#when he comes back to Mondstadt it was hard to adjust to for both him and the people around him

[voidscreamns]

./

[artful-aries]

mm i feel so filthy for saying this but imagine jerking off venti or alhaitham in church

Huehuehuehuehue I love the mind you have. I took some liberty and altered where you jerk them off at, but here are some headcanons for this wonderful idea

Minors, mind ya business and don’t interact with this post, pls and thx

​​Jerking Them Off In Public NSFW (Alhaitham, Venti)

​​​​Alhaitham

​​I could see him getting off on you giving him a handjob in the Akademiya library, or better yet, perhaps in the middle of some seminar he is attending

​​He actually has a really good poker face as you stroke his length, swirling his precum around his tip with your thumb

​​If anyone is going to give you two away, it’s you with your slightly jerky movements as you fondled him underneath the table

​​The only signs that he would show that actually indicate how hard of a time he’s having holding back is how heavy he’s breathing

​​It’s just enough to remain mostly undetected, but someone might think he was aggravatedly sighing, or perhaps just about to fall asleep

​​If someone were to come up and talk to him while you were jerking him off, Alhaitham would play it cool and adjust his position so that they couldn’t tell what you were doing

​​Subtly, his eye would be twitching, a signal that the other person would misread as irritation and scurry off before they could catch into what the two of you were doing

​​When you do something to try and make him break his composure, like massaging his balls or quickening your pace, he will shoot you a discrete warning look and clear his throat

​​If you let Alhaitham cum, he’s going to let out a low groan, one that could be mistaken for frustration

​​In truth, he is a little frustrated with you

​​Not only did you make him make a mess, but now he has to wait until he can get you somewhere private to absolutely ruin you

​​

​​Venti

​​He can’t even keep quiet when you two are in private. Why, why would you insist on jerking him off in the Mondstadt Cathedral?!

​​His eyes would stare wide eyed at you as you begin to stroke him as you two sit in the pews, not able to wrap his mind around that fact that you’re doing this lewd act here

​​Venti rationalizes to himself that this is technically his cathedral after all, shouldn’t he be able to do what he wanted inside without guilt?

​​That doesn’t stop his face from flushing beet red, and him needing to bite his knuckles to keep from moaning out your name

​​He would leak a ridiculous amount of precum as you stroke him, making it that much harder to be sneaky due to the wet noises that your hand makes as you continue

​​It would be hard to not get caught by one of the Sister’s in the act, and the two of you certainly will attract many questioning glances

​​Don’t expect Venti to be able to cover for you if someone does come up to ask what you two are doing

​​In order to get away with it, you’d have to angle yourself to block their view, and smile sweetly that you’re simply helping Venti through his drunken stupor

​​His clouded, lust filled eyes pretty much sell the lie; he looks extremely intoxicated, but it’s not alcohol that has him such a mess

​​When Venti cums, you’re going to have to cover up the sound, whether it’s clamping a hand over his mouth, kissing him to swallow his moans, or some other way to cover up the noise, you best be prepared for some quick thinking

​​He makes a terrible mess out of both of you, and you’ll need to get creative with the clean up as he shakes from the intensity of his orgasm

​​Once his head finally clears, he’ll complain about how risky doing that was, and that you shouldn’t do it again

​​Yet two weeks later, he’s asking you if you want to go listen to the choir sing at the Cathedral…and he totally doesn’t have a towel stuffed in his bag this time

​​

​​

[genshin-impact-writings]

“ it’s dark outside, and it’s raining. my arms are much safer. “ with Diluc pls? I love how you write his soft side <3

Hello, dear anon! <3 My sincerest apologies that it took me so long to finish this but it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do with the prompt. Hope you like what I came up with!

Prompt: “It’s dark outside, and it’s raining. My arms are much safer.”

I could offer you a warm embrace – Diluc x gn!reader (fluff) 

The room was silent, except for Diluc’s steady breathing and the quiet music playing in the background. Outside of your window, rain was pouring down, softly pattering against the glass and collecting in puddles on the cobblestone pavement outside of your house. 

You brought your attention back to the man in your arms. His head was resting on your chest, arms wrapped around your waist as he had snuggled up against you after returning from yet another secret mission to protect Mondstadt from the Abyss Order. It wasn’t unusual that he crashed at your place, especially in weather like this. After tending to his wounds, you had brought him towels to dry his hair as well as some of his clothes he had left at your house a while ago. 

“Need anything else?” you had asked, not quite able to hide your concern. And with an exhausted smile that you had already seen one too many times, Diluc had replied, “Cuddles. Please.”

So now here you were, curled up under a loosely woven blanket that gave off just enough heat to keep both of you comfortably warm as you dwelled on your own thoughts. 

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” you whispered, careful not to disturb the peaceful silence that surrounded you. Diluc hummed in response. “Me too,” he replied, equally quiet, “but it’s getting late. I probably should head back home… I don’t want to keep you from getting some proper rest.”

“Are you kidding me?” Your voice was still soft, in contrast to your scolding words. You brushed your hand through his untied flaming red hair, feeling the silky strands between your fingers. In the flickering light of the candle, his pale skin had an almost golden glow that made him look more like an ethereal creature instead of an ordinary human being. “It’s dark outside, and it’s raining,” you added, “my arms are much safer.”

Diluc chuckled. “You know that Adelinde always starts to worry about me when I don’t show up at the winery at least once a day.”

“She’ll be fine,” you replied. “Come on, we both know you don’t want to leave.”

“No. I really don’t.”

You adjusted the blanket that had slipped off Diluc’s shoulders before you resumed playing with his hair, knowing very well that this simple action would make it even harder for him to pull away from your embrace and return back home in the pouring rain. 

“You’re playing foul,” he mumbled but snuggled deeper into your warm embrace nevertheless. You watched as his eyes fluttered closed, admiring the way his long lashes cast shadows onto his cheeks. “I know.”

Diluc stifled a yawn. “Okay,” he whispered. “Just five more minutes.”

“Sure.” 

Silence settled in, and after a while, Diluc’s breath was so steady and quiet that you knew he had drifted off to sleep. Careful not to wake him, you brushed a strand of hair from his forehead to get a better look at him. He always looked so calm and at ease in his sleep, the usual frown turning into a more peaceful expression that made it hard to believe that he could be such a fierce warrior. Especially those who never got to see him like this surely would call you crazy if you told them that he truly hid a heart of gold beneath his rough exterior.

Diluc was popular, yes, and many admired him, but only very few got to see the real him. And for others, it surely was still hard to believe that Mondstadt’s most eligible bachelor had finally decided to settle down – and, on top of that, with you. While the others had been fawning over him, you had always admired him from afar – and you still had no idea how you had managed to catch his attention all this time ago. 

But did it really matter? Wasn’t it more important that he was here by your side now, sound asleep in your arms? 

You pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Get some rest, my beloved,” you whispered, “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed it please consider liking, reblogging and/or leaving feedback. I'd really appreciate the support!

Taglist: @genshinparty @kaeyas-beloved @caesars-bubbles @ajaxstar @the-gayest-sky-kid

[not-the-darknight]

Diluc’s eyes held a glimmer of genuine appreciation as he listened to Itto’s offer. It was just like the Oni to extend a hand of help so readily, especially to a friend. He nodded, his posture relaxing slightly, the lines of tension from his travels easing at the prospect of familiar support.

"Thank you, Itto. I’ll take you up on that offer," he said, sincerity in his tone. "I’m looking for a sizable piece of land—somewhere I can build a small mansion and a few warehouses for storage and trade goods. I also want to plant a vineyard and berry fields, something similar to Dawn Winery but adapted for Inazuma. I’ve heard that the soil and climate here could create something unique."

He paused, as he considered the apple trees he’d planned to plant. "I’d also like to grow apple trees. The Inazuman variety is more suited for cider than the ones we have in Mondstadt. It has a flavor profile that could bring something new to what we offer back home."

He spoke of his plans with a sense of purpose, but his expression softened as he looked back at Itto. The Oni’s offer of help meant more than he let on. Setting up a new estate and expanding the winery’s business in another nation was a complicated endeavor, and there was comfort in knowing someone he trusted would be there to help.

When the topic shifted to Itto’s Kitsune son, Diluc’s smile returned, this time lighter as he listened to his friend’s prideful tone. It was hard not to feel happy for him. But when Itto lofted a brow, his curiosity obvious, and asked if Diluc had a child of his own, Diluc chuckled softly and nodded.

"Not quite what you might expect," he admitted. "A few months ago, I was followed home by a black kitten. He was a small, scrawny thing, and I didn’t have the heart to turn him away. I named him Merlot, after one of my favorite type of grapes hehe. He seemed to fit in well enough, curling up in the library or sleeping in the winery’s sunlit gardens."

His expression became more thoughtful as he continued. "But a few days later, while hosting another guest—a bit of an alchemist, though not nearly as careful as Albedo—there was an accident. A potion mishap, of sorts. Before I knew it, Merlot had transformed into... well, something between a child and a kitten."

Diluc paused, his eyes softening at the memory. Despite the unexpected transformation, the warmth in his gaze made it clear how much the boy meant to him. "He’s only a few weeks old, technically, but he looks and acts like a human child of about five or six. It was... an adjustment at first, but he’s come to see me as his father, and he even calls me ‘Papa.’"

He smiled, the pride in his voice unmissable. "He’s curious, energetic, and a bit of a handful, but I’ve come to love him dearly. The winery is livelier now, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything."

He glanced back at Itto, understanding the pride that shone in his friend’s eyes when he spoke of his son. Though their stories were different, he knew that same feeling well—one of both responsibility and joy. "It’s funny how life works sometimes. Neither of us planned for it, but here we are, raising kids who turned out to be the best thing that happened to us."

As Itto spoke, Diluc's mind wandered briefly back to those tense, chaotic days in Inazuma. The country had been in disarray, and sneaking in under the cover of the Arataki Gang had been one of the more unusual tactics he'd employed. Yet it had worked, thanks to Itto and his gang. They'd kept him safe, treated him like one of their own—even gave him a hat to blend in better. It was a memory he hadn't forgotten, though he hadn’t realized just how much that time meant to him until now.

"I still have that hat, you know," Diluc said with a small, rare smile. "A useful disguise, back then. No one suspected a Mondstadtian would be hiding in plain sight as a member of your gang. You did more than keep me safe, Itto. I owe you for that."

He listened as Itto talked about his tea blends and spice mixtures, nodding thoughtfully. The Oni's enthusiasm was contagious, and there was something genuinely impressive about how he’d turned what many saw as a chaotic lifestyle into something grounded. Diluc had never been one to judge others by appearances or reputation alone, and Itto had long ago proven there was more to him than most people realized.

"I wouldn’t mind trying some of those spice blends. And tea, too. I’ve spent too much time with the usual fare at the Winery—something new would be a welcome change." The mention of Itto’s inability to eat beans, tofu, or soy caused a faint grin to tug at the corner of his lips. Itto’s openness about his weakness was something Diluc respected. He knew the Oni didn’t let it define him or hold him back.

When Itto offered him a place to stay, Diluc considered it for a moment. The thought of having a home away from Mondstadt was something that had crossed his mind more than once, especially as he expanded Dawn Winery’s reach beyond Mondstadt’s borders.

"I appreciate the offer, and I might take you up on it sooner than you think." He paused, glancing over the garden again before meeting Itto's gaze with a more serious expression. "In fact, that’s part of why I’m here. I’m looking to acquire property in Inazuma. Dawn Winery is planning to set up trade routes between here and Mondstadt..."

He let the words settle, knowing Itto would understand the significance. Expanding the Winery’s influence wasn’t just about business—it was about strengthening ties between the nations, especially after the recent turmoil. Inazuma had always been somewhat isolated, but now there was an opportunity to change that.

"I want to establish a proper foothold here, and I’ve already spoken with some merchants. But I need a location that’s both practical for trade and secluded enough for the Winery’s operations. The climate here is perfect for certain Mondstadtian wines, and I think a partnership between our nations could benefit both sides."Diluc’s voice was steady, measured, but there was a spark of passion behind it. This wasn’t just a business venture—it was part of his long-term vision for Dawn Winery and Mondstadt’s future.

He then shifted the topic back to something more personal, his eyes softening again as they returned to the subject of the Kitsune. "Sixteen, already? Time really does fly. I remember him being much younger, always sticking close to you, always so... wary of everyone else. But he trusted you completely." He let out a small chuckle at the idea of the Kitsune perched on a bookshelf like a cat much like someone he knew. "I suppose that makes sense. You’ve always had a way of making people feel safe, even in the most chaotic times. It’s good to hear he’s grown into a fine young man. It’s not easy raising someone, I know that with my own little ball of chaos... but you’ve clearly done well by him." Diluc thought about Merlot and how his little son was cautious of people but was more of a runner than the fiery spirit that Kohaku had.

