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odoraful · 2 months

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Moment's respite

the boys react to you being really sleepy around them 💤

characters: zayne, xavier, rafayel x gn reader content: established relationship, comfort a/n: this was from an anon who requested a sleepy m/c! i'm sorry it took a bit, but to the lovely anon i hope i did your idea justice! shoutout to all my constantly sleepy folks out there as well

𝒁𝑨𝒀𝑵𝑬

It was only midday when you and Zayne boarded the train from Snowcrest back to Linkon, but your head was already lolling to the side. The homey, wintery town had an atmosphere that was too relaxing. Especially during those late afternoons after you and Zayne had gone cafe hopping, you wanted nothing more than to bask in the sun and fall asleep.

As you settled into your seat by the window, Zayne pushed his and your luggage in the above storage compartment. Seeing his partner’s head bob towards the glass window, Zayne smiled to himself.

“I've never seen a person so sleepy before.” Zayne remarked, taking his place in the seat beside you.

“It’s not my fault,” you mumbled groggily, “it’s the town.”

You began to rub your eyes, attempting to bring some life back into them.

“I didn’t realise a town could have sedative properties.” He said, dryly.

“You don’t understand, it’s too cosy. I feel like all my defences are down.”

Zayne was entertained at the way you spun that into a complaint. A renowned hunter who finally takes a well-needed break feels too comforted by their holiday getaway.

He rested a hand on his chin in mock thought. “Should we have added combat training in the itinerary to have you be more alert, then?”

You laughed, knowing that if that had actually happened you would have hated it. The relaxation you experienced on this trip was a genuine good thing for the both of you. You continued to rub your eyes, trying to remove the build-up from when you last slept. Your movements were halted as Zayne gently held your wrists in place. You looked over at him, curiously.

“I may not be an ophthalmologist, but I know rubbing your eyes too hard can damage the lens.” He leaned closer to examine them. They were slightly red from all the pressure you had put on them.

“Forcing yourself awake won’t do you any favours.” He gently brushed a thumb over your eyelids. “You should sleep.”

He relaxed his shoulders, bumping them against yours in wordless invitation. You felt your protest fizzle away at the thought of resting on Zayne right this second. Some argument about how he would be bored without his number 1 conversation partner on the commute disappeared when you tilted your head and fell on his shoulder.

“Don’t forget to wake me up when we get there…” Your voice trailed off as you nuzzled in place, trying to find a good spot to sleep.

Zayne combed his fingers through your hair, tidying it up from your head wiggling. You were unresponsive to his touch. Your steady breathing signalled that you had already passed out. He stared fondly at your peaceful face. Inwardly, he admitted that the ride would be much less fun without your chatter, but he was more than content with just your presence alone.

Succumbing to temptation, he lightly poked your cheek. He mused to himself about how you were somewhat correct — your defences were down, but it was to his benefit. He could finally do things like this without your teasing.

𝑿𝑨𝑽𝑰𝑬𝑹

Xavier moved his hand, ready to turn over to the next page of the book. He looked at you, expectantly.

“Have you finished this page?”

You hummed affirmatively, and he eagerly flipped to the next chapter.

You and Xavier had begun the habit of reading in bed together in the evenings. The book of choice was Xavier's pick — an old-school mystery novel. Someone is found murdered in their private quarters on a train, and the detective must find the culprit before they strike again. The plot was thrilling, and you were enthralled from the beginning. However, between being weighted under plush quilts, propped up by fluffy pillows, and the body warmth of Xavier, you felt the words of the page slipping away from you.

“Xavier, could you read aloud for me?”

His eyes turned wide like a surprised bunny. “Why the sudden request? Is everything okay?” He immediately covered your forehead with his hand, checking your temperature.

Chuckling, you swatted his hand away. “I’m alright. I just want to hear your voice, please.” You looped your arm around him and Xavier softened.

He couldn’t argue against your wishes. He cleared his throat and read the words out loud. Though Xavier didn’t have the most performative voice, he still tried to be a good storyteller — acting out the dialogue for each different character and steadying his pacing. The gentleness of his voice enveloped you. It quickly sounded less like an intense crime novel, and more like a children’s storybook.

You closed your eyes, attempting to keep an attentive ear to what Xavier was saying.

“Are you still with me?” He asked, sensing how you had relaxed against his side.

“Yes, yes, I’m still listening.” Your eyes remained shut, words slightly slurring together. “Keep going. I think the case is-” A yawn you tried to stifle came out. “About to be cracked wide open.”

Xavier continued, taking note of your growing drowsiness. He read out loud this time in a more hushed voice, “‘The detective gathered everyone in the train’s shared compartment space. Pacing across the carpet, he had finally figured out the killer’s identity.’”

There was a slight thud against the headboard.

Turning to the source of the sound, Xavier found you fast asleep.

He shook his head, laughing quietly to himself. Even when the culprit is about to be revealed, you still decide to fall asleep.

To be honest, he was beginning to get sleepy himself, so perhaps it was perfect timing. The two of you were cutely similar in that regard. In fact, Xavier had done the exact same thing a few days ago. Chastising you about it would only backfire on himself.

He carefully removed your arm loosely looped around his own and quietly stood up to tuck you in. Laying you in a more comfortable position, he readjusted the blanket to cover your body, admiring how snuggled deeper into the sheets. He joined you in bed. The warm glow of the night light behind him on the bedside table faintly illuminated your serene expression.

“Sweet dreams,” he whispered, before placing a light kiss on your forehead and switching off the light.

𝑹𝑨𝑭𝑨𝒀𝑬𝑳

It was a hot day in Linkon, and Whitesand Beach was the perfect respite for the artist and his bodyguard. The sand gleamed silvery-white under the sun, with crystalline waves crashing against the shore. There were many others here who had also pitched beach canopies to provide a shield against the heat. You and Rafayel had tried your best to create a comfortable interior with your rented outdoor lounge chairs and mini portable fans. You were lying on one of the chairs, relishing in the fresh air (a definite contrast from the city) whilst you waited for Rafayel.

He soon returned holding up two drinks, both decorated with little umbrellas and even small skewers with fruit.

You took the glass from him in amused shock. “Raf, did you make a special request for more decorations?”

Rafayel took a sip of the drink before placing it down on the table. “Nope, the employee recognised me and wanted to add a bit more pizazz to the drinks.” He plopped in his seat and flashed a smile. “Don’t worry, I tipped them extra for their efforts.”

You sipped the cool drink and gazed out at the beach, mesmerised by the waves. It’s repetitive ebb and flow almost lulled you somehow.

The day hasn't even started! How can you even think about sleeping?! You scolded yourself. You patted both your cheeks to snap out of this tiredness.

You turned your attention to something else. A couple were playing volleyball nearby. You watched the ball be tossed back-and-forth, back-and-forth… Your eyelids began to fall on their accord.

Rafayel's voice pulled you from your drowsiness, and you realised he had been observing you this whole time. “Didn’t sleep well last night?” He cocked his head to the side in concern.

“I did, but-” You turned to your side to face him properly. “Being out here just makes me feel sleepy, that’s all.”

Too adorable. He thought to himself, seeing the small pout on your face as you rubbed your eyes.

“I can’t think of a better place to rest than next to the ocean. It’s nature’s own background noise.” He proclaimed.

Though that sounded enticing, you still hesitated. Wouldn’t it make you a bad partner if you slept for most of the time you two were outside? Sensing your reluctance, Rafayel continued.

