Married Life

JJK BOYS’ WHEN YOU CALL THEM BY THEIR LAST NAME !

an. ur so cute when u reblog aha

ft. itadori, fushiguro, gojo, nanami, inumaki, junpei x gn!reader

wc. 0.6k

genre. fluff

► MASTERLIST ► TAGLIST ►

ITADORI YUJI — POUTY. think he’s done something wrong or something to make you angry, so he subtly acts more affectionate throughout the day, makes sure not to piss you off in any way, etc - and you have to hold back your laughter all the while. yuji isn’t the type to be confrontational about but if you do decide to keep up the act for a while, he’ll nervously ask you later on - “are you mad at me?” - he looks like he might cry with those puppy dog eyes of his, please tell him it’s a prank and shower him in affection as an apology <3

Keep reading

i "like like" you

request from anon - "Single dad headcannons for Zhongli. Reader could be his kids teacher maybe"

a/n - *dies from how cute this is* AAAAAAAAAA YES YES AND YES single dad!zhongli is everything <3 (also i'm not sure if everyone heard of the childhood phrase "like like" but it's a way that we'd say we had a romantic interest in someone as children. i'm not sure if this is exclusive to NA which is why i'm explaining it, but i thought it was a cute title hehe)

pairing - zhongli x gender neutral reader (modern au!)

word count - 8246

genre - fluff

format - headcanons + blurbs

warnings - alcohol consumption

summary - between raising his two beloved children on his own and running his own business, zhongli can't quite find the time for romance—that is until he meets you

to most, zhongli is a professional businessman and ceo of his own company

though polite and mild-mannered, he's known for his sharp intellect and quick thinking

through his hard work and dedication, his tea company which manages several popular teashops in the city, has seen immense growth and success

though he dons the face of a hardened ceo while walking through the halls of his workplace, behind closed doors zhongli is known as "papa" to his two beloved children: ganyu (5) and xiao (2)

there's absolutely nothing zhongli loves more in this world than his children

he's quite the doting father: the wealth he amasses from his successful company is poured into ravishing his children with the comfiest beds, finest toys, the best education, and college funds to last them years to let them pursue whatever they want

ganyu is more of the quiet book worm of the two: she spends time with her papa snuggled in his lap with a picture book or two eager for him to read to her

though zhongli isn't a goofy character, he'll oblige his little girl's request to "do the voices" of the various characters in the story book and relish in her giggles

she loves to draw and write stories that she often gives to zhongli; his office at work and at home are both littered with framed pictures of ganyu's best handiwork and he's proud to show them off if anyone asks

much to his surprise, ganyu is quite adept at higher level thinking and as such, he's begun to teach her how to play chess and checkers

he's let her win far too many times though, but it's the thought that counts!

xiao, on the other hand, is always on the move: crawling and stumbling on stubby hands and feet from one room of their penthouse to the next, it's hard to get him to settle down unless his papa is there to lull him to sleep

he's not one to throw tantrums, but he is known to crawl into a corner and sulk until his papa comes to get him

though zhongli wouldn't exactly describe xiao as a terrible two year old, xiao certainly was quite fussy and picky with just about everything

from xiao's toys to his food to who held him, all three categories had to be managed either by zhongli himself or his personal assistant, childe, who often babysat for him while he worked overtime or had business meetings overseas

xiao has a preference for sweet things: specifically very soft almond tofu, and though zhongli does his best to manage the diet of each of his children to be healthy and nutritious, he can't help but indulge xiao when he tugs on the fabric of his dress pants and asks for "ah-mond to-hu"

zhongli has had difficulty in getting him to start talking, but he does have a few common phrases: "papa", "ah-mond to-hu", and "go" are the ones he uses most commonly

he often attempts to pronounce ganyu's name but has difficulty and just ends up calling her "yuyu"

xiao does love when his papa manages to sit down with him and play dolls or roll cars

zhongli finds that xiao is most at peace late at night when he's rocking him to sleep in front of the large, glass window pane under a blanket of stars

both of his children are his entire world, but some days he can't help but feel a pulsing emptiness

he's had lovers in the past, but they've never worked out either because some weren't interested in becoming a parent, and some couldn't deal with his hectic and evasive schedule

apart from external reasons, zhongli himself felt like there was simply no time for romance

but that all seemed to change the day he met you

you are ganyu's first grade teacher and a very patient one at that

the first time he lays eyes upon you is on ganyu's very first day of grade school

more content utc!

zhongli wasn't an emotional man, but the manner in which ganyu clung to the leg of his charcoal dress pants, gripped his hand with all her little might, and tried to hide her sniffles in his waist had his heart crumbling in his chest. up until now, ganyu had been home schooled by private tutors and wasn't used to being in such an unfamiliar environment.

"come now, little one, no need to cry." he cooed, stooping down to cup her ruddy face within his large hands and dry her tears with his thumbs.

"papa or mister childe will be back to pick you up as soon as you're done, okay?"

to no avail, ganyu's muffled wails would refuse to cease and drew looks from other kids and parents in the schoolyard that zhongli did his best to shield her from by pulling her close and rubbing his hand soothingly up and down her back. though xiao had been left in childe's capable hands with only the slightest bit of fuss, ganyu was quite attached to zhongli and it broke his heart to see her so sad. his gentle shushing and loving kisses to her head did little to calm her down.

he'd always been quite helpless in situations were his children required some sort of softness for them to absorb their tears into. no matter how hard zhongli tried, he never quite felt like he fit into that role and the way ganyu wailed ceaselessly into his shoulder solidified that great worry in his mind.

a gentle tap twice on his shoulder brought him out of his own head and had him looking upwards.

if you had told him you were an angel, he would've believed it. calm, gentle (e/c) eyes peered back at him, matched with a reassuring smile. to top it off, a pale yellow apron hugged your body and laid overtop of your regular clothes. pinned near your breastpocket was a little name tag that read "teacher (y/n)" with stickers of flowers and hearts decorated around the border.

"if i may, sir?" you asked, whispering only to him.

zhongli struggled to maintain his composure and merely swallowed down his own awe in one gulp, before gently prying ganyu's face away from his shoulder.

"hi there!" you cooed quietly, crouching down so your palms rested on your knees and you balanced on the balls of your heels, "i'm teacher (y/n)! may i know your name?"

ganyu sniffled once, wide eyes wandering to the name tag on your apron, then to your kind smile. she looked up once to zhongli, who gave a reassuring smile and nod before replying, "ganyu," in a quiet voice, still half muffled into her papa's shirt.

"hi ganyu! that's a very pretty name for a very pretty girl," ganyu whines embarrassingly and burrows further into her papa's arms.

zhongli shot you an apologetic smile while running a soothing hand up and down ganyu's back, to which you meet him in the middle with your own equally radiant grin that needed no words to dismiss his apologies.

"do you like to play any games, ganyu? i have lots of toys in my class that you'd like: dolls, cars, robots, and there's lots of picture books too!"

at the mention of picture books, ganyu's head shot up and her glimmering eyes met yours with piqued interest. "books?" she asked, voice hoarse from wailing.

"yep! lots and lots of picture books. we can read them together until your dad comes to pick you back up, is that okay?"

gingerly, you stretch your hand outwards, palm up, in an invitation to the little girl. ganyu hesitantly looked back at zhongli as if awaiting his approval.

"go on, little deer." he gently ushered with the flat of his palm pressed against the back of her periwinkle dress.

ganyu timidly placed her tiny hand in yours and nodded once to accept your offer. you beamed brighter than the sun itself and quickly produced a napkin from a small pocket in your apron.

"come here, sunshine," you coo, bringing the soft fabric to dab at her eyes and wipe away the tracks of tears from her face with gentle motions.

ganyu was always his easier child, but she never took so kindly to strangers so quickly. zhongli watched in awe as her cries ceased and she so pliantly gripped your hand. he beamed with pride at the courage of his daughter, but also felt a part of him deflate knowing he'd have to leave her here all day.

"don't tell me i need to get a tissue for you as well, sir."

hand on your hip, there was no denying the teasing lilt to your voice as you met his eyes. upon his silence you fear that you may have overstepped your boundaries.

"a-ah forgive me it's just, you looked so sad." you hesitantly chuckled and rubbed the back of your neck.

"no, no, do not apologize. it was a humorous joke, i'll admit." he tailed off with a breathy laugh, still fixated on the way your eyes glimmered under the shimmering rays of golden, morning light.

"i must thank you, for being so kind to her. i'm grateful for that."

his heart trembled in his chest when you simply stood up with a small giggle and waved your hand dismissively.

"nonsense! it's my job to look after the little ones, besides," you paused to look down at ganyu, who still held onto your hand yet had her eyes trained diligently on her papa, "something tells me this is her first time being away from you for long."

your perceptiveness was a warm welcome to him, and he began to feel less hesitant about leaving ganyu in your care. with a pleased hum and rosy cheeks, he tried to dismiss the trembling of his fingers as the result of the beginnings of the bitter, nipping frost of autumn.

"i am zhongli."

and when you shook his hand and spoke your name, he felt the cobwebs around the rusted gears of his heart begin to rip and disintegrate. for the first time in a while, zhongli felt the faint beat of amour underneath his dress shirt.

he heads to work that day, a bit frazzled by this morning's encounter

there's no denying that he hasn't felt such a warmth in a long, long time

and he can't seen to get his mind off of how sweet you were with ganyu

childe was still preoccupied with xiao and other paperwork for the company, so zhongli is the one that picks ganyu up from school that day

he's a bit late and arrives when all the other students had already gone home

upon entering the vicinity of your classroom, he finds you sitting on a colorful beanbag chair with ganyu in your lap and a picture book in front of both of you

you read with such a soothing voice; not only that, but you did "the voices" of each character just as he does when he reads to ganyu

speaking of his daughter, her eyes are trained solely on where your pointer finger scans through the lines, and he can't help but be enamored at how easily you gained her trust

reluctantly though, he has things to do and takes her from your arms

you place your palm on his forearm—a friendly gesture—while you bid him goodbye and it's hard for him to deny how electric the area you touched made him feel

on the ride home, ganyu is more talkative than usual and the topic of her chattiness is all about you

apparently: you're the "bestest" teacher in the whole world (though zhongli has to remind her that "bestest" isn't a word) who loves to read and sing

the singing part intrigued him; with how lovely your voice had been just speaking to him, he couldn't imagine just how lovely the saccharine cadence of your singing voice must be

and so he begins to fall into a steady routine: drops ganyu off early in the morning at school in your care, then returns sheepishly around an hour late after school ends to collect her from your arms

it isn't until one day, when childe had important company matters to attend to and all his trusted babysitters were busy, that zhongli runs to pick ganyu up from school with xiao in his arms

and he discovers that you're most taken with his son

"mister zhongli, you never told me you had a son!"

intrigue lit your eyes up like a glowing lantern as you cautious peeked past the soft folds of the blue puffer jacket zhongli had carefully dressed xiao in to shield him from the bitter autumn air. his glimmering amber eyes peered up at you with bated curiosity just as your finger gently connected with his little fist.

