#they could be at the winery or anywhere!

[shiiiksa]

“Getting divorced at fifty-two was not on my bingo card, but neither was getting cheated on with a younger male receptionist and yet, here we are.” Cate has to laugh at her own suffering to avoid having a breakdown. And breakdowns were never good on your skin. She sips on her glass of wine, the most expensive bottle she could find at the winery in order to spend as much of Ben Cohen’s money before their divorced was finalized. “But that’s enough about my miseries. How has your year been, my dear? I feel like I’ve been babbling for ages about myself.” / @aspencreekextra

[dutybcrne]

Kaeya doesn’t intend to ever get married. Due to him being Khaenri’ahn, if it’s not having to keep that fact from them ( especially with how devout the Mondstadters are to Barbatos ), it’s the fact that he fears what would happen to them and any children they may have, should Celestia become aware of them. He can’t trust it won’t end terribly for them, and will always be left fearing they’ll be used against him or hurt bc of him.

[fancyfeathers]

Diluc’s darling doesn’t go out in public anymore. She used to be seen some nights at the Angel’s Share tavern when Diluc was bartending, sitting at the bar or a nearby table, looking pretty. Diluc would have her dressed in the finest clothes and looking perfect, but now she locks herself up in her and Diluc’s room at the winery. Her hair is tangled and is only washed when Diluc gets home and drags her to the bath to make sure she is taken care of, she only wears a nightgown, what’s the point of getting dressed up if she won’t go anywhere. Why is she like this?

A burn scar, going down her face and onto her neck…

It was from a number of months ago from when she argued with Diluc about letting her roam the winery grounds. It got so heated that Diluc lost his temper and stuck her across the face…

and his heart sank when he realized his vision was activated…

His darling’s screams was the only thing he could process, not the sizzling of flesh, or the smell of smoke. It was the worst when the maids dragged her off to run the burn under cold water and bandage it. He bartended that night, to give them both distance.

When he returned to the winery that night, he saw his darling asleep in their bed, but one half of her face was stained with tears, and the other was hidden away under white bandages. He both wanted to see the damage he caused and didn’t want to at the same time, the best he could do was ask Adaline about the damage. She told him that the scar would never go away and he felt sick at what he had done.

So now when the darling looks in the mirror she wears a constant reminder of her situation, pain. That pain will never go away no matter all the expensive gifts Diluc gets her that only collect dust, nor with the offers of taking her on walks or to the tavern while he works. She doesn’t want people to see her like his, in pain, suffering, a broken and burned shell of who she used to be.

[lair-of-platonic-yanderes]

Platonic yandere step father Diluc has so huge potential... Just imagine he and his teen! step child. Like to bring a kitten from street. Something like that. My English is bad sorr

Fluffy companion

Platonic! Yandere! Step-father! Diluc Ragnvindr x GN! Teen! Step-child! Reader

Description: You were in a bad mood. You wanted some company.

Diluc didn't like, that you had a bad mood. He tries to make up for it.

Warnings and tags: OOC. Platonic Yandere. English is my second language. Unpleasant Donna. Diluc is married (somewhat). Diluc's spouse's (Reader's biological parent) gender aren't specified. Reader's biological parent are a lousy parent. Child abandonment. Arranged marriage. Discussion of arranged marriages. Long backstory. Lumine is Traveler. Attempt at worldbuilding (arranged marriages in Mondstadt, CPS in Mondstadt). Diluc's age aren't specified. Implied blackmail, murder, robbery.

_______

Sometimes, people of Mondstadt didn't look at you. They had to make themselves to look at you. And then, they would not.

The "would not" part was almost the same in all cases. They would look above your head, at the ground, at the birds, at Barbatos's statue. Anywhere, but not at you. Someone would even ignore you talking to them, forcing you to repeat your words again and again. Well, perhaps, such people want you to yell to get their attention, so they could call you a disrespectful brat, complain to Master Diluc and get you in trouble.

But, before "would not" part, came a "look". And "looks" were different.

~~~~~~

Moco's and Hillie's looks were curious. In the worst way possible. They were looking at the source of gossip, when they looked at you.

You tried to shield away their whispers, focusing on a book.

"So... Are they a part of the Ragnvindr clan or not?"

just focus on a text

"No one knows... They weren't officially adopted..."

on a text

"Really? Well, it explains what I heard about their upbringing..."

text

"Tell me..."

please, stop talking about me

"Discuss your poorly done work, you lazy gossips!" Adelinde was livid. "Get back to work!"

A pair of maids quickly strode off, looking with fear at the Head Housemaid. She turned towards you.

Her look was full of pity.

"[Y/N], are you okay?"

You nodded. You weren't, but you don't want to discuss it right now. Adelinde didn't believe you, but decided to drop the subject.

"[Y/N], can I ask you for a small favor? Can you go to "Floral Whisper" and get decorations? They are supposed to be ready."

You immediately put your book down.

"Of course, Miss Adelinde!"

She gave you a small smile. She held a basket towards you.

"Here. For carrying them."

You took the basket and were ready to go, when Elzer called for you.

Elzer's look was full of sorrow and guilt. His gaze didn't linger, choosing to look at the owl statue.

"[Y/N], can you, please, bring that bottle to Master Diluc?" He pointed at the bottle on his table and turned around, showing, that he won't speak to you again.

You quickly put the bottle in your basket to leave the manor, heading to Mondstadt City.

~~~~~~

People from the Winery were, mostly, fine.

