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lunargrapejuice · 2 years

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when you sleep on the couch after an argument

zhongli x reader

1.6k+ words | diluc + alhaitham

warnings: hurt/comfort, no pronouns used

mayyyy be writing the same with some other boys too👀

“okay.. okay! i get it zhongli,” you express loudly when you’ve heard enough of his words, dropping your tense shoulders and letting your head hang low as you rub the bridge of your nose between your fingers to try to ease the unshed tears that threaten to make their escape. except your words are a lie, you don’t get it and don’t know why can’t he understand where you’re coming from. he was always so understanding but tonight your conversation took a turn for the worse and somewhere in the heat of it all, understanding was lost and forgotten from the both of you. your strained throat can’t take much more of this and the shakiness of your words say as much. it's been a long day and an even longer night with your beloved towering over, unintentionally making you feel small both with his stature and choice of words. his tone was so unfamiliar to you, every word feeling like he was talking down to you and the volume of your own voice was something he hardly ever heard from you. even if you felt like you could scream you didn’t want this to continue, not knowing how much more your heart could take. “i’m tired.. let's go to bed.”

zhongli sighs and rolls his shoulders, letting your words and the knowledge you now understand his own lessen his frustration. with your discussion out of the way, tiredness and the need to show you his affection is all that remains. arguments are few and far between with the ex archon, for more reasons than one but most of all, he would hate to be the cause of your sadness. all he ever wanted was to love you. after feeling so far away from you this entire discussion, laying in bed and holding you against his chest sounds like the best possible way to end the heavy night. with a tired smile he reaches for you, ready to lead you back into the bedroom and go through your nightly routine together as you normally do but his smile, and his heart, drop when you walk past him without meeting his gaze and he hears the running water as you get ready by yourself.

in the bathroom, side by side, you wash your faces, brush your teeth and change clothes all without speaking a word to one another. you hardly even look at him but his topaz gaze finds you more than a few times, each quiet moment you don’t return his loving glances making the pit of nervousness in his stomach swirl uncontrollably.

“may i?” he boldly asks when you reach for the hairbrush he recalls purchasing for you when you first started dating, thankfully the day he saw it he had remembered his wallet.

“.. i’ve got it,” you reply quietly, grabbing the brush and working it through your hair. it felt like the words were being choked out of you but you do your best to steady your racing heart and stop the tears forming in your eyes. “i’ll be a bit longer.. you.. you don’t need to wait for me.”

“y/n..”

“it’s okay, everythings fine.” but you’re saying it to yourself just as much as you are him because maybe, just maybe, if you spoke it the universe would make it so, but it doesn't; it doesn’t stop the aching in your chest, it doesn’t silence the echo of his harsh words replaying in your mind, it doesn’t make the tears in your eyes not sting any more. “i’ll be ready soon.”

gulping, and despite his better judgment, he nods and makes his way to the bedroom, preparing your side of the bed before sliding into his own. he hates how tight his stomach feels but he’s certain it’s nothing that holding you and getting some sleep can’t fix. it’s far past when you normally go to bed and now that you had come to a compromise and his body rested against the plush sheets he notices just how tired he actually is. yes, some sleep would do you both good.

he hears the bathroom door close behind you and smiles sweetly, hopefully, his heart feeling lighter the closer you get to your side of the bed.

“sh-”

the feeling of his heart dropping into the - now feeling endless - pit of his stomach stops his words from forming fully and has his smile turning into something sorrowful. but you wouldn’t have seen the pain he wore on his visage from behind the pillow you grabbed and buried the bottom of your face in.

“what are you doing?”

“i- i’m gonna go sleep on the couch..” you bite your bottom lip, hating how little of a shield this pillow made when all you wanted to do was hide from his ember eyes. sometimes you really hated how even when you can’t see them you can still feel them on you. “i’d just like some space right now..”

for the first time in a long time the ex archon felt worthless in his knowledge. zhongli thought he was getting better at grasping the entirety of human emotions but as he tries to process what is going on in your emotions, not sure of what to make of them and honestly not even sure of what the significance of sleeping on the couch is, he starts to realize he may not be as close as he thought and he’s forced to watch the distance he felt between you before grow vaster than he thought possible. the only thing he knows for certain is he would never deny you of what you needed, including space from him.

he can only watch as you grab an extra blanket from the closet and quietly, with gentleness that wouldn’t disturb a fly, close the bedroom door behind you. he wishes you’d at least slam the door behind you, yell at him, give him some physical form of indication that you’re still mad at him, that his argument wasn’t over because this is so much worse.

despite how tired he felt before, he can’t sleep a wink and for far too long he watches the door until eventually his gaze ends up focused on the ceiling above your shared bed, images of your argument replaying in his mind, guilt building higher than the mountains he’s created in all of liyue the longer he reflects on the truth of what happened; how he spoke to you as if you were a child and he a frustrated fool only trying to make sure his point comes across, not listening to your words or seeing how wet your eyes were filled with unshed tears or when your voice was strained with every word you spoke. not changing course when you hid from him and rubbed your nose in an attempt to calm yourself, a nervous habit he knows you have and normally is the only thing to help makes it better. his heart breaks realizing this argument was never truly resolved, all while he was blinded by his feelings about it and was fine with the conclusion but this he was far from fine with. whatever this sleeping on the couch custom was, he hated it, it makes him want nothing more than to hold you in his arms.

hoping you’ll forgive him for not respecting your wishes to be alone, he makes his way down the hallway, his heart stopping him in his tracks when he sees you balled up uncomfortably on the couch, your wet cheeks glistening in the light coming from the bedroom. you must have only fallen asleep a little while ago, with your heart so full of anguish he had caused. watching you now he’s never felt so small, a pebble amongst the tallest mountains that threaten to collapse against his aching chest.

he couldn’t let this continue.

“z-zhongli?” your voice croaks at the feeling of being moved, strong arms adorned in black and gold bringing you safely against the chest that holds that heart that belongs to you. you're too tired to fight it, but even if you weren’t you aren’t sure you’d resist his touch or that your hands could ever resist the warmth of his chest. “what -”

“this isn’t right.” he whispers as he takes steady steps away from the living room to where you rightfully belong; in the comfort and safety of his arms. his forehead resting tenderly against yours. the smell of him invades your senses, calms your racing heart, makes it hard to fight off the sleep you both desperately need. “forgive me, for not letting you sleep on the couch, for not realizing my actions and how they hurt you sooner.”

he’s so thankful you don’t try to get out of his arms and a wave of relief washes over him when he places you into the silky sheet and lets go of you, making his way to his side of the bed but you don’t get up to leave. still, the anxiousness- while much less than it was before - pumped through his veins at the uncertainty of if you wanted or needed to hear his apologies now, if he was allowed to touch you, if he had done the -

all of his thoughts and worries stop when the bed dips as you scoot to his side and press against him, accepting being wrapped in his arms with a tired mumble of his name that has him pulling you flush against his chest. his lips press against your forehead, the love they hold seeping into your skin with every apology and confession of his love he speaks as you drift back to sleep.

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#genshin impact #zhongli #zhongli x reader #genshin impact x reader #zhongli angst #genshin impact angst

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shanieveh · 10 months

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10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU !

— red flags of the genshin men and you as a flagpole ( using this iconic poem from the same name as reference)

i hate the way you're always right, i hate it when you lie

—kaeya, zhongli, alhaitham, kaveh, GOROU, diluc, pantalone, scaramouche, XIAO, tighnari

He was always a stubborn character, who insists you do this and that. Who was protective of you and wanted you always in his sight. And when you are injured or hurt he lets out an annoying 'tsk' as he previously warned you before not to do that. But even with the scolding he treats your wounds, he doesn't make you explain what went wrong. The fact that you're injured over it is what really matters.

But even with his constant need to protect you, he was the most selfless person you have ever met. He lies about being fine, and being okay just to make you happy. He wasn't. He clinged onto you like that was his soul's favorite meal. You changed his life, away from the bad and ugly of his past. You didn't need to know about it, as he presents himself as unflawed and perfect, just to keep you.

i hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry

—ayato, KAEYA, venti, xingqiu, KAVEH, bennett, THOMA, cyno, childe, arataki itto, chongyun, heizou

He was the life of the party, a ray of sunshine that decided to go in your life. But he had this side of him, the side that even questions why you were here. Sometimes you feel like a second option, sometimes you feel unheard. Yeah it was unintentional, but does that fact make it even worse?

In times you were down he was always there cheering you up, but when it was him making you feel this way it tend to hurt not just the heart, but the mind. Maybe you should communicate this to him? No, he was too busy, he was too important for some petty complaint you have. You can just cry yourself to sleep, and maybe learn not to expect that the half empty bed will be full in the morning.

i hate it when you're not around, and the fact that you didn't call

—kazuha, AYATO, dainsleif, kaveh, albedo, xiao, ZHONGLI, diluc, TIGHNARI, heizou,

He wasn't there when you needed him. And as you carry the burden of being both lonely and unloved, you start to question your relationship. But as you remember the love, the passion you both share, this one incident. It should forever be buried. But even as you both reconcile and all of it in the past. You still can't help the feeling of being that unwanted, not needed. It haunts your core.

What if he treated you that way again? He didn't even bother to call asking your condition, you were completely helpless. That after all the years and months of you being dependent on him, you were back to the starting point, the time where you had no one but yourself. But perhaps he changed? Maybe he'll stop wandering around and stay with you. This is the timeline where he chooses you.

but mostly i hate the way i don't hate you, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all

—scaramouche, pantalone, BAIZHU, diluc, ALHAITHAM, xiao, dainsleif, aether, childe

He was a foe, an enemy. But the way he cares, the way he scarcely smiles and when he did it gives you butterflies. You can't hate him, no matter how hard you try. Even when you argue, even with your objective of defeating him, you can never hate a man who loves you that much. He was an addiction, and you were the addict that thought you can just stop when you wanted to. You couldn't.

He was so easily hated. From the way he stares, the way he reads you mind. But there was something about him you can't pin point. He has so much qualities that are wrong and made you hate his qualities, but never the person, never him.

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xiao-come-home · 9 months

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Genshin + HSR men as dads;

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✰ Characters:

↳ Genshin: Ayato, Itto, Alhaitham, Kaveh, Zhongli, Xiao.

↳ HSR: Blade, Jing Yuan, Luocha.

✰ Words: 3,5k.

✰ SFW ; afab!reader, because pregnancy mentions. fluff.

Warnings: established relationship, the characters are reader's husbands, mentions of pregnancy, babies, ayato always ends up kinda horknee????? slight spoilers about blades past, not beta read THERES NO TIME FOR THAT

A/N: this is my first time writing for hsr and kaveh, but I tried my best </3 also I have work in 2h and I haven't slept yet. this is more important. pog also give me feedback if you like hsr pieces ;q;

┗━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━┛

Ayato Kamisato:

he's such a girl AND boy dad you can't convince me otherwise. i just can't get that out of my head: imagine just chilling with your husband, you two enjoying some tea or coffee, while watching your children happily yell and play outside; ayato plays with your palm slightly, switching between rubbing it with his fingers and interlocking it, giving you occasional glances and tiny smiles.

ayato's definitely a strict parent, but wants his children to feel freedom - he does not force them to practice something they don't like, but teaches them necessary stuff they need to know if they are to be the future of the Kamisato clan.

he DEFINITELY had a boy first. and his son DEFINITELY looks like a perfect mixture of you two - he has ayato's eyes and hair type, but your hair color and smile.

your daughter, on the other hand, is exactly like ayato's copy, except with your personality - and he's extremely whipped for her. his little girl wanted to practice a new hairstyle with multiple pink hair clips? oh well, looks like he goes like this to his important meeting.

though, your son is just as mischievous as his father, if not worse - has probably trolled Itto more than once by the shy age of just three. he's also definitely interested in ayato and ayaka's battle styles, like hello??? HOW DO YOU JUST DISAPPEAR LIKE THAT??? AND TURN INTO SNOW??????

even though some fights between his children happen, as it's a thing you can't avoid - the big brother is very protective of his little sister and would do anything to make her happy! even if it means princess tea time. it reminds ayato of his, though not as fortunate, childhood memories with ayaka before she grew up to be the strongest woman and best auntie we know.

ayato probably teases you about wanting a third one, so they look like you this time. "say, darling, how about we get another little one?" feeling his smile, ayato whispers into your ear, "think about it, love," he wraps his arms around your waist from behind, "you just look so perfect I can't resist you."

Arataki Itto:

i do nOT care, his child is just as hyper as him. they're his absolute best buddy, partners in crime, you name it. but there's a plot twist - thank god your child thinks more often than their father AND stops him sometimes.

listen. absolute boy dad. his son is his pride and joy,he bragged so much about his boy to the point that Raiden Shogun herself heard about him.

so, remember itto being severely allergic to beans as an oni? his son absolutely loves beans and could eat them with no side effects. but itto being itto, prepares him meals with beans and takes it as a challenge. he just might cry, or throw up at worst. but hey, everything for his little sunshine.