"ah yes, apologies, teacher (y/n), it appears to have slipped my mind." he bashfully coughed into his fist and shifted xiao in his arms.

he couldn't help but let a rare smile creep onto his face as he watched you interact with xiao: the excitement laced on your face as xiao's little hand clasped around your finger, the sheer awe that had practically branded itself into your eyes as you locked gazes with xiao, it was all quite amusing to him.

"would you care to hold him?" he offered, shifting xiao's weight in his arms to extend him forward.

wordlessly, you took the toddler into your arms and giggled in tandem to the few words that did manage to slip from xiao's mouth.

"well hello to you too, little mister." your finger waggled over xiao's face as his little hands stretched up to reach it.

ganyu had been awfully quiet, watching from your side as you held her brother so fondly. zhongli had never seen her make such a face before: little lips turned downwards and brows furrowed to crease in the middle of her forehead. her fist clutched the soft fabric of your apron and it seemed that she'd tug every now and then. a particularly harsh tug got your attention...and zhongli's as well as you jolted with xiao in your arms.

"little deer!" he hissed, swooping in to scoop her up into his arms. "i apologize dearly, ganyu doesn't usually act like this." the last part seemed directed moreso towards the little girl in his arms, who shamefully buried her face into the crook of her father's neck.

you, however, seemed to realize exactly the intentions behind her actions immediately. "care to switch, mister zhongli?" you asked, extending out his son to him.

"please you need not address me so formally, just zhongli is fine." he countered, wordlessly shifting ganyu so her little hands stretched out towards your body.

"you as well, (y/n) is just fine." you smiled at him after exchanging the two children in your arms.

ganyu immediately melted in your embrace and slung her around around your neck, whereas xiao began to wriggle in zhongli's broad arms and babbled nonsense.

"i think she was just a little jealous." you giggled and whispered discreetly for only zhongli's ears.

"my, that's quite unlike her. i do apologize for her behavior though."

zhongli was quite sure he would've said more if not for how tender you looked with ganyu in your arms. your deft fingers gently tucked a stray lock of her hair from her head behind her ear and a pleasant smile had painted itself upon your lips. your very, very, soft looking lips.

but he was getting sidetracked, far too sidetracked.

"i-i do believe we must be going now." he cursed himself for his unusually unkept manner and hoisted xiao once more in his arms.

"oh yes! ahaha sorry about that. come on, ganyu, your papa's waiting." you stooped down and usher the girl away from your arms into her papa's hands.

ganyu reluctantly let go of your clothes and clung to zhongli's leg with each of her little fists full of the silk, charcoal material of his dress pants. zhongli relished in how warmly and fondly you looked upon his children, but not before realizing how dark it had gotten outside.

before he said his goodbyes and turned to walk through your classroom door, zhongli chose to make an offer that fell perfectly in tandem to the unnatural thump of his heart: "would you care for a ride home?"

zhongli ends up giving you a ride home that day (and bites back his amusement when you eagerly gawk in awe at his fancy, sleek, black car equipped with a touchscreen gps and heated seats

with your address in his gps, zhongli ensures that you're home within thirty minutes, no more no less

his routine continues, though you did shyly ask to see xiao a few more times and he would happily oblige your request by letting xiao tag along when he'd pick up ganyu

you've also grown on him quite considerably:

your quick wit, tender kindness, and complete and utter patience is a stark contrast to the world of stoic business that zhongli is deeply familiar with

not to mention you make conversation flow so easily, to the point where zhongli felt that he could sit and listen to your voice forever, even if his conversations with you only lasted briefly and were about his kids and your jobs, before he'd leave with ganyu in tow

he finds himself staying a bit longer with every pickup, and you're more than happy to indulge him just a little longer each time

zhongli often brings you samples of tea that his company had not yet put into wide distribution; majority of the time your feedback is very positive with the occasional wonky blends or two

there's something pulling him to you and for once, zhongli doesn't feel himself pushing against the tide

even his children have noticed how fondly their papa looks at you

ganyu once asked him during a game of chess if he "like liked" you, and after asking her for a brief explanation of what that meant, he nearly choked on the cup of oolong tea he'd been sipping

though his daughter's words are childish, they haunt him while he lays awake at night and wonders: does he really have a romantic interest in you?

his thoughts are answered oddly enough the very next day, when he goes to pick ganyu up from school and a very irate looking person who isn't you, is pushing ganyu into his arms and scolds him for his lack of punctuality

ganyu explains on the drive home that the "subtute" (she can't quite pronounces "substitute" yet, as zhongli corrects her and helps her sound it out while peeping through the rearview window at traffic stops) teacher had replaced you for the day, and you were sick and home

sick, and all alone

and something tugs at his heart once he's fed and lulled his children to sleep and leans against his counter with only his thoughts to keep him company

he's not one to give into impulse easily, but with only a quick phone call to childe, he's tugging on his jacket and slipping into his car with your home in mind

zhongli felt a bit...guilty, about forgetting to delete your address from his gps. he'd be sure to apologize properly with some extra tea and goods from his shop. a shopping bag filled with tissues and ingredients for rice congee jostled in the passenger seat when his tire hit a pot hole. he wasn't quite sure what you'd like, but rice congee had always helped ganyu feel better when she'd fallen ill.

his car pulled up to your modest, warm-looking home; flower beds decorate the front yard, along with little gnomes and garden decorations. if he were to look up "welcoming" in a dictionary, he'd find a picture of your house as an example. zhongli stopped the engine and exited the car with the bag in tow, heart in his throat and palms clammy and sweaty. he's a grown man who can strike a business deal with anyone and dominates bargaining offers, but still sheepishly hesitates to knock on the wood of your door, illuminated only by the nearby streetlamps and a little metal lantern that hung to the side.

against his better judgement, his knuckles find their way onto the wood of your door and knock thrice.

his breath caught itself in his throat the minute the door creaked open and your familiar face greets him.

you're bundled up in warm looking pajamas, snowy bunny slippers on each of your feet, and a thick, pale blue blanket draped over you body like a hooded cloak. all in all, you looked quite adorable if not for the redness in your eyes and obvious struggle to breath right.

"z-zhongli! what a p-pleasant surprise!" there was obvious enthusiasm behind your voice and yet its gravelly nature couldn't lie about how awfully sick you seemed.

"i apologize for coming so late, would you be opposed to me coming inside?"

you open your mouth to respond but are immediately engulfed by a fit of coughs, to which you motion for zhongli to come no closer when his arms automatically go to catch you should you fall.

"i-i'm quite sick...i'd hate for you to catch it."

with a sheepish, boyish smile that he admittedly hadn't worn in years, zhongli held up the plastic bag with his index finger and shrugged. "i do have a strong immune system."

that seemed to be enough for you, who gestured inwards with a giggle and shut the door behind him.

your living room is relatively clean except for the occasional scatter of books and sky-high pile of kiddy drawings on a nearby table.

"excuse the mess, i-i haven't really had time to clean up, heh..." you whisper meekly, tugging the soft fleece of the blanket to conceal your face.

zhongli can't help but find the action adorable and tugged the fabric back from your face to revel in your gleaming (e/c) eyes.

"please, i insist that your home is quite lovely, (y/n)."

you emerged from your blanket burrito, embarrassment written all over your face. you eyed him curiously with a warbled smile on your lips. "are you here to discuss ganyu's progress? i'm not feeling the best right now but i am still thankfully s-sound of mind."

"no not at all, i simply...ganyu informed me that you weren't at school today and i thought i would come by and prepare some tea and rice congee for you. they are things that have helped my daughter and myself in the past so-"

"zhongli, a-are you sure? i know i appear to be a mess, but i-i'll be fine! i really would hate to keep you from your kids."

you truly were so considerate, and he knew now that he'd absolutely hate to leave you on your own to bear the brunt of your illness.

"i promise, they are fast asleep and well taken care of. i'd like to help you out as well, if you'd indulge me." much like a business deal, his hand automatically stuck itself out forwards. but when you slipped your warm hand into his, the "business" element faded away and left something much more tender and supple than he could ever recognize.

a mumbled "thank you" is all you can muster before a fit of coughs took hold of you once more.

"come now, you should be resting in bed. i shall prepare the tea and congee," he paused and pressed his forehead against yours despite the lurch of his heart upon contact with your hot skin, "hmm, you are far too warm. your fever must break and then you shall be alright."

your sleepy mumbled did far too much to his hammering heart as you trailed off into your bedroom, zhongli's hand still in yours as if you hadn't realized. your room was quite modest with a bookshelf or two lining the walls, but you ignored the pile of texts on the ground beside your bed and clambered up onto the mattress under the sheets.

"i'll be in the kitchen should you need anything." he warned just as your warmth disappeared from his hand.

a muffled "okay" from the pile of blankets underneath your body let him set off to prepare the tea and congee for your consumption, all while his hand burned pleasantly with the remnants of your touch.

with muffle thoughts and flushed cheeks, he got to work. as the tea water began to boil and his large hands stirred a pot of congee, his mind began to slip under into his deep depth of thoughts. here he was, a grown man, who still treated love like a lovesick teenaged boy. it was most shameful to him to be acting in such a manner, but it seemed to be almost out of his control. there was no use fighting the vivid blush or panting of his heart when you'd connect eyes and talk about anything.

so lost in his thoughts, zhongli had nearly forgotten about the kettle on the stove and scrambled to turn the heat off just as the congee had finished boiling.