Citizens, on the other hand...

~~~~~~

Getting decorations would be a fine task, if Flora was there. She was kind. She looked at you.

Unfortunately, she wasn't here. But Donna was.

She was the worst. And that days she will be even worse.

"Hello. I am here to get commissioned decorations."

Your voice was loud enough to be heard. Yet Donna didn't react, choosing to look at the Quinn's stall. You waited. You repeat your words again.

"Please, can I have decorations? Are they ready?"

Donna didn't answer. But she spoke.

"Such a shame, that Windblume Festivals and Ludi Harpastum lost a lot of charm during last two years. Especially for a young maiden."

She gave you a quick side-eye. A very angry side-eye. You flinched, but repeat.

"Please... The decorations..."

Donna groaned, tear off the basket from your arms, took a box with Master Diluc's name on it, that was full of small flower decorations, and dumped the contents in the basket.

"Here. Be on your way."

You clenched the basket and walked off.

It has been going on for the last two years.

Young and unmarried were borderline hating you.

You were a constant reminder, that the Uncrowned King of Mondstadt was married.

_______

______

Mondstadt was beautiful that days. Well, it's not like Mondstadt wasn't beautiful in any other days. But, no one would disagree, that during Windblume Festival, capital city would become especially beautiful.

"Angel's Share" tavern has surprisingly a lot of free tables for a Windblume Festival.

Right now, on the first floor, Lumine spotted Nelson and Payne, both were sitting on their usual spots. She and Paimon were occupying a table on the second floor, and were the only ones up here. Lumine and Paimon were enjoying their berry juices, when Paimon noticed someone else.

"Look, Lumine, there is a kid down here!" Paimon pointed a finger at the first floor's corner. It was hard to look at it from duo's spot (and if Paimon didn't float a little bit higher, she also wouldn't spot the kid), so Lumine had to stand up.

In the far corner, there were a teen. They sat at one of the tables, looking before them. A basket full of flower decoration were standing on the table before them. They looked deep in thoughts. And very sad.

What was conserving, is that there also was a bottle of wine on the table.

Paimon float closer to the railing, taking a better look at the bar counter.

"Charles isn't here. Do you think they steal the bottle?"

Lumine and Paimon glanced at each other. They have never seen an underage drinker, and they knew, that people of Mondstadt are very careful with drinking age. But, everything can happen.

Lumine and Paimon hurry to the first floor.

They didn't notice, that two more people walked into the tavern.

"Hi! Happy Windblume Festival!" Paimon waved her hand, trying to get teen's attention. Lumine smiled.

"Happy Windblume Festival!"

They almost jumped, and turn their head towards them. A solemn look returned to their face.

"Oh... Hello. Happy Windblume Festival." teen looked uncomfortable. They chew their lip. "Do you... need something?"

Paimon float forward.

"Paimon's name is Paimon. And that's Lumine!"

Lumine waved.

"Nice to meet you." Traveler cast a sneaky glance at the bottle. It still was full. And wasn't open.

Teen nodded. They didn't say a word. Paimon continued.

We just saw you here alone. In a tavern..."

Teen slammed both hands against the table. Their voice trembled. It looked like they were on a verge of crying.

"I have the right to be here! I didn't do anything wrong!"

Lumine raised both of her hands.

"Calm down, please, we didn't mean anything bad!"

"Oh, is our Honorary Knight harassing kids?"

Lumine could hear a smirk in Kaeya's voice. Calvary Captain slowly approached them. Diluc was silently walking beside him. Kaeya ignored Lumine and Paimon, instead focusing on the teen.

"Sad, [Y/N]? Want to have a hug from your uncle to make you feel better?" Kaeya opened his arms, inviting [Y/N] for a hug.

"Uncle?! Kaeya? Master Diluc?" Paimon and Lumine asked in unison. Diluc didn't answer immediately. He walked closer to the teen and awkwardly pet them on the head. After that, he finally answered.

"I am married. [Y/N] are my child."

"What?!" Paimon squeaked. Her eyes sparkled with interest. "Master Diluc is married? Who managed to win his heart?"

Lumine looked as interested as Paimon.

Duo failed to see an uncomfortable look on Diluc's, Kaeya's and [Y/N]'s faces.

_____

Everyone in Teyvat know, that Mondstadt is a city of freedom. So, people would assume, that arranged marriages in Barbatos's land are forbidden.

People, who think like that, aren't mistaken, but, they also aren't completely right.

Marriages, that are arranged only for the sake of getting a hair, are banned. Here, parents can't sell their children into what can be called a slavery.

However, marriages, that arranged for establishing new business connections, for helping to Mondstadt, for making lives of both families better, are still legal. As long as parents discussed everything with their kids, there should be no problem with a consensual, mutually beneficial arranged marriage of Mondstadt's citizen.

On multiple occasions, Crepus spoke to Diluc about arranged marriages.

First time, he explained in the smallest details, in what situation he will consider arranging a marriage between Diluc and another person. Crepus also promised not to think about arranging a marriage, and doing it only as a last resort.

Second time, Crepus talked to Diluc and Kaeya at the same time. It happened few years after Kaeya was adopted into a clan. Crepus explained, that Diluc and Kaeya, despite both being part of Ragnvindr Clan, have different "fiancé" values. Diluc was more valuable, as future head of a clan. However, marriage with Kaeya will let someone have a higher title, without getting the hardest responsibilities of the clan members. Crepus gave a permission to hit anyone, who would discuss Diluc's and Kaeya's value as possible husbands.

The third time, Crepus discussed with Diluc reasons for agreeing to a marriage.

Of course, not for getting an heir. Diluc should find someone he loves, to have children with. And, Diluc should be careful about having kids in an arranged marriage. If one day, they decided to get a divorce, Diluc and his spouse won't deal with traumatized children.

Think twice, before agreeing to a marriage to help Dawn Winery. It would be better, if Diluc will deal with business problems with his own power.

It's a good reason to help Mondstadt by marrying a possible ally. And, as usual, it should be Diluc's decision.

Getting married to help someone is a noble cause. However, Diluc should be careful about who he helps.

Crepus Ragnvindr never insisted on Diluc getting married. He never tried to arrange a marriage for him or Kaeya. Master Crepus just wanted his sons to be happy.

Diluc didn't think about having a spouse.

Not before Crepus's death.

And, he wasn't thinking about getting married after Crepus died.

Perhaps, it was the end of Ragnvindr bloodline.

_________

Diluc was sitting beside the fireplace, deep in his thoughts, when someone, who were standing behind his chair, coughed. He looked behind him. Elzer was standing here, looking exhausted and slightly guilty. Diluc raised an eyebrow.

"Elzer? Is something wrong?"

Elzer take a deep breath, before he spoke. He was speaking slowly, carefully choosing his words.

"It's complicated... Master Diluc, let me start with this... What I say next in no way, shape or form is a request, a plea or an offer." Elzer take another breath. "An old... acquaintance of mine has some problems. Many years ago he helped me with some serious task, so I have a small debt. So, to fulfill it, I agree to pass his message." Elzer looked at Diluc again. "I am simply delivering a message."

Diluc remained quiet. Elzer was always professional and collected, when he talked to him. Seeing him in that state wasn't something Diluc expected to ever see in his life. Diluc nodded to encourage Elzer.

"I understand. Please, continue."

Elzer sighed, rubbed the bridge of his nose. He even slightly lumped forward. He looked... tired.

"Will it be strange for me to say, Master Diluc, that I was hoping that you wouldn't listen to me?" Elzer asked rhetorically. The next second, Elzer spoke again.

"My old acquaintance is from Liyue. He is from one of the smaller noble families. He is facing some serious troubles." Elzer looked into the fireplace. Diluc could swear, that, for a moment, Elzer hopped, that fire would escape the fireplace and either burned him, or his mysterious acquaintance with troubles.

"He has two children. And older one messed up. Badly." Elzer, once again, spoke slowly and carefully. Diluc decided not to interrupt him. Better gave him as much time as he needs. "Twelve years ago they disappeared. Or, perhaps, they just decided to travel. Their father refused to elaborate. It's not that important. What's important, is that Older One returned a few months ago. With a spouse and a child. New made grandfather was delighted. Until the first family dinner."

Elzer rubbed his temples. This time, Diluc decided to ask a question.

"What happened?"

Elzer answered immediately. With every world, Elzer's voice became more and more irritated.

"Older One got drunk. And confessed, that they did something to... They trick their spouse into... Dear Barbatos!" Elzer was almost growling at that point. "That idiot confessed, that twelve years ago they were sabotaging protection and contraceptives, so their child would be conceived and born. They wanted their spouse to always be with them. They used the child to chain their spouse to them." Elzer became silent. Diluc waited. Elzer voice was tired.

"Their spouse weren't happy about it. They asked for divorce. And disowned [Y/N] on a spot."

"Their own child." Diluc wasn't asking. There was no need for it. Still, Elzer nodded.

"The word about the whole situation get outside the family. And now their reputation is in shambles, they are loosing their wealth. However, there is one way to fix the situation. To marry a younger one to a good family, to someone outside Liyue. That's why they asked for help."

Elzer looked at Diluc with a guilty expression.

"Master Diluc. They asked me to deliver their proposition. Fourth of their future income, partnership with Dawn Winery, base for gathering information in other nation. In return, they ask..."

Before Elzer could finish, Diluc spoke.

"For me to marry the younger one."

Elzer nodded.

"Yes. But, as I said, I only was asked to carry a message. I never promised them an answer, or an agreement."

Diluc looked at the fire.

"I understand... Never thought, that I would get such an offer."

It was a messy situation. And none of Diluc's business. He should just reject this "offer".

However...

"The kid... How they are doing?"

Elzer shrugged.

"I can't tell for sure. "Happy" grandfather mentioned his kids and himself, but hardly spoke about [Y/N]. But, I can guess, that they aren't in a good place right now."

There was no doubt in it. Kid lost everything in one moment. And, it was unclear, if they have someone, who weren't busy and can reassure them.

Crepus did mention, that helping someone through arrange marriage was a noble cause. It would be a good deed, to help a kid. By marrying their relative.

Diluc turned his head towards Elzer.

"Can you, please, arrange a meeting? I want to talk to them."

______

Meetings went surprisingly fine and productive. Diluc counted at least five times, when his "future father-in-law" was ready to bow before him.

It was concerning, that there was hardly any interactions between him and his "future partner". But, as Diluc can see, that all family members were focusing on salvaging what remains of their family's connections. They didn't have much time for a small talk.

The contract was made.

Marriage will end, when the family establish themselves in a different nation and will be able to have a normal income, that will let them live and not survive.

Diluc can ask for divorce anytime he wants.

Cheating is punishable with divorce.

Diluc and future generations of Ragnvindr Clan will get all support family can give them.

Diluc's property and finances were secured, he shouldn't worry about losing them during divorce.

It wasn't relationship. It won't be a fairy tale romance.

It was a business relationship. That, hopefully, would help people in bad situation.

_______

There was no need for a wedding ceremony. They could just go to the Cathedral and have a small ceremony. Just two of them. No guests, no feast. Nothing.

They could just sigh a contract in Liyue. No guests, no feast. Nothing.

But Diluc felt bad. He wanted to let his future partner have at least a celebration.

And all went downhill.

Wedding started with a scandal.

He said his wow.

And they start screaming.

Accusing him of being a monster. Of taking advantage over their sorrow. Of being a virtue.

Soon, the whole family was screaming at each other.

Younger one refused to get married.

But the contract was signed.

And Liyue citizens value contracts. Heir of family should marry Diluc Ragnvindr.

That day, the wedding did happen.

Diluc and Older Sibling got married.

And Diluc became [Y/N]'s step-father.

_______

It was evening.

Diluc was checking on the vineyard. His mood was sour.

His "spouse" were an unpleasant person. They spent days pitying their previous marriage, they disrespect his workers and ignored [Y/N]. The kid were eleven, their family was destroyed, their parent disowned them and second parent didn't pay attention to them. Moreover, every time Diluc tried to talk with [Y/N], his attempt would be shut down with a "Don't you dare to parent my child, Diluc!"

And now, Diluc has loosed all chances to help [Y/N].

His "spouse" wanted to help their family in establishing a new life in a new region. So, they left in the morning, right after Diluc left for a Mondstadt city. Diluc didn't have a chance to say goodbye to [Y/N].

Vineyard was quiet and peaceful. Only sounds of wind were heard...

"ACHOO!"

Diluc froze. Which of his grapevines caught a cold?

Diluc looked down, after he heard rustling of the grass. Red eyes met with [e/c] ones.

[Y/N] were shivering. They looked tired and hungry.

"Sorry, Master Diluc... I don't know if I am allowed to stay in the Winery! I will leave if I..."

Diluc shushed them.

"We will go inside. Adelinde will prepare a warm bath for you. We will have dinner."

________

Year passed.

[Y/N] were living with Diluc. Live was more or less normal.

Diluc can't say, for sure, when exactly he started to think about [Y/N] as his own child.

Diluc didn't think twice about hosting a birthday party for them.

But, one problem remained.

[Y/N]'s biological family.

Mondstadt laws about abandoned children were simple.

Child abandonment was a crime.

However, there was also an "Exception".

If the child in question had guardians, caretakers, and their distant parents can be reached via mail, in that case, it won't be viewed as an abandonment.

Currently, only Alice's and Klee's situation was considered an "Exception".

Alice treated that arrangement seriously. She spoke to Knights, nuns, her old friends and even Diluc's staff, making sure, that her little girl won't be left unsupervised. Alice was always reachable. Jean could write a letter to her, and Alice would respond. And would return to Mondstadt, if situation calls for that.

Was it a good solution? Maybe not, but no one would dare to call her a "bad mother". She did her best to care for Klee and fulfill her responsibilities for Knights.

Diluc's and [Y/N]'s situation shouldn't be an "Exception".

Diluc has no reason to let [Y/N] stay. He could just divorce their parent, who were nowhere to be found and who refused to contact their child.

There were no reason for Diluc to keep being involved with them.

But, Diluc knew, that he was the only one, who cared about [Y/N].

Two months after [Y/N]'s twelfth birthday, Diluc filled necessary paperwork.

Now, there were two "Exceptions" in Mondstadt.

________

While Kaeya was keeping Lumine's and Paimon's attention on himself, Master Diluc leaned towards you.

"Are you okay?"

You nodded.

"Yes..."

Master Diluc pat you on a head again.

"Are you sure?"

You could lie again. Like you lied to Adeline. But Master Diluc wasn't Adelinde.

"Moco and Hillie were gossiping again. Donna was rude. Grandfather and others... still didn't write."

You missed Diluc's dark glare.

"Don't pay attention to them. They aren't worth it." Diluc saw, that his words didn't work so well, and you still were upset. He should find a way to cheer you up. But he still was busy and can't spend time with you. And you barely have any friends in Mondstadt. Adults knew about your family's behavior and were suspicious of you. They thought, that your situation was your family's ploy to get into Ragnvindr Clan. And kids tend to mimic parents' behavior, so, a lot of kids and teens ignored you. Still, Diluc didn't want you to spend the whole day in the tavern on in the manor. He took a heavy coin purse, full of Mora, from his pocket, and gave it to you.

"Hey... [Y/N]. Take it. Have some fun. Play games, eat a lot of treats. At the end of the day, we will go home together. Deal?"

A faint smile appeared on your face. You took the purse.

"Thank you, Mister Diluc."

You still have troubles with calling him "dad". Well, can't have everything at the same time.

You left the tavern. The basket and the bottle remained on the table.

_______

You were bored and lonely. You were sitting on a bench, munching on a Hash Brown.

Food was delicious, but you weren't that hungry to eat for a whole day.

Most of the games weren't interesting to play by yourself.

You wish you had some company.

Something soft rubbed against your legs. You looked down and saw a fluffy ginger kitten. You always wanted to have a kitten, but your parents didn't let you, and you still were nervous near Master Diluc to ask for a kitten.

"Hi... Are you also alone?"

The kitten meowed, rubbing against your leg. You slowly reached towards kitten. He sniffed your hand, before bumping it with his forehead.

It looks like, you get a company you wanted.

________

The workday was finally over. Master Diluc and you were on your way home. You had your kitten with you. He was hidden. 

It was wrong to sneak in an animal. But, you wanted to keep the kitten.

"[Y/N]... Are you hiding something?" Master Diluc looked unamused. You tried to give him an innocent smile.

"No, Mister Diluc. I am not hiding anything."

Diluc skeptically looked at the suspicious bungle under your shirt. 

"Really?" Diluc flatly asked, pocking the bungle. One offended "meow" later, and a ginger kitten climbed under your shirt and sat on your shoulder. You were busted.

"Master Diluc... Cookie played with me today... I thought..." You swallowed your words under Diluc's gaze.  

"Today we will give him a bath and feed him. Tomorrow we will go to Margaret and ask for advices on kitten care." simply stated Diluc.

You looked at him with wide eyes.

"You mean... You are fine with me having a pet?" 

Diluc ruffled your hair.

"Why I should be against it? You could have asked for one long ago."

 You didn't know, what got into you. But you hugged Diluc, kitten was still on your shoulder.

 "Thank you do much, dad!"

 Diluc let your words sunk in. He put his hand on the top of your head. Diluc's lips barely moved.

 "You called me... dad." 

 You froze. You tried to get from the hug.

 "It was an accident, I didn't mean..."

 Diluc's hand pressed you against his chest in an awkward hug.

 "That accident... It will make me really happy, if you start repeating them more often."

 ________

It was middle of the night.

Diluc was patrolling Mondstadt City. Right now, he was observing, how Donna got in serious trouble.

Windblume Festival tend to lure criminals. People, who were trying to get their hands on something valuable.

Quite stupid and gullible people. Who believed an anonymous note about maiden from flower shop having some rare expensive jewelry at home.

Donna will be terrified, and her house will end up completely messed up.

Darknight Hero should probably help her.

But, she was so rude to Darknight Hero's child. 

That should be a lesson to her.

Diluc will make sure, that the rest of Mondstadt won't be damaged.

He had a busy evening.

He helped [Y/N] take care of Cookie.

He had a strict talk with maids. Reminding them, that they should do their job, and not gossip about his child. And reminding them, that he has connections, money, and he knows where their families live.

He had dinner with [Y/N]. [Y/N] called him "dad" a few more times.

 Last time, Diluc was that happy, was when he got a letter on [Y/N]'s thirteenth birthday.

From his allies from underground intelligence network. 

About a successful operation to get an intel on Fatui.

Unfortunately, they arrived a little bit late. There were casualties. 

A certain noble from Mondsdat became a widower.

To keep the network safe, that casualties should be hidden from the public.

Diluc was patrolling Mondstadt City.

And his thoughts were focused on [Y/N].

On how Mondstadt view them.

He could easily put the end to all rumors.

He could make Mondstadt citizens accept [Y/N].

He didn't do it.

It’s probably for the best that no one else tries to be friendly with them. Diluc wouldn’t want to see [Y/N] break out of that shell they were forced in, after all. As long as they are like this, he will be their only source of comfort. 

Their father.

[earthtooz]

an accidental diluc fic in which you seek refuge at dawn winery in the midst of a storm. pining ensues. 1k words.

the fireplace crackles, a pen scrawls hurriedly on paper, and the rain that hits the windows of dawn winery is slowly beginning to ease, the oppressive downpour turning into something gentle and calming. you glance out the windows, unfocusing your eyes and mind from the novel in your hands to observe the slowing raindrops.

your pot of tea is empty now, your hair and clothes have dried completely now after being near a fireplace for so long, and your limbs are beginning to ache from how long you’ve been sitting around. perhaps it’s time to return home now. 

diluc, from where he works in front of you, doesn’t notice you, hands too tightly wound in his red locks to look anywhere but at his paperwork. he is so concentrated that you feel bad distracting him from his duties, but with the easing of the rain, you’d rather leave now in case the downpour starts again.

oh, but thinking of the trip back home is already an unappealing thought. it is so warm inside diluc’s abode with the fireplace a few feet away from you, his furniture is so comfortable, and you’d hate having to trek through mud and hills, sullying your shoes and attire. 

however, you would hate to disturb the ragnvindr estate more than you already have with your sudden appearance, frantic to find shelter from the downpour. it just so happened you were near dawn winery at the time of the storm, and when the redhead caught sight of you amidst the onslaught of rain, he hurried you inside with no room for argument. 

it wasn’t that the two of you were unfamiliar. you’ve known him properly for two years now, and you admit that during those years, you’ve developed quite the affectionate spot for the young winery owner. sometimes, you think he feels the same for you, but diluc ragnivdr is diluc ragnvidr, as close as you may be, you are reminded of how unreachable he is for someone like you. so although he is the one that ushered you into his home, offering you a warm place to seek refuge in the meantime, you are the one that feels most guilty taking up space in his home. 

in hopes of subtly catching diluc’s attention, you stand, careful to not let the cushions move an inch as you pat down your clothes.

despite your rustling, the red-haired still has not moved, staring at the paperwork before him as if they were the greatest heathen of his life. one of the maids notice you instead, quickly scrambling to your aid and asking whether or not something was disturbing you.

“no, no, nothing of that sort,” you reassure, unsure of how to act with someone so frantically attending do your wants. “i was merely preparing to leave soon since the rain has eased.” 

the scraping of chair against wooden floorboards fill the room and heavy footsteps follow. “leaving? at this time of day?” diluc asks, presence suddenly larger than life and occupying the whole room. you feel small in front of him, overtaken by a courteous guilt. 

the maid has left. 

“yes, at this time of day,” you confirm. “is that so wrong?” 

“it’s dusk, y/n. the monsters will be out and it’ll be unsafe outside by the time you leave.”

“i can handle myself,” you vaguely gesture to the vision and sword that hangs from your hips. still, his expression does not change. “besides, i’ve been in your hair long enough, thank you for your hospitality, but i mustn’t bother you anymore.” 

“you do not need to be so formal with me. while you are under my roof, it would be in my best interest to take care of you,” he crosses his arms over his chest, looking away from your eyes. “your company could never be a burden, either.”

you cannot help but smile at his shy confession, stepping yourself back in his gaze so he can see that warm grin of yours that he’s come to adore- not that he’d ever admit that to you. “oh?” you quip. “why, i’m flattered that you deem me worthy to keep around, master diluc, but i ought to get going now.”

“it’s still cold outside, your attire is far too little for this weather.”

“a little bit of cold never hurt me.”

“you’ll get sick.”

“i’ll refuse.”

“you’ll… refuse?” he snorts.

“i will!” you declare brazenly.

“you are not leaving the manor when it’s cold and dark outside.”

you ignore the fluttering of your heart at the obvious care he is showcasing. “i feel awful taking up space in your home, diluc.”

“my decision is final, you shouldn’t risk your safety because of silly assumptions believing that you’re ‘bothering’ me.”  

