli’s good graces to actually date him.

plus, like childe would have said, you were already knee deep in this situation.

“besides, i find animals a much better company.” zhongli confesses and you feel your heart swell.

“you can tell a cat all your problems and it wouldn’t tell a single soul. you know their intent right off the bat; they approach you for food with no ulterior motives.”

“yeah, they can snitch on you to their cat friends though.”

zhongli chuckles.

“but honestly speaking, i find myself enjoying the company of animals more too.” you lie.

growing up, you never participated in the “are you a dog person or a cat person?” discussions because you weren’t really either— you have yet to make an attachment with one.

“i mean, i love my friends and all but sometimes you just need some peace and quiet by yourself.”

you see zhongli smile but only this time, it was genuine. as if you were now a level above than a stranger, the council president beams at you.

you feel a tug on your heart. (sure, you made him genuinely smile but did you really want it to be because of your harmless lie?)

“i’m glad you think the same.”

silence befalls between you two, and you relish at the quietness of your surroundings opposed to the ruckus earlier with his group of friends. he looks deep into your eyes like he’s trying to read your soul, trying to understand how your mind works and measuring the hours as he wonders if it’s the right time to bring up a topic.

“i volunteer at an animal shelter, i’d be happy if you could come visit sometime.”

you feel your heart soar as you realize that you were just personally invited by your crush.

“they have this old cat, she’s the kindest but she’s asleep most of the time.” zhongli’s voice reverberates through the ground, “you’d love her.”

“are you implying that she suits me well because i sit on my ass most of the time?” you jokingly accuse.

“i wouldn’t dare.”

you both pause for a moment before breaking into a fit of laughter; zhongli figures that you were refreshing, you knew when to take things seriously and when to jest. you’re a perfect match for his friend, because as much as he cherishes the ginger, he does think that childe needs a little bit of extra help in reading the room.

“what are you two laughing about?”

you hear a familiar voice interrupting your moment with zhongli.

“oh childe, you’re here.” you were the first to greet your ‘boyfriend’ and zhongli immediately follows suit. the redhead takes a step closer before putting an arm around your shoulders, pecking the top of your head as a greeting.

“should we call it a day and walk home?”

“ask zhongli.”

“ah, of course you two may go. childe is done with his duties anyway, and you’ve been a great help earlier today.”

“that was nothing! i felt like i did nothing much anyway.”

the ginger bumps his hips towards yours with such force that it almost ended with you on the ground. you sneakily pinch his side to which he almost yelps, “aH— you’re too humble, babe.”

“your extra hands were very much appreciated.” zhongli agrees.

“alright, mr. president. i’ll walk this girl home if you don’t mind.”

with zhongli quick to dismiss the pair of you, you were now on your merry way to the school’s gates to exit the premises with childe.

with childe’s arm draped around your shoulders.

“you have bad timing.” you angrily say.

“huh?”

“we were having a moment and like a huge cockblock you are, you interrupted us.”

childe snorts to your direction before retracting his arm from you. “you sure you weren’t imagining things?”

“fuck you.”

“gladly.”

“ew!”

“that’s not what others would say.”

“you’re such a child!” you exclaim before marching forward in an insane pace. you put at least a foot of distance between the both of you and you hear him yell,

“hence the nickname, sweetheart!”

god, were you really supposed to walk home all the way with him?

sitting down at one of the stools in the convenience store, you munch on the cookies and cream ice cream childe bought for you as you watch people pass by. you turn to him as he opens his mint chocolate flavored one.

“i still don’t understand why you like that.” you refer to the cone he’s holding.

“you wouldn’t because your taste buds aren’t fully developed.”

“you’re calling cookies and cream childish?”

“yeah.”

you dramatically gasp, slapping your free hand over your mouth as you look like as if childe had insulted your entire clan.

“you named yourself childe and you think my ice cream flavor is the childish one?”

the ginger snorts before placing a hand on his chest as if hurt, “i’m offended that you think my name is immature.”

“it literally is.” you reply accompanied with a roll of your eyes.

quitness envelopes the both of you and the next minute is spent with eating your ice creams in silence.

“you sure you don’t want to try mint choc?” he teases.

you don’t reply, only scoffing at the idea of you biting into the childe-saliva infested ice cream.

“why did you choose childe?”

“hm?”

“out of all the names you could have picked, why childe?” you ask.

“ajax is a warrior who dies in the end of his own tale; i’d rather be called childe that be reminded by my impending death.”

the both of you halt from further eating the sweet in your hands.

“well that’s just stupid.”

at this, childe snorts.

“of course you’d find it stupid.”

“was that supposed to mean something?”

“nope, it’s nothing.”

the both of you resume at licking your ice creams.

“is that all? i’m sure there’s a deeper meaning to it.”

your fake boyfriend grunts, as if slightly annoyed with the barrage of questions you keep on asking.

“i’ll tell you the actual reason for another time.”

“okay.”

“what about you? is there more to it for your name?”

it was his turn to ask and you try your best not to snark at him.

“it’s just y/n.”

childe raises an eyebrow, attempting to prod you for more information.

“that’s just it, i swear.” you tell him truthfully, laughing at how simple your answer is. “i bet i’m not even the most interesting person you know.”

childe scoffs, “give yourself some credit,” he says as he flicks your forehead playfully. “you were the first one with enough guts to kiss me without consent.”

you hit his arm with your available hand, your eyebrows furrowing. “when are you going to drop that?”

“never.”

you hit him in the arm again.

“okay, o-kay! i’ll s-stop!” he says in between laughter, before pointing at your face as he mutters ‘you should see your face’.

“we can give your name meaning, if you want.” the ginger says after calming himself down. this makes you raise an eyebrow at him; awaiting for whatever unseriousness that might come out of his mouth.

