Zhongli Fluff - Tumblr Posts

Hello. If the TDOR is still open for requests, is it okay to ask for Zhongli and Kazuha? The 'former' archon asking you about what you think about his 'retirement' and you helping Kazuha (with his guidance) on bandaging his hand.

Fluff, if you don't mind? Thank you!

- I shall be known as Anon 🍞

A/N: Welcome to the Anon list, Anon 🍞!

MASTERLIST

To Dream of Reality ~ Zhongli 1, Kazuha 1 ~

"reflection, and wounds"

TW: wounds, bandaging, poor writing of bandaging, creative liberties of why Kazuha still uses bandages, wikihow help me. OH and scars.

You had just rewatched a friend play through Liyue's Archonquest, and finished playing Kazuha's story quest yourself.

Maybe that's why you dreamt of Zhongli's words.

Maybe that's why you dreamt of holding Kazuha's hand as you rewrapped his bandages, of holding him tight.

~~

~~

Morax "Rex Lapis"- nay, Zhongli, stood alone as he stared upon Liyue from a nearby cliff. The streets were busy, for news of the Creator's return had inspired the people to better themselves.

It seemed they still needed a Divine to lead them, after all, Zhongli thought, Maybe, if I set them up correctly, the Creator would be happier with my efforts.

Ah, he thought.

I, too, rely on the guidance of the Divines.

It's quiet realization, one that he merely acknowledges as truth without elaborating on it.

"Did I do the right thing?" He whispers into the quiet dawn.

"I can't give you the answer," They mutter, and Zhongli wanted to fall to his knees. The Creator, in all their glory.

A true God.

"Your Eminence, I request you elaborate." He said. Was he overstepping?

"...You were tired, and you drew the line."

Zhongli could not help but feel relief. The Language of the Divine was absolute, understood by everyone but only spoken by one. This was the creator, this was the absolute Divine, the Mother of the World, the Father of their People, The True God.

And they agreed with him.

They smiled, and kept speaking.

"Maybe the action of leaving it completely to your people was faulty, or maybe letting the Fatui take your Gnosis was wrong, but you drew the line when you were tired. I think it's fine, but it's your choice to make."

The Creator's hand reached up to Zhongli's face, their ghostly hand soft on his cheek.

"Decide your own fate, as your people must now do."

He turned towards the Harbor, at the people frantically cleaning the streets.

"Then I will keep living as a mortal... I will protect my people from within, not as Morax, but as Zhongli."

You only smiled.

~

Kazuha's hands were worn and scarred. He swore he could still feel the phantom sensation of a burning Vision, the last sparks of ambition before the flame of life burned out. No longer were his hands in danger of bleeding at any moment, but the scars were unsightly.

Three parts slime condensate to one part Mist Flower Corolla.

The cooling balm didn't heal anything, nor did it give him lasting relief. But the moment of cold, of hiding the scars, of pretending the scars left behind by the dying flame of a life never existed.

Before he could begin to wrap his hands again, the scent of stars and the sound of a foreign language notified him of your appearance.

You gently grasped his hand.

"May I?"

He nodded and handed you the bandages.

If it was anybody else, he thought to himself, they would certainly be panicking.

But to him, the Creator was not a god to be feared, but the World itself. A parent and guide, a sibling and friend, a child and gift.

It was no different than encountering a new stranger, a potential ally, a new friend.

"I've already applied the Slime Condensate. Wrap just firmly enough to support the wrist, and make sure to wrap half of the previous bandage."

The Creator's hands were pleasantly cold as he guided them through it. They traced his scars lovingly before looking into his eyes.

"They're beautiful," the Creator said. "But I wish you didn't need the bandages." they admit.

Fully bandaged and securely tucked away, the Creator grasped Kazuha's hands, holding them tight to their chest.