“And how are you going to be a good bodyguard for me if you’re not well rested? Didn’t they teach you that in Bodyguard 101?”

“‘Bodyguard 101’?” You repeated in disbelief at Rafayel’s ability to dramatise. “I must have skipped that introductory course in university.”

“Well then, you can make up for the lost study with experience, starting right now.” His humorous tone waned, as he brought out his sketchpad. “Don’t worry about me, I was planning on doing some drawings anyway. I won’t leave your side.” The softness of his words reassured you.

The mixture of crashing waves and light chatter from other beach goers had you sleeping almost immediately.

Rafayel had intended to do some drawings of the scenery, but he fixed his artistic eye on you, now finding a much better source of inspiration to fill his pages.

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odoraful · 2 months

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I'm not scared.ᐟ

it's a cosy saturday night. rain gently patters against the windows. you set up a small projector in your bedroom and decide to play a horror game with your boyfriend while snuggling in bed.

characters: zayne, xavier, rafayel content: headcanons, established relationship, no in-depth details of anything scary (however, there are descriptions of the type of horror game they play!) a/n: tbh i’m not the biggest fan of horror games, but i do enjoy peoples' reactions to playing them, so i thought it’d be fun to picture how the boys would play hehe

𝒁𝑨𝒀𝑵𝑬

You're playing an exploration-focused game set in a hospital. The main character is a patient who seems to be having visions of their past.

You take the controls, and he lets you sit in his lap. Only if you get too scared or rage quits does he take the controller from you to play.

“No!” You cry out when the hiding spot you put your character in is discovered by the creature. You bury your face into Zayne’s arm, frightened by the sudden attack.

Defeated, you hang your head and wordlessly raise the controller towards him.

He chuckles, wrapping his arms around you to take it from your hands. “I’m guessing that means you’re tapping out for now?”

Snuggling deeper into his chest, you sigh. “Yep, you’re subbing in.”

Zayne manoeuvres the character carefully around the abandoned hospital and you hold your breath. The silence of his concentration is occasionally broken by your gasp seeing the creature stalking right past the character. Miraculously, he manages to evade and escape on his first try.

“We did it!” You cheer with relief.

“We?" He lifts a brow. "If I’m not mistaken, I was the one holding the controller.”

“Well, I was your emotional support!”

If he is scared, he never lets it show. Rather than screams, the most you’ll get out of him is a slight flinch or a curse under his breath. He actually seems to be more frustrated than frightened.

He’s an ace detective when it comes to putting clues together and figuring out the mystery! Lowkey a lore gatherer.

“I see… so these hallucinations are simply a manifestation of the main character’s guilt.” He's absorbed in the inventory screen, sifting through all the collected notes and letters. “Zayne, I think we’ve spent more time reading than actually playing...”

𝑿𝑨𝑽𝑰𝑬𝑹

You’re playing a survival game set in space. The main character is a lone astronaut on a space station who must defeat an extraterrestrial monster.

You two alternate between who’s in charge of controls based on each save point.

When he does get scared, he reacts by dodging out of the way in real life as if the alien is actually coming through the screen.

Xavier doesn’t have the most experience with video games, so it takes him a little bit to understand the mechanics. Despite this inexperience, he still clutches it anyway. It also pushes him to try over and over again even if he fails multiple times.

"Xavier, let me have a go at it if you can’t get past this.”

This is his third go at defeating the monster in the final stage of the game. He shakes his head fervently. “I can do this. If you think about it, this is just like evading a wanderer’s attacks.” There’s a determined look in his eyes. “I should be good at this.”

You poke his shoulder. “Well, the problem is that the character in-game doesn’t have your evol to help them out.”

Xavier hums thoughtfully. “They have a sword though. I know how to use a sword.”

The innocence of his tone strikes you through your heart and you can't say anything to refute his logic. Maybe real-life sword skills can transfer to in-game controls. You give in. “Okay, you get one more go at it! I know you can do this."

Your encouragement renews his spirit. He lifts up a fist. “I’ll get it this time for sure.”

Easily gets side tracked from the main quest and wants to explore every nook and cranny. Collectables and achievements? This might be the first time Xavier stays awake because he’s getting a one-hundred percent completion rate.

Questions the survivability of the main character and the realism of the situation.

How can drinking medicine instantaneously cure the character’s wounds? How is the character still walking after being bitten in the leg? Beings from a different planet don’t actually look like this you know…

𝑹𝑨𝑭𝑨𝒀𝑬𝑳

You’re playing an indie game set in an abandoned mansion. The main character has inherited this house from their grandfather, who was a wealthy collector of occult art pieces.

He wants to be in-charge of all the controls and lets you cuddle against his side. You observe his gameplay like you're watching a movie.

Tries his best to maintain his composure to show you just how calm, cool and collected he can be. However, he ends up jumping around every corner he turns.

He either moves really slowly because he can’t stand not knowing where the phantoms are lurking, or will charge straight in to get it over and done with.

“This doesn’t scare me. I’m just being cautious,” he’ll say defensively, leaning into your shoulder more as he slowly moves the controls to pan the camera around the empty room. His efforts are futile as the phantom zooms past the open door behind the character, accompanied by a piercing sound cue.

Rafayel’s shriek drowns out yours, as your scream swiftly turns into a fit of laughter.

“Your scream scared me more-” your words come out in bits and pieces between your cackles, “than the actual jumpscare!"

He’s red in the face, offended by how amused you were at his suffering.

“My life is in mortal danger, and you’re laughing at me?!” He tries to stay indignant, but he can’t help but crack a smile at how lost in laughter you are.

Has a genuine appreciation for the art direction of the game. He loves how atmospheric it is and compliments the stylistic choices. He actually chose this game just because the reviews raved about how good the visuals were.

“This is a nice house, like look at all this antique decor. You think we could live in a place like this someday?” You shiver. “A haunted mansion infested with ghosts? I think I’ll pass…”

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odoraful · 22 days

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Do you wanna go on a blind date?

your classmate wants to go on a blind date with your crush and asks you to organise it ! how will you navigate this tricky situation?

content: modern au, ft. genshin characters x reader, 1.3k words a/n: this felt like a cheesy shojo plotline so my imagination just started running 🏃‍♀️

˗ˏˋ꒰ PROLOGUE ꒱ˎˊ˗

“Could you please set me up with him?”

Your classmate has their hands clasped together, their eyes pleading at you. You mentioned off-handedly how you were close with the guy given the high honour of ‘campus crush’. Since then, they’ve been hounding you to arrange a blind date.

Trying not to show your exasperation was getting more and more difficult. Every conversation somehow ended up having him in it. It was also even harder hearing them infatuate over someone you had liked for so long. Yes, you know the way his eyes light up whenever he gets excited, and how handsome he is no matter what he wears — you get that loud and clear! However, you knew they wouldn’t stop until you had at least tried to set something up.

“Alright!” You lift your hands in surrender. “I’ll see what I can do.” You say, resignedly.

Your classmate tackles you with a side hug, cheering with excitement. “You’re my hero! Thank you!”

You pat them on the arm. Perhaps this was actually a good thing. You’ve spent too long pining after your close friend, and his popularity meant he could easily find someone to be with. It wouldn’t be hard for him to fall for someone nice and approachable like your classmate.

Staring off into the distance, you wonder just how you’re going to approach this.