“y/n means someone who is bad at chemistry.”

everything stills and childe feels like he should run if he still wants to live.

he sees you raise your fist— a warning he supposes, that’s why he immediately tries to cover it up.

“—bad at chemistry at first but ends up being an expert because they’re hardworking?”

you scoff at how badly his attempt to make ammends with you went.

“whatever.”

“i’m being serious with giving your name a meaning though.” the male beside you tries once more. he smiles, genuinely smiles. for the first time, you can see how he looks like when he’s happy, instead of the usual playful and chaotic demeanor he has.

“what about let’s make memories and associate your name with it?”

“that’s corny.”

childe grins, “and stupid?”

“and stupid.”

childe breaks out into a laughter and you can’t help but to crack a smile.

“but yeah let’s do it.”

love equation [ prev / masterlist / next ]

embarrassed by your three year (and counting) long crush on zhongli, you suddenly claim you have a boyfriend. there enters childe, your crush's best friend and the one who'll either help with your lie or report you to the police for harassment. or in which caught up in a lie, you had no choice but to kiss the closest person next to you.

FEATURING: childe x she/her!reader, a little bit of zhongli x reader, other genshin impact characters! (they are too many to list)

TAGLIST: send an ask to be added! [1/2] @r0ttenhearts @afoxesgreed @kairxse @cameshitpost @xingqiusliegee @kalncallily @aiikalvr @rrasado @belovedxiao @kunisbeloved @raideneiari @multifandoms27-blog @xxyuixe @rifran @ode-to-spring @arraxthatsonjah @thedeadbitchwalking @miitchiji @kaoyamamegami @shrslair @ajaxstar @duckyyyx @kunikuzushicandegrademefr @dee-zbignuts @sashiette @goodthingimsam @bah1e @happycheesecakedelusion @diyonicus @blov3d @kavehmylove @jan-penakulu @tsunotaro-san @carmoronic @kunikuzushisbeloved @nottherealslimshady @tsukuyo-kou @lisaslittle-helper @xiaoyksa @keithsaccount @vampfishie @empathum @anneliese500 @katthehatt @dee-zbignuts @scaraslover @klementime @nachotrash @elouxia @crispynutduck @leafinapuddle @dazaiscum @divinekeira @slvdsjjk @alianaluvsu

fun facts ★

no fun facts for this update!

#genshin impact #genshin #genshin imagines #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin fluff #genshin angst #tartaglia x reader #childe x reader #childe imagines #childe fluff #childe angst #tartaglia imagines #tartaglia fluff #tartaglia angst #genshin headcanons #childe headcanons

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nerdiel-has-no-braincells · 2 years ago

Text

Through Glass

summary: Diluc blamed you, resented you even for events outside of your control or that you hadn’t done. Now alone, he reflects on his actions and the way he treated you

pairing: Diluc x you

cw: language, angst

a/n: I’ve been wanting to write something for Diluc that didn’t particularly end happy, and then I heard this song while on my way home today and instead of making it a love story like the lyrics suggest, I wanted to make it the opposite because angst

song: Through Glass - Hands Like Houses, lyrics will be italicized

It had been 8 months since you left. Today would have been your anniversary, Diluc remembered as he stared at the sky through his office window. His fingers were playing with a ring that he had bought for you. He planned to propose to you today if he hadn’t fucked everything up.

I’m told that love was golden

He was stupid. He was stressed about the pile of work on his desk and the upcoming Weinlesefest, an incredibly busy time for the winery. And yet he lost his anger on you constantly, ignored you, even hated you for no apparent reason.

Something to hold when the going’s tough

You hadn’t even done anything wrong. You did what he asked for help with, and when things happened outside of your and his control, he blamed you, his entire being becoming cold as he insulted you, tearing you apart with his words. And you took it quietly, looking down as he spoke, flinching at his words as tears formed in your eyes.

After 4 years together, you ended it, not being able to take his hot and cold attitude any longer.

And I’ve seen what love can mean when

It’s laughable, really. Because you were together for so long, he took advantage of your patience and kindness, took you for granted because you were always there.

The good times were always so good. Laying in bed on a rare day off cuddling, laughing and kissing. Everything seemed right in the world like you were both meant to be together.

Someone believes in you more than you ever could

But during the bad times, shit like how he treated you happened.

It cost him everything.

I felt that same, same rhythm in the same, same rush

You left a giant hole in his chest that could never be healed without you. Your touch is now a ghost, the feeling of being there but without actually being there.

Got that same, same feeling from the same touch

What else could he do now? He hurt you so badly. You used to visit him during the times when he would bartend, waited for him to come home safely late at night when he would become the Dark Knight Hero.

It’s like a wildfire growing ‘tween my head and my heart

He’s tried to check up on you ever since you packed up and stayed with your friend in Liyue. Your friend had gotten to the point where she asked him to no longer send messages in order for you to heal. Your heart was just as broken as his was.

He would always plan to visit Liyue, but his duties always called for him to stay here in the winery, to keep the Abyss Order mages away from Mondstadt.

He couldn’t take it anymore, he had to see you.

I can only wonder why I can’t see in color without you

Closing his eyes as he leaned into his chair, your face came into view. You were so beautiful when you first began to date. He was ready to open his heart to someone and he chose you, the only person who grabbed a hold of his heart. But when you left, that beauty went away.

The last time he saw you, you were packing your things and leaving your shared home within the winery. You looked haggard, the life within you dissipated.

And I don’t wanna try ‘cause I see all the colors surround you

He had done that to you. He used your love for him against you and it ruined you.

You light up the dark in me

He couldn’t take it any longer. He had to see you. He wanted to get on his knees and ask for forgiveness, for you to come back home where you belong with him.