[aphrodict]

“ the little things “

tws // none

genre // fluff

pairings // thoma, scaramouche, childe, zhongli, yoimiya, xiao, lumine x gn!reader

authors note // hi hi !! ty for 200 follows <3 ill try my best to post more often from now on! wc: 0.5k

thoma was absolutely ecstatic when you confessed to him, he couldnt believe it at all! in fact he asked you to repeat what you said, pretending he didnt understand it when he actually just wanted to make sure he heard that right. you? his dream partner? wants to be with him? its like a dream come true. thoma would show you off to his friends “have you met s/o? they're the most perfect person ive ever seen!”, “s/o is so pretty, i cant believe im in a relationship with them..” he wont shut up about you, hes too proud.

scaramouche wont admit it but you’re in his mind 24/7! whenever he goes out on long tiring missions, all he could think about was going back home and having you protected with a warm hug. so once you see him go back home, expect mixed signals. even if he denies it- please give him affection! the poor boy was waiting for you all this time. scara definitely fell asleep on you when he came back, you teased him about it all day but he cant help it!

childe is honestly a huge softie with you, hes this close on quitting his job as a fatui harbinger just to live with you in your tiny little home full of love! he could get you your favorite things when he goes out without you. even if hes just going to fight some whopperflowers? expect a full course meal on the table. yeah, childe can cook alright!

zhongli would read out books to make you fall asleep, his voice is very low and relaxing. it almost sounds like hes whispering it! he protects you even when you can handle yourself, its not that he doesnt trust you, hes just scared you’d leave him as well. zhongli works hard to take you out on dates you deserve, even asks a certain harbinger and director for some extra mora to buy you pretty glaze lilies!

yoimiya asks thoma to make matching sweaters for you both! she would make the design “extra pyoon pyoon and cute”, you know what i mean? she’d take you out on festival dates and make special fireworks all just for you. also, yoimiya is the type of person to invite you to play with the kids or visit some of her customers together!

xiao thought it was bold of you to even dare have a relationship with an adeptus. but seeing that you meant no harm and genuienely had feelings for him made the yaksha think about it. its true he felt the same way, but he didnt know how to say that since hes unkown to these mortal feelings. instead, he says it through actions! xiao says to call his name whenever you need him, if you want affection just ask, but itll take some time for him to adjust so be patient!

lumine would make a small flower crown for you, she picks up the flowers from her travelling from mondstadt to inazuma. she also asks you to go around teyvat with her, if it meant going to one place only, atleast she’s with you! she introduces you to so many people, now you have aquaintances from around the world. theyre all really nice people! when lumine asked who was your favorite, you answered with “you” she was so flustered. ahh so cute!!

@aphrodicts-imagination : masterlist

[scaramouche-bully]

can i req fem!sub / if you want gender neutral is ok, about being brat on the bed? and (seperate) kaeya, diluc ,xiao &childe respond on it?

— ☆ Bratty Sub headcanons 

Includes: Kaeya, Diluc, Xiao, and Childe

[ Sub ] Gender-neutral reader

Contains: Bratty sub, riding, dacryphilia, humiliation, rough sex, switching, coming untouched, dirty talk, degradation, choking, slut shaming, stomach bulge, masocism, minor blood, drooling + dumfication. 

— ☆ Wrecking headcanons - Childe 🐏 [ Female ]

[ masterlist ]

Apologies for the long delay. It’s been busy. 

I’ve updated my rules to limit requests to two or fewer characters as to not overwhelm myself. But since this request was before the change, I will write all four. For future requesters, please stick to two characters. 

— ☆ Kaeya

As soon as you talk back to him, he gives you most amused but pitiful look you’ve ever seen. He takes a moment to chuckle under his breath before he’s hoisting you up onto his lap, leaning his cheek on his hand, and gestures for you to continue. 

You must think you’re so cute right now. Suddenly thinking that you’re in charge? Alright, if you want to be on top then go. He won’t do anything. Let’s see how long it’ll take for you to start whining. 

He loves the flustered look you get when he suddenly gives into your demands. The brave face you try and put on as you slowly ease onto his thick cock and the frustrated whimpers you try and hide. 

It’s only when you start apologizing that he disapprovingly sighs as he grips your hips, so hard that bruises will appear the next day, and slams you down on his cock. 

“Talking back to me when you can’t even fuck yourself on my cock properly. What am I going to do with you?” he grunts out as your walls tighten around him and you scrabble to hold onto him, “You’re going to take every drop of my cum until your hole is stuffed got it? Aren’t I kind? Go on, thank me.” 

“T-Thank..mm! Yo-You -ahh! More, ah! ” you stammer out as you claw at Kaeya’s back as he forcefully lifts you and drops you on his cock. The heavy drag of his dick against your sensitive spots is maddening that muddle your head. Every time Kaeya thrusts in you feel the breath get punched out of your lungs, the skin of your abdomen stretch and burn as you try and make room for his cock. You don’t realize that you’re crying out to him as you sob into his shoulder. 

“Look at you, does that hurt? Too bad. Maybe if you didn’t act like such  a brat I would be a lot nicer,” he laughs as he viciously grabs your hair and lifts your tear stained face up “Maybe I should take a picture so I can show everyone in Mondstadt what a slut you are?”

He drops your face harshly as he grips your wrists and pulls your hands behind you before he flips you both over so he’s on top of you. Your arms are at an awkward angle that strain them but when he suddenly starts pounding into you with the new leverage, whatever complaints you have are quickly replaced with moans. You mewl at the idea, your friends and family seeing how much of a wreck Kaeya can make you. It makes you burn in humiliation at the idea and you know that Kaeya would do it in a heartbeat. It’s that thought that has you cumming as Kaeya curses and buries himself as deep as he can go, painting your insides with his cum. While you’re catching your breath, Kaeya swipes at the cum that leaked out of your hole as he brings his cum stained fingers to your mouth.

“Open up,” he says, his voice sweet even as he pry’s your mouth open for you. You, naturally, bite his fingers but also lick him clean. It makes his star pupils dilate as he takes in the image before shoving his fingers into the back of your throat so you choke, “You’re so cute. It seems I have a lot to teach you about manners brat.”

— ☆ Diluc

Diluc has to deal with too many problematic issues given to him by incompetent people. It’s weeks like these when his patience runs extremely thin, even when he tries to suppress his temper. 

Naturally, these are your favourite weeks to irk the man. To see just how much you can get away with and how far you can push his limits. From walking around with barely any clothes to flirting with the Knights that attend Angel Share.

Diluc is used to your...mannerisms. That is until Kaeya appears and he’s already glaring at you before you can make a move. Don’t you dare even try it unless you don’t want to walk the next day. 

It takes one touch on your waist from Kaeya for Diluc to snap. He’s closing the bar early and even the drunkards can tell Diluc is pissed. Kaeya blows you a kiss and a wave over the shoulder to Diluc as he locks the door behind him. 

Diluc manhandles you to the bar counter until you’re bent over with your wrists pinned behind your back. You can feel the anger radiate off Diluc as you peer over your shoulder at him. While he has a calm face, his eyes are feral as he adjusts his glove. That’s the only warning you get before he slips his hand to the front of your neck and squeezes with a vice grip. 

“D-Dil-” you cough out before you’re cut with a yelp by Diluc forcefully shoving your pants down as he shoves his fingers in, gloves still on, and stretch's your hole out. 

“Pathetic, you’re already this wet and I haven’t even done anything. Are you going to make a mess over my floors? You know what’ll happen if you do,” Diluc sneers as he arches your back and brings your face next to his, “Do you like being choked? Is that it? You filthy whore getting off on being used like this.”

“Hah..haha...Ka-Kaeya is nn-- oh is rough-er!” you manage to wheeze out as you stick your tongue out at Diluc. He still wears that same neutral expression but you can see something dark swirl in his eyes. He mumbles out, is that so? Before he slams you back down onto the counter top. You’re a bit dazed from the impact that you don’t hear the rustle of clothes, a belt unbuckling, before you’re being rammed into by Diluc’s cock. Your hands are scrabbling onto the countertop for some type of purchase as Diluc wastes no time and abuses your sensitive walls. 

“You’re. Mine.” Each word is punctuated by a deep thrust into you, “No one can fuck you like I can. Not those useless knights. Not Kaeya. Not anyone. Got it?”

You’re dumb on the pleasure of his cock rearranging your insides that you don’t respond that Diluc clicks his tongue, bends down, and sinks his teeth into your neck. An area he knows you can’t hide with your clothes and it’s too hot to be wearing a scarf without making it obvious to what’s happening now. The burst of pain is enough to send you over the edge and orgasm on his cock. Diluc curses under his breath at your walls tightening around him as he cum inside you as he catches his breath. 

“Answer me when I ask you a question.”

“Y-Yes sir...you’re the only one. Only you. Always you...” 

Your words manage to sooth him a little bit but it irks him that you’re drooling all over his countertop that he just cleaned. It’s fine, he thinks, he can make you lick it up later. 

— ☆ Xiao

He's a puppy that wants to impress you, but everyone has a breaking point. The constant taunting of how, despite being a powerful adepti, he can’t even pleasure a mortal in bed sends something feral inside him ablaze. 

He doesn’t want to hurt you so he focuses his efforts into fucking you so good that you end up babbling praises instead. It makes him feel so warm inside when he sees your normally smug face turn dumb as you tell him he’s doing so well. 

It’s the only time you can ask Xiao to be more rough with you without him worrying about breaking you. It’s so cute to you that he tries so hard that you can’t help but tease him a bit. 

“Good boy Xiao. You’re doing so well,” you whisper against Xiao’s lips as you softy kiss him. You’re finally seated on his cock with his fingers are digging into your sides, strong enough to leave marks. It took a bit of coaxing from you to get Xiao to release the death grip he had on the sheets and to move his hands to your waist. If you didn’t see hand prints or bruises the next day, you were going to make this man cry. You slowly rock back and forth as you softly moan at the feeling of his cock inside you as you make small bounces. 

“Don’t you feel good?” you ask as you take one of his hands off your waist and lead his fingers to your hole where you’re both connected. Lacing your fingers together as you force him to jerk off the small length of his cock that appears every bonce you make, “Come on. Go faster. Show me what an adeptus can do.”

“A-Are you sure?” Xiao stammers out as he looks up at you worried. His grip on your body slackens considerably as you sigh before cupping his cheeks. 

“Xiao. Are you saying you can’t? Is it too much for someone of the adepti? What a let down you are, if you can’t do it then I’ll go find someone that cAN-!” you choke on your words as Xiao suddenly slams you on your back and drives his cock to the hilt. This time he’s taking your hand in his as he places your linked hands onto your stomach so you can feel his cock wrecking your insides through your stomach. 

“W-Wait! Xiao! Ah-!”

He pulls out harshly only to slam back in desperately as he rutts against you. His cock is practically gushing pre-come as he slowly loses his sense of rhythm. A deep feral part inside him relishes in the fact that it’s his cock that makes you like this. Pupils blown wide, head thrown back, tongue lolling out. As much as it makes your entire body tremble at the onslaught of pleasure, you can’t help but let a small delirious smile appear on your face. You reach out and cling onto him, digging your nails in so deep that he bleeds, and tell him to fuck you stupid. That he’s doing such a good job and to not stop. 

“I love you, I love you, I love you” he chants as he grinds his cock into you as he cums inside and fills you with his cum. The rush of warmth has you orgasming with him. Your linked hands still on your stomach where his cum paints your walls. 

— ☆ Childe

He really likes switching half way during your fucking. As soon as you’ve had your fill being on top, he’s switching the roles. He might have been crying and begging you to let him cum a few seconds ago but now it’s his time to payback. 

Due to the abrupt switch, you’re still high on your ride and refuse to let his child take control. He loves how feral you both get in your attempts to dominate the other. 

When he finally manages to pin you down, the blood of the scratches and bite marks are still stinging but the pain get’s him rock hard. It’s like any other fight and the feeling of victory gives him a rush. 

He wastes no time in pounding into you, watching you scream as you curse him out as him laughing, leaning over to kiss you as he proceeds to rail you.  

He knows as soon as he kisses you, you’re biting his lips raw. The taste of blood makes him smirk against your own mouth and he feels your exasperated sigh at his kinks. It’s a small moment of respite as you both make out without trying to claw each other’s eyes out. When you finally separate for air, there’s a red line of saliva linking your mouths together that breaks when Childe sits up and wipes his mouth. 

“A bit eager are we?” he taunts as his fingers run over your skin, covered in his hand prints as marks, before settling on your hip. He doesn’t need to look to know his body isn’t any different. He better hope that he doesn’t need to change his shirt in front of the anyone or else they’ll suspect he went and fought a bear again. A cruel laugh escapes you as you reach up and drag him back down to your level as you whisper in his ear.

“It’s a pity fuck Tartaglia.” 

There’s a pause as Childe registers what you said before a switch flips off in his head. He lets out a low growl as he flips you onto your stomach and rams his cock into you. He relishes in the wail you let out as he grips your neck to pin your head onto the bed as he rails you into the mattress. You’re so tight around him that he has to forcefully drag his cock out just to thrust back in. He doesn’t understand how you can stay so tight even after all the rounds you both had previously. 

“You, ngh--ah! b...hah...bastard!” you gasp out and you claw at the sheets as his cock fucks you so well. He slams in so deep that has you spasming with each and every thrust. 

“Behave now,” he hisses out as he bites down on the back of neck as he muffles his moans as he cums inside you. Feeling him spill inside you sends a shudder of pleasure through your body that has your withering on his cock as you cum alongside him. When you’ve both caught your breath is when you elbow him in the stomach and knock him backwards so you’re back on top. He can tell you’re pissed and he’s never felt more excited. 

[bumbleklee]

just read your unplanned pregnancy hcs and first of wow second could you maybe write a continuation to them like maybe during the pregnancy or once the baby (or babies they could have twins) are born. Albedo's had me appdiisodhs like i need answers and i need some closure lmao

sorry this has taken so long anon, been a crazy couple of weeks lol. part 2 to this

diluc's is kinda short bc his ended on a happy note (o´∀`o)

before reading: reader is written as afab and goes by they/them pronouns but feel free to change it to whatever you want in your head, pregnancy, babies

diluc

he adjusted the best he could when you decided to keep the baby

neither of you were expecting a child anytime soon but like you said before, maybe it was a sign

and with diluc's status in mondstadt, no one even batted an eye wrong in his direction

in fact, you were showered daily with gifts or food from the townspeople of mondstadt (there was a rumor that some thought you were bearing an heir to the invisible throne of mondstadt)

in the rare occasion someone said something negative about the pregnancy, usually someone drunk at the tavern, diluc was quick to shut them down

After you gave birth to your babies (yes, you had twins), you thought the overwhelming support from the people of Mondstadt would stop. Instead, it only increased.

When you and Diluc entered the city, each holding a baby, you were always crowded right away. Elderly woman would knit your babies clothes and the young teenagers offered babysitting services. It should have been overwhelming but since your pregnancy was unexpected (having twins was even more unexpected) the extra help was greatly appreciated.