as if sensing leftover threads of hesitance in your resolve, he adds, “adelinde was looking forward to having you here tonight as well. if you want to leave at some point, can’t you let it be after dinner? i’d hate to disappoint adelinde by telling her of your departure.”

as if the universe had timed it, it was after his sentence that you began to smell an aromatic scent wafting into the room, one so delicious that it was getting harder for you to resist diluc’s invitations. 

“you’re just guilt-tripping me now!” you accuse, a glimmer of amusement settling in his red eyes.

“and you are stalling. stay for dinner at least, i’ll feel better knowing that you leave with a full stomach.”

“what are you two bickering about?” comes a third voice- adelinde, who peeks around the doorway with an affectionate smile. at her appearance, you straighten your spine and crowd away from the young winery owner.

“nothing,” diluc explains, “apologies if we were too loud.”

“please, save your conversations for dinner. the plates are ready if you wish to eat, master diluc.” 

“thank you, adelinde.” the redhead turns to you. “so, what will it be?” 

home could wait, you decide. “it’d be impolite of me to decline. i’ll stay.” 

he smiles in satisfaction at your surrender, seeming proud of himself for getting you to stay a little longer. you can’t see it, but the head maid can very clearly identify the warm bits of affection settling in the young master’s eyes, rolling off him in waves as you declare that you’ll return his hospitality next time. 

(you stay the night because shortly after dinner, the rain returned. this time, with thunder and lightning.)

© EARTHTOOZ 2023, do not steal, translate, repost my fics and do not recommend my fics onto any other site.

[witch-hazels-musings]

a gesture

Warning -> fluff | reader gets a blister on their foot, genshin men notice and provide respite from the discomfort | pre-relationship (it's silly, and dumb, but let me have this)

Includes: Diluc, Xiao

Character X GN Reader (adventure guild reader*) | Anthology

A-N: I was planning on writing for a few more characters, but I'm a bit slow in my genshin right now, plus I *should* be resting ... 人(_ _*)

Diluc

"Be right there!" you shouted over the calls echoing in the hall. Your hand dropped from your lips and back to the stack of rolled papers in your arms. The guild was busier than normal. Perhaps it was because of the snow fading from the streets, or the warmer wind blowing in from the south. Being surrounded by the lake meant damper and colder winters, but you didn't mind.

You loved the snow.

What you didn't love was returning to restrictive shoes now that the cobblestone streets were less barred by ice. You missed your warm fur-lined boots.

"Hey, got a few more requests for you to review," you told one of the auditors as you leaned onto the polished wood counter that separated you from the workers just inside. You tapped the toe of your shoe on the floor to force room between your heel and the leather rubbing against it. "Oh, and this came from Alfry." You reached into your pocket and handed a folded, sealed letter to the attendant.

After waiting for several minutes, and shifting from one foot to the other - relief waning and waxing - you made your way outside toward the Kiosk near the front of Mondstadt. It took a while, you were particularly slow on the stone steps of the city since each one put added pressure on your heels. You could feel a blister on the horizon.

Katheryne greeted you with a wave when she saw you.

She was, without a doubt, one of your favorite people. She didn't lock you in long, uninteresting conversations about her life outside of work. She just thanked you for the updated commissions and let you be on your way. You wished everyone was like Katheryne.

It wasn't that you hated talking to people. You just preferred to get your work done and found it distracting to get lost in small talk about the weather. But you learned to be pleasant and control your drifting eyes that willed your soul to be anywhere but there.

When you approached the Guild, someone called you over and explained you were being requested in one of the assessment rooms. A room used by evaluators and requestors to work out the details of a commission. You weren't an evaluator - so who could possibly be asking for you?

You imagined several scenarios except for this one. The one where Diluc Ragnvindr was standing on the other side of the door, waiting for - you. In fact, you were so unprepared, taken aback, that you rechecked the room number.

It was odd to see Diluc outside of his normal patterns. The man was routine. Days spent at Angels Share, days absent from the city while he tended to his estate at the Dawn Winery. You had several run-ins with him over the years since his reappearance, but they were always in public spaces. Fleeting, nervous moments when you'd gather the courage to ask him for a drink while he worked or make polite - short - conversation when he dropped it off. You didn't even know he knew you worked at the Adventurers Guild.

"Sir Ragnvindr, is something - how can I help you?" you asked as you stepped inside the room and let the heavy door close behind you.

"Have I pulled you away from your work?"

"Yes," you said but caught yourself, "No. I mean, yes, but it's alright. Are you alright?" The thought crossed your mind that perhaps something had happened. An issue at the Winery or the tavern, maybe he thought you were the best person to help him? Not sure why. But you did know a lot of adventurers.

"I am well. Please," he gestured to the table and chairs beside him. Crossing the room, you noticed a tall, decorative bag on the corner of the table. The top was knotted by someone with experience. Diluc placed his hand on the table, and you stopped a few feet from him. He looked -- odd. Out of sorts even.

"Did you need something from the Guild? I'm not sure if anyone told you, but I'm not an evaluator, but I can find someone who can assist you in building a commission report."

"I do not require one. I am ..." he clenched his jaw and fumbled. "Please, sit," he repeated, gesturing to the chair slightly pulled out beside you.

Confused, you took a seat.

You considered yourself a rational person, a relatively calm person. One that could keep their head in most situations, but when the man you could hardly look at long enough to breathe knelt in front of you, lifted your calf, and began to untie your shoe, you yelped so loud it startled him.

"Dilu- I mean, Sir Ragnvindr, what are you doing!?" You reached for his arm but pulled back at the last second. A war raged inside your mind - one billowing urge shouted to push him away so you could steady your fluttering heart, and the other shrieked, terrified of making contact out of fear he'd know the truths of your unsettled heart.

"These are uncomfortable, are they not?"

You glanced at your shoes. "I mean - yes, but you don't have to worry about it. Please," you begged, fingers hovering above his hand, body fighting the will to rip free from his grasp. "Sir Ragn-"

"Diluc," he interrupted and looked up at you, "I much prefer when you call me Diluc."

You didn't know how to respond, didn't know how to react, so you just sat frozen while he carefully removed your shoes and tended to the wounds they had caused.

His touch was warm. Violently warm. It was like heat seeped from every bit of him. Tendrils of flames licked across his brow, his cheeks, his jawline. You were so close you could smell the earth and trapped dust from the melting snow trapped in his clothes.

He placed the bandage across your foot and carefully wrapped it until it was secure.

"T-Thank you," you mumbled. You were stuck between being embarrassed by what was happening and being smitten by it. You were in a haze. Your eyes could barely focus on his hands as he worked, barely noticing the stick he placed beside your right foot. The medicine he applied had soothed the soft burn of the blister.

He stood and a wave of his scent washed over you. It took a moment for you to catch your breath, but when you did, you reached for your shoes that he had placed on the table.

"I'll repay you for the treatment."

"No need," he replied as he tugged at the decorative cloth bag. His back blocked you from what was inside. You worked on stretching the laces of your shoes so you could slip them over your foot. Just as you were about to place them on, Diluc returned and stalled your actions, taking the shoe from you and returning it to the table. He easily held your calf and slipped on another shoe. A flat, wide one that wouldn't rub against you the way your own had. "How does it fit?" he asked as he carefully slid it over your heel and adjusted it until it was on completely.

The shoe was elegant, beautiful. Something you would only dream of buying - most of your clothes were from sales and take-bins of neighbors doing their yearly cleaning. These were --

"Wait - did you buy these?"

"I did. But I was unaware of your size. If these are not satisfactory, I purchased several others which may be more suitable for you," he explained and that's when you noticed the stack of boxes now exposed from the cloth bag. Two boxes were placed to the side, another still in it, while the last was open, the lid placed at an angle as if forgotten.

"You bought," you paused, disbelief pulling in your brows, "multiple pairs?"

"It seemed better to purchase multiple than to guess. Though I could have inquired from you directly," he trailed off as if the thought had only just crossed his mind.

But only one crossed yours, "Why?"

He looked up at you, still kneeling and preparing your other foot to accept your new shoes' partner, "I notice you. You would be unable to work in this state."

"Noticed me?"

"Yes. Besides, I couldn't rightfully ... never mind."

"What," you blurted, hanging on his every word.

He glanced at you and then looked back at your feet. There was a pause, a heavy pause in the air. "To see you in discomfort. It - It did not sit well with me."

You sat in silence as he ensured the shoes fit, as he laced them, and made sure they wouldn't irritate the bandage. You held your tongue and swallowed the pounding pressure in your chest when he lifted you from the chair and made sure you could stand before he let go.

You breathed him in while he stood before you.

"I will be at Angel's Share tonight. I can set aside some time for you, should you find yourself-"

"Okay," you blurted again, followed it up with an embarrassed sorry. It made him laugh, and you snatch the lurching urge to jump on him.

"Until then," he hummed, a smile tugging at his lips. "Do not rush in the meantime. I have already given my recommendations to the guild to allow you rest, though I do not imagine you'll heed it."

Diluc packed up the bag and bid you farewell, lingering his voice on the sound of your name, his eyes on your warm face. He slipped out of the room and left you in disbelief in a pair of beautiful crimson shoes.

--

Xiao

Why did you decide to wear these shoes?

You thought at least twenty times as you trudged down the path. As you hiked over the mountain passes that had seen better days in their time. A giant bolder blocked you a few paces back and you were still brushing yourself off from the unprepared scramble; you found a tear in your clothes and groaned.

For an adventurer, you got off pretty lucky. Only taking the low-priced requests. Ones left for running between towns, helping clear out someone's back room, or helping with a shipment. You weren't interested in the daring adventures that some in the guild would take, snatch up before you even had a chance to read the whole thing. And you certainly weren't about to follow in the footsteps of that strange traveler who - for a while - was accused of killing the Liyue Archon. (You still had your suspicions).

Nope, you were complacent, content with the simple jobs that helped you keep the lights on and splurge on the things that caught your eye. One of which was currently on your feet and digging into the skin uncomfortably. You hopped on one foot and shoved your finger inside the edge of the shoe in the hopes of stretching out the tight leather.

The top of the path crept over the horizon and you picked up the pace to reach it. You adored cresting the hill and seeing the harbor stretch across the bay, how the tall mountainside loomed above her - a watchful guardian, a shield and protector. You sighed and adjusted the pack on your back. The road into the harbor wasn't long, but it was steep, and you prepared yourself for a rough descent with your aching feet.

Every step slowed you down. Each one more uncomfortable than the last. You thought about taking off your shoes but didn't want to catch the disapproving glares that came from Liyue's citizens. So, you pushed forward.

A plume of green and black smoke enveloped you. You would have shouted but you were used to the sensation and how it obscured your view. Months ago you stumbled upon the smoke's owner in a field. He seemed injured so you went to check on him only to learn he was fine, and rather unappreciative of your concern - actually, he was irritatingly annoyed that you had distracted him from his lay-about.

"Hello, little Xia--woah!" Instead of appearing near you like he had before, you were suddenly floating in the green smoke. It whipped through your hair, tugged at your loose clothes, and bit at your skin. You felt like you were falling, and then you were - into the arms of the Adeptus who normally kept his respectful distance from you.

When your eyes adjusted to the return of light, you twisted to look at him, one arm draped over his shoulders as if he had placed it there.

"What are you-?" The words caught in your throat. Confusion, surprise, and bashful bewilderment tickled your cheeks and stole your ability to speak. Your face was inches from him. Closer than it ever had been before.

"You're injured," he spoke softly, matter-of-factly, his eyes drifting to your feet. You could already see the broken skin around your heel.

"It's nothing. Just my shoes," you explained as you stared at your own feet as if that explanation meant anything to him.

"Hold on," he said as he held you to him and the two of you disappeared into a puff of ethereal phthalo.

--

Xiao placed you on the small stool you had left out on the balcony the night before. He was careful to not let you crash into it. His strength - despite his size - was easy to sense as he eased you onto it and waited for you to settle.

"Thanks," you hummed, stealing a peek at his eyes. Eyes the shade of ginkgo trees in fall, eyes that held eons of history and centuries of sadness. Xiao didn't speak much, but his searching and timid eyes quenched your thirst for his voice.

He lifted your leg and you covered your mouth to avoid making a noise. Before you could ask him a question, he withdrew into his haze and was gone. You sat motionless for only a few seconds, and contemplated entering your house as you, in a daze, took off your shoes but when you rose to leave, Xiao reappeared holding a small container.

"For your injury. It's important to - take care of yourself," he mumbled the last part of his sentence as he held the container out to you. Averting eyes, open fingers unmoving, waiting for you to take it.

Your fingertips brushed his skin. "Did you get this for me?" He crossed his arms and didn't answer but his actions still made your chest warm and lips pull into a giddy smile.

"Don't dally," he scolded and threw you a sharp stare, "Or you'll be left with a scar."

"Oh right." You nodded and uncapped the container. The salve held a potent medicinal scent. "You don't have to stay," you added, a little sad at the thought of him leaving but recognizing that he didn't enjoy the sights and sounds of the city. His avoidance one of the many secrets locked in the amber of his soul.

"I'll wait."

You opened your mouth to protest but he turned his back to you, crossed his arms. Watched, observed. Protective.

"Thank you, Xiao," you whispered and chuckled at the grunt that floated toward you from the Adeptus statue standing near the corner of your balcony.

--

[bookuce]

Change My Mind

SUMMARY: Josh and Alina are great friends most days. Other days, they want to tear each other apart. Some days, they’re in love with each other, but neither of them will admit it. 

*DISCLAIMER: This is a multi-part series. I do not own any of the characters in the writing except for the OC. The book uses actual names of wrestlers. Josh is Jey, Jon is Jimmy, Trinity is Naomi, and Alina is Alina. The book is not realistic and does not take place during real events, but some actual events (matches, storylines) could pop up in the story eventually. I DO NOT GIVE ANYONE PERMISSION TO TRANSLATE OR REPOST MY WRITINGS ANYWHERE. THAAAAAANKS. *

PAIRING: Jey Uso x Black OC

TROPE: Friends to Lovers

WARNINGS: Language

WORD COUNT: 4,185

PART SEVEN

(2/2) — (1/2)

The sound of heels could be heard angrily clicking against the winery floors. Alina’s eyes were burning with tears that wanted to be free, but she wouldn’t blink. She didn’t dare blink. She pushed the double doors open, moving down the brick steps. Once in the soft grass, she kicks her heels off and lifts her dress from the Earth. She glided—no, stomped across the field to that white house the groomsmen were in. She was a woman on a mission. 

Alina scaled the four steps, taking two at a time as she climbed onto the porch. The screened door would swing open, hitting the wall as she entered the house. The men all stopped talking, smiles vanishing at the sight of her. “Now, Lina—.” Mike starts. She and Theo locked eyes, and he immediately knew what she was there for. She pushes through everyone, lunging for him. The men all shout in response to her, Mike being the one who catches her. He pushes her back into the group of men, now pointing for the door. “Get her outta here, bruh, we not doing this shit today!” He says, as Shawn dragged her out of the house. Theo watched as Alina vanished through the door, bringing his glass to his lips. Mike turns to look at him, lifting his hands in disbelief. “You need to fix this before the wedding.” He says. “I don’t need Tasha finding out about this.” He says, walking to the kitchen.

“Get off of me!” Alina says, shoving Shawn back. “Tell him to bring his ass outside.” She demands. 

“Lina, you can’t do this right now. It’s your best friend’s wedding day.” Shawn says. Alina points at the window of the house.

“Did y’all tell him that too, or is this isolated to me?” Theo steps out from behind Shawn, his eyes on the enraged woman standing before him. He steps off the porch, his hand wrapping around Alina’s arm. He pulls the woman off towards an old garage to the side of the house. They said nothing to each other as they approached the withered door of the garage. He pushes it open, gesturing for her to go in. She yanks her arm from him, stepping into the dusty space.

Theo steps into the garage, closing the door behind them. “So I take it your little boyfriend told you what happened?” He asks.

“My little boyfriend? Theo, I need you to play somewhere safe when it comes to that man.” She warns him. Theo laughs softly at the threat, shaking his head. “I’m serious!” She exclaims.

“Why, because I gotta deal with you? I’ve dealt with that temper before, girl, that ain’t nothing.” He says, dismissing her threats. “I simply mentioned that we were engaged. That wasn’t a lie. Hell, I didn’t know it was a secret until today. That’s your fuck-up, not mine.” It was true. Theo was just moving accordingly. How Josh reacted to the news had nothing to do with him. Anything that happened after that, though? “Be honest. What did you think would happen when you brought him in there? Were you even thinking about that?” She wasn’t. All she was thinking about was the fact that she wanted Josh to make friends with the guys. 

Alina peers down at the floor, her arms crossing over her chest. “I didn’t tell him we were engaged because I erased that entire chapter of my life. The moment you did what you did, you meant nothing to me. You weren’t my fiancé, you weren’t my friend, you were just a man I unfortunately knew.” She finishes, looking up at him. “The word fiancé should have never left your goddamn mouth.”

“Lina, that’s not how that works!” He shouts.

“Says who? Were you the one hurt by this?” She asks. “You didn’t love me like I loved you. I was ready to commit to you, and you made me look stupid!”

“And I apologized, damnit!” He exclaims. Alina becomes quiet at the booming of his voice. “I will spend my entire life apologizing to you! I had a moment of weakness twelve years ago and had a child on you. It happened, and I apologized. I don’t regret my daughter, but I do regret what I did to you.” He finishes. Alina turns away from him, her eyes shifting to the ceiling. She was fighting tears again. “Was I hoping when I saw you today that I would be able to make things right with us? Yes, but you showed up, and I got to see you with someone else who isn’t me for the first time ever. I got jealous.”

Alina lifts her hand, shaking it. “You don’t get to be jealous, Theo.” She says, turning to face him again. “That man loves me, has loved me for two years, and patiently waited for me. He’s not going anywhere, and I don’t want him to. So, whatever you got going on, it needs to stop the moment we leave this garage.” She says. It was now his turn to be silent. He stares at Alina, his shoulder slumped in defeat. She takes a few steps to the side, moving around him for the door.

“My greatest achievement was having you love me.” She pauses at the door at his words. She slowly turns around to face him, her eyes finding his dark ones. “You telling me that’s all gone? Every bit of it?” She sighs softly.

“Theo, a part of me will always love you.”

“Then why can’t we…try again?” He asks, taking her hand into his. “What’s those few weeks compared to our four years?” He continues.

“Everything, Theo. They’re everything.” She says, pulling her hand from his grasp. “I don’t want to know you how I did anymore.” Before he could even say anything else, she slipped out the door. The sun forces her to squint, her hands carefully wiping at any tears that might’ve fallen. 

Josh paced the gravel of the winery parking lot. He was trying his hardest to remain calm but was failing miserably. “She told me to leave, Uce. She don’t want me here.” He says into the phone.

“Man, take your ass back inside that wedding. Lina don’t mean that shit.” Jon says, trying to assure his brother that the things the couple said to each other had no meaning. “As for her ex, he’s lucky I’m not there, we’d jump his ass.”

“Jon—!” Trin exclaims. “You aren’t helping!”

Jon smacks his lips at her. “Yes, the hell I am! I’ll get on a plane right now! Say I won’t.” He shouts back. There was a scuffle in the background and sounds of protest from his twin brother. “Move!” He exclaims. Josh stops pacing, his eyes shifting up to the trees above him. He was now shaking his head at the couple on the other side of the phone. There was a serious matter at hand, and they were playing around.

“Josh—Will you back up!” Trinity shouts into the phone at her husband. “Go find that girl and talk to her.”

“Can’t.” He says, glancing over at a few people who were passing him. “Wedding is about to start.” He says.

“Then you should stay and talk to her. Don’t leave that place mad at each other.” She tells him. He begins to nod his head. Trinity was right.

“Yeah,” He nods. “Yeah, you’re right.” 

“I know I am! Now go make things right with my sister.” She says, making Josh smile. There was movement on the other side of the phone before Jon spoke again. 

“Say the words, and I’m on a plane, lil bro! Say the words—!” The call ends with three beeps. Josh slips his phone back into his jacket pocket with a sigh. Let’s get this shit over with, he thought, marching towards the back where the ceremony will be. 

Alina and the rest of the wedding party lined up in the main hall of the winery. Each bridesmaid had a groomsman. She, unfortunately, had Theo—Together, they were the maid of honor and the best man. The lost lovers stared ahead, a noticeable space between the pair. She didn’t want to have to touch him until she had to. “Alright, everyone,” The wedding planner spoke, walking to the front of the wedding line. “We got five minutes till the wedding starts. Remember, count to five before you step out to walk. Do not power walk down the aisle. The photographer needs to be able to get clear photos. Tasha and Mike are spending too much money to receive blurry images of you beautiful people.” 

Her eyes land on Alina and Theo, now noticing the gap between the two. She takes Alina’s arm, linking it with his. She then smiles proudly at the pair. “You two look great together.” She winks, moving down the line to check everyone else. Alina smiles at her to be polite before letting her smile drop when she leaves. 

“Lina, can we—.”

“Leave me alone, please, Theo. Thank you.” She snaps quietly. No one around them knew what had transpired that day, and she wanted to keep it that way. She could hear him suck in a deep breath and sigh. Music began to play from outside the building, a sign the ceremony was about to start. Mike and the Reverand are spotted making their way down the aisle from the windows of the doors. The sound of cheers and applause is heard over the music now. 

The wedding planner quickly walks back to the front of the line, peeking out the window. She squeals at the sight of Michael. “Tasha, Mike has made it to the end of the aisle!” She exclaims. Tasha was at the back of the line, a large bouquet in her hand. Her head was down as she swayed from side to side. She needed to say a quick prayer before she stepped out there. “Y’all ready?” She asks Alina and Theo. Ready to get this over, she answers in her head. Alina nods slightly, now taking a deep breath of her own. The coordinator pushes the door open, signaling for the pair to go. A smile will spread along Alina’s face as she and Theo stepped out into the opening. 