You light up the dark in me

He realized his mistakes and he will promise you that you will be treated as you deserve. There will be no more bad days where his sharp tongue brings you down.

He made plans to leave for Liyue as soon as possible. He worked overnight to make sure his work would be taken care of. He didn’t want anything standing in his way any longer in order to see you.

I’ve heard, your vision blurs

Getting work out of the way, he made way to Liyue. He made sure his staff would take care of everything while he was gone.

He took the time as he traveled as to what he would say to you when he saw you. For the first time in months, he felt his heart beat against his chest. His nerves took a hold of him, but he refused to let that come between him and you.

Your stomach turns and you trip over every word

As the scenery changes from the Spring-like Mondstadt to the Autumn-like Liyue, he realized he was getting closer to seeing you.

I felt that same, same rhythm in the same, same rush

His heart pounded against his chest. As it began to grow dark, he had no choice but to stay at the Wangshu Inn. He was getting closer to you.

That night, he had the same dream he had every night after you left.

You were both in bed, naked under the covers as the two of you awoke at the sunlight shining in your room. You looked at him with heavy-lidded eyes as a smile grew on your face. The same smile had shown on his as he wrapped his arms around you, holding you tight.

It was a peaceful morning, one where he didn’t have work to do so he could laze about with you.

Got that same, same feeling from the same touch

Kissing all over your face, you erupted into giggles, playfully pushing his face away without actually pushing. He continued to pepper your face in kisses. He missed you so much.

To stop you from pretending to push his face away, he flipped you over to lay on your back, laying his body on top of yours as he continued to pepper your face. Your giggles turned into full on laughter and squeals as you tried to get away.

It’s like a wildfire growing ‘tween my head and my heart

Diluc’s laughter rang through the air along with yours. All was right in the world.

Waking up to the alarm he set, he quickly got ready and set out for the harbor where your friend lived. He was close as he could smell the sea and feel the cold breeze.

I can only wonder why I can’t see in color without you

Finally, he could see the harbor. A warm feeling grew within his chest. He was so close to you.

As he entered Liyue, he looked around for you, even asking the residents about you. They pointed him in the direction of your new home. It seemed that you moved out of your friend’s place and took up residence here.

His heart beat loudly as he made his way towards your home until he heard your laugh. It caused him to freeze.

And I don’t wanna try ‘cause I see all the color surround you

There you were. You walked around the corner with a taller man with long dark hair and golden tips. The world glowed around you as your beauty came back to you, all the exhaustion left you and he felt his body start to feel warm as his heart pumped loudly in his chest.

You light up the dark in me

Taking a step towards you, he thought of what to say to you. He practiced and thought it over millions of times but now that you were in front of him, he felt his throat clamp shut.

You and the man stopped in front of what seemed to be a mortuary and you continued to talk to him.

This was it. He had to call your name.

You light up the dark in me

The man’s hand reached up and pushed your hair behind your ear before cupping your face. He smiled at you, his eyes glistening with so much love. You had leaned into his touch and looked at him the same way before he leaned down to place a kiss on your lips.

Diluc froze completely. The glow around you only brightened as his heart ached.

You moved on. You were able to heal from the heartbreak you experienced and gave your heart to another.

Quickly turning on his heels, he ran out of Liyue. Once he was out of the city, he stopped. Summoning his claymore, he began to destroy the rocks around him as he yelled out in frustration.

Frustration of how he treated you.

Frustration for you moving on without him.

Frustration at himself for losing you.

He stopped swinging his claymore around and stood there, his breath heavy before the tears fell. He collapsed onto the ground, leaning against a rock he hadn’t destroyed and cried. He lost the love of his life due to his own mistakes. Even if he wanted to make it up to you, he no longer could.

It was all his fault.

You light up the dark in me

Not gonna lie, this broke my heart. I always have the need to give all of the bbgs a happy ending because they’re precious bbs who deserve to be happy

( ; ω ; )

Genshin Impact is created and owned by MiHoYo

#genshin impact #diluc ragnvindr #diluc x you #genshin diluc #nerdiel has no braincells #diluc x reader #genshin x reader

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m1d-45 · 2 years ago

Note

I don't know when, i don't know how, but SOMEBODY has ruined my day by giving me flashbacks of my most embarrassing moments from years ago.

Tongue frozen on the iron bars, check, had to alert the peeps to get the teach to bring hot water and she kept giggling at me.

The first time i tried proper kissing? Fucken awkward.

Accidentally mixing my coca cola glass with dads wine glass, and spurting it out with ews in a FUCKEN BUFFET?! FULL OF PEOPLE?! WHO TURNED TO LOOK AT ME AS MY FAMILY LAUGHED AT MY MISFORTUNE?!

Getting whacked in the head by a ball during gym class when a classmate threw it? AND they had the AUDACITY TO LAUGH AT ME! (And people wondered why i skipped that class-)

But honestly, i want schadenfreude and a creator x a hot guy (you can choose who, i'll take anyone at this point to ease me) with just these scenarios in mind, if you could.

i have found that even forced exposure can help with younghood embarrassment.

-🥘Stew

tongue tied

a/n: maybe this isnt what you wanted. maybe it is. idk i have writers block like you wouldn't believe man.

word count: ~6.5k

→ warnings: none? mention of alcohol and injuries but nothing awful or severe. just nice :]

→ g/n reader (you/yours)

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yuus3n || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay || @cupandtea24 || @genshin-impacts-me

< masterlist >

diluc is a man with many skills.

he’s led the dawn winery for many years and have taken hundreds of shifts at the angel’s share, every item on the menu practically muscle memory by now. he knew the regulars and their typical orders, he knew the quickest way to strip mint stalks of their leaves, how to stack wine barrels most efficiently and how hot he could make his flames without getting burned, practically every skill he could reasonably need mastered when he was young.