Woodworkers built you cribs for free and shop owners happily donated extra stock for your children.

After a long day in Mondstadt, that was supposed to be a quick trip, Diluc collapsed on the couch. He had both babies in his arms, cuddling them to this chest, while you carried multiple bags full of goods.

"People are so generous," You huffed out, putting the bags down and falling back next to Diluc, "Almost too generous."

He laughed tiredly and readjusted himself so you could snuggle into his side. "It's better than them being hateful, right?"

You nodded in agreement, "Much better."

zhongli

he was right about no one crossing him during your pregnancy

when you went for walks around liyue around, people turned their heads and paid no attention to you

to zhongli, that was delightful - no one cared

to you, it was uncomfortable

you had mortal friends in liyue who had gotten pregnant after marriage and they were praised from strangers on the streets and given free food or wisdom from elders

but not you

You were almost to term when Zhongli wanted to take you out to dinner at the Liyue Pavilion. Childe had given him a hefty check as a Christmas gift and Zhongli wanted to spend it on you and your unborn baby.

The restaurant was packed for a weeknight and Zhongli left for a moment to use the restroom. You sat at the table, absentmindedly rubbing your belly and shoveling noodles into your mouth.

"Isn't that the town whore?"

The words made you freeze. You heard the voices behind you and refrained from spinning around and glaring at the young women.

"It is! I heard this is the third time she's gotten knocked up and her boyfriend wouldn't let her kill it this time!"

"Boyfriend? She's not even married? I would be so ashamed to have her as my daughter - her poor family."

You stopped eating then. The women giggled and their voices faltered away. Your hand stopped rubbing your belly and laid there, your other hand clenching your chopsticks.

You didn't even realize you were crying until Zhongli came back to the table and alerted you.

"Oh, um, hormones," You lied, dropping your chopsticks to roughly push away your tears. Your sniffled and looked up, dabbing at the corners of your eyes to try and stop the tears. "I'm really not hungry anymore. I'll meet you outside, okay?"

You struggled to stand up and once you did, you waddled outside of the restaurant. You tried to pull your cardigan over your belly but since you were so far along, there was no way to hide it. It felt like the world was caving in on you. People could be so cruel.

Suddenly, you felt two arms wrap around you, pulling you into warmth. You smelled Zhongli's scent and clutched onto his shirt, letting even more tears fall.

"A worker told me what happened after you rushed out," He whispered into your ear, "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" You sniffled.

"I wasn't there to protect you from them."

You looked up at Zhongli and he wiped away your tears. "Can we go on a vacation?"

When you said vacation, you didn't mean a week away to the beach. Honestly, you didn't feel safe in Liyue and you certainly didn't want to raise a baby in a city this strict.

"Of course we can," Zhongli said, immediately knowing what you meant, "Have you even been to Mondstadt?"

albedo

the minute you returned home on that eventful day, albedo began packing your bags

he knew what the knights were capable of and frankly, he didn't fully trust them right now

you were on the road by night and within two weeks (horses and carriages did wonders to help you), you had safely arrived in fontaine

you stayed in the country for your entire pregnancy and when your son turned a year old, the three of you started your journey back to mondstadt

When you stepped inside the gates of Mondstadt, you swore you could hear every hushed whisper rush into your head. Albedo stood firmly by your side, his hand on the small of your back as he urged you to continue walking towards the headquarters.

Your son wiggled in your arms but you didn't put him down. Until you knew exactly what was going to happen with the Knights, you weren't going to let your son out of your sight.

Fortunately, both Kaeya and Jean were doing paperwork in her office when Albedo knocked. He walked in first and they jumped up, extremely concerned with his absence.

You hesitantly walked in after Albedo and your coworkers stared for a moment.

"Wow," Kaeya said, "You did have the baby."

"We did," You confirm.

There's an awkward silence. No one knows what to say since the last encounter with each other ended so horribly. Jean is the one to finally speak up, "I think we owe you two an apology."

Kaeya nods in agreement. "After you two left, we realized we may have been too harsh on you both. We are getting to that age, after all."

Albedo glances at you from behind his shoulder and you smile softly to him. He turns back to Kaeya and Jean, "We'd like our positions back in the Knights of Favonius."

"You never lost them," Kaeya cheekily says. Albedo nods his head again, not wanting to say the wrong thing. You step forward and rub your son's back, getting his attention. You introduce him and Kaeya bends down towards the baby, "Why, hello there."

Your boyfriend cautiously watches from a distance as his friend dotes on his son. Eventually, Jean comes over to meet the child too.

If you thought about the situation hard enough, you still got upset. But seeing Kaeya and Jean love on your son instead of exiling him made you feel a lot better. Of course, you wished it didn't go down the way it did but the past was the past.

And as Albedo reached out to squeeze your free hand, you knew he felt the same way.

[starrconch]

HUGS

★ Includes: Kaeya, Keqing, Diluc, GN reader, fluff

★ Word Count: 1175

★ Master List

★ Notes: For Childe, Xiao, and Albedo, click here

KAEYA

★ The Cavalry Captain loved affection but never had an opportunity to receive it. With his only family left being the ever so distant Diluc who he didn’t have a good relationship with, his only way to secure it was through you.

★ You two were running through torrential rain, hurrying back to your home in Mondstadt to take shelter. Though, when you made it to your front door, your partner had other plans.

You quickly retrieved your keys from your pocket, readying the key for your door. You were freezing. The clothes you wore clung to your skin from how soaked through they were, and it was getting hard to see as your eyes were trying to shelter you from all the rain coming down on you.

As you cursed colourfully under your breath, Kaeya swiped the keys from you, dangling them above your head.

“What are you doing? Are you insane?” You jumped after them, your body already shaking from how cold it was.

“Someone has to be, otherwise things would get boring very quickly.” He smirked as you missed with every swipe, moving the keys just out of your reach every time. “Could I interest you in a dance, darling?”

Your jaw felt as though it could unhinge itself. “Are you serious?” The cold didn’t affect him as much as it did to you due to his cryo vision, it wasn’t fair.

He held the keys in front of you, only moving them again when you attempt to take them. “You can have these back.”

Rolling your eyes, you wrapped your arms around his neck, watching him tuck the keys into his back pocket.

He pulled himself closer to you with your waist and pressed your forehead against his own. Surprisingly, he radiated a little warmth, urging you to get closer.

“Now, this isn’t so bad, is it?” Kaeya hummed a tune and swayed slowly with you wrapped in his arms. He could have stayed there forever, basking in your presence. Eventually, when you became numb to the cold, you realised you could too.

KEQING

★ The busy woman didn’t feel the need for affection or hugs before she met you. She spent her life wrapped up in work, it would only slow her down and waste her time. But, as she slowly grew closer to you, she felt a strange desire to touch you, to know that you were there with her.

★ You and your partner approached Liyue Harbour as the sun set on the horizon, finished with your work for the day. As you were just about to say goodbye before you parted ways, you noticed that Keqing had something on her mind.

“Hey, are you alright?” You asked her, taking her hand and bringing it to your mouth to press a kiss on it.

Her eyes widened slightly at the contact, watching you closely. It was as though she were mesmerised by it. You had kissed her several times before in several different places, but this felt different.

Without warning, Keqing fell into your arms, tightly wrapping her arms around you and burying her face into your chest.

“Woah!” You had to steady yourself so you didn’t fall over and bring the both of you to the ground. “What’s the matter? I swear if anyone is on your back, I will make sure they pay for it.”

“No, no. It’s nothing like that,” she murmured into you. “I just need this right now.”

With a smile, you happily obliged, adjusting your position so that the both of you were more comfortable. Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into what felt like hours with her unmoving in your arms.

“I’m really sorry to do this, but I really need to get home.” Regret filled you, but your stomach rumbled and your arms were beginning to grow numb.

Your partner merely shook her head, somehow tightening her grip even further on you. “Please.” Her plea shot you through the heart, causing it to twist with adoration.

★ It was difficult getting home with Keqing stuck to you, but you made it there eventually. That night was filled with long, warm hugs both of you enjoyed.

DILUC

★ Mondstadt’s Darknight Hero couldn’t remember the last time he hugged someone. It had to be before his father passed away, for he pushed anyone away after that incident. This left him unable to realise how much he missed a person’s touch until he met you.

★ Your partner was looking through some documents of a deal he struck with some merchants to import them into different nations, and you laid down on a couch in his office, dramatically draped over it in your boredom. There was a need for it to be quelled through something. Anything.

“Diluc?” You asked, your head now hanging upside down off the edge of the couch.

“Yes, my love?” He looked up from his papers, a small smile turning the corner of his lips upwards at your awkward position. You were adorable.

“When was the last time you had a hug?” There was no purpose behind your question, you were just curious. The two of you were in the early stages of your relationship and were yet to hug each other.

He placed his pen down and laced his fingers together, his brows furrowing from his deep thought. “I’m not sure. I’m afraid I cannot give you an answer for that, though it’s likely been several years.” Despite what he had just said, he got back to work as if it wasn’t such a big deal, which it was.

You rearranged yourself on the couch to sit properly, your jaw hung open in shock. “Would you like a hug?” There was no way that you were letting him get away without one. How was he still functioning? “I would like to give you one.”

“That would be... pleasant.” Diluc rose from his chair and made his way over to you.

You did the same, meeting him in the middle. Holding out your arms, you aimed for his waist, pulling him into you so he could easily wrap his around your neck.

He was stiff at first for a long while, unsure of what he was supposed to do. How long was he supposed to stay like this for? Was he meant to do something? Were you waiting for him to do it?

Though, as you began to soothingly rub your hands in circles on his back, your partner began to find himself relaxing into your touch. He rested his head on your shoulder and squeezed you tightly.

★ After staying like that for half of an hour, the two of you finally drew apart so Diluc could continue his work.

★ From then on, he would come to you seeking affection, only not knowing how to ask for it. Eventually, you managed to pick up his hesitance around you as his invitation for a hug.

★ They lasted for hours on end, filled with warmth and delicate kisses, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[dear-yandere]

smolder.

yandere! diluc ragnvindr x reader. scenario, inspired by an interaction ask. disclaimer: this is not a healthy relationship.

art belongs to ぐみ (pixiv).

he can make fire dance.

it dances and sings and destroys all around him, its flames and smoke not once marring his cleanly jacket. he is untouched, unperturbed by the heat he ceaselessly dresses the air with, the scent of grapes and ash sewn into his being. his hair is the same color as death, you like to think; and it’s only when his back is turned that you feel safe. as if death hasn’t come to claim you yet. as if death is the one thing keeping you alive.

and it scares you more than anything else.

his sword whips to his side, splaying droplets of hilichurl blood on everything but him. you’re far enough away, where the dirtiness of battle does not reach, and you’re watching with unease and awe. the scene from before—a group of unseemly hilichurls descending upon the mondstadt gates, seems like a long-distant memory, a harmless nightmare more than anything else. diluc had wasted no time leaping into battle before your own weapon was even drawn, leaving you to watch the battle end within seconds of it starting at all.

the hilichurls hadn’t stood a chance.

“master diluc...” you pipe up, your throat as dry as the heated air. embers disperse around him as he scans the area one last time, daring another wave to appear from thin air—and...nothing, just as it should be.

“thank you for the...help,” you say and look around at the stark absence of enemies on city grounds, to which the gentleman pays you no mind quite yet. but you know he’s listening, as he always does whenever you speak, and you decide now is as good a time as ever to broach the topic that’s been on your mind for days now. 

“i'm grateful that you're watching out for me, but you don't have to protect me. i had that wave under control.” you muster, your voice betraying you with how small it came out. you hardly sound convincing, and that’s precisely what you don’t need right now. “i'm fine on my own, really.” you add that last bit for good measure, afraid he’ll take it the wrong way otherwise.

...intoxicating.

the way he looks at you right then is as intoxicating as wine, and the words feel heavy on your lips. and within moments, a sense of shame washes from your head to your toes like a tidal wave, because the twitch that ghosts over his face isn’t natural. it’s hard to tell what he’s thinking because despite the confusion and turmoil in his stomach, it never shows on his face.

…you wonder, what made him forget how to feel?

the sword in his hands dematerializes, and he finally turns his attention toward you, doing a quick scan of your body to ensure that last fight left you unscathed. when his gaze settles on your face, his expression is thick like smog. and you realize, you don’t know the answer. you don’t know what made him forget how to feel; you don’t know anything about him.

the pit in your stomach expands.

“although i appreciate the gesture, there’s no need for gratitude.” he exhales through his nose, and you try to ignore the guilty pang in your stomach. “though,” he says in a lighter tone, mindlessly adjusting his collar when he picks up on your discomfort. “i suppose i never explained myself. it’s only natural that you’re apprehensive.” he states, eyes flickering to the slight tremble of your legs, a result of having spoken your mind after weeks of staying quiet.

his heart twists.

he’s always been aware that you’re not keen of his overprotective behavior; but, he’d keep telling himself that you require his care and oversight. he’d keep telling himself that you need him in your life, by your side—and the pretty world he’d craft in his head will start to fracture. and, as it currently stands, you’ve hardly had a chance to properly defend yourself in battle, as he always finds a means to step in and ‘help’ you... which always results in your standing back and him handling the rest.

he realizes he’s stripped you of your ability to make decisions for yourself. and now, he’s keenly aware of the scent of fire that still dances through the air, a reminder that he’s overstepped his bounds yet again. a reminder that he’s grown attached, yet again. a reminder that with love comes hurt, yet again.

he shouldn’t have helped.

“you’re due an explanation, but i’m not sure i...” he trails off, the words not quite reaching his lips. because he’s not sure about what? he recalls that, as an adventurer, you’ve far surpassed his expectations in terms of both offense and defense. you’ve no trouble holding your own against hilichurls, and, despite his contempt for the knights of favonius, you’ve the title of ‘honorary knight’. in all regards, you’re perfectly capable of fending for yourself.

and yet, his stomach flips the moment he sees you under attack. there’s clearly no need for worry, considering you’re quick to dispatch of any foe that stumbles your way, and yet.... and yet...