"May your wounds recover, in body and soul, heart and mind."

~~~~

The alarm doesn't scare you back to the waking world, but you cannot help but yearn for the dream you just had.

...

What was it about again?

You close your eyes and lie down again, hoping to recall the sensation of soft words and gentle hands, but you just can't remember it.

...

You've got work to do today.

You can't wait to go back to sleep, to see who will greet you in your dreams tonight.

Maybe this time you'll remember.

• Under The Glaze Lilly's Glow

- A request for @c-a-v-e-town !

A/n: But, no- I feel the same. Zhongli is a big comfort to me and admittedly, he made some rough times easier, so you know I had to do this one first. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this, and thank you for the birthday wishes!. I do hope you enjoy this! :)

Content: fluff, drabble, F/Reader, use of (Y/n), soft Zhongli, established relationship, a little bit suggestive at the end but no NSFW in this one. Zhongli has arms like in his Archon days, not heavily proof read.

Words: 1,260

“Are you most certain you must leave us all so soon?” Iron Tongue Tian asked as the gentleman in the first table at his right rose from his seat. 

“Past certain, my friend” - Zhonglis' polite, yet tempered tone replied as he gathered what few possessions he brought, that being a sweetly tied up box that fit into his palm.  “I have an important person I must meet, and if I am any more late I'm afraid she will worry herself ill” - he excused himself, bidding farewell to the storyteller and any familiar faces that tuned in to listen to the tonight's tale of the mighty Rex Lapis, oblivious to the fact they were in the company of the same. He heard the others bid their goodbyes to him, and he responded to them accordingly before his body was swallowed by the distance and the crowd of the evening markets. 

Having wandered these streets for a millenia too long, watching them be built, he was able to walk with his eyes closed without a worry he would slip or bump into anything. Zhongli walked under the towering iron-and-stone gate, taking note of the glaze lilies at the sides of the public gardens. Their gentle smell was ever present, and unmistakable, carrying the weight of many memories, old and fresh. In the past, he would have seen the horrible views of the Archon War, his mind plagued with grotesque images but now, all he sees is her. 

One of the blue stems found its way between his gloved fingers, firm and bigger than other blooms, still waiting for night to fall to reveal its true beauty, yet none of it could be compared to the one's beloved. Zhongli arrived moments before she did, stripping off his long coat and heavy layers until was left in the simple plain shirt and pants he wore only around the house, relieving himself of modesty that covered his coal colored arms and the golden marks that spanned like veins.

Sooner rather than later, the house came alive once more as the long haired man waltzes about, putting the kettle onto the stove along with another pan for dinner he was planning to prepare. The wafting smell is what greets his beloved when she walks in, a mix between mildly sweet herbs and salt water that was boiling, the meat already half way done.

“Zhongli, I'm home!” - she called out, despite hearing his light footsteps nearing her position in the short hall; already having heard her entrance. 

“Oh, my love-” - Zhongli greeted, taking hold of a grocery bag tucked beneath her arm and helping her up once she removed her shoes so he could gaze upon her face, tucking away the stray hairs the wind had swept from her hairstyle. To say he missed her was a big understatement, and no words he ever has known or possessed in his vocabulary is sufficient enough to say so. His lips greet hers in a fleeting kiss with a promise of more laced into it.  “How was your day? I've already prepared us some tea and a quick meal to lighten our spirits, should you be tired out”

The conversation is swiftly lost amidst the exhaustion and the smells and his warm touches and words. It flew by too swiftly, like a mountain spring until it reached flat ground where it slowed its course. That being the moment when all tea cups have been emptied, the food eaten and her finding her place in his arms on their shared bed. Finding themselves covered by the thick veil of night, the two lovers intertwined, becoming a big mass of shadows while there was no light source in the room, only one, coming from the outside.

Little to no words are exchanged between them, her hands caressing his back while his rubbed soothing circles into her naked hips. “I've missed you..” - she breathed, meanwhile his lips found her hairline and pressed against it. The golden lined comb he had gifted her tonight lay on the nightstand.

“Not as much as I missed you '' - he responded gently, a tone carrying warmth only reserved for her and her alone. The glaze lilly he had placed in a little vase of water had spread its petals wide, bathing them in the silver waterfall cascading from the window.   “You have too much effect on me, I should be ashamed to have fallen so hard. But I am not, and I never will be.." Zhongli added with a curl of his lips, pulling back to find her eyes in the dimmed setting. The color he remembers she possesses is drowned out, but her beauty prevails  nonetheless. With the silver outline of her cheek, hairs and nose as her back was turned to the window, he couldn't help but go speechless.

His love playfully scoffs, rolling onto her back with one arm remaining around his shoulder. “All you do is flatter me, day in and day out.. You have no end.. Why do you never let me show you my affections too?” - (Y/n) teased softly, in no way offended with his non stop praise that effortlessly flew past his lips. 

“Flattery? My words are no mere flattery, they are the truth I hold within my heart, and I intend to keep proving it to you until the time itself comes to an end” Zhongli promised with an airy, quiet laugh, dragging himself up to his elbow to hover above her. The long strands of his freely flowing hair  cascade over his shoulders and tickle her exposed skin that gathered a pearly glow. Her heart has accepted him as he is, in his entirety and he can never repay that kindness enough, no matter how many times she told him there was no need, as this was no favor - this was love. Love they both mutually felt for each other.

“You, my dearest, have become my everything. I love you.. with my body and soul” - his face came near, stealing the air from her lungs with his lips brushing against her own as well as the tips of their noses. A cord is struck, or maybe it has been struck since the moment she stepped into the house, but its effects are showing now. A deep rooted feeling, walking the thin line between overwhelming love and a form of sadness deranged from the same happiness brought by this tenderness.

“I love you” - She whispered, so quietly he almost missed it. Her hand found his face and rested atop of it, thumbing at his soft cheek. That's when he finally gave in to the feeling of yearning, tilting his chin up and meeting her lips into a gentle kiss. The soft plush of her pressed against him is what will be the end of him, and he doesn't regret it, nor stop it. He accepts it with open arms and allows her to deepen the kiss as she pleases, following her pace as she sets it. 

“I know- and I love you even more” - Zhongli told her between the dance of the kiss, their air supplies dwindling significantly, but neither pull away. (Y/n) chuckles lightly at his claim, cradling his face with both hands and pulling him on top of her,  feeling how his warmth radiated off of him in tidal, gentle waves that caress the shore that was her. He was her love, her life, her support, and she would do anything to see him smile every day too - just like he would do everything for her to remain happy, and at his side.

Ⓒ n0tamused 2022. Do not repost, translate, edit, and/or copy any of my works. Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated.

Zhongli’s dragon quirks

Characters: Zhongli x gn!reader

Genre: fluff

A/N: I couldn’t find the OG one anymore sadly, so I’m rewriting it :) also I’m currently mega, super, supreme, deluxe done with life (I have covid)

@astroculus-affiliation

Dragon Zhongli is an occurrence that was definitely sighted more and more throughout your relationship with him. The more comfortable he grew, the more comfortable he was with showing you his draconic features.

Depending on “how much dragon” he is, you’ll see more scales at some times, horns, the slightest change in his eyes, a tail etc.

He is very pretty. And he knows it.

You’re incredibly intrigued by his horns and he lets you touch them out of love :) (it also feels nice to him)

OH HE ALSO PURRS

He makes a certain purring sound of contentment when you’re cuddling, slightly puffs and happy gurgles, that rumble from his throat.

He’s already quite warm himself, so warming up is not an issue concerning his own body temperature, he just genuinely enjoys feeling your warmth, so he really loves to hold you.

Sometimes he gnaws at you affectionately. You may be sitting on his lap, back pressed to his chest, his chin on your shoulder and he just.gently chomps your cheek.

His gold markings glow just a little brighter when he’s overjoyed.

His jaw strength is incredible and he has snapped multiple pairs of chopsticks before (was quite heartbroken because on pair was particularly fancy)

This man is able to eat A LOT. Whatever you cook for him (minus seafood) he will happily eat and he will eat a lot of it. It’s really cute to see him so content.

College Boyfriend Zhongli

Characters: Zhongli x gn!reader

Genre: fluff

A/N: Prequel/Background to the “Professor Zhongli but you’re his spouse and not his student” series. The brainrot inflicted by @hiraya-rawr (dw hun, your specialty treat is in progress atm!!)

Admittedly, he is quite the eye candy for everyone that attends classes alongside him, but he’s always ready to decline any date invitations, if they’re not from you, his all time favourite person.

You get bragging rights for being this man’s s/o. Fucking congratulations. He is great husband material (cough and y’all DO marry soo…)

He walks you to the lectures that he doesn’t have with you and picks you up whenever he can! He also always wants to have lunch with you, may it be at school, outside somewhere in town or at either your places.

He’s not much of a party person in college as during his rowdier early high school times (he was a dignified high schooler, but he had a slight tsundere phase bc it was puberty aka teenage dirtbag era)

Oh this goes for both college and prof Zhongli or just any Zhongli tbh. He smells so good and whenever he gives you one of his soft sweaters, you’re in immediate heaven, it’s like being engulfed in a Zhongli hug. He thinks it’s cute.

He’s such a simp for you, my god, he’s so loving. Definitely holds your hand if you like it and presses gentle kisses to your forehead/hair.

You two go on lots of local cafe dates and the grandmas and aunties there love him, because he’s such a handsome and polite guy, that’s always down for a chit chat.

“Ah, A-Li! Is that the person you’ve been telling us about? Come get them to sit with us, they have such a lovely face!”

They embarrass him a little by exposing his simpery for you <3

Sometimes you’re studying a lot and can’t see him as much as you’d like, but it’s quite adorable how he shows up at the library to sit at the same table with you. He patiently waits for you to finish up, while either doing work himself or just reading a book. (he brought snacks and tea for you)

He likes to invite you over to his flat and you meet his flatmates, their flatmate bonding cook offs are so great and epic and you’re fairly certain that this man only knows how to cook so he doesn’t get criticised to death by his friends. They also love to poke fun at him and also expose him like the cafe grandmas hehe

He naps like a dad. It started during college and it never stopped, so as a professor, he still naps like a dad.

With dad napping I mean falling asleep sitting on the couch, arms crossed with his glasses slightly shifted.

You two once got matching silly keychains when you were out and he never stopped using it, since in his later years, the little gudetama charm is slightly damaged from weathering and the paint is chipped, but it has so much puppy love stored in it, that he uses it to decorate his USB thumb drive <3

Zhongli’s dragon quirks [pt.2]

Characters: Zhongli x gn!reader

Genre: fluff

A/N: I just really like him…

@astroculus-affiliation

I refuse to believe that this god, does not have a secret treasure hoard at home, it’s a very fun thing actually. He also always says that you’re the most intricate, loved and valuable treasure of his hoard <3

He offers you an assortment of different things as gifts or offers food (it’s a dragon courting thing).

He loves loves loves cuddling, since he does get quite a bit possessive over his beloved. Though I doubt anyone could ever complain about being in his arms.

In addition, he is incredibly protective, which means: shield.

It also means: having a scaly tail wrapped around you in affection

Sometimes when you’re free, you start cooking by yourself and by the time he comes home from work, he’s so tired, that he can’t wait to finally unwind and also relaxing completely, letting out some draconic features slip as well.

So we shuffles to you after having loosened his tie and lets his tail wrap around your midsection, chin resting on top of your head after having pressed a kiss to your hair. You can feel his chest vibrating when he hums and purrs in contentment.

Oh you’re also allowed to touch his horns! Pet them, he likes it :)

Sometimes when at home and deep in thought, he bleps.

He just sits there and bleps. Split tongue sticking out just the tiniest bit to investigate his surrounding the way a cat would.

Once again, I will talk about the hoard aspect, but he’s actually hoarding you. It’s only natural for him to always want to be in your presence and hold his partner.

He’ll sometimes want to stay in bed with you longer as to not part too soon, arms and tail wrapped around you, purrs erupting from him. His golden eyes gaze at you lovingly, observing and drinking you in.

“Please do stay with me for a little while longer, my treasure.”

can i ask moodboard for morax (zhongli, lex lapis) from genshin impact please?

Dating Zhongli <3

=͟͟͞͞ ⌧ : I’ve waited so long for this ask TT thank you thank you thank you—

YEA PLEASE—

I mean whaaaa- that’s crazzzzyyy- who said that?

not me. mhm.

Imagine teasing Zhongli in his tiny dragon form...and it backfires.

"My daaaarling!" You smooch the bajeezums out of your husband, who is currently small, fluffy, and chonky for your cuddling convenience. "My precious sweetie pie!"

Tiny dragon Zhongli purrs in delight and licks your cheek, eyes blissfully closed as he enjoys the attention he's receiving. His little paws cling to your top as his chunky tail wags like crazy. On leisurely days like these, he adores lounging around like this with you. "Ah, there's not a single being softer, warmer, or cuter than you," you tell Zhongli, booping his little nose, and he gives you a mrrrrp! of agreement, wiggling.

Eventually, through all the cuddles and compliments you give him, a mischievous grin spreads across your face. You bring him closer to your face.

"Since you're smaller than me...shall I eat you?"

You laugh in delight as your fluffy little husband wriggles in dismay, but you're not letting go - you playfully chomp the air around him while he lets out soft whines, pawing and grrring in futility at you.

You can't help it; he's so much fun to tease! "So cute! I'm gonna eat you! Raaaah!"

He then decides he's had enough and morphs back into the human-form Zhongli you are most accustomed to.

"Oh! Hello my love!" You make to cuddle your now-grown man of a husband, but Zhongli adjusts his position over you so that he's practically straddling you now, his hands splayed on either side of your head. "Zh-Zhongli..?"

"Hm." He brings his thumb to caress your cheek. "I am that amusing when small, is it?"

"Well..." You squirm in embarrassment, and gasp when Zhongli nuzzles his face into the crook of your neck, reveling in your scent. He then begins to make use of his teeth and tongue, making you shiver and whimper after his hot breath lingers.

"So cute." He softly bites your shoulder, a preamble for what was to come. His golden eyes gleam bright as the ghost of a teasing smirk plays on his lips.

"Since you're smaller than me...shall I eat you?"

ILLEGALLY UNDERRATED

MWA ❤️

Dragonfly

zhongli/f.reader

genre: morax/zhongi, immortal!cursed!reader, miko/shrinemaiden!reader, angst, hurt/comfort(?), slow burn, reunion, traveler is NOT y/n, implied xiao/traveler,

warning(s)!!: mentions of: death/repetitive deaths, war, past suicides, the suffering of immortality in a mortal body, for the sake of this fic dragonflies are semi-common in teyvat/liyue lol, xiao considers zhongli/reader parental figures, things will definitely not follow canon timelines, Xiao is a frequent/important character, characters may be ooc (im sorry)

w.count: 15.6k (i am so sorry)

SYNOPSIS: fate and time are cruel kings ruling over even gods. morax is no exception. the only human he ever fell in love with was twisted by fate to battle him in a brewing war. the image of the burning temple that she resided in rested behind his eyelids and not a day goes by that he does not still mourn and yearn. time had cruelly taken you away from him. or... had it?

“Hello Traveler!” The soft yet chipper voice of the ever-pranking funeral director calls out from behind the blond Outworlder. The day in Liyue was still young and bright as the umber-clad young lady walks up to both them and Paimon who had floated herself bouncily from the Traveler’s right shoulder to the left. 

“Oh,” Paimon begrudgingly acknowledges, form bobbing in the air comfortably. “It's Hu Tao.” 

“Paimon,” Traveler scolds, crossing their arms over their chest. Paimon just sighs as the blond looks to the funeral director who had come close enough for conversion and unfolds their arms, bringing them down to their sides relaxingly. “Good to see you, Hu Tao,” they greet with a small nod.

“Indeed,” Hu Tao nods back, closing her eyes briefly in glee before reopening them. “It is lovely to see you. Are you here to visit Liyue? Or, perhaps another pressing matter brought you back to this nation once again.” 

“It’s nothing drastic,” Traveler dismisses. “We just.... had some time on our hands. So, we’re just visiting.” Partially, that was the truth. However, the full truth was that there was most definitely something the pair could be doing instead of wandering around Liyue. But it was important to take time for yourself sometimes, right? 

“Well, feel free to stop by the Wangshu Funeral Parlor if you’re interested! I’d be happy to host the both of you for a meal.” 

“You mean, Zhongli would host us?” Paimon quips up knowing that, as Hu Tao’s consultant, Zhongli’s job descriptions can vary in terms of tasks. However, when Paimon spoke Hu Tao lifted her arms up towards herself. One wrapped around her chest and rested the elbow of her other, resting her curled fingers against her chin in thought. 

“Perhaps, not this time. Zhongli has had something on his mind these days.” The woman brought her curled hand and arms back down, now gesturing them softly in front of her as she spoke more. “It would feel distasteful to ask him to host guests at the moment.” 

The mention of Zhongli being mentally occupied made the Traveler and Paimon look at each other. They were privy to a lot of information the consultant kept tucked away from public knowledge- for good reason. The staged death of Morax for one. Although Hu Tao had once speculated that Zhongli could possibly be an Adeptus, she surely didn’t know that she wasn’t exactly far off from a bullseye. 

Still, the fact that Zhongli, the former Lord of Geo, was distracted so much that Hu Tao had essentially dismissed him of some of his duties was a concerning thought. He never seemed the type to dwell so much on something that it obstructed his work.

“I’ve tried asking him about it before,” Hu Tao continues, “since he gets like this around the same time every year. All he’s ever spoken to me about it is that someone he knew from his past had died around this time. It felt… wrong to pry into his past more for some reason.” It wasn’t an odd statement coming from her. She often took her work very seriously, even if she herself was a spitfire of a young lady. 

“Someone from his past died?” Paimon asked, already knowing about his past with the Adepti and The Seven. Perhaps, it had something to do with them? Either way, the concern was planted in the Traveler’s chest, so it felt only natural to find the ex-Archon and try and get some answers out of him. Maybe, since the pair had already known about his identity it would be easier to talk about. Or, that was the hope at least. 

Hu Tao and the Traveler spoke briefly for a moment longer with the usual snarky comment from Paimon before going their separate ways. Hu Tao had apparently been on her way out to fulfil a clients few specific requests and her stop for a chat was pushing to make her behind on her work. Paimon didn’t mind if she went on her way sooner rather than later, the dealing with the dead had always been creepy to the floating companion. 

Regardless, Hu Tao was a nice lady. Traveler would make sure to stop by and see her more, maybe indulge her hobby of poetry a bit. 

The two had walked around the busy streets of Liyue for a while trying to find Zhongli. He wasn’t at the funeral parlor, much to their dismay at making it an easy search, so they just starting wandering hoping to catch him somewhere along the way. Soon enough, they had wandered just far enough to catch a glimpse of his long brown tailcoat at Liyue Harbor. 

In retrospect, they should have started their search here if the funeral parlor was a bust. 

Zhonglig stood with his hands tucked neatly into each other behind his back, shoulders slack as he looked out over the landscape. He was basking in the solitude at the top arch of the harbor’s bridge when he hear the approaching sounds of footsteps. Turning his chin, he unclasped his hands and let his arms fall from his back before turning to greet the approaching Traveler. 

“Ah,” his deep voice reverberates and only the closest to him can detect the faux sound of a choked strain in it. “Greetings, Traveler.” 

“Hello, Zhongli!” Paimon greets floating just a fraction ahead of Traveler. “What were you doing?” She already begins to pry with a suspiciously high-strained voice. It just makes Traveler silently sigh and shake their head. She really needed to work on being more conspicuous. 

It’s quiet for a moment before Zhongli already catches on. Perhaps he can be a bit dense about certain aspects of the mortal realm, but he was by no means a fool. A smile finds its way on his lips in a moment of mild amusement at Paimon’s grace, or rather lack thereof. 

“I was merely lost in thought. Reminiscing about the past, you could say.” 

“The past?” She pressed again.

“Paimon,” the Traveler hisses for the second time that day. The floating girl just opened her jaw in mock offense before floating closer to them. 

“What? What did Paimon say now!” 

Zhongli’s low chuckle was a soft tune that at least showed he wasn’t offended by the blatant attempt at coaxing his thoughts out of his lips. 

“Did the Director send you to find me perhaps?” The fact that he was trying to slowly steer the conversation away wasn’t lost to the Traveler. Paimon and them both looked back to Zhongli shaking their heads. 

“Not exactly,” Traveler starts. 

“We did run into her though,” Paimon tacks on. “She told us you had been down in the dumps, so we came to check on you!” Paimon’s small hands came to her hips and her chest puffed out as if proud of her actions of checking in with a friend. 