…practically was the operative word, of course.

in business, it was practical to learn how to perfectly sign his signature. it was practical to know how to be diplomatic, practical to know how to properly tie a tie or check if a suit was fitted properly, practical to learn all of the skills he’d need to be the head of the dawn winery when he was young, so that by the time it was him sweeping a heavy coat over his shoulders for a meeting, he’d have every ability necessary to tackle whatever faced him.

but of course, his “training” didn’t cover more… personal things. he was too busy learning dining etiquette to know how to make small talk—that didn’t revolve around one party trying to get something from the other, that is. he knew how to set tables and properly pour wine, but his greetings were industry-approved stiff, responses a standard dialogue that he had nearly memorized. everything he said was mapped out in his head far before he’d say it, neatly laid out in his mind as he guided the conversation where he wanted it to go. efficient for formal meetings, but it left him… he didn’t like the word ‘lost,’ but it was the only one he could reasonably apply.

diluc set down the glass he was cleaning, picking up another to keep his hands busy. yes, there was a formal dishwasher hired, but he didn’t like being idle. he didn’t quite know what to do or where to put his hands, feeling a bit exposed without his coat. the bar provided a wide berth between him and any customers, but he couldn’t quite get a handle on the easy banter charles had with the patrons during his shift. it was like he was locked in an odd limbo between work and rest hours; without his gloves, vest, or other protective layers, all shed to prevent them from being stained in the case that something went awry, but still needing to keep face in front of others. he didn’t have his gloves to pull down, no comforting weight of his coat, his vision on a clip on his belt instead of the knot it usually hung from. everything wasn’t quite where it should be, and he was reminded of that every time he reached or twisted in the right way and the small spikes on top of his vision pressed through his shirt and into his side.

he felt… exposed. lost. and he didn’t know what to do about it.

he looked up as the tavern door opened, whatever expression he had before falling away as he was brought out of his thoughts. relax, he tried to tell himself, but it’s hard to believe that when one of the worst reasons for his confusion just walked in.

you.

archons, diluc was awful when it came to interacting with you. his heart beat too quickly and a shockingly large part of his brain thought that this meant he was in some sort of stressful meeting, all of his words coming out flat. while in its intended environment that would keep him from losing his temper or showing any weakness, in here it just made him feel more weak.

your head dipped. “master diluc, captain kaeya.”

and his brother certainly didn’t help the situation.

kaeya had turned when you entered, and greeting you with a sweeping arm and a cheery call of your name. “i didn’t think i’d see you so late; how kind of the heavens to bless me with your presence once again.”

diluc’s jaw tensed, and he traded glasses again. the pile of dirty cups was quickly dwindling, in no small part due to his own thoughts. he tended to be a bit quicker at the rhythmic movements of washing when he was caught up in his own lackluster abilities.

you laughed, taking the seat next to kaeya at the bar. all at once diluc was hyper aware of every action he made, from the change of towels to wipe off the water lingering on the cup to the smallest twitches in his expression or shifts in his weight.

“got caught up in some last-minute stuff, a coworker needed my help. i do hope you weren’t waiting too long?”

kaeya’s eye flashed, and he downed the rest of his drink before launching into a clearly fake story, talking about how actually, in the half hour or so delay in your appearance, the angel’s share was stormed by hundreds of fatui.

as if either of them would let that happen.

you played along, though, asking questions in the right spots and getting him to spin the story further. diluc exchanged his glasses again, doing a double take at the empty rack once he did.

that was far from ideal.

“-right, diluc?”

he looked up in an instant, eyes flicking about as he assessed the situation. clearly, he’d missed some part of the conversation, but what?

you, blessed you, had noticed his confusion, a smile on your face as you rested your hand on your chin, leaning on the bar. “i don’t know, would you really waste a bottle of dandelion wine like that? surely your claymore would do just fine.”

with a sharp swallow and a quick prayer—not that that would do much, knowing the archon he was praying to—diluc took a chance.

“of course i would. one bottle is worth it to defend mondstat, and it’s quite unwieldy to use a claymore in such a confined space.”

he fought a grimace the second the words left his mouth. his tone was too flat, his words uninteresting, certainly less entertaining than whatever fantastical tale kaeya had spun.

you nodded, and he could thankfully see amusement in your eyes. “how noble, master diluc.”

kaeya cut in, picking up his empty cup. “if you can spare a bottle for the fatui, then you can spare a glass for the cavalry captain, can’t you?”

he took the cup, but added it to the dirty rack alongside the one in his hand, taking a new one and wiping it to remove any water despite the fact that he knew there was none. archons, when had he gotten so…

he pushed away that train of thought, pulling out a bottle as he set the fresh glass down. “certainly not. wine is to be drank and paid for, that bottle was… an unfortunate accident.”

“my my, you’re no fun.” diluc poured his glass quickly—”not too much, not too little, okay? a little more, a bit… there, that’s good. well done, son.”—and moved it in front of him, pushing the cork back into the bottle with the heel of his palm. he set it back in its place, and noticed kaeya’s eyes on him as he took a sip.

no, not him, on-

“not worth a bottle, but worth a new glass? perhaps i am a hero after all…”

why was he unsurprised he noticed?