^^your son absolutely cheers when he's making him dinner and suffering like?? "go dad! you're so awesome!" "yummy!" and itto's screaming back with tears dripping down his cheeks, "yes, YES!! THE BEST COOK OF INAZUMA, ARATAKI ITTO!"

itto prides himself in creating the most perfect small person to ever exist. your son inherited itto's golden heart and your brains (thank god). he's truly a ball of sunshine, and possibly the happiest and polite boy in Inazuma. with a pair of red horns just like his dad, red streaks in his hair and markings, itto's pupils and your eye color.

hear me out: total best pals with ayato's son. they love playing board games and battle onikabuto with each other, and much to itto's delight, his son is usually the winner, but the boys always politely thank each other for the game and move on.

your son is actually such a smooth talker to ayato's daughter to the point that he considers giving them a blessing and suffering being in-laws with itto.

he's also (great)grandma oni's favorite child now... he loves baking, cooking and sewing with her, and showing her his favorite onikabuto that you and itto let him keep as a pet!

itto's actually VERY down to have a few more kiddos if your pregnancy went well. he'd love a little girl to spoil his long hair, or maybe two. and two more sons so he wouldn't be lonely..

that time itto caught ushi sound asleep with his ball of sunshine next to him was the day he'll never forget. with tears in his eyes, he covered them in a warm blanket and let them snooze for a little more before bedtime.

Alhaitham:

literally no one, not even one soul knew that alhaitham has a child until they saw him walking a three-year-old. and the said child is probably the most behaved child that has ever been born.

seriously, your son is probably the smartest child ever. alhaitham, despite some worries, did and still does very well as a father - he began teaching him to talk earlier, he also seemed to have taken a liking to some instruments when he got older. the scribe's little one also enjoys it when his dad reads with him! be it alhaitham's books or fantasy ones, they have a special routine just for reading.

your son absolutely looks up to his father. when he sees him drafting some documents, his eyes shine with curiosity and adoration. alhaitham, can't help but smile slightly when he isn't looking.

nahida promoted alhaitham as the Acting Grand Sage. he promoted her as his babysitter.

^^but in a more serious tone, I genuinely think Nahida would be somewhat interested in your child - not in a negative light in any way, but.. it does make her wonder how a small child could be so smart. though his son has a long way to go and grow up, each year he manages to surprise her.

when his son is too bothered by the attention of other people, alhaitham gives him his noise-canceling headphones; they're a bit too big on him, but he appreciates it anyway.

alhaitham makes sure your son remembers his late grandmother, despite having not met her. even if the scribe does not consider himself a very emotional person, he wants the memory of her to live on.

he encourages his child to make his own decisions, too - just like he had that choice as well; if his son wants to break the ice and become more outgoing - alhaitham will not stand in his way. he wants him to grow up as the person he truly wants to be.

he definitely explained some god-tier science to his toddler son while holding him in his arms, receiving only some confusing "blah blag bwwwug" in return, watching him bite his tiny hand in happiness. he continued.

if there's something that alhaitham shares with his son, it's his love for naps. sometimes you all sleep together, and when it's time to wake up - both of them whine and your son snuggles up to his dad, to which your husband responds by getting his arm over the little one and giving you a small chuckle with one eye open, shortly before falling back asleep.

kaveh is your child's godfather. no, it wasn't his choice.

after a bit of hesitation and a lot of thoughts, he wouldn't mind to have another one; genders don't matter to him by any means, but I see him with yet another son :)

Kaveh:

kaveh and his twins could rival itto and his son's enthusiasm - it's what kaveh wants his kids to always remember - he wants them to enjoy every single bit of life, even if it's something simple.

the famous architect has decided to work hard to provide for you and the baby when you told him about the pregnancy- or, rather, about his future children; some of his work truly shone and got him quite a bit of attention, and therefore - a bunch of well-paid commissions.

kaveh has fought his empathy many times and tried not to overly spend money, which resulted in him being able to create and build your house that you share together; each of the twins has their own room, decorated according to their tastes.

your children have great emotional intelligence, just like your husband; if there's ever any conflict, they rather talk about it, than pout for hours, similar with you two. kaveh teaches them to always be honest, especially to themselves. they're also talented, but in different ways - your daughter seems to be fascinated by the role of the architect as well, but your son, regardless of what he's doing - he always makes sure it's perfect and polished as much as possible.

you cannot tell me this man doesn't do some kind of weekly family time - kaveh loves his family to the bone and would risk his life to protect you and your children with no hesitation. he's very involved in his children's lives and wants to be considered as their friend as well, not just a father; kaveh wants to know what they are interested in the moment, who they had their last beef with and who their crush is. he just really wants to gossip with them lol.

contrary to what a lot of people think, the twins and alhaitham's child(ren?) get along very well, and are aware they're just mirrors of each other. they can't however, understand how they managed to live together under one roof for so long... they never complain if they visit uncle alhaitham though, as he lets them search through his library so they can find out more about their interests.

in revenge, alhaitham is the godfather of the twins, just so you know.

Zhongli:

not only did he fall in love with you, but after hearing the cry of his little girl after she took her first-ever breath - zhongli fell in love once again.

he's so, so overprotective of his baby, regardless of her age. he's swooned by her - how tiny her fingers are compared to his when she finally grips them for the first time, how every month she looks even prettier than last one - he's always by her side, making sure she's the happiest she could possibly be.

since he has to sleep only once for a few days, he's willing to spend every second with her, especially after birth - zhongli also wants you to rest as much as you can, so you can both create memories together.

he most certainly takes her on a lot of walks with you when she gets older; not only around liyue harbor, but places dear to him and her only, if they discover one.

when your daughter grows up and begins to show interest in zhongli's hobbies, he smiles at her gently and sits her in his lap, only to start explaining it and feeding her curiosity; sometimes he has to stop himself for a moment to admire her twinkling eyes.

oh he DEFINITELY does her hair every morning. he's practiced on you before, having learned many new hairstyles to later on perform on your daughter; he carefully strokes her hazel hair with golden tips with a brush, feeling as he's almost watching his own in a mirror. sometimes, he adorns her hair with his own hairpin.

xiao was definitely the first person to know about your daughter. knowing that archon blood runs in her veins, he's less worried about being around her, therefore always more willing to spend time with her. both grow from this interaction - the little one knows how to protect herself (or to call uncle xiao when she's in trouble), and xiao understands small humans just a bit better.

zhongli's thrilled to know what her favorites are - no matter if it's tea, food or fabric, he has to know! perhaps they share the same favorites?

with the help of kamera, he's now able to immortalize the sight of you and your daughter. each birthday, he takes a picture and cherishes the young years of your baby, knowing they won't last long; erosion be damned, as long as he has the pictures - he'll always remember.

Xiao:

xiao was clueless. clueless and frightened. he wasn't supposed to have a child - with a mortal on top; albeit he tries to stay calm for your and baby's sake, he wants both of you to heal well.

it took quite a bit of time for xiao to fully embrace that he's a parent - and he adapted very well, having you by his side; the only worry that hasn't gone away is the thought of harming his daughter with his karmic debt.

but so far, the little one hasn't shown any signs of it, which makes xiao more than happy. she's yet another reason to warm his cold heart up, which he always compares to being engulfed by comfy scarf in the winter.

he automatically turns his head around whenever he hears her tiny little "tap taps" with her feet; not only does he find it adorable, but he knows she once again managed to lose her slippers and socks.

listen. she inherited the same diamond mark on her forehead - and he finally understands why you always insisted you liked kissing it for no reason.

he always. ALWAYS shares his almond tofu with his baby girl.. and she always makes a mess while eating it.. but it's worth it.

your daughter seemed to have taken a liking to watching finches from a distance; they always look for a nice spot in liyue plains, make a small picnic and feed the leftover bread to the birds. she finds them so adorable to the point that xiao was looking for a finch plushie for WEEKS. that made her good friends with qiqi, whom she tries to remember as "the finch friend."

Zhongli never says it out loud, but thinks of Xiao as his son. therefore, he finally earned a title of a grandpa (though unofficial). he's very proud to see Xiao stand up in a role of not only a protector of liyue, but the ones closest to him.

yes, your daughter actually calls morax himself, grandpa. (he doesn't correct her. ever)

imagine xiao with baby carrier. now you don't have to imagine it anymore.

。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°

Blade:

don't even say he isn't a girl dad. HE IS.

he thinks he's a mere blade whose humanity has been lost hundreds of years ago - it's nothing more but a delusion in his mind. if that was the truth, why would he stay near his daughter's crib and watch her sleep peacefully, flinching when he saw her stir in her sleep?

she's absolutely not afraid of his cold, death stare, in fact - she looks at him back, waiting him to break first. just imagine a tiny baby eating a rice waffle, blade next to her and he just.. stares at her. but she stares at him back and eats the waffle like it's nothing.

your baby girl inherited blade's hair- or rather, yingxing's pearly white hair. he often pats her head gently and goes his hand through her hair, his eyes holding a tinge of bitterness and anger; not at her, however, but at the one he's after.

since blade spends most of his time on various missions with the stellaron hunters, he tries to make it up to your daughter by giving her gifts; hairpins, stickers (ekhem, silver wolf), coloring books, you name it. he slowly warms up to the idea of spending more quality time with her - after so many missions and the thought of his family waiting for him at home, his heart longs to see you again.

sometimes.. you can catch a faint smile on his lips when he plays with her. it's a sad smile - a smile yearning for it to happen back in simpler times, before getting reduced to a weapon, or perhaps in another lifetime.

he never admits it out loud, but he gets used to the new routine a bit too comfortably. before, when it was just you - in contrast to now, when he barely closes the front door and hears his daughter sprinting to him and clinging to his leg; he picks her up and feels her squishing her cheek against his while grinning. "welcome home, daddy!" are the first words he hears - and hopes to hear until it's his time to leave.

at times, blade becomes genuinely terrified - terrified of no longer craving death and wanting to stay. it sends him in so much emotional turmoil he starts to shake; how else do you process this? after so many years of attempting to look for that one thing that finally stops your breath, only to get swarmed by the thoughts of not wanting to leave your daughter behind? what if something happens to her and there's no one to help her?

there's a thing that I can't stop thinking about: I want to leave it up to you how you name your daughter, but I feel like blade would truly like the name Mari.

he lets her decorate him with stickers. it was silver wolf's idea.

Jing Yuan:

he was blessed with a daughter, as well. and then again. and then... again.

he absolutely adores his three little girls, hellO?!?!? but if you think about it, it makes sense - almost all of them took after his personality.

there is a mandatory nap for him and his girls that no one can disturb, unless the planet is on fire or someone got you mad. they all snore quietly while cuddling their dad, one of them on his chest, second on his stomach, and last one has her face somewhere next to his hair. makes you wonder how they got in these places, considering they started sleeping beneath a pink blanket decorated with lions.

speaking of lions, mimi claims your daughters as her cubs and does not let jing yuan take them away. she loves being pet and getting small kisses from them, there's no way she gives him that amount of attention back.

jing yuan loves your daughters to death and spoils them with absolutely EVERYTHING. new plushie? will be here in a few hours. a damned rock that's stupidly expensive, holds no value but one of them liked it? he'll take five. hell, he might even buy them a dog or another lion and hope for easy consequences from you.

he's slightly scared of how fast his oldest got so good at chess.

the girls get very upset when someone mentions they have no older brother - after all, how could they forget about yanqing?

there is a high chance of him losing one of them at home. they're walking, he turns around and.. suddenly the math doesn't add up..

if it's princess tea time, it is princess tea time. fu xuan either becomes a princess or comes back later.

even though they sometimes bring a lot of trouble, jing yuan always tells them to appreciate you - when it's mother's day, they all sit down and prepare a gift for you, same for your birthday; your special days will never go unnoticed.

probably wouldn't mind having another child, but is fully prepared for another girl lol.

Luocha:

he fathered a beautiful boy and girl a few years after. none of them were planned, but very welcome by both of you.

he's.. such a doting father. he always takes care of his children well, shows them affection - especially as small babies, he can't get over their chubby cheeks and peppers them with kisses, so he could hear them giggle.

in general, I think he just. can't get enough of them when they're toddlers or even younger. he loves holding them. he loves seeing his tiny babies get curious when he prepares medicine. he loves when they extend their hand to him for seemingly no reason, so he has an opportunity to give it a kiss. ARGH

he's thrilled to share his medical knowledge with his kids, if one shows interest in it!

luocha's definitely the one to style his babies' hair, I mean have you seen this man's gorgeous locks???? he's also the one to cut it if they don't like it long.

this isn't really about the children themselves, but.. he's just so grateful that you brought them into this world?? and he makes sure you know it every day, be it through actions or words. when you gave birth to your daughter, he held her in her hands and approached you from behind, leaning down and planting a chaste kiss on your cheek. "love, she's so wonderful, thank you for your hard work. I can't stop looking at her, and I wouldn't have that opportunity if I didn't meet you. I've never been more happy to meet such a person like you."

just like kaveh, he wants to be very involved in their lives. he always asks them about their day in school, if they made any friends. luocha also tries to be stern and has only one expectation as a father - he wants them to have a good, comfortable life, in which he'll assist in achieving as long as they need.

your son is very, very talkative with his dad and they could converse for hours. like for real. he's so smart, luocha is more than happy to broad his horizons, even in topics of lesser importance.