Zhongli chuckles once again at the way Traveler places their hands on their hips as well,. Though, they were instead sending a playful scowl at the back of Paimon’s head.

“It is quite refreshing to see the two of you bicker,” he chides. “It certainly helps in easing the mind.” Once more, the two’s attention was drawn back to the former god. 

“So,” Traveler starts before Paimon could interject with something else, “there is something on your mind?” There was a growing fit of silence between the group of three, no one speaking in fear of shattering something they couldn’t exactly describe. Zhongli seemingly caved with a minuscule sigh kept more to himself than the harbor’s breeze. 

“The assumption that I’ve been a bit… preoccupied is correct. Lately, it seems I cannot focus on certain tasks for too long. My mind has a bit of a tendency to wander around this time of year.” Zhongli can already see the look of curiously mixed with concern written into the eyes of both Paimon and Traveler. His own eyes flick around the bridge and beyond the harbor’s main port before returning back to his visitors. “If you’re very interested to know, then I would not mind trying to explain it all over some tea. Though, it would be best if we took the topic of conversation elsewhere.” 

The sudden shift in his demeanor was almost palpable. It was like a cloak of grey mist started to waft around his very being at the mention of speaking his mind. Now that the two outsiders got the confirmation that whatever it was that was plaguing him was of the past he doesn’t let others know of, they were ready for a lengthy story. 

Zhongli had graciously invited the Traveler and Paimon to his personal abode, a place they had never even set eyes on. Of course, they knew he had to have had a place to stay and sleep, but for some reason it felt like all he ever did was walk around Liyue, do his work at the funeral parlor, or listen to stories at the Third-Round Knockout. It shouldn’t have been a shock to know he had his own home, but all the same, it was. 

It was simplistic inside, with the shelves being the only things of high value because of all the collected items he had bought and stored on them. Gesturing them both to a set of chairs between a table, he began brewing tea to serve as promised. 

Traveler sat awkwardly at first. Shuffling around in their chair while Paimon floated around the open space of the house being nosier than she should’ve been truthfully. Still, Zhongli didn’t say anything about her snooping so she continued to do so until the homeowner returned with a tray in his hands. 

A decorative teapot sat in the middle of the dark, wooden tray atop a plain towel; the steam of the hot, freshly brewed tea wisped out gracefully from its spout. Beside it were three small teacups placed upside down that clattered with the smallest sounds of finely made clay as he set the tray in the center of the table. Along with them was a small dish of cubes of sugar and a small creamer that held milk inside it. 

Zhongli skillfully took the teacups and flipped them over, setting them all upright and easily pouring the exact same amount of tea into each. The brew was dark and the steam wafted around the tabletop before dissipating into the air only to be replaced immediately with more. He slid two cups toward Traveler and the other to Paimon once she stopped her floating around and settled once again as the third member of the current party. He offered the milk and sugar to the two of them as well. 

“I prefer my tea black, but please help yourselves.” Zhongli settled into his own seat easily. One arm resting on the arm of his perch and the other on the table top to curl his fingers around the cup he had prepared for himself. His legs crossed out of habit and it was then that the Traveler realized he had taken off his tailcoat. It was purely out of habit to take it off when he had arrived to the privacy of his own home, and he didn’t even realize it himself- not that it mattered. It was simply a different look than they were used to. 

Paimon began dropping sugar cubes into her cup a bit too clumsily as small droplets splashed on her hand from the objects breaching the liquid causing her to yelp. In turn, the two seated companions offered her chuckles of amusement as she blew on her hand. Of course, it was hardly an injury- it was more a fright than a burn. 

“It’s hot,” Zhongli chided. 

“Gee, you think!” She then started dropping in cube after cube much more delicately. Or, rather she would drop them from the same height as before but immediately fly away when she let go so the upcoming splash wouldn’t touch her again. The Traveler made their own additions to their tea as well, but much less messily. 

The three settle into a comfortable silence filled with small sips of tea and clicks of returning cup to wooden table top. That is, until Zhongli broke it by placing a small wooden box on the table in front of him to join in with the teatray and it’s accessories. 

It was an elegant box the size of his fist. Golden edges wrapped in angular designs and a locked latch in the front of it. On the top of the lid was the symbol of a Geo Vision. At first, the two travelers thought that maybe this box is what he stored his fake Vision in when it wasn’t on his person. Pulling a small key from under his long-collared shirt, he unlocked the box and opened the lid. From where the Traveler sat with the lid facing them, they still couldn’t get a peek inside. 

The last thing they expected Zhongli to pull out of the cushioned, plush lined box was a hair ornament. 

Modeled in the shape of a dragonfly, the piece was carefully handled by the ex-archon and placed so very delicately on the table. The wings of the dragon fly were filled with a crystal that shone green and teal, the colors shifting with the light and angle as which it was gazed upon. The piece itself was designed as a hairstick, acting as an elegant means to pen up locks of hair- the metal rod of the stick seemed well suited for such a job. Matching teal-green crystal beads hung from the bottom tips of each wing as decorative tails. 

It was a beautiful piece to gaze at. 

Zhongli kept his hand on the table right next to it, his fingertips just a breath away from touching it again. When Paimon got a bit too close while gazing at it, Traveler could see the slightest twitch run through his fingers. As if the ex-Archon was anxious about Paimon getting too close to it. Still, to not be rude he said nothing as she continued to narrowing gawk. 

“Paimon, back up a little,” Traveler said, sitting forward a bit to try and act like they were trying to get a better look while simultaneously trying to get Paimon to back off a bit. When Paimon floated back to her place by her teacup, Zhongli’s shoulders loosened like he was relieved at the distance between the reckless floating fairy and this clearly important item. 

“You were curious on what has been on my mind, yes? This is a one reason I’ve been rather… absent as of late.” 

“You’ve been spacing out over a hairstick?” Paimon asked astonishingly. Zhongli shook his head. 

“Not quite.” His fingers uncurled and genly brushed over one of the beaded tails, letting the crystals bump over his fingertips. His eyes softened, yet that cloak of grey melancholy came back to him. “It’s more about who this was going to belong to.” 

Traveler and Paimon both had questions, but remained silent. They both settled into their respective places ready to listen to the story he was surely about to unweave. They knew that the tea would grow cold and kettle drank empty by the time it was all finished. Though, the look in his eyes and the way his voice grew softer in a way that pulled at the heart made the eternity of sitting in one place much easier to bare. 

“This ornament was going to be a gift to someone I knew a very long time ago. I never had the chance to give it too her, however; so, I keep it here with me where it is safe. I cannot bare to throw it out, even after all this time.” 

It seemed crazy, how the two swore his eyes had grown misty just saying those few sentences. How this story is going to start all because of a crystal dragonfly from millenia past.

There were many places that had been tainted and driven to ruin due to the war raging by the Archons. Gods were battling each other for power, others trying to flee from another’s unjustly wrath. Some even tried defending their people instead of taking place in battles or retreating. It was chaos and there were few corners of the old world of Teyvat that wasn’t splattered in a thick muck of bloodshed. 

Still, that didn’t mean everywhere had been tainted. No. This fact rang true as Morax had discovered one fateful day a small territory cleansed of blood and impurity. 

Hidden behind a barrier he had stumbled upon in the middle of a half dead forest, the invisible viel hid everything beyond it from sight. In fact, if he hadn’t happened to be near it, the Archon probably wouldn't have noticed it in the first place. The barrier itself easily gave and allowed him passage inside which led him to believe it was more of a mask than a shield. 

Walking through it led him to a forest of lush floral and trees that thrived surrounding a small section of land that housed no more than 500 people perhaps. A small village with huts scattered around plots of farmland and a rather luxurious palace atop it all. It was a farcry from the near-deathly state of the outside world and the whiplash of it made him momentarily wonder if he was somehow succumbing to some sort of hallucination. 

Morax walked through the dirt paths all the way until the thick wall that cut off the eastern styled palace from the rest of the people. Walls tall and made of a stone the God of Geo had to have created at somepoint. The craftsmanshift of it was marvelous he had to admit as there was not the slightest crack between the stacked stone. Easily vaulting himself onto the tall wall, he gazes beyond it’s perimeter. 

Inside of the sturdy walls, he could see six different buildings. Along the two side walls of stone stood two houses each. Two west and two east, separate yet built so similar he could easily mistake the four as clones of each other if not for his experienced eyes that had seen such fine details over his life. Connecting these four abodes from west to east were grey, stone paths. The same cobblestone led beyond the front gate he had forwent as he perched atop the wall and led straight forward to a single building that was larger than the rest. Morax assumed that was the main estate just from the grandeur of it compared to the lacking other four. 

Though, the final building is harder for the curious immortal to see. It was built directly behind the main estate, no doubt also connected with the same clean stone paths that weaved through the courtyards. All Morax could see of this building was it’s roof, the same tiled and burned color as the high status homes around it. 

Morax straightened his body from it’s crouched position and began to gracefully walk along the stone wall. Getting new angles of the buildings inside, he soon grew close enough to the main estate that he easily lept to it’s roof. Landing as if the air lessened his weight, he could now view that one single building he hadn’t yet more clearly. 

Immediately, the Archon recognized it as a temple that without a doubt housed priests and priestess alike. Some may be masters at their craft and others may be but small, inexperienced fledgings beyond those sacred walls. 

The idea of a temple like that in an uncharted and untainted territory flared his curiosity. So much so, he was hardly in control of his instincts as he once more lept gracefully from the estate’s rooftop onto the stone paths. His barefeet made a sound of collision when his heels touched the man-made path, and continued to make the same shuffling sounds as he walked straight into the temple. 

Morax did not run into a single person in the temple, though he could hear matras and practices from around different open training fields. Even the soft plunks of arrows being driven into targets for archery precision and the chiming of bells for cleansing. The open halls of the temple and the roof over his head that kept the sun’s heated glare from his figure felt comforting. 

Being in a place so filled with peace and sounds of anything but war was outlandish to the otherwise warrior-type god. Morax had contracts to fulfill and his own principals to protect while fending off other gods trying to level his unnamed throne. Taking out a few of his own violation never did any harm to strengthen his gag between himself and others.

The god had walked so freely that he soon found himself under the sun again. Instead of in the open halls of marble floors and burgundy columns, Morax was standing amidst a field of wild grass, flowers, trees, and bushes. It was like the lush forest outside the stone perimeter allowed a single bit of it’s ecosystem inside the temple just for the mortals to bask in. 

A small humming of wings quickly caught Morax’s attention amidst the sounds of the wind’s breeze and dancing leaves. His chin led his head in the direction before coming to see a small dragonfly hovering around him before landing on his shoulder. The view of the insect was neary cut off by the hood he always wore over his head, but the bug itself was peaceful just resting it’s wings on the god’s shoulder for respite. 

For a moment, the warrior of countless battles felt relief. For just that moment, the weight of such responsibility with his temperament lifted all because a small insect decided to rest on him. 

The dragonfly’s respite did not last. The little critter’s wings began to hum again and soon began to hover off and before Morax could stop his feet, he found himself following it. Bare feet stepping over well worn paths of flattened grass and dirt patches. Not long from where had previously stood, he stopped at seeing where the small insect had flown to in lieu of himself. 

The eyes of the archon landed on the first person Morax had seen since entering this temple- although uninvited, presence unknown and undetected. Reaching out a delicate hand with her index finger extended, the dragonfly landed easily on the appendage. 

A priestess knelt elegantly in the tall grass, previously inspecting herbs when she heard the familiar buzz of wings. The hakama pants that folded at her legs were neatly pleaded without a crease out of place and her kosode tucked perfectly into the trousers- not a wrinkle to critque. Her hair had been loosing tied back with a red hair ribbon that fluttered in the breeze that kept the tall grass swaying like waves of spring. 

The wind picked up when the dragonfly lifted off her fingers and off back towards Morax. It was like the little creature had led him straight to her and was now directing her vision back so they could meet each other’s gaze. 

It was all thanks to that one, small bug that Morax and first made eye contact with you.

“Oh,” your small voice of surprise- at seeing such an odd looking man in the overgrown, private gardens of the temple- carried on the same wind that the dragonfly danced in. You stood and dusted off your knees, knocking any sticking dirt off your bottoms before standing up properly. You inspected the man in front of you.

Arms dark as earth with cracks of glowing gold. Clad in a white cloak that split five ways down  and encompassed with a golden belt at his waist with a hood pulled over his head. The hair you could see whipping lightly in the wind behind his back was dark in color matching his arms. His trousers were wide open and baggy around his legs, only encasing snuggly around his ankles. His impressive stature gained your attention easily and you could tell he wasn’t exactly something mortal. It would be ridiculous to think just at the sight of his arms alone, not to mention the air around him seemed so… powerful. 

“My apologies, I wasn’t aware we were expecting a guest today,” the courteous smile you sent him made him wonder if you weren’t at least a little apprehensive of his unexpected presence. 

“You weren’t made aware because no one aside from yourself is aware of my being here.” 

“I see,” you muse. “I hope you are aware that qualifies you as a trespasser.” 

“Trespasser?” Morax gapped, losing his composure for a moment. His brows dipped in offense under his hood, his pride kicking into his throat through his words. “I am no such being.” 

“Ah, but aren’t you just? You said yourself, no one knows you’re here. Yet, you end up in the presence of this temple’s Miko. If that does not mean you’re trespassing, what does?” Morax’s eyes hidden under his hair and flick from your head to your feet and back up again. You were the head shrine maiden? You seemed so young and yet you held such an important position? It planted a pebble of doubt in him.

Then again, if he focused on you properly, he could barely see a small circular arua around your frame. It was like a barrier was placed around you, one protected you from the outside and anything that could taint you. Exactly like the barrier surrounding the territory he had more or less invaded. Honing your spiritual power like that so young, he would’ve perhaps tutted in impressiveness if you hadn’t challenged his very being moments ago. 

Still, Miko or not, he still outranked you. Crossing his arms over his chest, their golden geo pulsed with a soft light. 

“With such a rank you possess, are you still so unaware when a God stands before you? A pity.” 

“On the contrary,” you smile to him and his brow again twitches at your nonchalance. “I’m being quite respectful if you think on it. If you were simply a noble who lives among the palace homes, I would’ve quickly dealt with you since only a select few from outside are allowed entry into the temple. Much less this garden which is private and limited to my attendance only.” 

“Are you implying you could force me away at any moment should you please?” His voice grew tight in challenge. His sense of traquilty from before discovering you was dimming and the frigid air of his battle sense were returning even as the wind continued to caress you both. 

“I assure you I would do no such thing. I’m simply proving that even in the presence of a God, I will not yield since I do not even know which is in front of me. Not to mention, this land has no God to speak of or for. So, if you think about it that way, I am where one would hypothetically stand.” 

Oh. 

Morax felt something stir in his chest at the teasing tilt in your voice that spilled over your lips that curled into a smile. Your eyes were so clean and clear, it was like staring into crystals and he had the urge to create a new form of geo just to replicate them. The feeling was foreign to him, but it shocked him greatly when he realized it wasn’t an unwelcome stir. 

He finally dropped his crossed arms and began to decrease the distance between you both. Morax came to stand in front of you so he could get an even better look at your features. As such, you could now look easily under his hood as he stood above you. His eyes seemed to glow a lovely shade of amber that complemented his glowing, golden skin and dark hair. 

“Address me as, Morax,” he instructed. Your taunting smile turned soft and wide as your eyes closed in the most pleased expression he had seen in years. His amber eyes widened at the innocence and the small bells of laughter that left your throat towards him shook his unshakeable core. 

“That’s much better,” you said, now obviously pleased. “I’m, y/n. It’s an honor to meet you, Morax.” 

It was his name rolling off your tongue- spreading into the wind that had blown harshly for but a moment- that sent an earthquake that started at his chest and spread through his whole body. It was the sound of his own death sentence and he was once again shocked at how he easily accepted that he would definitely be back to this temple. Be back to this garden of overgrown grass and floral. 

Morax would definitely be back to you. 

As promised, Morax had been back to that temple several times since the first time he met you. When the weight of the archon war was- ironically- too heavy, or if he needed a place to escape just for a moment he would seek you out. It was quiet ridiculous how you had somehow wormed your way into his very soul and wrapped him around your finger. 

The Lord of Geo had come to learn much about you in the time he spent by your side. Your favorite flowers and scents, when you had started your priestess training, when you had progressed to the skill level you possess now and how long you had been the acting miko of the temple. Your favorite type of weather, or time of day, or season. In turn, he had confessed things about himself as well. 

How he had been around for as long as the world- or so it sometimes felt that way. How he’s in the middle of a grand and merciless war with other gods presumably because of issues to do with celestia. How he had taken many lives of both mortals and gods alike all for the sake of his own land and people. The very feeling of battle is engraved in his bones like names on a tombstone, yet it didn’t seem to push you away. 

It was laughable. The very Being of war and battle was utterly infautated with you, a mortal being of purity and values. Of course, you were alway assure him that what he did was just his own values, especially his strictness with any contract he made. You neved judged him for his sins and the weight they carried, but you never outwardly agreed with him either. You told him what he needed to hear, not what he wanted and he cherished those words so dearly. If he had any less self-restraint, Morax could easily let himself take your very words as law itself.

Yet again, it was another day he had left his duties behind him as he found you kneeling in the fields of grass once again. Leaping from the outerwalls, to the rooftops of the estate, to the roof of the temple, he easily lands like a pebble hitting sand next to you. It was the rush of air beside you that alerted you of his attendance rather than any sound he made- or didn’t make. 

“Hello again, Morax,” you greet as you thumb through the herbs and check the petals of nearby wildflowers. Morax kneels at your side before sitting fully in the grass, one of his knees bent up to prop his arm on with the other stretched out in front of him. A rather relaxed position you had insisted he use instead of kneeling for however long he visits would last. 

“Good afternoon,” he replies. It’s silent for a while after that. The atmosphere of simply being with you was good enough for Morax. That was until the urge to speak and hear you speak in return hit his throat. “Your people seem more rowdy than usual.” He didn’t need super-enhanced senses to tell that the noise had increased since his last visit. 

“You can tell that even though you’ve never properly been inside?” 

“I have been inside.”

“No one knew that thought,” you tease with a finger that flicked back and forth a few times. “So, it isn’t a proper stroll in my temple.” Morax playfully chuckles at your antics. “You are correct though.” 

“Is there a reason?” He had noticed it since he arrived, but the air around you seemed heavy. “Something seems to be weighing on you.” 

“You’re perceptive. I suppose I shouldn’t be shocked about that considering-” 

“Y/n.” 

You sigh before the hand that had been thumbing at flower petals falls back into the tresses of wild grass and to the ground at your side. 

“The monks are gathering in a rush under Master Jiang’s orders.” Morax’s brow furrows at the information. You had mentioned this Master Jiang before. He was apparently a traveling monk that had previously been nomadic. Though, since the archon war had only gotten worse over the course of time, he had settled in the safety of your barrier and subsequently in your temple. 

On the rare occasions you let your irritations get the best of you, you spilled your guts to Morax about how he was constantly chanllenging your power and position in the temple. Thinking he was better because he was older with more experience beyond the protective walls of your home. Along with the misguided misogyny of being a man. It was one thing after another, spouting off about anything that irked you until you got all your curses off your lips in the privacy of the archon. 