The pair walked at the desired pace of the wedding coordinator, their eyes darting around the crowd. There was only one person she was hoping she would spot among the attendees. When she caught sight of red curls, her smile softened to one of genuine happiness. He stayed. Josh turns just in time to see her walking down the aisle. They hold each other’s gaze until she passes him. Once at the end of the aisle, Theo and Alina break apart. Theo goes to stand behind his best friend while Alina stands alone for a few moments more. 

Instead of paying attention to the ceremony, Alina was too busy watching Josh. He hadn’t let up on his staring either. It was evident they both regretted everything that transpired between them today. 

As a couple, it was the first time they’d really argued, and quite frankly, they didn’t want to do it again. Josh didn’t like it when she was mad at him; he also didn’t like to be the cause of her tears. The break of her voice and the pain in her eyes at what he said was enough for him. He’d never do it again—that was his vow. “Do you, Michael, take Tasha to be your lawfully wedded wife? Will you honor and cherish her; love, trust, and commit to her, through joy and pain, sickness, and health, until death do you part?” The reverend asks Mike.

“I do.” He says, nodding. 

“And Tasha, do you take Michael to be your lawfully wedded husband? Will you honor and cherish him; love, trust, and commit, through joy and pain, sickness, and health, until death do you part?” Tasha smiles brightly up at her husband, nodding slowly at him.

“I do.” She whispers. The reverend calls for the rings, prompting Alina to look away from Josh and pass off Mike’s ring to Tasha. She’d give her best friend an assuring smile before glancing at her feet. The couple begins the exchange of their vows, putting their rings on each other’s fingers. Alina peers up at Josh again, finding his eyes still on her. He didn’t care about anything that was happening right now. He should probably pay attention, but he just couldn’t. 

“I love you.” She mouths to him, earning a wink in return. That prompts her to smile and return her attention to her two friends. 

“Tasha, Michael, it is with great honor that I stand before you, by the power vested in me by the Almighty God up above and the beautiful state of Georgia, I proudly pronounce you Husband and Wife! Michael, you may now kiss your bride.” The crowd erupts into cheers as Mike pulls Tasha in for a loving kiss. “I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Vasser, everyone!” The newlyweds turn to face the crowd before walking down the aisle hand in hand. The wedding party would follow after. The most stressful part of the day was now over. 

The reception went as planned, with introductions, first dances, and speeches. Everyone laughed, and a few people cried, but everyone was happy—well, not everyone. Josh had yet to talk to Alina. She was too busy socializing and catching up with old friends. He didn’t want to take her from that, considering she’s barely home these days. So Josh went and grabbed a drink from the bar and stepped outside. She’ll find him when she’s ready. 

Josh stood in silence, taking in the night sky. The Moon was full and dimly lit the area around him. He brings his beer bottle to his lips, taking a few swigs. Footsteps approached him, causing the twin to look over his left shoulder. He had hoped it was Alina but was greatly disappointed when it was Theo. He looks away, his top lip curling slightly in disgust. They stood side by side, their eyes fixated on the open. Josh wasn’t going to say anything. He had nothing to say to that man.

“I asked Alina to leave you.” He confesses. Josh’s hand around the bottle he held tightened. This man just doesn’t let up, he thought.

“What she say?” Josh asks, looking down at his shoes. 

“No.” He answers.

Josh scoffs, shaking his head slightly. “Checks out.” 

Theo looks over at him. “I asked her if she still loved me. She said she did.” He turns to face Josh. “I love her too—.”

“Man, you don’t love that woman,” Josh says, pivoting to face Theo. “If you did, you’d let her be happy. Instead, you out here pressing me.” Josh looks him up and down. “You already had your chance, and you blew it. Now it’s my turn, and I ain’t ever coming off that one.” He says, pointing inside the reception hall. “You out of your damn mind if you think I’mma let some fuck up from her past force his way back into her life.” Theo’s head drops at his words. He would bring his hand to his face and pull it down the front, sighing softly. 

“You thought she’d want to play house with your ass again? Hell no!” Josh was through being cordial with this man. He had received nothing but disrespect from him since he was made aware that he was her ex-fiancé. For Alina, he tried to be on his best behavior, but it was nearing the end of the night, and he wasn’t going to leave this venue without speaking his mind to Theo. He’s been asking for it. “Ay, and on the real, Uce, if she wants to be a Mother, all she gotta do is ask me.” 

And that was the final straw for Theo. He’d swing, his fist connecting with Josh’s left brow bone. The punch would cause Josh to stumble to the right, but he quickly regained balance, lunging for the man who threw the first punch. He slams him into the railing of the steps they stood on before wrapping his arms around him and tossing him down the steps.

Alina had just finished talking to Tasha’s grandma when she started looking for Josh. She’d move through the dancefloor, passing by chatty guests and dancers. “Hey, have you seen Josh?” She asks Cassie. Cassie shakes her head, but Shawn, her husband, looks around the room to see if he spotted him. His eyes would pause on the outside just as he saw Theo throw a punch. 

“Shit,” He says, getting up from the table. Alina and Cassie wore expressions of confusion until they saw the other groomsmen running for the door.

“Where are they going?” Cassie asked.

“I don’t know…” Alina responds. Cassie stands to her feet, now walking with Alina to find out.

Outside, the scuffle had gone out into the grass. Theo recovered from being thrown and knocked Josh to the ground. Currently, they were rolling around. Punches were thrown while Josh had him in a tight headlock. Thick legs wrapped tightly around his waist, the hold resembling Joe’s Guillotine. 

“Ay, Ay, Ay, Josh! Josh! Let him go!” The groomsmen approach the fight, prompting Josh to let go of Theo. They begin to separate the two, pulling them both up to their feet. Alina had just stepped outside when she saw them trying to pull Josh off of Theo. 

“Are you fucking—?” She mutters, now rushing down the steps to the fight. Four men restrained Josh, while Theo was by two. Shawn stood in the middle, his arms extended to keep them separated. Josh sported a bloody gash on his brow where Theo first hit him, painting the left side of his face red. Any bit of anger she had went out the window the moment she saw him. 

“The hell’s gotten into you today, man?” Shawn shouts at Theo. It seems to be the question of the day. “I’ve never seen someone be so determined to get his ass whooped by a professional fighter—Samoan at that!” 

Alina approached Josh, turning his head to assess the gash. “Lina—,” Theo calls for her.

“Theo, I will slap the shit out of you.” She threatens, turning to look at him.

“And if she breaks a nail, I’m beating your ass,” Josh shouts from behind her. 

“Joshua.” She snaps, looking at him. Dark eyes find hers when she calls his name to silence him. She looks at the men still holding her battered man. “Let him go, he ain’t gonna do anything.” She tells them. Hesitantly, they release him, and she snatches his arm up. She pushes through the crowd, dragging Josh around to the front of the winery. She was off to find a bathroom away from the party. 

Josh struggled to keep up, his hand going to the gash on his face. He hisses in pain. “Can you slow down?” He asks. She doesn’t say anything. He peers down at his hand, seeing the blood for the first time. That causes him to stop, halting her in her tracks as well. Alina turns in time to watch his face shift between anger and disbelief. He laughs softly, shaking his head. “I’ma kill him.” He says, nodding to himself.

“Pull your arm away from me and see what happens.” She warns him. They’d stare at each other in silence before Josh huffs, allowing her to resume dragging him inside the building. She pulls him up the stairs and into the bridal room, leading him into the bathroom. “I saw a first aid kit up here.” She says. She closes the door behind them, moving to the closet to grab the medkit. 

Josh jumps onto the counter, patiently waiting for her to tend to him. “I promise I wasn’t looking for a fight.” He says. Alina doesn’t respond to him right away, forcing the room into silence. “I was waiting for you so we could talk, and he came out there bothering me.” 

When she finds the box, she opens it, retrieving a band-aid, alcohol, and ointment. “I believe you.” She says, walking over to him. She examines his appearance, taking in the bloody sight he was. She’d sigh before unbuttoning his white shirt. “This is ruined.” She says.

“I’m sorry.” He apologizes, shrugging out of the shirt. She shakes her head in response, reaching over to grab one of the clean face towels on the counter. She’d turn on the sink, allowing the water to run over her hand until warm. “Can you say something?” He asks, watching as she chooses to remain silent. The water became warm quickly, prompting her to wet the white washcloth. “Baby.” He calls.

“Will you let me take care of you?” She asks, turning off the sink. She squeezes any excess water out of the cloth before bringing it up to clean his face. 

“I am,” He starts. “I just want to hear your voice.” And make sure you’re not mad at me, he thought. She glances down at his pleading gaze before leaning in to give him an assuring kiss. That kiss was all he needed to know that everything was alright with them. He smiles softly at her, his hands moving to her hips. “I love you too.” He whispers to her. “That’s from earlier.” He adds, making her grin. 

“Stop touching me before you ruin my dress.” She says, removing his hands. She reaches down to grab the alcohol wipe packet, ripping it open in the process.

“That means you’ll have to take it off, right?” He bites his lower lip as his hands return to her hips. She steps back.

“I am not fucking you at this wedding.” She says. 

“The car is in the parking lot, honey.” He offers, making her laugh. That was a new term of endearment for her. It was always Baby or Lina. Now it was honey. She licks her lips at him before stepping back between his legs. “Hell, You got me out here fighting exes and shit, I’m getting something.” Alina rolls her eyes.

“Shut up.” She tells him. She lifts the alcohol wipe to the cut, lightly dabbing it. He’d hissed slightly, flinching away from her. “I’m sorry.” She whispers. “I’m almost done.” She promises, reaching to grab the ointment packet. She was happy she didn’t have to drive him to a hospital for stitches. Josh’s hands start wandering again, moving around to her backside this time. She sucks in a shaky breath, pulling his hands from her body. She’d give him a warning glare. 

“It’s mine!” He exclaims at her.

“How much did you have to drink?” She asks. 

“I had a beer.” He answers.

“Just one?” Josh stares at her for a moment.

“Maybe two.” 

Alina grins, reaching down to grab the small bandaid from the counter. She opens it, pulls off the paper on the back, and carefully places it over the cut on his brow. “I should have told you about Theo.” She says.

Josh began shaking his head, not wanting to talk about it. “You had your reasons. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did.” He says, trying to take accountability for what happened between them.

“Yeah, but it was warranted. I shouldn’t have sent you in how I did, though. That wasn’t fair to you,” Alina drapes her arms over his shoulders and leans into him. Their foreheads would touch. “and I’m sorry.” She whispers, pecking his lips twice. 

“As long as I can go home and love on my lady tonight, I’m okay.” Alina would nod slowly, leaning in for another kiss. Their lips would meet for a lengthier kiss filled with every bit of emotion they felt today. Her manicured fingers would travel along his bare skin, traveling up his neck to cup his jaw. Her thumbs gently caress his cheekbones; her fingers gently scratch his beard. It earns her a hum of satisfaction. They would stay like this for several moments before they were interrupted by a loud knock on the door. Lina pulls away from Josh, her attention now on the door. On the other hand, Josh was fixated on kissing and nibbling on her neck.

“J-Just a moment!” She exclaims, her eyes closing when he finds that sensitive spot below her jawline. Alina giggles, finding herself quickly falling into his trap. She pulled his head back, halting him from going any further. Her boyfriend’s eyes glazed over with lust as he watched her, his bottom lip tucked between his teeth. That was a gaze that would send her knees immediately. God, he looked good. “We should go.” She says finally, moving to let him get off the counter. 

“I was waiting for you.” He says, taking her hand. He’d lead the pair out of the bathroom, earning looks of confusion from the wedding guests who were waiting for them to come out.

PART EIGHT

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A/N: This could've been a 3 part tbh LMAO. SO MUCH HAPPENED 😭😭😭😭 I just wanted to thank y'all for interacting with the first part of Part 7. That made me really happy to read y'alls comments. Do it again!!

🏷️ list: @thesamoanqueen @whatdoeseveryonewant @headoftheetable @mzv11 @southerngirl41 @yana3sworld @wanderingreigns @wrestlingprincess80 @siriuslycee @vebner37 @astridxxxxxx @alichesmi @tshepisho @scarlettnoir01 @brokenglassslippers @reignsboy19 @sayyestoheav3nn @cyberdejos2 @empressdede @sisinever @truefant4sy @paigereeder @tbmotw @fearlesschimera @venusesworld @usoholic @sageispunk @bebesobrielo @jstarr86 @vibessonvibes @issahyland 

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

Of All Things, I Became an Oceanid

You always imagined that if you woke up in the world of Genshin, the possibilities of being a Visionless wielder of elements and a slew of romantic shenanigans would lie in your wake. But when you instead find yourself in the body of an Oceanid with romance likely out of the question, your only conclusion is that the gods of reincarnation isekai hate your guts.

cw. you're an oceanid

pairing. navia x reader, kaeya x reader, childe x reader (separate)

notes. don't feel like being an oceanid today? well go ahead and go to the series masterlist and see what your life could be if you were something else in genshin.

So you're an Oceanid now.

You suppose there are worse things you could have turned into. God, imagine if you turned into a hilichurl or something like that. Yeah, you'll take being a graceful water being over a hilichurl any day.

You can talk, you can wield Hydro and you can go literally anywhere you want as long as water is present. It's honestly not that bad of a deal, you can be Mx. Worldwide if you so desire it.

As for finding company with your fellow lochfolk? That's not really much an option, all things considered. As it stands now, Oceanids follow one simple rule.

You stay in your lake, they stay in theirs and you call it a day.

Kaeya

Considering Springvale's small pond is already taken, you decide to call dibs on Starfell Lake since after Rhodeia made even the waters of the Dawn Winery bitter, you figured it would be better to try a source lake not connected to her spot in Liyue

To be honest when it came to being an Oceanid, you figured you didn't really need to become the companion of any of the characters

You're more than content to stay in your lake and mind your business. But truthfully, it does get boring, so when you saw Kaeya's reflection peering into your waters, you popped your head up to say hi almost instinctively

Apart from a brief look of surprise, that's the extent of your attempt to seem regal and mysterious in front of the Calvary Captain

"A water faerie so far from Fontaine? I can't believe my eye; this is the certainly the last thing I was expecting to see while out on a stroll."

It's not everyday you meet something so exciting and considering what happened after encountering the Traveler and Paimon, Kaeya decides to listen to his instincts that there'll be a lot to come from interacting with you

Because of this, Kaeya is a frequent visitor to your lake besides the people who occasionally stop by to clean the statue of the Seven

You ask him about the daily gossip of Mondstadt and he asks you about the life of being a water faerie, a fair trade even if most of your information is based on your memory of the Genshin wiki page and the limited personal experience you have

Kaeya's made a joke about how your meeting is something one might read in a romance novel, much to your embarrassment

Is he serious or no?

It's not like there haven't been any Human/Oceanid relationships in this game so it isn't completely out of the ordinary when you think about it...

At the same time though, you don't want to look super eager

One particular night, a long silence fell over you both when you asked him about his family. He tells you a bit about his past, about being adopted into the Ragnvindr family and his present less than savory relationship with Diluc

You ask if he's lonely to which he asks in return "do I seem lonely?" yet there is no bite in his tone nor is there any sarcasm either. his gaze is thoughtful but miles away from your lake

"Yes" are the words on your non-existent tongue yet you can't bring yourself to say it, all while a warm hand brushes against your watery cheek much too quickly

Navia

Being an Oceanid in Fontaine pre-Neuvillette's judgement was pretty much impossible, thankfully you airdropped into Teyvat after that deciding to call an area near Poisson your home

As to how you met Navia, you heard her crying by the sea as she does sometimes after getting new flowers for the grave of her father and much like the Spring Faerie of Springvale, you answered the call and swam to the surface

She thought maybe you were Melus or Silver, or maybe some other lost soul of Poisson. You quickly let her know that wasn't actually the case, much to Navia's initial disappointment

But Navia is an optimist, first and foremost. So she won't let the reality of the situation get her down and would ask you a bunch of questions. Afterall, Oceanids are thought to be practically extinct in Fontaine after Egeria's death so she doesn't want to waste the opportunity to learn more about you

And boy do her questions range from genuinely thought provoking to so silly it leaves you both in a fit of laughter

It's a first meeting that does Navia good, there she was so sad and then you came and turned the entire situation inside out. She promises to make you macarons as thanks, if lochfolk can even eat

Truthfully, you don't know if you can either. It's not like it's necessary to eat as you are now but fuck it you want to find out for yourself

Navia is also quick to invite you live in the waters of Poisson in general, or at least settle in if you ever want to visit and see the town for yourself

You take her up on the offer to have, if anything, a change of scenery and to see more people out and about than you normally would

You truthfully enjoy a nice yap session with Navia, it's never boring when she's around even if the most you're doing is watching her dish out orders from your comfortable pond in Poisson

But the best hangout sessions you have are when you are a good distance from the place and she can chat with you freely. She'll bring a basket of snacks, a blanket to sit on and you'll chat the day away

Sometimes she'll even bring a sketchbook and attempt to draw your portrait. Navia isn't the best artist but you enjoy looking at her artwork nonetheless

A small secret of her heart though is that Navia is quite sure that as a young girl she dreamed of something like this. Meeting an Oceanid by lakeside and falling in love before willingly being taken into the depths of Fontaine to eternally perform a watery dance of love

Maybe she can't do some of those things as the boss of Spina di Rosula, but maybe the former... maybe she's just been reading too many romance novels

Childe

When it comes to Childe, you truly lucked out in becoming an Oceanid when you lost the isekai 50/50. Because if you were something couldn't talk like a Thunder Manifestation or a Geovishap... you'd be assed out

For he, Tartaglia, is constantly finding ways to become stronger and that includes fighting mythical beings he comes across

But hey, Childe is no barbarian. Anything that can talk and beg for its life, for the most part, isn't a viable option for honing his skills

So congratulations, you narrowly avoided becoming a hashtag in someone's twitter bio twice in a row

Childe quickly laughs off your near brush with death and he dodges the spout of water you send his way. Sadly, he's somewhat charming when he says "come on, in my defense I didn't think you had any real intelligence! Now that I know we can easily become buddies, I'm sure!"

Maybe it's guilt (you doubt it), maybe it's a bit of youthful wonder permeating his soul (you're sure it's this), but he makes it a point to visit you while he is in Fontaine

Yeah, you lost another 50/50 by being airdropped into Fontaine during its Archon Quest but miraculously the water isn't painful. Maybe it's because you're technically not from this world and it grants you some sort of immunity? You're not sure

You are sure of, however, the fact that Childe comes to visit you like he gets paid for it

Apparently he wants to chat it up with you so he has plenty of interesting stories for his younger siblings when he visits them next time he is in his homeland

You sadly have a soft spot for it seems for war criminals that also happen to be family-oriented so you indulge him begrudgingly despite the rocky start to your friendship

When he gets arrested, you don't see him for a while and you admittedly grow worried when he doesn't show up even beyond the crisis of the prophecy coming to fruition but isn't like you can just discreetly find a fatuus in a city, let alone a Harbinger

Childe comes to see you soon enough though when he's recovered a substantial amount (barely any at all)

He laughs at you worriedly berate him for being so careless. "I just had to make sure my favorite Oceanid didn't miss me too much, that's all"

[yandere-romanticaa]

I've had a very fun and fruitful conversation with @allfearstofallto and she had some very strong reactions for a story about yandere Diluc and Tartaglia that has been marinating in my mind for a while now. I'll just give you a brief version of my idea.

You and the 11th Fatui Harbinger are to be wed. With your freedom stripped away from you and with your wedding date fast approaching, you are working tirelessly to escape the Harbinger's grasp.

However, even with your freedom stripped away, even if you have no autonomy on your own, there's an inkling in your heart in which you cannot hate your captor. He is far too kind and gentle towards you, the way in which he treats you makes your heart swell with a plethora of emotions.

But enough is enough.

You need to leave. Fast.

One evening, you act sweeter, more submissive than usual. Your fiancee eats it up and is delighted by this change in attitude. His happiness is evident because now things can proceed without a hitch. Don't worry darling, you won't be anywhere near his work. He'll keep you safe, fed and loved.

All he asks in return is to be in your heart. Love him. Love him, please. It's a hard request, a selfish one even, he knows this.

He can make it up to you. He can and he will.

He promises.

You kiss him in bed, telling him that you understand. Your eyes shift towards the hidden suitcase in the corner as you feel the drugs start to kick in. Tartaglia is fast asleep, and you finally taste the sweetness of freedom.

The man wakes up the next morning in a daze. The bed is empty and cold.

His heart shatters into a million pieces. He roars out your name like a wounded animal, his throat sore and bleeding from the pain.

He must find you.

Meanwhile, you made your way towards the City of Freedom.

You settle in, find a job, a place to live in. It's hard but you manage.

You ignore the lingering presence that you feel behind you when you're alone at night. You're making it all up, you keep telling yourself.

No one is following you.

One evening, you enter a cozy tavern. You order a drink and it is prepared by a handsome, albeit stoic bartender. You manage to get him to open up. He introduces himself as Diluc, the owner of the fine establishment in which you sat in.

How neat.

Due to various different factors, after a short while Diluc takes you in. He is patient and strict. It's an improvement.

You don't know about his ever growing obsession with you. You don't know about the endless sea of portraits he has of you. He keeps it all hidden well under wraps.

Regardless, Diluc is still only human. It's only natural that his jealousy would bubble up and rear in its ugly head from time to time.

Dawn Winery is in a way, forced to attend a massive social gathering. Diplomats from the North are everywhere and, of course, Tartaglia spots you in the crowd.

Even if his eyes were to be plucked out, he would always manage to recognize you.

Tensions rise and the danger of bloodlust reeks in the air. Much to his chagrin, Childe cannot simply just kill Diluc and be done with it.

He is being forced to play Mr Nice Diplomat.

Oh the horror, being stuck between these two.

Now, since this has the potential to be long as fuck, I was thinking of making it into a multiple part story. The best name I could come up with it so far was "A Song of Ice and Fire". I'm open to title names, if someone has better ideas. An important note to add would be that this would be a serious commitment for me as I haven't done a story like this in years. Chapter updates would probably take me a long time due to my job and potential lack of energy, but this idea has been in my brain for years now, which is a clear sign that I'm passionate about it. And, my question is - would you like for me to make this story come to life?