꒰ wanderer, xiao, cyno, kazuha + ur favs ꒱

“No.”

You barely finish the question before he abruptly answers, not even looking up from his laptop screen. The clicky noises from his typing punctuating the blunt response. You were visiting his place for the day to get some work done together. Though, you devoted more time to trying to find a way to ask the question rather than focusing on your tasks.

Crossing your arms on the table, you lean in, trying to gauge exactly what kind of reaction he’s having to this. “Come on, you don’t even want to entertain the idea of finding a partner?”

He sighs, fingers going still. Sensing this topic wasn’t dropping anytime soon, he closes his laptop screen halfway to get a better view of you.

“Why would I want to meet someone new?”

His sudden attention towards you made your thoughts scramble, and the response you had ready fizzles away. He rests his face in his hand, head tilted. Hair tousled slightly, eyes shining with curiosity — it's enough to cause your breath to stutter. You could curl up with embarrassment at how your cheeks still grew hot when he looked at you a certain way.

Maybe I should have just texted him about this…

“W-well it’s not just about meeting a new person, there’s the potential for falling in love as well.”

He lets out a soft chuckle, sounding unconvinced at your words. Your heart sinks a little. Did he really not want to find a partner? It was just more evidence of your one-sided love.

“I think I have all the people I need in my life already. And besides…” He turns his head, darting his eyes away from your gaze. “What if I already have someone I love?”

The air stills.

Trying quickly to compose yourself, you exaggerate a gasp. “You like someone and you’ve never told me before?!”

Covering your mouth with both hands, you press your fingers together to stop them from trembling.

He rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah, I have for a while now.”

Now is the time for you to curl up with embarrassment. You couldn't believe it. All this time he had a crush on someone. You knew your chances were slim to begin with, but this really hammered that point home. You need something to distract you right now.

Picking up your phone, you quickly unlock it and swipe to find your message app.

“I’ll text my classmate that you said no to the blind date for obvious reasons.” Your smile doesn’t quite reach your eyes as you jokingly say, “And then you should go and actually ask your crush out so they don't think I’m lying.”

With your eyes averted from his face, he hangs his head, exhaling a shaky breath. You're about to press send on the message when you hear him clearing his throat.

“Okay then.” Looking up, you notice an unfamiliar shyness on his face. “(Y/N),"

Realisation hits you. This had to be a dream right? Your body reacts before your thoughts can even catch up — heartrate quickening, stomach fluttering. There's no way the next words out of his mouth would be-

"Would you like to go out with me?”

꒰ childe, lyney, wriothesley, kaeya + ur faves ꒱

His eyes go wide, before a smirk emerges on his lips. “A blind date?” He pops a spoonful of cake in his mouth, a pause for emphasis. “With who?”

You take your own spoon and tap away his one from taking another big piece. You thought the best chance to ask your question was when there was something sweet in front of him. Plus, the lively, unintelligible chatter and the whirring of the coffee machine in the café served as good background noise for any potential awkwardness on your part. You already feel a twinge of envy at how interested he seemed.

“One of my classmates. We met at the start of this semester.”

He folds his arms, eyes narrowing at you. “Describe them for me. I need to know more about their personality before I make any hasty decisions.”

You roll your eyes. “Now doesn’t that defeat the whole ‘blind’ part of the blind date?”

“It doesn’t have to be detailed! I just wanna know what they’re like.”

Acquiescing to his wishes, you describe your classmate. You didn’t want to betray them, so you told him a faithful account of what they were like — outgoing, lively, sweet. The more you recounted details about them, the more you realised how perfect they would be with him. Once you finish your pitch, you take a piece of cake for yourself, scooping extra whipped cream from the top. Anything to make the lump in your throat go away.

He hums in thought, then nods to himself, coming to some kind of conclusion.

“Sorry. They don’t really sound like my type.”

Huh? You stare blankly at him.

“But they’re so nice! You would look so good together!” Your unexpected passion at defending your classmate causes him to lift a brow. “And besides, I didn’t realise you had a type.”

“Doesn’t everyone?” He says, matter of factly.

You busy yourself by aimlessly playing around with the remaining piece of cake with your spoon. Of course everyone has someone they gravitate towards. Even you, and that person was sitting right here.

You’re almost afraid to ask this question, but your curiosity gets the better of you. “Well go on, what kind of person do you like then?”

Almost like he was waiting for you to ask, he becomes animated as he talks. “Well, they need to be fun to hang out with, and definitely have similar interests as me.”

He eyes your face and smiles.

“And I find it cute if they’re a little clumsy. Especially when it comes to eating cake. For example, they might have some cream in the corner of their lip right-”

He reaches his hand towards your face. Your brain malfunctions when he lightly rests it beneath your chin and swipes a thumb over the outside of your lips. Pulling his hand back, you see remnants of the whipped cream you ate.

Does this mean he...!? You repeat over and over in your head. The feeling of his touch lingers on your skin, tingling.

He grins at your dumbfounded expression, licking the cream off his thumb. “-here.”

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odoraful · 1 month

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Domestic Bliss

characters: diluc, wanderer, childe content: sfw, modern au, established relationship, fluff !! a/n: i was scouring pinterest looking the most fitting inspo rooms for each of them hehe

Diluc

Your shared home is an old-fashioned but charming house with a tiled roof and a brick archway leading to the entrance of the door. Diluc has a good eye for style — all the furniture pieces you select together are warm and elegant, perfectly matching with the vintage style home.

He’s a bit of a craftsman, and when you moved in he custom built bookshelves just for you. Your house has traces of Diluc’s handiwork: a wooden tissue box cover, tile coasters, a ceramic chess set.

Being a peak acts of service man, if he notices that there’s something inconveniencing you that can be mended, he’ll try to find a way to fix it. That wooden chair that wobbled yesterday when you sat down on it? The next day, it’s miraculously levelled. Always struggling to find your keys before you leave the house? There are now little hooks on the wall where you can easily hang them. He doesn’t make a huge show of it, but you’ll always kiss him on the cheek and say that you should repay him with something.

“There’s no need. Seeing you happy is more than enough for me.” He replies, running a hand through his hair, the tips of his ears turning red.

The house is IMPECCABLY cleaned — the chores are shared out between the two of you, and the both of you work like a well-oiled machine. He’ll insist that you shouldn’t carry anything too heavy though! He doesn’t want you to hurt yourself :(

One of the things that Diluc wouldn’t ever trade is getting the chance to cuddle with you in the evening on the couch. He’ll let you play with his hair and try out different styles, comforted by the feeling of your fingers running through it.

Sometimes, he’ll come home late from work tired and perhaps a bit grumpy, but the sight of you will change his mood completely.

At the sound of jangling keys and the front door creaking shut, you rush out of the bathroom and down the stairs.

“(Y/N), I’m home!” You hear Diluc’s voice call out to you.

The day had felt far too long for him, and with far too many headaches for him to deal with. The only thing that he looked forward to at the end of it all was to see you again.

Hearing the patter of your slippers, he looks up. It takes everything within him to keep composed at your appearance. Having just gotten out of a hot shower, your cheeks were tinted pink, hair still damp and slicked. Diluc’s eyes trailed to your clothes, a matching pair of flannel shirt and shorts. He loosens his tie, suddenly finding his breath stuck in his throat. It baffled him how gorgeous you were even in pyjamas.