Morax had not met this Jiang- not to mention anyone else outside of you inside the temple sense his visits weren’t exactly documented- but he already strongly disliked him. Now, he was trying to taking charge of your temple?

“For what purpose.” You do no respond to him right away and it sends a jolt through his nervous system. “Y/n. For what purpose,” he repeats with a heavier tone. You let out a sigh that feels as heavy as your aura as you sit in the field of wildgrass and flowers with the closest being to your heart. 

“He’s afraid that we’re going to soon be effected by the war as well.” You didn’t need to specify which war, he was more than well aware which you were referring to. 

Among the other things he had learned about you, he had come to understand why your people were save from the archon’s destruction so far. It was because of you and your power. 

Inside the temple was a specific place for you to practice your skills and keep the barrier around your precious home. That didn’t showcase all you could do, however and Morax knew it. Keeping the living things inside safe and keeping all the taint out. If something did happen to get inside your barrier, you were quickly dispatched to purify it. You could tell the moment something breached your safe haven, all the proof he needed as his first appearance to you. 

You had admitted ot him once that the reason you didn’t immediately cast him out was simply because you didn’t feel any hostility from his presence. He had no intention on hurting your people or home, so you allowed him access in. That barrier was an extension of your power; constant proof you were so much stronger than that stupid old monk was trying to plat down. 

Morax had only heard the sound of your birch tree bowstring plucked once before, and the air instantly felt cleaner. He’d heard bells in the distant halls while he waited for you in the treetops of your private garden to avoid the chance of being seen. While with you, he had picked up on a masking you placed over him so he couldn’t be detected by others and kept safe from prying eyes. Your power still astonished him even after all this time. 

“That’s asinine,” he growled. The whole ordeal of it all just set the message that they didn’t trust you and your abilities. After all you had done since you were a child to protect these people, after everything you’ve sacrificed, and they’re doubting you now? When your powers were in their prime? It was insulting. 

“Morax-”

“Do not try and save their value but udnermining your own.” 

“I’m not!” You cry in exasperation. You let out another sigh before letting your body lean into his shoulder and against his propped up leg. Morax froze up as your body softly collided with his own. While you had him attached to your very being, hook line and sinker, he had never once touched you. Not a single brush of his fingertips to your body or even allowing your legs to touch as you sat side by side. 

The side of his body you rested on felt like a volcano on his geo-ingraved skin. 

“Sorry,” you whisper. “Could I stay like this just for a moment longer?” 

His arm that you leaned against came to wrap around your shoulder and push your head further against him. The archon lowered his leg to join the other on the ground just so he could have you closer to him. His chin rested by your forehead and he closed his eyes letting you invade every one of his senses. Squeezing your form as he felt the trembles you tried to conceal and force to stay inside, not letting yourself break as much as he wanted you to. Morax wanted you to feel safe and open with him, but he understood all too well how difficult a task that was as someone of your strict upbringing. 

“Stay here as long as you need. I will not move.” Morax was geo, the land itself. He created mountains and stone and they all know his name. He was a god of contracts and his words were just as serious as those that he holds so strictly to them. The Lord of Geo would stay your unyielding pillar for as long as you needed him. That he promised to himself as he felt your small drops of tears silently fall onto his chest that he dare not mention. The urge to wipe them away and treasure you like a fragile bell ached within him, but he dare not act on those either.

For but a brief moment, Morax- the Geo Archon- wished for a single second he was mortal. That he was like you.  

Morax had no idea how this happened. What had gone wrong? Was it him? Did his sudden intrusion into your life of purity ruin everything? As a god, did his divine hands finally touch something he was never meant to?

Weeks ago you had urgently awaited his normal time of arrival but as soon as he showed, you urgently told him to leave. To leave the temple, the palace, the barrier- all of it- and never come back. You had demanded he return to the world he knew, the one filled with smoke and war and ongoing conquests. His chest filled with thick, black tar as you screamed at him and he did what any sane being would do. Morax screamed back, unable to understand and he was losing his patience bit by bit.  

The Archon wanted answers, none of which he demanded for were satisfing. The monks had finally discovered that you had been meeting with an outsider from beyond the barrier; to make matters worse, they knew it was Morax who had been active in the outside war since it begun. They were focring you to make a decision and the best course of action was to push him away before things got too out of hand and would be to a point where you could do nothing. 

It made no sense to Morax. He could help, he was certain of it. He’d let you direct him, use him how you like and pull his actions like a puppet on willing strings. He’d follow your every order to the letter if you just wouldn’t force him out and shun him like you were desperately trying to do. 

You wouldn’t yield. 

Morax hated your stubbornness now more than ever. You finally forced him away with a bracellet you had made yourself that was nothing but clear-ringing, golden bells threaded with red string. The sound they made amplified your power and he knew at just the meresight of them you were trying to make him leave. 

With one flick of your wrist, he could feel invisible threads of nothing wrap around his limbs and begin to tug. Once more he tried to reason something- anything- out of you, but was met with nothing but a second ring of bells that yanked his whole being out of your barrier. Forced out and finding himself outside, he was furiously frustated. Summoning his polearm, he let out a cry before thrusting it into and then subsequently through the neearst tree effectively slicing it down.  

Your final words to him stay in his ears like a parasite- pounding against his eardrums so violently he was afraid they'd burst if they continued to torment him. 

“If you ever return, I will have no choice but to take further actions, Morax.” 

Morax had to stay away from you. It’s what you wanted; or maybe it wasn’t your wish- but it’s what you said. What you demanded he do. Still, he didn’t know when this happened. Morax didn’t know when he decided that the last thing he would ever do is stay away. 

Therefore, Morax still returned into your barrier and through your territory. Just as you had said, you were true to your words. 

The moment you felt his presence trespass inside your barrier, you evacuated the palace and with the same bells you sent him away with, you summoned him back. It was like he was teleported with magic, the same invisble strings that had yanked him out now drew him in. The ringing of your bells reverated in his ears before he was standing in that same overgrown field. 

Morax stood in the one spot he first saw you and you took presence in the spot he had found you kneeling. This time, there were no dragonflies humming in the air and something in him knew there never would be again. 

“I told you,” you choked. 

“I refuse to listen to a moral’s orders,” he bit back. It was a lie. He said he’d listen to your every word, and he meant it. Even when his desperate pleas to stay by you landed him nowhere by alone. 

Morax knew there was only one option left as he eyed the staff in your hand. Your grip was so tight around it your hand trembled with the sheer force of it. Your head shook with micro-swivels on your neck as you kept your eyes on the ground. 

“You should have.” Morax’s polearm materialized at his side in a moment before he took it’s familiar grip into his palm. He had only ever told you of his weapon, never wanting to show you in case it tainted you somehow. All that silly precaution seemed so pointless now. 

The gentle breeze he was accustomed to had become bone chilling as you lifted your chin to finally look at him. Morax almost caved seeing your angry tears, but as you moved to engage in battle, he let his body move on it’s own. The god who was so accustomed to battle just wanted to shut his brain off for this one. 

Morax didn’t want to do this. 

The battle between you both was a long one. You screamed at each other. Sometimes words, sometimes just sounds of angusih and pain. You knew Morax was holding back on you, you didn’t have the power to fully stop a god and you knew it. Morax knew it. Whether he was holding back because of his affections for you or because he was toying with you, you couldn’t figure it out. The power of your barrier did limit his abilities some, but it was hardly enough to be considered a handicap.

Still, somehow, you had knocked his polearms from his hand before you forced him onto his back into the grass. 

His cloack was torn and his arms of geo-glowing beauty seemed dim and dark like the shadow cast over his eyes. His hood had been knocked back while his hair was tosseled and battleworn. Your body and his were covered in cuts and burns and scrapes. Everything hurt from inside your body to the outside. 

You had him on his back as you climbed over him. Your legs pinned his arms down and your weight sat on his chest, the bottom of your staff pushing into his throat as your labored breaths shook throughout your whole body. All you had to do with lift your staff just a fraction and slam it back down and you could do some major purifying damage to his body. It probably wouldn’t kill him… but what if it did? Did you have it in your to purify a god? Maybe if you tried, it would take all your strength and you could die together. You almost scoff at yourself- 

-wouldn’t that be just poetic.

You could feel his own chest heaving under your weight and you knew he could easily throw you off him if he wanted to. Just like before though, he did nothing. He just lay in the grass beaten and battered as he glared beyond the staff’s pole into your face. You hated the look in his eyes.

“Will you not follow through?” He chastised with so much venom you wanted to vomit. The staff shook once with both of trembling hands holding it above his neck. You had to- it was your duty. You would be betraying your people if you let him live. For your people, for the cowardice monks who forced you here, for your ignorance for thinking you could keep Morax by your side without consequence. For everything you had trained for until now, you had to get rid of him. You had to!

Morax sucked in a breath as he readied his neck to be pulverized. Your staff came away from his throat… and soon your weight was being pushed off his body entirely. Raising to your shaking, exposed legs from your torn trousers, you took staggering steps backward from him. Morax’s glare morphed into shock as he raised to his elbows to watch you retreat. 

“What-” 

He watched  your chest heave with frustrated tears. Choked, uneven sobs tore at your throat as you screamed before throwing your staff far from your grip. You heard it clank against Morax’s discarded polearm and thought for a moment how ironic it was. Your weapon reuinited with his in your moment of weakness- your lowest point of failure. The moment you threw duty away and chose yourself for once. 

“I can’t,” you cry, falling to your knees into the singed and destroyed field that once flourished so wonderuflly. “Please, go,” you beg. Morax climbs to his feet, wincing at the wounds on his body before calling for his polearm again. Once it was again in his grip, he looked at the dried blood of yours that litered the blade. The Lord of Geo immedately dismissed it, watching it disapate into the air from whence he summoned it. He simply stood there, looking down at your crumbling frame. 

What were you doing? You were going against your practices and willingly letting a supposed threat escape. He took one step in your diection, still so woefully attached to you. Watching you tear at the seams and keep unraveling in front of his very eyes. He was at a loss; what could he do to even begin to ease your suffering when he himself was part of it?  

“No.” You could feel his eyes on you and his want to approach you burnt the top of your head at which he gazed. “Be gone.” You demand once again like the first day you chased him off. You didn’t hear him move and in a fit of nothing left, you tore off your bell bracellet and threw it in his direction. “Go back to where you belong!”  And in a mere moment, his presence vanished and you broke completely. The eyes of the monks watched as you sobbed in the gardens, the battle they made you wage concluding with no victor. 

“Zhongli…” the story behind the hairpiece and his grief was heavier than either Paimon or Traveler was expecting. 

“I had planned to gift this to y/n during one of our meetings. I knew she wouldn’t be allowed to wear it of course,” he chuckled bitterly to himself. “For a great many of reasons. Still,” it would’ve proven to myself she was mine. Zhongli cleared his throat. “Regardless, I think I’ve spoken enough for once. The tea has run out and you both surely have other arrangements as the day is waning.” 

“Paimon doesn’t think-” 

“Then, we’ll be off,” Traveler interjects. Zhongli was just being polite but what he was really saying was that he wanted to be alone. “Thank you for telling us. Y/n sounded like a wonderful person.” 

“Tis but a story.” The way he replied made it sound like he was trying to convince himself more than them. The two left his home, leaving him still sitting at the table with an empty teacup and still holding that crystal winged dragonfly like it was Teyvat’s most precious treasure. 

It was quiet between Paimon and the Traveler as they walked aimlessly around Liyue. The Traveler’s mind boggled at the information they had been told and grew curious to any they hadn’t. They were almost certain that there was more to your story, but Zhongli couldn’t bare to say anymore. 

“Wait,” Traveler stopped in the middle of the path, bringing their hand to cup around their mouth in thought. “That all happened during the Archon War, right?” 

“Paimon thinks she remembers him mentioning that. Why?” 

“Do you think Xiao would know anything about it?” Traveler thought about it, but if memory served Morax was the one who granted Xiao his name. As Paimon looked at the blond with wonder, a voice spoke behind them. 

“You called?” 

Paimon’s screech echoed into the air as the Traveler spun around, not expecting the very apedtus to show up. Xiao sure took the calling of his name seriously. 

“Paimon never-” the floating companion looked to the blonde. “Oh, yeah. I guess we kinda did.” Xiao crosses his arms as he stands expectantly. The daytime hours were few in remaints and the streets began to slowly thin in populous, so he was less reserved about being around people, Though, he still didn’t want to linger either. Regardless of his wants, he noticed the air of tensity around you both. 

“Did something happen.” It wasn’t a question, it hardly was when Xiao was involved. 

“Do you know anything about a woman named y/n?” Xiao’s body when frigid as he dropped his arms and quickly stepped up to the both of you. Coming nearly toe to toe as the Traveler squeaked and took a half step back. 

“How do you know that name.” Once again, Xiao wasn’t asking. Traveler looked around and decided that standing in the middle of the road wasn’t the best place for this conversation. 

“Let’s go somewhere else.” 

The newly formed trio had migrated outside the city and out into the wilderness by a river.  Xiao and Traveler took to sitting among stones, Xiao crossing his legs and Traveler letting their’s dangle. Paimon’s ever floating presence never going too far from the two. They sat and listened to the sound of the bable of running water, trying to find a way to reopen the previously halted conversation. 

“Did Rex Lapis tell you about y/n?” Xiao ripped the bandage off first, something Traveler was almost thankful for. “That’s the only possible conclusion I can think of if you know her name since she wasn’t memorialized during her lifetime.” 

“Yeah, he did. I’m pretty sure he chased us out before he could tell us everything though.” Xiao nodded. Earnest understanding shone in his eyes but there was something else behind those irises of his, but the Traveler couldn’t figure out what it was. “Did you knew her too, Xiao?” He nodded again. 

“Not long after Morax found me and gave me my name, I found out that he was frequently paying visitation to a mortal woman. I thought he was being reckless, so he took me to meet her one day.” 

“He took you himself?” Paimon questioned. 

“Yes. He wanted to prove a point.” 

Xiao could still remember his first impression of you.  You had scolded Morax as soon as he landed in the familiar garden, arms crossed and mouth opening in reprimands. Calling him foolish for bringing a highly detectable entity beyond your barrier- one he didn’t even realize he had breached with his archon- and that if you hadn’t masked his spiritual signal just like how you did with his own, he’d be in a world of trouble. 

Seeing Morax take your scolding as he stood there bemused, Xiao’s first thought was that he did not like you. He distrusted you. What kind of mortal argues with a god on what they can and cannot do like you did? It was ludicrous. Still, the moment Morax introduced him as his newest comrade named Xiao, you smiled at him. You sent along with that smile a warm welcome and he suddenly felt awkward. 

“Xiao,” you called to his back before he was to leave with Morax at the need to return back outside your walls. He did not turn around to face you, but he did not move until you spoke again. “Feel free to come back and visit anytime. I’ll keep you covered.” 

“Rex Lapis- Morax- was the one who saved me and gave me the name Xiao. I respect him and owe him a great deal- a debt I may not truly be able to ever repay in full. In mortal terms, some may say he’s like a father to me.” Xiao’s chin lifted up to the darkening sky. The day had felt so long, the Traveler hadn’t realized just how late it was beginning to get. “If Morax was a father, then y/n was my mother."

The yaksha can still remember the first time he had sought you out for himself without Morax with him he was recoiling from karmic debt. It didn’t take a genius to know that he felt lighter in your presence- your purifying light helping ease his burdensn whether you did so purposely or not. 

It was late into the night when you had awoken abruptly from your sleep to the sensation of Xiao passing through the barrier. You sprung up from your futon, quickly focusing on his approach and cloaking him the best you could. His energy was rough, dark and pulsing and it worried you. You quickly made your way out to the garden where you knew he’d be and unshockingly enough was when you arrived. 

Curled into himself on his knees, his arms wrapped around his torso as black smoke engulfed him like vines. Gasping and sweating, he weakly stay collapsed in the grass as you ran to his side. 

“Xiao!” You whispered in anxiety as you knelt next to him, your eyes teary in fright. “What’s happening to you?” He didn’t answer, just shook his head with heavy, labored breaths. The moment, your hand came to rest on his back, his eyes rolled back with a fraction of his burden easing off his shoulders. Xiao slumped into you, his shoulder and neck pushing into your legs as his head rested partially on your stomach. His sudden collison knocked you back into the grass, your previously kneeling form now firmly planted on the ground. 

“Please,” he gasped as your other hand had come to his shoulder that wasn’t pushing into your lap. “Please, could you… sing.” In truth, he wasn’t sure why he asked that of you. He didn’t know what possessed him to request something so odd, but regardless of the oddity, you did. Your mouth had opened and you slowly and softly began to sing him a lullaby he had never heard before that night. 

It was like a blanket of early morning mist started to coat his burning, heavy body. His aching came to a slow stop as his mind became clearer. You sang the lullaby over and over again until the effects of his karmic debt had disappeared into the evening air. Even when he went completely lax on your lap and your hands had moved to run through his hair and across his back, you kept singing until early that next morning Morax had come to retrieve his missing Adeptus. 

As Xiao in the present looked at the stars, tracing constellations, he once again was reminded of your lullaby. You sang that to him many times after that and he remembered every single instance. It wasn’t far-fetched to say that the reason Barbarto’s song’s calmed him so is because he’s reminded of you in those moments and tunes. 

Yes, Xiao came to revere you just as much as his Archon- even though you were just a mere mortal. 

“So,” Traveler spoke up softly, trying to gently pull him from his obvious reminiscing. “What happened to y/n? Zhongli mentioned that he had fought her, but what happened then? Did they ever see each other again?” 

“No,” Xiao’s face contorted into a grimmance as his fist’s balled in his lap. “Y/n was executed before Morax could ever see her again.” His fists were so tightly balled they shook, clearly he still resented the fate you had been subjected to. 

“Executed?!” Paimon exclaimed. “But- but why?!” 

“Because she let Morax live.” The yaksha’s eyes narrowed as he gnashed his teeth. “Those filthy monks that poisoned her temple confined her to a dungeon cell where they starved and deprived her of anything. Letting her suffer for days before placinig a curse and executing her all because she refused kill an Archon.” 

“Did those people really not like Archons that much?” Paimon asked. 

“They were monsters!” He exclaimed. “Y/n had been raised to choose the people over her own desires, but the moment she wanted something for herself they-” 

“Xiao,” Traveler interrupted, reaching out their hand to place it on his folded knee. 

“She didn’t deserve the fate they gave her.” Traveler only nodded at his solemn tone. “When her execution was carried out, Morax… he reacted to an extreme.” 

“An extreme?” Paimon inquires. Xiao nodded, lifting his head back up from where it had been tucked towards his chest in anger. 

“The moment y/n’s barrier disappeared Morax stormed inside. He destroyed everything he could get his hands on. I… I was with him.” Xiao was enraged at the news of your demise, but he knew as he watched the back of his Archon as took the lives of the lowly monks who dared try to outrank you that the grief and emotions Morax felt course through him far outweighed his own. 

By day's end, the entire palace, surrounding village, and temple were all up in flames or crushed into rubble. Standing among the burning wreckage that stunk of ash, blood and death Morax plunged his polearm into the earth and screamed with no one left to witness him aside from Xiao. Instead of trying to approach his archon, he instead kept his eyes on the remains of buildings going up in flames like a personal pyre in remembrance of you. 

“After that, Morax stopped talking about her to anyone. It was like he pushed her into the recesses of his mind and tried to erase her altogether. With the meeting of other Archons and the assembly of Liyue, it seemed like he was trying to move forward.” 