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your-local-hoemie · 11 months

Note

HELLO 🐢ANON BACK AGAIN WITH ZHONGLU BRAINROT THUS TIME YIPEE

Okayokay so imagine like immortal!reader who went into like a deep sleep/coma after the archon war to like recover and everything. So after zhongli retired (i forgot how many yrs after the archon war) reader finally wakes up and gets so confused coz their lover morax is dead?? But reader recognizes him (hes standing right infront of them) so theyre even more confused now and why is his name zhongli?? Either way reader jumps into his arms and hugs him and asks him what happened and everything so theyre reunited and happy now 🥰 and zhongli almost comung to tears coz hes so happy that readers alive 😞😞 all this time he thought they were dead T-T and they kinda live as retired gods in liyue enjoying their "mortal" life together ughhh so cute like an old married couple

OH MY GOD YES IM SCREAMING, CRYING, GIGGLING, KICKING AND ALL OF THE RESTVDHFJFJDJFJFKIFIG!!!!! 🙏🙏🙏

Watch me get too carried away with the angst because I love putting myself through pain.

Warnings: mild angst, fluff, Zhongli being a simp, gn!reader, not proof-read.

Characters: Zhongli.

It had been a long, grueling battle.

You had fought tirelessly next to your lover, Zhongli. Throughout the day, the entirety of the war.

He often spoke about his displeasure in you doing so but the thought of him possibly getting hurt, or worse, terrified you.

So after your complete disregard for your own safety. You finally struck down the last of the enemies as the war slowly came to an end, only to notice how badly injured you were.

Once Morax came across your broken and bloodied body, he swears it’s the closest he’s ever come to breaking.

Even after all the lives he’s had to take, the blood spilled in his name.

You were the one thing he couldn’t handle losing after this long, gruesome nightmare.

After he carried you back to the safety of your small, hidden cottage where you would both spend your time drinking tea and talking about your future together in Liyue before the war started, he tentatively cared for your wounds and watched over you every chance he could.

He obviously knew that you were immortal. he also knew that occasionally, if you were hurt or sick, you'd fall into a regenerative sleep.

So when you remained unconscious for a few weeks, he wasn't worried. After all, a few weeks in his eternity meant nothing. Though he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss you beyond words.

After weeks turned into months and months turned into years, his hope of ever seeing your soft gaze soon vanished as his time was becoming more and more occupied with rebuilding the land he once ruled over with you by his side.

When the last wall was built for the last house for the now growing population of Liyue, he had to make the decision to move on.

So with one last visit to the cottage, now hidden away even more by overgrown shrubbery, he placed what he thought would be his final kiss on your cheek along with soft begs of forgiveness and apologies, he finally mustered up the strength to walk out the worn down door one last time.

Now, many, many years later, hidden away in that same cottage now completely overgrown and reclaimed by the wilderness, you finally forced your eyelids to open and take in the almost blinding rays of sunlight streaming in from the cracks in the walls as vines hung down and gently caressed your skin.

Slowly sitting up, you took in the scene around you. This was definitely not how you remembered your home looking.

How long had you been asleep? Where was your beloved? What if he was still on the battlefield? All of these thoughts rushed through your mind as you forced your stiff bones to support your weight as you stood up faster than what you should of.

Now fully conscious, not to mention disorientated, you ran out of the small abode to scan the area for any signs of Morax only to find something that confused you even more.

Nothing. You found nothing of the chaos and bloodshed that you remembered so vividly, only the soft touch of grass beneath your feet and the cool summer breeze caressing your skin.

Turning around in a daze, you examine your once cozy and welcoming home only to find it now crumbling and overgrown with plants and wildlife

If this had been any other time you would have found the scene to be enchanting, but as the realization of how long you had been asleep slowly started to hit you, you couldn't help but feel your heart start to race with anxiety and questions.

Taking a deep breath, you gathered your thoughts as best as you could and decided to go to the closest village you remembered.

Needless to say, after walking for around 40 minutes, you were more than a little shocked to see the village now being a very large and very populated city.

"Excuse me, are you alright?"

Looking around with a confused expression you locked eye's with what appeared to be a guard of some sort.

"Y-yes um, would you mind telling me where I am?"

"Liyue harbor of course! Home of the great Geo Archon and Teyvats largest trading supply lines!"

Hearing the formal title of your seemingly lost lover you couldn't help but pry the poor soul from your confused questioning.

"Geo Archon? Morax? Would you know where I could find him? we know each other and-"

"I'm sorry, you must be new here. Morax was killed not too long ago…”

After hearing those words leave his mouth your mind suddenly went blank.

Not only had you been asleep for what seemed like centuries but now you’ve just found out that the love of your life, Your other half had not only died but was also murdered.

Not saying anything else, you took your leave and started walking aimlessly through the city streets that now felt even more foreign that what they did before.

You did your best to try and take in your new surroundings and find out just how long you had been unconscious for but the looming grief that wrecked your heart just seemed to get worse with every mention of Morax.

After spending a few hours aimlessly walking around the harbour you decided that all you needed right now was to process your thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, you say yourself down on a wall that overlooked what seemed to be the centre of a market place that was now silent of any busy citizens as the moon rose up above the horizon highlighting the buildings with a soft glow.

The only signs of life left now were a handful of fishermen packing up their boats for the night and a small tea house that overlooked the street leading ti the harbour that was occupied by two sails men that were selling fish at the dock earlier and-

You feel your heart stop in your chest as you lean forward to take in the silhouette of a tall man with posture matching that of a plank of wood and a very familiar looking rat tail.

There’s no way. It’s impossible. You just found out he died in front of all of Liyue harbour’s citizens just months earlier.

You were so convinced that it was just the grief making your mind go fuzzy that you got up and decided to walk and find a place when you heard him speak.

“Ah, yes. This tea is superb as always”

You swear you dug your heels so hard into the ground that it left a mark in the stone beneath you.

“Morax..?”

The man froze solid in place at hearing his old name come from such a familiar voice that he could of sworn it was just his ears playing tricks on him.

Hesitating for a moment, you took a step closer to him as his deep golden eyes widened at the sight of you now draped in the soft glow from the tea house.

“Y/N…? It can’t be”

Through your vision that’s now blurred with tears you could see him stand up before slowly walking down the steps towards your figure before speaking words that could barley be heard over the gentle breeze.

“It really is… Celestia it really is you!”

Without a second thought, you ran up to him and the your arms around his waist before sobbing into his chest (heh breakdown boobies)

Not saying another word he kneeled on the ground holding your shaking body in his strong arms, not even bothering to hold back the tears running down his cheeks.

“I.. I thought you were dead! Everyone told me you were killed and I-”

“As did I, my love. I thought I lost you many centuries ago and that I lost the blessing of seeing your smile once more”

You both stayed like that for a while longer as he held you close to his chest as physically possible, almost as if he feared that the second he let you go, you’d disappear again.

When you both recovered from the shock of finding each other after believing you’d lost the other one for eternity, “Morax” took you to a quiet place away from the city and explained everything that had happened since you fell asleep all those centuries ago and how he’s retired from being an archon to simply live as “Zhongli”

“I can’t believe you still remember me after all that time”

“How could I forget, love? Every second I spent without feeling your hand in mine was far worse than any tragedy I’ve bore in my lifetime”

“I suppose I’ll have to get used to calling you zhongli now, huh?”

You both let out a soft laugh while Zhongli wrapped you tightly in his embrace.

Times might be very different to what they were but you have all the time in the world to adjust, and you can rest assured that the love of your life won’t leave your side ever again for the rest of eternity.

“I love you, Morax”

“Forever and always, my dear~”

AAAAHAJDLEIDODODEDJDIR WHY DID I ALMOST CRY WRITING THIS HNGGGGGGGFGG IT’S SO BAD

My creative juices became a waterfall and then a whole ass tsunami. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t missed staying up until literally 5am to write about my boys T-T

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ddarker-dreams · 1 year

Text

Be Still My Bleeding Heart.

Yan Zhongli x God Reader.

[The First Contract index]

Warnings: Yandere themes, unhealthy relationships, power imbalance o'clock. Word count: 2k.

“I’ve heard you’ve been frequenting the Stone Gate.”

Zhongli’s way of speaking is best compared to a geode. Seemingly insignificant upon initial viewing, but once cracked open, you’ll find yourself enthralled by the contents within. There’s so much to dissect and digest. You’ve become fluent in his language throughout the centuries. It wasn’t always a necessary skill. He matured with each passing millennia, his mannerisms aging like a fine wine, though they became no easier to swallow.

Gone were the days of him using brute force to tackle his way through every challenge waiting before him. He’s patient with enough cunning to match.

You almost miss how simple it once was to get a read on your husband. It requires a great deal more effort now, a resource you’d prefer to expend anywhere else than on him.

“I have,” you don’t see the point in lying. “Do you take issue with the fact?”

“That remains to be seen.”

You’d sigh, but even that feels like you’d be giving him too much. You keep your lips pursed to rectify this. He could be so obstinate about the most trivial details. That element of himself has remained consistent since time immemorial. All you wanted was to take a pleasant stroll through Yuehai Pavilion before returning to your usual activities, yet it seems that’s asking for too much.

Zhongli was waiting when you ascended the steps, his hands folded behind his back, warm amber eyes rivaling the sunset in its intensity. They softened for a mere instant, whatever non-issue you were inevitably about to get reprimanded over temporarily slipping his mind. Sickeningly sweet affection poured forth like vaults of honey, suffocating you in thick layers. You weighed the merits of turning around and venturing elsewhere, then remembered this fabled ‘elsewhere’ doesn’t exist.

He might be testing mortal life, but that doesn’t make Liyue any less of his domain than it was when the Yakshas were greater in number and the adepti gathered for banquets at the Guili Assembly. He could follow you anywhere, you can’t control that. You can, however, control how bad of a mood he’ll be in when he finds you.

Presently, Zhongli places an unwelcome hand on your shoulder, the gesture that was meant to comfort you worse than the spears chaining Osial down to an abyssal depth.

“I hope this isn’t a consequence of us living amongst the people of the Harbor.”

In the same way you are attuned to him, Zhongli is an uncontested expert in all things concerning you. His fervor is born from ardor whereas yours stems from a place of self-preservation. There is no side of you he hasn’t seen, no angle he hasn’t committed to memory with the zeal of a religious fanatic. His seemingly infinite reservoir of knowledge frightens you. There are times when you wonder if he knows you better than you know yourself.

This is further evidence of the possibility.

“… What do you mean by that?”

Zhongli raises an eyebrow. “My heart, please, don’t play dense. We both know you’re anything but. Something’s been troubling you ever since we’ve taken up residence here. I knew it wouldn’t be an easy adjustment, but if this is proving too detrimental for your wellbeing, I’ll have to take appropriate measures.”

You place your hands on the railing in front of you, leaning forward ever so slightly. The wind catches in your hair, carrying the familiar scent of the ocean and dinner being cooked by households awaiting the return of their loved ones. The day draws to a close. You hear laughter, the sound of children playing; two boys struggling to keep up with a little girl who goads them on. This lively scene cannot be found atop Mt. Hulao or any other secluded area you’d be held prisoner in if he thinks it best.

“You take on everyone’s burdens,” Zhongli disregards the view in favor of examining your side profile. You know which one he finds more picturesque. “I adore and fear that trait of yours. I knew there’d be no avoiding it, as it’s embedded in your nature, but I didn’t anticipate you getting this attached.”

“You’re exaggerating the severity of things.”

“Am I?” There’s a slight challenge in his voice you can’t bring yourself to match. “I heard you requested Xiao’s assistance in finding a little girl’s lost doll. An expedition that took multiple days of our Conqueror of Demons’ time.”

“Children are Liyue’s future — I’m doing my part to ensure their happiness.”

“Last week, I found you lecturing a gentleman who voiced dislike of Xinyan’s music. It took you an hour for you to notice my presence. Another hour to let him leave.”

“It was a civil discussion, not a lecture. I left room for him to interject if he had anything worthwhile to say. It isn’t my fault he became tongue-tied when his brutish behavior was confronted.”

“You recently asked me to reshape a mountain range so that Qiqi would have easier passage on her herb-collecting journeys.”

“Are you not the one who once promised me you’d ‘shift the sun’s placement in the sky’ if I ever found it unsatisfactory?”