[iloveyanderes]

Yandere idea but longer: warning mature and sexual themes

Imagine a darling that is like gorou or tighnari and has animal ears and tail. Everyone consistently teases them, most of the genshin characters would think of darling as a pet, not a human being. They baby darling and infantilize them to the absolute max.

In mondstadt darling would probably have the most freedom, though you do have to worry about albedo trying to turn you into a in actual animal so he can trap you and pet your ears whenever he wants. Kaeya would constantly tease you and surprise attack you ears and tail whenever you least expect it. Jean and Lisa make sure you never have to work and all of your needs are taken care of like your their dog. Diluc is probably going to trap you in the dawn winery and keep you as a house pet. Pray you have cat features so venti can't go anywhere near you, in a way he is worse then kaeya never leaving you alone, your best bet is diona as she'll take you under her wing.

Liyue would be a financial nightmare for darling, you've got the Richie's like ningguang,Childe, and yelan constantly trying to convince you to wear a collar, ningguang constantly send you gold and diamonds while Childe and yelan may or may not consistently hire treasure borders to kidnap you so they can show up last minute to save you and appear like a hero. Xiao would probably not kidnap you but he would watch you at all time, anytime you try to leave liyue he's suddenly their. For zhongli it really depends if it's morax or current day zhongli. Morax would most likely trap you underground and pet your ears while he's In a meeting with the adepti, Zhongli would probably just blackmail you to lay with him as he monologues about random stories. Baizhu would probably drug you and then inspect your ears for hours.

Now for inazuma, how inazuma I've got the biggest brainrots for this ever and it all comes down to one single man: ayato. This bish is a sadist, gentleman, and Infantilizing person ever. Bro would never talk to you as if you were a human, to him your a pet and he's going to make sure you never think of yourself human again. Have fun being punished whenever you try to speak English, being forced to eat straight from a bowl with your hands tied behind you back, he'll love to push all of your sensitive spots until your nothing but a whining mess as he mercilessly scratches your ears. Yae Miko would probably be the second worst in inazuma despite being somewhat of an animal herself she would still find a way to tease you, maybe pulling another miss hina with you and blackmailing you into going to one of her "fun" public events, where you ears and tail definitely don't get groped by people. Thoma would probably be the best, he would constantly want to brush your hair/fur all the time and bath you, he loves animals so it be amazing. Ayaka would keep you as a handmaid while secretly making you play pet and master behind doors. I really can't think about anything for kokomi but for gorou he would take you as a mate and protect you with his life. Heizou would also be a big tease, he would also make sure small crimes get pinned on you just so he could "interrogate" you and tease yourself until you pass out. Itto would drag you to places and shinobu would probably take pity on you, helping you escape. Ei would drag you to her place and keep you their forever.

In sumeru tighnari would be like gorou but he would never let you out of the house and to collei you would be like an emotional support animal you always calm her down, al-haithem would monopolize all of your time and kaveh would love to dress you up, kind of like how people put outfits on dogs. Cyno would probably share you with tighnari and get really angry whenever al-haithem comes within a 100 mile radius of you. Nahida would be platonic and think of you like a childhood pet. Nilou would make dances dedicated to you and raise money to get you things. Candace and deyha would also team up to keep you in the desert and basically work together for everything.

Bonus:

Beidou, kazuha, and her crew: your officially the cabins pet, people are allowed to pet your ears and brush your tail whenever they want. People play card games to see who gets you the night but most often beidou or kazuha win. Beidou likes to baby talk you while kazuha uses you as a muse for his poems.

Harbingers (not Childe, pierro, captino or puncellia sorry if I spelt it wrong )

Dottore would experiment on you all the time and find ways to morph your human mind into an animal one.

Columbina would sing you to sleep and pet your ears, placing little clips in your hair, don't you dare get up from her lap when's she's singing, bad things will happen.

Arlecchino is automatically your mistress, you follow her orders or else. Anytime you disobey she'll swap you on the bottom with a whip, she mainly makes you take care of orphans and if you ever take off the collar she gave you bad things will happen.

Scaramouche, fatui scaramouche would torture you endlessly with electricity and humiliate you, wanderer would be clingy as heck never letting you be alone or leave.

Sandrome would most likely turn you into a puppet or make puppets of you, don't piss her off she had a bad temper

Signoria would automatically hide you in a house, she's like arlecchino in the way that she's your mistress but unlike arlecchino she never lets you do anything, your only job is to be like a pet and pay on her lap as she does business.

Pantalone would spend billions on you, making sure your clothes were expensive, you haven't worn anything but still for years, he's also very monopolizing, paying people lots to stay away from you and set the two of you up.

Sorry I didn't do all of the harbingers, Pierro and puncellia are to old for me, I really don't feel capitano, and I did Childe in the liyue one.

[dutybcrne]

It’s easy enough to tell just how much something really got to Kaeya based on the air around him. He’s so carefully in control of his own emotions and Vision alike, his true feelings tend to go unnoticed or masked as something else. But if it really threw him or a loop or upset him in some way, a notable change in temperatures ( proportionate to how much he was affected ) is the surest sign, regardless of his poker face.

[fawnforgold]

| I Wanna Make My Murder Look Like A Suicide | 

Pairing: Diluc x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Dark content, Yandere, Yan!Diluc, Fem!Reader, Reader wears a dress, Diluc is your husband, Abuse, Manipulation, Reader is disabled, Reader uses a cane, Reader is referred to as Diluc’s ‘Wife’, Mentions of past forced feeding, Arranged Marriage, It is implied that reader’s family was abusive, Scratching (Reader), Diluc is very cruel in this, Kaeya appears towards the end, Dissociation, Reader has a mental breakdown, Stockholm Syndrome (? I’m unsure about this one ?), 4.6k Words. 

A/n: Reupload because I deleted this foasijfasodi but yeah idk I really just think yandere!Diluc is neat. Also, the title are lyrics from the song Cotard’s Solution by Will Wood and The Tapeworms.

Summary: When your family arranges a marriage with the wealthy owner of Dawn Winery, you jump at the first chance you can to escape your cruel family, but what new hell awaits you on the other side?

“Where do you think you’re going?” He asked in a cold tone. 

It threw you off for a moment but only briefly, because if there’s one thing you could promise yourself it’s that your husband, Diluc, would never harm you. But somehow you couldn’t help but clutch onto the fabric of your dress, the same one he gave you on your first wedding anniversary, hands shaking for some unknown reason.

“I was just going for a walk. Would you like to j-” He cut you off mid sentence, snapping at you in response.

“No, I don’t want to go anywhere and neither should you. It’s”— He checked his pocket watch before quickly tucking it back into his pocket— “Three in the morning and both of us should be heading to bed.” 

“But-” Before you could get another word in he’d grabbed your wrist and pulled you forward.

That was your cue that it was indeed time to end the night, in bed… with your husband. Your beloved husband who would never steer you astray. So, then why did you have this feeling in the pit of your stomach that something was terribly and unmistakably wrong? 

Soon the sun rose and pierced through the window of your bedroom, waking you up with its warm rays and urging you to get ready for the day. You didn’t have anywhere to go or anything to do exactly—to be fair you never did—but that never stopped you from looking your very best. So, you quickly put on a decent looking outfit, brushed your hair, and grabbed your cane. And just as you were about to descend down the stairs you saw the flower embroidered basket out of the corner of your eye. It always tempted you, or maybe taunted is the more appropriate word, and you decided against fighting your desires and instead hooked it over your free arm. 

You checked both ways before tip-toeing downstairs, hoping your walk was closer than it was last night. Closer and closer you came to the front door, you knew it was silly but you really wanted to take a walk and you couldn’t understand your husband’s rejections towards it. Your hand was on the bronze knob and you were just about to turn it when a hand placed itself on your shoulder. You jumped and looked to see who it was and to your surprise and relief, it was Adelinde. It made getting caught a little less scary and a lot more tedious, because you knew there was nothing you could do to keep her watchful eyes off of you. 

She smiled fondly, too fondly, and finally spoke. “You’re supposed to be resting. Come on, let’s get you some breakfast. Master Diluc is expecting you.” She led you into the dining area.

Pulling back an open seat, Adelinde helped you into your seat, pushing your chair closer to the table while the both of you waited for Diluc to arrive. And once he did she did the same for him and walked outside as he dismissed her. Not once did she look back and it made you nervous for reasons you weren’t sure of. The both of you waited in thick silence for the food to arrive, and once it had he took a few bites before he ordered everyone in the house to give you two some privacy.

It was that moment, that moment right then and there that made you question just what exactly your husband would say or do. Maybe an answer to last night’s little event, or something truly dreadful instead. It was the very minute you happened to look at him that he set down his utensils and spoke at last.

“Are you unhappy?” he said casually, as if he hadn’t just questioned the very existence of you in his life. 

You were stunned, but not too much that you couldn’t speak. 

“Of course I am! What kind of question is that?” you replied defensively. 

Your heart began to pound harshly against your chest, and you could feel the sudden drop of your stomach. Clenching the fork in your right hand you tried grounding yourself, controlling your emotions, but the feeling was so strong you started to cry. 

Diluc reached over and gingerly wiped away the stray tear on your cheek. “Please, don’t cry.” You were silent aside from the hurtful whimpers you let out. “I’m not mad.” 

Diluc slowly made his way out of his chair and knelt beside yours in an effort to comfort you, but that did quite the opposite. He gently held onto your left hand and looked at you with softened eyes, except for the fact that they were grey and empty. You tried to stop crying but your tears became uncontrollable, and soon you were sobbing into the crook of your right arm’s elbow. It felt like your world was caving, as if your heart stopped and the air was stripped straight from your lungs. The worst part was how you had no clue what was the real problem, that was until you said that loathsome phrase you always did end up blurting out.

“Are.. Are you leaving me?” you asked timidly.

The fear in your voice was evident but you couldn’t find the strength or courage to pretend otherwise. Sometimes when you blurted it out you hoped he wouldn’t answer, just so that there was no choice for rejection. It was better that way you told yourself, even though he had never rejected you. To be frank, if he hadn’t put that worry in your head in the first place, then you wouldn't have reacted this way. But if there’s one thing you learned from this marriage it was that Diluc would show you only what he wanted you to see. So, to the world he was an honest man, a doting husband, and above all, kind, but that was not the reality you lived. 

Diluc took both of your hands now and gave them a tight grip, looking you deep in your eyes. “I will never leave you. Okay, sweetheart?” 

His words felt less like a promise and more like a threat. You used to have so much more fight in you, but these days you barely had any left. So, you nodded and allowed him to give you a hug before the both of you finished up your breakfast. The remainder of the day was spent watching out the windows of your regal prison, dreaming of the day you could finally feel the sun on your face again. This was the pattern of your every day, from the moment the sun went up and till the very time it fell below the ground; wishing and praying that someday your fate would change. Perhaps that day was closer than you presumed, but you were doubtful. 

The pattern continued for weeks, you had constant flare ups and Diluc would consistently refuse to let you leave the house. Until, one day ,the pain had lessened enough to the point where you didn’t need your cane or wheelchair, and instead could truly stretch your legs for once. It was by no means a permanent thing but you wanted to celebrate this small relief, and with what you might ask? A nice walk through the outside breeze of course. Today was the day you were so sure that Diluc would let you outside, or at the very least walk with you. 

So, you found a comfortable outfit to wear, looked at your aid with a triumphant smile, and carefully descended down the stairs. You were proud to be able to have a day free of your mobility aid, it was liberating, but you knew once you saw Diluc at the bottom of the steps that something was wrong. Something was very wrong, indeed. Slowly you walked down the staircase and once you were face to face with your husband, you could see his face was that of a truly frustrated and fed up man. 

He knows, you thought to yourself. 

“You’re late,” he said in a cold tone as he pulled out a chair at the table for you, and helped you into your seat. 

You kept your sights on your food as much as you could, because you knew damn well that Diluc could sniff out your true feelings with ease. Making sure to hold eye contact with Diluc as much as you could stomach, you took deep breaths as you readied yourself to ask the question you’d been dying to ask. This all depended on how healthy you appeared, if he caught even a whiff of pain or weakness it was all over for you. 

“Sorry,” you said weakly. 

Already your heart was banging hard in your ear drums, causing chaos before the eruption had occurred. You both waited patiently, and you, silently, for the remainder of the food to be served to you. Once you had been served the usual meal you were given, you stared at it for a good moment while Master Diluc began digging in almost immediately. Maybe he was in a better mood today, you thought to yourself. Maybe, or maybe not. He soon noticed you hadn’t touched your food and ushered for you to eat. 

“Eat,” he demanded, a hint of urgency lingering in his voice, but the overall tone was still harsh. 

It was when your teary eyes were long focused on the meal with no urgency to touch it that he raised his brow in suspicion and watched you with an angered expression. It was one thing to try to run away from his hot and cold exterior, but it was another to avoid his good deeds entirely. He set down his utensils with a loud clank and looked straight forward at you, trying his best to contain his rage. 

“I said, eat.” He demanded through grit teeth. 

This was the side of him that many– no, everyone missed completely. Those close to him didn’t see how cruel and unforgiving he was behind closed doors. They didn’t know that if all your food was not eaten how Diluc would sit there to make sure you ate even just a little more than you could stomach, against your begging wishes, of course. No one, and I mean no one except those that resided in the home, knew about his harsh tendencies. And that meant that not a single soul knew just how horribly he treated his sweet angel of a wife, but maybe it was better that way. After all, if someone like you was stupid enough to stay then maybe you really did deserve all the torture he’d constantly put you through. And you’d think that after his hardened voice demanding you to eat that your fear would kick in and force you to shovel down your food, but you’d be wrong. 

“Is there something wrong with the food, my dear?” He asked through grit teeth, again. 

You shook your head and tears fell into your food. 

Diluc stood up from his seat and stared you down. “Then what is wrong?”

You said nothing. Instead, you continued to cry into your food as Diluc stared down at you like a troublesome child. You just couldn’t stop, no matter how hard Diluc told you to calm down, relax, or ease yourself, it was all to no avail. It only furthered your pathetic tears. Diluc wanted to know the truth, just for you to tell him why you refused to eat, but if you told him the truth he’d only become more angry and you weren't sure you could handle that at the moment. You weren’t sure you could handle this life a moment longer, but unfortunately you didn’t and never had a choice. It was tragic really, but that was life for you. 

It wasn’t that you hadn’t tried to leave him before, trust me, you tried, but it was all to no avail. You could hardly make it downstairs without some help, so what made you think you could escape all on your own unscathed. When your family arranged the marriage you blindly accepted, thinking escaping your heartless family must be a better life than if you were to stay, but boy were you wrong. Diluc was sweet at first, kind and gentle just as he is in the public eye, but it wasn’t till the honeymoon that you realized something was terribly wrong. And by time you realized your mistake it was far too late. 

“I-” You started to speak, but were quickly cut off by your choking tears. 

You tried your best to speak up, say something, anything, but each time you were silenced by gut wrenching cries. The one time you attempted to look up to address the situation you were met with cold, unfeeling eyes and averted your gaze with hiccuping sobs. 

“Ugh, will you just spit it out already?” Diluc groaned in frustration. 

That only furthered your sobs and worsened it. Your hands tangled into your hair and began to scratch at your scalp for relief, but you only ended up with a sore scalp and traces of blood underneath your fingernails. Your tears grew bigger, your cries louder, and all sense of rationale left your body. The atmosphere was foggy and unclear, like looking into a cloudy looking glass for reasoning and coming up with absolutely nothing in return. You swore you heard a voice through the thickness of it all, but even as you were dragged from your seat in the dining room and led back into the privacy of your own room, you held no grasp on reality. It must’ve been hours, maybe days, or so it felt like, before you started to come to. A strong grip held you close to something, something warm, and rocked you comfortingly as small shushes could be heard near your ears. 

It was only moments later that you began to recognize the world around you, and the familiar figure holding you close. Too close. It was none other than Master Diluc. Why he was holding you in such a tender and intimate position, you weren’t sure you knew, but you one thing was for sure, it felt extremely uncomfortable. You writhed in his holding, trying your damnedest to squirm out of his hold, but he was much stronger than you. A pins and needles sensation spread from your hips to the tip of your toes, and you could barely move from your position. Your hands were free aside  from the vice grip Diluc had on your arms, almost crushing them as he held you closely. You felt the need to cry all over again, but suppressed it as hard as you could. Thankfully, your attempts worked and this time you remained strong.

You tried to remain quiet and confident, but your confidence was shattered the moment you heard his sweet yet poisonous voice ring through your ears. “You’re awake.”

Unfortunately

“Y-Yes. What happened?” You asked, trying to put the pieces together. 

Diluc shifted into an upright position and prepared to tell you some of the truth. He couldn’t have you trying to run off, again. Unfortunately, what Master DIluc didn’t know was that your determination far outweighed any punishment he could potentially give to you. After he explained it to you in his own version, you nodded in agreement and expressed your exhaustion. You wanted to go to bed and forget all about this day., even though it felt like it had just begun. Sure, Diluc had his suspicions as to why you so suddenly wanted to sleep after such a conversation, but he brushed it off as his own paranoia. After all, he’d curated a life that he made damn sure you could never run away from. At least, not without some help. 

That night was spent with eyes vigilantly open, wide and observant as you rested your head on the pillow, keeping out for when Diluc would come to bed. If he caught you in bed awake right now he was sure to have a few words, but you’d simply lie and say the pain kept you awake, which wouldn’t exactly be far from the truth, but it wasn’t the truth. You watched out the only window you had in your room, gazing at the open sky full of stars and the full moon and wondered what was taking Diluc so long. What was taking him so long? He should’ve long been in bed by now. So, why was he still hard at work in his study? Regardless of the reasoning you calmed yourself down, trying your best to satiate your impatience, because if you weren’t careful it could very well be the thing that led to your downfall. 

It must’ve been about an hour or so later when you heard the heavy footsteps of your husband head up the stairs and then quietly trail into your shared room. You could vividly hear him discard his clothes and climb into what you guessed were more comfortable ones. He kissed you softly on the forehead, foolishly believing you were asleep, and climbed into bed with you. Feeling his hot breath against your neck sent shivers down your spine, you couldn’t remember the last time you slept without him breathing down your neck, literally. It was awful. Although you were thankful that tonight his vice grip wasn’t holding you in place —making it perfect for your little escape plan— there was still a heavy feeling of discomfort floating throughout the bedroom. 

You were patient, and all that patience of yours finally paid off when you heard the light to heavy snores of Diluc behind you. It was time, time to make your escape. It would be tricky getting out of the bed with him in it, but thankfully Diluc was a heavy sleeper. Slowly and very very carefully you removed the blankets from your body and started to slide down to the edge of the bed. Closer.. Closer.. Closer.. Until finally, your legs hung off the edge of the bed. Diluc shifted in his sleep and let out a loud snore which caused you to jump in your own skin, but looking back you saw he was still fast asleep. Letting out a silent sigh of relief you steadied yourself with both hands as you placed both of your wobbly feet to the ground. Now, the next part would prove one of the most difficult tasks, getting your cane. It currently sat in a cage with other canes and umbrellas you owned (not that you ever actually left the house) and could potentially make a lot of noise if you weren’t careful. 

Cautiously you tiptoed to the cage and took a slow, deep breath before reaching inside and slowly pulled it out. It was a wooden cane so if hit at just the right amount of speed it could make quite enough noise, not as much as it would if it were metal, but it would be just enough to awaken the young master. With extreme caution you began to pull it out, further and further, until it was almost fully out, but in an unfortunate turn of events your hand began to grow weak and numb and you dropped it. Thankfully, you were able to grab it with your other hand before it could wake up Diluc, but not before it banged against the cage in a painfully loud manner. You froze in place, not moving a single muscle until you heard the light snores of Diluc once again. Carefully pulling out the entire cane you then positioned it as you usually would for the day and used it to help you hold your weight upright, as you gradually turned the doorknob and opened the bedroom door. 

Peeking out the door you could so no one and nothing except for the moonlight illuminating the hallway. Now was as good a chance as any to make a run for it, and so you quickly tiptoed down the stairs with the help of your cane to steady you, eagerly walking towards the door the moment your feet touched the first floor. Your hand hovered above the knob as you stopped in shock. Was this it? Were you finally going to leave this miserable and pitiful life to live one full of joy and freedom? It is what you deserved after all, you thought. It’s what you had always wanted and needed. Without wasting a moment sooner you turned the knob and braced yourself for whatever waited for you outside those doors, and stepped outside for the first time in a long time. 