"archons above..." he mumbled and dragged a hand over his face.

just what were you doing to him?

he'd long since discarded his work blazer on the coat rack near your front door and rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt to better accommodate the cooking space. this, however, revealed the slightly embarrassing dragon-style sleeve tattoo on his right arm he had gotten so many years ago.

much to his chagrin, it seemed to be the first thing you noticed upon his entry with the congee and tea into your room.

bundled up under layers of blankets, you immediately locked onto the intricate lines of gold and charcoal ink that layered his arm.

"such a pretty tattoo..." you mumbled and tentatively stuck your hand out to trace over the detailing.

"a mistake of my youth, but i'm glad you find beauty in it." he hummed in an attempt to ignore your electrifying touch and set the tray of congee in front of you along with the tea by your bedside.

"i really can't thank you enough, this was all very sweet of you to do for me."

your body shifted to sit upwards only to wobble and collapse back downwards onto the soft sheets with a hissed "oof". zhongli's quick reflexes ensured that the tray holding the bowl of congee wouldn't have spilled all over your sheets.

"please, i insist that i help you. do not overexert yourself further." he gently chided and pressed one of his large hands to your shoulders, leaning you back against a fortress of pillows.

"spoon feeding me now, are we? i feel like a little kid." you wriggled under the sheets and lolled your head to the side just as zhongli pulled up a chair to your bedside from your desk.

"well you must remember: i am a father of two, so i'm quite accustomed to this."

your lips parted to greet the ceramic spoonful of congee, eagerly swallowing the warm food. zhongli's keen eyes picked up on a smidge that had caught on your bottom lip and instinctively went to swipe away at it with his thumb, palm cupping your cheek, only to feel the moment your breath caught in your throat and locked gazes with you. he's sure his cheeks are flushed a rosy red and judging by the pounding of his heart in his ears, he's quite sure you heard it too.

"i- um-, apologies that was invasive-"

"no, no! y-you're alright, don't worry i just got a little flustered...it's been a while since someone has treated me so kindly, i suppose is all." you quickly reassured and placed a palm over his knuckles.

his mind wandered back to ganyu's question, and though he's not quite sure of a solid answer, as you babble on about how sweet ganyu is while he spoonfeeds you congee and helps you sip tea, he does begin to think that what he feels around you can be described as "like liking".

zhongli commits himself to staying by your side until you feel better

which means he does end up falling asleep at your bedside in the chair with his arms folded on your bed

as soon as he's awake, he's immediately on the phone with childe, apologizing profusely and reassuring him that he'll add on extra pay and more vacation days for the poor ginger

you're also an apologizing mess, but zhongli quickly shuts you down and reassures you that he'd rather have kept you company than you be all by your lonesome

he leaves that day with awakened butterflies swimming around in his stomach, but not without stopping at home first to greet his children and get them ready for the day

ganyu's questions about where her papa went are relentless and much unlike her usual quiet and shy self

whereas xiao clings to his pants leg for most of the time it takes zhongli to get ganyu ready for school

since his first visit, you often invite zhongli over

the invites are masked under "discussing ganyu's education" but in reality, you two sit and discuss so many things over a pot of freshly brewed tea

he finds himself coming to you a lot with new proposals and ideas for his company and your input almost always results in success! (except for the one time you mistakenly thought tea from pine trees would be a good idea, yikes)

his visits to your classroom are also a running ordeal, and he's begun driving you home as well even if you insist on not being a burden

"it's hardly a burden if i'm offering, now come, i wouldn't want you walking alone during nightfall."

even his children had begun to notice how close their papa and you were

ganyu would always ask to accompany him if she knew he was heading out to see you, and some times he'd have to indulge her because how can he say no to his little girl? (you're more than happy to have ganyu over at your house either way)

and xiao has surprisingly taken quite a liking to you after you showed up with your own homemade almond tofu and asked him to be your first taste tester (your almond tofu is now xiao approved)

you grow to become close friends with zhongli, and he finds that time seems to slip from his hands whenever he's engaged in a conversation with you

everything you touch, all the topics you speak of, they feel so incredibly warm in his chest

the more you talk, the closer you get

and one day, zhongli finally gets the courage to invite you over for dinner at his penthouse

"papa has a date?" ganyu asked with an innocent tilt of her head to complete the look. her little feet dangled over the end of the bathroom counter she sat on, and brushed the edge of her pretty pink dress as childe fixed a matching pink bow into her periwinkle locks.

"you bet he do-"

"no, little deer, papa does not have a date." zhongli scolded and eyed childe with a sharp look in his eye as he fixed his charcoal tie in the ceiling high mirror beside the bathroom counter.

"oh come now, mister zhongli, what part of this isn't a date? i haven't seen you so nervous since xiao's birth." childe poked and hoisted ganyu from the counter into the air. "isn't that right wittle ganyu wanyu? aww look how pretty you look!" childe cooed in his baby voice and spun her around in the air, making sure to rile up a good amount of giggles from her before he set her down. ganyu scurried quickly out of the bathroom lest she be subject to any more of childe's antics.

"this isn't a date, merely a dinner with a friend and my children." zhongli replied once ganyu was out of earshot

childe snorted and leaned against the bathroom counter with his arms crossed. "yeah, a friend that you run straight to for advice on tea flavors rather than the actual advisors that work for you."

"it's nothing more than a dinner, i can assure you that."

"oh? really? what's with the fancy getup then?"

it was rare for zhongli to feel such a buildup of irritation, cringing as it manifested into a nervous, weighted pit in his stomach. he owed a lot to childe, but as of right now he was being little more than a fly hovering in front of his face.

"alright, alright, i know when to call it quits, boss," childe raised his hands in surrender, metaphoric white flag waving pathetically, and strolled past zhongli on his way out of the bathroom, "i'm a phone call away if you need anything." he clamped a hand down on zhongli's shoulder with an encouraging smile and headed out to the front door.

zhongli would be damned if he said he didn't need the extra encouragement—his previous dates had gone running for the hills once they spotted xiao's toys or ganyu's coloring books, and yet you willingly chose to come over and tread the grounds of the unknown despite knowing he had kids. it thawed his heart ever so slightly.

"papa, is mister childe not eating with us?" zhongli broke from his thoughts upon feeling the slight tug of his dress pants via ganyu's little hand.

"not today, little deer," his knees stooped to collect ganyu into his arms and hold up her against his chest, "but we do have another important guest, so i must ask that you be on your best behavior. could you do that for papa?"

ganyu nodded feverishly, periwinkle locks that had been styled up into a pretty ponytail bounced with each motion of her head.

"very good." he hummed and smoothed down her frazzled locks.

as if on cue, xiao stumbled in past the bathroom door on shaky legs with his arms outstretched and eyes wide, watery, and wandering. how was it possible that zhongli had contributed to the birth of something so adorable? it was a question he often asked himself at moments like this when his children managed to wriggle their way into his heart.

"alright, little one, i know, i know." his back groaned as he shifted ganyu to one arm and stooped down to hoist xiao with his other arm.

xiao instantly went limp against the heat of his father, little dress shirt and clip-on-tie scrunched up against his coiled body as he pressed himself inwards to zhongli's chest. zhongli's amber eyes roamed the peaceful visages of his children, comfortable and safe in his arms. and for a moment, he recalled the many times you had held his children in such a similar manner—as if they were your own, with such tender, supple love and adoration in your eyes.

the gentle pound of three knocks against the door of his penthouse broke him from his thoughts.

"is that the important guest, papa?" ganyu asked, stretching her neck to peer at the door from around the hallway.

a hummed laugh bubbled up from the depths of his throat as he nodded and began hurriedly pacing towards the door. "it is indeed, and i'm sure you'll be quite excited to see who it is, little deer."

despite the outward courage and nonchalance he displayed, his insides were a gooey mess of nervousness that he hadn't felt in years. he managed to thickly swallow down a dry patch of air that had been caught in his throat and shuffled his children around in his arms so that his clammy hand could grasp the cool metal of the door lock.

the wood pulled open and zhongli felt his breath hitch once more in his throat.

elegant cloths draped over your skin and hugged and pooled around your body like an antique fountain. your hair had been styled so uniquely, and on your face lay your usual tender smile, and he couldn't help but bite back the thought that you were dangerously attractive.

"papa close mouf!" xiao's stubby little hand moved to zhongli's jaw and unceremoniously pushed upwards; he hasn't even realized that his jaw had gone slack.

"he's right you know, you'll swallow flies if you keep your mouth open like that." you quipped and smoothed over the top of xiao's fluffy hair, allowing your nails to scratch gently over zhongli's skin for just a brief moment (he'd have buckled at the knees if not for his children in his arms).

"need a hand?" you giggled and held your hands out in an invitation to him.

ganyu immediately clambered forwards, joy illuminated in her eyes as you scooped her into your arms.

"teacher (y/n)! are you here for dinner with us?" ganyu asked, fisting the fabric of your clothes.

you meet zhongli's stunned gaze with a slightly amused glimmer in your eyes and speak unspoken words to him in the brief moment your eyes connect, before you turn to look at ganyu.

"i sure am!" you reply and fix her bow into place. "my you look so pretty! your brother looks dashing too." you cooed and gently pinched the soft chubbiness of xiao's cheek.

"and your father..." your eyes meet his once again and zhongli's insides become a mess, "...looks quite handsome." you packaged a coy smile for him and fixed the silky fabric of his tie back down into the center from its crooked position.

zhongli managed to snap out of his stupor and moved to pick up your hand. your mouth opened to intervene and ask what he was doing, but the soft, tender flesh of his lips against your knuckles halted all and any questions you might have had.