Zhongli coughs into his gloved hand to hide his embarrassment. “I… was young then. My prose reflects that.”

“2,500 hardly qualifies as young, old man.”

“It does for beings like us. Now,” he seems eager to move on from the subject, “The examples I listed are the mildest. You’re spreading yourself thin, concerning yourself with matters beyond your control. I’ve seen what it did to you in the past. As your husband, I must ensure that doesn’t happen again.”

There’s something else at play here, yet you’ll leave that detail to be uncovered later.

“If I’m understanding this correctly, you’re criticizing me for caring about the people who you spent centuries shedding blood — yours and others — over.”

You don’t bother hiding the bitterness on your tongue. He’s worse than a thorn in your side, he’s a knife, jabbed in so deep that pulling it out is no longer an option. You have to live with the blade’s intrusion and adjust accordingly to the pain. It’s obvious to you that he’s been stewing on this for a while, the trips to the Stone Gate must’ve been the final nail in the coffin. You’ll both argue circles around each other until the heart of the issue is addressed.

The specifics of the contract you signed many, many years ago stipulate you may not leave Liyue’s borders unless a particular list of requirements is met. It isn’t like Zhongli is actively looking to punish you — he said so many times himself — which is why he becomes extra stifling when he thinks you’re pushing your limits. Or his limits, to be precise. The God of Contracts takes these matters very seriously.

Eventually finding you can’t take the silence any longer, you come right out and say it. “It’s true that I can get a bit too… involved when it comes to helping mortals. I see the solution right in front of me and wish those involved could see it too. That’s why I was seeking out a fellow god who is better at handling these situations with the appropriate nuance.”

His face gives away nothing when he speaks. The same cannot be said for the low timbre his voice takes on.

“And what god other than myself might my dearest spouse be seeking the audience of?”

“Barbatos,” you reply without hesitation. Something cold runs through the air between you. “He’s lived amongst mortals for so long. I might have some issues with his carefree temperament, but he knows how to guide others in that human form of his. Perhaps ‘guide’ isn’t the right word. He offers just enough for them to reach the solutions themselves. I want to learn from him.”

In a split second, his diamond-shaped pupils thin into slits, reminiscent of his draconic form. It’s gone in the time it takes you to blink. He sighs, his gaze finally breaking off from you. You feel his hand settle on the small of your back in what can only be described as a possessive gesture. Zhongli rarely touched you in public for the sake of social decency. This revelation must’ve been enough for him to discard the propriety he associates himself with in the current era.

You can tell he’s thinking and you let him. While he chews on the truth, your eyelashes flutter shut, blocking out the sensory stimuli you normally adore. Memories come and go like the ocean’s waves brushing up against the shoreline of your beloved Yaoguang Shoal. Had things gone differently, you’re confident you would’ve learned the lessons you’re currently seeking out on your own. The centuries you were forced to spend separated from mortals, incapable of answering their many desperate prayers, built an intimidating wall.

You’d either need to scale it or tear it down in its entirety — you’re not going to let your husband add to its height.

“He’s a whimsical spirit, so our paths never managed to cross,” you look up at the stony countenance of Zhongli, who weighs your every word on an internal scale. Judgment could be in your future dependingly. “I’ll stop making my trips there. You have my word.”

“You can continue to do so as long as I am present,” his earrings catch the dimming sunray’s when he turns his head in your direction. “I’m not the unreasonable man you try to make me out to be, [First]. Let this be proof of that.”

No, he’s probably worse. Hiding his domineering tendencies beneath a thin veneer of amicability. You keep the thought to yourself. You’ve already pushed him far today by admitting what you did. Limits were meant to be teased, not breached. No one knows this like you do.

“I accept the terms of this contract.”

Seemingly content with this, he nods, his hand detaching from you while he does so. The vortex of tension surrounding you dissipates in an instant. You could relax your posture, but you don’t, a frown working its way onto your face. Encountering Venti by chance really would’ve been ideal, even if it was a long shot. Understanding the hearts of others was one thing, granting them the same vision is another.

“You’re doing it again, aren’t you?” Zhongli muses. It’s a tactic he loves utilizing. Giving vague statements or suggestions so you have no choice but to ask for him to elaborate. An intelligent tactic from a conniving god.

You take the bait, uncaring of how his hook will sink into your flesh.

“Hm?”

“Taking on everyone’s burdens,” he clarifies. “Whatever should I do with you?”

You make a face. He really could do anything he wanted to you — the gap in your divine power is that sizable. It’s by his mercy and self-proclaimed “love” alone that he puts up with your near-constant ambivalence. Not wanting to linger on this uncomfortable topic, you turn on your heels, preparing to descend the steps and return to Liyue Harbor’s heart. If you’re fortunate, maybe he’ll get distracted and start a conversation on architecture or preferably anything else.

This turned out to be a stroll you wish you didn’t take.

“Treat me to dinner, preferably. I made a balm for some burns Xiangling recently sustained. I’ll give it to her while we’re in the area.”

It doesn’t take much effort for him to catch up to you with those absurdly long legs of his.

“Ah. Well, it’s a date then.”

Zhongli observes with silent amusement how you scrunch your nose up yet don’t voice your dissent. You flutter around from person to person, inquiring after so and so’s health, or if a sibling safely made it to Inazuma, dutifully recording the knowledge for later use. Your husband knows how you dislike your association with The God of Love title the mortals mistakenly assigned to you many moons ago — still, he can’t help but find it fitting.

How could he not notice that you overflow with love for anyone who isn’t him?

#has it really been over a year since i've written for the first contract ??? Wtf???#zhongli x reader #yandere zhongli x reader #yandere genshin impact x reader #genshin impact x reader #yandere x reader #yandere #first contract #my stuff

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strwberri-milk · 10 months

Note

Being a bit indulgent (bc I'm sick) and asking for a sick fic Kae, Diluc, and Zhongli please. It can be either his s/o or the boys themselves I don't mind! :)

oh i hate being sick i cant fucking breathe and nothign tastes good its jawoefjawofa god

Kaeya is the most miserable man alive when he's sick. The less severe the illness the more dramatic he is. If he's actually so sick he should be staying home he feels so guilty for being useless that he'll do everything he can to get work done and avoid being useless.

However, if he's just down from a cold and just coughs every so often he's got more than enough energy to rain hell down on you for not cuddling him enough for being a sad, sick man.

He isn't good at staying in bed either way. He walks around constantly or tries to bother you or be a busybody. Staying in one place isn't really something he's interested in doing, and him being sick just makes it significantly worse. He gets even more restless when confronted with the fact that he really should be resting. Telling him what to do makes him want to do the opposite, so it can be very counterproductive.

Whenever you're sick he does his best to take care of you! He's pretty good at it too and you do feel yourself getting better but you can't help but worry about Kaeya's well-being since he holds and kisses you so often despite your illness. You don't want to get him sick but he swears up and down he doesn't care.

His food is definitely...medicinal. He's great at cooking unless it's to make you feel better. Something awful happens and he makes stuff that is good for you, and definitely tastes like it too.

Diluc is also awful at being sick. He's a little better in the sense that he will stay at the winery and focus primarily on paperwork. However, the issue is indeed that he is too focused on paperwork. He doesn't remember to eat or take any sort of medicine. You'll end up having to force feed it down his throat if you want any chance of Diluc ingesting anything that could potentially make him feel better.

This means that sometimes, Diluc stays sick longer than he should since he refuses to eat food. His body is working on fumes at this point, even more so than usual. He's simply a shell of a man when he's sick, mechanically working through his things and somehow finishing them even though he'll have no recollection of actually doing the work once he's fine again.

Diluc also gets very spacey. He isn't all there and sometimes, if you're lucky you get to see the very real effect that fatigue has on him. He easily curls up on anything and falls asleep, inadvertently getting enough rest to the point that it could negate the consequences of not eating.

When you get sick Diluc becomes very anal about making sure you stay rested and eating. He'll feed you himself, finding easily digestible things that can satiate you without turning your stomach.

You might feel like he's suffocating you a bit with his inability to leave you alone but he's working so earnestly to make sure you feel better that you can't mind. He's putting in all his energy to making sure you're alright, and somehow it does work. You think you get better faster thanks to his attention and devotion, something he's very proud about.

Zhongli is the only good patient to have when sick. He's willing to sit back and relax, take his time and really ensure that he gets better quicker rather than later. He doesn't exactly toil through work, but he will get some light tasks done before trying to get fresh air to better his constitution.

He is very particular about the medicine he takes. He just wants to make sure he does it right to avoid any complications, making him again, the ideal patient.

Thanks to all of this, he gets better pretty quickly. Illnesses don't knock him on his ass but he does take some preventative measures after being sick to avoid getting sick again.

When you get sick he's good at taking care of you and giving you space if you want it. If you don't, then he'll be concocting some herbal remedies to help cope with your symptoms in addition to the medicine you take to actually help with the illness. He knows the symptoms are generally the worst part, which is why he tries to manage them as much as possible.

He also likes to just quietly spend time with you in the day as you get some rest, gently running his fingers through your hair as you nap peacefully in the afternoon sun. He wishes that your breathing wasn't so laboured, but seeing you at peace calms his heart just a little.

#genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #kaeya x reader #kaeya alberich x reader #diluc x reader #diluc ragnvindr x reader #zhongli x reader

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suguru-getos · 2 years

Text

genshin men x love at first sight

characters included: ayato, zhongli, childe, itto, xiao. <3

ayato: man? he is so mesmerised!! how the hell can someone as stunning as you even real? he always is looking out for the finer things in life, he is spoiled enough so he thinks he deserves it <3 he is the head of the clan am i right? :V so when he crosses paths with you on one of his journeys outside inazuma, he is stunned. stopping between his path and walking towards you, “excuse me, i don’t mean to be creepy, or won’t even be the slightest of daring and audacious… but what is your name?” the sincerity in his voice is so genuine that it feels natural. “y/n” you mumble. ayato swears his heart can’t take it, the way your voice echoed over and over in his head, damn!

zhongli: he first saw you when he was out as wangshang funeral parlor’s consultant. somebody had died in your household, what a grim vibe and atmosphere. he almost feels guilty for not being able to take his eyes off you. how you look devastated only makes him imagine over and over how gorgeous would your smile look. would you get dimples? do you smile with your eyes? he can’t keep that sight out of his mind. zhongli had a reputation throughout liyue, for the first time he was thankful for it, the opportunity to have a one-on-one with you. it could be something meagre, like his condolences of course! “greetings, i am here to offer my sincerest condolences for your loss, it must be truly painful,” he softly spoke, kissing your knuckles like a gentleman. “i know how it feels to lose your kin, your dear ones…” he continued, and somehow you could find the tranquility in his voice that you just needed<3

childe: you were at the northland bank for some transactions, and childe swears he hasn’t ever seen you before. how dare you miss his eyes? he looked at you and for a moment, malfunctioned 💀✨ you could swear he was speechless, absolutely stunned. “h-hey girlie,” he blushed, grinning at you with a chaotic, tooth rotting sweetness of a smile. “hello, childe,” you spoke. he was famous in liyue, for good and bad reasons. it was normal for you to know him hence, but boy! oh boy?!!?! childe never expected that :3 “you know my name?” he raised a brow, widening eyes and clearing throat to gain composure, “uh…” he smirked, turning on his charm switch and leaned closer, “it’s only fair i know yours,” the rest is history 🥰 ok? ok.

itto: he saw you when he was running from the kanjou commission, (his story quest get the gist pls) -,- he wanted to find beetles to fight with, but he laid his eyes on you. you were there, picking lavender melons. for the first time he felt an emotion that was… weird! his heart started racing, cheeks dusted red, “oh my god oh my god oh my god-” he looked at you like an excited kid, “GOD DAMN!” he groaned, watching you intently, completely forgetting about the onikabuto battle ok? and that’s saying something 😤 “tell ya what these bigger ones are actually the worse, they taste like shiiit~” he interrupted you, grinning and giddy. let’s just say you got a great friend that day, and an even greater boyfie xoxo

xiao: the yaksha basically rescued you from a group of samachurls. “worthless,” you hear him utter with absolute rage, absolute ruthlessness and the unflinching determination to slay. you noticed it took him mere seconds to finish them off. then he finally saw you, normally he doesn’t even remember the face of every civilian or a non-adventurer traveller that he saves. but to you? he comes closer and asks, “are you hurt?” you had a few scratches, nothing too serious. but boy were you traumatized. you shivered, shaking head no and quivering lips. it was then the alatus spoke, “i will protect you, always. don’t fear these monsters, just say my name and i’ll be there. my name is xiao,”

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starg1rlie · 1 year

Text

𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮

⟡ rating. fluff ( general audience )

⟡ prompt. "calla lily" ( getting married to character )

notes. joined ying's lil' milestone event , hehe , hopefully this doesn't botch on me . . . personally , weddings to me are so vv cute and magical !! ( also pardon if the wedding vows don't match the ones that you're used to , i just did it from memory ) reblogs and likes are appreciated ! | wc. 852 words ( 4,742 characters )

⟡ feat. various x fem! reader ( tartaglia, ayato, diluc, alhaitham, zhongli, thoma )

ㅤㅤWhat a feeling it is to be wed to someone, to be linked to the love of your life, to feel such joy and happiness as you look into your spouse’s eyes and know that your unconditional love is reciprocated, maybe even multiplied by tenfold. Marriage. Wedding. Vows.