“i don’t want it to stain,” he lied, knowing damn well that stained glasses was something he was more than capable of handling. kaeya hummed, swirling his cup once before you prodded him about his day and he was back to his usual self, talking with significantly less grandeur than his tale from before.

diluc tried to pace himself, being extra meticulous in his cleaning, but there was only so many times he could twist a glass before he had to accept that he was done with it. an odd sort of dread settled over him as he reached for the last cup. today was a slower day, and he normally didn’t run out of cups until everybody was too drunk to notice how awkwardly he stood behind the bar. but kaeya was too smart to get properly drunk, you’d just arrived, and the night was far younger than he’d like.

he was cleaning too quickly again. normally, getting everything he needed to done with fast was a good thing, but now it just left him uneasy. charles didn’t have this problem, and he didn’t even clean glasses during the downtime. no, he struck up conversation with every single person that sat at the bar, no matter how downtrodden or celebratory. he was naturally friendly, always knowing exactly what to say despite the fact that diluc would bet serious mora on the fact that he didn’t have the faintest idea what he’d say until the other person was done. if he thought about it… even kaeya had a script of sorts, a certain way to twist the situation back in his favor, but he managed to talk to people just fine. no, that wasn’t the problem.

the clatter of the cup in his hands on the drying rack pulled him from his mind. he shouldn’t be zoning out so much on the job, but what took his attention first was the fact that he was now seriously out of tasks to complete.

…beautiful.

“diluc? is everything alright?”

it’s your voice, surprisingly, that asks for him, and he fixes his expression in the split second it takes to look at you instead of the glasses. his mind reaches, grabbing the familiar sentence that must have left his lips a thousand times.

“everything is as it should be. why do you ask?”

a defense of his position, dismissing any ideas of weakness, and a prompt as to why that line of thinking was in discussion at all. part of him recoiled at the idea of treating you with the same recited lines he did a business partner, but he genuinely didn’t know what else to say. he was distracted, to come up with another acceptable response would make him hesitate, which would set off yours or kaeya’s alarms- or both, if he was particularly clumsy with his speech.

“did the glasses offend you, or something? you’re glaring.”

and yet, despite his prerecorded reliability, he is at a loss once more. genuine inquiries about his well-being were rare in the spaces he typically interacted in, and it didn’t help that he was still stuck in work mode.

“…they have not,” he decides, picking his language carefully. “i am simply thinking about something else.”

horribly vague, and would almost certainly warrant a follow-up question. before you even opened your mouth, he knew what you’d say.

“what are you thinking about? do you need help?”

the second part was a shock, but he blessedly had an answer for the first. “nothing important. it will be handled in due time.”

kaeya raised a brow, and diluc pointedly ignored his questioning look. it wasn’t often that he resorted to diplomatic language in the presence of civilians, but you… he could never quite think right when you were around. he could only hope you never misinterpreted his odd words as mistrust.

you hummed, changing the subject shortly after with a question about the vineyards, something about a particularly bad season for crops you’d heard from sara. he paused for a moment—an acceptable pause, he told himself, as most people did think before speaking—before settling on giving you an update on the winery as a whole. anybody that listened in would only find what they could learn by asking his workers, and no trade secrets were to be found in the fact that his grapevines were regularly checked.

with the slightest twitch of his hand, he realized he was speaking to you like a businessman again.

kaeya’s cup had emptied at some point, and diluc reached for the bottle of dandelion wine without stopping his sentence, a small nod from kaeya the only confirmation he needed to pull off the cork.

“the staff have been doing well, though this is shaping up to be a rather warm summer.” not that you asked, he notes, internally chiding himself as he pulls over kaeya’s glass. he considers swapping it for a new one to give himself something to do, but decides against it. he rattles off a few details about some dahlias that adelinde is trying to grow, how they keep seeming to wilt. he doesn’t stop talking to pour kaeya’s wine, eyes focused on his task as he continues talking nonsense about flowers. flowers. since when did he talk about the hobbies of his staff when asked about the vineyards?

he twisted the bottle as he pulled away—“this way any wine that drips will land on the back label. you don’t want the front to look messy.”—corking the bottle and forcing himself to finish this childish line of speech.

it wasn’t childish, not if you seemed genuinely interested, but any more and kaeya would have too much to leverage against him later. granted, he likely knew more about diluc than he’d like given how irritatingly good he was at reading people, but that was a problem for another day. for now, he let kaeya grab his cup on his own, wiping his hands of nothing as he waited for your response to what had certainly come off as nervous ramble.

your head tilted. “has she asked flora?”

“assumedly, or she had another worker do so for her. it’s not like her to let something rot like that.”

“that’s good to hear. and you?”

“pardon?” his hands had frozen, towel still in his hands, and he turned your words over in his mind. his reply had been instinctual, mostly to buy him time to think.

“how are you doing? don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to hear the winery is well, but you seem nervous.”

kaeya chuckled into his wine, and diluc’s jaw ticked.

“i am well, my apologies if i have worried you.”

“oh, alright… it can be hard to tell sometimes with you, i wanted to be safe.”

he knows. he’d meant his apology, but any sincerity was likely lost in whatever filter was placed between his mind and his mouth.

the air was awkward, and he didn’t know how to fill it. kaeya was looking at him, clearly expecting him to continue whatever tentative conversation was lingering, but he greatly overestimated diluc’s ability to do so.

he hung the towel back in its place, finally meeting his brother’s eyes. “behave.” they flicked to you, and his words were slower coming out. “make sure he doesn’t steal anything.”

you smiled, swearing on it even as the three of you knew kaeya wouldn’t do such a thing. diluc stepped out from behind the bar, grabbing a large serving tray and walking from table to table, collecting empty glasses.

maybe he was a coward for avoiding conversation- scratch that, he definitely was, but what was he to do about it? talk? that was already established to be off the table, and one could not typically make conversation without talking.

diluc shook off the topic, climbing the stairs to the second floor of the bar. all he could do was hope you didn’t hold it against him, or archons forbid think it were somehow your fault. hopefully you wouldn’t hate him by the time he managed to get his words in line with his thoughts.