"thank you, for coming this evening. you look beyond stunning." his voice vibrates against the skin of your hand, and you know you're a goner when flashes of his smile hit your heart like a beacon.

zhongli's not exactly known for being a mess but he can't help but want to impress you

he's pulled out all the stops for making this dinner go as wonderfully as possible

all the dishes are hand-made himself, and the desserts were made with the help of ganyu and the slight help of xiao (it was a challenge to not let him near the almond tofu though)

despite the aggravated pounding of his heart, he does his best to be a gentleman: leads you to the dining room by the hand, pulls out your chair for you, and pours you sparkling water all with xiao in one arm

the dinner overall goes quite well!

just like before, conversation is quite easy between you and zhongli despite the lingering alluring tension in the air between the two of you

but in addition to that, zhongli admires how you communicate with his children

ganyu has a tendency to ramble about things she really likes, and so you patiently nodded along as she recounted the story of a novel her papa had read to her the other night in between bites of crystal shrimp and adeptus' temptation

and upon discovering xiao's love for sweets, you were more than happy to slide him an extra portion of your almond tofu just to see the elated glimmer in his golden eyes (and though the action didn't go unnoticed by zhongli, he let it slide just this one since he found it adorable)

but there were a few hiccups here and there

xiao accidentally managed to spill his juice over his bib and the sensation is enough to have him sniffling

but before zhongli can react, you're already scooping him into your arms and rocking him back and forth until his tears had settled

ganyu had accidentally dropped a plate while helping her papa carry the dishes to the sink, and like before, you swoop in and immediately comfort her while zhongli hurries to grab a cutesy bandage and a dustpan for the broken porcelain

your skin connects briefly with his over the course of the meal as you reached for salt or swooped in to wipe food away from xiao's chubby little face

the tension between zhongli and you is so palpable that he was sure if he breathed in too much he'd be consumed by you

xiao had immediately fallen asleep at the table, and ganyu had been tiredly rubbing her eyes

but you'd taken the liberty of bringing each child to their bedroom and let zhongli redress them in their night clothes

and as he watched from their bedroom doors, how you tucked ganyu in and kissed her forehead goodnight, and made sure xiao had his stuffed bird and fleece blanket, he knew that his mind had come up with an answer to the question that had been haunting him for months

there was no denying that the question ganyu had asked him a while ago was one he could answer now

zhongli finished pouring a second glass of wine just as you emerged from the hallway to the kid's rooms.

"wine?" he offers, stretching out a glass to you from across the immaculate amber marble counter.

your brows furrow in thought before easing with a shrug of acceptance. "sounds lovely, what kind?" you ask between sugary inhales of the sweet liquid.

"osthmanthus. a fine brew i save for exemplary occasions such as this one." he smiled and scooped your hand into his to once again press his lips to the back of your knuckles. "have i told you how lovely you looked tonight?" he hummed with a coy brush of his nose against your hand.

"you have, but i wouldn't mind hearing it again from you." you smile against the rim of your glass and take a modest sip.

"come, the view from the veranda will be far more to your liking." his elbow jutted outwards in true gentlemanly fashion.

"i feel like royalty, you're quite the gentleman, zhongli." you teased and looped your arm through his.

"ah, that pleases me to hear. you deserve nothing less than the best treatment." he hummed and slid open the glass door for you to step out onto the balcony.

his forearms found their way pressed against the metal railing of the balcony overlooking the many twinkling lights of the bustling city below, wine glass still in hand. cars screeched and lights flared vivaciously and yet nothing could draw his attention away from the manner in which the world reflected like a kaleidoscope in your glimmering eyes.

despite the easy smile on his face, his heart nearly jolted out of his chest when you melted into his side and leaned your warmth onto his body. his arm unconsciously moved to shelter your body from the slight chilly evening breeze and it's when your eyes lock that he realizes just how close the two of you are.

zhongli set his wine glass down with trembling hands, not trusting himself to hold a proper grip on the glass without it slipping from his hands. much to his surprise, you downed the entire contents and placed the glass on a nearby table.

"the wine tasted really good...everything tasted really good tonight." you mumbled, more fixated on the structure of his face than the lingering droplets of wine in your mouth. "thank you for inviting me." with a smile warmer than a summer's day, your lips curled upwards and met his heart in the middle.

he was sure you could hear the aggressive pounding of his heart with how your ear had pressed itself against his chest.

"the pleasure was all mine, i insist. you were lovely to host for dinner." his fingers daringly moved upwards to swipe a bead of wine that had clung to your lips. the spur of confidence he'd been looking for all night had finally dropped into his lap when your hand overlapped his and allowed him to cup your cheek.

"ganyu had informed me of quite a peculiar term a while ago." he murmured, not breaking eye contact or removing his hand from your cheek.

"what would that be?" there's an inquisitive, invisible dance of tension beneath your layered words; unmistakable in his eyes no less.

"she inquired as to whether or not i...'like liked' you," your adorable giggles muffled by his palm interrupt him and he finds himself smiling along.

"ah yes, i'm aware that the manner by which i address this is a bit...childish but-"

"but nothing, zhongli," you murmured and pressed your palm against his lips to silence him, "keep going, it's sweet."

"very well," he chuckled and maneuvered your body so your chest molded against his and his hands settled at your hips.

"i've given much thought to her question, and i think that now i must admit..." his voiced mused in tandem to the gentle rising of his hands to cup your cheeks and lock gazes with you; deep enough to where his heart began to pound at the swell in your pupils,

"you occupy all crevices and cracks of my mind every hour of every day, and it's beyond any shadow of a doubt that i do indeed 'like like' you."

the thick bands of tension had finally come undone and what was left were the tender pulsations of both of your synchronous hearts. your lips parted and fell agape at his honesty and tender words masked beyond a childish shield.

"i-i recognize the implications of my words and by no means do i wish to force-"

"i do too."

his ramble is immediately halted with your gentle touch on his cheek to mimic his tender hold on your face. peering at your face reveals an endless treasure trove of piled on affections ravished by the illuminations of the city lights. your free hand gently wraps around his tie and tugs him impossibly closer before you whisper just under your breath,

"i like like you too."

his breathed hitched rigidly in his throat, the familiar jumpy nervousness coming back to bite him as his lips part to ask, "may i kiss you?"

he only needed a single nod of your head to dive inwards and slot his lips against yours. the immediate connection of skin sent a tingling feeling of electricity through his veins; a feeling that he thought he'd long forgotten. his eyes slipped shut and he let himself drown in your ocean. he'd lost count of how many times he'd laid awake at night imagining this exact scenario; how tender and supple your lips would feel against his or the reverent warmth emanating from your body.

your hands entangled themselves in his chocolatey locks just as his large hand moved downwards to splay against the small of your back. his lips hugged yours with such gentle intimacy, you'd swear you'd come undone in his arms if your embrace continued any longer.

a sudden clutter of noise drew your faces back from each other, breathy and flustered in the face. you longingly stare at each other for what felt like an eternity before you remembered the noise. both of your heads whipped towards the sliding door only to see a flustered ganyu whose tiny hands covered over xiao's eyes, still in their night clothes. a vivid blush covered the span of her nose and cheeks, and a single glance to the left would point to a tipped-over vase as the source of noise. she most likely knocked it over trying to back away from the sliding door.

"she must have seen us..." you gasp apologetically, but zhongli is quick to quell your worries with nothing but a gentle smile.

"i-i'm sorry p-papa..." ganyu stuttered and folded in on herself, clutching the hand of her brother tightly as zhongli slid the door open.

"it's alright, little deer. but you and your brother should really be asleep right now. it's quite late." he cooed, stooping down to be at eye level with her.

xiao shrugged ganyu's hands away from his eyes and stumbled towards you with outstretched hands out onto the balcony.

"aww, i think they missed you, zhongli." you mused and scooped the toddler into your arms, who melted into the crook of your neck.

"perhaps you mean that they missed you, (y/n)." he chuckled and gathered his daughter into his arms.

his hand guided you by the small of your back to the railing once more, a child in each of your arms. zhongli's arm maneuvered itself to wrap around your shoulders with ganyu nestled comfortably in his other arm. you gratefully leaned into his side and pressed a chaste kiss to his jaw as a sign of thanks. in that moment, something in zhongli finally clicked perfectly into place when he realized just how much of a family member you'd become.

"teacher (y/n)?" ganyu called, cheek smushed against her papa's shoulder.

"yes?" you hummed, hoisting the now sleeping xiao in your arms.

"do you and my papa...like like each other?"

zhongli can't help but fall into your depths when you look at him so lovingly with his child in your arms, and there's no hesitation in his reply nor does he break his gaze from you when he replies, "yes, we do."

he really like likes you.

date published: october 21st, 2021

(Y/n) Can’t Communicate! [Genshin Impact x mute!reader]

Synopsis: The quirks of a mute s/o can be both difficult and frustrating but nevertheless, cute!

(Komi-san can't communicate AU in Genshin world. How the boys deal with your social anxiety and inability to speak)

Genre: fluff

Characters: Mondstadt edition. Kaeya, Diluc, Venti, Albedo

================================

Diluc

Many know that the Mondstadt Tycoon is not fond of idle chit-chat, Diluc is a man of few words and his partner...someone with even fewer words.

At first, he found it unsettling the fact that every time the two were left alone he was met with pure silence. Then out of midair, you'll pull out a notebook asking how his day went. Though he does not mind the reading part, just the moments when it happened outside and everything was too dark to read. Luckily the Pyro Archon blessed him with the appropriate element for these situations. He's mindful not to burn them because one time he did.

You will never have to worry about forgetting your notebook because Diluc will be the one who will constantly remind you to the point it's almost annoying. But because he knows just how much of a frightful disposition you'll be in when your only ability to speak was taken away and he wouldn't want that. In fact, it also gives him anxiety. It pressures him to suddenly become a mind reader and learn how to handle your whirlwind of emotions which he is very very bad at. Ends up revealing a more awkward side of himself that he cringes every moment he thinks about it.

(You can tell he isn't a very good conversationalist either)

Just two shy people hanging out <3

Though this increases his protectiveness by a hundredfold. If you made a new friend, he would be the processor, the one to determine whether they'd be a right fit for you or simply those fiends that take advantage of others (Kaeya has a special class in this case, of course, he is considered omitted. Venti is high on his radar given how much he talks and how easily he can persuade you to do things). Jean once told him that you will never make any friends if he kept this up and when you agreed, he couldn't help sulking (don't blame him. He's trying his best to show 🥺affection🥺). Ensures that either his attendant, maid or Elzer would be the one accompanying you if you were to go to the city without him.