ㅤㅤYou liked to replay that night, the night he proposed to you, in your head as the two of you began wedding preparations. Thinking of the engagement ring sliding down your finger as you made plans for the wedding cake (he preferred a cake with the sweetness level lowered accordingly to match his palette), thinking of the way he swept you up in his arms while you were being fitted for your dress, thinking about the amount of unbridled affection and love in his eyes as you prepared yourself to do a practice walk down the aisle you’d walk on come next morning.

ㅤㅤ“You’re beautiful,” he murmured that night as he wrapped you up in a blanket and pulled you into his warm embrace. “You’re amazing.” He then pressed a kiss to your cheek. “You’re all that I could ever want or need.” He burrowed his face into the crook of your neck, warm breath fanning out against your collarbone, eliciting a giggle from you. “You’re my everything.”

ㅤㅤYou remembered quite vividly how happy you felt in that moment, simply you and him, tangled limbs under the bedsheets, thinking of the future that you two would share together. You remembered linking your hand with his, fingers lacing through his own, and staring into his eyes, his dazzling and mesmerizing eyes. You remembered watching him sleep, head propped up by one hand, the other still clasping your fiance’s, watching his chest rise and fall steadily with each intake of breath, admiring the curve of his jawline, drinking in every detail of his face, his body, his entire being so it would be permanently seared into your brain.

ㅤㅤAnd so when the fateful day finally came, when you slipped into the wondrous dress your friends had picked out with you one night, when you held onto the bouquet of flowers in your hands tightly, when you adjusted the veil so that it would obscure your face (he’d chastise you for wearing it, covering your beautiful face from him, and you’d simply brush it off with a “it’s tradition”), you felt ready. Actually, scratch that, you felt more than ready. The procession began; someone was playing the wedding march on the piano, a child (no doubt Jean and Lisa’s; they recently adopted an adorable little girl) was wailing before she was soothed by her mothers, and even a few sniffles and tearful gazes. What a wonderful day it was to be married, to be wed to the love of your life.

ㅤㅤ“Do you, (Name), take this strapping young man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until parted by death?” the priest inquired, looking up from his book.

ㅤㅤYou nodded, murmuring the words “I do” as the man proceeded, asking the same question to your soon-to-be husband.

ㅤㅤ“And do you, sir, take this lovely young lady to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

ㅤㅤHe looked at you for a moment, a smile flickering over his lips, before nodding firmly. “I do.”

ㅤㅤ“And so, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you, husband, and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

ㅤㅤA cheer rose up from the people seated within the quaint little chapel he’d picked out, everyone rising to their feet and clapping loudly. You turned from your now-husband to wave at them all, blowing kisses towards everyone before turning back to face him.

ㅤㅤ“Hey,” he said softly, quick to pull you in by the waist, using his free hand to push up your veil to get a better look at your face.

ㅤㅤ“Hey,” you replied with a small laugh, tugging off the elbow-length gloves you were currently wearing, placing a hand delicately against his cheek, cupping it and rubbing a thumb over the skin soothingly.

ㅤㅤ“So. We’re married now, huh?” He said with a low chuckle, that smirk never leaving his face as he slipped his hand under your chin, tilting you up closer to his face. “Who woulda thought? If someone told me ten years ago that I would marry my best friend, I would believe them to have rocks in their head.”

ㅤㅤYou tittered. “Yeah, I wouldn’t believe them either. But here we are.”

ㅤㅤ“Here we are,” he repeated, fondness clear in his tone. His eyes darted down to your lips, ignoring the ongoing chants of “kiss him!”, instead, initiating the kiss first, turning his head to angle his lips properly, locking against yours. The cheers rose again once more, noise amplified even louder, ringing in your ears as he swept you up in his arms, true bridal-style.

ㅤㅤ“Shall we go, wife?” he said with a grin.

ㅤㅤYou beamed at him, pecking his cheek. “We shall, husband.”

📮 tagging. no one yet ! fill out this form if you want to be tagged (@i23kazu )

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dummie-writes · 1 year

Text

imagine ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* picnic dates!

xiao

imagine it's late in the morning, almost noon in fact, when you decide to call his name. not urgently, not angrily, just excitedly.

imagine that when he appears from thin air, he looks around before settling his sights on you. he stares for only a second, eyes then shifting to the basket in your hand, then to the grassy hills you were settled apon, and his shoulders relaxing.

imagine that he opens his mouth to scold you, but nothing comes out. not when you look at him like that - all excited and smiling, and swaying side to side.

imagine pulling his hand down, so he'll sit with you on the blanket as you begin talking, and you hand him his very own plate of almost tofu.

imagine he doesn't even realize he's relaxed so much, until you're patting his head [which is now in your lap, by the way], and you're telling him you're all done.

imagine he doesn't know what you mean, that is, until you pull out a mirror and he sees his hair, flowers braided delicately into his strands.

zhongli

imagine that he comes into work one day, ready for another shift at the funeral parlor - when hu tao is already ushering his out, handing him a bundle of silk flowers as she hums little advices.

imagine how confused he looks - that is, until he finally sees you, all dressed up in flowy, comfortable clothing with a huge basket full of what he can only assume to be all sorts of food.

imagine his smile when he looks at you, and everything clicks, so he offers you his arm as you lead the way to your picnic spot. it's a cool day, and the lake you're by is rather still. yet, beautiful nonetheless.

imagine when you make him cover his eyes, and he simply shrugs and agrees to your antics.

imagine when you tap him on the shoulder and he turns around, there are several candles, all lit in a row. the blanket doesn't look like a regular picnic blanket, but more refined and expensive.

imagine when he notices the delicacies and wine displayed, and before he can even ask, you tell him that xiangling helped you make the food.

imagine leaning your head on his shoulder, as the two of you discuss things in a way you only can when the sky starts to dim. the type of conversations you you remember for an eternity.

childe

imagine being so, so tired from work. you just haven't had a good day, and not everyone has been all too nice. worse still, you haven't even had the chance to eat. so you're left with a sore neck and shoulders, waiting for your day to be over.

imagine that, in fact, in the middle of your day, your boss comes in and rather quickly tells you that you have the rest of today off. not only are you confused, but now a good bit worried that you've just lost your job.

imagine that when you leave, your ginger boyfriend is waiting outside, and surprise scoops you up and spins you around. yes, like a movie scene.

imagine that after the initial shock and jump [and exclaiming that he was lucky he didn't get kicked], he tells you that since you've looked so overwhelmed recently, he's decided to surprise you!

imagine that he just stands there. waiting. because he doesn't want to keep it a surprise and is practically bursting at the seams for you to ask what he wants to do.

imagine you ask.

imagine that his mischievous smile grows even bigger as he wraps and arm around your waist, and leads you to the top of a very tall building, where a small meal has been arranged.

imagine you don't recognize the dishes - until he tells you that they're all schneznian, you realize that he made all of these himself. just for you.

#genshin imapct #genshin imagines #genshin xiao #genshin zhongli #genshin childe #childe x reader #xiao x reader #zhongli x reader #dummie-writes

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orphic-musings · 9 months

Note

Hi !!!! 💓🥹 I absolutely love your Genshin fics. Especially the one with Zhongli and the adeptus reader!!! <3 I was wondering if you’d consider writing a Morax x Khaneri’ah reader ??? Or even a Morax x God/Goddess reader ???

Have a lovely day/night. Take care ~

Resurrection

Characters: Zhongli x gn! reader

Genre: Fluff, hurt/comfort

Warnings: None really :-)

Summary: You are one of the remaining Khaenri’ahns, cursed to wander the world forevermore. With no home, no identity. How can joy ever return to such a bleak existence?

Notes: Ooooooohhhh I loved this request! And thank you so much for reading my fics I’m so so glad you enjoyed them! I really hope this meets your expectations, I had fun writing this hehe. I almost made it angst but I thought yknow Zhongli needs some love. you need some love. we all need love. 🫶

You can no longer feel the wind on your face. The ever-changing skies look all the same to you, and days are a blur. As one of the sole remnants of Khaenri’ah, you are cursed with immortality. You feel more like a shadow than a person, as you drift from place to place, always going in circles. No home, no place to welcome you, no one to welcome you. It truly is a curse.

Or so you used to think.

The water softly lapped at the Liyue docks, shimmering with the glow from laterns. It was a warm evening, and the city was still very much awake. Storytellers could be heard, along with chatter and din from restaurants and merchant stands. Morax couldn’t help the smile forming. Even after all the years he’s lived, he still finds joy in seeing his nation prosper, even if it isn’t really his nation anymore. The peace and life that he fought so hard for now being enjoyed by countless people, tourists and locals alike. And he has all eternity, lest erosion take him, to revel in its tranquility.

As a god, and as a man, he enjoys the simple things in life. Things that make him look forward to each day, like mundane conversations with interesting wanderers, or a new blend of tea. Or, in this particular moment, both.

“Do you travel often, Mr. Zhongli?” You blow on the hot tea, pausing another moment for good measure, before carefully sipping.

“I’m afraid not. This land is… sentimental to me. From the harbour to the jagged mountains, I could not bear to be separated with Liyue for long.” He replies, taking a sip of his own tea. It’s a delightful blend, the light jasmine subtle, but just floral enough to give an exquisite aftertaste, and bittersweet enough to go for another sip.

“I understand, it’s hard to be away from home.”

“Do feel homesick often?”

“I do. Or I used to.” In truth, you don’t even remember what you’re homesick for. Or why you should miss it. It feels so long, that nowhere is your home, that you don’t even know how to miss home.

“You’re very interesting. I enjoy talking with you. You have an undeniable sense of knowledge and wisdom, and I would love to speak more with you.”

And so you did. Evening walks became frequent, then a habit. And soon your days were spent with him too. Part of you wanted to move on, it felt wrong to linger, like you were breaking some unspoken rule. You needed to wander, to drift in the shadows. But you didn’t want to, you didn’t need to. The though of parting with Zhongli felt even worse than staying, like you could not bear to separate with him. Like he was home.

»»————-　♡　-————««

It was a cloudy night when you first kissed. On a mountain just near the harbour, overlooking the splotched lights through the haze. The air was sweent with Qingxin, and it was cool and fresh. His lips tasted like bitter tea and sweet wine.

“In all my life I have never felt like this. I thought I had found contentness, serenity. But I did not realize all the passion and warmth I was missing. Please, indulge me more.” You were hesitant. You were immortal, and you knew this love could not last. But the fondness, the pure light in his eyes made you accept. As if to lose this love would be to lose everything all over again.

 “I’ll be yours so long as you’ll have me.” You whisper, your face close to his. His arms are a security you’ve never allowed yourself to settle in, a comfort you didn’t realize you were devoid of.

“Eternity then, my dear.” And with the steel of his voice, you believe him.

»»————-　♡　-————««

Time passes that you are aware of, and each day you look forward to simply existing with your lover. Time passes and the bond between you is stronger than anything, maybe even your curse. And despite the rumours about Zhongli, and despite his sometimes too specific questions, neither of you have disclosed your identities. But time passes, and neither of you age. You are the same as the day he met you, though he swears more spirited and radiant than ever. He is the same as the day you met him, his eyes still glow, but burn even brighter.

“It’s time I discuss something with you.” He declares as he brings the fresh pot of tea to the coffee table in front of you. Fear washes over you, and you momentarily feel the urge to wander, to be a shadow, to run away. But you are not a ghost anymore, you’ve learned how to love and be loved, how to be real. So you force your eyes to meet his. And you see your fear reflected.

“I am sorry to have kept this from you so long my dear, but I had doubts and fears that you have since washed away. I am, or was, the Geo Archon, Rex Lapis, or Morax if you prefer. But I am at the same time Zhongli, just as I always have been.” Your breath was held, and it still held until you manage to process his words. His calm face betrays the gnarling sensation in his gut. Suddenly he is at war again, but he is not confident in victory. And even worse, he is afraid to lose.

He desperately tries to find any sign of hope as he looks at you, only to be let down. His heart shatters, falling apart piece by piece. Like a stone crumbled beneath the piercing of his spear. But your face softens as you think over what he says, as you understand, as you realize.

“I know that you are mortal, and that one day-“ He begins, voice strained.