It must’ve been summertime because the heat was thick and the air was muggy. If you had been out on a daily or constant basis you were sure you would’ve hated it, but in that moment you loved nothing more than to feel the heat and thick, muggy air. You never realized how beautiful the Dawn Winery was from the outside until just now. Crystalflies flew through the air and around the grape vines. The moon was full and the stars shone brightly in the nighttime sky. It was beautiful, everything you’d always dreamt of and more. The flowers were even more beautiful than you had remembered and they smelt even better than you could’ve ever dreamt of. Everything was perfect, absolutely perfect. That is until you saw the mansion lit up with lights and realized that he and possibly everyone else was awake. 

You tried to make a run for it as best as you could but you were stopped by a hand on your wrist pulling you backwards and down onto the ground. You fell into a puddle of mudd, soaking your nightgown as you looked up in horror at the man that was supposed to be your husband. His face was cold and full of fury, you’d never seen him look like this before. This wasn’t like those other times when you tried to take walks, because this time you had actually tried to leave him. Leave him all alone with only his wounded pride and broken heart for comfort. He was seething with rage and all you could do in reply was cry, cry like a child that had been caught with their hands in a cookie jar. You didn’t know what exactly prompted you to cry so much, so hard, and so pathetically, but you continued to do so anyway. 

“Come inside, now.” Diluc demanded.

But now that you had a taste of the outside world after such a long time of being deprived of it you wanted more, so you shook your head and rejected his commands. This only further angered Diluc, because he then pulled you up by your forearms and dragged you back inside. You clawed at the door frame trying to stay outside, but he was much stronger than you. He threw you onto the floor and slammed the door shut, proceeding to lock it tightly with a key you’d never seen before. Immediately Diluc started cursing at you, a bright fire in his eyes that consumed his very being began to spread as you realized you had royally fucked up. You couldn’t even focus on a word he was saying because all you could imagine was whatever hell he was about to put you through.

One Week Later…

“Come on, let’s get you all nice and pretty.” Adelinde said, tightening your brand new dress that Diluc had bought you.

It was an apology, a present, but you knew the true nature of the young master, and nothing could fix this marriage, not even your own freedom. You stood there and looked in the mirror as Adelinde fixed your hair with a smile. You too would’ve smiled if it weren’t for the grim reality you faced. Especially on days where Diluc invited over his brother for dinner. Kaeya had no clue of anything that went on in the mansion, not a damn idea, but that didn’t mean he had no suspicions. Kaeya was smart like that, could catch onto things quickly especially being the cavalry captain, and this sort of thing was no different. 

After Adelinde had gotten you all nice and ready the two of you descended down the staircase where you ran into Diluc and his brother, Kaeya. Kaeya looked towards you and smiled, helping you down the rest of the way. Kaeya always was a helpful and kind man like that, constantly helping those in need. Sometimes, just sometimes, you wished he’d help you escape this place, but that was a childish dream. The two of you exchanged pleasantries as you all sat at the dining room table and awaited your food. Everything was going well until the events of a week ago started to come flooding in. You tried your best to hide it but with how brightly the sun started to shine through the windows you couldn’t help but miss the heat and the thick air you once touched. 

“Are you alright?” Kaeya asked, but you playfully brushed off your odd behavior with laughter and a joke, but he was not convinced.

No, Kaeya was not so easily swayed by the same type of joking behavior he too would use to cover his own emotions. So, he watched you the entire dinner all the way till the end. He noticed how flinched against his brother’s touch and noticed how your gaze always seemed to find itself lined up with the open windows. Something was wrong, something was not right about this and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. He would not let you suffer a moment longer, no matter how impossible the mission seemed. Kaeya wanted to tell you this, he wanted to reassure you that he was going to help you escape, but he could never find the right time with Diluc and Adelinde breathing down his neck as he was sure they did the same, and much worse to  you. 

It soon came time to say his goodbyes and as he did he locked eyes with you, saying things with them that he would never dare to say out loud in front of the young master. Even though it was just a dinner, and a revealing one at that, he planned to have many more dinners with Diluc in the future, warm up to you, get closer to you, and hopefully gain your trust enough to help you escape this awful, awful place. That is if he didn’t get killed in the process of it all… 

[fallingdownhell]

Hello!

Could I request headcanons of Diluc, Xiao Zhongli, and Ayato with a demonic water dragon s/o?

Her dragon form is huge, with a serpent-like body, covered in scales blacker than the night, has 2 pairs of horns (the top pair curve upward and the bottom pair curve downward), sharp fangs and claws.

I'm gonna be honest, I have never written anything like this. It's new, but I like to challenge myself, so thank you. Hope I could satisfy you with the way I went about it.

Characters Included: Diluc; Xiao; Zhongli; Ayato

Content: gender neutral reader; shapeshifting; established relationship (Diluc; Ayato); getting together (Xiao; Zhongli);

Word count: 2,5k words

Hope you like it and sorry it took me so long to write.

Diluc

he would be absolutely clueless

he thinks you're a normal human just like him, only that you are a little obsessed with water and always want to be close to a big body of water

It's a good thing that Dawn Winery is so close to a huge lake

he always knows he can find you there, sitting by the shore if he can't find you anywhere else in the mansion

today however, something was not right when he went looking for you down at the shore

he saw you sitting there, feet in the cold water of the lake, nothing unusual about that

but... was there something laying behind you? Why was is swinging side to side from time to time? And why did your head look kinda weird, too?

Diluc didn't know what to think or expect, but he went closer to you nonetheless, not wanting to assume

When he did get closer, he noticed that those things seemed to be attached to you

As he was pracitcally behind you now, he finally made his presence known and you immediately jumped up, scared out of your mind since you didn't notice anyone approaching you. You even let out a deep, warning growl until you realized that it was Diluc

You started to relax a bit, but as you saw how he was looking at you, you realized that you forgot about something very important

Before you could run away - which you were definitely trying to do just now - Diluc grabbed you by the wrist, silently begging you to stay

You reluctantly do so, expecting to be bombarded with questions, which... never came?

He was just standing there, taking in your half-transformed state and with each passing second, you grew more and more restless

Soon enough, the questions started to come, but instead of being all over the place, he seemed to keep his cool, asking you one thing after the other

He even asked to see your other form, but you declined that, not wanting to shock him any more than you already have. He accepts that, but deep down, he really does want to see it

Surprisingly to you, he doesn't seem too put off about that reveal. Sure he has to get used to the fact that you are... dragon? Half-dragon? Diluc isn't too sure, but he doesn't mind

After all, this detail didn't change anything about the feelings you both had for the other. So why would he change his views of you? It was just another aspect of you and he could understand why you kept that hidden from him

Not many people would react to such a revelation the way he had reacted

Does ask to see your full form from time to time, but never pressuring you. He's just really interested, he was fascinated by the color of your scales at that time already, he couldn't imagine what it would look like when your entire body was covered in them

When you finally agree, he is mesmerized by your sheer size and the colours, absolutely can NOT take his eyes off of you

Swears to protect your secret and falls even more in love with you when he learns that you can also transform into a half-half form

Overall a pretty positive reaction from him, which you would have never thought would happen, but you sure as hell aren't complaining about it

Xiao

Immediatley knows.. upon your first meeting he just knows that something is up with you

you are no adeptus, but you aren't a human being either

yet he can't seem to figure it out, either, and that bothers him

he is supposed to protect this land, yet how can he do that when he can't even pick out what exactly you are

would keep taps on you and your activities, trying to determine wether or not you would become a threat he has to exterminate

he follows you around for quite some time. In fact, it almost becomes a routine for him and he doesn't realize it but at some point, he also knows your usual schedule by heart

why does he want to smile whenever he sees you interact with the children of Liyue Harbor? What is this warm feeling inside his chest?

Panics when he realizes this and tries to keep his distance from now on, but he quickly learns that he can't seem to stay away from you for too long

there's just something about you that keeps pulling him in, wether he wants to or not... and he also still has to make sure you're not a threat.. at least, that's what he tells himself

if he were to be honest, deep down, he was already convinced that you're not dangerous, but he needs and excuse to come and see you

that is, until one fateful day

he was fighting against some demonic creatures at Yaoguang Shoal. There were many of them and they kept coming, his karmic debt starting to wear him down as well

he was threatening to be overpowered, not being able to control the pain any longer since he had been fighting for quite some time already, when a huge shadow appeared out of nowhere

as he saw this huge dragon form approaching, he mentally prepared himself for a fight, but also for the possibilty of his death... when suddenly, against his expectations, the dragon attacked the demonic creatures instead of him

stunned for a second, Xiao quickly recovered and joined the fight again, this time at the side of this unexpected ally

with the help, it was over pretty quickly, but Xiao kept his guard up, not being able to predict what would happen next

then, the form of the dragon started to glow, then began to shrink until it was as small as a human. The glow kept fading and then the next moment, he was facing you

Xiao was confused, the emotions for once being obviously displayed on his face as he looked at you, connecting the dots in his head

"There, now you finally know. Can you stop stalking me now?"

You said this, with a teasing smile on your lips, indicating that you were aware of him all along, but seemingly not minding it that much.

On the other hand, Xiao was mortified. Without any reply, he teleported back to Wangshuu Inn, where he tried to process what had just happened

He kept to himself for a few days, and probably would have done so for longer, if it wasn't for you, seeking him out to talk to him about all the things that had happened

from this point on would be where your relationship started to bloom, Xiao slowly coming to terms with his feelings for you

he is not bothered by your upbringing at all. In fact, this meant that you were "blessed" with a long life just like him, so he wouldn't have to fear losing you far too soon again

sure, he still has to get used to it, but he is fascinated more than anything else. Constantly asks you questions, wanting to learn all there is about you

would care deeply for you, and depending on your believes, would keep it a secret from others if you were to ask this of him

Zhongli

just like Xiao, he also knows immediately that something is up with you

but unlike the adeptus that watches over Liyue, Zhongli figures it out on his own rather quickly

after all, he spent many years as a dragon himself, so of course he would recognise someone of that species

but it still gets him thinking... because, dragons don't exist that largly anymore, especially not the ones with the ability to shapeshift

he really wants to approach you and talk to you about this topic, but he also knows that he can't, as it would probably come across as creepy, especially if he were to bring something like that up in broad daylight with people surrounding you all

so, instead, he invites you out for a day. You spend the entire afternoon and evening together, ending the little get-together with a walk around the almost abandoned harbor at night

This is when Zhongli decides to bring this topic up, having felt the urge to ask you throughout the entire day

when he does, your eyes widen, not having expected anyone to ever get behind your little secret. You were scared.. scared of what he might do to you and him telling everyone else

Zhongli on the other hand, only now realized why you were looking so scared. He wanted to assure you that he would not tell anyone, but he also knew that you were not likely to believe him at all. He had to prove himself somehow..

and the only way he could think of would be to reveal his true identity to you, as well

at first, you obviously don't believe him, because... who would? A random person, claiming to be the God of Contracts, watching over the entire nation of Liyue? Yeah, as if.

But then, you have no choice but to believe him when he transforms into a half human, half dragon state infront of your very eyes

you suddenly feel extremely connected to him and instead of saying anything, simply follow his example, revealing half of your dragon form to him

Zhongli is mesmerized by the beauty the colour of your scales take. He wants nothing more than to trace along them with his fingers, the urge almost too strong to resist, but he does

you two begin to bond over that shared experience, your connection growing stronger and stronger with each passing day

your identites are a secret to everyone except you two, which only helps in strengthening that shared bond

it's hard to say who falls in love first, but it's not like that matters. It happened and that's the only important thing, since it led to the most fulfilling and loved relationship you ever had

Zhongli was enamoured with you, willing to do anything for you. Plus, he was an expert at keeping things hidden from other people, so you would never have to worry about people finding out about you. At least if you don't want that to happen

Either way, Zhongli swore to always stay by your side and protect you, and he plans on keeping this promise....always

Ayato

he would be just as clueless as Diluc

sure, he and his people did make a background-check on you before Ayato started to pursue you romantically, but that didn't bring anything unusual to light

nowadays, you and Ayato were engaged, with you already living with him at the Kamisato estate

he loved the open affinity you displayed towards water. He could often find you sitting outside, looking out towards the sea, lost in your own thoughts

you never seemed to care about the weather. More often than once had he found you sitting outside at night, the cold not seeming to bother you at all

At times like these, he would go grab a blanket before he sat down behind you, wrapping you two into the warmth of the fabric as you lean back against his chest, still looking towards the ocean

you also once told him that you adored the fact he had been blessed with a hydro vision. According to you, it made him smell like the ocean you so adored, his touch cool and calming on your skin

at first, he was a bit taken aback by the statement, but once he thought about it, he couldn't help but seeing it as a compliment towards him

at some point, the guilt starts to build up inside you, feeling bad that you hide such an important thing about yourself

you feel like he should know before you guys get married, since it might change his view on you. And what if he someday finds out by accident and then accuses you of lying to him?

No, you definitely don't want that to happen, so you decide to tell him

You write Ayato a little note, telling him to meet you down at the beach where you two can talk in private

he is a bit concerned at this, trying to think if he did something wrong or if he might have upset you in any way

instead of meeting you after his work, he decides to abandon it alltogether, making his way to you immediately

you're a bit surprised to see him this early, but you also welcome it. This way, you don't have time to overthink things and just tell him

When you tell him that you want to share a secret with him, Ayato is perplexed at first. He thought that there was nothing kept hidden between the two of you, but he also didn't want to judge just based on this statement

so, he tried to keep an open mind and signaled for you to tell him. When you did, it was obvious he didn't believe you. He didn't need to say anything, his eyes were telling it all

so, with a deep breath in, you started to transform entirely, your form growing huge, scales as dark as the night decorating your entire body, until Ayato was a mere peck of dust next to you

He watched all of this happen, equally terrified as well as fascinated. He honest to god thought you were joking, that this was one of those pranks people like to play on their significant others

you, after having proven your point, transformed back, now looking unsure, not knowing what to expect of his reaction

he, in the most diplomatic tone ever, told you that he would need some time to think, which you nodded, understanding that request fully

so, you waited. And those days were the absolute horror for you. Luckily, it didn't seem like Ayato told anyone, the people of the estate still talking to you and treating you like they usually did

but you haven't seen or heard anything from Ayato at all

the first time he comes to you again is after five days. And what he does confuses you even more. He just comes up to you, kissing you on the cheek and greeting you good morning like nothing had happened

before you have the chance to ask him about it, he is gone again, so you wait until you catch him in a quiet moment

And when you ask him about it, he just shrugs his shoulders. "Well, you're still you. That fact doesn't change anything. You're still my spouse and I still love you."

You're beyond relieved that he's not bothered by it, having expected the worst already

Ayato on the other hand, doesn't want to admit it, but that little revelation made him even more whipped for you than he already was

But that's something that you don't have to know about...

[kangen-wanshi]

Hi! Could you do Kisses ft Alhaitham, Diluc, & Zhongli? Only if you want to!

Kisses ft. Al Haitham, Diluc, Zhongli

How they kiss, the feeling behind it, and overall how they convey their feelings through it.

Tags: mwah mwah kisses, slightly suggestive on Diluc's part

Al Haitham, Casually and bold

Al Haitham is a straightforward individual with his needs, and it shows with how he treats his feelings.

He doesn't want to take overtime because his time outside of work is for you. He doesn't accept a sudden invitation to a party should his time be already reserved for you.

When asked why he would just deadpan at the opposition who asked the question and said it directly that that very specific evening, is his time spent for you.

Al Haitham divides his schedule well so that he can fulfill his duty while paying attention to you.

So when he's finally free of the shackles that is work, when his attention can finally be yours, when you're finally in his presence, he will start all of it with a kiss.

On your cheek, your lips, the top of your head, your forehead, nose, anywhere is fine.

Just let him finally enjoy your warmth on his lips, and he's content to do whatever it is you have in mind.

While the first kiss of the day is absolutely mandatory, the rest of his kisses are all instinct.

Reaching over to your cheek when you're close to him, kiss. Finding you busy with your own work, your shoulder tensed up due to stress, kiss. When your hand falls into his, kiss.

He's so casual about it, even at the beginning of your relationship to the point that you have to ask him to calm down or you'll have a heart attack everytime he becomes too sweet to you.

All of that happened behind closed doors.

— not.

This man is shameless. He doesn't get embarrassed and he will laugh at you if you're turning beet red from a kiss on the cheek in front of your friends.

Look, he likes you. His friends - and probably nearly everyone who knows about you knows that he's absolutely into you. So he's just, what's wrong with showing his love?

Although if you're not comfortable with it, he'll stop.

Al Haitham is bold and direct with what he wants. Personal feelings aren't something that he can rule out with logic, so acting on it is the only thing he can do rather than dwell on it.

But if you'd like him to tone it down, he'll do it. Would grab your hand in exchange, though.

He can't help it. If he can't kiss you, at least, let him be close to you.

"Is there something wrong, dear? You seem a little red."

Diluc, Desperate and breathtaking

Cool, and composed, is what Diluc is.

Often brash and bold with his secret profession as the Dark Knight, and that often follows you. Although, it usually shifts to a sense of possessiveness.

By status, Diluc is someone who is born to wealth, and fortune. Owning the most famous winery of all Mondstadt, born in a family of noble, good looks, etc. He practically grew up with material wealth.

So when he finally has compassion as one of the things he enjoys in life, you bet he'd grow obsessive over you.

Hands would always sneak around your waist, another would hold your cheek, and give you a passionate kiss.

He's not ashamed of PDA, too. He knows that he should let people know that you are, in fact, with him. (They know). So Diluc is not one to hesitate to put an arm around your waist or a hand on your lower back.

In front of others he won't exaggerate his kisses though. He won't hesitate to kiss you on the lips, yes, but he's also not one to straight up devour you on the street. (Though, perhaps in a dark alleyway.. )

But in private he's more.. Desperate.

Whenever the chance is given, he will press a kiss on you. Yes, whenever, and wherever (in private).

Your cheek, your lips, your hair, your hand, or even your thigh. Wherever that is reachable by his lips, rest assured he will kiss it.

Usually it's only pecks. He doesn't mind however long it is as long as he can somewhat savor you with his lips. Though other times, when he feels quite just a bit more desperate than usual, is when he truly shows his possessive side.

Nibbles and bites are common. If your clothes are in the way, his hands are swift to pull them aside just enough for him to plant a firm kiss to your skin.

With his pyro vision, his touches are often warm. This applies to his kisses, too.

Hot breaths, sometimes paired with a few links and graze of his teeth, often sends shivers down your spine. And with how close he is in holding you whenever he does it, he knows how his actions affect you.

This often leads to more, if you're up for it of course. But even if you don't, Diluc doesn't always strive to love making whenever his kisses leave a mark on you.

He just likes marking what's his.

"Sorry.. I couldn't help myself. You're beautiful, darling."

Zhongli, Soft, slow, and passionate

— Like writing a poem, or taking care of a plant, or reviewing old memories. His kisses are slow, as he enjoys taking his time and savoring every intimate moment shared with you.

Being the former representative of the Geo element, Zhongli is aware of how time can easily erode every stone he's erupted. Time has always been the enemy to his eternal strength. Even if he's unaffected by it, everything around him often is taken away faster than what he had expected.

Including you.

Whether you're ageless like he is, or just a mortal who captured his heart in your hands, he knows that one day time will take you too.

So he does what he does best, savoring and preserving memories of you slowly and carefully.

Unlike the history he's left behind, memories of you are for him only to carry, so he doesn't mind taking his time engraving it to his memory.

A hand on your cheek, another holding your lower back, pushing you towards him. His slender thumb carefully strokes your cheek, and your lips, before finally kissing you with a content smile.

His kisses are often soft, as if he feared he might break you if he becomes too overwhelming. But even so, you can clearly feel how loving he is with how he tilts your head, and pulls yourself against him. He often longs for more.

A favorite part for him to kiss is your lips. Yes, he is a gentleman and often kissing on your knuckles can easily send butterflies flying in your stomach, Zhongli prefers the traditional way.

A peck, a kiss hello, a kiss goodbye, aim for his lips, and he would absolutely adore and be willing to lean down to you.

Of course Zhongli would never turn down anything that comes after a heated session of kissing, but just make sure that no one is around or that you're not in his office.

He loves you, but he really got to keep his cool and image at work.

Kissing you a promise for things to expect later when you're alone, though. So don't worry about him abandoning you.

He would never.

"Greetings, my love. How was your day?"

[senanatheskenana]

What Genshin Guys Are Like In Bed (NSFW)

These aren’t exactly proper smut but please, Minors, don’t engage it still has descriptions of sex!

I would be willing to go into a character on a more specific level if anyone would be interested. It of course does not need to be NSFW :D