“Poor Zhongli,” Paimon whined. “Star crossed lovers sure are sad to think about.” 

“To this day, there’s no one y/n has cared for as deeply as Morax.” At Xiao’s confession, Traveler’s ears perked. Did they hear that right? 

“Hold on,” they started, “what do you mean ‘to this day’?” Xiao’s body stiffened. He cleared his throat before he looked away, hoping that silence would push past his slip up. “Xiao!” 

“It meant nothing.” 

“Liar.” 

“I am not.” 

“Paimon thinks so too!” 

“Your input does not encourage much.” 

“Hey!” 

“Xiao,” Traveler tries again, arms crossing over their chest as they straighten their sitting posture on the stone they still sat on. Xiao cursed himself at deflating so easily in the face of the blond’s pressure. 

The Adeptus took after his Archon in that sense it would seem. 

“If you can keep it a secret,” he hesitated, “then I have somewhere to take you.” Xiao’s face turned back and looked the Traveler into the eyes.  They could see just house uneasy his gaze was, yet still under it was a stern ‘this is important’ before everything else. They nodded deeply towards him and force another sigh from his lips. The two of them jump from their stone seats as Xiao points in a direction. “Then follow me.” 

“Paimon can keep a secret too!” 

“Somehow, I doubt that.” Still, Xiao let her follow him too. The more the merrier you’d say- or at least he hopes. 

“I had no idea there was a place like this in Liyue!” Paimon exclaims after Xiao had taken both her and the Traveler along a path through the forests and into a clearing. After approaching what appeared to be nothing, his figured seemed to pass through something. The two who accompanied him both gawked at his sudden disappearance into thin air before he was reappearing from nowhere. ‘Hurry up,’ he had told them as they cautiously followed his once again disappearing back. 

Beyond the boundary of nothingness was a fairly large home that was longer than the clearing thy where previously in. The path forward was lined with trees and during the daytime they provided comfortable shade for any who walked under them. Now though, they just casted nighttime shadows of moonlight. The air felt different from the forest’s air as well. As if it had been filtered through something and made even cleaner than normal. 

Xiao walked with confidence through the path of trees and up the steps of the elongated home like he had done it a million times before. He didn’t even stop to check and make sure that both Traveler and Paimon were still behind him and hadn’t instead wandered off. The lanterns that lit the halls cast moving shadows along the walls and they danced off Xiao’s back as they continued to trail after his heels. 

Soon, he came to a stop outside a set of doors before looking at Traveler briefly then back again. He knocked twice around the hardened sides of the doorframe and didn’t wait for any signs of noise before taking further action. Sliding them open, he stepped inside and the Traveler and Paimon naturally followed.  

It was a large room, a small floor desk tucked away on one side littered with papers, books and ink. Another set of doors opposite from the ones he had just walked through led out to an open terrace that further pushed out into a stone garden. On the opposite side of the room was an unfurled, messy futon that lacked a body to rest inside it. 

Xiao sighed at seeing the empty futon and made his way out the doors to the wooden terrace. Apparently he had found who he was looking for since he began to speak and it wasn’t to the Traveler. 

“Why are you not resting?” 

“How could I when I have visitors?” A voice answered him and it made the skin on the Traveler’s face flush. It sounded clear like bells and was as soft as a gentle stream. Holding such composure- it reminded them of Zhongli’s voice and how aged it was. Xiao backed up into the room again as someone had came inside. 

The dark hour left the woman mostly unseen, but Xiao was quick to start lighting a lantern for light. 

“Thank you, Xiao,” she commented as the wick began to burn with a flickering flame. Traveler’s face remained flush at the woman in front of them. She didn’t just sound wise, she looked it. Like she had seen many years and experienced many things- but still looked so young. Xiao moved to her side and Traveler didn’t need to ask if the woman in front of them was who they thought she was. “Are you friends of Xiao’s?” 

“Yes,” Traveler whispered before they cleared their throat and answered again. “Yes, we are.”

“I see.” Xiao cleared his own throat, turning his head away at the gaze the woman sent him. Luckily the lantern didn’t light the room the greatest so his tinted cheeks stayed between the duo and didn’t reach the Traveler’s eyes. Looking back, she smiled warmly and it seemed exactly like how Zhongli explained. “It’s lovely to meet you both. My name is y/n.” 

“WHAT?!” Paimon exclaimed before slapping her hands over her mouth. Both at the discourtesy and the late hour she had yelled into. 

“I assume you have a great deal of questions,” you tell them, “but, for now I think we should table all that for tomorrow. You’re both more than welcome to stay here for the night. Xiao can lead the way for you.” 

With that, somehow the two travel companions ended up in a guest room with two futons and Xiao telling them to get some rest before leaving and presumably going back to your side. 

You had once again left your room to sit on the terrace and Xiao joined you. Sitting beside you, his head coming up to your shoulder in height as you both looked and focused on nothing. 

“Are you upset with me?” He asked. 

“Not particularly, no. Shocked, maybe. I wasn’t expecting someone else to follow in behind you from the forest.” 

“I apologize.” 

“There’s no need.” You slowly bring your hand up to rest on the back of Xiao’s head, a comfort to both him and you. Just like how Xiao described you as a mother, you didn’t ever think of him as anything less than what you assumed a son would be like. “It’s actually helped me with something that’s been on my mind lately.” 

Xiao just grabbed onto the sleeve of the robe you wore, not saying anything but conveying enough for you to understand. 

“I’ll explain it tomorrow. For now, how about a lullaby?” Even from the guest room and with Paimon already asleep, the Traveler could hear a faint song in the air before drifting to sleep. 

“Sooo, how old are you?” 

“Paimon!” Traveler yelled. “That’s rude!” 

“I was just asking a question!” 

“Ask a different one!”

The small squabble that earned a sigh from Xiao the next morning led you into a small laughing fit. The group of you were gathered in a drawing room used for when Xiao would visit you during your days. You’d spend time listening to things Xiao would encounter outside, and while it was a good way to pass the time you would otherwise spend alone, it felt better with more lively guests like this. 

“Xiao’s older than I am, so please rest assured I’m younger than you think.” 

“Xiao’s older?!” 

“Ahem,” the Yaksha interrupts by clearing his throat, “age matters aside, don’t you think now would be a good time for an explanation. If we’re gone from Liyue too long, Zhon- er- Rex Lapis could get suspicious.” 

“Why’d you correct yourself like that Xiao?” Paimon asks before you answer for him. 

“He feels like Morax’s mortal name makes me uncomfortable. I’ve told him time and time again that it doesn’t bother me, but he insists on using his other titles. Feel free to keep referring to him as you’re used to, I won’t get confused.” 

“How considerate of him,” Paimon dryly says, pulling another chuckle from you. 

“In any case, Xiao is right. I assume he told you about me, seeing as he brought you here himself.” 

“Sort of,” Traveler starts. “Zhongli is actually the one who told us about you. Xiao just told us more.” A shocked look passes over your features when you hear that the former Archon had opened up about you at all. “He said that someone from his past died around this time and we were worried about him. We kind of… pressured him into telling us.” 

“I don’t think that’s true,” Xiao said as he crossed his arms. “If Rex Lapis truly didn’t wish to speak about it, he wouldn't have. Believe me. He’s too stubborn.” 

“Be nice,” you lightly chide him. “Still, it’s a shock. I thought he would’ve buried his memories of me long ago.” 

“I’ve told you,” Xiao spoke up again, “Rex Lapis- he still-” 

“Xiao.” Your voice was stern for a moment before he clammed up. 

“Sorry,” he spoke defeatedly. Instead of staying quiet and letting the awkward air cloud up the room, he started up the discussion of why he had brought outsiders here in the first place. “Traveler, do you remember when I told you that Lady y/n had been executed?” Traveler nodded and was shocked at his use of a title. He didn’t use one at all when he was talking about you yesterday? Did he always address you personally like that? “Do you also recall how I mentioned how before she was killed, she was cursed.” 

“Oh yeah,” Paimon acknowledges. “Paimon remembers you saying something like that.” 

“It’s because of that curse that she’s still alive.” 

“They cursed her not to die? Doesn’t that seem kinda dumb since they apparently executed her for not defeating Zhongli?” Paimon’s face scrunched before her entire being deflated. “Paimon doesn’t get it.” 

“That isn’t quite correct. I can die,” you inform them. Xiao’s fist twitched as his gently grasped the fabric of his pants in his palms. “In fact, I have died several times. The curse i bare is that I cannot stay dead.” 

“Isn’t that still contradictory to what the monk’s were trying to accomplish?” Traveler asks. 

“Not necessarily. Back in my original life, I had broken a vow I had been raised on: placing my people above myself and never being selfish. That one sacred vow being broken was enough for Jiang to label me a treasonous traitor. This eternal life of mine is punishment for that crime.” 

“That’s so dumb!” Paimon exclaims. You continue to explain after she’s finished huffing. Her puffy face was quite amusing to look at as she crossed her small arms like she was offended on your behalf. 

“My curse resets my life to the point in time I was killed. Therefore, any injuries or illnesses I received in previous lives have all but vanished. I can still starve and freeze to death. I can become ill and contract diseases just like a normal mortal. I’ll die if I'm stabbed and I’ll scar if I’m burned. Still, even after all that, I’ll simply wake up again like none of it happened. This prolonged suffering is what Jiang and his acolytes were after.” 

“That’s terrible,” Traveler whispers. “Have you died many times?” 

“I’ve lost count.” You raise your hand to look at your palm that has been the same as the first time you woke up from death. In the ruins of your destroyed temple you were foggy minded and confused before your entire being filled with dread. “I’ve lived so many lives I cannot remember them all, but I know I’ve touched on every type. I’ve gone mad, harming people around me and myself. I’ve given in to every sin in hopes that they would allow me to die and not come back. I’ve even tried ending the cycle myself, but all to no avail.” 

You took a deep breath before dropping your hand back to your lap. 

“As stained as I am now, I’m hardly the priestess I used to be. I can never be that pure original version of me, but I’ve long accepted that. I’m quite… content with my life right now.” 

“Content my foot,” Xiao huffed. “You were planning to stay alone for a lot longer if I hadn’t found you.” 

“Wait,” Paimon piques, “found you?” 

“It was purely by chance,” you explain. “Sometimes, I’ll venture into Liyue but under a cloaked disguise so I’m not recognized or detected. Some years ago, I accidentally ran into Xiao near Wangshuu Inn and spoke his name purely out of reflex. He heard me and well, it was safe to say he wasn’t exactly pleased as he tracked me down.” 

“I was frustrated,” he corrected. “I came to find out you were alive and hiding for eons after thinking you were long dead.” 

“I know.” 

“Imagine how Morax would feel if he knew!” 

“I know, Xiao,” you repeat. “That’s something I actually want to talk to you about.” Xiao stills in his rampage before his arms slowly uncurl and his posture takes on something uncomfortable. “You’ve kept my life a secret for some time now, omnienting the truth from the Archon you respect so much. I’m sorry for asking such a selfish request.” You turn to look at the slack faced boy before bringing your hand to cup his chin affectionately. Traveler felt like they were impeding on a parental moment as they tried to look anywhere but you both. “If you want to, you can tell him the truth now.” 

Xiao’s hand comes to quickly clasp around your wirst that started to fall away from his face. His mouth opens before it closes again. He was torn between what he’s been wanting to do for so long and the open permission to actually do it. 

“Are you… for certain?” 

“Yes,” you swallow a lump in your throat. “I’m certain.” Xiao quickly takes your wrist out of his grip before he’s rushing to stand up. He stands with such a force he teeters on his feet before going to the door. He didn’t want to wait a single moment longer. “Xiao!” He stops momentarily and he’s reminded just for a brief moment how you spoke his name like that to his back the first day he ever met you milinia ago. This time though, he spun to look you in the eyes. “Take this with you,” you had gotten up from your place and placed your hand out of a nearby window. Bringing it back in not longer after, an insect of glimmering colors hummed through the space and landed on his shoulder. 

“A dragonfly!” Paimon exclaims as Traveler also rose to their feet ready to follow Xiao out. Xiao just nods before dashing out of the door. Being inside your barrier always made it hard for him to teleport between locations, so he had to get outside first. “Traveler, lets catch up with Xiao!” Paimon says, pointing after him. 

“Yeah,” they agree before looking back to you as you stay by at the window. 

“Get going now,” you urge before Traveler was awkwardly bowing to you and running out, calling Xiao’s name to try and get him to ‘slow down and wait up!’ 

Once alone again, you felt a coil settle in your chest. It was the same tightness you felt when Xiao had found you. Found out you were alive as you confessed everything to his insistent pleading after following you into your barrier. You braced your hands on the window pane before swallowing a lump in your throat. 

You never got the proper chance to tell Morax how you felt about him in your original life. It was wrong for a mortal like you to fall in love with a god- much less in the middle of a world altering war. You would’ve been far more foolish to confess your feelings than you were when you let him go. 

The tight coil only grows barbed spikes as you remember the last time you ever saw him. Laying beneath you as you pinned him down. Standing before you as you demanded him away. Feeling the empty air as he vanished right before you eyes. 

Xiao had told you that he was the one responsible for destroying your home. Burning it all down and destroying everything in his sight all because you had died. He was so filled with anguish and you didn’t know if you fully believed it. Xiao insisted that Morax hasn’t cared for a single soul as much as he cared for you. Even know as he lived as Zhongli you still hadn’t been replaced. You didn’t know if you believed that either. 

“I won’t regret this… will I?” You ask no one as you feel yourself start to pathetically cry. “Weak,” you call yourself as you stand alone in the empty home you constructed for yourself long ago. 

“Did you find him yet?” Traveler asks Xiao as they met back up in the middle of Liyue. Zhongli wasn’t at the funeral parlor and Hu Tao didn’t know where he had meandered off to before they came looking for him. He wasn’t at his home nor was he listening to that storyteller at Three-Round Knockout like usual. “Last place is the harbor. He was at the bridge when we found him, so let’s go look.” 

They made haste to the bridge, but with crestfallen faces it was devoid of any kind of descended Archon. They were about to recollect their thoughts and try and figure out if there was any other place he frequented they could try when someone spoke up behind them. 

“You all seem troubled,” the familiar voice of Zhongli startled all three of them as they all whipped around to look at him. He looked as composed as usual, maybe even a bit better than yesterday. Maybe airing some of his grievances helped him out a bit after all. Still, who knows how the news Xiao had for him would effect his mental well being. 

“Rex- ahem- Zhongli, I need to speak with you.” In the heat of the moment, Xiao almost addressed him as Rex Lapis. Calling him that in the middle of the busy day would be a mistake, so it was good he caught himself. Zhongli looked at Xiao’s steadfast gaze and let it travel over to the blond and their companion who’s always had an issue keeping quiet. 

“You all look stiff, like something has happened.” 

“That’s Zhongli for you,” Paimon remarks. “Always perceptive.” 

“So, it’s as I surmised.” 

“I’ll explain everything, but it can’t be here.” Xiao stepped in. 

“I understand,” Zhongli sighs. “Come with me. We can talk outside the city away from any possible prying ears. I would prefer to not be cooped up indoors.” 

Just like the day before, Zhongli took the group out to the same river Xiao did; it was far from the people and now he stood cross-armed and ready for any sort of explanation. Traveler stayed quiet, knowing it was Xiao’s wish to say something first and made sure Paimon stayed quiet too. If anything, they were there to make sure nothing got out of hand- this was truly between them. 

“On behalf of someone else’s word, I’ve been keeping something from you. It’s about… It’s about, y/n.” 

“Xiao,” Zhongli bit and Xiao felt the words get stuck in his throat the moment your name left his mouth. Zhongli’s tone was already on edge. Just the mention of your name was enough to make the Archon nearly growl. The former divine being had been feeling the blanket of grief hold him down more this year than previous ones, the fact that he opened up about you just the day prior to the Traveler made old wounds throb. The last thing he wanted was to talk about you and make everything hurt all over again for another time. 

“I understand you don’t want to talk about her, but please hear me out.” 

“I will not entertain whatever thoughts you think you need to say. Y/n died a long time ago, you should leave her in the past.” His words were ironic since he himself couldn’t even do that. 

“You don’t understand.” 

“Xiao.” 

“Please, she-” 

“Enough!” 

“She’s still alive!” Xiao, fed up with his god not letting him get a word in, blurted it out. He inwardly recoiled, not wanting to just say it like that. He wanted to ease into it, try and slowly explain it so Zhongli would accept it easier. “Y/n, she’s… she’s alive.” 

There was silence so heavy it kept Xiao’s head down with an invisible force. His eyes stayed locked onto the boots of the one person who he respected the most. If he had never felt fear before this very moment, now would be the perfect introduction to it as he felt the burning gaze of Zhongli on his skull. 

“Is that an attempt at a ill-advised jest,” Zhongli’s voice put on a dangerous tone. It was understandable and justified however. Who would just believe that the one mortal an Archon fell in love with thousands of years ago was alive? It sounded ludacris and Zhongli did not enjoy feeling like a fool. 

“He’s telling the truth!” Paimon defended. Her mental restraint on not talking snapped at seeing Xiao look so meak under Zhongli’s overwhelming stature. Zhongli’s gaze shifted from Xiao to Paimon who squealed at the intensity before flying to hide behind the Traveler’s shoulder. His gaze was hard, stern, and angry. 

“What could you possibly know? You only just learned about who she was through me- without my telling you so, y/n would be only a memory shared between Xiao and myself alone.” 

“We know because we met her,” Traveler tell him. His fists clench and his jaw locks. 

Zhongli couldn't stand lies or liars, and yet he wanted everything the group in front of him said to be bold face lies. Zhongli trusted the Traveler and Xiao the most out of almost anyone he knew presently. He trusted them with his secret and they always tried their best in their own duties and goal to find their sibling. He respected them and trusted them with his life as both Zhongli and Rex Lapis. 

But did he trust them with your life? 

With the promise of you being alive coming from Xiao and backed up by the Traveler, the former Archon was notably torn. He didn’t want to get his hopes up and have this all be some sort of illusion. A trick of the mind that will leave him crumbling just like the day he first lost you. He didn’t thinking he could take that kind of anguish again. 

The Traveler stepped up and took Xiao’s hand in one of theirs and the other took hold of Zhongli’s. Paimon floated out from behind them as the blond made both of the immortal being bring their gazes up to them. 

“Xiao can take you to her just like he did with us. Y/n is waiting.” The curled fist of Zhongli’s lessened enough to wrap around the Traveler’s comforting touch. He looked back at Xiao who had been looking at the blond with such gratefulness for salvaging the situation before calling his attention back. His amber gaze had loosened up, but they weren’t the normal eyes of Zhongli. Morax was peeking around the irises of the tallest among the group. 

“This is no lie?” 

“I would never lie to you.” 

“Yes,” he breathed out, “I know.” He took a breath, feeling so embarrassingly out of character. It was then that he noticed the small insect that had been on Xiao this whole time. The trio had seemed to forget you sent them back with the dragonfly, but Zhongli knew. He sucked in a breath as he looked at it. “Take me to see her at once,” he commanded. Xiao wasted no time in teleporting all three of his companions to the edge of your barrier he had memorized the location of. 

Zhongli’s hand was dropped by the Outworlder as he walked to the edge of it. He could sense the familiar power from years past and reached his hand up to place his palm on it. It bent with his palm like a bubble before it pushed through, rippling the distorted view of cloaked foliage behind it. He hesitated, but a slight push at his back had him walking in- well, stumbling in. 

His face mirrored the Traveler’s when they had first seen the area behind the barrier. He could feel you everywhere and his body started moving before he could stop. Xiao and Traveler called after him as he took off into a sprint towards the house under the tree’s shadows. It felt like a ribbon had tied itself around his wrist and was yanking him forward. The dragonfly that had sat perched and patient on Xiao had taken off with Zhongli, acting as a guide as it flew in front of him. 

“Take me to her,” he pleaded with the buzzing bug. “Like last time,” he remembered how a similar bug had led him to you that first time. He felt so vulnerable as he ran into the house, barging through the doors and dashing through halls with abandon. Zhongli felt mortal with his emotions controlling his actions and his desperation oozing out of his very core. He should be in better control of himself, but he can’t control his body no matter how much he tries. “Take me to her!” 

The dragonfly had flown to a corridor that led into a vast open space. Stairs of three steps led out into an open garden with bushes, flowers, and carefully created paths to walk. It was a far cry from the overgrown, wild garden of the past. A stone canopy held up with four strong pillars covered the peaceful place from the sun and a small stone table sat among the paths intersection. 

His breath was labored, chest heaving as the dragonfly continued out into the garden and his pace slowed down until the insect had taken a turn just outside the cover of the canopy. The dragonfly stopped, perching itself on an outstretched finger and Zhongli almost collapsed. 