“You couldn’t have made me happier, than with the words you just said.” You reply, so consumed with joy that his anxious rambling flies over your head. “I have a secret too. Not anything proud like yours, but in this moment that doesn’t matter. I am immortal too, one of the cursed remnants from Khaenri’ah. But despite your godhood, and despite my past, it feelings like a blessing.” Your voice is light, your body is light. You feel like you’re floating, though your eyes water and your heart wrenches, a bliss spreads through you.

“I love you.” His arms hold you tightly, tight like a vow. His words calm you, and you relax in his touch. Through all the wars he fought, all the destruction he wrought, he wonders how it could have led to such a wonderful thing. How sins and a curse could be a blessing. But he merely smiles to himself as he thinks, it must be the power of love.

Jaded the two of you may be, but fools in love also. And you remember what it’s like to have a home. You remember what’s it’s like to live in the light, and to be seen. And it’s more wonderful than anything you’ve experienced. All the grief and despair you lived through, only now to have a promise of love for eternity. Just as there is always a sun to chase away the night, there is always joy and love to overcome hard times.

“I love you too Morax. I love you.”

#fanfic #x gn reader #fluff fic #genshin impact #genshin x reader #zhongli #zhongli x reader #genshin fluff #genshin morax #morax x reader #rex lapis #genshin x gn reader #zhongli x gn reader #zhongli fluff #morax fluff #genshin impact morax #orphic musings

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zlebooks · 1 year

Text

04 — overpriced coffee and chemical equation

you never meant to spend your saturday sitting alone at a coffee shop at 10 am in the morning, and yet here you were, forcefully taking gulps of your overpriced vanilla latte that didn’t suit to your tastes; a little voice in your head kept telling you that it tastes similar to the powdered milk you have in your home. different couples littered inside the cafe, an ironic reminder why you’re stuck in this place.

admittedly, you knew you shouldn’t have bitten more than what you can chew, because maybe instead of being stuck balancing chemical equations, you could have been stuck at home watching the new episodes of your favorite anime.

a part of you scolds yourself for even starting this entire hoax, what will you get out of it anyway?— you ask yourself. your salvaged pride? was the teasing from your friends that bad that you had to make up an entire relationship in your head? you then suddenly remember mona’s condescending laughter which brought a shiver down your spine. yes, lying was totally worth it. you console yourself.

completely drowned with your own thoughts and the overwhelming chemical equations you had to solve, you almost didn’t notice a flash of orange hair sitting at the next table. you recognize the guy— of course you would. he was always around if zhongli was; not tailing behind the council president like everyone else, but rather he was one of the few that was close enough to your crush to match his strides. moreover, his name on kokomi’s list of your potential “boyfriends” is etched into your mind. maybe who knows, you’d end up asking him to play fake with you if you were desperate enough.

when you momentarily look up at the redhead (totally not to assess his physical characteristics because you were not actually considering to fake ask him out), you find yourself catching a glimpse of another eerily familiar hair— too familiar even.

you already knew that your luck was worse than a black cat’s, but this was too low even for you. you look towards the hair’s direction, and you confirm yourself to be right.

ayaka was approaching the cafe doors, with everyone in tow. damn rich kids and their café hopping.

your first instinct was to get your phone in your pocket to text yoimiya that they can’t enter the coffee shop (and scoffing at yourself for not thinking about telling yoimiya your location) but as you reach for your phone and feeling nothing inside your pocket, you realize it was drained from the night before after you went on a binge watch of avatar (the one with a scarred teen with daddy issues, not the blue people).

you curse yourself; this unbelievable luck wasn’t on your horoscope today, nothing prepared you for this. like, what were the chances that they had plans to try out the overpriced cinnamon buns in the same coffee shop you spent over $10 on?

you feel your eyes widening in horror, realizing the gravity of the situation, with your hands clammy and legs shaking, you stand up and everything that happened next was a blur.

as if possessed, you sat down on the chair adjacent to childe— if you remember his name correctly before looking at him apologetically, “can i kiss you?” you ask, and then you lock lips with him.

at the exact moment, the bell on the cafe’s doors began ringing.

they were just on time.

strangely enough, the kiss— your first kiss, by the way— had you melting against the other’s hand that is now caressing your cheek. you squeeze his hand in response, feeling warm all over telling yourself that this boy is a hell of a good kisser (not that you knew what makes someone a good kisser because again, this was your first kiss after all).

you feel a sigh of contentment against your lips and that was enough to pull you back from the momentary bliss you were experiencing. pulling away from the freckled man, you immediately look around your surroundings, looking for your friends.

and you did see them.

you saw their jaws on the floor, kokomi shamefully gasping as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.

turning your attention back to zhongli’s friend— the one that you weren’t supposed to be kissing, you notice that he had his eyebrow raised playfully, a smirk playing on his lips.

“care to explain ?”

love equation [ prev / masterlist / next ]

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

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

TAGLIST: send an ask to be added! @blov3d @r0ttenhearts @afoxesgreed @kairxse @cameshitpost @xingqiusliegee @kalncallily @aiikalvr @rrasado @belovedxiao @kunisbeloved @raideneiari @multifandoms27-blog @xxyuixe @rifran @ode-to-spring @arraxthatsonjah @thedeadbitchwalking @miitchiji @kaoyamamegami

fun facts ★

mona’s account (as shown on the last panel) is my dump account on ig 😭 so don’t mind the @

childe is a regular at this coffee shop because this is where he typically studies. (yes, he studies)

i don’t know if café hopping exists but it’s when you try out different cafés in a single day and then die from palpitation because of the amount of coffee you drank

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

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cinnamonest · 1 year

Note

Do you remember this one post from a while ago where you talked about some of the boy's bad habits? Like Kaeya's constant fidgeting. Would you mind covering some of the ones you haven't, like Zhongli? I want to know how badly he'd drive me up the wall.

Ahh yes this post!

Indeed, I've come up with a few more >:)

---

Tighnari is obsessive about orderliness and neatness. He's incredibly strict, especially with his workspace, which becomes a pain if you ever work with him. You didn’t put the jars back on the shelf in alphabetical order, you barbarian?? And you didn’t even make sure the labels are facing perfectly forward, lined up with each other exactly where the edges of the labels meet?? What kind of uncultured swine would just set them the way you did? Unacceptable.

Things HAVE to be organized the way he wants them organized. This ends up extending beyond just his workspace, but his home as well. If you leave things in disarray, he’ll come over to you huffing in frustration, pull you up to your feet and drag you over to the mess (or “mess” by his standards) that you made. I give you a place to sleep, the least you can do is show some respect for my living space. If you're eating something and get up to go get something else, and leave it unattended for more than a few minutes, it will be thrown away by the time you get back. What are you so irritated for? If you leave it there, clearly you were done.

Additionally, you cannot get away with anything if he’s in a very wide vicinity. You often forget and act the way you would with anyone else – you’ll be halfway up the stairs when you’re storming away all angry, and try to mutter something under your breath, but a voice calls out to you.

I heard that.

You’ll wait for him to leave the hut you two stay in and go outside before fiddling with something you’re not supposed to be doing, accidentally bump something or drop something small, just ever so slight of a thump, and a head comes poking through the door.

What was that?

You’ll be trying to mess with something on your restraints or a locked compartment, accidentally cut yourself on the glass or metal, and inhale just the quietest of sharp breaths, but footsteps come over from the other room anyway.

What did you do this time?

On and on it goes. To be honest, you end up developing a bit of an anxiety and paranoia about it.

---

Zhongli has this... subtle condescension.

Infantilization is not just a bedroom thing. It carries into everyday life, and like, not at all in a hot way, quite an annoying way actually. He acts like you’re a dumb child or something, that knows nothing about how the real world works, who can’t do anything on your own. You once received a parcel and tried to use a knife to break the line of tape, but it was swiftly taken out of your hand. Now now, you shouldn’t be handling things like that. Every day at around 9 pm or so, if you’re still up, he’ll start insisting you go on to bed. You shouldn’t be up too late, it’s not good for your health. Doesn’t let you do much of anything for yourself. You’ll burn or cut yourself trying to make food, you’ll get lost if you go to this or that place by yourself, you can’t handle a conversation with these very important people, so let him do the talking, okay? It’s not only the acts themselves, but also the tone of voice he talks to you with that likewise sounds like he’s trying to talk to a kid.

And you know how sometimes elderly people will feel the need to one-up you on everything you say, trivialize your problems with a "back in my day it was so much worse" sort of thing? Yeah he does that. You can’t complain about anything. Oh, you think it’s too cold in here now? Well, there was a time he lived in the mountains and skies, often below freezing for days on end! That sort of thing. He always sort of smiles and chuckles in this amused sort of way, like you’re a kid or animal doing something silly, and frankly, it drives you up the wall.

---

Kazuha’s is actually a bit surprisingly petulant – he can’t stand it when you’re spending too much time not paying attention to him, and he feels the need to be talking to you all the time. When he’s on his own, sure, he can spend long periods of time in silence, but something about your presence makes him feel like he just has to be talking.

This becomes an issue when you're trying to, say, read a book. He can't just sit there in silence. He has to make some question or comment. Whatcha looking at? What’s it about? Do you like reading? Have you read a lot of books? And then when he can’t think of more questions about that, he’ll be quiet for just a few minutes before starting up again about something else. It’s very obvious that he’s hoping to just get you to put down what you’re doing and talk to him instead, as he just sits there, doing nothing himself but talking to you. Books are nice and all but you know what would be better? Doing something else that involves interacting with him!

Unfortunately he also tends to get his feelings hurt a little easily, so if you snap at him, he'll finally go quiet... except now he's sad. So then he sits there, hanging his head, being very sure he's directly in your line of sight with the sad puppy face. Until you inevitably sigh, say you're sorry and weren't trying to be mean. Only then does he perk back up.

---

Alhaitham unironically manspreads. He takes up so much space when he sits, legs sprawled out, arms spread across the back of the seat if it’s a couch or multiple seats next to each other. It’s not intentional, he doesn’t realize how it might inconvenience others, but still quite obnoxious. You have to end up pointing out that you’re practically pushed to the very edge of the seat because his leg takes up half the space in front of your spot. Yes he does it in public spaces too and yes it irritates people, he’s just oblivious.

This is actually the case in general, he’s oblivious. For such an intelligent young man, he often gets lost in thought or hyperfocused on something in front of him, and his sense of awareness of everything around him diminishes in turn. For example, he’s the type of guy to be standing in a line, but looking down at something he’s reading in his hand, not notice the line has moved and there’s now a big space between him and the person in front of him, and needs the person behind him to give him a tap on the shoulder and point for him to realize he hasn’t been paying attention.

Also, he will finish off a container of food and then put the empty container back on the shelf. Absolute bastard.

---

Thoma’s is less annoying to you and more to other people, but it’s still embarrassing for you because his habit is about you. He’s that guy that decides that everyone he comes into contact with deserves to get the full 20-minute, detailed, powerpoint presentation style speech about you.

And this here is the picture from that time you went to the beach, and here’s the flowers from that time that you visited another nation that he pressed and saved for you, and ensures they know your height, birthday, favorite things, blood type… so on and so on.

He’s also very cuddly. Which is sweet and all, but it can become an issue when, similarly to the other habit, you’re trying to accomplish something. You can’t move around too much when he has his arms squeezing you. But, similarly to Kazuha, he can get his feelings hurt a bit easily, so you can’t bring yourself to really get upset about it, or he’ll sulk and make you feel bad.

In fact, he has a bad tendency about that in general – sometimes you think it’s more subconscious than intentional, but he knows how to put on a perfect sad, quiet act and make you feel terribly guilty about anything.

#🥺🥺#the bbs

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paimonial-rage · 1 year

Text

but it's better than drinking alone - zhongli

synopsis: in which the weight of the geo archon's burdens is shared ship: zhongli x reader notes: takes place after zhongli's second story quest (act ii: no mere stone); chapter 6 of bookkeeping!verse; with ties to sharing a drink they call loneliness

You always found it how the simplest things were often the most difficult. All you really had to do was ask. That was it. And yet… bringing yourself to do it was perhaps the hardest trial you have ever faced. What if he said no? Even worse, what if he said yes? What would you do then? Well, that was what you wanted, but did you truly want that? You weren’t good with feelings. You weren’t good with emotions. You were too temperamental, too opinionated, too tactless.

And yet…

He was doing it again, wasn’t he? Getting lost in his mind.

You noticed when he came back one day after an outing with the traveler. You were shopping for groceries when you saw him enter the harbor late one evening. There were a myriad of words you could have used to describe him at that moment, but if you had to boil it down to one, it would be…

Tired.

It wasn’t the feeling that came after a stressful day at work, but the exhaustion of carrying such weight on one’s shoulders for so long.

You thought you’d leave him alone for a few days and maybe he would go back to his normal self, but such didn’t come to pass. When people spoke to him, he took a bit longer to reply. When he’d have tea at Third-Round Knockout, it seemed as if Iron-Tongued Tian’s words captivated everyone but him. When he’d visit Yuehai Pavilion, you’d find him there past lunchtime gazing at the hustle and bustle of Liyue Harbor. He was never there that late.