Wordlessly, he reaches towards you. You look down at his hands and see as they fasten the remaining top two buttons of your sleeping shirt. In your hurry to greet him at the door, you forgot to dress properly.

“I can’t believe I missed that...” You sheepishly say, observing his hands as they linger on your shirt. Your senses told you something was off. “Did you have troubles at work today?”

The worry in your eyes melts his heart. Of course you were the one to peer through him and know exactly how he was feeling.

“A few clientele at the bar today were-” He sighs, still fidgeting with the fabric of your shirt, recalling the events of the day, “-difficult to manage to say the least.” He lifts his head to meet his gaze. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you.”

Your arms instinctually wrap around him and he collapses into them. Tightening your embrace, he rests his head on your shoulder.

“Diluc, I just took a shower.” You say with a light giggle, trying to pull your hair away from his face.

He feels your breath close to his ear and he wishes he could have recorded that laugh for himself to hear it over and over again.

“I could tell.” He breathes deeply. “Is this a new shampoo?”

“Well yes, but what I meant from that is that my hair is still wet!”

You feel him smile against you. “It doesn’t bother me. Just a few more seconds, please. I need to recharge.”

Wanderer

You share an apartment together since you travel to and from the same university. Although you’re studying different degrees and have different schedules, you’ll both make an effort to spend time together at home during the weekdays.

You and Wanderer leave little notes cheering each other on and stick them to the walls or the fridge before you leave, or sneak them into pencil cases or onto laptop screens. He has a small box on his desk where he collects all your notes, neatly folding them up to preserve them.

Wanderer enjoys having the home quite minimalist. Just the essentials will do, but the two of you do splurge a bit more on your study space — the comfiest chairs, wide desks, tactile keyboards — anything to liven up having to do assignments all the time.

When you’re feeling too tired or distracted from your own studies, you’ll walk over to his desk and try to sit on his lap while he works. He’ll attempt to exert some self-control and reject your wishes, but eventually gives in after seeing your pout.

“Just because you’re distracted doesn’t give you any right to bother me.” He grumbles, resting his chin on your head.

He warns you that if you do decide to put plants in the house, you are responsible for them. Little do you know that he’s secretly also invested in their health. On mornings when you’re in a rush and forget to water them, he’ll spritz them with your spray bottle thinking to himself: If you died (Y/N) would be devastated, so don’t even think about it.

His favourite room is the bedroom. It’s a place for both of you to escape the stresses of being a student and relax together.

The alarm clock beeps and you wiggle in bed, reaching over a hand to quickly silence it. Bright sun filters in through the curtains, its light diffusing into the room.

You force your eyes open and sit up, your body bent over like a crooked branch. Movement beside you pulls your attention as Wanderer shifts in his sleep. You can’t deny how pretty he looks even at rest. His long lashes fanned out under closed eyes, the steady rise and fall of his chest with each deep breath. His expression is that of pure peace. You know that’ll soon disappear when you both need to properly wake up and prepare for classes.

“Hey, it’s time to wake up,” you whisper, carefully coaxing him from slumber.

Wanderer opens his bleary eyes ever so slightly, then immediately closes them. He mumbles something of refusal. You roll your eyes in resignation. When it comes to sleep, he acts like a child sometimes. You turn to get out of bed.

Two arms wrap around your waist and yank you back. You stumble into the sheets with a yelp. Wanderer adjusts the blanket over you and pulls you closer to him with one hand.

“Not yet.” His voice is low and scratchy, his words slurred. “Want more time in bed… with you.”

You sigh softly, absentmindedly running a hand through his hair to detangle it. “You do this almost every morning. You’re never going to attend your lectures on time.”

He replies by nuzzling into your neck, and you hear nothing but his slow breaths. His peers would have sooner called identity fraud than believe the stony and scholarly Wanderer to be this clingy and affectionate in the morning. However, in the privacy of just you, it’s become easy for him to let down his guard.

“Don’t try to get out of this by pretending to be asleep.” You say, deadpan.

There’s a stutter in his breathing as you catch his obvious charade.

“Stop worrying. I’ll just watch the recording.” He finally responds.

You realise in a fluster just how close your faces are, barely inches apart. As if sensing this, Wanderer opens his eyes once again, this time there’s a glint of mischief in them.

He taps his forehead lightly against your own. “And besides, why would I want to spend my mornings in a noisy lecture hall when I can be with you in peace and quiet?”

Childe

You’ve been living together for a while now, and your home has transformed into what can only be described as organised chaos.

If Childe kept up with his interior designing eagerness, it would have been complete maximalism, but you were there to contain his excitement and still ensure your home was still practical.

The two of you love collecting pillows, plushies and blankets, which adds even more to the cosiness! However, one day you tried to sit down on the couch and realised it was more pillows than actual seat space. In a fit of laughter, you and Childe ruled that you would rotate between different cushions every so often so you could get your couch back.

Childe will still come home with flowers or sweets (sometimes both) as gifts for you on random nights. He’ll stand on the doorstep looking like a lovesick teenage boy asking his crush out on a date. Taking them from his hands, you’ll ask what the occasion is.

“Well, there isn’t a particular occasion.” He kisses you on the forehead. “Celebrating you should be an everyday thing.”

Board game nights are taken very seriously. You have a bookshelf filled with different types of them. Whether it’s a classic game of UNO or Jenga, or something a little more strategic, he's always hyper-competitive. You also have special punishments for if one of you loses, which are harmless but maybe a little embarrassing (One of his favourite punishments for you is ‘For the entire day tomorrow, Childe will only call (Y/N) by the cheesiest pet names’).

MASSIVE kitchen since he loves to cook. He keeps a book of recipes from his mum and has since added new ones of his own that he has shared with you.

“Could you come over here, baby?”

You follow your partner’s voice and the scent of something freshly baked into the kitchen.

Childe is standing behind the counter, his face in deep focus. He takes one of an array of heart-shaped biscuits and dips half of it in a bowl of chocolate before placing it on a lined baking sheet. The sleeves of his dress shirt are rolled up, exposing his forearms. His muscular build is sharply juxtaposed by the cream-coloured apron tied around himself, which has a little teddy bear embroidered in its centre.

You approach the kitchen bench, eyes sparkling with excitement. “Are they ready yet? Can I try one?” You eagerly ask.

“Not quite, I need help dipping the rest of these into chocolate.” He stretches his arms out in front of him, shaking the tension out of them.

“That being said,” he grins, extending a hand towards you across the kitchen bench as an offer, “would you do me the honour of being my baking assistant for a little?”

Chuckling at his dramatics, you delicately place your hand in his like royalty. “I’d be delighted to help.”

Childe guides you to his side and helps you put on your apron. As he ties the strings together, he relays the instructions to you.

“You just need to dip half of the biscuit into chocolate, and then add some sprinkles on top before it sets.” He tightens the bow around your waist to secure it.

How hard could that be? You think, nodding along to his words.

Demoing an example, Childe deftly coats half of the biscuit. Angling it just right, the chocolate drips off and evens itself out, leaving a perfect covered half. After placing it on the tray and adding the finishing touch of sprinkles, he gestures for you to try it yourself.

You confidently take one biscuit and dunk it.

“Ah!”

Underestimating its consistency, when you lift the biscuit, the chocolate slowly spreads onto the other half of the heart and drips onto your fingers. You quickly place it onto the baking sheet. Childe stifles his laugh, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.