“Thank you,” you said to the dragonfly before it lifted off your finger and took off in a random direction, its job fulfilled. The sun bathed you in a golden light Zhongli could remember from eon’s ago and as he stared at you, a tear fell heavily and unstrained from his eye. 

You weren’t sure what to say as you looked at him, but when you saw that tear fall you were ready to immediately apologzie. You never got the chance. Instead you were frozen in surprise when he had somehow appeared directly in front of you and encased you to himself. 

Sealing his body to yours, his arm wrapped around your lower back and one of his hands pushed your head against his neck. His back curled inwards, bending you backward enough so that your back arched and he could form you to him even further. You were so warm and he felt himself choke as his nose took in your scent from atop your head. It was different from before, but he could still smell you in it- altered or not. It proved that you weren’t some fake, you were real.

Zhongli nuzzled into the top of your head, greedily taking in everything of you he could. You had placed your hands on his sides before sliding them up to his back. One of your hands snagged into the fabric of his coat and the other stayed wound around his back. He could feel you start to shake and he felt a bit better than he wasn’t the only one overly-emotional. 

“You’re alive,” he whispers into your hair, voice cracking enough the wind could easily pick it up and take it somewhere far away. You just nodded into his chest as he somehow gripped you to him tighter, closer. “You’re alive,” he repeats like he’s trying to convince himself this isn’t a dream. 

“Yes,” you sob. “Yes.” 

As the two of you stood under the sun in a garden different from the one in his memories, he took no notice of the three other figures who had finally caught up to him after taking off on his own. Xiao felt a weight lift off his chest at seeing you two finally reunited and Traveler gently took his head in comfort. He had no chance to get embarrassed at the action, instead he just squeezed it back as he watched his long-seperated family cling to each other. 

Xiao felt whole again for this one moment and he knew that you both did too. 

“I’ve missed you so,” Zhongli confesses into your locks and you almost laugh if it wasn’t choked up on your dying sobs turned to sad sniffles. “Oh, how I’ve missed you.” 

“I’m sorry,” you sniff as you let your arms slowly start to retract from him. He knew that things needed to be discussed and explanations needed to start somewhere, but he was reluctant to let go. His arms released you, but his palms were quick to gently cup your cheeks instead to tilt your face up to him. Your eyes were swollen and the whites of them irritated due to your tears. He looked no better.

Zhongli ran his gloved thumbs over your cheeks and across your eyes when you closed them when he got too close with his touch. He planted his feet between yours before pushing his forehead on yours and choosing to bask in your sun bathed body before anything close to closure ensues. 

“Um,” you break the silence, but like last time, nothing else gets out before your interrupted. 

“Call me by my name.” 

“What?” 

“My name,” he repeats. “Please.” He didn’t want to hear his mortal name or any of his other countless name and titles he’s collected over the years.  No. His ears yearned for the name you knew him by. After all this time, he just wanted you to call him-

“Morax.” 

Zhongli collapsed at last. His hands that cupped your cheeks dropped as did he. He came to his knees in front of you, his empty hands easily latching onto yours in lieu of your cheeks. His head hung as he sat- kneeled- at your feet. You shuffled in astonishment and shock as he took your hands and pushed them against his forehead pleadingly. 

“Again.” 

“Morax,” you whispered and he could hear the embarrassment in your tone. He chuckled as a shiver ran through his entire being. 

“Once more.” 

“You’re being spoiled.” 

“I think I’m more than qualified.” He hears you chuckle and he could perish right here in this very instant without regret at the sound. It was just as he remembered.

“Morax.” 

“This time,” he starts speaking as he feels you slowly start to join him on the ground. Your hands had twisted in his grasp to hold them back. “This time,” he starts again, “you’ll stay with me, won’t you?” 

You pull both of your encased hands to your lips, kissing his gloves and he wishes he took them off. His wish must’ve been yours as well since you slowly started to remove his gloves and revealed the dark, golden imbedded skin he kept hidden to the public eye. Your eyes remained closed as you worked, like you had dreamed of doing this so many times you didn’t need your sight. Once again, you placed your lips on his knuckles and it was like his skin was alight with lava. 

Reopening your eyes, you adjusted your hands so that your fingers were now interlaced, fingertips resting on top of each other’s hands as your palms were on the warm ground to lean closer to him. You push your forehead back against his, breathing in his air that became tangled with your own. Smiling so softly at him that he released one of your intertwined hands to push his fingers into your hair behind your ear and pull you even closer to him. He wondered if he could meld your very existence into his own and become the earth itself among the garden.  

“I’ll stay until you don’t want me,” you declare.  

“I’ll never not want you, my dear. We have too much time to make up for and many stories to share, should time continue to allow it.”

“Time is nothing but a concept to me now,” you chuckle bitterly. You would tell him about it all later, but now wasn’t the time. It would dampen the mood too bitterly for your tastes.  

A contract was made under the sun behind a barrier that had kept you concealed and hidden from his faze. Your intertwined hands were the signatures finalizing that contract. Zhongli wasn’t ever going to let you slip through his fingers again- he promised himself that as he held tighter onto your warmth and you to his. 

Zhongli couldn’t wait to finally give you the hairstick he had held onto for a millenia in your memory. Even more, he couldn’t wait to see it glimmer under your locks of hair since there was nothing and no one holding you back anymore.  

a/n: pls god like/reblog/tell me your thoughts. this is babies first genshin fic and it's got so many words im so anxious i could throw up. i only edited this like one and a half times bc words became mushy and my eyeballs started melting. pls excuse the shift between past and present tense, my eyeballs - as aforementioned- are melting

if @scara7102 sees this it wouldn't let me tag you uh oh

being the youngest adeptus

feat xiao and adeptus reader, mentions of the other adepti and zhongli

genre fluff

tw/cw mentions of death, spoilers to the other yakshas(?) lmk if there are more

• xiao is a very protective older sibling, but he won’t mention it

• because he watched the other yakshas die due to their karmic debt, he is quite hesitant to go near you at times, fearing his karmic debt will affect you and give you karmic debt

• he’s envious of your innocence and childlike wonder at times, wishing that he could turn back time to when he was happy like that with the other yakshas

• whenever you want to be held by him, he’s very hesitant since he’s worried that he’s too strong and he’ll somehow end up crushing you

• if you ever give him a little present (like a flower crown) he will wear it, even if he has important business to attend to eg. defending liyue against monsters

• one time he wore the flower crown you gave him when he met up with zhongli, safe to say that zhongli slightly teased him for being so soft for you

• whenever he’s unable to look after you/keep an eye on you, he usually gives you to zhongli or the other adepti

• cloud retainer absolutely loves telling you stories about shenhe and ganyus’ childhoods (don’t tell them tho)

• cloud retainer also just talks about random subjects at times, which can be quite fascinating at times

• she’s also low key glad that she gets the chance to look after a child again, she enjoys it very much (just know that she will definitely tell trustworthy travelers/people about your childhood when you’re older)

• zhongli is a grandpa, change my mind

• he absolutely loves telling you stories too

• enjoys taking walks with you around liyue, will even help you pick flowers if you’d like to make him a flower crown

• he won’t hesitate to tell you about xiaos’ younger years, if you ask

• the best at telling bedtime stories

• enjoys carrying you/holding you if you’re comfortable with him doing so

• he will also kiss you on the forehead whenever he has the chance to do so

• overall, being the youngest adeptus isn’t that bad. plus, you have a lot of family members that are cool and powerful

period pain

ft ganyu, zhongli, xiao

reader— gn (afab)

cw/tw— periods, cramps

🥥 | GANYU

she’s able to relate to having periods, so she understands how painful they can be at times

sadly she’s very busy so you won’t get to see her often :(

good thing is whenever she does come home she’ll bring you your fave snack, a hot water bottle etc. anything you need she will get

if your cramps are very bad and you want to snuggle, then don’t hesitate to tell her, she will gladly snuggle with you <3

expect to be somewhat spoiled by her when you’re on your period (but expect her to still work way more than she needs to cause she’s a workaholic)

🐲 | ZHONGLI

we all know that zhongli has taken the form of a female before, which means that he’s most likely gone through the pain of having a menstural cycle

zhongli may be technically human but his dragon instincts/senses are still there, which means he can sense when your period’s going to come before you do

as soon as you start groaning in pain about the cramps, he will not hesitate to run to bubu pharmacy to get all your needs taken care of

he will also brew you some tea to help with the cramps, which is just HFGGDJGH

will also buy you as many sweets/snacks as you want (poor childe’s mora)

if you want to, then he’s alright with laying with you and purring to help ease the pain in a way (I’ve heard that cats purrs are healing to people, so I decided that zhongli does the same thing, u can’t change my mind)

luckily hu tao let him off for a bit to take care of you, cause she too knows how agonising periods can get. she told him he’s going to have to work during some of the holidays in return but anything for u <33

🐚 | XIAO

when you’re on your period, there’s only one way to explain how xiao reacts

panic

he doesn’t know how to deal with the pain you’re in, which low key makes him feel useless and like he doesn’t deserve you in his life :(

even tho you’re the one in pain, you’re going to have to reassure him and try to show him the ropes

he surprises you with some pain medication and a heat pad along with some sweets and snacks

also he asks if he can brush your hair to help you relax a bit more

which is super soothing, he’s surprisingly good at brushing your hair

dw tho he eventually gets used to your periods and what to do in certain situations, he’s a fast learner

content belongs to fluffyganyu on tumblr, DO NOT REPOST ON ANY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS WHATSOEVER

the only content that doesn’t belong to me is the characters, they belong to hoyoverse

flower crowns

character(s) — most of the adepti in genshin

reader — gn

summary — the youngest adepti (you), makes all the other adepti flower crowns/bracelets in a way to show your love

cw/tw — none, lmk if there are any!

GANYU

she loves the flower bracelet you gave her so much! wears it whenever possible

you made her a bracelets instead of a crown due to her horns, they’re made of quinxen flowers

she does eat flowers but she will never think of eating the bracelet, it means so much to her

once ninnguang pointed it out, causing ganyu to fluster and ask if it was inappropriate to wear. ninnguang just said that it was cute

cloud retainer lowkey gets jealous, but no need to worry, cause you made her a flower crown not long after :)

XIAO

when you gave him a flower crown, he accepted it, he seemed confused at first, muttering about ‘human influences on adepti nowadays’, but he actually wears it whenever possible (just not in front of people, he doesn’t want them knowing he’s actually a big softie)

once accidentally forgot to take it off when he had a small meet up with zhongli, safe to say, xiao was a flustered mess after that encounter. whenever he sees zhongli he can’t stop thinking about that encounter, still haunts him till this day

appreciates that you made flower crowns for his adepti friends that passed centuries ago, he placed them in places that they used to frequent

ZHONGLI

he wears it 24/7, you can’t change my mind

like he appreciates it so much you don’t even know-

hu tao relentlessly teases him for wearing said flower crown during work, teasing him by saying how soft he’s gotten

whenever he meets up with the other adepti (moon carver and mountain shaper), he will wear the flower crown with pride

he also noticed that the other two adepti had flower bracelets on, courtesy from yourself, he chooses not to point it out

SHENHE

initially thinks you’re giving her a snack, but then when you explain she’s suppose to wear it, she does so

she asks you how to make flower crowns/bracelets cause she’s intrigued by their existence

she’s a quick learner so she quickly learns how to make a flower crown. sadly she sometimes breaks them due to her strength

when she manages to make one perfectly, she gives it to you, which is just so aghvjgihjjh

GENSHIN BOYS WITH A SHORT S/O (LIYUE)🐉

character(s) — zhongli, xiao, baizhu

reader’s gender is not specified, nor is their race. I always try to make my fanfics as inclusive as possible

tw/cw — none ig, lmk if there are any

note(s) — everyone seemed to like my previous post with sumeru boys with a short s/o, so here’s the liyue boys (it’s short ik) #justiceforliyueboys

ZHONGLI

man’s tall asf

like he towers over the majority of liyuen citizens

doesn’t really talk about your height difference

low key likes it tho tbh

like he’s a protective man over things he loves, and the fact ur short makes his protective nature go 📈

he’s not gonna make fun of your height, he’ll maybe tease you now and again, but never make fun of you

he’s got a son who is also very short (if yk yk)

XIAO

man’s short™️

so if ur shorter than him, bro ur like toddler height I’m sorry-

gives him a little happiness knowing that there’s at least someone who’s shorter than him

he likes the feeling of overtowring someone in height, even just a little bit, he’s so use to being shorter than everyone around him

he will not hesitate to beat anyone up who makes fun of you for your height, it’s on sight-

short s/o for a short king, he deserves that and more🛐🛐🛐

BAIZHU

this pretty boy snake man is tall

like probs the same height as zhongli, maybe slightly shorter

so it’s no wonder ur shorter than him

does he comment on it? yes

does he tease you for it? yes

dw tho he does this out of love, changsheng also now and again makes comments about ur height

she loves you too tho dw :))

sometimes he likes to use you as an arm rest, he will stop tho if u ask him to

whenever he asks for kisses he says that you have to reach him urself, so good luck-

if he sees you can’t make it then he’ll lightly crouch down and give u a small smooch himself so <33

I love this man sm u don’t understand-

content belongs to @huboi on tumblr, DO NOT REPOST ON ANY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS WHATSOEVER

𝑮𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒌 𝑭𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔

𝒁𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊 𝒙 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅

Loud chatter and music played in the background as you paced around, fingers twiddling with the edge of your sleeve as you waited for him.

He wasn't late, it's just that you were early. Maybe five minutes or so, but still early, and usually, it was him who was early and you who was late. But today was a special day, it was the lantern festival, and you had specially invited Zhongli to come and join you during this day of celebration and joy, as you wanted to share it with him.

You had put on your best attire - a traditional dress in the colours of scarlet red and golden. The fabric was mainly red, however golden streaks ran alongside the edges of it, and the gold adorned the scarlet colour with golden glaze lily flowers, all scattered across spacious parts.

Your sleeves were wide, and they covered your entire arm, up to your hands, they were covered in golden cascades that ended at a definite curved end by your fingers.

Your hair was let down, and adorned with a couple of decorative golden hair pins, as well as one golden, flowery comb.

To say you were overdressed would be a subjective statement. To some you looked simply gorgeous, embodying the image of a typical Liyue woman, to others you would look somewhat out of place - too rich for the harbour.

But what did that matter? All that your thoughts could run to was Zhongli.

You wondered how he was dressed, did he wear something special? Different compared to his usual work attire? What would he think of you?

You checked your watch, noting that it was almost time for him to be there. You put it away and slowly looked up, looking at the crowd of people around you, all carrying lanterns and enjoying snacks from the numerous food stalls scattered across the harbour.

You smiled, trying to imprint this image into your memory, as you did with every other lantern rite.

You breathed a content sigh, and looked around, your heart almost stopping as you spotted Zhongli standing beside you, a small content smile of his own gracing his lips.

"How long have you been standing there?" You asked, a big grin spreading itself across your cheeks as well, as you turned your body to face him.

You looked him over, cheeks reddening as you noticed his attire.

He himself was wearing traditional robes, boring the colours of amber and deep brown, which matched his usual look, but complimented his features stunningly. His hair was half down, some of it tied into a small bun at the back of his head,the longer untied strands sat loosely over his shoulders, now blending with the shorter strands, that had escaped his bun, together into one piece.

As you looked further down, you noticed one hand was behind his back.

"I wasn't standing here for long," he said, looking down at you through thick lashes, "But I noticed you were staring off into the distance and didn't want to interrupt you." He finished, smiling gently as he looked you over.

"You look beautiful, Y/n. Prettier than any glaze lily I've ever seen."

The blush on your face reddened to a shade darker, and you bit your lip, looking up at him in adoration, inhaling before you said, "You look amazing yourself, some would say you look like the statue of the Geo Archon himself." Your voice was quiet enough for him only to hear, and soft enough to pass as a whisper.

Zhongli's eyes widened, and an uncertain emotion swirled in his pupils before he blinked, and the look was gone. He thanked you and cleared his throat, asking for your hand.

"Since this is a special occasion, I brought you a gift," he said, bringing forth a bouquet of freshly picked flowers, "Liyue’s specialities. I do hope you'll enjoy them."

The bouquet was filled with every native flower to Liyue, sparkling with bright colours ranging from the baby pink of silk flowers, to the velvety blue of glaze lilies.

You were stunned, admiring the beautiful flowers that he had placed in your palms, their colours swindling brightly in the light of the numerous lanterns hanging above the two of you.

You looked up at your companion, smiling and blinking away a tear.

"Thank you Zhongli, these flowers are so beautiful," you said, bringing them closer to your face, enough for your nose to bury itself within them, "I will cherish them forever." You said as you pulled away, hanging onto the bouquet by one hand, the other sneaking through Zhongli's extended arm.

"Shall we?" He asked, subtly nodding his head towards the crowd of Liyue citizens who were all waiting at the harbour, their very own lanterns sat within their grasps, awaiting to ignite their deepest wishes into the sky.

You nodded at Zhongli, and walked along the people, admiring the vastly different lanterns, before you looked to Zhongli, who's gaze seemed to soften at the sight.

You smiled, and gripped lightly at his forearm, before turning your attention back to the festival before you.

The two of you walked hand in hand, tasting all the different local foods from vendors, standing to watch as people created their own fireworks - which would be displayed further into the evening - and watched again as bands played traditional music, as children ran past, their giggles and laughs erupting into the sky.

You looked at Zhongli once again, mouth barely opening before he beat you to speaking.

He leaned his head down, enough to be at eye-level to you, before his hand tucked some hair behind your ear, and he neared his lips to it, “Would you like me to buy us some lanterns? Joining in on the tradition would be wonderful.” He asked, his voice low and smooth like velvet, but still loud enough for you to hear.

As though he had cast a spell upon you, you found yourself unable to mutter out a single word of a response, and so, you opted to nod instead, eyes wide like a deers, cheeks rosy, mouth agape.

Zhongli laughed, and grabbed your free hand, intertwining your fingers before pulling you crit her into the crowds in search of a lantern seller.

Just a bit ahead, there was one vendor.

It was just your luck - they had two more lanterns left and looked as though they were about to close shop.

"Excuse me! Can we buy those?" You asked, breathing heavily as you rested the bouquet on the wooden table in front of the vendor. They were an older gentleman, who was maybe in his 60s, and he looked at the two of you surprised.

"You're just in time! I was about to close for today. Nobody wanted two lanterns as most people are in larger groups!" He shouted over the crowds, before turning to grab the two remaining lanterns. He then headed back to you and Zhongli, smiling softly at the two of you,

"Well aren't you a beautiful couple? Are you married?" He asked, passing over the lanterns.

Your face flushed a bright red, and you looked to Zhongli, who's eyes seemed to once again widen, his orbs swirling with an unknown emotion once again.

"N-no-," you started, but your companion interrupted you, "Yes. We are not married yet, but I plan on proposing soon." Zhongli said full of confidence, smiling down at the older man, before fishing some mora out of nowhere.

You looked from the grandpa to Zhongli, eyes wide as saucepans, mouth wide open in shock, heart pounding loudly against your ribcage.

He looked back to you, smiling gently, before giving the gentleman the money and taking your hand, his other holding onto the lanterns as you said your goodbyes and went to join the crowds.

"You plan on proposing to me?" You asked after a while of silence, looking up to him.

A light blush dusted over his cheeks, but other than that, nothing else gave away Zhongli's feelings.

"Oh look, they're about to let their lanterns out." Zhongli pointed out, skimming over your question before you could utter any other words. His hand tugged at yours, leading you through the crowd to reach near the wooden staircase.

"3.."

The people began chanting, raising their arms into the air,

"2.."

You and Zhongli did the same after lighting your lanterns, smiling, hips touching, hearts pounding,

"1.."

You looked to Zhongli, giggling in excitement as he looked back at you, a content smile on his face,

"Happy Lantern Rite!"

The crowds shouted, and hundreds of lanterns were let out into the starry night sky, their golden glow illuminating the night, painting it golden.