It was nearing the end of your workday at the parlor, the end of his day too. You had already prepared everything you needed. All you’d have to do now is ask. That wasn’t too difficult, was it? You sighed. Well, time to get it over with.

“Zhongli,” you called as you approached his desk.

You hated how you knew he took at least half a second longer than usual to respond.

“Ah, First. Is there anything wrong with the receipts?” He asked.

“No,” You replied. “I uhh… got a bottle of wine as a gift. I’ve never tried it before, but it’s a rather large bottle. I was wondering if you’d be interested in helping me with it if you’re free tonight.”

Did that sound natural? Did you sound like your normal self? You didn’t sound too eager, right? Gods, you weren’t built for this. But thankfully, he didn’t leave you waiting for long.

“Hmm, I am not busy this evening, so sure. It would be my pleasure.”

Then after giving him the time to meet, you walked away to pack your things, and that was that.

…

Was it supposed to be that easy?

A bead of sweat slid down your neck as you walked by his side toward Wanmin Restaurant. It was silent. Too silent. Shouldn’t you be talking right now? But what was there to say? What counted as normal conversation topics? You couldn’t bring up the weather. Only awkward people brought that up. So what was left? Should you just come out clean? Or should you ease your way into it? Or–

As if sensing your panic, Zhongli cleared his throat. “Though I wouldn’t consider myself an alcohol connoisseur, do you remember the name of the wine gifted to you? I am curious to see if I’ve tried it before.”

You tilted your head to the side in thought, grateful to be distracted from the storm in your head.

“I don’t remember. It started with an O… or was it a C… Cassia?” You mused for a few moments longer before giving up with a shrug. “Either way, I thought you may like it because it sounded bougie– I mean, it looked like it’d be to your tastes. Madame Ping was the one that gave it to me. Do you know her, by the way?”

You hoped he wouldn’t ask what led to your run-in with Madame Ping. The old woman seemed to have a penchant for appearing when you were the most troubled. Your stress over inviting Zhongli out brought you to the nearest liquor shop. The last time he opened up was over a bottle of wine, so you were determined to recreate the same circumstances once more. But what wine to choose? You definitely weren’t going to tell him you meandered around the shop for a good fifteen minutes without making a single choice. You didn’t think your pride would be able to weather the blow of purchasing a wine only for it to be critiqued badly by Zhongli.

You wanted to thank the celestial gods above when Madame Ping appeared. If anyone could recommend a wine with a sophisticated flavor, it would be her. Who could doubt the word of an adeptus, after all? But she really had to put you on the spot, didn’t she?

“You seem to be caught up in your thoughts again, my dear,” she greeted with a twinkle in her eye.

You could only laugh pitifully in response. “Well, I don’t know what to choose, to be honest. Do you have any recommendations, Madame Ping?”

As she looked over the shelf, in the back of your mind you couldn’t help but feel she already had chosen something, but was taking her sweet time to tease you. With the stunt she pulled last time, you wouldn’t put it past her. Eventually, her gaze landed on a specific bottle, and handed it over to you with a knowing smile.

“I would think the young man from last time would enjoy something like this. Do tell him I said hello, won’t you?”

Your smile wavered as the memory played in your head. Was it age that gave her the ability to read minds? Or was it some kind of adepti art? You’ve bumped into Madame Ping a few times after meeting her those few months ago, but Zhongli was never a topic of conversation, let alone mentioned. So how did she…?

“She’s an old friend of mine,” he replied.

“Is there anyone you don’t know?” You asked, half teasing half serious, opting to store away his response to ponder for a later time. “Well regardless, she said hi.”

He laughed.

“I’ll make sure to visit her for tea the next time I am free.”

You both took seats at the restaurant. After ordering your meals, yours simple and Zhongli’s complex, you pulled out the wine and poured two cups. As he picked up the cup and brought it to his lips, you refused to tear your gaze away. You really didn’t want to watch his response to his first sip, but your chest tightened ever so slightly at the possibility of a negative reaction. Sure, the blame would’ve fallen on Madame Ping, but that didn’t help your nervousness any bit.

When the wine met his tongue, he pulled back in surprise. It then faded to an expression you could only describe as “complicated.” Was it sorrow reflected in his eyes or was it warmth? You couldn’t tell, but the tightness in your chest only increased. You smiled uneasily.

“If you don’t like it, we can order something else.”

He shook his head, offering a small smile of his own.

“It is alright. I was not expecting such a… nostalgic taste,” he finally got out. “It brings back memories.”

You bit your lip. Well, if there was a good time to start, it would be now.

“You… seem to have been in that kind of mood as of late…” You began hesitantly. “Does it have anything to do with the outing you had with the traveler earlier this month?”

“Ah, so you’ve noticed.” He laughed. “I was wondering if that was what it was…”

Your brow rose. “If what was what it was?”

“You’ve seemed kinder as of late,” he replied amusedly.

Heat rushed to your face as you felt your hackles rise. Here you were trying to be nice and respectful, and there he was laughing in your face for it. Gods! You had no clue why you even bothered sometimes! If he could still tease you, perhaps he wasn't feeling as bad as you thought!

“Well, excuse me for worrying,” You snapped back with a glare, before turning away in frustration. “You already know why I’m here, so just tell me what happened already!”

And just like that, the levity in the air disappeared. His gaze fell upon his cup once more. If you weren’t at his side, you wondered if he’d lose himself to thoughts once more.

“That day with the Traveler, I was able to meet an old friend that I hadn’t seen for a very long time. The last time we met, we… did not part on good terms, so it was a relief to have made peace before he left again.”

You frowned. That didn’t seem very bad at all. Rather…

“That’s a good thing then, right? It’ll be easier to meet with him again next time–”

The resigned acceptance in his eyes, however, stopped you cold.

“I am not sure if that will come to pass. He is not well and has only gotten worse over the years. I fear the next I see him, he…”

Silence finished his sentence for him. It filled your heart with sorrow. Judging by how long his outing was with the traveler, you doubted he had much time to spend with his old friend. So to make peace before parting again once more, most likely for good… you couldn’t imagine what that was like. But if there was one thing you knew that helped people…

“Tell me about him?”

“Hm?”

You gave him a kind smile.

“You have a lot of people you call friends, but they’ve always felt more like acquaintances to me. Can you blame me if I’m curious?”

“You make it sound as if I’m some loner that has never had a real friend in their life,” he replied with a twinkle in his eye.

You snorted.

“I didn’t say that. I’m not blind. I see how popular you are. It’s just that you’ve never seemed particularly close with anyone I’ve seen you with. I want to know what kind of person you’d consider a dear friend.”

Your choice of words seemed to catch him off guard, but his eyes softened soon after.

“A ‘dear friend.’ Yes, I suppose he was one,” He echoed softly, warmly. “What would you like to know about him?”

You hummed as you took a sip from your cup. Well, if he was offering…

“What kind of person was he? Was he similar to you? How did you meet? Did you two get along?”

It took him a few moments to respond, lost in thought as he was. It seemed you were correct. This person was not one of Zhongli’s many friends. This person held a place closer to his heart.

“My friend… was a lonely individual when we first met. He lived in a very secluded area of Liyue that rarely received visitors. I suppose one could say he lived under a rock for much of his life," he chuckled, as if indulging in an inside joke from memories past. "Perhaps it was that which caused him to have such a love for the world. When I invited him to come along with me, he was a bit clumsy at first, but his curiosity had no bounds. He became a patron of the arts, with a particular interest in blacksmithing.”

As Zhongli spoke, his amber eyes practically glowed as the haze of memories swirled about in the air. This person wasn’t someone that simply admired him, but a true friend he could joke around with. Someone he observed and knew deeply.

“Even though it could be said that I was more experienced, he was much older than I, and his views far more expansive as well. Admittedly, I couldn’t understand much of his perspectives back then. Still, I learned much from him.” He sighed. “I wish…"

He didn't continue.

He didn't need to.

“I wish I could have met him in person,” you hummed as you played with your cup, though your lips soon pulled into a teasing grin soon after. "Although I have a hard time picturing someone wiser than the knowledgeable Zhongli."

He laughed.

“He was. Although I can't say I agreed with everything he said, his words always brought me comfort. I was glad to have seen him..”

For the last time.

You knew it was none of your business. You had no right to ask. And yet… That look was in his eyes once more, the same that you saw that one night while he gazed over the harbor. They were the eyes of someone left behind, forced to wait for those never coming home. You couldn’t stop the words that left your lips next.

“How many friends have you watched leave?”

He didn’t need you to explain. The pained grimace that stole his expression said everything.

“Much… too many.”

The air was tense. And yet you had to go on.

“Why do you put yourself through that?”

He sighed.

“It’s my duty.”

You couldn’t argue with that. And yet…

“Well, that’s a shitty duty.”

He chuckled, though it sounded more of resigned acceptance than anything else.

“Perhaps, but it’s necessary. I was there to witness their beginning. I should be there to witness their end.”

You frowned as you poured more wine into his empty cup. You knew he wasn’t wrong. Though you never lost anyone close before, you knew you would never leave a friend to face their end by themselves if you could. And yet, if that was something you had to experience over and over again, you weren’t sure if you would be able to take it.

“That explains a lot,” you began, sitting back in thought.

His brow rose. “Oh? In what way?”

You played with your cup, doing your best to find the right words to say.

“I always thought it was as if you went through life trying to cause the smallest amount of ripples in the water you could. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you’re a loner. You’re popular. You’ve never shied away from interacting with people. You leave behind knowledge, admiration, wonder—everything but you. Everyone knows who you are, but nobody knows you.”

You then shrugged.

“But I guess that’s the job of a witness, you know? They are there to witness and declare what they’ve witnessed, but nothing more. If you ask me, you seem to be everything in this world but a participant. I suppose it is easier, but…” You laughed wryly. “Isn’t it lonely?”

He leaned back, glancing up at the stars.

“At times. It certainly is an honor to watch people blossom and grow. It’s enjoyable to learn from them and spend time as friends. But… in the end, partings are never happy occasions. Perhaps that is why I keep my distance.”

You gripped your cup as his words sunk in. It was finally out in the open, wasn’t it? You always had an inkling, but never did you think he would ever confirm it. You thought it would bring you some relief finally knowing for sure, but it didn’t. It only filled you with disgust. Was this the life he was fated to live? Didn’t he have a right to more? Or was he forced to spend his years watching people leave him behind?

You hated it.

“Well, you failed,” you announced before you could stop yourself. At his confusion, you clarified. “Distancing yourself, that is. Like it or not, you’ve already become a participant in my life. It’s too late to take it back, so…”

You paused, your bravado beginning to die. And yet, it needed to be said. Losing your chance now would mean losing it forever. Still, unable to stand the weight of his gaze, you poured yourself another cup and downed it right after.

“I’m sure you of all people would know this, but life is already a long journey as it is, especially when one has to embark on it alone. There will always be things that will happen, things that make us happy, but things that hurt us as well. So if your duty ever becomes too difficult, you can push it to the side, even if just for a moment. I’ll be here to share the weight of your burdens when it becomes too heavy. Any frustration, hurt, or complaint you have, I will listen to them all. You don’t have to do everything alone.”

The silence that came after your last word was almost too much to bear. How long had it been already? Five seconds? Ten? Why wasn’t he saying anything!? Turning to him with a complaint upon your lips, you were rendered silent by his expression. His eyes wide and posture tensed—you truly managed to catch him by surprise. Heat flooded your cheeks.

“What!? Stop looking at me like that! I can be nice. We are friends, aren’t we!?”

After what felt like forever, he finally gathered himself and chuckled.

“I apologize. Never had I expected to have made such a good friend as yourself. Thank you, First.”

You turned away in frustration.

“You’d better be. It’s a lot of work looking after you, you know…” You grumbled. “But I do mean it. Even if you choose not to take my offer for years, it will always be there. Consider this a contract between you and me.”

He laughed.

“Is that so? In order for a contract to be valid, both sides should benefit from it.”

You snorted.

“Well, if you’re offering, you could go easy on the spending from here on out…”

“Ahhh, I will have to think about that.”

#genshin impact #zhongli #zhongli x reader #genshin x reader #my writing #bookkeeping!verse

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astelren · 2 years

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Genshin Impact with affectionate s/o

ೃ⁀➷ TW/CW: Fluff, Gender Neutral Reader, A little bit of Zhongli being a teaser, One Mention of jealousy, let me know if I need to add more TW/Tags ♡ Minors please interact with me only by liking or reblogs. ➳ Characters: Zhongli

⤠ With a scary cat s/o (Diluc) ⤟ Genshin Masterlist (soon!) ⤠ None ⤟

@/its-alvi-tar requested: REQUESTS FOR GENSHIN IMPACT? HERE I AM!! HC for Z H O N G L I with an affectionate S/O? I love that boy! Also farming primo gems on mass for his banner. Wish me luck! 😔😔

I wanted to post this with Zhongli third? fourth? rerun and I think I managed that? I hope? Wishing that tumblr doesn't give me problems once again with the tags once more... This is a rewriting of my old work, originally posted on @/severnrsstuff (now severnr0ses).