“My one looks so much worse compared to yours…” you mutter, licking your fingers to remove the evidence of your unsuccessful attempt.

Seeing the frown on your face, he gently bumps your shoulder with his own in encouragement. “Don’t say that! I think your one has a lot more charm.” He says, adding the sprinkles onto your heart. “I’ll run some extra baking classes with you to build up your skills, how does that sound?”

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odoraful · 3 months

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Mortal Expertise

before his nightly patrol, xiao needs help from you to understand something he observed among mortals.

word count: 1011 a/n: my wish is that we can all meet xiao again at the lantern rite event coming up; i miss him too much :'( this is my first post writing one of my favourite genshin characters, so i hope it's alright! will be writing lots more in the future ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و

Xiao had been wiping his jade spear in the same spot for the past minute. You angled your book down and peered towards him, looking at his back as he sat on the side of the bed.

Strange. Usually he’d be gone by now, you thought, turning a page and skimming over words that escaped your focus. Xiao was always efficient when preparing for his nights of patrol. No matter how many times he had gone out to vanquish the monsters that crept too close to Wangshu Inn or Qingce Village, his routine had never changed. Stranger still, he was deathly silent. This wouldn’t have been odd during those first few exchanges between you and him, where conversations had to be coaxed out of him through reassurances and almond tofu. However, with your growing relationship, he would always tell you what he saw on his trips out (in his own unembellished way).

“Did you see any crystalflies yesterday evening?” you asked, putting your book aside and swinging over to sit next to him. “The weather is warming up, so I imagine there must be lots of them out.”

You tipped your head to try and see his eyes hidden behind his hair. Xiao gave an affirmative grunt. “Yes, I did.” His gaze never left the blade of his spear, fixated on his seemingly onerous polishing task.

“Xiao, is there something wrong?” You put a hand on his forearm, immediately halting his movements. “You’re much quieter than usual, and your spear is so well-polished I can see your own reflection in it”. You chuckled, hoping to ease any tension. He softened at your concern.

“I’m alright, you needn’t worry. I just had something I need your… mortal expertise on.”

Ah, of course! You felt relieved. It was only natural for Xiao to be nervous about confiding that. He had only begun to be open about his curiosity with humans.

“There is a mortal tradition,” he began slowly, picking his words carefully. “When someone must leave their partner for the day, they usually engage in a kind of… affectionate physical exchange to mark their temporary absence.”

You paused. A physical exchange?

“Well, yes! Before they leave each other for a day, a couple will typically kiss each other,” you mused, “It’s seen as a romantic gesture since it signifies-”

You heard Xiao suck in a breath as he tipped his head forward, further blocking out your view of him. He held his face in one gloved hand.

“I- I see,” he stuttered, the words tumbling out of him to prevent you from further elaborating. He suddenly stood up. His spear disappeared as he willed it away and he turned to face you. “Well then, I will be leaving for the night”.

You had a clear view of him now. His cheeks were flushed a bright pink and his eyes darted everywhere besides your face. He finally risked a glance at you. Realisation suddenly hit you.

“Xiao, are you asking for a kiss from me before you leave?” You couldn’t even finish the question without cracking a smile. You were practically beaming at him. The weather tonight was warmer, but he felt like he was suddenly heating up at how brightly you grinned.

“Perhaps, yes,” he admitted. Quickly, he followed by saying, “It was something I observed from afar from those similar to us in closeness, but you do not need to…”, his voice dwindled a little, “indulge me if you do not want to partake in similar actions”.

You stood up, closing the gap between the two of you. Xiao was startled by your movements.

“Your study of mortals is an accurate one indeed.” You wrapped your arms around his neck. A dangerously close distance that had Xiao holding his breath. His arms instinctively circled your waist. Xiao knew that he was, regrettably, a novice at these sorts of things. It brought a great struggle within him when he saw your hands resting idly against a railing, or your hair falling loose against your face. In his mind, he would picture holding your hand in his, or brushing your hair away, but when it came to actioning these moves, he felt flustered. The fear of making a wrong move was too great for him to do anything. However, he always found comfort in your words.

‘Don’t force yourself, okay?’ You had told him this after one of the first times you suddenly hugged him, and he had stood stiffly in your arms. Xiao remembered mentally punching himself after the encounter. ‘We have all the time we need, there’s no rush.’

Could he be the one who initiated these types of things? He pictured himself leaning down and kissing you. Stealing the move away from you. There was no mistaking your intention in wanting this too. All he had to do was do it. Your voice brought him away from his thoughts.

“And of course I’d like to kiss you!” You said fervidly. “You’re my partner, I’d do anything-”

Your words were cut off. Oh, was all that passed your mind when Xiao leaned in. Your mind spun. His lips were gentle against your own, but hesitant. His worries felt palpable against your skin. Slowly, you deepened the kiss. It was an assurance of many things. That you were proud of him for opening up to you, that he wasn’t messing anything up, that you were enjoying his company. His lips… are surprisingly soft… Did he apply some kind of balm to them beforehand!?

Xiao’s heart hammered in his chest. He was beside himself with uncharacteristic elation. The only things he could sense now was the electricity between your bodies, and the subtle, violetgrass scent of your hair. He pulled away first, fearing that he would not be able to leave for patrol that night if he stayed. Looking into your eyes for any sign of disappointment, he saw only the way your eyes sparkled with delight.

“I… I hope I didn’t scare you,” Xiao whispered, holding you tighter. “May I have another tomorrow night?”

#✏️〰odorawrites #genshin impact #genshin #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin x you #genshin x y/n #genshin impact xiao #genshin xiao #xiao fluff #xiao x reader #xiao x y/n #xiao x you

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odoraful · 3 months

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Giving them jewellery p.1

you bring home a souvenir that you picked out just for them！

characters: neuvilette/xiao x reader tags: fluff, established relationship, a sprinkle of sentimentality a/n: it was really fun to come up with pieces of jewellery would suit these two! there might be a part 2 coming up of this including maybe lyney/zhongli

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑰𝑼𝑫𝑬𝑿 ₊˚.༄

Holding it up to the light coming in through his office window, the Iudex could see the true artistry of the brooch. The brass lyre was well polished, and the windwheel aster flowers painted at the base were so detailed he could see each individual red petal and the swirling green stems surrounding them. For having lived for centuries, he’d never seen such a quaint embellishment.

“I bought it at a vintage market they had before I left.” You gazed at how he inspected the lyre brooch you bought in Mondstadt city between his thumb and forefinger. “Isn’t it nice?”

“Indeed. For something so small, it is quite beautiful.” The cheerfulness in his voice was a relief to hear. You had taken a few rounds browsing the market, looking for the perfect souvenir. Despite the grandeur of his Iudex robes, Neuvillette was far from materialistic. You knew that something more understated would suit him well. The man from whom you purchased the brooch from said that this was a precious item. The original owner was his great grandmother who had received it from her beloved as a promise that they would celebrate Windblume Festivals together for as long as they lived.

You retold the story to Neuvillette. “Now, a few years following his great grandmother's partner's passing, she asked him to sell it. She said she wished for another couple to have it to bless them with the love and happiness she experienced."

He nodded. “A token of everlasting love between partners,” he said fondly. “It is something I wish for the two of us as well.”

“Now that I think about it,” he grew wistful as he continued, “I rarely receive gifts from other regions. Aside from diplomatic ones, of course, but none have been personal or sentimental in nature.”