“...i can’t tell you. not right now.” he exhales through his nose, dissatisfied with his own answer. you’re several feet away—always careful to keep an appropriate distance—and he still feels your muscles tense at the lackluster response. “not now, but soon. you have my word.”

“i... i see. i suppose that’s alright...” your apprehension drops, for now, but you’re still wary of him. 

that expression of uncertainty is enough to form a pit in his very core, but he doesn’t let his mask slip, having already overstepped his boundaries enough. he’ll have to take measures to rectify his reputation in your eyes—a job he takes as seriously as anything else on his plate. he’s already lost someone dear to him, so please...he has to fix this.

please, by all the archons, he can’t lose you too.

dear-yandere, all rights reserved.

[luvyanfei]

Can I request a diluc drabble? Where his s/o likes to braid his hair in the morning and one day he forgots about it so he walks around with his hair in a braid 🥺🥺🥺 i hope this isn't too much 👉🏻👈🏻 and it's really up to you if you go along with this or not hehe! Thank you ~

this request is so cute!! and no worries anon! you’re all good! <3

Nimble fingers braid through the silky strands of crimson hair, Diluc’s back facing you, as you finish through your daily task. The stoic man is used to this by now in your relationship; he was admittedly a bit surprised when you approached him nervously to inquire him if it would be alright if you can braid his hair, in which he responded with a hesitant ‘okay’.

In no time flat, he’s accepted this peculiar form of affectious moment as part of the norm in his life.

You tie the loose ends together with an elastic band, planting a flower hair pin on the side of his scalp for good measure. “May I stand up now? I need to finish preparing to go on our... date soon.” Diluc turns around to face you, just as you swallow down a giggle and nod in his direction.

He lifts himself up and starts buttoning up his trademark jacket, with a little help from you, and you both exit out of the Winery to bask in the sunny landscape devoid of any clouds in the blue sky - the intricate braid in his hair untouched and forgotten. Lush greens of grass sways to and fro gently in the crisp, morning breeze as you and Diluc walk to your destination hand in hand.

As you make your way to where the Windblume festival is in full-spring, the white, dandelion fluffs dances in the air above you and colourful flowers all around decorate the exterior to add a festive atmosphere to Mondstadt. Fellow land-dwellers gawk at you both - or rather, one of you, that is. Diluc is oblivious to the curious stares he’s receiving, his eyes only reflecting you in them.

“So, what would you like to do first?” The wine tycoon inquires, his tone even and sullen, but his lips are curved in a smile equivalent to that of the Sun. You almost burst in a fitful of laughter, if only because his hairstyle of the day accentuates his youthful complexion. Admittedly, even you had almost forgotten to take off the braid and the hair pin, but hey, he’s not complaining so why should you?

With a gesture of your head, you guide him by the soft tug of his sleeve as you begin exploring the place. You’ve walked down the same street many times before, but it feels different now that you have someone accompanying you. You ate meals together, played the lyre and sang together, and popped balloons together - you did everything together, all the while people spared judging glances at the redhead. Before any of the townsfolks can utter out a syllable to point out his appearance, you interrupt them hastily, all with a finger to your lips directed at them to keep quiet.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen with the next person you come across.

“Oh, Mister, I never took you for the type of person who braids their hair,” Flora comments casually, gesturing to Diluc.

Bewilderment crosses his features as he frantically feels his head, stopping when his gloved hand comes in contact with the braid. An embarrassed sigh parts from his lips and he sheepishly stares down at the ground.

He cannot believe he forgot to take it off. Oh well, it doesn’t hurt that people witnessed him in a braid though, right?

“Mister, the flower pin looks like it’s going to fall down soon. You should adjust it.”

What?! Alarmed, Diluc takes off the floral barrette and frowns when he hears you snickering beside him. He grips your wrist and drags you to an area with less people, face partially shrouded in shadow, but you can still see the blush on his cheeks.

“Diluc,” you pipe up cautiously, “are you angry? I’m sorry for upsetting you. If you want, I can help you undo the braid.” Before you can reach for the band binding his hair, he clutches your fingers gently and slowly shakes his head.

“No, there’s no need. It would be a shame to undo your hard work. And I’m not angry, just a bit flustered, I suppose,” he explains. Ah, so he doesn’t want anyone to see him in the state he’s in.

“Although, I should give you back your hairclip, since,” he loosens his hold on the hairpin, but instead of dropping it in your open hand as you expect, he carefully clips it in place, now decorated in your hair, “you look prettier wearing it.”

[ddarker-dreams]

Wanderlust. Yan Diluc x Reader

Warnings: Typical unhealthy yandere behavior. Word count: 1.2k.

For such an expansive land, you’ve come to know every nook and cranny in Mondstadt. 

The best shortcuts to take to avoid hilichurl camps, which time of year the local produce gives a bountiful yield, even the names of traveling merchants that come and go. This intimate knowledge is a testament to years spent in this nation. What bloomed as pride in your heart warped into prickly thorn-covered vines, that chain you down in place. Familiarity became mediocrity. 

Each day blended with the last like watercolors, an amalgamation of harmless shades, as inoffensive as the last. This discontentment with life had you lamenting to the Knight’s of Favonius’ Kaeya. Somehow piecing together your troubles through drunken ramblings, he had offered you advice.

“Why not travel?” 

It was a simple suggestion, said half-jokingly, that resonated with you the rest of the night. After feeling his words follow you a week, you relented. Bag in hand and ready to see the world. Goodbyes were temporary, you know you’ll be back, it’s a matter of when. Excitement flutters in your heart -- excitement that you haven’t felt in years -- at what is to come. The limitless possibilities, memories to be made, and possible experiences aplenty. Friends old and new alike had wished you well on your journey.

Now all that’s left is to take it. 

You hadn’t even made far in the path to Liyue when he showed up. 

Blocking the sun from your view, Diluc stands tall, his face is relaxed, unlike his rigid posture. He looks down at you through thick eyelashes, adjusting his gloves. You don’t move, confusion clouding your senses. Why is Diluc here? Where your other companions had sent you off in kind, Diluc did no such thing. Not that you had expected sugary words from the notoriously impassive man, but having known him a majority of your life, came an expectation of getting something. Even a lackluster “Good luck”, would’ve sufficed. 

Did a guilty consciousness bring him here? For some reason, you doubt it.

He jumps down from the hill on which he stood, landing softly on the grass in front of you. The air feels tense with unspoken emotions. Your heart leaps into your stomach, hammering without relenting. Diluc’s stare is smoldering. Deep, vermillion hues never depart from your own gaze. Taking a deep breath, you decide to break the silence.

“Is there something you need? I don’t think I left an unpaid tab at the tavern.” 

Diluc doesn’t acknowledge your lighthearted comment. “You truly intend to leave?” 

The question, though inoffensive on a surface level, is a trembling lid over boiling water that threatens to overflow. 

“Not permanently. I just want to explore.” You respond, shifting your weight from one foot to another. Why do you feel like a child being scolded by their mother? Diluc takes a step closer to you, presence imposing.

“Explore, huh,” he says more so to himself than you. Another step. “I was hoping you’d abandon this troublesome idea.” 

You don’t want to hear anymore. If he came here only to belittle your ambitions, then you’ll leave, simple as that. There’s no reason for you to stand here and deal with this on what is meant to be your eventful day. Dealing with Diluc’s protectiveness is a thing of the past. He grabs your wrist when you go to walk past him, your Vision subconsciously activating at the unwarranted touch. Gust swirls around you both until you calm your emotions. 

“You’ll be endangering yourself for no reason.” 

A noise of frustration leaves your lips, eyebrows knitting together in displeasure. “I can handle myself. Listen, I don’t know what’s wrong with you lately, but you have no right to boss me around.”

His grip tightens when you try to tug yourself free. 

“I’ve seen it all myself,” Diluc’s voice is dignified and unwavering, in contrast to your disgruntled tone. “You don’t know how dangerous the world is. How much evil there is. Stay, it’s far safer here.” 

You want to be understanding of his sentiment. Diluc might not be open in his feelings for others, but you’ve come to learn he expresses his care in more subtle ways. He’s lost a lot -- you remind yourself -- but hasn’t everyone? It doesn’t give permission to enforce your views and desires on others. It’s like he hasn’t learned anything. 

“I’m not a naïve, defenseless child. I’d appreciate it if you stopped treating me like one.” You wish you didn’t have to be harsh. Diluc’s stubborn as his adopted brother, even if he’s better at hiding it. With a final pull, you manage to free your hand. It’s unfortunate that you’re leaving on tense terms, but it’s his own doing, you reason. There are better ways to express concern over someone’s safety than to make unreasonable demands. He’s always failed to recognize this.

You fool yourself into believing he’ll let you leave until hearing the sound of metal cutting through the air. Cold, hard steel presses again your neck, and you freeze in your tracks. What is he--

“If I had wanted it, you’d be dead by now,” Diluc is impossibly calm, walking in front of you while maintaining his claymore against your neck. You shiver at the sharp blade hovering above your skin. “You’re not weak, no, but you’re not strong either. This foolishness will be your grave.”

No longer will you withstand this insult, having had enough of this back and forth. Any self-restraint you had remaining snaps, as do you. “How can you be so oblivious…? Is this not the exact reason why I couldn’t be with you anymore!?” 

His grip around the hilt of his blade tightens. That struck close to the heart. You still feel vindicated in your actions, having been pushed to this point due to his actions. Chest heaving, you test the waters by moving forward, only for him to remain unwavering in his stance. The blade stops just shy of piercing your flesh, your resolve as firm as his. 

Diluc doesn’t respond to your enraged exclamation. Whether it’s because words escape him, or the ones he has to say are too hurtful, you’re uncertain. His eyes narrow when you move again, lips contorting into a deep grimace at your challenge. Craning your neck in the same direction as his blade, he moves it just far away as not to puncture skin. Despite Diluc’s harsh words, he’s still soft on you, it appears. 

He clicks his tongue. “Stubborn as you’ve always been.” 

“I’m leaving whether you like it or not, so stop making this so difficult.” 

“So I’m the difficult one?” Diluc tilts his head, finally lowering his blade. “Maybe so. But if being difficult is what keeps you alive, then so be it.” 

You’ve seen him in action before. His swift, agile movements followed up by roaring flames have always been a breathtaking sight, making you question if he’s even human. The air smells of burnt ash as he springs forward. Everything is dark and you feel far too light, your brain not even registering his movements before it’s too late. At his movements, you fall unconscious, only to be caught in his arms before reaching the ground. You feel like you’re floating as Diluc secures you firmly against his chest. 

“Hold it against me if you must. But… I cannot let you part from me yet.”

The wind that was meant to extinguish his flames had only served to fan them. 

[imagineimpact]

hi !! is it ok if i request a one-shot kaeya x reader? i've had this phrase in my mind for a bit and i just dont know what to do with it. "uh.. kaeya? you can stop holding my hand now..."

Yes, of course it is! I may or may not have written this when I saw it and it may or may not have been really early in the morning when I did, but I love getting prompts like this!

Enjoy!

No Hurry To Let You Go

Kaeya x Reader

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Happy Windblume Festival!” You greet another guest to Mondstadt, one who had just asked you for directions and was now on their way up to see the church of Barbatos. Quite the crowd had seemed to amass on this particular day, and it was hard to even see the usual faces around - Marjorie would be making a lot of sales today, as would Flora, but the sheer amount of people stopped you from witnessing the sight.

Yeah, you weren’t too good with crowds. The thought of stepping into this, where you would be pushed around and have to say 'excuse me' a hundred or so times was rather offputting, for many reasons. So, instead, you hovered by the blacksmith’s forgery, waiting for the crowd to disperse ever so slightly into the festivities.

The problem was, though, that you had been waiting for three hours.

Your eyes wander through the crowd to seek out a familiar face - any would do. Why did there have to be just so, so many guests here today?

“Hey, fancy joining me at the tavern for a bit?” A voice beside you - a familiar presence indeed - appears out of nowhere. You startle slightly, much to his amusement.

“Ah, good afternoon Kaeya.” You smile, your eyes meeting his. “Aren’t you busy with, you know, the festivities?”

He scans over you, a light smile on his face as his eyes twinkle with interest. “As a knight, it is my duty to ensure that each individual enjoys their time during the festivities.” He chuckles to himself. “You seem oblivious to the fact that you’ve been standing there for hours now.”

“You noticed, huh?” You're slightly unamused by the teasing. “Well, you know I don’t really, uh...”

“Oh, you’re afraid of getting lost in the crowd?” He asks, reading you with such ease that it’s almost frustrating.

In a way, though, it’s the cause for that smile spreading across your expression. “Well, not exactly. I was just, um, waiting for there to be a bit less people.”

He chuckles. “Right.” You might as well have told him you could fly with how much he had seen through your words.

“I really am.”

“Oh, I believe that you are, but it’s because you lack fondness of such crowds.” He leans closer. “I believe you still haven’t answered my request, by the way.”

“You’re request? Oh! Right.” Your eyes wander away to look at the crowd for a moment. It was about time that you had something to eat anyway, so there was no real fear in going. Plus, it would give you an excuse to get through all these people. “Sure, I’ll join you.”

“Lovely.” He straightens back up, but leans back down for just a moment. You feel his hand take yours, adjusting itself slightly to your palm.

A heat rises to your face. “Kaeya?”

“We don’t want to get separated now, do we?” He chuckles to himself, stealing a quick glance your way before turning and taking the chance to guide you to his side.

No arguing with that logic. You release a deep breath, relieved that your friend had approached you. His presence beside you is a welcome warmth, and due to his status and stature, he has much more ease navigating the crowds than you would have if you were alone.