He doesn’t mind nor care. Zhongli goes around doing work with you attached to him like a koala at his eucalypt tree and he is just like “yes, my lover is an affectionate one, I love them very much. Why? Do you have a problem with that?”

Say yes and Zhongli becomes Morax once again

Zhongli is completely fine with cuddling, hugging, kissing, everything. Nor does he care about being in public, but I can see him being much more “professional” when in public or at least trying to

If you decide to snuggle him when you two are in public Zhongli isn’t going to move you away or anything, he is super chill about it and would be very confused as to why other people are looking at you two weirdly

Like??? It’s your way of showing your love towards him??? What do they want-

Perhaps he would ask you, so gentle and caring, to tone it down a little bit when you two are in public, even if he feels bad about it and you can definitely use your puppy face a bit to make him feel even worse (and it's fun to see him being a little bit more panicked than usual). But it’s not like to he told you to stop!!

Zhongli would feel bad if he moves you away from him when you act more affectionate with him, he would try to win you over again by buying something for you (in hopes that he remembered his childe wallet)

Seeing you being so openly affectionate with him makes Zhongli feel very happy and soft inside, every time you snuggle with him Zhongli will always give you a little kiss on the cheeks or forehead, say how much he loves you, and caress your face

In private he’s much more cuddling: you wouldn’t need to start cuddling in private that much, since Zhongli often hugs you first (especially if jealous but shshhs you didn’t hear it from me). He’s, surprisingly, very affectionate! Hugging, kissing, caressing, holding you closer, everything. Although very tame and gentleman-y in a way? Like he has this calm and collected aura while he strokes your back that you don’t understand where it comes from...

Most of the time, however, you have to initiate it. Especially in public, private it’s not so common. During the day he is a very busy man, working and all, so you might feel a bit... Neglected, considering how he seems to act so caste when other people are around

Pout a little bit about it and Zhongli will notice it, chuckling slightly and calling you a needy baby. He might tease you a little bit; kissing you everywhere except your lips, hands slowly caressing your side while he calls you once more a needy baby, always in need of his full attention otherwise you throw a little tantrum

Don’t worry he won't do it for long, just to see you pout a little bit more because he finds it so so cute :((((

He’s probably more cuddling when in bed; both before sleeping and after waking up. Zhongli likes to sleep with you in his arms, usually telling you an old story from when he was Morax or something that happened that day, gently caressing your back while he has his eyes closed

Good luck with trying to get up when you are between his arms, he won’t let you go. Use him as a pillow, or mattress, but don’t leave or you will hear Zhongli muttering still half-asleep, to not leave or he’s getting angry

When Zhongli wakes up he likes to hold you even closer, gently kissing your face while whispering “good morning” and smiling happily. Will probably not let you go up easily and “force” you to stay in bed with him a little more, kissing and cuddling before having to get up

This work belongs to @/astelren, do not repost, translate, copy, rewrite or share on tiktok without my permission. Reblogs are appreciated and encouraged♡

#genshin fluff #zhongli x reader #genshin x reader #zhongli fluff #zhongli x reader fluff #genshin zhongli fluff #genshin zhongli x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact fluff #genshin impact zhongli x reader #genshin impact zhongli fluff #genshin x reader fluff #🌹 ── my.writing #🌹 ─ genshin.writing

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silentmoths · 1 year

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Fragile as a brick wall

Masterlist || Next

welp, I was originally going to start posting this one on Ao3 but seems they're doing some maintneance, so the tumblr crowd is the first to get chapter 1.

I havent felt this...energized about a story in a while, and while I doubt it's updates are going to be daily like my first batches of longform, here's hoping I can keep the energy up.

Zhongli x Afab (fem pronoun) Reader

NSFW elements in later chapters

Multi-chapter, Royal AU, angst, mentions of death, eventual fluff, eventual smut, idk more tags when they happen ig?

(Beautiful header made by the lovely @ainescribe ;w; i am not worthy)

Ch:1

The night is quiet, peaceful.

Unassuming.

A small group of travellers pass through the gates, silent save for the echo of hooves against cobble as their horses ascend the path towards the castle. It’s been many years since any of them have returned, and for some, they had never once set foot into the kingdom; now only following their leader, hopes of a better life for themselves and all these unassuming villagers.

They expect resistance from the guards, but as their leader removes their hood, any and all step aside, staring with wide eyes, as if they’d seen a ghost, some of them even bowing in reverence; they remembered.

They all remembered.

They all know why he’s here.

They say nothing. Turning a blind eye to the newcomers' approach, hushing any of the younger guards who had never laid eyes upon the man at the head of the party as they pass, for this, he is glad, he didn’t want to hurt any of his old friends.

“M’lord…this is almost too easy.” Xiao mutters, eyeing off the guards from beneath the safety of his hood. “This must be a trap.”

“This is no trap, Xiao.” Zhongli responds easily, turning his head to give one of his strongest and most loyal a reassuring smile. “These are old friends who are tired, just as I was.”

“Things truly are worse than I thought.” Ganyu mumbles, eyeing off the village down the hill, rundown and falling apart “Are you sure we can save this?”

“I am.” He responds with confidence “I cannot do this alone, but as you can see, the guards are on board, the villagers will be swayed easily…with all your help…this can be turned around.”

He does not mention the one other person he can think of that could truly turn the tides, she isn’t even here right now, sent on a goodwill mission to the kingdom she had been promised to, no matter, any political promises from the king would be dissolved before dawn.

He sends Xiao and Ganyu to the prince's chambers first. Despite their glaringly cruel outlook on their subjects, he needed those two alive, and he knew Xiao and Ganyu could do that. Finally, at the screaming of one of the princes, the alarm is finally raised that there was indeed something wrong in the castle, guards mobilise, yet all seem to actively avoid where the actual problem is, vanishing to other wings of the castle, dragging confused new recruits with them as Zhongli waits.

The twin’s are deposited at his feet, bound and gagged as he sits upon the throne that will soon be his, hood pulled back up to conceal his identity as he waits. The king was a proud man, and he loved this horrible gilded throne more than anything else. His mind turned feeble, greedy and tyrannical after the death of his wife, if there was anywhere he would go first, it was here.

What bothers him more are the smaller thrones, set either side. Two…one for each prince, completely disregarding their older, far more capable sister.

No matter, Zhongli would see to fixing that soon enough.

But before then, the drunken, thunderous shouting from down the hall signalled the approach of the one man he absolutely had to see.

The king shouts obscenities and profanity at him, demanding his sons be let go, that he would have Zhongli hung for his crimes. Zhongli listens silently, letting the oaf bluster himself out before rising.

“You have forgotten me…” He sighs with a shrug of his shoulders as he unclips his cloak, allowing it to fall away. “Quite a shame.”

There is a burning satisfaction Zhongli feels well in his chest when the tyrannical king he had once served so loyally, realises who it is standing before him. Despite the many years, Zhongli still looked very much the same; well kept, fit and strong despite his thin physique, and his eyes, to the king, it was the eyes.

The molten amber-gold was unlike anything he had ever seen before, and had not seen since the death of the captain of his Royal guard some five years ago.

“You-” For all his thunderous bellowing earlier, the sight of a ghost had the horrid man stunned to silence, unable to move, unable to speak, as Zhongli draws his sword, face hardened to stone.

“Me.”

–

Blood stained the throne room floor that morning as dawn breaks and the villagers slowly meander to the gatehouse. The guards, once sullen and imposing, step aside, welcoming the common folk into the castle grounds proper for the first time in over a decade.

The people begin to talk, to flock and to question as they approach the castle, once cut off, once a place of fear; anyone who had been summoned to the castle prior had never been seen alive again.

And yet the sight they are met with at the main gates is of a pyre, of the king’s body, cremating and the two princes bound, forced to watch their father’s corpse burn in the morning light.

They see Zhongli, standing tall and proud, a man none had seen since he and his battalion had been sent into battle five years prior, the only man to not return. A good, and honourable man who, despite his loyalty to the throne, oft rebelled against the king’s order, who tried his best to help the village, to sneak any excess food from the kitchens before it went to waste, to help farmers in their fields on his off days.

The people point, and the people shout. They cheer and they cry tears of joy.

After over a decade of fear and uncertainty, a new king had come in the night and usurped the throne with such vigilance and grace, that no one had even known what had happened until morning.

It was heartbreaking to him in a way, to see how absolutely no one, save for his two remaining sons, grieved the death of the previous king. When Zhongli had first joined the guard, he had been a firm but kind man, and to watch him slowly fall to the clutches of insanity was painful.

But what’s done, is done.

He is not officially crowned until the next day, but he has his small resistance group already beginning to set up and settle in, he tells the castle staff to take time off, to go home with their wages for the week and be with their families. Some do, most refuse, citing that there was much work to be done, and that the small handful of people he had would not a castle make.

It takes a week of hard labour, on both the staff and his own parts, to finally clean the dreary, grey walls and floors, to re-light the torches and to bring a touch of finery back to the neglected palace.

The king’s chambers in particular, were a testament to just how horrific the times had become. Filthy and strewn with empty bottles and papers. The staff tell him that they had not been allowed into this wing of the castle for years, and they insist on attempting to push him out so they may clean it themselves.

He doesn’t allow it. It’s his chambers now, he should have a hand in clearing out the old mess. Just because he was king now does not excuse him from dirtying his own hands.

(That and he just…couldn’t watch these poor men and women clean all this on their own)

As things settle into an easier rhythm, his attention turns to proper, administrative duties.

With Ganyu on the case, everything is already lined up, ready for him to read over and sign, she has already sent correspondence to neighbouring kingdoms that they, under new ruling, are no longer a threat; Zhongli’s ultimate goal is nothing but peace and prosperity for his home. He listens to the requests of his new tentative allies, and he allocates funds to fix parts of his new kingdom broken down under the old reign. He does his best to have everything kept fair, but this is where he falters; fierce in battle he could be, but paperwork was always taxing.

And then the villagers come again one morning. Almost all of them present to the throne room, hardened looks upon their faces, and at first, he think’s he’s done something to wrong them.

They ask first about the fate of the twins, citing that they had still been alive at the burning of the old king. At first, he’s surprised, having not expected any of them to care about the pair of delinquent royals who had caused them nothing but pain, but he tells them anyway.

“They are currently being held in the dungeons, they are still being cared for.”

“Then what of the princess? What do you intend to do with her upon her return?”

At the merest mention of the princess, the crowd begins to shout, to beg and to plead for her life to be spared, multiple different villagers of different status’ all coming forward offering to take her into their homes should he choose to banish her from the castle.

Zhongli finds himself proud of his new people, and glad that they too, held such fondness for the princess. Far more like her gentle queen mother than she ever was her father. He recalls his days before war broke out, of the fondness he’d held of her.

He would never bring her harm.

The crowd’s shouting dims at his statement of that very fact; their princess would not be harmed, she had no choice in any of her fathers matters, she would not be banished, or married off for gain. The villagers rejoice, their giddy excitement only growing.

Faintly, he hears whispers from some of them, wondering just how she would react to the new king upon her return, if she hadn’t been told already.

And faintly, Zhongli wonders if she would even return…a thought that hadn’t crossed his mind, despite knowingly waiting until he was sure she was not within the kingdom before he took control.

He hopes, of course, that she does return. If anyone deserved a hand in shaping this kingdom, it was her…and Zhongli, while keeping his intentions quiet from all but his closest confidants, wanted her to become queen.

His queen.

Once the crowd is calmed and sent on their way, he retires once more to his chambers, and finds himself, void of things to be doing, staring out the window as he remembers. A young girl, clinging to the hem of the queen's gown as her mother introduces him to her. He remembers how small and fragile she looked, remembered placing a kiss to her knuckles with a quiet murmur of ‘your majesty’ and how it turned her cheeks pink.

Remembers standing beside her on the day of her mothers funeral, watching as her face remained radiant and smiling as she spoke fondly of the queen mother. Watches as the king slowly crumbled before them all, unable to speak, unable to do anything. His sons, her twin brothers were no aid, too coddled to truly cope with such tragedy.

Despite it all, it was her who picked up the pieces of a kingdom left in mourning, and yet it was her father who took those pieces and ground it all to dust.

Taglist: @stygianoir @meimeimeirin @ainescribe @dustofthedailylife @theheartshaker @alice4wonderland2812 @bel0vedcup1d @rjssierjrie Want to be added to the list? shoot me an ask~

#Silentmothwrites #moth is not silent #Moths Fragile as a brick wall #Zhongli x reader #Zhongli genshin #Zhongli x reader smut #(eventual)

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