~~~

Kaeya

Kaeya loves to tease you. So much that he'll act so oblivious, to the point where he makes you literally tell him exactly what you want him to do to you. He'll sometimes act a little patronising when you get frustrated. Be ready for irritating foreplay before he becomes the one who gets needy. He's so eager to please once that happens

Diluc

Diluc will either be gentle and restrained or completely feral without realising it. He's got a pretty average, maybe slightly low sex drive so it takes a little for him to drift into that sort of mood. That's usually seeing you in all your elegant glory or getting into some sort of altercation with Kaeya or the Abyss. If he's gentle you'll get a huge amount of compliments and praise- his hands will not miss an inch of your skin as he worships it. If he's angry he won't take it out on you with words or any sort of degradation. Most of the time his actions become harsher- his thrusts get faster and harsher, and he might even leave fingerprint bruises on your hips if it was a particularly stressful day.

Venti

Venti can be pretty insatiable- usually at the most inconvenient times. He'll try his luck anywhere he can get away with. That includes but is not limited to: the top branches of the tree at Windrise, the huge statue of him in Mondstadt, and the vineyard at Dawn Winery. He's showy if you're into it. He's sort of playful about it, he'll be giggling and grinning while you both try to stay quiet.

Albedo

Albedo has a very low sex drive, so I feel he'd only ever be in the mood if you bring it up. He's also very curious about what things you like the most. He intends to explore every part of your body to see how it works. He remembers all of these places too so that he knows how to better satisfy you. One of his favourites is just having you on his lap while he works in Dragonspine because it keeps you both warm and unites you both in a way he absolutely cannot get enough of.

Xiao

Xiao seems like the type to accidentally break the bed during sex. Not because he's rough but because he's gripping the headboard to keep himself from hurting you. He tries to be gentle with you but it doesn't always work and sometimes he ends up losing the battle and wakes up tangled in the sheets with your hips and neck covered in bruises and hickeys.

Tartaglia

Childe treats every moment with you like it could be his last (Because he knows it might be). He's fervent, unrelenting and frantic like a teenager, complimenting you with everything he can think of. Childe breaks the bed from sheer overuse and thinks of it as an achievement. He also gets very cuddly after sex so dont hope to leave his arms for a couple of hours.  

Zhongli

Zhongli always exhibits a great amount of control over himself. He's gentle and soft with you. It's romantic when he towers over you and tells you everything he thinks of you because undoubtedly it will be something wonderful. He likes to hold your hands above your head, intertwining them as he intertwines you. He also carries you to the bath each and every time.

Kaedehara Kazuha

Kazuha treats every moment with you like it's poetry. He needs to take his time and memorise each part of you. He admires you, and savours you like a windchime in a hurricane. Sex with Kazuha doesn't seem as much a sexual act as it does a romantic and sensual, uniting one. When he feels you, he doesn't only receive sexual pleasure but also soulful pleasure that spreads between you both.

Thoma

Thoma is someone who is just so happy and grateful to have you do this sort of thing for and/or with him. He genuinely cannot think of anything but you during those moments. I imagine a constant stream of praise and thank you's spilling out of his mouth during any sort of activity you do for him. His whole body heats up too and if he isn't careful he could burn you by accident.

Arrataki Itto

Itto's already pretty empty head goes completely blank during that. He doesn't say anything but groans and mumble swears under his breath as he fucks you. He's another boy whos likely to break the bed from pure brute force. He thinks that's really amusing actually.

Gorou

Gorou tends to overthink this type of thing. He wants to make sure that you are comfortable. He always tells you a safeword in case, and he never concerns his own please until he's gone down on you. He needs to be absolutely sure that he's pleased you before he can help himself to you. That’s especially hard since he gets worked up easily. He really tries to make it special for you both during those moments because you don’t always have a lot of time to do them.

Kamisato Ayato

He can get wrapped up in his work and forget about his needs so sometimes you might need to come to him. He's someone I think would enjoy cockwarming like Albedo because he can do that and do his paperwork.