It takes about twenty minutes of walking before you find fresh air, the crowd not surrounding Angel’s Share. Usually this walk would take half that time, but with your slow pace navigating the crowds, it was far more tedious than expected.

Kaeya still grips your hand when you reach the tavern door. “Uh, Kaeya?” You hold up your clasped hands. “You can stop holding my hand now.”

“Hmm?” His eyes linger over the hands as he opened the door with his other. “Oh, I know.” He looks away as if mindlessly returning back to a task.

Instead, he grips your hand tighter and leads you into the tavern ahead of him.

“Wh- Wait-“ You stutter out, flustered at the notion.

“There’s no hurry.” He spoke simply, very much to avoid you mentioning it again.

“Kaeya-“

“Are you two going to keep blocking the doorway?” A tired voice rings out from behind the counter.

“Oh, Diluc, I didn’t know you would be working today.” You pipe up, trying to avoid the typical tense conversation between the two brothers.

“Festivities are typical cause for me to work. It’s due to be quite busy in here soon.” His eyes rest on Kaeya. “Of course, when people have a proper job to do, they haven’t the opportunity to rest during such occasions.”

“As always, Diluc, taking a chance to slander the Knights of Favonius.” Kaeya’s voice is unusually disinterested in the typical unfriendly banter. “We’re just taking a break before the crowds get any worse. A certain someone was near about to pass out from exhaustion.”

That’s when Diluc’s eyes flicker to your clasped hands. His expression shifts slightly as if he is rather amused by such a development. Still being polite, however, he doesn’t mention it. “If you’re that exhausted, then take a seat. I assume you won’t enjoy drowning in wine like your present company.” He says to you, turning his head to look into the interior of the tavern. “Find a seat somewhere. Away from me.”

Your hand is being squeezed - near suffocation - by Kaeya, who scoffs at his brother, “As always, you-“

“Thanks, Diluc.” You interrupt Kaeya and quickly pull him away from a potentially endless argument.

He’s indignant for a moment, then takes stride in front of you and leads you up the stairs for the utmost privacy.

Kaeya is unusually quiet as he leads you to a table in the corner, away from the few other people who are in the bar. Diluc is right; In a few hours, this entire tavern would be overfilling with guests.

Still, Kaeya leads you to a table and you both sit down, his hand still grasping yours. Was it overkill at this point? Most certainly.

“Hey, Kaeya?” You call again to grab his attention. He meets your gaze with a slight reluctance, as if pulled from a strange thought. It's unusual for him to be so reserved. You squeeze his hand. “Everything alright?”

“Why, of course it is.” He leans forward slightly, pulling your hand as if to have you do the same. “I’m right in front of my favourite person.”

Your cheeks tinge a light pink and he chuckles at the change. Your eyes narrow slightly - He’s doing this on purpose. “Is that why you’re insisting on holding my hand so tightly?”

“Hmm.” He hums quietly. “Well, perhaps I just want your attention.” He stares across at you. “Perhaps I wouldn’t want you to be thinking about anyone else right now, or want you to get lost in either your thoughts or the crowds.” His eyes scan yours, a delay for testing your acceptance of his words. “And perhaps, of course, I don’t want any other man to take your hand away from me.”

Your eyes widen a bit in surprise at his words. Though not unusually bold, they are certainly more, well, direct than usual.

He held your hand under the table, the two of your quiet as footsteps came approached from the stairwell. “Some wine and food for the table.” Diluc announces haphazardly, though delicately he does place the items onto the table. You look up toward him, and feel your hand being squeezed again.

The unusual action comes across more possessive than you had seen Kaeya before. It’s incredibly flustering for your thoughts.

Diluc notices how quickly you look away from him, and his eyes flicker to Kaeya. He notices something, but wanders away from the table regardless at the sound of your quiet 'thanks'. Perhaps he believed himself to be interrupting a moment - which, perhaps he was.

Finally, he lets your hand go, leaning back in his chair. “Now, my dear, let’s enjoy our time together while it’s still quiet enough for you.” He smiles delicately, as if moments ago he hadn’t spoken strangely.

You decide to play along with it, not certain how to deal with the stirring in your heart as you both lift your glasses and let the clink resound in the air when they meet, pushing away any other emotions you might be feeling.

[shivada-jade]

codename: vind

older sibling!reader

characters: diluc, kaeya ➡ mentions: adelinde, crepus, la signora warning(s): alcohol consumption, swearing, and because for some reason, older siblings tend to be shorter than younger siblings. iDK WHY but ugh, yeah you're shorter than diluc and kaeya bc you're the older sibling. ik, i hate it too

like, i wanna be a tall 6'2 woman

diluc's 5'10 so u can still be tall in the story.. just not 5'11 😢 sorry over 5'10 folks

➡ WRITTEN BEFORE 2.1 so uhh :D

notes: platonic w diluc and kaeya, duh bc ur the older sibling. sibling love!!! sibling love !! woop woop !

"Dad, I'm home!" You bellow out to the house, waving a polite hello to Adelinde who looked shocked to see you. You kick off your shoes and slide your way to the long table in the living room, swiftly grabbing an apple before heading upstairs.

Your hands graze the railings and make your way up to find your dad. Upon reaching the last flight of steps, you were suspicious with how the place was very quiet. Granted, your younger brothers are now adults, but it still felt too quiet. Maybe you expected to see your brothers playing a game of chess, maybe bickering and fencing. You were hoping to see your family after being away.

You were a part of the Fatui under the Mondstadt branch. It was and at the same time wasn't a choice to be roped into the Fatui. You got roped into the wrong group of friends and found yourself blackmailed by the infamous group.

You didn't want to join. You didn't want any of it. You've been disconnected from the world. Wiped out from the face of Earth. No one gave information to you, you couldn't learn anything about what's happening currently. The most you could do was send letters, but even those were difficult to send out. You had to do it in secrecy or you'd be in trouble.

Love, the better sibling,

[Y/N]

Or another common send off is:

Please write back soon,

[Y/N]

And your family never failed to send back letters. They asked what you're doing, where you are and how are you, still you never told them your occupation, fearful of what they would think and where your loyalties lie, so you told them you were working under an adventurer.

It's for the greater good. You remember trying to convince yourself.

You're a horrible person.

You were sixteen then. Your younger brothers were twelve. It's been 10 long years since you last saw them, and 6 years since you last received a letter back. You miss them dearly. You often wondered what sorts of adventures they did without you.

But why are you wondering about this? You knew what they did: you knew everything that happened.

You're living under a heavy burden.

"Dad?" You call out again. Maids and wine makers look aghast when they see you, and they're on the verge of fainting when you call out to your father.

Stop the act.

It's strange how the letters were suddenly cut off. The last letter you received was from Kaeya, telling you how you needed to come home straight away. You tried to, but the Fatui prevented you from doing so. A lady called La Signora supervised you directly to make sure you didn't leave.

You know...

Adelinde brushes the dust off her uniform and hurries up the stairs to catch up to you, "Dear, is that you [Y/N?]"

"Did you forget me that easily? I'm offended Miss Adelinde," you chided, but the teasing look in your eyes give Adelinde relief to know you aren't actually offended. "Miss, where's dad?"

You're sickening.

Adelinde takes one look at you and squeezes your shoulders with a smile, "I'm afraid that's not for me to say. Master Diluc should be able to-"

"Oh, where's Diluc and Kaeya?" You ponder, and the corners of your lips curl upwards. "Those two were always attached to the hip. Where are they now? Horseback riding at the vineyard? Ha! I-"

You glance at Adelinde's watery eyes and stop your babbling. "What's wrong Miss Adelinde?" You reach for her hands on your shoulders and hold them. "Ah, has father been making you work too hard? I can request him to lessen your load."

Adelinde shakes her head no. "You don't have a clue, do you? Oh," she sighs. "Please, rest yourself by the fireplace. I'll prepare tea for you." She rests her hands back at her side and scurries to the kitchen.

You frown, unsure why she's jumpy, but you follow her request and sit by the fireplace. The crackle of the fire contrasts the tense air you feel when maids brush past you, offering tea Adelinde made. You thank them, gently blowing on the drink.

After taking a sip, you place it down with a pinky to lessen the noise it makes on the table. You hear the door open, and the choruses of maids greeting someone.

"Welcome home, Master Diluc," you hear and other voices saying, "We've prepared a meal for you and your sibling, would you like to rest yourself?"

You peek from your chair, he obviously hadn't realized you yet.

Diluc's lips make a thin line and shrugs off his jacket, "Why is Kaeya visiting. Isn't he supposed to do his knightly duties?"

You have no clue why he says it like that. The venom in his voice sends a shiver down your spine. You decide this is your cue to give him a warm welcome. You stand from your seat, and open your arms in a grand gesture and waltz to your brother. "Diluc! It's been a while huh?"

You clearly see him tense hearing your voice. His head snapped to your direction with his mouth parted. The maids respectively take their leave, bowing before they do so.

Diluc looks you up and down, still not believing you're there, like you're just his imagination. His hand slowly reaches out to you as if you're a dream.

Your feet lead you closer and you grasp him tightly in an embrace.

He freezes, but slowly relaxes in your hug, reluctantly bringing up his own arms to wrap around you. You feel his grip tightening, and you feel his shake out silent sobs. His face buries in your neck, letting tears fall on your clothes.

You soothe his back, and press a kiss on his hair. "I'm home, Diluc."

He trembles, pushing himself away to look at you clearly. Why hadn't you come home earlier? He wanted to vent, he wanted to yell, shout, he wanted to know how much he missed you in your absence.

He clears his throat and coughs in his fist. "You should have told me about your arrival," he adjusts the gloves on his hands, and looks to the floor like he did when he admitted he accidentally broke your toy when you were 10.

After these years, he still looks up to you as his older sibling. Not a thing has changed.

But you couldn't help but notice one thing. You knew Diluc and Kaeya had matured, you knew they would grow taller, but shit, now Diluc's taller than you.

"I sent a letter a month ago," you began. "It should have been sent to your office in the Favonius Headquarters? That's where I send my mail after you told me about your promotion to Cavalry Captain."

You squish his cheeks with both your hands. "Because I know you're a workaholic and only respond to letters that mean business, so that's where I sent it off to. You never write back, neither does Kaeya," you pause, thinking for a moment. "Neither does dad. Tell me he hasn't gotten sick that he couldn't respond to my letters."

Diluc lifts your hands off his face and frowns. He doesn't know how to break the news to you- not when you look so excited to be home and tell of your adventures to your family, so he asks, "Did you eat yet?"

You note the frown on his face. "'What's got you grumpy," you prod. "I need to find dad first. Told him in the first letter I gave him, I'd give the first gem I find."

Diluc watches you leave him to go to Crepus' room on the second floor. He hears the thuds on the floor and the opening of the door, but does nothing to stop you. You left with a smile, and you come back confused.

"Why is dad's room empty?"

How cruel.

...

Kaeya hums, passing by Flora's shop and purchasing a Calla Lily for the sake of it. He is well aware of the Fatui that stand by corners. Whispers of the wind give him intel, and so does alcohol apparently. He leans on a wall right outside Angel's Share, watching two Fatui members drink some of the tavern's strongest alcohol, imported from Snezhnaya.

"That damn," the one with the red and black mask hiccups, lifting a mug with foam overflowing. "Damn brat's gonna snitch on us to the Knights- *hiCC* boss lady wou- *HicC* would have our heads!"

Thankfully, their more responsible Fatui friend takes the mug and switches it with their drink, water. "You're the one who let Vindicta out of your sight when you know their frequencies to escape. This is all on you, buckaroo."

One of the Fatui escaped? How peculiar.

Kaeya hums, in steady strides he shows himself to the Fatui and takes a seat from another table and sits in front of the two. "My, my, my. If it isn't the wonderful Fatui," he divuldges. He twirls his Calla Lily around his fingers, amused with the Fatui's reactions.

Their mouths drop, knowing who he is and they hastily clean themselves up by sitting straight and wiping away the alcohol from their faces. "Good evening, sir."

"Evening to you too," he places the flower behind the person's ear, flustering them. "Well? Drink up. Everything you order will be on me."

The Fatui look at each other, skeptical with Kaeya's kindness, but the drunken one accepts the offer. Kaeya celebrates in the inside as he slowly gains Fatui intel.

Though, the second Fatui whom he dubbed the "Responsible One," took a while for them to take a sip. Turns out, they couldn't handle alcohol, that's why they avoided drinking it.

"So, my dear friends," he slides a coin on the table and stares both of them down. "A mora for your thoughts? I couldn't help but notice the tense of your shoulders when you first arrived here."

Responsible One raises their mug drunkenly, and gives a pointed look, "You... you know too much. How?..." They stare at their friend and whisper shout, "Don't tell him about Vind or-" They fail to continue their sentence and pass out on the table.

Kaeya feigns a surprised face and looks at Fatui number 2, "Who exactly is Vind? I'm sure you don't mean the storm watcher up at the cliff." He coats his voice with sugar, and it seems Fatui friend fell for his kindness.

"The damn brat," they spit out before hiccupping again. "Recruited them, fed them, saw potential, gave a home, and they escaped."

Kaeya nods and pushes another bottle of wine to the Fatui's direction, urging them to continue.

"Was supposed to be one of the Agents to spy on the *hiCc* to spy on the Ragnvindr family, because *HicC* Vind was one of the best there is. They were about to be promoted Harbinger after an assignment *hiCCUpp* but then Big Boss Lady said 'End the Ragnvindr legacy,' Vindicta left without a word. They escaped."

The Fatui downs another bottle of wine. "But judging from Boss Lady's reaction, Vind did the job: killed him and placed the blame on the Knights."

The Calvary Captain knits his brows and places his hands in front of him. It laced themselves and he watches the Fatui person empty out his wine.

"I'd be careful of what you say if I were you." His lone eye glints dangerously.

"End the legacy?" Kaeya frowns. "Can I ask..." He couldn't ask why or the Fatui would stop talking to him. "Can I ask when your beloved spy did their job?"