Yet Diluc is supportive in whatever you'll wish to pursue. He doesn't want to be the one holding you back in reaching your potential, instead of staying fearful for the rest of your life, he encourages you in subtle ways. His infinite patience to wait for those words to fall out of your mouth, even if it takes agonizingly long and giving praise despite it was only a few words. He tells you to take it one step at a time, you'll get there eventually and rely on him whenever you want.

For now the both of you just settle with writing letters. Although he has the choice to speak, Diluc grew fond of the traditional way of messaging and seeing the style of the way you write.

Kaeya

Unlike his brother, Kaeya has a way with words. He finds it amusing how you reply using a pen and pencil as well as the slight reactions on your face, you were like a puzzle that he enjoyed figuring out (eventually leading him to dive deeper in a relationship he was too late to get out from lmao classic Kaeya).

The pros of dating him was that 90% you didn't have to mutter anything and he already knows what you're thinking. You would just stare and he could tell that you were hungry. The same expression, it translates to "what did you do today Kaeya?". Not even the slightest change Kaeya can tell apart 'fearful' and 'cheerful'. A blink and a nod is enough for him to digest your...words. People question how was he so skilled with your silent language. That was because his brother was Diluc.

The downside is that it backfires. He can't stop himself from taking the opportunity to squeeze out a flustered expression from you every once in a while. No. That was an understatement. Too much to count. He's evil. Even though Kaeya knows exactly what you're trying to imply, he purposely mistakens it as something else more favourable to him. "Oh? Your eyes have been staring at me this whole time. Is this your invitation to kiss me?" And you'll frantically wave your arms to clearly reject that idea considering you two were in public but he'll simply interpret as a reaction of excitement >:) Then as you quickly search for your notebook you find it held needly between his two fingers, a smirk plastered wide on his face. He was having way too much fun (Diluc questions why you chose someone like him in the first place).

Jokes aside he finds you precious. You would be the type to wear your heart on your sleeve and it digs into his soft spot for he lacked tha aspect you possessed. Kaeya can read the mood pretty damn well, in gatherings he knows how to lead the conversation where you'll be comfortable in joining. Gives you headpats when you manage to say something, complimenting how cute your voice sounded. Will absolutely not let ANYONE get in the way of teasing you (only reserved for him heh) and if they do, they would definitely be met with the haunting gaze of the Cavalry Captain, sending a wave of coldair up their backs. Though the moment you turn around he was his usual happy self again.

Takes you to quieter places when the two of you have the time to go on the date and remembers all your favourite things to talk about, making it easier for you to engage. Kaeya won't force you to do anything you wouldn't like but he will always leave you an open door in which allows you to enter the time that you are ready.

"Sweetheart, why don't you try saying my name. Won't you? For me?"

"K-K-K-Ka-Ka....Kae............." "............................................."

Still a long way to go it seems.

Albedo

A disorder where you are unable to speak? Yes, very very intruiging. This was probably the main reason what brought you guys together in the first place.

Well its true that Albedo only has good intentions, sometimes his curiosity can get the bettern of him combined with his lack of perceptivity when it comes to social norms. He didn't know that staring at you for long hours (he claims it to be behaviour observation) would cause you to be so petrified. Sucrose told him it was called anxiety. Albedo couldn't quite understand. To make matters worse, he goes up to you and straightforwardly asks "You have an unsual way of reacting to your environment. May I study you?" and the only reply he would get is you running away from him.

It was a good learning experience. Albedo had to navigate through the complexity of the human emotion.

In a sense, BOTH of you were very bad communication. Your end being the one who can't say anything at all and Albedo saying all the wrong things so blatantly. He read in a book that telling jokes can get someone to laugh hence he tried it, several in fact, go through a large list to see which joke would be the best (Venti in the background be writhing in pain). Lisa sees him often in the library as he browsed through the social section, borrowing more books that related to 'Communication for beginners'. She even had some recommendations (mostly for him though).

However it does not remove the fact that Albedo is extremely keen. He has the eye to notice the tiniest of behvioural changes and commits them to memory. Like the way your breath hitches in different patterns depending on the occasion, reflecting your mental state. Or the way your eyes suddenly light up, indicating that you saw something pleasant. What angers you. What scares you. What makes you happy. Albedo made it a habit to write all those things down, hoping one day that he could draw a conclusion and help you get rid of your anxiety once and for all.

When he sees you stuck in a conversation where the other person obviously couldn't tell their boundaries, Albedo wouldn't hesitate to be direct. So direct that it would hurt the other person's feelings and make them feel ashamed of what they had done. He didn't intend it to be this way. That was just his nature. You admired how brave he voiced his thoughts and suddenly felt a rush of pride from the way you looked at him.

Has actually experimented on being mute for just a day, wondering what it felt like to be you. He thinks it can give him some insight on how to handle your emotions. Needless to say, being the genius he was, Albedo flawlessly handled conversations without having to do anything.

Venti

Loudmouth. Can't shut up. Osana Najimi 2.0

Venti is your polar opposite, always spitting out rhymes and ballads as if having empty space of nothing was against the rules. You sometimes found it hard to keep up with all the information you had to digest by the speed of his words. Often te case would be that he would already be on the next subject way before you could finish writing your sentence. (Conversations with Venti would only leave your wrist to have chronic pain so its better to listen instead).

With all said and done, Venti made it his mission to get you laughing. Just a little. It would really brighten his day! (Take notes Albedo). His first experiment would be playing a prank on an unfortunate soul but it would end up getting him a warning from the knights and a harsh lecture from Diluc (threatening that if he ever did that again he would be banned from the tavern for life except that one of them had enough time to outlast the other ehe). The second experiment was pathetic. It was Kaeya's idea. To get him so drunk and see him sing ballads in that state will get you to laugh. You were only worried about his health and brought him safely to your home so that didn't work. The third attempt he finds out that you're ticklish and it escalates from there.

"You have a pretty voice (Y/n), you should use it more!"

In truth, the bard knows how much value one's voice can bring as he himself uses his own to sing. Venti writes songs out of the words you wrote in your notebook and although they made no sense, it was rather sweet how he managed to put them together in a way that expressed your thoughts. Music is an expression of one's own feelings too, hence he taught you how to use the lyre. Occassionaly Venti would also grab a parchement and ink to follow your methods too, only for fun, smiling all the way. And to make things more interesting, he'll turn it into a drawing session where the two of you communicate only through pictures.

When you feel afraid of the world, as if the weight is dawning upon you, Venti knows exactly how to lighten up the mood. Its just part of who he is. Because of that you were eager to return the favor, to find your voice so that one day you can make him laugh too.

Levi is the type to;

Cover you with a blanket when you fall asleep on the couch

Lay his hand on your leg

Embrace you from behind

Make sure you have the comfiest seat in the car/kitchen/living room/etc

Put your phone on charge when you fall asleep

Rub your back when it hurts

Wash your laundry and dirty dishes

Buy you that something you wanted

Ruffle your hair

Kiss you when you're fast asleep and whisper that he loves you

“atsumu, can i ask you a question?” you asked over the phone, stopping the continued thoughts that your best friend was sharing with you.

“yeah go ahead,” he said.

“well, have you ever kissed anyone before?” you felt stupid asking — especially as you were certain atsumu has probably kissed tons of people before but just in case you were wrong, you did want to know.

“kissed somebody?” he retorted with a scoff, “no, i haven’t actually. have you?”

you shook your head and even though he couldn’t see your face, he could tell your answer by the miserable sigh you projected over the phone, “look at us, two best friends who’ve never been in a proper relationship or kissed anyone, how pathetic.”

“it’s not pathetic, we just haven’t gotten round to doing it yet, that’s all” he countered, “but…”

“but..?”

“we could. kiss i mean, each other.” he suggested and you splutter in surprise, definitely not expecting that, “it would be a platonic kiss of course, just two friends who’ve never kissed anybody before, kissing each other.”

“that would be more pathetic tsumu,” you exclaim, “it’s late anyways, i’ll call you later okay?” you hear him hum in agreement before you end the call, ready to go to sleep.

but you couldn’t sleep, it was impossible for you to do so when atsumu’s absurd suggestion lingered on your mind. when you originally asked the question, you didn’t even think about the idea of you kissing your best friend at all; you just wanted to know if he had kissed anyone.

so when he did propose that you two should ‘platonically kiss’ each other, at first it seemed wild but as you laid in your bed that’s all you could think about — how you didn’t hate the idea of kissing your best friend.

“atsumu, i need to talk to you,” you said on the phone as the clock struck 2 am.

“to what do i owe the pleasure y/n, are you calling about my previous offer?” he joked and you could practically feel the smirk growing on his face.

“yeah about that…i was actually thinking that maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea?”

“oh really?” he asked and you hum in affirmation, “well when can we do it?”

“i didn’t know we had to plan when we did it,” you teased “can’t we just do it whenever?”

“yeah whenever, sure” he agreed “anyways it’s late and i’ve got things to do, you should go get some beauty sleep not like you need it or anything.”

atsumu hung up the phone before you could even register what he said, until when you finally rested your eyes and your imagination ran wild with sights of you and your best friend together in an actual romantic relationship. it was an unsettling thing to think about, how much you didn’t hate it but there was always potential in you reading too much into this and atsumu only seeing this as a platonic kiss.

after another hour of deep thinking, you decided to call atsumu again, “hey atsumu.”

“three calls in one night, i must be special,” he said with a chuckle.

“i just wanted to say, about earlier—“

“can you hold that thought a second y/n,” he said “i just need to do one quick thing.”

you hear a knock at your door, and question who on earth would be knocking at 3 am and when you open it, you were surprised to see atsumu standing proudly on your doorstep, phone next to his ear still.

“one second tsumu, there’s an idiot at my door,” you said hanging up the phone and atsumu gasps putting his hand over his heart in mock hurt, “what are you doing here?”

“i’m here to collect my kiss.”

“but you live an hour away,” you emphasised

“and it took me an hour to get here,” he responded smartly, “you did say, we can just do it ‘whenever’ and since i’m here now we can do it here.”

“here?” you question and he nodded, “right now,” with him nodding again. “okay,” and you didn’t know why you agreed, but you knew there was no point in having atsumu travelling all this way to end up with no kiss at all.

when his lips pressed against yours, it was awkward — at first — with your body becoming stiff in nervousness, scared of doing the wrong thing and atsumu sensed that his hands moving around your waist easing you into relaxation and you both fell into a comfortable rhythm as you kissed.

as atsumu pulled his lips off yours, you felt sad already missing the feeling of his lips against yours. “so…” he said awkwardly, “how was that?”