It was as though there was a new sun in the night sky.

Zhongli turned to you, eyes focused, smile soft, and hands reaching up to caress your cheeks.

"Happy lantern rite, Y/n." And with that, he pulled you in for a tender kiss, the warmth of his lips enveloping yours as people around cheered, wishing each other happiness and good fortune, but all that was drowned out by the sound of your heartbeat, and the happiness you felt as you melted into your new lovers touch.

You’re on your phone, curled up on your side when the door opens.

The bedroom is bathed in the dim yellow of a lamp, while a mellow playlist sings out from a nearby speaker. Outside, the rain is tapping, gentle but insistent, against the glass of the window pane. The arrival of summer storms always makes you just a bit sentimental — they make you think of lazy Augusts in Monstandt growing up, free from the shackles of school work and the damp grass tickling your ankles.

You’ve been in Liyue many years now, and still the recollection persists; you’ve always been a creature of nostalgia, of sights and scents and feelings long since pressed into the scrapbook of memories.

The bed shifts, the weight of another person making it dip and sag. You let out a huff, chuckling when hands slide under your shirt, wrap around your waist. “Took your time.” you murmur, but let out a louder little giggle when lips press against the back of your ear. 

“You’re so ticklish.” Zhongli speaks into the warmth of your skin and you can feel the hum of it seep underneath. “Missed you today.”

It was Sunday, his busiest day. You missed him too.

Your fingers lace together over your stomach, and for the first few minutes, you both simply bask in each other’s presence, re-fitting yourselves around each other as if you’d forgotten in the hours you spent apart. The honeymoon phase, Hu Tao called it, and while you pout at the term, Zhongli just laughs and buries his face in your hair, delighted.

“You’re my honey, anyway,” Zhongli tells you, making you splutter and blush.

Oh well. If it makes him happy, you’re not going to contest.

Zhongli is tracing sweet little spirals on up and down your stomach, and you want to roll your eyes, give Zhongli an impatient glare, but you’re enjoying the ministrations far too much to protest. You make a small noise, instead, and drop your phone so your eyes can flutter closed and fully experience every touch and stroke that your boyfriend seems insistent on giving you.

You tilt your head back so that Zhongli can scrape teeth and tongue down the column of your neck, exhaling at the way each pressed kiss sends want to curl in your gut. After his workday ends, you’re free to do whatever you want to each other, and you don’t mind admitting how much you love to push the limit of whatever Zhongli is willing to give. 

Besides, you both have very few things you can call yours to begin with. A little mark or two won’t hurt.

“I have an early start tomorrow,” you sigh, breath starting to quicken. You shake off Zhongli’s hands to reach around behind him, keeping him in place by locking your fingers at the point of his nape. “We can’t do too much.” Still, the little moan that escapes you when Zhongli’s thumbs wander up to flick and rub at your nipples betray your true sentiments. “I mean it.”

“Y/N,” Zhongli says, a whine colouring his tone. He pulls you closer, brings you so that every inch of your back is pressed against his chest. He’s shirtless again, you notice, woeful. “It’s been so long, I’m starting to forget the feeling of being inside you.”

It makes you want to break. It makes you want to be broken.

But you have so many errands to do tomorrow, and it’s only the fact that you haven't seen him all day that you’re even home and not elsewhere, poring over whatever menial task Keqing has given you.

“Tomorrow babe, I promise,” you say, and you turn around slowly in the circle of his arms so that you can tell Zhongli your next words to his face. 

You know even before opening your eyes that the other is pouting, the plump jut of his bottom lip and his furrowed brow greeting you when your gazes meet; an enamoured laugh escapes you. He’s just so damn cute. Like this, you know you’re adored. Like this, you know you’re wanted.

“I missed you too, you know,” you whisper, assurance spilling fervently and easy from your lips. “I don’t want you to think I don’t.” you lean forward to kiss him, light and chaste, the sweet sound of it softly punctuating your sentences. “I just want to finish this one thing first.”

Zhongli is so wide that when he flattens his palms across your lower back to pull you closer together, he almost fully envelopes you in his arms. You’d hate to admit it to anyone, but it’s one of your favourite things, to be encompassed by Zhongli, to feel completely surrounded and not be cognizant of where he ends and where you begin. 

It’s intoxicating, to be cherished like this. You inhales; cotton, musk, citrus. You give him a tiny grin before reaching up to cup his face in your palms, squeezing gently. Affection makes your heart sing. That’s your whole world in your hands.

Zhongli wrinkles his nose at you, before pressing your foreheads together, understanding.

“It’s okay, I get it,” he says, and you know he does. You’re both terrible at keeping a sustainable work-life balance, but ever since you started dating officially, you both promised to try. “Tomorrow, then.”

You inhale sharply, eyes fluttering shut when you feel Zhongli press his nose to yours, the little touches leaving you breathless. You bite your lip, yearning to have him inch just a bit closer. It’s so intimate it makes heat sear up your neck, settle around the tips of your ears. Oh, you want this. You want him.

“Can I still kiss you though?” Zhongli whispers.

Please, you try to say, but you’re already surging forward to slot your lips together, jaw falling open so Zhongli can slide his tongue into your mouth, wet and silky. You moan, tangling your legs so that they’re entwined, inseparable. “Babe,” you whine, as Zhongli nips at your bottom lip with his teeth. “Please. Don’t stop.”

“Can’t, won’t stop,” Zhongli murmurs, pressing wet open-mouthed kisses all over your face. “Want you. Always want you.”

The words make your heart stutter, stop, restart. You’re never taking this for granted, Zhongli’s unrelenting, steady adoration. And you know he feels the same about you.

“Want you too.”

You roll over until Zhongli’s body settles over yours, pressing you lightly into the mattress. Zhongli nudges your knees apart so he can tug them around his waist, encouraging you to lock your ankles together at the small of his back. 

Leaning down, Zhongli finds his way back to your mouth, and the blood coursing through your veins feel like molten gold when he licks into it, curls his tongue around yours; it’s dizzying, almost, feeling the weight of his desire in the spit-slick glide of his lips, in the velvet thickness of your shared breaths. 

You never want to be unburdened of it.

You kiss like this, slow and sensual, the desaturated yellow glow of the bedroom filling your head with a pleasant hazy buzz. Hands stroke without intention, content to simply feel muscles ripple and flex underneath fingertips. The music playing on the speaker has faded into silence, and only the occasional giggle interrupts the sound of your lips meeting over and over, in the quiet of the space between.

Eventually, the pulsing ache tightening your gut peters out into warm embers, and you both become content to just press your lips together as exhaustion makes your eyelids start to droop and arms heavier to lift.

“Babe, m’sleepy,” you say drowsily; you yawn against his mouth, making the other snicker into the side of your throat.

“Me too,” Zhongli says, after his chuckles die out. He guides your head to lay on his shoulder, tucking it neatly under his chin. “It’s late, anyway. We should sleep. You have an early start.”

You’re barely conscious now, but you still pucker your lips so that you can place a soft smooch on whatever patch of skin you can reach. Your mouth feels tingly, pleasantly so. “Turn off the light before you drift off, please,” you murmur, before placing your hand on his chest. Like this, you think you can feel Zhongli’s heartbeat against your palm, pounding lightly underneath his ribcage.

How sweet, you muse, your thoughts starting to split and scatter in the moments before slumber. But aren’t you forgetting anything?

Your head jerks, just a bit, when you remember. 

Oh. How could you forget?

“Love you. Goodnight.”

It’s only when you feel a kiss pressed to your brow and you hear words whispered into the crown of your head that you deem it safe to go to sleep now. These are the sights, the scents, the sounds you keep close, intrinsic to the person you were, you are, you hope you always will be.

“I love you too.”

POV: You are hiding under their desk - Part two

Warnings: Zhongli has joint pains in his hand and slight spoiler to Kokomi’s character quest

𝙴𝚡𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚜: 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚜 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚗𝚎𝚞𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚕; 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚉𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚒’𝚜

﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋

Zhongli:

  The former Geo Archon is a very patient man. After centuries of experience, he knows within himself when to take a break. However, the physical exhaustion of a mortal body was something he was not quite used to yet. His office basked in a warm orange as the sun sets over Liyue, and Zhongli exhales softly through his nose. The pen in his hand scribbles away at the documents left by Hu Tao, but his mind was elsewhere. 

  Tiredness ached within his joints, and he sets the quill down to flex his fingers. He’s not one to complain; he was grateful for his job at the funeral parlor, and he wasn’t about to draw attention to a measly setback such as this.

  As Zhongli gains the motivation to start again, an agonizing pulse shoots through his palm. A hiss escapes through his teeth and the pen clatters to the floor. He barely registers the pull on his pants leg as he gathers himself. His amber orbs trace over the face below him, two (e/c) doe-like eyes watching him with curiosity. 

  “What are you doing down there, little one?” Zhongli’s voice rumbles as a soft smile graces his features. The child quickly lifts the writing utensil he dropped moments before and giggles.

  “Write!” They exclaim.

  “Yes. That is used for writing,” the consultant replies as he lifts the young being onto his lap. Taking an empty copy of paper, he places it on the table in front of the child, who immediately scribbles away at the white sheet. Zhongli couldn’t help but to place his hand on top of theirs, stopping any erratic movement of the pencil. They look at him, their cheeks puffed out in irritation.

  “Write!” They announce sternly, making the Archon chuckle.

  “Let me teach you how I do it.”

﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋ ﹋

Kokomi:

  Her Excellency of Watasumi Island is a very busy lady. With all her time spent on finding ways for Sangonomiya to grow, she tends to forget about her own needs. With the villagers finding new ways to cultivate the land; to the daily tasks needed to be sent out to the soldiers; to the duties at the shrine; the lead priestess was tired to say the least.

  She knew a few hours with her books would do her some good. She asked General Gorou to keep an eye out while she rejuvenated herself with new tactic plans. She sat contently in her own company, eyes gazing across the words printed on the page. She was truly invested in the plot, theories and questions dancing in her thoughts. The suspense was killing her as the scene unravels, and though she was quite immersed, the sudden laugh from under the table confused her.

  Kokomi tilts her chair back to peek beneath the desk, and a relieved sigh retreats from the priestess. “Why, if it isn’t little (Y/n). How did you find this place?” She questions as the child climbs up her legs and into her lap.

  “Easy peasy,” They exclaim, “I found your tree!”

  “I see,” Kokomi coughs out in response to their boisterous personality, “so you found my reading spot?”

  “You can read books?” (Y/n) mumbles, a sudden glumness falling on their face.

  “I can… you cannot?”

  “I can, I’m just not very good at it. I bet you’re a pro at reading! You’re good at lots of things, Miss Kokomi!”

  “You’d be surprised,” She says with a small smile, “How about this: you read me a chapter, and I read you one.”

  “You’re going to read to me?”

  “If you read to me. It’s only fair, and besides, how will you get better if you don’t practice?”

♡ genshin boys when they get jealous pt. 1

୨୧ ₊˚๑︶꒥︶꒷︶︶꒥꒷︶꒥︶︶꒷

hey everyone !! took a long break but i’m back and with the infamous arataki itto :) might continue this with more characters, (Including the genshin girls) but this is part one! this was really fun to write and i hope you all enjoy ^^

୨୧ ₊˚๑︶꒥︶꒷︶︶꒥꒷︶꒥︶︶꒷

: ̗̀➛ thoma:

➸ thoma rarely gets jealous, he trusts you and knows you won't look anywhere else.

➸ keyword being: rarely.

➸ you and thoma were going to meet up this afternoon to have a little lunch date together at komore teahouse.

➸ the two of you haven't been spending that much time together lately, so you were very excited to catch up with your little housekeeper.

➸ although, you were waiting at the teahouse for over an hour and he still hasn't shown up.

➸ you were starting to get worried so you went out to find him, until you bumped into none other than kazuha.

➸ "oh, y/n. what brings you here this brisk afternoon?"

➸ kazuha's calming voice made you relax a bit, so you take a deep breath and carefully explain what you're doing.

➸ "thoma is a little late for our lunch date, so i went looking for him."

➸ kazuha just smiles and says, "he was training with the kamisato siblings today, he's probably done by now."

➸ you take a sigh of relief, thankful that nothing has happened to him.

➸ "hey, as a thank you why don't i buy you some lunch? unless you've eaten already?"

➸ "oh thank you y/n, i am hungry. but don't feel the need to thank me for answering your question."

➸ you and kazuha walk into komore teahouse and take seats across from one another.

➸ after maybe 30 minutes, you hear two knocks on the door.

➸ you stand up to get it and see thoma standing outside with a big smile, as he hugs and twirls you around.

➸ "hey, y/n! i missed you!"

➸ you give him a small kiss on the cheek, in courtesy of the fact that kazuha was still there and pda made you shy.

➸ after thoma finishes returning your kiss, he finally notices kazuha sitting over at the table.

➸ "oh...why is kazuha here?" thoma asks, tilting his head a bit.

➸ "he kept me company while you were out training! we just shared some tricolor dango, nothing too filling."

➸ before you invite thoma over to sit down, kazuha notices thoma's...upset expression.

➸ "i will be taking my leave now, y/n. thank you for the meal, it will be going on my tab, i insist." kazuha says, getting up from the little pillow he was sitting on.

➸ you nod and wave goodbye to the little poet as he takes his leave from the restaurant.

➸ you remember that you gave back the menu before thoma arrived, so you stand up to get it, but then an unexpected back hug stops you.

➸ you look to your right and see thoma resting his head on your shoulder, pouting a little bit.

➸ "what's wrong?" you ask, stroking his hair.

➸ "it's nothing you did...i'm just a little upset that you and kazuha were here together."

➸ you smile and cup his face in your hands, giving him many little kisses.

➸ "stop it...i don't deserve those kisses. jealousy is an ugly emotion i shouldn't even be feeling it!" thoma says, turning his head away.

➸ you gently face his head back to you and give him a soft kiss on the lips. when you try to pull away, he pulls you back in, both of you smiling into the kiss.

➸ when you finally pull away, you're a little out of breath but seeing thoma's smile just warmed your heart.

➸ "thank you, y/n. i love you." thoma says, stroking your cheek.

➸ you both smile at each other and finally get the menu so you can have the lunch date you planned.

: ̗̀➛ zhongli:

➸ in your entire relationship, you have never seen zhongli jealous. you never knew how he reacted when he felt that way.

➸ you never made a big deal out of it, because you found it so endearing that he trusted you that much.

➸ and even though he trusted you with his life, today was...different.

➸ you were doing some commissions with zhongli today, since he was free from the parlor.

➸ you were just about to head off to your second commission when you heard a faint, "good morning, comrades!"

➸ the two of you turn around and see...childe?

➸ you weren't used to seeing childe outside of third-round knockout, so you were a little surprised to see him.

➸ "hey, childe!" you say, giving him a hug.

➸ "mind if i join you two on your little adventure? or am i intruding on a romantic getaway?" childe teases, poking fun at the two of you.

➸ "not at all. you're welcome to join us!" you said, gesturing for him to come walk with you.

➸ you all walk and chat until you arrive at your next destination, where you're supposed to defeat some hilichurls.

➸ "this is gonna be fun." childe says, seeing the many mitachurls roaming around the camp.

➸ the three of you all get ready before jumping out the bushes and defeating those monsters faster than lightning.

➸ although, suddenly an abyss mage appeared behind you, too fast for you to notice.

➸ "y/n!" zhongli yelled, wanting to run to you but can't because he was still fending off some mitachurls.

➸ before the abyss mage strikes you, childe leaps to your aid, pushing you aside and one-shotting the pathetic little mage.

➸ as you both tumble down, childe somehow ends up on top of you and you thank him multiple times for his rescue.

➸ "no problem! it's what i do." he said, a little bit cockily but he deserved that much after saving you.

➸ you all walk to your last commission where you were supposed to cook a meal with smiley yanxiao, way easier than the others you've done today.

➸ although during your walk to the destination, zhongli was silent. you wanted to ask him what was wrong but he avoided eye contact with you.

➸ you just brushed it off and decided to wait until childe was gone to ask him, so you wouldn't have to stir up some drama in front of other people.

➸ you arrived at the destination, which was wangshu inn. you met up with yanxiao and his request was pretty straight-forward.

➸ "10 golden shrimp balls and 1 big pot of bamboo shoot soup, finish it by an hour." he said, immediately going back to chopping up some vegetables.

➸ the three of you got to work, you let zhongli handle the bamboo shoot soup, because it was his favorite meal to make.

➸ "oh wow, that looks delicious!" you say to zhongli, hoping he at least mutters a "thank you."

➸ but he doesn't. he simply nods and continues to place more ingredients into the soup.

➸ childe talks to you a bit more while you make the shrimp balls, but all you can do is look over at zhongli.

➸ you're worried that you may have not helped him enough in the last commission? maybe you offended him but didn't mean to? the worst scenarios just came rushing into your head.

➸ as you finished, you all placed the food in front of yanxiao to taste.

➸ "delicious! you all know your stuff. thank you, good day now folks!" you all waved goodbye to yanxiao and left the inn.

➸ "thanks for bringing me along today, you two. enjoy the rest of your day!" childe said, waving goodbye and running off to...wherever he goes throughout the day.

➸ now that it was finally the two of you, you turn to zhongli, but...he isn't there?

➸ you look around and can't see him anywhere. you start to panic a little and walk around, trying to find him.

➸ still seeing no sight of him, you try to go back into the hotel when you feel someone grab you tightly into a secluded corner below the inn.

➸ before you almost punch him, zhongli grabs your arm and stares right into your eyes.

➸ "y/n. please tell me, are you tired of me?" hearing this just made your heart sink. tired of him? what could that even mean?

➸ "tired of you? god, zhongli i can't get enough of you." you say, putting your hands on his cheeks.

➸ zhongli places his hand on yours, and quietly says, "i'm...sorry i didn't rescue you. childe is probably the hero you want."

➸ you laugh a little, stunned by the fact that zhongli actually was jealous.

➸ "you are my hero. now and forever. you make me smile, you keep me safe and you give me life."

➸ zhongli smiles and gives you a kiss, a slow one. a passionate, loving one. those were rare, but you loved them so much.

➸ feeling his hands wrap around your waist, his fingers comb through your hair, you absolutely melted.

➸ when he pulled away, you hugged. you said nothing else, you just hugged for over 5 minutes, enjoying each other's warmth.

➸ "i...love you, y/n. more than you'll know." zhongli whispers.

➸ "right back at you, love."

: ̗̀➛ childe:

➸ childe definitely got jealous a lot, not because he didn't trust you, he just never felt good enough for you. you were a perfect person in his eyes, and he never thought he was the same.

➸ you found it cute, but you never failed to remind him that he was so very important to you.

➸ today, you and childe took a little trip to inazuma. you both wanted to go back, since it was such a beautiful place.

➸ when you arrived, you were both greeted cheerfully by thoma. "ah, y/n! tartaglia! glad you made it safe."

➸ you both shook thoma's hands, and you all proceeded to walk around inazuma.

➸ childe told you beforehand that he was going to spoil you today, (which he always does anyway) but you didn't really want much. you just wanted his company.

➸ thoma lead all of you to a quaint little restaurant that served all kinds of inazuma snacks.

➸ you were clearly drooling just looking at the menu, and childe noticed that.

➸ before childe could call up a waiter, someone already came to your table holding an array of different treats on a tray.

➸ "i recall that you guys favored these snacks in your last visit, yes?" thoma said, giving each of you a treat.

➸ you thanked thoma for the gesture, but he wasn't finished with you yet.

➸ "i know you also liked these sakura mochi, but didn't buy enough because they were a tad bit pricy." thoma added, pushing a plate of beautiful sakura mochi towards you.

➸ "a tad?! these are like 1,000 mora a piece! i can't accept this, thoma." you said, clearly flustered from the offer.

➸ thoma shook his head and said, "i insist. come on, you're not even here that often, i missed you! this is my thank you for coming back."

➸ you just smiled at him and thanked him once again before digging into your delicious snacks.

➸ you all chatted throughout the afternoon, but childe seemed to ignore thoma's questions.

➸ "hey, tartaglia. do you like your onigiri?" childe didn't respond. he just continued to talk to you about his adventures in the fatui.

➸ after a few more repeats of this, you excused yourself from the table and yanked childe along with you.

➸ when you were out of earshot from thoma, you asked childe, "what is your problem with thoma?"

➸ he just avoided eye contact with you and stayed silent. this was starting to piss you off.

➸ "look at me." you said, your death glare getting more and more intimidating.

➸ he still kept his gaze away from you, so you grabbed his face and faced it towards yours.

➸ "answer the question. thoma is being super welcoming and you're not even batting an eye in his direction!"

➸ childe takes a deep breath and pulls you into a spot without anyone around.

➸ "only...i can spoil you like that." he finally mutters, hugging you a little too tightly once you two are alone.

➸ "the look in your eyes, the flustered look on your face...i don't want anyone else to give you that. just me, only me." he said, burying his face into the crook of your neck even further.