Turning from the window, he walked towards you standing beside his desk. “This is perhaps the first true gift someone has ever bought for me. Thank you, my dear.” Those sincere words were accompanied by him gently cupping your cheek and angling your face upwards. He placed a light kiss on your forehead. His easy affection made your heart soar.

“For you, I’ll gladly be your supplier for all of Teyvat’s finest curios,” you grinned.

He chuckled. “There is no one I would trust more in that role. Now,” he unpinned the brooch and handed it to you, “Could you put it on for me? I’m certain my gloves would make it difficult for me to do it myself.”

You dusted off his lapel, searching for a good space to find it. After pinning it in place, you took a step back to admire the newest addition to his uniform. Neuvilette straightened his robes. At that moment, you could have sworn the clouds parted, letting more of the warm, morning light pour inside.

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑽𝑰𝑮𝑰𝑳𝑨𝑵𝑻 𝒀𝑨𝑲𝑺𝑯𝑨 ₊˚.༄

Standing behind him, you brushed the hair framing Xiao’s face aside, giving room to place the necklace around him. Fingertips grazed his nape as you laid the cord flat and started tying it in place. His body stiffened at the contact, hyper-aware of your soft touch and absent-minded humming.

“I can do it myself,” he had told you firmly a few seconds before. He had tried to clasp the necklace from behind, elbows pointed upwards. His brow furrowed deeper, the stubbornness to not ask for help was waning with each awkward, failed attempt. You leaned to the side to catch his gaze in the mirror in front of both of you.

“Can you really?” you teased. “It would be much easier to let me help you, wouldn’t you say?”

Xiao huffed when he saw your pouting face. He didn’t have the heart to say anything against your wishes. Facing against hordes of ruin guards and abyss mages was considered a warm up exercise for the yaksha, and yet the sight of a sulky Y/N made him weak. You held your hand out beside him, and he resignedly gave you the necklace.

He looked at his reflection. Sitting just above his vajra necklace, the pendant was carved from pale green jade to be shaped like a small carp. Along the black cord were several other small jade beads secured in place between knots. It was certainly a divergence from his usual style.

But it is… cute. Xiao thought, the corners of his lips lifted faintly.

After clasping the necklace in place, your hands travelled to lay relaxedly on his shoulders. Feeling an unexpected stiffness, you began to gently massage them. Xiao cleared his throat, trying to find his voice again.

“You said this symbol is special in Qiaoying Village?” Though he was familiar with the village already, he wanted to hear you talk about it.

You nodded. “Yep! I was told that in local legends, the carp is a symbol of good luck and protection for those who journey across the sea to trade with other nations, since, you know, Yilong Wharf is the main hub for transporting goods.”

He noticed your eyes flicking to the side, your voice turning more solemn. “Think of it as… a protection symbol from me, so that no matter where you are... you'll always remain safe and return to me.”

The moment was gone as soon as it came. You returned to your usual countenance. Bright and assured. The vulnerability slipping away along with your hands off his shoulders.

Your words had provoked something within in that he couldn’t pinpoint. A sadness at your downcast expression, a frustration at himself for making you worry so often.

Overwhelmingly, however, he felt a desperation. A desperation to instil the confidence that he wouldn’t disappear one day without notice. He brought the pendant up to his lips. Your eyes widened.

“Xiao?”

“Thank you for giving this to me.” Resolve burned in his eyes as he gripped the necklace close to his chest. “Although I cannot promise I will be unharmed in my patrols, I- I can promise that I will always have enough strength to return to you.”

#✏️〰odorawrites #genshin impact #genshin #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin x you #genshin x y/n #genshin impact neuvillette #genshin neuvillette #neuvilette x reader #neuvillette x you #neuvillette x y/n #neuvillette fluff #genshin impact xiao #genshin xiao #xiao x reader #xiao x y/n #xiao x you #xiao fluff

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odoraful · 1 month

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Somnium pt1

zayne's last dream has left him shaken and he hopes to meet you again to reconcile his fears

content: dawnbreaker!zayne x reader; a direct continuation from zayne’s anecdote 'still in the dark'; 917 words a/n: spoilers for ‘still in dark’ so if you haven’t read it yet be warned! read part 2 here reading bgm ♫ Prologue V - The Weight of History's Presence

Though it had been days since that last dream, the shocked expression on your face has since haunted Zayne.

You aren’t Dr. Zayne. Who are you?

He’d been afraid to fall back asleep again since. Those dreams he once coveted so much, desperately hoping for your warm embrace, now became a source of fear for him. In every fleeting moment you shared, he thought he’d done everything right. He played the role of that smart and reliable partner just for you.

It had all been perfect until that last dream.

The days from then on stretched endlessly like taffy. Zayne filled in his time doing anything he could to silence his fears. He thought often about activities Georgie would have enjoyed and made himself plans with the young boy in mind. Trying new sweets at the dessert shop, reading beside the jasmine flower field in the plaza, watching the sun set from his apartment window. Detective Ivan seemed to have kept his promise, and the public whispers of Dawnbreaker fizzled away, leaving Zayne free to carry out his duties in complete anonymity. He’d sometimes finish his day off with a visit to Georgie and his mother’s graves. During the night, he’d stay awake for as long as his body could handle until he was overcome with fatigue, passing out wherever he sat.

He found that no dreams would come if he slept this way.

The impracticality of this type of living did not faze Zayne until he stared at his own reflection in the mirror one day. He had heavy bags under his eyes and a pallor to his face that made him almost unrecognisable to himself. He gripped the edge of the sink, a sudden nausea making his head spin.

It was foolish to continue like this. He needed to see you again.

Perhaps he should try and talk to you without the guise of this doctor. If the dream had allowed you to speak out, then surely it would give him the same ability. He would explain himself to you, prove that he was the person you loved. These dreams he had since he was a child had shaped his entire worldview. He moulded himself to be yours. Surely, with your presence in these dreams also, they must mean something to you too.

Yes, that would be the most sensible course of action.

For the first time in a while, Zayne gave himself a proper night routine. Though, the flavourless nutritional liquid he downed for dinner did little to quell the anxiety in his stomach, and washing his face with cool water could not banish the heat from his cheeks.

His mind was filled with rehearsals of what he would say to you as he laid in bed. In his periphery, he made out the dim, red glow the numbers of his alarm clock casted across the dark room. Zayne read in a medical fact sheet that it took a person around fifteen to twenty minutes to fall asleep. Turning to look at the clock, the numbers that read 23:18 dazzled his vision.

He closed his eyes, the afterimage of the red numbers remaining behind his eyelids. His final thoughts were a plea to the stars above to let him visit you again, before he let his subconscious pull him deeper.

Zayne did not know how he arrived here, but he now stood on a gravel path beneath archways of curling shrubbery. The greenery was well manicured with small white flowers. As he inhaled, he was surprised to find the light scent of jasmine in the air. A small piece of familiarity that calmed his senses.

Stepping out from the shade and onto grass, he realised the dream was set in a garden. Benches were scattered around to provide viewing seats for the flowers, which, Zayne noticed, seemed to only be variations of different types of white flowers. Close by, there was a river dotted with clusters of lily pads and white petals that gently drifted along the surface. A bridge over the river led to a green roofed pavilion suspended atop the water. Zayne was so accustomed to his own drab and dark world that it almost hurt his eyes to gaze around this idyllic scene. The sound of indistinct chatter surrounded him, however, there were no signs of other people around no matter where he turned, save for one person he spotted standing on the grass.