“it was fine,”

“just fine?” he repeated with a growing smirk, knowing that the kiss was definitely more than fine.

“i’m going to bed tsumu, bye” you said quickly, shutting the front door in atsumu’s face ignoring the loud “hey!” he yells from the other side as you run upstairs to your bed.

you assumed atsumu left and you were ready to go to sleep trying to erase your brain over the best kiss you’ve ever had —the only kiss you ever had but before your head could finally rest against your pillow you get a call from atsumu.

“y/n,”

“yes?”

“answer one thing for me really quick,” he asked “was that kiss platonic or romantic?”

“uhh,” you were caught off guard by his question and you knew your answer would definitely influence how your friendship progresses after today but you felt more confident answering knowing that it was over the phone so you wouldn’t have to deal with whatever unwanted reaction atsumu may give you in person, “romantic, it was romantic. if that’s what you wan-“

the call cuts out, and you hear the loudest celebratory cheer from outside your house and you immediately smile at how adorable atsumu was. even though it wasn’t your intention, you were happy to go to sleep having had your first kiss and getting a boyfriend all in the same day.

an: yes this is a repost apologies to the 30 people who’ve interacted w this I hope you enjoy it let me know what you think of this drabble which re reading it as I post it for the second time I hate BUT I hope you love it people

Reblogs are very appreciated

Date Night (Short Story)

Bakugou x Reader

You are sitting at home when you look down at your phone at the time. Seven o'clock crap your late getting ready for your date, Katsuki is going to be here any minute now.

You jump out of bed and rush over to your closet hoping to find something clean, looking at the pile of dirty clothes in the floor that you should definitely do tomorrow. You find a black sweater and a pair of leggings and throw them on and spray yourself with your favorite perfume. The great thing about Katsuki is you don’t even have to try to look nice around him, he LOVES when you show up like you just rolled out of bed. He says it’s when you look the best, no makeup and your natural hair falling down your back.

Katsuki pulls up and honks his horn. You grab your phone and wallet and run out to meet him. You see that devilish grin across his face. You hop in the car and he has the windows down blasting his rock music (as usual) you take off and go to your favorite place. There is a place not far from his house, an open field where you both love watching the sunset and eating your takeout from your favorite restaurant.

As the sun sets on another great day, Katsuki pulls out a blanket and lays it on the ground for the two of you to lay down on. The stars shining bright in the sky but one thing shines brighter, Katsukis eyes. Your favorite thing to look at. He turns his head to you and you both lock eyes, in that very moment you feel like your on top of the world.

“You look beautiful tonight y/n” your cheeks getting hot and red. Katsuki leans in and kisses you. He grabs your chin and tilts your head up kissing your neck. Chills run down your spine. You sit up and sit on top of Katsukis lap, wrapping your legs around his waist. He places his hands on your hips and flips you over pinning you to the ground. His body hovering over top yours.

He takes your chin into his hand and kisses you deeply. “Never pin me down unless your willing to deal with the consequences teddy bear.” Katsuki grins.

The rest of the night you spend tangled up in each other. Waking up covered in nothing but a blanket. Kasuki pulls your bare body close to his and whispers in your ear “I love you teddy bear.”

“I love you too Katsuki.”

I hope you all enjoy this I worked very hard on it. Much love for you all. -L

{ 7 }

when he sees you cry.

eren yeager x fem.reader

modern au | roommates trope

the drive back to your shared apartment was a bitter one as you were forced to relive your failures over and over again.

you figured the moment you got accepted into the university of your dreams that you were unstoppable; that each and every one of your goals could be obtained as long as you were willing to put in the hard work.

so when your bad grades and failed exams kept coming up regardless of the times you have spent doing your best to study for the material, you wanted nothing more than to cry. your heart ached, your voice was raw from the shouts of frustration that clawed at your throat, and you were just so tired from it all.

when your apartment complex came to view, you parked haphazardly on your usual corner, the tears blurring your vision in such a siginificant manner you were shocked that you were able to walk up the steps and recognize the door.

your hands were shaky, and the trembling of your fingertips made you miss the lock a few times. when you finally jammed your key into the damn lock and twist it open, you winced at how the loud impact of the door slamming against the brick wall reverberated throughout the apartment.

you hoped you didn't bother your roommate, actually praying that this would be the afternoon he slept in without questioning your teary eyes.

with movements that were nothing short of robotic, you lock your door and stiffly walk to your room. as you passed by eren's bedroom, you let out a string of silent curses when the door opens to reveal his disheveled form. dressed in only a pair of sweatpants, you could see the beauty of his godlike form while he ran a hand through his shoulder length hair. ah, so he was still sleeping, and you were stupid enough to wake him up with your commotion. "the hell are you slamming doors for? can't you see i-"

the biting words seemed to die from his lips the moment his emerald gaze meets with your bloodshot ones, still filled with tears. "'m sorry eren, i promise i'll be quiet."

"wait, who the fuck made you cry?!" you did not want to deal with this, already feeling a pounding headache forming against your temples as you continued your way toward the sanctuary of your bed. when you felt his large hand encircle around your wrist, you immediately ripped yourself away from him. "i said i'm FINE, don't touch me!"

knowing your roommate was a stubborn asshole who refuses to let things go, the moment you entered your room with every intention of slamming the door in his stupidly pretty face, eren stops you, placing his full weight against the door all while glaring down at you as he spits out your name, "i asked you who the fuck made you cry! i'll kick his ass if he does this again, so just tell me already so i don't have to see you like this!"

"and why the hell do you care?! why can't you just-"

you feel his hand on your lips, thumb stroking at them with a gentleness you didn't think the eren yeager was capable of. through your many months of living with him, you found him to be an immensely attractive young man; you thought of him as being devastatingly handsome, even. sometimes, you found it hard to look at eren without feeling your heart clenching at least once.

but in time, you got used to his presence. you hid your growing crush on him, buried it within the deep depths of your heart each time he brought a new girl home and lead him to his bed like it was second nature. while he kept those beautiful women warm at night, you forced yourself to focus on your own goals. you buried your entire heart and soul into achieving your dreams, and each time you fell short, you could never prevent the feeling of helplessness that came with it. which was why you desperately needed to fall apart on your own, without eren's powerful and prying eyes on you.

yet when you tried to pull yourself away from him, he pulls you back with a grunt, not relenting. you continue watching with wide eyes as a ferocity you have never seen before hardens his gaze, "we've been living together for 8 months now, you think i don't notice when you stop singing in the shower, or how you don't dance anymore whenever you're cooking dinner for us? come on angel, tell me who made you cry. who made you lose the light that i..."

he trails off for some reason, appearing frustrated in himself. in a vain attempt to save yourself, you wiped away the snot and tears with the sleeve of your sweater to give him a self deprecating laugh. "it's never over a boy. some guy would never make me cry this fucking hard, but my failures will."

when he finally hears the truth, eren softens his gaze and gently pulls you toward his chest. you struggle a bit, asking him what he was doing, yet he merely ignores you. with your bed in sight, eren falls back on it with you in his arms. "it's okay. i understand what you're going through, more than you'll ever know."

the warmth eren surrounded you with tears down your defenses as you bury your head within his naked chest, allowing yourself to cry in his arms as you cling to him, like a child seeking comfort with her favorite blanket.

"eren, i'm so afraid of failing...so afraid of not being good enough. and i keep, i k-keep falling short and i don't know how to fix it....!"

"sssh, it's okay. you've just been working yourself too hard, baby. you're not a failure at all, you're the most hardest working person i've ever met, angel." eren scratches your scalp then, running his fingers through your hair as he smooths out each strand, making you melt against him as you felt all of the tension disappear with his mere touch alone. "give yourself time to feel better, to do the things you enjoy so that brain of yours can get that serotonin and shit."

eren's oddly considerate words makes you snort as you wipe away the last bit of your tears, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off of your shoulders when you lift yourself off of him-

only to be stopped when his powerful arms wrap themselves around your back, effectively trapping you against his naked chest once more.

you could feel the heat pool against your cheeks, embarrassment flooding your system as you weakly struggled against him, "eren, i feel better now, you can let go."

"no, i refuse to leave my girl alone even when she's done crying."

you felt eren stiffen beneath you, stuttering out excuses, "i-i mean, we're roommates, a-and roommates have each other's b-backs a-and...uhm...!"

your smile widens now, and you were finally able to pull yourself away from eren's grip to look down at him, "oh, i'm your girl now?"

you take your time and admire the blush quickly spreading across eren's cheek as he quickly looks away from you. loving this surprisingly soft side to him, you gently made him face you as you nuzzled his nose with the tip of your own, "what about all the other girls who spent the night here with you?"

"that was before i ever got to know you. they don't come around anymore because i made 'em go away. you're the one i want, angel." you take the time and relish in the way his lips gave you a soft pout, immediately making you lean down to capture them in a sweet kiss as he returned your kiss with a fervor.

with a newfound determination and warmth filling you, you had a feeling you could take on the world, failures and all, so long as eren was by your side.

a.n. - i just wanted to say, i believe in soft and caring, himbo eren supremacy ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡

all stories are written by yeagererens; reposts, translations, and plagiarism are not allowed.

I SHOULD'VE BOUGHT YOU FLOWERS ( all the things i should've done, i don't want to love you from afar. ).