diluc stared at the empty page in front of him, twisting the pen in his hand.

another skill he didn’t have. informal letter writing.

letters to merchants, fine, letters to buyers, he had a standard template for. letters to and from employees, informing him of upcoming leave or similar work related matters, all of this he was prepared for.

but this…

he sighed, watching as ink dripped onto the page, setting down his pen.

what did he say? what did he want to say? what was appropriate to say? you were rather close to his heart but how did he come across? would an inquiry about your well being be too forward? was a letter at all too forward? friends- no, you didn’t consider him a friend, right? or did you? how did people act around their friends? how did you act around your friends?

he tugged at his gloves, fiddling with the hem nervously. he’d finished most of his paperwork and had intended to take a break by writing you a letter, but… was it even a good idea? he- oh archons, he didn’t even know your address-

diluc crumpled up the paper in one hand, throwing it in the trash with the beginnings of an embarrassed blush on his face. writing a letter and not even knowing where you lived- he could count the amount of proper conversations he’d had with you that had progressed past basic small talk on one hand, and he wanted to write you a letter?

he covered his face with his hands, resting his elbows on his desk. papers shifted beneath him but he didn’t pay attention, his thoughts in circles.

he wasn’t an idiot. he knew exactly why his heart picked up when you were around, why he had to default to more familiar speech to not make an utter fool of himself. the entire reason he’d tried to write you a letter was because he wanted to clarify his behavior towards you, to hopefully build a prior relationship with you instead of learning about you by proxy from your conversations with kaeya. yet, in his hurry to fix what probably wasn’t even broken to begin with—he knew of his reputation, in reality you probably weren’t at all surprised at his inability to make small talk—he’d forgotten the most important detail.

on one hand, he probably could ask kaeya, or poke around in other ways, but that felt disingenuous. if he was going to try and… for now he’d call it making a friendship with you, then he wanted to do it right. of course, he didn’t know exactly what ‘doing it right’ entailed, but… he supposed he’d just have to guess.

diluc had learned a considerable amount in his childhood, yet none of his lessons taught him how to pursue a partner.

diluc swept his cloak around his shoulders, fastening the clasp with one hand and reaching for his vision with the other. with practiced movements, he undid the knot tying it in place, attaching it to the back of his other hand. he hooked his mask onto his belt and closed the door of his room behind him, walking down the stairs quickly.

“be safe, master diluc.”

“master kaeya has kindly informed us that the knights have a patrol for the whispering woods, so it would be wise not to stray too far.”

diluc paused at the door, mentally rearranging his patrol route with a nod. “thank you adelinde, elzer. pass on my gratitude, please.”

he pulled open the door to the manor, walking up the familiar trails and into wolvendom. his vision lit his path as his eyes adjusted, free hand affixing his mask to his face as he walked. since he couldn’t head as far north as he’d like, he’d settle for a loop around windrise and then one in wolvendom. not ideal, but it would have to do.

windrise was lighter than expected. a budding camp of hilichurls here, an abyss mage to the east (thankfully hydro, he’d been on a bad streak with pyro mages for a few days now) and a few slimes that got a bit too close to the merchant trails for his liking.

speaking of the trails, those were clean too. he snuck around springvale, keeping the hand with his vision on it tucked into his cloak to mask its light. hilichurls didn’t hang around this part of wolvendom, so unless he wanted to go shoving through wolf hook bushes for the chance to knock out a camp or two…

he looked between the two paths back to the winery. he could go through the gorge, or the typical way taken by his suppliers. the former was mostly guaranteed to have at least one or two monsters picking about, but it would be better if he cleared his trade routes…

it didn’t matter, in the end. he stepped out from the shadow of a tree, boot barely making contact with the dirt before he picked up the sound of another’s footsteps. heavy, quick, rapidly coming his way-

he summoned his claymore, turning north toward the sound, seeing a figure stumble from the bushes of wolvendom. they were wrapped in a too-thin jacket considering the weather, arm pressed to their chest. details were lost in the darkness, but he could see their head twist, how it snapped to him.

the figure waved with a shout to get his attention, and his heart dropped.

you. what were you doing up so late?

you jogged up to him, clearly out of breath, and he could see that you were holding an armful of unripe wolfhooks. “do.. do you know the way to springvale?”

by the archons, abyss, and celestia above-

“what business do you have there? it’s late,” he said, keeping his voice low. his hands trembled slightly in his gloves, eyes searching your figure for any injury. you had a nick or two on your arm, thankfully not bleeding, but everything else was obscured by shadows. you had clearly been running for quite a while, judging by how harshly you breathed, were you running from something? had you ran into trouble?

“i gotta get back to the city,” you explained breathlessly. “i kinda got lost in the forest.”

“lost?” his hand tensed around his claymore, the action reminding him it was still there. he dismissed it, crossing his arms to try and stabilize himself.

“long story, not worth telling.” you waved your hand, and he could see how it shook a bit. whether from adrenaline or exhaustion (both?) he knew he couldn’t point you toward mondstat in good faith. what if something happened to you? what if he’d missed a camp and you were attacked? you were weakened, tired, and his mind raced with all the potential injuries you could sustain just trying to go home-

“uh, stranger?” your hand waved again, this time to get his attention. “you with me?”

“the city’s too far. you’re better off seeking shelter at the dawn winery just up the road.” what was he saying? “besides, you could be injured, and not be feeling the pain due to adrenaline. let me walk you there.”

his heart hammered against his ribs, every single way you could reject him and then some swirling in his head. he was a stranger to you, you were clearly scared by something, and he directed you elsewhere out of what, selfishness? he knew that springvale was likely closer, that someone would be up and willing to help, and yet he was asking to walk you to the winery?