The Fatui waves a hand, "Six years ago. After they killed that damn aristocrat's father, they tried escaping. Big Boss supervised them under their watch. 'Potential' the Harbingers always say, but I don't see the potential in them if they don't have loyalties under the Fatui. A wild card, really."

They lay their cheek on the table. The temperature drops quite dangerously. Kaeya's diamond eye glints with coldness before it turns back to warmth.

"Rumours have it," the Fatui sighs, playing with his empty mug. "The training Vindicta went through is rougher, so we were hoping they would tie their loyalties to us. We let them explore once, and they escaped under my watch. Maybe it was their assignment to leave, maybe it's not, because Boss Lady was okay with it, she said 'Vindicta will always return in our hands.' when they first escaped, and surely enough they do return. But either way, I'm fucked for letting them go missing the third time of the week."

Kaeya laughs with no soul and quickly ends the lovely 'conversation.' He pushes himself from the table and stands, "Thank you for chatting with me, it's been interesting." He tucks in the chair and glances at the two Fatui dozing, or close to dozing off.

He swiftly turns away, scoffing when he's out of sight from people. Vindicta is a dangerous card. Not even the Fatui know where their loyalties side.

Vindicta. How peculiar indeed.

One of the best Fatui, which probably meant they were payed well with respect and mora, but why are they labeled as an escapee when they always return? With someone as dangerous as a Harbinger, who do they side with- the Fatui or something else?

Kaeya has a lot of questions.

...

Diluc sits on a cushioned chair and hunches over, resting his chin on his hands, thinking.

Always thinking.

The once lit fireplace is soaked with water he splashed over. The scent of burnt wood wafts nearby. The light chatter of maids go through one ear and leave the other.

How long had it been since he last saw you?

Eternity is his answer. It's been eternity since he last saw you.

He lets out a long sigh, throwing his head back and running a hand through his untied locks.

Too much thinking for today. Diluc groans in frustration and sits back up. He turns his head slightly, seeing you in the corner of his eyes taking out boxes of things you owned from 10 years before.

It doesn't make sense to him. Why come back so suddenly after years of not seeing you? Though, you claim you sent him letters, he never got them because he closed himself off from the Knights.

"Diluc," you set down a small picture of a family portrait you took out from hiding behind many books.

You are taking this oddly well.

You're taking this too well, in fact.

This raises a red flag for Diluc. He told you the fall out of your family, how he quit the Knights, but still you're going around the place like nothing had happened.

Don't you feel any rage? Or even sadness?

He sees too many red flags and hates it- from the way you can hide things like Kaeya so easily, to the way you just suddenly appear back in his life. It feels weird. It's not easy to let someone that in quick, yet you're still his role model, so it's okay, right?

He's always looked up to you when he was younger. You never were at a loss of words and stood up for him. You were the person he can turn to when something wrong happens, but what were you doing for yourself to be gone for so long? Adventuring Teyvat could not have taken ten whole years. Where did you even stay?

"Diluc," you crouch in front of him and talk to him as if he were six again. "I'm okay, okay?"

Diluc takes a shaky breath and sits up straight. His posture resembling a king's. "I have an idea, and I would like you to help me."

You look at him in awe. The realization settles in: Diluc has grown, and you're still stuck trying to make up the past.

"And what do I help you with?"

"Finding who's responsible for father's death."

notes: had this in my drafts for a long time and i was like "wait where was i going with this..." until BAM i have the idea again so im gonna continue it

(part 2)

[genshin-impact-writings]

Hi!! May I have a tall cold brew with peppermint syrup and strawberry drizzle for Diluc please?

Hey there! Thank you so much for your request and your patience. I wasn't really sure where I wanted to go with this one and I also had to deal with writer's block while working on this, so I really hope it still came out somewhat okay. Anyways, here's your drink: a tall cold brew with peppermint syrup and some strawberry drizzle on top! <3

Prompts: angst, character A taking care of character B when they’re sick, “You’re so warm.” + “You’re shivering. Here, take my jacket.” (400 followers event: JJ's coffee shop)

Fever – Diluc x gn!reader

Dragonspine was beautiful at this time of the day. The snow glistened in the golden light of the rising sun and the sky was painted in the most gorgeous shades of orange, red and light blue as the stars and the moon slowly faded until, in a couple of hours, the approaching night would bring them out again.

You craned our neck, using your hand to shield your eyes from the sunlight. In the distance, you could see the silhouette of Mondstadt’s cathedral, its stony façade almost glowing in the sunrise. It was a breathtaking sight, and for a few moments, you just stood there and gazed at the town you had grown to love so much that you couldn’t imagine living somewhere else.

The only thing you’d probably never get used to was that damn cold on Dragonspine. Your breath was pluming in the frosty air, and your fingertips already started to feel numb, although you had picked the warmest gloves you owned when you got dressed for your mission.

It wasn’t unusual that the Knights sent someone to Dragonspine to collect their Chief Alchemist’s newest research date, so you came here quite often and knew what expected you but today was the first time that none of the other knights accompanied you. They were all busy with other commissions and while Jean had asked you to postpone your trip, you had insisted to go today. The data was important; the local alchemists needed them as soon as possible, and you really weren’t known for being unreliable. The only problem you had encountered was that no one was allowed to go to Dragonspine alone. The mountain was too dangerous and unpredictable to explore it on one’s own, so Jean had told you that she’d only allow you to go if you found someone to come with you.

With a barely noticeable smile you glanced at the man by your side, his flaming red hair even brighter against the pale, snowy background. It was rare that Diluc agreed to officially help the Knights with their matters but you knew that he could hardly deny you anything – which was probably the only reason why he was here with you now. Maybe he also didn’t want you to go to Dragonspine completely alone but in the end, you didn’t care much about his reasons. All that mattered was that you could collect Albedo’s data without further delays.

“Ready?”

Diluc gazed back at you. “Yes. Let’s get this done.”

In silence, the two of you made your way uphill. You pulled your scarf up higher to keep the lower half of your face warm but against the harsh, cold wind that steadily grew stronger, the fabric didn’t help much. A few minutes on this damn mountain and you were already starting to shiver. No wonder that most people avoided Dragonspine like the plague.

You hunched your shoulders as another gust of freezing cold wind hit you. With a deep sigh, you said, “I don’t understand why Albedo couldn’t have picked a warmer place for his research. I mean, yeah, the landscape is really pretty and I bet there are a lot of things to discover up here but it’s so freaking cold. I really don’t know how he hasn’t frozen to death yet.”

“Don’t ask me,” Diluc replied, watching you from the corner of his eye. It was obvious that you were cold, not just from the way you tried to adjust your scarf to cover more of your face. Your whole posture told him that the cold gave you a hard time today – a lot more than it did usually.

With a frown, he stopped in his tracks. “Wait a second,” he said and took off his coat in one swift movement, handing it to you without any hesitation. “You’re shivering,” he explained when you gave him a questioning look. “Here, take my jacket. I don’t want you to get sick.”

You stared at his coat. “Are you sure?”

Diluc shrugged. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” A faint smile flashed over his face as you raised your eyebrows and gave him another skeptical look. “Just take it, okay?”

“Thank you,” you mumbled while you slipped on his coat over your own jacket, indulging in his comforting scent that surrounded you immediately and the warmth of the soft fabric. You reached out for his hand, both to thank him once again and to drag him along. “We should hurry to get to Albedo’s base camp. It’s too cold to wander around without a coat – even for you.”

*

Exactly four days later, you knew that it had been a mistake to accept Diluc’s offer. His forehead was covered in cold sweat and he was shivering, despite the pile of blankets you had put over his body to keep him warm. Incoherent mumbles escaped his slightly parted, chapped lips as he tossed and turned in his sleep, suffering from yet another fever dream. It pained you to see him like this, very well aware that it was your fault that he was sick. If you hadn’t taken his jacket, he wouldn’t be in this condition right now.

Barbara had checked on him a couple of hours ago, warning you that it might get worse before he was going to feel better. “His fever is pretty high,” she had said, her hand resting on his forehead. “I can send you some herbs that will help to lower his temperature but other than that, all we can do is wait. But please don’t worry, (Y/N), he will be fine.”

You knew that she was right. After all, Barbara knew exactly what she was talking about when it came to injuries and illnesses, and the medical tea you had prepared following her instructions would surely help him, but still, you couldn’t stop worrying about him. His skin was even paler than usual and even the color of his hair seemed to be duller than normally. He looked absolutely terrible and he probably felt even worse.

“I’m so sorry,” you mumbled and leaned forward to brush a strand of hair out of his face. Beneath your fingertips, his skin felt burning hot and freezing cold at the same time, and you reached out for the damp cloth on the nightstand to gently dab away the sweat on his forehead. “This is all my fault.”

He mumbled something in his sleep again, a painful reminder that he’d contradict you if he were awake, insisting that the only reason for his condition was his own stupidity. And of course, you’d disagree until the conversation resulted in playful bickering.

But he wasn’t awake. And all you could think of was how much it sucked that you could do nothing to make him feel better.

*

A couple of hours later, Diluc finally woke up from his confusing dreams. He still felt like absolute trash, you could see it in his eyes, but somehow, he managed to crack a smile when he spotted you curled up in an armchair right next to the bed.

“Hey,” he mumbled, his voice hoarse and raspy, but it still made a wave of relief wash over you to hear him talk. “Hey yourself,” you replied and closed the book you had been reading half-heartedly over the past few hours before leaning in to put your hand on his forehead. His temperature was still too high but at least, he was awake now. “You’re so warm… How are you feeling?”

With a quiet groan, Diluc closed his eyes again. “Horrible.”

“Do you want some tea? Or a glass of water?”

“No… I think I just want to go back to sleep.”

“Oh. Okay.” Somehow, a part of you had hoped that he would magically feel better as soon as he woke up but of course that had been nothing more than wishful thinking. A cold as severe as his couldn’t be cured by a few hours of restless sleep, so it was completely normal that his body screamed for more resting time. “Do you want me to leave?”

He shook his head.

“Okay,” you repeated. “I’ll stay.”

“Come here,” he mumbled, shifting a bit to make some room for you in the bed. “Please. I don’t want to be alone. Unless,” a coughing fit interrupted him before he could finish his sentence, and he took a deep breath before continuing, “unless you’re afraid to pick up a cold.”

With an indignant huff, you climbed into the bed, draping your arm over the blankets in an attempt to hug him before craning your neck to press a soft kiss to his cheek. “Get some rest,” you told him softly. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Thank you for reading! If you liked it, please consider reblogging. I'd really appreciate the support. <3

Taglist: @blissmal, @aimicoos, @childe-support, @rim0na,@the-gayest-sky-kid

[nootgi]

Love? - Kaeya

A/N:// I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS FIC WHILST I WORK ON MY OTHER REQS, I MAY HAVE CRIED A LIL WRITING THIS! I apologise for this story too T^T

Word count: 3k

“What’s love?” Kaeya paused at the question, his paperwork left forgotten on the table.

“Isn’t that a big question~!” He teases Annette, ruffling her hair. She puffs out her reddened cheeks and tries to move away from his hand, pressing Kaeya for an answer.

“Have you ever heard the phrase curiosity killed the cat? Though I suppose a baby like you wouldn’t know at such a young age.” He laughs, picking up the glass of grape juice to sip from. No alcohol around the children is what you strictly ordered when Kaeya decided to take Annette to work. For something like take your daughter to work day.

“I’m 6! I’m not a baby and mother says it’s good to be curious.” He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face at her words. That sounds very like you. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree he muses as he looks into Annie’s eyes, they hold the same wild innocence yours do. She has her mother’s eyes.

“Very well then, let me tell you a story.”

It was early April and the Windblume festival was coming to a close. The celebrations, despite coming to an ending, still kept the streets lively. Most of the people of Mondstadt were recovering from a hangover from last night’s heavy drinking but still had smiles on their faces. Kaeya was going for a stroll, to distract himself from the thoughts building in the back of his mind. He looked down at the plaza from where he stood, watching the clean up. It always felt bittersweet, taking down the flower garlands that hung from the buildings or rolling up the green carpets that lined the steps. He didn’t know how but he came to love Mondstadt so much... Well actually he did know. They accepted him for who he is, with all of his flaws and lies, Mondstadt and its people held a part of him he didn’t know he had. His family. And in that moment as windwheel aester petals blew from above, Mondstadt gave him something he’ll always be thankful for. 

“Here’s a flower for our cavalry captain!” You cheered, holding a cecilia flower in front of Kaeya’s face, snapping him out of his thoughts. You snuck up on him, attacking him at his weakest moment with a smile. Even though Windblume was coming to a close, you kept the festive cheer. You were handing out a variety of flowers to everyone in Mondstadt to spread the joy and love to everyone. 

“Such beauty handing me a flower, what did I do to deserve this.” He smirks at your momentary panic, ducking down slightly to be face to face. He takes the flower and smells it, hiding his smile in it’s petals. You scold him for saying such cheesy things to someone he just met. It was funny how even though it was your first meeting, your personalities fit perfectly as one. 

“Don’t you ever feel embarrassed by saying those things?” You adjust the flower that was tucked behind your ear.

“The only embarrassment I feel is that I have nothing in return for this lovely gift.” His hand comes up to fix the flower, tucking it perfectly behind your ear. The white petals glowing against your skin. That one encounter set the tradition of Kaeya and you giving presents back and forth every year during Windblume. Even as the years went on, the present stayed as a simple cecilia flower as an ode to that first meeting. 

“He didn’t believe in love at first sight. You could say it was only something that existed in fairy tales for plot convenience. It takes a lot more than first sight to fall in love but he swore that moment could’ve been it.” He looks back at the child who now climbed into his lap, she placed the red blanket over the two of them to make sure they were both comfortable. Her eyes were fixed on Kaeya, watching with eager eyes to hear more. He holds her close so she doesn’t fall off his lap as he continues his story. 