— genre : headcanons. angst to fluff. — cw : breakups, swearing, parties, alcohol. — characters : childe, kaeya, albedo, xiao, thoma.

childe ; the childhood friend that grew apart and drifted away.

you remember when you and childe were still neighbours and best friends and so clearly two youngsters crushing on each other. what a trope for a promising pair that ended up as strangers.

he used to approach you with that shit - eating smile, clearly hiding something behind his back ( he's terrible at surprises ), his voice quite literally two octaves higher as he shoves yet another gift in your face. rich boys, you guess. his mom would smile fondly in the background, waving at you from the doorway of his house. you'd jump into his arms and he'd catch you just in time, strong arms holding you up against his chest.

it's all just platonic, he'd tell everyone. we're just friends. oh how he regrets saying that so confidently now.

childe really likes you. did he ever tell you that? he likes how you always accepted him for who he was and not everything he had. not how rich his parents were, not how good he was at sports, not how many girls swooned over him at parties. you liked him because he was ... him, whatever that meant to you.

it meant a lot to you.

but now childe is different. he's popular, not to say you aren't, but he's POPULAR popular. he plays beer pong on friday nights and winks at girls in the hallways and always has tons of fans cheering for him at those swim meets and hockey games. and he doesn't pay attention to you. you're way out of his league and you got the hint a long time ago.

and you act like you don't know him at all, but he knows it's really his fault. his fault for acting like he was better than you all for the attention of others, acting like you weren't worth his time once he became popular, ditching you to hang out with the cool kids. you act like you can't tell when he's upset, blue eyes too easy to read after all these years. you act like his smile doesn't remind you of when you were still young.

he misses you. he misses how you'd come to his hockey games with his jersey on, always catching your eye in the crowd. he misses how you feel clinging to his back like a koala as he piggybacks you around the neighbourhood. he misses walking home with you every single day, conversation flowing so naturally, words that cannot be exchanged anymore.

so when he's arriving home at an ungodly hour of the morning still a little tipsy, and sees your sleep - deprived form in an oversized hoodie, he quickly jogs after you.

"hey." he breathes, the scent of alcohol on his breath and a forced smile on his face — and yours. "hey." you mumble back, pressing pause on the music blasting through your headphones. he hesitates before speaking again, softly. "you shouldn't go alone. it's dangerous."

you laugh incredulously and childe is taken aback by your disdain for his genuine concern. "i've been doing this for years since we stopped hanging out. i'm fine." you turn around to continue walking, and make no effort to tell him to stop, so he follows you down the street to the convenience store.

he opens the door before you can, buying you your favourite drink from the fridge before you can reach for it yourself. you widen your eyes at his memory. you assumed he'd forgotten all about you, after all. and as if he can sense your thoughts, childe gently holds your palms in his as you stand awkwardly outside in the parking lot.

"i didn't forget about you, you know." he smiles sheepishly. "even if i act like a dick sometimes."

you look up at him expectantly, eyebrow raised in response. maybe it's because he's still a little drunk or maybe it's because it's 3:30 in the morning, but he figures this is the right time to tell you how he's always felt, even with tears stinging the back of his eyes — and he doesn't know why. "i ... miss hanging out with you, i guess. and it's my fault that i let you go, haha. i'm sorry. i miss you. i'm —

ah, you still remember how to shut him up by squeezing his hands gently when he starts rambling. when he gets insecure. when he looks like he's about to cry, because no matter how much time you spend apart, you'd never want to see him break.

kaeya ; the ex who realises you're happier without him.

there's no denying kaeya alberich isn't the easiest person to get along with or get to know. but it's hard to resist getting tied up in all his fun and games when he's so goddamn attractive.

after your breakup, you realised how much you hated him. hated the way he would lie and pretend things were fine. hated the way he acted like he told you anything, just for you to find out from someone else yet another secret he had been keeping. hated the way it always felt like a game of push and pull, chasing after him even after you were already his. hated how you could never decipher that twinkle in his eyes when you asked him if he truly loved you.

but at the same time, being apart from him from even a day made you realise how much you missed his presence. even if he was so incredibly unbearable. you missed his silky voice, speaking up for you in that authoritative tone of his when you were about to get pushed over once again, because he knew how afraid you were to stand up for yourself. missed his hands that would touch you gingerly, knowing all the right places to land before finally swooping you into a perfect kiss. missed the way you knew him best, you knew just from the way he looked at you, despite all the secrets he refused to spill until the very end.

you think kaeya didn't miss you, not after the way he walked off without looking back that night, glittering eyes turned cold and dull, not even sparing well wishes. he hasn't texted you since, notifications empty since you've changed his contact name ( but for some reason you can't delete his number yet ). it's like he's disappeared from your life, and you think it's because he despises you so much he wants to get you out of his sight.

on the contrary, he removes himself from anything related to you so no one will have to see him break. he can't bear to hear your voice anymore, calling him by his name in a tone full of contempt when previously you would call out a cute pet name with a bright smile on your face. he can't bear to watch you laugh at someone else's jokes or make an exclusive handshake with some other guy, as stupid as it sounds. he hates knowing that you go out with someone else on friday nights now, that you have someone else to go to when you're upset, that someone else is getting to know you possibly better than he ever has, and that's his fault. and he thought it would be better to avoid you, because if he doesn't see all this happening with his own eyes, perhaps he can pretend it wasn't true.

mutual misguided impressions of wanting nothing to do with each other, and of course you tried to get on with life in every way possible. it's safe to say you went through the generic post - breakup glow up revival whatever they called it. you even started talking to someone else. a part of you was upset that kaeya never noticed, but why? was it because you wanted him to see that you were better off, wanted him to feel worse about himself — or was it because deep down inside, you hoped he'd get jealous and try to re - appear in your life once more?

it's at the party when he first sees you. he wasn't expecting to see you here, knowing that you two had gotten used to staying at home on saturdays for date nights instead of going out with other people. it appears things have changed, and he shouldn't really be surprised. he sees the way you giggle, the way you look so fucking good in that outfit ... not that you don't look good in anything, though. he sees how other people take an undeniable interest in you, and he just can't help himself but intervene.

because shit, you're so hard to get over it hurts.

"hey sweetheart, fancy meeting you here." kaeya cringes internally at his own words, knowing you're not some stranger he couldn't care less about. this is YOU, why would he say such a stupid thing, meeting you for the first time after the breakup?

"you know this guy?" the person next to you looks him up and down, but kaeya knows ( due to his big ego, of course ) that there's really nothing terrible that can be said about him — on the outside, at least. so he flashes his widest grin, swinging an arm around your shoulder. before you can speak, he interjects. "yeah. we know each other quite well, wouldn't you say so, darling?"

his overuse of pet names isn't a surprise to you, especially when you can practically smell the scent of alcohol on his breath. it's not uncharacteristic of him, but after months of not speaking or even seeing each other it would be a lie to say you weren't shocked. similarly, kaeya is pleasantly surprised when you nod and plaster on a smile, nodding in consent when he makes a motion to lead you towards the quieter balcony.

kaeya lets his hand trail over your cheekbones, touch so featherlight it makes your heart leap out of your chest. he knows all the ways to break you, so why is he doing everything right now that you aren't his anymore? "hi." he whispers, the expression on his face full of a raw longing. "missed you."

"you're drunk", you reply matter - of - factly. "don't say things you wouldn't say if you were sober." your voice quivers when you speak, and you don't know why ( actually, you do, but you just don't want to admit that you still have feelings for him after all this time ) .

albedo ; the brilliant student who had greater things to achieve.

oh, dear albedo. named after a scientific phenomenon and he follows in its footsteps too. as the two highest achieving students in your year, he's always been your ( friendly ) rival.

albedo may have a one - track mind, consistently focused on his academics and academics only, but he seems to still make time for others. albeit aloof and socially somewhat blunt and inadequate, he is a generous and gentle person — never turning down requests for help and always being able to handle it all whilst still doing incredibly well.

he's a gifted kid and yet he still has other things he's amazing at. painting, for example. everyone always talks of his oil paintings and charcoal sketches but one day you walk into the art room as he's painting watercolour on the balcony and you swear you've never seen something more beautiful. um, the artwork, of course. not albedo, that's for sure, haha. but there's no use denying that he's just breathtakingly gorgeous.

but what truly captivates you about him is how thoughtful he is. always has an extra pen for you, black gel ink in 0.5 thickness just the way you like it in case you lose one or forget it when coming to a lab. he remembers your favourite flower, pink camellias, and it just so happens he grows them on his balcony at home. whenever you have to work on a project together in the mornings ( because of course you're always only each other's partner ), there is always a coffee, ordered perfectly to your preferences sitting on the table along with a new pastry he insists you try.

despite all the good in him, he's so ... unreachable. there seems to be so much to albedo, yet it's impossible for anyone to figure out what exactly is beneath the surface. because he doesn't want to show anyone what that is, and you know that. you know it all too well from the way you've tried to do activities other than academic projects and he always refuses. from the way your text conversations always run dry when you try to change the subject. from the way you only ever see him when you're at school or studying for something important. "i have no time for that," he would say nonchalantly.

and all the while, albedo is yearning to tell you why he feels as if he has to push you away. he's always been told he's too ambitious to be around — he makes people feel bad because he achieves so much more than they do, his busy schedule is too much for them to handle, the lack of quality time he has to spare means getting to know him better isn't worth it at all. albedo wishes he didn't have to watch your face fall when he gives you a small smile instead of a smooth remark like the other boys do, or control himself from hugging you just a few seconds longer when you look upset. if what they say is true, and it seems to be because so many people have repeated the same thing to him his whole life, then he doesn't want to ever put someone as wonderful as you through the inconveniences of being close with someone like him.

you had since graduated high school, let the memory of the genius boy slip from the forefront of your mind. you definitely didn't expect to meet him again four years down the road, accidentally bumping into him on the street on a cool spring day.

oh, he's still as pretty as ever.

a gaze of diamond blue collides with yours and you can't help but get lost in his eyes, his curious, captivating, and yet cautious stare so familiar and foreign at the same time. blond hair falls in front of his face, framing his delicate features perfectly, rosy cheeks flushed from the breeze.