“are you sure? you don’t have to.”

“i’d rather not send you off when i’m not certain of your safety.” your eyes widened slightly, surprised at the care in his voice, and he forced his tone to flatten before you recognized him. “besides, the staff are friendly and willing to help. they’ll understand.”

you hesitated for a moment, then nodded, holding your wolfhooks closer. absently, he wondered if he had any at the winery. probably not, but he could likely ask-…

in barbatos’ name, how was he going to explain this to the staff?

“alright. lead the way.”

he turned before his expression could change, keeping his steps a bit slower than usual so you could keep pace easier. he wanted you inside as quickly as possible, obviously, but you had clearly strained yourself earlier. going quicker would only hurt you more, and it wasn’t as if there was any immediate threat. even if there was, he was confident in his ability to keep you safe. the trees lining the path were large, wide enough to protect you if trouble came up and he needed to use his vision.

he set aside that line of thinking, sparing a glance at you. you’d switched which arms held the wolfhooks, and in the more open light, he could see the small pricks on your skin where the points dug in. you winced when the fruit resettled, moving one away from your inner elbow, and he stopped walking.

“give me those. you’re hurting yourself.”

“it’s fine, don’t worry about it. we’re nearly there, right?”

“wolfhooks aren’t clean, you could get an infection. you’re supposed to harvest them with a basket and gloves, not carrying them bare armed.”

“you don’t have the thickest clothes either, what’s to say you won’t get hurt?”

diluc searched the small area of the path you were on, trying to find a compromise. his first instinct was to use his cloak, but his hair was tucked into the hood, and that with his silhouette would certainly give him away. his eyes caught on a tear in your jacket, just below the shoulder, and he held out his arms.

“use your jacket as a sling. it’s already torn from the forest, so it’s not the worst loss.”

firm solution, reasonable and immediate justification. he was doing it again, no matter how well it disguised itself as casual speech.

you gave in, thankfully, and he didn’t let the minor pain from the wolfhook’s points show on his face as you removed your jacket. it was as thin as it looked, and he found himself frowning as he helped you stow the berries inside.

still, it wasn’t his business. maybe if he were your friend he could suggest that you purchase a heavier coat, but… you were getting a new one anyway since this one was ruined, so that seemed like a null point to bring up.

he settled your stuffed jacket into your waiting arms, hands lingering for a moment to ensure your grip was stable. “better?” you nodded, and he began walking again. “good. and don’t forget to mention your wounds to the staff, the last thing you want is an infection from… why did you need wolfhooks?”

“bennett asked me to get some for him and his friend… i think razor is his name? but with bennett’s luck, he didn’t want to risk going in himself, so he asked me to help.”

diluc frowned. “why does he need wolfhooks?”

you shrugged. “he offered some mora in return, but i mostly accepted because i felt bad. his luck seems to ruin everything for him, the least i could to was try.”

“even at the risk of your own health?”

“the things you do for friends, you know how it is.” his hands twitched at his sides, curling into loose fists. did he? “but what about you? why are you out here?”

he thought over his answer carefully, mixing various bits of his typical sentences to craft a half-truth. it was getting easier, he noticed, but put that thought aside just as quickly as it came. “wandering, doing my part to keep the area safe.”

“that’s noble of you.”

it wasn’t. would you believe the same if you knew how selfish he was in his desires? he kept mondstat safe for himself, so that he could rest knowing he’d done what he could—he patrolled not out of some moral righteousness, but because it made him proud to know that he’d chipped in to the city’s safety, that he was handling threats the knights didn’t, that he could keep his staff, his brother, his life, keep you-

“have you considered joining the knights? i’m certain there’s some night patrols, and it would surely be nice to have backup.”

he almost responded, almost said that he was in the knights, at one point, before he remembered where he was. who he was. to tell you that would be too much, too much information and too much for you to identify him with.

when did he become so loose with his words? normally he was so uptight around you… was it the fact that you didn’t know he was him right now? did.. he seriously operate best under anonymity? archons, how weak was that, to only be able to say what he meant when you didn’t know anything? was he that socially inept? so desperate for a proper conversation that he’d nearly slipped a major part of his life to you, just based on an offhand comment? how pathetic was he?

he forcefully shut down that line of thought and grit his teeth, well aware it had been too long since you’d spoken. “i’ve considered it. it’s not for me.”

not an entire lie, at least.

you were silent, and he knew he’d ruined the atmosphere. crystalflies fluttered in the trees, lazily flapping through the air, but he couldn’t appreciate their beauty like he typically could. the walk all the way down to the manor was spent in silence, and aside from a minor stumble you had on a jutting rock, it was as if he was walking back on his own, as he typically would. he even began to reach for the doorknob, then caught himself and used the knocker instead.

it was weird. he knew the door wasn’t locked, yet he waited for footsteps to approach the door, seeing elder’s worried face greet him. “master diluc, are you-?”

elzer’s eyes found yours, a tiny hint of shock crossing his face before he settled it back into the same polite smile he always used when greeting guests.

“ah, my apologies. i wasn’t expecting visitors at such a late hour.”

diluc bowed his head in what he hoped came off as a thankful action. “my apologies for disturbing you.”

he explained the situation as swiftly as possible, elzer urging you towards adelinde to treat your injuries. the medical supplies were just inside, near to the door for the sake of diluc’s own health.

“and what of you, stranger?” elzer asked, a bit louder than necessary. “will you be staying?”

diluc sees you look up, understanding clicking in an instant. “no, i won’t,” he answers, “but i thank you for your hospitality.”

elzer reached for the coatrack, pulling down two, both his and diluc’s, keeping the door propped open and passing him his where you couldn’t see. “then let me walk you to the edge of the vineyards, in exchange for your chivalry.”