“Love can be the best feeling in the whole world but it can also be the worst.”

Kaeya stood in front of the crowd of kids with an odd look on his face. It wasn’t one you were used to seeing on his face, it was the look of utter confusion. You walked over to find out what was going on but decided to listen to the conversation first. 

“Sister Barbara said you’d be entertaining us! But this is boring!!” One of the kids said, the others around him nodding and some going far as to cheer. Kaeya didn’t know what to do. He was bad with kids, he couldn’t be mean otherwise Jean would have to deal with the complaints and he most definitely couldn’t use his usual lines. As he tried to think of something to do the kids started to chant ‘let’s play!’ and that’s when you finally decided to enter. 

“Hey there Captain! Need some help?” It was like an angel coming down from the heavens, he swore there was even a halo around your head. The kids, already knowing you, cheered at your entrance. Kaeya watched as you calmed the kids down, getting them to eat lunch and successfully buying time for the two of you to plan something to entertain them. 

“How’d you manage to get into this then Kaeya?” You approach him after giving the last child some apple juice. 

“Jean would normally do this but since it’s been a while since she spent time with her sister I decided to volunteer.” That stunned you for a moment, you heard stories from Amber about how Kaeya always seemed to avoid work and formed an unfair opinion of him in your head. You felt guilty because of those thoughts, you saw how he struggled with those kids but still put himself out there for the sake of Jean and Barbara. “But let’s not tell Jean that.” 

“Would it be so bad for Jean to know the truth?” You ask plainly, ignoring the way Kaeya said the last part of his sentence. 

“Well-” You didn’t even let him finish

“I think the problem you have Kaeya is that you’re too closed off, children are so open and trusting that the only way to get along with them is to do the same.” 

“That can’t be done overnight let alone in an hour (Y/N).” It was the first time Kaeya said your name and it sent shivers down your spine. The very thought of opening up felt dangerous to Kaeya, the last time he opened up the last of his family left him in the dust.

“You’re right in that area but we can take baby steps!” You weren’t deterred by the tall walls he built around himself. You used the word ‘we’. We can take baby steps. That’s all that lingered in Kaeya’s mind, it was like an informal promise from you to him that you’ll be beside him for that journey. 

“Then where do we start, captain cheerful?” You roll your eyes at the nickname but gesture towards the children. 

“We start with them.” That day was one of the best days Kaeya had since his childhood. He never thought hide and seek could be so thrilling or that duck duck goose could be so intense! The kids were more than happy to embrace Kaeya and his awkward aura, teaching him of super secret tactics that no-one would ever know. He found himself learning more about the children and about himself. At times when he feels his guard going back up, he glances over at you and sees you playing with some of the quieter children, bringing them out of their shells. Your smile blended in with the childish joy of the kids around the two of you. Sometimes your eyes caught each other's and you both just shyly laughed it off as kids pulled the two of you away in different directions. It was hard to catch a moment to talk to each other until you took the kids to watch the sunset by Cider lake. Most of the kids were settled on the grass, sitting crossed leg and talking about all the fun they had that day. One of the boys shyly tugged Kaeya’s leg, asking to be carried since his mother always did it for him. He looked towards you for help but you just gave two thumbs up, encouraging him. He carefully picked up the boy, letting him rest on his hip and one arm securing his waist. The boy rested his head on Kaeya's shoulder, using the fur on his shoulder as a pillow to slowly doze off. Kaeya stood still. He didn’t expect the day to go like this let alone carry a sleeping child too. You patted Kaeya’s shoulder to reassure him and the rest of the sunset was spent with whispered words exchanged between the two of you. After such a successful day, the two of you decided to take the kids once every week off of Jean’s hands. 

“Love didn’t make him become a better person magically but instead motivated him to strive for that. She inspired him to try and be a better version of himself. It wasn’t like she was perfect either, they both worked on themselves whilst inspiring each other. That’s the good side of love Annie, but there is a bad side too…” Annette saw Kaeya’s eyes darken a little and she moved her small hands to rest on top of his larger ones to comfort him. 

All Kaeya saw was red. It started off as a light hearted exchange between some treasure hunters that the two of you came across during an adventure. They used the typical story of their cart breaking down and needing help so they could lure adventurers into a trap before robbing them blind. Kaeya already knowing this tried to shut them down before anyone else could fall victim to them. He was going to only use his words since he didn’t want you getting hurt in the crossfire. He knew you could defend yourself but it was too risky with the amount of numbers they had on them, no doubt there were more of them hidden. However his words only seemed to provoke the treasure hunters more, they struck to attack him but the crossbow went astray and hit you in the shoulder instead. It could’ve been a simple flesh wound or a small cut but even the tiniest amount of blood from you sent him off. The area started dropping in temperature, the floor stable floor below the men started to turn into ice and there was a still moment as a singular snowflake drifted down onto the floor. Once it hit the ground, there was a flash and  its delicate crystals were stained with blood. Kaeya stood over the last one with his sword raised to crash down on him till you came from nowhere to hold back his arm.

“Kaeya! Stop this!!” You begged him, looking at his side profile and trying to avoid looking at the bodies that surrounded the two of you. He couldn’t hear you, all he could hear was your scream when you got hit and had tunnel vision. 

“Please stop, you’re scaring me.” You sobbed softly, finally catching his eye. The darkness that clouded his eyes faltered as he put down his sword and embraced you. The man that was on the floor scrambled up to his feet, apologising profusely before running off with a terrified shriek. Kaeya could care less about what he did, he could only think about you now. He felt your shoulders shake from the fear or maybe from the sobs that escaped your body. His heart felt as though it dropped to his stomach, he hurt you. He scared you. When his hand came up to pat your head, you flinched away. It still sticks with him to this day, your tear stained face and eyes filled with fear because of what he was. He hated himself after that day, he felt as though he was back to square one. 

“It can lead you to dangerous things. You could disregard everything and everyone around you and ironically hurt the one you were trying to protect. But you can control all these negatives by simply talking about it with whoever you love. Never run away from it.” 

“Did the lady leave him after that?” Annette asked with tears in her eyes, not wanting to see such a tragic ending for the love story. 

“No she didn’t. When he ran away, she chased after him. She was really stubborn and cornered the poor man!” 

After the incident, Kaeya was put on a suspension from his job. The people of Mondstadt didn’t know any better, thinking it was him taking a small break from his work. Kaeya doesn’t know why Jean kept it a secret but decided to roll with it. He took his suspension as a time to withdraw from you, it was scary how quickly he became so attached to you. It was dangerous for the two of you so he decided himself to end whatever went on between the two of you. When you woke up the next day, you found out about Kaeya’s suspension and tried looking for him to talk things out. It was an impossible task since Kaeya seemed to become air whenever he saw you approaching or when you ask people about his location they all gave different answers. It annoys you to no end. He saves your life and then decides to remove himself from your life. Like hell you’d allow that. So you hatch a plan with Rosaria. 

It was a Thursday night and normally Kaeya would be holed up at work but with his suspension he decided to go to the angel’s share. Rosaria said she would be there in the back corner on the second floor, she told him that she would drink with him since it was boring to drink alone. He arrives earlier than Rosaria and decides to start drinking before she gets there, ordering a bottle of dandelion wine and slowly sipping on it. Minutes turn into hours and before he realises it’s closing time and he isn’t nearly as drunk as he would like to be. Rosaria was a no show and the tavern was completely empty. That’s when Kaeya realised he was caught in a trap, he had nowhere to run as you slowly approached him. You had a really angry look on your face. It was one look, he hates to admit, that scared him. You say nothing as you seat yourself across from Kaeya.

“F-fancy seeing you here (Y/N).” He offers with a meek smile.

“It really is an odd coincidence huh? It feels like it’s been a while since we talked.” You smile, but it isn’t reaching your eyes. That night you both talked about your feelings and cried with each other. Kaeya tells you things he never imagined telling you, about his self-hatred and how he feels as though he doesn’t belong. How the guilt eats him up everyday. You in return comfort him through it all, you might not have much to say back to him but that’s okay because just having someone listen to him was more than enough. Especially if it was you.

He was walking away from your doorstep after dropping you off home when he was stopped by you.

“No matter what happens Kaeya, don’t make my decisions for me! I’m a grownup and I told you all those years ago, WE will take these baby steps together.” You say seriously, holding his gaze with your fiery eyes. As he looked up at you, he felt his heartbeat pick up and a terrible realisation came down on him. Oh.

“I promise.” He was in love. 

“When you love someone Annette, it isn’t all black and white. You have to work to keep your relationship going, when something bad happens you talk about it, celebrate the small wins alongside the big ones. At moments you can feel lost in love, know you aren’t alone in this world. And once you find that special person, never let them go.” He pats the girl’s head as she brings her hand up to rub at her sleepy eyes. 

“Would there ever be a moment you would let go of love?” She asked innocently. As Kaeya opened his mouth to respond, the sound of the door opening interrupted the two of them.

The two look towards who came in and suddenly all the sleepiness in Annette’s body seems to leave her.

“Mommy!” She shouted excitedly, jumping into your open arms. You lift her up and spin her around as she giggles happily. Kaeya watched the exchange with fond eyes, standing up to walk towards them.

“So what did you do today?” You ask, it seems like an innocent question but Kaeya knows it's you checking to see if the two of you got up to any devious acts. 

“I learnt about love!” Annette says proudly, she holds her hands against her hips and proudly puffs her chest out. Kaeya laughs softly, as you turn to him with a curious gaze. 

“Oh really? Who taught you?” Diluc walks in behind you, laughing softly at Annette. Annette notices his arrival, reaching out for him to take her off of you. She laughs when Diluc tickles her sides as he adjusts his grip on her.

“Uncle Kaeya!” Her red hair bounces as she turns to point to Kaeya who was standing a few steps away from the family. 

She had her mother’s eyes and her father’s hair.

‘There can be a moment Annie. Sometimes there can be a moment when you realise another person can make them happier than you ever could but I hope from the bottom of my heart that, you, my dearest niece will never experience that.’

[kykyonthemoon]

A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Childe/ Tartaglia x Lumine Fanfic

During The Summer Festival in Inazuma, Lumine encountered a kitsune-masked man. He was strange, yet so familiar. Who could he be?...

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When Lumine and Paimon set foot in Inazuma, the weather was midsummer. In the sweltering air, the streets strewn with cherry blossoms became ever more bustling. The Summer Festival had arrived, with residents across Inazuma putting aside their daily worries to enjoy the best things summer had to offer.

Even travelers like Lumine and Paimon could not resist being invited to the festival. The lady from Kamisato house had asked Lumine and Paimon to accompany her, but something unexpected caused her to make another appointment. Determined not to miss the occasion, Lumine and Paimon agreed to take to the streets in new outfits that Ayaka had sent them.

Inazuma clothing is multi-layered and slightly harder to wear than previously worn by Lumine. In the summer, people do not wear too many layers due to the hot weather. As she put on the yukata, Lumine secretly admired its beauty: each needle line was very neat and beautiful, the outfit was pale yellow, dotted with cherry blossoms, especially it was not as hot as she had thought. There was also a hand fan made of bamboo and fabric of the same color as her yukata, which featured koi fish. Lumine remembered that Ayaka once told her about the types of fans, and this one was called “uchiwa,” and the koi pattern symbolized good luck.

“Traveler! You look beautiful!”

Lumine turned to her companion. Paimon wore the same patterned yukata as her, but it was pink and white. Her little friend looked more adorable than ever.

“I was thinking if my dress is a bit tight. If Paimon can’t eat anything tonight, I’ll be so angry at the Kamisato!”

Lumine burst into laughter.

The bustling city of Inazuma greeted them in the glorious sunset. On both sides of the road, colorful lanterns were lit. Everywhere was filled with different restaurants and stalls; flowers, prayer charms, masks, and decorations that extend all the way to Amakane Island. The most sold was, of course, food. Needless to say, Paimon loved to be here.

“Whoa! What a crowd!” Paimon remarked as they mingled with the group of walkers. “Don’t leave me behind, Traveler!”

However, it was Lumine who was left behind when Paimon was caught up in the roadside food stalls. The little companion flew up and then swooped down on literally every stall she saw, as they offered free tastings. A few minutes later, Lumine could not see Paimon anymore.

Lumine could not fly like Paimon. She had to squeeze through the stream of smiling and talking people to find her friend. Inazuma City is large, with small streets intertwined and connected to one another. After a long search, Lumine accepted the fact that she had lost Paimon.

Lumine sighed. It’s also unclear where she was on the map of Inazuma City. She wandered alone, looking at the streets and rolled her eyes to every corner to see if Paimon was somewhere around. Not paying attention to the path, she suddenly bumped into someone's back.

“Sorry… I’m sorry!” Lumine said, embarrassed.

In front of her was a white yukata patterned with light blue waves. Whoever she bumped into was much taller than her. Then, he turned around.

Lumine noticed that he was wearing a kitsune mask on his face. Although his face was unknown to her, his appearance was very familiar; tall and slim, with short, choppy orange hair, even his voice was like that person.

“Are you alright, Miss?”

Lumine was frozen for a moment.

"You're not hurt, are you? You should be careful in such a crowded place like this. I can’t bear to see a beautiful lady like you get hurt."

Lumine frowned. Even these teasing words were very similar to a person she knew.

"We've met before, haven't we?" She asked frankly. Lumine does not like to play the vague game.

The one in kitsune mask laughed out loud:

“Quite a bold young lady, aren’t you? Perhaps we’ve met, in my sweetest dreams.”

Lumine blushed. She was both embarrassed and a little angry. How dared a stranger make fun of her like that?

“If you’re not the person I know, then I’m sorry for bothering you.”

Saying so, Lumine was about to leave, but the man stopped her.

"Wait. I'm sorry I teased you. But you look a little lost, Miss. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Lumine weighed in on it a bit. She really needed to find Paimon and get back to the inn. Yet was this stranger trustworthy?