"long time no see." he grins lopsidedly, his smile almost flirtatious in the morning sun. "long time no see," you respond, unable to contain the joy that spreads across your face. "so what are you doing here?" albedo sighs a little, and that's when you notice the pad of watercolour paper under his arm. "oh, i don't know. just finding fulfilling ways to pass the time."

you're taken aback — not due to his attention to detail or inquisitive nature of all that he sees and experiences, but because for once, he's not rushing somewhere or on the way to someplace greater. you swear you see a nostalgic twinkle in his eyes when he finally asks you whether you'd like to join him for the rest of the day. where to? he's not too sure yet either. but it should go perfectly fine with good company, no?

xiao ; the quiet boy at the back of the class who's always had a crush on you.

didn't you realise xiao has always noticed you?

maybe it's because he sits at the back of the class, his eyes glued to the front of the room — not at the whiteboard, no, at the back of your head, most of the time. involuntarily.

xiao tries to focus in class but it's only when you're not at school ( unfortunately ) that he can actually get any decent notes down. he makes sure to send them to you at the end of the day. you always reply with that cute little smiling emoji. it reminds him of how happy you always are compared to him.

or maybe it's because he doesn't talk much, preferring to stay quiet when the rest of the boys are rowdy and talk back to the teacher. when the rest of them go out to parties and try to hook up with some random girls they don't know, he's at home on the couch playing wii or mario kart with his younger siblings. when the rest of them ask him who he likes, he answers with a simple "no one. i'm not interested in people here."

but he knows he's lying to himself, because xiao knows the way butterflies flutter around in his stomach when you flash him a smile from across the room. he knows the way words get stuck in his throat when he wants to ask you a question, and the way his hands shake when he wants to tap you on the shoulder to get your attention. he knows the way his heart races every time you brush against him or accidentally come crashing into his chest in the hallways ( because you're always rushing somewhere for some strange reason he doesn't understand ).

he thinks you never notice him despite all the space you take up in his mind. he's wrong, though — you've always noticed him too, lonely yet beautiful amber eyes that catch your stare every time, gentle touches to manoeuvre you back in the right direction so you won't be late for class, a soft, low voice that asks if you're alright, thoughtful texts updating you about what the teacher said when you're home for one reason or another.

you noticed how he thinks he's sly when he slides a bracelet made of daisies onto your desk, accompanied by a sticky note with a smiley face so uncharacteristic of his cold personality. how he never talks to you in person but can stay up texting you all night. how he pauses his valorant matches for you because you watch him stream and every so often when you respond to his messages, he would let himself die in - game to reply — you swear it isn't on purpose. how he stutters when you interact at school, unable to do anything except nod or shake his head.

god, he's so cute.

so one day you decide to ask him out on a date. in letter form, of course, because no one ever said you were any more bold than he was when it comes to things like love.

it's 7:45 in the morning when you rush into the math classroom, putting a brown paper envelope face down on xiao's desk, sealed with a little sticker shaped in a heart.

it's 8:02 in the morning when xiao walks into class late, drenched from the early rainstorm. someone snickers at the way he shivers and his hair plasters across his forehead. you pointedly give them one of your best death stares.

it's 8:10 in the morning when xiao finally opens the envelope, hiding it behind one of his books. he's thankful you sit in front of him, because heavens forbid you see the way he can't resist a stupid smile when he realises this is you're handwriting, YOU are asking him to meet tonight, it's you, it's always been you.

it's 3:10 in the afternoon when you feel a tap on your shoulder, and you spin around, finally meeting eyes with him for more than five seconds for once. he opens his mouth and then shuts it, fumbling with the envelope in his hand, clearly extremely flustered at the attempted interaction. "hi."

"hey. uh -" he holds up the letter awkwardly. "if this is real, then ... yes."

"it's real!" you proclaim excitedly, probably a little over - the - top due to the adrenaline coursing through your veins. "see you tonight then right?" you smile sweetly and he thinks he'll combust at how inexplicably adorable you look right now. a blush creeps across his cheeks and he hates how he grows even redder when you reach out to hold his trembling hands. "hey ... don't be nervous, okay?"

fuck, you're so thoughtful it makes his heart want to beat out of his chest. "okay." he breathes, secretly wishing he could keep holding your hands for a little longer. "see you tonight."

thoma ; the best friend that watched you fall for someone else.

your best friend has always been one of the prettiest, most gorgeous people you have ever met.

emerald eyes that glitter in the golden sunlight, strawberry blond hair tousled over his constantly - smiling face, cheeks flushed with the excitement of wherever you're going together this time ...

"you're like a brother to me", you've always told him, and he has always been okay with it for as long as he can remember. he doesn't know when it all changed — when he internally grimaced at your platonic words of reference, felt his heart sink whenever you introduced him as your best friend and nothing more. even with all the time you spend together, all the friends who ship you two together and all the precious moments you've shared, he knows that there is a boundary he won't ever dare to cross in fear of changing the wonderful thing you two have fostered.

thoma thinks it's unfair. unfair how you're falling in love with someone who doesn't even love you, someone who has the audacity to lie to your face about how much they care. he thinks it's unfair how you can believe in their pretty deceitful lies and all the sugarcoated bullshit used to lure you into their toxic embrace. he thinks it's unfair how he's been there for you all this time, been so genuine and pure and kind and considerate towards everything YOU. and yet you seem to pay no mind to his efforts and instead have your eyes fixed on someone else.

but at the same time, he can't blame you, because he knows how attractive those others are compared to him. they're good at everything, have lots of friends, go to parties instead of being homebodies, and in general just know how to get you on the edge of your seat — something that a soft, gentle, shy guy like him could never do. he could never fluster you with a one - liner or make you blush at first sight. he's not that kind of person, and he knows it. and when he was still the one you were closest to in life, when you still listened to him and cared about him, he didn't mind so much. but now he's been thrown aside, sometimes he wishes he was someone else.

you've had this conversation far too many times. thoma tells you he's just caring for you out of the goodness of his heart, and you angrily push back, saying you know what's best for you. but there's a little voice of conscience inside that nags at the back of your mind, a constant reminder that you tend to be too blind to see what's in front of you while it's still there. a reminder that you often don't think things through, that since the beginning of time thoma has been there to help you solve problems in a calm way, to get you out of sticky situations, so stand up for you no matter how much he gets shamed or bashed for it. and yet, you still are indignant that you know better.

"this isn't healthy ..." he's tired of receiving your late night calls, not because he doesn't want to hear your voice or talk to you but because it's always on the topic of you stupid ex, one who keeps playing you over and over like a game that's just for entertainment. he's tired of it, hearing your broken cries and begs for his comfort, feeling his own heart shatter at your sobs and wishing he could get to your house faster. even if being harsh with you would be more effective, he could never bring himself to do so, always dampening his own emotions and practicing his patience to simply be the good listening ear he's always been.

you shake your head, opening your mouth to protest. "but —" "but he's just no good for you!" thoma raises his voice to interject for the first time, eyes blurring with unshed tears as you angrily wipe away your own. "why can't you see that?"

"god, why can't you just GET OUT of my personal shit, thoma? do you hate me or something?" as soon as you speak, you realise your mistake. he would never hate you, and it hits you as soon as you lock eyes with the sadness that fills his. "do i make you feel like i hate you?" his voice is quiet and timid, like an animal retracting back into its shell. "i'm really sorry."

regret instantly rushes into every inch and crevice of your soul and it engulfs you whole, arms instinctively reaching out to pull him into a hesitant hug as he sobs silently into your shoulder. "no, i'm sorry," you whisper, running your hand through his hair. "i know you're right. you always have been."

understanding, forgiving eyes meet yours and you wonder why you've never seen your best friend in a different light before. why you've never considered the fact that you feel so safe, so comfortable, so happy and carefree around him — you feel so much better in your own skin. and you know that no matter what you do, he will always be there to catch you when you fall.

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---

OPERATION: BACK TO TEYVAT.

let’s introduce you to our love interests, shall we?

credits : i couldn’t find diluc’s artist. kaeya: @/nikult_ on twt. i couldn’t find childe’s artist. zhongli: @/mob110119 on twt. venti & ganyu: shohje on twt. albedo: @/waternaeng on twt. ei: @Lallah_ on reddit. lumine: @/2dasu_ on twt. jean: official birthday art by hoyoverse. ningguang: @/kurisucurry on twt. ayaka: @/yaminsoup on twt.

MASTERLIST.

— CAST MEMBERS:

the teyvat residents. (male ver.)

extra male interests:

xiao — a member of venti’s idol group, 4NEMO.

thoma — the barista at your local coffee shop.

kazuha — a member of venti’s idol group, 4NEMO.

itto — the music enthusiast at your local music store.

gorou — the volunteer at your local adoption shelter.

— FUN FACTS:

all of the male interests live in the same house, but on different levels. [level one consists of Childe, Diluc, Zhongli, Kaeya, Thoma and Itto. level two consists of the rest of the guys.]

the male interests refuse to have anyone else cook besides from Childe and Thoma. [emphasis on thoma.]

the male interests’ house is across the street of reader’s house.

all male interests were supposed to share the bills but it ended up Diluc and Childe paying for almost all of it.

albedo has the biggest room + the basement because he’s working on trying to bring all characters back to teyvat, and possibly take you with them.

itto almost always gets lost on his way home, that’s why there’s a rule to never leave itto alone when he goes out, it is also one of the reasons why he’s always at the music store, it’s close to the coffee shop thoma works at.

currently, half of the male interests are considered idols. there’s two groups (DCKZ & 4NEMO) and one solo idol (albedo).

the teyvat residents. (fem ver.)

extra female interests:

kokomi — the seashell-collecting girl at your beach.

sara — the new girl at your job.

yae miko — the teasing regular at your job.

beidou — the girl you met during an outing with friends.

eula — the sophisticated girl that lives next door.

— FUN FACTS:

liyuebrand is a business both ningguang and ganyu own. although, most of the female interests help in creating clothing for women.

ayaka owns her own business called “kamisatoarts” which consists of her paintings commissions and owns an art supply store with the same name.

the female interests’ home is way more clean and organized than the male interests. Unlike the boys, the girls actually succeed in sharing to pay the bills.

the female interests’ house is right beside yours, making you and the girls neighbours. you can sometimes see ningguang sun-bathing or lumine and ayaka eating outside.

Ei is the only idol/celebrity besides from Ganyu (model). Ei is an idol managed by Yae Miko in the background.

Ei is the only one banned from the kitchen, because the last time she was in the kitchen, their kitchen knifes ended up on the ceiling and their cutting boards were all wrecked, with a burnt chicken as the centrepiece of the whole mess.

the female interests prefer staying in your world rather than teyvat, but will never admit it.

taglist : (bold text means I can’t tag you!)

@kayden-rma | @nyantodamax145 | @ladylapize | @strwbrrymlku | @beta12121 | @kaijindesu100 | @rayonfirethe2nd | @stillsuckatkorean | @softspectre | @aesoaps