Zayne exhaled a shaky breath.

A pale blue dress that stood out against the flowering white buds flitted around your legs, though his own clothes did not rustle against any breeze. Sunlight illuminated your skin, though he could not feel any warmth from its rays. His dreams had strange ways of carefully crafting his desires. You had an expectant expression on your face, glancing about in search of somebody. Zayne’s feet felt like dragging weights as he forced himself to walk, fighting off his fear of closing the distance.

Your expression turned to delight when you saw him approaching. You waved at him, grinning. Something twisted inside him. How long had it been since he’d seen that smile?

He put up a hand hesitantly in greeting.

You began to walk, almost skipping towards him. Zayne almost backed away, startled by your enthusiasm.

Only metres apart now, you suddenly froze, eyes going wide. Zayne didn’t move a muscle, feeling his own body lock up. The background chatter dissipated, as you opened your mouth to speak. The world turned silent as if in anticipation for the words you were about to say.

“It’s- it’s you again.”

#this anecdote has burrowed its way into my brain ever since first reading it !!#✏️〰odorawrites #love and deepspace #l&ds #lads #love and deepspace zayne #zayne love and deepspace #l&ds zayne #lads zayne #zayne #love and deepspace x reader #lads x reader #zayne x reader #zayne x mc #zayne x you #dawnbreaker

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odoraful · 25 days

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Somnium pt2

zayne finally meets with you again in his dreams, though he is unprepared to face the harsh truth

read part 1 🙇‍♀️ content: dawnbreaker!zayne x reader; a direct continuation from zayne’s anecdote 'still in dark' (spoiler warning); 2.2k words; angst :( reading bgm ♫ It is The Nature of Dreams to End (Julia)

It took a few seconds for Zayne’s brain to register that he should reply to you.

Stop staring with your mouth agape. Say something.

The words were lodged in his throat.

You fidgeted with your hair, eyes turned downwards. “Excuse my manners. I should stop addressing you incorrectly and ask for your name.”

Zayne cringed internally. A great start — he now gave the impression that he was deliberately ignoring you for your supposed impoliteness.

“No, please, it's alright.” The sentence tumbled out of him. “My name is Zayne.” His arms remained glued at his sides.

“It's the same as his… everything is the same,” you murmured, shaking your head in disbelief. Your brow was in a deep furrow, as if you someone had given you some incalculable equation to solve. He could tell that a million questions were flooding your thoughts right now.

“If it’s any consolation,” he tried his best to give a reassuring smile, but he felt his lips tremble as he lifted the corners of his mouth, “I also have questions about how we’ve come to meet.”

You raised your head, finally meeting his gaze. In all his dreams with you, he'd never seen such worry on your face. He felt a crushing urge to take you in his arms, smooth a hand over your hair, whisper in your ear that he was here for you, that he was here to protect you. Instead, he squeezed his fists tight.

“Then, should we go somewhere more comfortable and have a talk?” You offered, turning around to face the pavilion suspended on the river. You lifted a hand to shade your eyes. “The sun is too bright to be standing outside.”

Zayne nodded. It would be too embarrassing for him to say that the golden sunlight targeting you was likely a product of his own subconscious. Moving to your side, the two of you headed towards the bridge leading to the pavilion. As he walked, Zayne relaxed his fists, feeling the sting in his palm from his own digging fingernails.

Your eyes went wide with alarm. “Humans that slowly transform into wanderers? That’s horrifying.” You wrapped your arms around yourself, goosebumps forming on your skin.

Sitting now on the bench that lined the inside of the pavilion, the two of you conversed about your respective worlds. With embarrassment, he mentioned how he dreamt about you since he was 12. You laughed at how shy he was getting, as he turned his head away from yours, not wanting you to see the break in his coolness. When you spoke, he acted as a dutiful listener, despite having already extensively researched the fabled Linkon City. It felt surreal to hear your experience first hand. It made him feel less crazy to hear everything he learned was true.

“And are there hunters to help control this? To keep everyone safe?” You asked.

Zayne inhaled a long breath. He looked out past your shoulder at the shimmering river. He turned solemn, his eyes unfocused.

“I don’t know of anybody in my world who has an evol, as you’ve called it, besides me.”

He felt no pride in owning this power. It was a burden he shouldered since he was a child. Yet, he understood the gravity of the responsibility forced upon him. If he abandoned this role, what would become of his world? The cards he were dealt gave him a singular purpose in life.

That was until you entered his life.

You remained silent, digesting the information he had given and what it implied. Zayne felt acutely aware of every one of his senses. The rhythm of his breaths, the weight of his hands clasped in his lap, the stiffness in his posture.

“You save people��s lives.” His eyes shifting back to you, Zayne unexpectedly saw a wistful look on your face. “It reminds me a lot of my Zayne.”

This should have been the part where you condemned him, like everyone else in his world. Called him a monster, a killer, nothing but a story to scare children into behaving well. If he wasn’t mistaken, the faint smile on your face was one of admiration. Never had he seen himself as heroic. Those few words you spoke made him crumple. He placed his head in his hands. Not only that, you said it reminded you of your Zayne.

He heard the rustle of your dress beside him as you sat closer to him. Your legs almost flush against his. If he leaned barely a millimetre to his right, your arms would touch.

“I want to know,” he started, finding his voice again. “In the past, you never realised I was someone else. What changed in that last dream?”

Humming in thought, you tapped a finger on your chin. “I’m not too sure about it myself.” You began to chuckle sheepishly. “I do have a working theory, but I would need to…” Your sentence trailed off. Zayne stared at you, confused. You seemed to shrink under his gaze.

“Is it alright if I…” Biting your lip, you fidgeted with your fingers. “Touch you?”

What kind of theory is this? Zayne could never guess your next move. Freely speaking your mind, acting on your first instinct, these were traits so foreign to him. Your unpredictability was something he loved and feared.

“Of- of course,” he blurted out, less composed than he would’ve liked to show. He prayed his cheeks didn’t betray him by turning bright pink. Turning his body towards you, he rested his hands on his thighs, waiting for what you would do.

You reached a hand and gently cupped his cheek.

Unable to contain his reaction, Zayne let out a shuddering breath at the contact as he leaned in. The casual affection that was so natural for you to show completely overwhelmed him. As you leaned in, your eyes slowly examined him, moving up and down his face. All Zayne could do was yield under your attention. Despite no words being exchanged, he felt more vulnerable to you than ever before.

He grasped your hand, holding it against his face. You felt so real. How could his mind conjure something so tangible? The shape of your knuckles, the creases on your fingers, all of it was warm and alive under his cool touch. He was certain that if he touched the underside of your wrist, he would feel your steady pulse.

“Zayne.” Your voice was a hesitant whisper. “You’re hurting me…”

Caught up in exhilaration, Zayne didn’t notice how tight his grip had become. Your fingers were being crushed together by his. He immediately released his hold, cursing inwardly at himself. What was he thinking? Your Zayne wouldn’t have done that. He wouldn’t have been so aggressive, so overly emotional.

“I remember now.” Feeling your breath graze his skin as you spoke, he fought off the urge to shiver. “I started to notice that there was something about your gaze…” Your eyes softened with sympathy. “There’s no warmth to it.”