“Are you a local?” Lumine asked.

"No. I'm an outsider, just like you. The only difference is that I've been here for a while. I have some personal business here."

If it's a private matter, it's best not to ask. Lumine thought so. She hesitated for a moment and replied:

"I'm actually looking for my friends. I’ve just lost her."

"Then you've met the right person. I know every corner around here."

Seeing that Lumine did not believe him, the man said, "Come on, don't look at me like that! I just want to help a far-away traveler. That’s all."

"All right." Lumine replied. "But if you ask for mora, I don't have much..."

The masked man looked at her for a moment and then laughed so loudly that passers-by stared at them.

"Haha! Miss, you're funny! Why do you think my kindness needs to be reciprocated?"

Lumine paused for a moment. Her days of adventure from Mondstadt to Liyue, and now Inazuma, helped her come to terms with one thing: everything has a price. In other words, you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.

"Well... I'm sorry I didn't think right about you..." Lumine replied.

"Then, would you accept my help?"

Lumine nodded and said nothing more, but she thought that she would definitely repay today's favor.

They walked through the crowded streets. The masked man told Lumine about Inazuma and about the culture here. It helped widening her perspectives. If she hadn't bothered to look for Paimon, she would have enjoyed the whole atmosphere.

But there's no denying that everything at the Summer Festival was so special and distracted her over and over again. She came across a mask stall by the side of the road and turned to look at the person next to her.

"Do you want to buy a mask too, Miss?" He asked.

"Not really... I'm just thinking your mask is more beautiful and elaborate than what they sell."

The masked man adjusted his mask a little. Lumine saw him laughing.

"Of course. This is something I painted myself! If you want, I'll paint a same one for you."

Lumine waved her hand. “No, there's no need…” she said, but he pulled her into a nearby stall and asked the owner about the masks which customers could paint themselves.

Lumine watched intently as he painted the mask with red, black lines, and yellow dots. Moments later, he gave it to her.

"Here. For you."

Lumine picked up the mask, examining it with amusement.

"Thank you."

"Let me put it on for you."

Lumine looked up at him sheepishly.

"I... I can wear it myself."

Seemingly unable to hear her say anything, he took the mask and put it on one side of her hair.

"T-Thank you..." Lumine said, gazing down at her feet.

The man smiled.

"Hey, I don't even know your name." Lumine said as they continued to go.

"Call me Mr. Kitsune. The kids in Inazuma call me that." He replied and waved to a group of children in the distance.

He seemed to be very loved by children. Lumine thinks that any person who is liked by children cannot be evil by nature. Suddenly she thought of someone she knew. Could it be...? But how could a Harbinger like him be here? She looked around. There's no sight of the Fatui nearby. Was it all just her imagination?

The two walked into a smaller yet not less crowded street. Immediately, Lumine’s attention was caught by a crowd playing a very interesting game. They gathered next to a large pot of water, inside there were many goldfish. Each person held a seemingly fragile racket made out of paper, and tried to get the fish into their little bucket as much as possible during a specific amount of time.

"Do you want to try it?" Mr. Kitsune asked after seeing Lumine’s interest in the game for a long time.

Lumine nodded.

Mr. Kitsune said something to the woman who appeared to be the owner there, and she handed them two rackets and two small buckets.

In excitement, Lumine sat down and Mr. Kitsune sat next to her. Picking up turned out to be much more difficult than it seemed. The racket was flat and very easy to tear, and the dodgy fish seemed to have learned to avoid players and irritate them, skillfully.

Lumine's racket was torn shortly after she thought she had picked up the first fish. She looked to the side. Mr. Kitsune gave her a new one.

"Thank you." Lumine responded and the excitement returned. There's no way she’s going to lose to these goldfish!

After a hard fight, Lumine finally got her first fish. She eagerly turned to Mr. Kitsune to show it off, but then her face went sullen immediately when she saw his bucket full of fish. What was more obnoxious was that he reseted his head on one hand and caught the fish only with the other hand. His attitude of fish-picking was very relaxed, not as strenuous as Lumine's at all.

"How did you get so many fish?" She asked.

"Oh... I don't know. Perhaps it’s my talent?"

He had just finished speaking when another fish fell into his bucket. Lumine gave up and dropped her racket into the bucket. She sat and watched him pick up the fish. From time to time, she pointed to the fish she wanted him to catch.

“This one! It has nice color.”

"You do know that we have to return the fish after the game, right?" He laughed and moved his hand to pick up the fish Lumine wanted.

After the time was up, Mr. Kitsune got the highest prize: a stuffed fox. He gave it to Lumine.

"It does look like you." Lumine looked at the fox in her hands and commented as the two left. It has a soft orange fur, a white belly and four black legs.

"Then every time you see it, you will think of me."

He replied without a hint of shame. But Lumine was blushing like a red tomato. Seemingly aware of her intention to return the fox, he said:

"In Inazuma, it is considered disrespectful to return the given gifts.”

Lumine pinched the fox's nose with a force. She thought about turning it into a sandbag for Paimon to practice her fighting skills, but then it was also too cute for that.

After coming to the end of the street, Lumine realized they had reached the gate of Inazuma. The outside of the city was as bustling as the inside, but the air was fresh and pleasant thanks to the sea. The moon was high, and Paimon was still nowhere to be seen.

Looking around for a moment, Mr. Kitsune said:

"Maybe your friend has gone to Amakane Island. It is the best place to watch the fireworks. Besides, there is also a well-known street stall selling delicious oden.”

Perhaps Paimon would not go there to see the fireworks, but for the food, yes. Lumine agreed to join Mr. Kitsune on the walk to Amakane Island to find her friend. They walked a long way across the coast. Along the way, Lumine noticed that the people of Inazuma City were also heading to the island as they were mostly hands-to-hand couples with smiles. There were butterflies inside her stomach when she thought that walking side by side with Mr. Kitsune like this made them look like a couple.

"Tell me about your friend." Mr. Kitsune suddenly spoke up. "The one whom you thought I was."

Lumine mused. "I don't know if we're friends anymore..."

"What's wrong? Did he do something bad?"

"It could be put that way." Lumine recalled the mess that the Eleventh Harbinger of Fatui – Tartaglia had made in Liyue. Worse than that, he had taken advantage of her trust, leaving her caught up in a dispute between forces like a puppet. Even though everything had been resolved, she still could not let it go easily.

"If he's a bad guy, you should beat him to death and never speak to him again."

Those words made Lumine laugh.

"I do want to beat him up. But..." She paused for a moment and then continued. "There’s also a good side of him that changes my opinions on him. I wonder what his true face is."

They walked a little further. The sound of waves was caught in her ears. Lumine saw some crabs digging the sand and hiding from people in the distance.

"Everyone has their own masks to wear, Miss." Mr. Kitsune said. "One day, I hope he'll have the courage to take his mask off in front of you."

Lumine gazed up at the man wearing the fox mask next to her for a moment. Wasn’t he hiding his face from her too? What's that fox mask hiding that she didn’t know yet? But everyone has secrets, and Lumine is not much of a pryer.

As soon as they arrived at Amakane Island, Lumine’s nose was immediately attacked by the aroma of food emanating from street vendors. Perhaps she was really hungry after the hopeless search for Paimon, and a long walk to this place. Now Lumine just wanted to sit down and eat all the food that the people here had to offer.

Mr. Kitsune led Lumine to an oden stall. They were seated right in front of the counter and the smoke and aroma emanating from the kitchen in front of them made Lumine's stomach rumble louder than ever. There was no need to wait long, their food was served soon after. Lumine's bowl had a variety of food: fish balls, boiled eggs, fried tofu, radishes and even noodles. She happily picked up her chopsticks and grab the food, but then realized that Mr. Kitsune was still sitting and looking at his oden bowl in a rather contemplative way.

"Aren’t you going to eat?" Lumine asked.

"Ah..." Mr. Kitsune seemed confused. He picked up his bamboo chopsticks awkwardly.

That person doesn't even know how to hold a chopstick too... Lumine brushed that thought away as soon as it appeared. She should have let go of the obsession which was him for a long time. Somehow, in all the places she went and the people she met, Lumine was looking for such a familiar silhouette in the past.

"Here, let me show you." Lumine reached out her chopsticks to Mr. Kitsune and demonstrated how to hold them little by little. There were moments when their hands touched and Lumine found herself blushing more than necessary.

"You're so good!" Mr. Kitsune's remarks made Lumine's cheeks flush to the ears.

"Well... It's just a normal skill..." She replied, recalling her days at Liyue, when she had practiced holding chopsticks skillfully to pick up food before Paimon ate it all.

Lumine ate her oden and praised the chef's talent. She also kept her eyes on Mr. Kitsune. He merely lifted the mask a little to eat, and the place they sat was not bright enough for Lumine to see his face clearly.

After the oden, Lumine was once again invited by Mr. Kitsune to a tri-color dango treat. Realizing that she was being treated too much, she offered to pay for some octopus balls called takoyaki which later on she had quite a memory with it. It's a dish of spherical scones made of flour, with chopped octopus fillings and some other ingredients inside, then fried in a special pan that has a lot of semicircular concave parts. Lumine bought a square plate containing four takoyaki arranged neatly inside and she skewered one to her mouth.

“Wait!”

But It was too late for Mr. Kitsune, Lumine had put a whole round takoyaki in her mouth. She looked at him and wondered why he was leaning up as if he’s afraid her tongue was burnt. The food was cold enough to be eaten. But that's just what she thought.

When she bit into the crust and spilled the filling, Lumine knew why Mr. Kitsune had warned her. The filling was so hot that Lumine's tongue tip was on fire. She rushed a hand to her mouth, tears welling up. She tried to chew and swallow the food. Fortunately, it wasn't so hot to the point it actually burned her tongue.

Mr. Kitsune gave her a cool cup of tea. Lumine, after regaining her composure, noticed that he had been chuckled all along. She grimaced, took a sip of tea and said in a furious tone:

"You don't have to laugh at me like that."

Mr. Kitsune tried to suppress his laughter and replied, "Sorry... I've never seen anyone eating takoyaki in such a cute way."

Lumine's face was red, not knowing whether it was the food being too hot or because she was embarrassed.

Nearby, there was a place filled with tiny hexagonal wooden cards. Mr. Kitsune said Lumine could write her prayers on the card and hang it up. She took one and wrote her wish, hoping that she would soon be reunited with her twin brother. Mr. Kitsune just stood beside her, his eyes were looking away.

"You don’t have a prayer?"

"I don't need it." He replied. "My wish has already come true tonight."

Lumine wondered what his wish was, but she doubt that a mysterious man like him would let her know too much about himself.

They still could not find Paimon. Mr. Kitsune said that having gone to this place, at least they should see the fireworks. So Lumine and he climbed the moss-covered stone steps filled with weeds, through the red torii gates that had faded over the years. The whole road felt as the entrance to a wonderland with fireflies and magical forests.

There were also a few others walking up to the fireworks watching location. One of them accidentally bumped into Lumine causing her to slip. She thought she was going to fall, but Lumine was saved. She found herself in Mr. Kitsune's arm and her head on his shoulder. He stood just one step behind her. And then, Lumine caught his blue eyes.

They’re the same like someone’s…

Embarrassed, Lumine stood up. "T-Thank you..." She said, turning her face away.

Lumine was not used to walking on Inazuma wooden slippers. She blamed on them just to avoid thinking about the real cause of her confusion. Mr. Kitsune suddenly stood closer by her and said:

"Hold on to my hand, you won't fall again."

He did not look at Lumine but his hand was reaching out in front of her. Lumine hesitated but held on to it at last. They walked slowly up all the stone steps, to a cherry tree and sat down on a large rock, just in time for the very first fireworks to break out.

The night sky was lit up and there was a loud explosion. Colorful fireworks flew into the sky, then dissolved into hundreds of small rays of light. Lumine watched and admired their beauty. It was truly an ideal place to watch fireworks shoot from Inazuma City. Lumine turned to the man who brought her here.

"Though I can't find my friend, I'm happy that I’ve had a chance to enjoy the festival and watch the fireworks with you."

Mr. Kitsune seemed surprised and delighted.

"It is my honor to accompany you, Miss."

Lumine felt her cheeks burning up again. Perhaps all along the way, she had already known who the man in the kitsune mask really was.

"I hope that we'll see each other again soon."

*

* *

It was late at night. There was no more fireworks or laughter. Yet there was still a shadow of the person sitting under the cherry tree, even when the girl with him had already left for a while.

Next to him was a crimson mask, which seemed to exude a kind of dangerous and tempting power. But all his attention was on the harmless kitsune mask in his hand. All that happened tonight felt like a dream. Having known the Traveler had come to Inazuma, he still did not expect that she had found him herself, bumping into him among so many people on the street.

He had always wanted to see her again, ever since their farewell in Liyue. He constantly talked about her in letters to his family, as if they were very close friends; perhaps more than friends?

What could he expect, when fate always puts them on different sides of the battle? He fought for what he believes, and she always chose to help those who oppose him. But deep down in him was the desire to see her again, to see her smile at him once more. He wanted to touch her, but feared she would disappear like fireflies.

Therefore, having a walk with her, eating together and watching the fireworks next to her; everything happened tonight was a beautiful dream in the middle of the summer night. Delightful and sweet, yet came and fade away too quickly. After all, at least he knew she still remembered him.

If only she didn't. That way, she would not have to be upset when they meet again, maybe in another battle here in this land. She had hoped that they would see each other again soon, but he'd rather she not knew who was with her tonight.

Tartaglia put down the kitsune mask and picked up his Harbinger mask. He turned his gaze to the sky, praying silently that the stars would remember today for eternity. Then he put on the heavy mask and left.

-----------------------------

Au's note: It's been a while since my last Genshin fic. Hope you guys enjoy this one. I really love Japanese festivals in summer and this piece was inspired by those, and with the in-game activities/ atmosphere too of course!

My Genshin Masterlist: x