➸ you have never seen childe like this. whenever he did get jealous he never showed it in such a forward manner.

➸ you pulled his face out of your neck and gave him kisses in his favorite spots.

➸ starting with the forehead, the nose, and then the lips.

➸ you both start to melt into the kiss, falling deeper and deeper into a total lovesick state.

➸ before things escalate, childe pulls away and puts his head against yours.

➸ "you're gorgeous." childe whispers, making your face heat up from embarrassment and look away from him.

➸ when you look back, you stare into his beautiful blue eyes, and say with all integrity, "i love you."

➸ childe smiles and gives you one last kiss before saying, "let's head back to that thoma fellow. he's probably thinking we got kidnapped by now."

: ̗̀➛ kaeya:

➸ kaeya is definitely the jealous type. no matter how cocky he may seem, he gets jealous at the many friends you make on your adventures, let alone how close you get to some of them.

➸ you don't know this though. as far as you know, you two are friends with benefits and nothing more. you did want more, but you never knew how kaeya would react.

➸ you and kaeya were training together one day, not official favonius training, just challenging each other to see who would buy drinks tonight again.

➸ while you were taking a break, a big group of people came rushing towards the two of you.

➸ they all showered you both with compliments, because you were both pretty popular throughout mondstadt. whenever you had combat training like this, you were always watched by a crowd.

➸ after almost all of the crowd left, one guy stayed and continued talking to you.

➸ "wow, you really are amazing! you can fight and you're gorgeous. what a perfect combo." hearing this made you feel warm inside, obviously you blushed a little bit and thanked him.

➸ he continued to compliment and flatter you, but when your conversation came to a close, he suggested, "hey, would you wanna go out with me sometime? maybe to good hunter?"

➸ this caught you off guard, since you had some sort of situationship with kaeya, but maybe this guy could help you get over him.

➸ before you could accept, kaeya steps in front of you and holds your hand tightly with his.

➸ "sorry. she's taken, fella. run along, now." the guy scoffed and turned away, clearly intimidated by kaeya's terrifying death glare.

➸ kaeya turned back to you, and held your face with his hands for a moment.

➸ "this has been on my mind for a while now, and that bastard flirting with you was the final boost of encouragement i needed..." kaeya took a deep breath and looked right into you eyes.

➸ "please be mine, for as long as you'll have me." you could see the a shade of red creeping up kaeya's face as he said this, but you were in too much shock to tease him at this point.

➸ after a little too much silence, kaeya quickly removes his hands off your face and says, "uh--! nevermind, ignore what i said bye bye!" before he can run off, you grab his arm.

➸ "i never even got to tell you my answer." you say, pulling him closer to you.

➸ he winces, shutting his eyes, probably waiting for a rejection. you chuckle a bit before leaning in to kiss him.

➸ kaeya's eyes widen, but he quickly melts into the kiss. pulling you in by the waist, combing his fingers through your hair and moving his hand all around your body.

➸ when you pull away, kaeya continues to comb through your hair, a big smile painted on his face.

➸ "i love you." you say, catching kaeya off guard a little.

➸ "i...love you." kaeya says. before you can kiss him again, he continues, "more than you'll ever know."

➸ you both smile and laugh a little in embarrassment, and walk home together, hand in hand.

: ̗̀➛ itto:

➸ you didn't know whether or not itto was the jealous type, he was usually too dense to even notice other people flirting with you at times.

➸ you definitely got jealous more, with itto being the confident, suave type, everyone in inazuma had a thing for him. you never showed it though, just in case itto found jealousy to be...gross.

➸ you and itto were taking a stroll around inazuma, getting some snacks and chatting about literally everything.

➸ at one point you discussed if you could build a house purely out of cheese, which was basically a whole monologue by itto.

➸ while you were both chomping down on some tricolor dango, gorou walked up to you both.

➸ gorou was your best friend, and you actually haven't seen him in a while due to his own personal duties. you were glad to finally see him.

➸ "hey! y/n! itto!" gorou greeted, taking a seat across the table from the two of you.

➸ you both smiled and greeted him as well, both glad to see him this afternoon.

➸ "how've you both been?" gorou asks, curiously leaning towards you two.

➸ itto starts to talk about all the adventures you two have been on ever since dating, and his sudden compliments made you blush a little bit. (by a little i mean a lot)

➸ gorou inches closer to you while you both listen to itto talk about the time he got stuck inside a slime, and quickly bites off half of your tricolor dango.

➸ "hey! what the-" you put the snack in your other hand and put it as far from gorou's mouth as possible.

➸ gorou continues to lean into you, his hands gripping your thighs to stay steady.

➸ you try to lean back a bit, but it makes you fall over onto a grass patch nearby.

➸ gorou grabs the dango and continues to eat it whilst pinning you down to the ground.

➸ "fine. take it then, it's a reward for coming back here." you say, raising your arms in surrender.

➸ you both laugh and gorou stands up and puts out his hand to help you up from the ground.

➸ you decide to get yourself some sakura mochi as compensation for the stolen dango.

➸ when you get back, gorou and itto are nowhere in sight. but then you hear someone scream, "go itto!!" from behind you. what you see is a crowd of people surrounding something.

➸ when you make your way through the crowd, you see itto and gorou having what looks like a...standoff?

➸ gorou's face looks absolutely terrified, it's clear he was probably forced into this by itto. but itto never picks fights with gorou, they're really close.

➸ "you wanna have y/n? huh? come fight me!" excuse me...what?! you could not believe what you were seeing.

➸ "oh my archons, i have told you a billion times when you dragged me over here, i'm not into them!" gorou shouted, starting to get irritated.

➸ before things can escalate, you run to the center of the fight and call it off immediately. "okay folks, shows over."

➸ the crowd groans and walks away, and you call over gorou while pulling itto by the ear to a secluded area.

➸ "what the hell was that?!" you shout, causing itto to wince a little.

➸ "it's just that...i forgot how close you and gorou were. seeing you and him fight over that stupid dango a while ago made me feel...odd." taken aback, your eyes widen at itto's response.

➸ itto was...jealous? and he wanted to fight poor gorou for your honor? no matter how old schooled that sounded, it was still very sweet.

➸ you place your hands on itto's face and pull him down to yours. "you know that i love you, right?" itto nods. "so there's no need to be jealous. gosh, you are so amazing, if anything i'm the one who should be getting jealous of all your fans!"

➸ itto laughs a little bit, and kisses you. it was a short one, so you pull him back in for one more.

➸ his kisses were always so sweet. never too rough, it's just a genuinely loving kiss that you absolutely melted for.

➸ when he pulls away, you stare at each other until you here a sigh from behind the two of you.

➸ "i'm right here. get a room, will ya?" gorou was with you the whole time and you barely noticed.

➸ you apologize and gorou just scoffs as you all wave goodbye to each other.

➸ itto holds your hand tight and gives you a big, bright smile. you smile back and lean on his shoulder as you walk back home.

: ̗̀➛ albedo:

➸ albedo rarely got jealous, let alone show any other form of anger towards you. you were the beacon of joy in his life, and absolutely nothing you did failed to give him a smile.

➸ you never got jealous either, you and albedo were together constantly and he didn't really like spending time with others besides you, aether and sucrose.

➸ one day you and albedo were painting together, like you did every week. you were painting a beautiful view of mondstadt. while albedo was painting well...you.

➸ you were just about done when you felt someone blow into your ear.

➸ "arh--! what was-" you look behind you and see kaeya. of course, he always did stuff like this to you. although as his best friend, you learned to let it go.

➸ "good afternoon y/n, albedo. pleasant day, isn't it?" kaeya says, looking out at the view you were painting.

➸ you all chat until nightfall and kaeya offers to buy all of you drinks at angel's share.

➸ you both agree and follow the young cavalry captain to the bar to have a drink together and chat.

➸ when you arrive, kaeya orders drinks for the table and you and albedo take a seat beside one another.

➸ kaeya places his hand on yours, which startles you a bit but you don't say anything.

➸ he keeps it there, which doesn't faze you since he's done things like this ever since you were kids but you catch a glance of albedo and he's looking right at your hands.

➸ you try to take your hand off when kaeya grabs it and says, "i'm a little bored. i suggest a staring contest." while holding your hands in his.

➸ before you can say no, albedo grabs kaeya's hands and glares right at him. "i'd like to play, kaeya."

➸ poor kaeya was forced to stare deep into albedo's piercing glare until he decided it was better to lose than to keep staring.

➸ "i-i'll get our drinks, be right back!" kaeya says, scuttering off to the bartender.

➸ you look back at albedo who is...grinning? in a mischievous way, may i add.

➸ "hey, what are you smiling about?" you ask him. he takes your hand in one of his and uses the other to comb through your hair.

➸ "i may have been, what you call, jealous." albedo mumbles, slowly getting redder and redder.

➸ you chuckle a bit, but quickly pull him into a hug and run your hands through his soft hair.

➸ "there's nothing to be jealous about, alright? there's a reason i'm with you and not that silly pirate boy." you whisper, continuing to slowly caress his head with your hands.

➸ "could we abandon him? i have a project i'd like to work on with you at home." albedo says.

➸ "oh? what project?" you ask, curious. he's never wanted your help with projects before.

➸ "i just need to study...the human body." he says, smirking a bit.

➸ it only took a few moments until you understood and your face turned bright red just imagining it.

➸ "what do you say, darling?"

Can I get more volleyball au? Anything goes.

I have neglected the Volleyball AU for a while hahahaha!!! I can tell cause so many of you are asking for a Volleyball AU update oh gosh XD

This is a response to the 3-4 anons who requested a Volleyball AU update. One of you said something about the Olympics but I wasn’t quite sure if I read your ask correctly but anyway, here it is.

Scenarios: Olympic Genshin Volleyball team getting asked interview questions about you, their S/O, after winning a game + chaotic commentary of the teammates

Warning: some of the questions might be a little personal but journalists always try to get a good story anyway, so, it’s still in the realm of possibility. Not proofread. Please tell me if there are any pronoun slips.

Characters: Zhongli, Diluc, Kaeya, Albedo, Tartaglia, Kazuha, Xiao, Thoma, Ayato and gn!reader

#1 Zhongli (Captain/Wing Spiker/Ace)

Tries to keep his relationship with you private. He knows the media is super daunting at times. 

Interviewer: “Did your S/O fly in to support you today?”

Zhongli: “No, they’re at home. Though, I’m sure Y/N’s supporting me, even from home,”

Interviewer: “There’s talks on the forum that your performance is better when your S/O is watching on the stands, and that your spikes are stellar.”

*Tartaglia and Kaeya starts cackling. Thoma laughs behind his hand. Ayato is grinning ear to ear. They’re aware of that rumor.*

Zhongli: *clears his throat* “Well... I... suppose it gives a little energy boost, seeing my significant other attend...”

Kaeya: *leans in forward to his mic and butts in* “Our strict captain just likes to show off in front of Y/N,”

Tartaglia: *also butts in* “Our coach and managers have joked that we should have a cardboard cutout of Y/N and just get it up there on the stands for every game,”

Ayato: “Our captain might seem serious on court but he’s the type to have a picture of his S/O as his phone screen. Isn’t that right, captain?” Passes the question along to Zhongli again

Zhongli: *incredibly embarrassed and has covered his loopy, embarrassed smile with his hand. Plotting the demise of Ayato, Kaeya and Tartaglia. Reporters are having a field day that his teammates are ratting him out* “...Let’s move on to the next question please,”

Interviewer: “Any message for your S/O back home?”

Zhongli: *hesitates, but thinks that you might watch this so answers* “I’ll be home soon. Take care of yourself for me while I’m away,” *gives a small smile and a wave*

#2 Diluc (Vice Captain/Wing Spiker/Defense Specialist)

Does not like personal questions. But will still answer them just so he doesn’t come off as too rude. 

He doesn’t want his team’s reputation to be tarnished because of him.

Gives straightforward answers. Doesn’t give any chance for reporters to brew up a rumor or gossip that would hurt his relationship with you.

Interviewer: “How are you and your S/O doing?”

Diluc: “Good, nothing to complain about. Everything’s perfectly great with Y/N,”

Interviewer: “I heard that your S/O has been supporting your volleyball career ever since high school. That’s a long time!”

Diluc: *smiles the slightest bit* “It is, isn’t it? It wasn’t an easy road...and I owe a lot to Y/N for staying through all of it,”

Interviewer: “What do you miss most about your S/O when you two are apart?”

Diluc: *thinks that it’s too personal of a question and isn’t related to volleyball at all, so he answers awkwardly* “Err... Well... Everything, really,”

Kaeya: “So, funny thing,” *all the cameras turn to him and Diluc kind of heaves a sigh of relief but he does that too early* “I share a room with my brother while we’re out here and he does these nightly calls with Y/N,”

Diluc: “Kaeya--”

Kaeya: “I can list aaaaallllll the things he misses about 'em cause he says it every damn night. I miss your smi--”

Diluc: *completely talks over Kaeya* “NEXT QUESTION!”

Interviewer: “Any message for your S/O back home?”

Diluc: *sort of bashful, small smile* “Thanks for everything.” *and just to spite Kaeya and make light of the situation earlier* “I’ll make sure Kaeya’s asleep before I call you tonight,”

#3 Kaeya (Middle Blocker)

Thriving during an interview.

Probably all the interviewer’s favourite cause he doesn’t have much of a filter yet manages to be charming all the same. 

Will show you off but not too much, just enough so that it isn’t too tacky.

Interviewer: “In the last interview you shared an interesting tidbit about your love life. You shared the story of how you met your S/O.”

Kaeya: “Oh you wanna hear that story again? Good story right? It was in high school! I was practicing my serves and accidentally hit the back of Y/N’s head. I walked ‘em to the clinic like the gentleman I was and it started from there,”

Interviewer: “So would you say that you made the first move?”

Kaeya: “No, Y/N was head over heels for me the moment I offered to walk them to the clinic! Totally their idea to get together,” *laughs* “I kid, I’ll admit I was the one smitten from the get go,” 

Interviewer: “Does having Y/N’s support change anything?”

Kaeya: *totally joking but not joking* “It does! I don’t say it often or too much cause I’m usually confident in myself but there’s always going to be a time where you don’t feel good enough, and it’s great to have someone there to say and shout *tries to imitate your voice* “Kaeya you’re the best!!!””

Interviewer: “Any message for your S/O back home?”

Kaeya: “Miss you snowflake! Keep cheering for me there, I promise my heart can hear you!” *winks*

#4 Albedo (Setter)

The quiet, thinks for too long type

Kind of blunt

Does not mind any question, he’s mostly just thinking too much about his answer and wants to give an accurate one.

Interviewer: “Did your S/O fly in to support you today?”

Albedo: “No, but they’ll fly in for the last game...We’ll spend a few days looking around here then fly back together...Thankfully the schedule allows for that,”

Interviewer: “What places do you plan to visit?”

Albedo: “...It wouldn’t be too smart of me to reveal that. If I tell you, then everyone will know where we’re going...”

Interviewer: “We heard that your jersey number has a significant meaning. Can you talk about that a little?”

Albedo: “...Oh, yes...back when we were in high school...#4 was Y/N’s class number. That’s all there is to it really...”

Interviewer: “Any message for your S/O back home?”

Albedo: “...Thanks for believing in me and for pushing me to try volleyball. I still think everything I have right now is because of you,”

#5 Tartaglia (Middle Blocker/Wing Spiker)

Thriving number 2

Loves interviews, so the interviewers love him too.

Tends to go off track and talks too much.

Interviewer: “Last time you went off on a tangent talking about your S/O’s cooking,”

Tartaglia: “Yeah! I can’t help it. Your food here is really great guys, but it’s just nothing compared to home food, you know? It’s been nearly a month of not having a home-cooked meal. You gotta understand!”

Interviewer: “If you could, would you fly home right now just to have some of your S/O’s food?”

Tartaglia: “Hell yeah! That’s not even a question! Course I would. Then I can get some much needed hugs and kisses too,”

Kaeya and Ayato at the same time:

Ayato: “Little too much information there,” 

Kaeya “TMI, TMI,”

Tartaglia: “Jealousssss?”

Interviewer: “If you could fly back now, but you could only get ONE thing from your S/O, would it be a home-cooked meal or a hug?”

Tartaglia: “Oh man, why d’you have to do this?” *seriously thinks about it* “Oh gosh, I’ll definitely go for a hug though. Hugs are more important than food,”

Kaeya: “On which planet?”

Interviewer: “Any message for your S/O back home?”

Tartaglia: “Hey you! Can’t wait to be back home! Need my hugs ASAP!”

#6 Kazuha (Decoy/Middle Blocker/Wing Spiker)

Polite, quiet but will decline to answer if it goes over his personal threshold.

Still very polite though

Interviewer: “So you and S/O were childhood friends?”

Kazuha: “We were indeed.” *laughs at the memories* “I’ve known Y/N for a long time. Our parents were acquainted with each other,”

Interviewer: “What made you guys cross over to a relationship, after being friends for so long?”

Kazuha: “Mm, that’s a good question...I find that I don’t quite know the answer myself, sometimes. But ultimately it’s because I’d rather not see Y/N with someone else. I suppose that’s how I knew my feelings was past friendship,”

Interviewer: “Did S/O play a significant part in your volleyball career?”

Kazuha: “Absolutely. Training takes up a lot of time. I’m lucky that Y/N understands that, and I’m slightly apologetic because of that too.”

Interviewer: “Any message for your S/O back home?”

Kazuha: “Thank you for being my pillar. I really am fortunate that it’s you by my side,”

#7 Xiao (Libero)

Tries really hard to answer but is the type to stutter over his words out of nervousness. Probably just not used to the media yet. 

The type to practice interview questions with Tartaglia and Kaeya (the two are really just giving him a hard time, but Xiao thinks that’s great practice)

Interviewer: “Your S/O posted on their social media today about supporting you and it was a photo of you during your high school libero days! *shows the picture*”

*Everyone in the team shares a smile knowing that Xiao will be flustered*

Xiao: “O-Oh, uh... Hm, that’s a really old picture... What were they thinking posting that...? I-I mean! Y/N...has always been supportive!”

Interviewer: “High school was a really long time ago, any secret to keeping the romance alive?”

Xiao: *thinks why in the hell are these kinds of questions asked in press conferences about volleyball????*

Xiao: “Just...be yourself. I guess. Or at least be with someone who doesn’t mind and understands all of you... The good and the bad...” *gets too engrossed in his feelings*

Tartaglia: “Aweeee our little Xiao’s all grown up,”

Kaeya: “He used to be a real bumbling fool in high school. Took him forever to ask Y/N out,”

Xiao: *threatening glare* “You guys...”

Zhongli: “He’s grown a lot,”

Xiao: “Captain, you too?!”

Interviewer: “When you say the good and the bad... Do you mean that S/O has seen the bad sides of you? What do you think are the “bad sides”?”

Xiao: “Of course...! What are the bad sides...?” *hesitates to answer*

Kaeya: “Stubborn,”

Tartaglia: “Too hardworking,”

Thoma: “Blames himself too much for a bad play,”

Ayato: “Tsunde--”

Xiao: “Three examples is enough!!”

Interviewer: “Any message for your S/O back home?”

Xiao: *thinks for a moment* “Thank you... I don’t have to say much right? Cause I know you know what I mean already,” *small smile*

#8 Thoma (Pinch Server/Middle Blocker)

Polite number 2

Super pleasant and wholesome answers. 

The type to never take all the credit for himself and will tell reporters that “It’s all thanks to my team,”

Interviewer: “You’re voted as “best husband material” on the poll today. Any words about that?”

Thoma: “Oh really? *laughs* It’s an honour! Well, I suppose I do like to take care of the house chores. I feel really sorry Y/N has to handle everything on their own right now,”

Interviewer: “Do you think you’re the better cook or your S/O?”

Thoma: “Gosh that’s a tough one! *waves at camera* Sorry honey, I’m gunna have to take this one. *laughs* You are better at organizing things though!”

Interviewer: “The team voted that you’re “most likely to be married first”. Any plans?”

Thoma: “Oh wow! And I thought the previous question was hard! Haha! Ah well... it’s no secret. Y/N knows that I cherish my relationship with them. We’ve casually talked about it for a bit, but we aren’t in a hurry at the moment. Just having each other is a real blessing already,”

Interviewer: “Any message for your S/O back home?”

Thoma: “Hey sweetie! I love you, be back soon!”

#9 Ayato (Middle Blocker/Wing Spiker)

Is he the interviewee or the interviewer? Sometimes you can’t really tell.

Is great at explaining himself but doesn’t actually like interviews.

Reporters try not to cross him cause he’s known to bite back if the question is about a rumor/gossip that isn’t true.

Interviewer: “We heard that you met your S/O in your last year of high school. Did you only notice each other in your senior year?”

Ayato: *chuckles* “Not exactly. I was a transfer student. Y/N was tasked to make sure my transition into the new school was seamless. They did a great job, so great, that I couldn’t let them slip away,”

Interviewer: “Your sister and your S/O are quite close to each other, your S/O even used a picture of the two of them as their profile picture instead of a picture with you. Are you ok with that?”

Ayato: “Why wouldn’t I be?” *half-grin, half-smile* I rest easy knowing that the two of them get along well. Y/N will be a constant part of my life, after all, and they treat my sister just as their own sibling,”

Interviewer: “Does your S/O play a big part in your volleyball career?”

Ayato: “Y/N is part of the reason I’m able to enjoy volleyball as a professional player. There were certain situations which made it difficult for me to go into professional volleyball, but Y/N managed to push me through it,”

Interviewer: “Any message for your S/O back home?”

Ayato: “I’m certain that being without me is starting to be unbearable, hm? Not to worry, I promise I’ll be back soon,”

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