Tighnari

Tighnari gets oddly flustered at the moment and actually ends up rambling unless you stop him. He's quite nervous so try to guide him through it. It's a little ironic since I imagine him having a pretty normal, maybe even kinda high sex drive. If he gets too needy you guys might even go at it in the forest, but he'll be a little anxious about being found before losing it completely

Cyno

He isn't mean but he's stern. He likes to be in charge and won't leave a bratty S/O unpunished. It's not anything actually bad. He's likely to edge you until you apologise. He wouldn't break the bed but that might be because he's more fond of taking you against a wall

Scaramouche

Oh, he is so bratty. He would probably call you teasing names and pick on you for how needy you look when he edges you. He's mean during it but he gets surprisingly gentle in the aftermath. He won't mention it but he'll run you a bath and make you a drink. He'd prefer it if you never brought it up.

[foundress0fnothing]

leave a kiss but in the cup

Summary: Cassian gets roped into helping organize Rhys and Feyre’s wedding when, on a whim, the two decide to throw it at the winery in the small town where the brothers all grew up. The problem? He has to work with Feyre's older sister, Nesta. And she hates him.

Chapter 1/?: 3.1k words, eventual E rating for smut

For @nessianweek

Another late entry for Nessian Week! This was supposed to be posted on Day 4, but I spent that day in the aforementioned ER, so here it is today. There's not update schedule, and I don't have any of it prewritten.

Read on ao3 or below the cut!

As he stretches out on the pontoon that he chartered for Rhys’ bachelor weekend, drunk on sun and local beer, Cassian can’t think of any place he’d rather be. 

He’s spent time backpacking around the world, seen big cities, and explored natural wonders but still—he’s positive that there’s nowhere better than the lake town where he grew up. There’s something about the water and the slow pace of life and the easy warmth of the people that he hasn’t managed to find anywhere else, and so even though the drive to his hometown takes an ungodly fourteen hours from where he lives now in Philly, he still makes the trip every year. The exhaustion and the stiff back from too-long driving shifts and the fact that he has to put up with Az’s edgelord playlists are worth it every time.

And this year, there’s even more reason to make the drive—his brother is getting married in a week and wanted to spend his last few days as a bachelor in the place they all still called home. 

They all met Feyre six months ago at a restaurant in Fishtown when she was their waitress, and from the moment she called Rhys a prick for ostentatiously flashing an Amex Black Card when it came time to pay, Cassian could tell that his brother had finally met the one. Their love had been a messy whirlwind of drama and passion as they navigated exes and family troubles, but it wasn’t long before Feyre had Rhys’ family ring on her finger and was picking out a wedding dress. Cassian knew that once Rhys found what he wanted, he’d do anything to make it his as soon as possible—Feyre was no exception.

When it came time to plan the bachelor weekend, then, Rhys only had two requests: that it take place in Cherry Hills and that there weren’t any strippers. Cassian had almost laughed out loud when Rhys told him that. Sure, he had his bro-y moments, but he wasn’t stupid enough to think that strippers would be the right thing for his brother just before he was getting married.

Plus, the former request precluded the latter—Cherry Hills wasn’t the kind of place he’d find strippers easily. Interested in idyllic boat trips on one of the rivers or lakes? Great. Hoping to spend a few hours outdoors and then end the day with a round of minigolf? Even better. Looking to hire professional entertainment for the evening? Extremely challenging. It was the quintessential Midwestern small summer tourist tour—busy for a few weeks with vacationers and outdoor enthusiasts and day-drunk parents and popsicle-sticky children that then shut down the moment October hit and brought the first snowfalls. Not the ideal place for establishing any kind of nightlife. If you wanted that, it was at least a 45-minute drive south down M22.

And since Rhys only wanted his brothers there anyway, Cassian had planned the weekend to be more of a homage to their high school days than the usual bachelor bacchanalia. They had kayaked on the river where they first learned to swim, hiked the sand dunes where they used to race each other to the top to drink shitty beer and talk about what they’d do when they finally got out of Cherry Hills, and ate in the cash-only restaurant that had been around longer than any of them had been alive. 

They had saved the boat ride around the lake for their last day because somehow, despite doing nothing besides sitting and drinking and eating, it always manages to exhaust them. It’s the good kind of exhaustion, at least, this heaviness that comes with too much sun and too much food—a perfect way to end a perfect bachelor weekend. Not that Cassian is bragging.

But still—he had done a good job.

A voice breaks through his self-congratulatory haze. “So, what’s next?” 

“What do you mean, what’s next?” Cassian sits up to glare at Rhys who has draped himself over a few seats on the opposite side of the boat. Azriel raises an eyebrow at Rhys from where he’s perched in the driver’s seat but doesn’t say anything, apparently content to let his brothers argue it out. Bastard.

Rhys shrugs with all the indolence of a lazy housecat. “The boat’s due back to the rental place in 30 minutes, yeah?” Cassian nods. “So what’re we doing after that?”

Cassian frowns and says, “What else do you want to do?” He’s planned an evening of takeout pizza and video games back at their rental, but he has the sinking feeling that’s not what Rhys has in mind.

“You’re the one in charge. Surprise me.” 

Rhys waves a hand in his direction as he says this, and Cassian thinks, for just a few moments, about how easy it would be to murder his brother and dump his body overboard. The lake is shallow though—too shallow to get away with it—and so he settles for a clipped, “You know this town as well as I do. We’ve done everything there is to do.” Rhys doesn’t answer, and so Cassian tries to remember how much cash he has left and whether it would be enough for a final round of drinks at the Tavern. Probably not, but he resigns himself to paying the $7 surcharge to use the ATM outside of the restaurant. “We could always go to the Tavern—” 

“There’s a new wine tasting room,” Azriel interrupts, and both Cassian and Rhys turn to look at him, the latter pulling his sunglasses up to rest on his head for a moment. Azriel shrugs. “They opened in April apparently.”

“And they’re good?”

“Didn’t have that on the flier in the IGA, sorry.”

Cassian glances at Rhys. “Will that satisfy you, asshole?”

“Yes, I think that’ll do quite nicely, thank you,” Rhys says, slipping his sunglasses back down over his eyes. 

Cassian gives Azriel a long suffering look, but Azriel only snorts and turns the engine back on, signaling the return of the party to dry land and the start of whatever this wine tasting is about to be. Cassian only hopes that it’s cheap and strong.

—----------------------------------------------

The wine tasting room—creatively named Cherry Hill Wines—is situated just off the main road on the first floor of a two-story house that’s been converted into a storefront. Cassian can’t quite see the lake from where he stands on the front porch, but it’s close enough that, in the lulls between children’s shouts and tourists’ conversations, he can just make out the sound of the water. 

The shop itself is busy with people dropping by for happy hour, and Cassian is glad of his extra height as he steps inside and surveys the space from his place at the back of the short line. There’s a small menu on the wall above the bar and a row of fridges lining the sides of the room stocked with ice cream and small, pre-made charcuterie plates. A shelf by the front door has local crafts for sale—candles and coffee mugs and keychains all proudly emblazoned with images of Cherry Hills. There are only a few open seats at the bar, but through the French doors at the back of the room he spies a handful of fire pits with chairs set up around them, cornhole boards and bags, and a wide grassy lawn perfect for picnic blankets or lawn chairs. It’s cozy, Cassian thinks, and clearly something already beloved by the tourists if the number of people packed into the space is any indication. 

And then he sees her. 

She’s standing behind the counter taking orders and pouring glasses of wine while she chats with the customers. Her hair is golden brown and braided into a tight coronet  of her head. Her eyes are a storm of blues and grays, flashing with an inner fire that makes something in Cassian sit up and pay attention, and he wonders how the hell someone who looks like that ended up in Cherry Hills. She sure as hell didn’t grow up there—Cassian would remember her. 

He nudges Azriel with his shoulder to get his attention and nods his head toward the backyard, although his gaze still lingers on the woman behind the counter. “Grab a spot outside. I’ll get the first round.”

Azriel arches his eyebrow, following Cassian’s line of sight to the woman. He snorts and says, “Good luck with that.” Before Cassian can respond, however, he grabs Rhys and steers him outside.

Cassian flips him off behind his back, laughing at Rhys’ confused expression at being ferried outside, and then turns back to the counter to find the woman glaring at him. The line had dissipated more quickly than he expected, and Cassian realizes that she must have been waiting for him to finish goofing off with his brothers.

He puts on his most charming smile, the one that’s gotten him out of trouble ever since he was a little boy. “Sorry.” He shrugs. “Brothers, you know?”

If anything, her glare only intensifies, and Cassian almost preens at the challenge it presents. 

Hands on her hips, she asks, “Well? What do you want?”

“I don’t know, sweetheart. What’s good?” He leans in and winks. “You?” He half hopes she falls for his charm, half hopes she continues glaring at him. The prospect of either—of her fire, her attention turned on him, no matter the reason—makes him crave more.

Her eyebrow arches, and she ignores his flirtation to answer acerbically, “All that time in line and you couldn’t be bothered to make up your mind? 

“Were you watching me? I’m flattered.”

“Don’t be. It’s hard to miss an oversized brute when he invades my store.”

“Your store? Very impressive, sweetheart—

But she interrupts him, looking behind him and calling out, “Next!

“But—” Cassian starts, but before he can say anything, her voice, flinty and angry, cuts him off again.

“You can go to the back of the line since you need more time to make up your mind.” She glares at him again as she says this before returning her gaze to whoever is standing behind him.

He blows out an exasperated breath, rolling his eyes at her dramatics. “Whatever, I’ll just get three glasses—”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I can’t hear Mrs. Stephenson’s order.”

Cassian stiffens slightly and turns around to see his former history teacher. The woman had made his high school years absolutely miserable—she was suspicious and shrew-like, always handing out detentions to him for things that no other student—ones with active parents who drove them to school in new cars and came to parent-teacher conferences wearing Rolexes and Birkin bags—got in trouble for. 

She glares up at him. “Still causing trouble, I see

“No, ma’am. Just taking advantage of this lovely lady’s willingness to let me gather my thoughts. Please go ahead.”

A few more tourists had entered while he had been at the bar, and Cassian sighs as he moves to get in line again behind them. If he has to hear shit about taking a long time from Rhys and Azriel, he’ll go home and have pizza and play video games by himself. Fuck it.

The line moves quickly at least as a redhead joins the ice queen at the bar, and it isn’t long before Cassian is once again staring down into the blue-gray eyes of winery nemesis. She raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything.

The redhead glances over, clearly confused by the strange stalemate taking place next to her and says, in a voice slightly tinged with exasperation. “Nesta, can you get his order?”

“That depends. Is he able to actually place one this time?”

“He is, Nesta,” he fires back, savoring the feeling of her name on his tongue. “One Pinot Grigio and two Farmstead Reds.”

“Amazing. Commendable work. You made it through a basic human interaction,” she says as she ducks beneath the bar to grab three glasses.”

“All thanks to your outstanding service, Nes.” He watches her nostrils flare at the nickname.

“Nope.” She sets the empty glasses down on the bar with a harsh clink. “I’ll send you to the back of the line again.”

He meets her glare with one of her own, and it is perhaps fortuitous that his brothers choose that moment to make their way back inside. 

“Cassian, what the fuck is taking so long?” Rhys says when he reaches his side.

Azriel is close behind and murmurs to Cassian with a smirk, “He’s only mad because I beat him at cornhole. Twice.”

Cassian rolls his eyes, thinking wistfully of video games and beer and time spent without demanding brothers and snooty women. Another night. Instead, he shrugs. Just took me a while to pick out the right thing for you assholes. That’s all.

There’s a snort from the bar that Cassian pointedly ignores. No use getting into it with the ice queen again in front of the other two. 

But it catches Rhys’ attention, and his gaze lingers on the woman long enough to make Cassian’s hackles raise. It’s not like Rhys to really pay attention to anyone else anymore now that he has Feyre, and Cassian doesn’t like that it’s this woman who’s the object of his attention. Not that Cassian has any claim to it either. And yet.

He doesn’t intervene when Rhys takes a step closer to the bar, his eyes still on Nesta, as asks, “Are you Feyre’s sister?”

And then Cassian can see the resemblance. The hair color and the eyes are almost exactly the same, but where they make Feyre seem alight with youthful energy and warmth, Nesta’s are worn almost like a cold, brutal suit of armor against the world. Or again him, at any rate.

And apparently against Rhys, because she’s glaring at him as she asks, “How do you know Feyre?”

“I’m her fiance.” Rhys smiles. “It’s good to meet someone from her family.”

Nesta raises an eyebrow. “You’re the restaurant asshole she’s marrying? Didn’t you guys just meet?”

He shrugs, tucking his hands into the pockets of his shorts. “When you know…”

Nesta looks at Cassian, who’s just watching the interaction, and rolls her eyes. He snorts quietly, despite himself. Because she’s not wrong. He would agree with her generally—marrying someone after knowing them for only half a year is crazy. 

But he’s seen Rhys and Feyre together, and what they have works for them. Would it be what he’d choose? No. But it seems—good.

Rhys is still talking. “I didn’t know you lived here.”

“Clearly.”

Another voice, coming from the stockroom, politely expands on Nesta’s brusque answer. “She moved up here with me and another friend after college.”

“Em?” Cassian exclaims. Standing there before him is his old friend, Emerie Alvarez.

Cassian scoops the woman up into a giant bear hug. They haven’t seen each other since he graduated high school. She had been a freshman when he was a senior, but he knew what it was like to have a shitty family in a place  like Cherry Hills, and so he always looked out for her while he was there. The town was small enough after all—with only 20 or so kids in each graduating class, it wasn’t hard to know everybody's business.

He gestures proudly around the shop. “This is yours?”

She nods, clearly pleased. “We—Nesta, Gwyn, and I—bought the winery off my dad three years ago before he moved to Ohio. But it’s a little far out from the tourist scene, so we bought a place here this year to do tastings.”

“Look at you, Em.” He gives her another hug, ruffling her hair in a brotherly fashion until she jams her elbow into his side, hard enough that he winces. He’s pleased—beyond pleased, really—that she managed to shake off her family and do something for herself in the town he knows she loves just as much as he does.

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Nesta looking at him, but her face has turned contemplative, curious rather than coldly calculating. 

“What brings you all back up here?” Emerie gestures to his brothers. “It’s good to see you, Azriel, Rhys.”

Cassian smiles and steps forward to throw his arm around Rhys’ shoulder. “Rhysie’s getting married and wanted to do his bachelor party here.” His grin turns into a smirk. “And guess whose sister he’s marrying?”

Emerie follows Cassian’s gaze to Nesta, who only shrugs and says, “Apparently.”

Rhys frowns slightly. “You got an invitation. I know Feyre sent one.”

“I’m aware.”

“Nes—” Emerie starts, but Nesta continues on before Emerie says anything else.

“I’m going to the shotgun wedding to support Feyre, don’t worry.”

“It’s not a—”

“Okay, here are your drinks! Please find a spot. Outside.” The redhead—Gwyn—who had been observing the conversation and apparently getting their drinks while Nesta was distracted, intervenes and hands them to Az, cutting Rhys off.

Az smiles at her thankfully and once again herds Rhys out the door. Gwyn, Cassian notices, is blushing slightly.

Before following his brothers, he turns back to Nesta, who still seems to be fuming slightly. He can’t help but stoke the fire of her temper, and so he says, “Aww, Nes, we’re going to be family.”

“Nope.” She shakes her head decisively. “And don’t call me that.” “You’re right.” He nods and then smiles lasciviously. “I’m not sure I’d want to call you my sister.

She catches his meaning and glares. “Pig.”

“You love it.”

Emerie shoves his shoulder. “Stop being an ass. You’re better than that.”

“She brings out the best in me, what can I say?” He quips, shrugging, but something churns within him anyway. Enough. Shaking his head, he takes a step back from the bar. “Em, it was good to see you again. Gwyn, it was good to meet you. And, Nes,” he smiles, “I’ll see you at the wedding.”

—---------------------------------------

The next morning, Cassian wakes early and begins puttering around the rental’s kitchen, gathering trash and cans and bottles as he goes. They have to check out by 10 a.m., and there’s a fair amount they have to do per the house rules: strip the beds, take the trash out, clean the surfaces, run the dishwasher.

Hearing the noise, Rhys saunters out of the bedroom and perches on one of the stools by the kitchen bar. “Why are you doing so much cleaning?”

Cassian blinks and looks at him in confusion. “Because it’s checkout day?”

“Mmmm, not anymore.”

Crossing his arms, Cassian leans against one of the counters. “What do you mean ‘not anymore’?”

Rhys brushes some invisible lint off of his plaid pajama bottoms. “I called the owners and extended it.”

“But the wedding—”

“Feyre and I talked about it last night. We don’t want to get married in Philly anymore.”

Cassian closes his eyes, because he knows what’s coming next. 

“We’re getting married here. At Cherry Hills Winery.”