“it’s alright, thank you. have a nice night.”

“the same to you, stranger.”

the door closed, and diluc relaxed, clutching his coat close as he turned away from the manor.

that was too close. he shouldn’t have suggested to bring you here in the first place, and thank the gods that elzer was so quick on his feet. he’d completely forgotten that he would have to return to the manor as diluc at one point in his rush to get you here.

he ducked behind a tree at the edge of the winery, exchanging his cloak for his jacket. he folded it neatly, stowing his mask and gloves inside. he didn’t have his usual clothes on, but… he could make do. he’d lied before, he’d lie again… even to you.

his grip around his cloak tightened. especially to you. you had no business in his shady practices, in what he did in the dark. it was impossible to keep you entirely safe and sheltered, nor was that healthy or his place to do, but he could at least keep his darkness from encroaching upon your light.

by the time diluc returned to the manor, you had already been sent on your way to a guest room. blessedly, neither adelinde nor elzer were in the front room to make a remark to him about it, likely busy with other work or asleep themselves. he locked the door and hung up his coat, heading up to his room after a swift double check of the first of those facts.

he went about his night, changing into sleepwear and setting his boots by his bed, his vision on his nightstand. it was admittedly a little more difficult falling asleep than usual—were you comfortable? did you like the guest room?—but he managed, waking up with the sun. his routine was the same, but when he arrived at the bottom of the stairs, he paused, looking up at the guest rooms. it… was strange, to know you were here. he felt like he should be doing something, whether saying goodbye or good morning or-

he looked away and shook his head. or nothing. he wasn’t as close to you as you were to him, how did he keep forgetting that?

“is there a problem, master diluc?”

he turned, seeing adelinde setting down his breakfast on the table. “nothing at all, and thank you for the food. did you sleep well?”

“i was a bit late in going to bed, a strange guest brought us some worry.”

he smiled at the pointedness to her tone, “really? how odd, to have a visitor so late.”

her mouth opens, but another speaks before she does.

“sorry if i caused any trouble.”

he paused. blinked. took a moment to register the fact that he just heard your voice in his home.

then he turned, attempting a smile. “it’s alright. your being here is unexpected, yes, but not unwelcome.”

you had clearly just gotten up, clothes rumpled and pillow creases along your hands. you nod, stepping closer, and he grasps for any viable threads of conversation.

“is the manor to your liking?”

“it’s beautiful.”

pride bloomed in his chest. “i’m happy to hear it. come sit, have some breakfast.” adelinde excused herself with a bow and he moved to pull out a chair for you, praying the action looked as natural as it felt. you accepted with a smile, and he pushes you in with relief in his when he sits. “she should return shortly with your food, apologies for the delay.”

“it’s fine,” you said, looking around the main room. he tries to find something else to talk about, already feeling the awkward silence set in, but fumbles. the last time he had someone at his table was with the traveller for the weinlesefest, and they and paimon mostly carried the conversation along. he only ever heads business discussions, or staff meetings, or interrogations, and this was certainly none of those.

“are you alright?”

he blinked away his frown, realizing too late he’d been glaring at his cup of grape juice. an instinctual response rose to his tongue, but he hesitated. maybe it was the early morning hour, maybe it was the genuine concern on your face, maybe it was the light of dawn streaming in from the windows that fell across you so delicately, as if it knew how beautiful you were.

he discarded that response, but exchanged it for another. “are you? adelinde told me you were injured.”

a lie. he hadn’t spoken with anybody about your injuries. archons, was this worse?

your smile grows. apparently not? “just a few scrapes,” you say, lifting your arm to show where adelinde bandaged you. “wolfhooks are a lot sharper than they look.”

“wolfhooks?”

you waved a hand. “i needed some for bennett, long story. don’t worry, adelinde gave me a basket for them.”

“that’s good to hear.”

and just like that, the topic was exhausted. did he bring up something else? how much was too much? what was even an appropriate topic? what did the average person talk about? not that you were average, he’d never dare-

he’s talked himself into a corner in his own head. how in teyvat did that happen?

“you’re frowning again.”

“my apologies, i’m lost in thought.” he was quiet for a moment, then continued, “a problem i’ve encountered before is more prevalent now.”

…it wasn’t the most eloquent of phrasing, but it should do.

“do you want to talk about it?”

does he? how would he even put this into words that didn’t make him sound… is pathetic the word?

‘i can’t talk right around you because i’m not used to talking with someone that does so in good faith’? yeah, that’s something a well-adjusted adult says.

“i don’t have the words for it,” he decides. “the words…” he takes a quick glance at you to gauge your reaction but regrets it just as fast, whatever he had to say next vanishing into thin air. it’s unfair, really, how pretty you are, his eyes fixed to yours. “t-they-“

adelinde set your plate down in front of you, blessedly saving him from the situation. “thank you for your patience. please let me know if anything is unsatisfactory.”

diluc grabs his cup as you thank her, turning away to hide behind the grape juice. he can’t even really taste it, focused on how clumsily he had spoken. were he anywhere else he’d surely be laughed out of the room, and he’s certain adelinde’s going to tease him for it later as it is.

“diluc?” he looks over at you again, keeping his gaze quick before he fumbles again.

“what is it?”

too harsh, too cruel, he’s being cold to you again-

“are you busy today?”

he thinks over his schedule. no meetings that he can remember, nor any deadlines. he’d prefer to finish up some forms sooner rather than later, but if you need him for something…

“no, i’ve got time. what do you need?”

“would you like to go to good hunter for dinner later today?”

he can only hope you accept his nod as an answer because between the knowing smile on your face and the bright blush on his, there’s no way he’s getting a word out.

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