Your hand trailed down his cheek to his neck. “And when I touch you.” Tingles followed wherever your fingers went. “You tense up everytime.” Emphasising your point, your hand rested on his shoulder, forcing him to relax his muscles. “Almost like you’re scared of me, somehow.”

No, this wasn’t how it was meant to go. He had expected you to say something trivial — his appearance was slightly off, or he had just forgotten to say or do something that was an obvious tell. These were easy fixes for him.

Zayne screwed his eyes shut, defenceless against your pity.

After all these dreams living in snippets as this doctor, this perfect version of himself, he still couldn’t get it right. No matter how well he could copy, from watching all those medical show episodes or tasting as many desserts as his barren world could offer, there were fundamental things about himself he couldn’t change.

“I-I don’t understand.” He said, strained. He felt like a child again, terrified of making the wrong move. “I thought I did everything right.”

“You did!” You exclaimed. Bringing your other hand to his other shoulder, you gently squeezed them. “You treat me so kindly whenever we met, but my Zayne is the one back in my world, in Linkon.”

Your hands withdrew from his shoulders. “And in any case, this-” You gestured around, “- is just a dream. I might not even remember this exact conversation when I wake up. I don’t think I’m even real in this-”

“Don’t say that.” He snapped.

His voice seemed to reverberate around the garden. The severity of his tone silenced you instantly.

Sitting still was too restricting for him now. He ran a hand through his hair, needing to move around. He stood up, nausea swirling at the pit of his stomach. Rubbing his eyes with the edges of his hands, he saw stars in the vision.

To hell with composure.

“I’ve known you for so, so long.” It was difficult to speak when every word constricted his throat. “Do not tell me that you’re not real because then everything I’ve worked towards would be for nothing.”

You cocked your head, confused. “Everything you’ve worked towards?”

Sparing himself the shame, he stayed quiet. He wouldn’t tell you how he spent his entire life in a fruitless endeavour to become the person you loved. It was a shattering realisation he arrived at. He was nothing but an imposter, a poor imitation. He could never be your Zayne. Desperation bubbled rapidly within him. The pressure reached a tipping point.

“You told me before that you’d always stay by my side" His tone wavered, struggling to keep stable between his quickened breaths. "Don’t leave me, please.” He pleaded, face contorting with agony. This loss would be more painful than any Abomination strike to his heart.

Your eyes were downcast, shoulders slumped. “Of course I can meet with you again, but I don’t think I can stay with you forever.” You wrapped your arms around yourself. “I’m so, so sorry, Zayne. It- it just doesn’t feel right for some reason.”

The floor of the pavilion swayed under his feet. The tranquillity of the garden felt more like a mockery now than a solace. Why did you have to see through him? Could he have prevented this from happening? Seized by his own racing thoughts, he didn’t even detect you moving towards him. You encircled his waist with your arms and he crumpled into the hug instinctually. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. Nobody would be there to comfort him when he woke up. He’d share his misery with only the birds that nested at his window in the mornings. So, he savoured the feeling of your hand rubbing his back soothingly, letting your warmth consume him.

”Perhaps there’s an equivalent version of me in your world.” He could just hear your voice over the thumping heartbeat in his ears. “If there’s me and my Zayne in Linkon, then shouldn’t there also be someone for you?”

A version of you? He couldn’t begin to process what you were saying. No one could replace you, it was a ridiculous suggestion. How easily you would brush him aside like this.

He dared to look at your face once more. There was no contempt in your expression like he thought there would be. There was genuine care in your eyes. Of course, you were always the hopeful one.

“It’s not too late for you to find out who you truly are, Zayne.”

That was the last thing he heard before he was abruptly pulled from you.

Dreams seldom have satisfying endings to them — bouncing from one scene to the next, blurring beginning, middle, end, and finishing far too soon. And so, like the snapping of thread, he was flung back into the waking world.

When Zayne awoke from previous dreams, he’d always feel at peace. However, this time he jolted awake, gasping for air. Taking in deep breaths to steady himself, he saw the blankets had been kicked aside onto the floor. Sweat slicked the back of his shirt and beaded down the side of his head.

Zayne sat up against the bed head, letting his head roll to the side to gaze out the window. The sun was just beginning to rise, the landscape outside diffused by pale blue light. A bird flew up to the sill, hopping curiously on the ledge. It then settled down, legs disappearing into its feathery body.

He opened the drawer of his bedside table and wearily reached for his journal and pen. With a heavy heart, he scrawled down everything he could recall about the dream. Where he was, what you wore, what you said. The occasional lilting chirp from the bird cut through his pondering.

“Another version of me.”

Could there be someone like you in his world? Someone who would want to spend time with him? He’d never thought to talk to anyone else, he only ever needed you.

He finished his final sentence, the writing almost unintelligible.

“Who you truly are.”

When he wasn’t chasing down the person in his head, when he wasn’t trying to be someone else, who was he, truly?

a/n: thank you for reaching the end xx 🥹 you've hit the surprise author note! i'm putting it here this time cuz i didn't want to detract from the main story with all my yapping at the start! i thought the bgm had a title fitting for my interpretation of dawnbreaker zayne's arc, and it does have the appropriate melancholic vibe to it :') this was my first time writing something longer and angst-ier, so apologies if it reads awkwardly D: i will continue honing my writing! i wish you a lovely day or night <3

#it did hurt a little to write this because i wish only for zayne's happiness in every timeline :'(#but i thought it would be interesting to imagine a different kind of continuation for dawnbreaker zayne!#✏️〰odorawrites #love and deepspace #l&ds #lads #love and deepspace zayne #zayne love and deepspace #l&ds zayne #lads zayne #zayne #love and deepspace x reader #lads x reader #zayne x reader #zayne x mc #zayne x you #dawnbreaker

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odoraful · 3 months

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Heart Grow Fonder

following a long trip in liyue, you return to mondstadt to reunite with a certain blonde alchemist.

word count: 961 a/n: speaking of characters who haven't shown up in a while (ﾉД`) i thought i'd write a reunion scene to manifest his return, hoyoverse, the people need him back! i hope you have a lovely day/night!

A sudden breeze picked up as you walked up the rickety wooden steps of Stone Gate towards Mondstat. It felt cool on your skin, providing a needed respite against the midday sun. The wind tousled your hair before subsiding, leaving it laying at an awkward angle. You chuckled, brushing it out of your face. Must be telling me to hurry up, then. You thought. In the City of Wind, the breezes seemed to have agendas of their own. Interpreting this as their playful welcome to your arrival, you quickened your pace.

There was an invisible thread always drawing you back to this city, no matter how far you travelled. It was tied inextricably to the sense of comfort and warmth you associated with it. Leaning on the wooden railing lining the boardwalks of Stone Gate, you saw the very person who tugged at that tenderness in your heart. The blonde alchemist had his sketchpad out, glancing between the page and the railing opposite him. You saw a small bird perched on it. It flittered its wings every so often, and you saw his eyes widen at the movement. You slowed your gait, hoping to not scare it away. However, the bird turned its head at your arrival and flew upwards in your direction. Albedo’s eyes followed where it had flown, landing upon you.

Albedo had spent the weeks of your absence at his campsite. This was the first time that you weren't just a day's trip away in the city, or even by his side. In those early days following your departure, he swore he saw phantom images of you. Sucrose would notice Albedo’s eyes linger on empty spaces around the campsite. When she asked, he would reply that it was nothing and continue his work. However, in the corners of experimental notes, Sucrose curiously found sketches of you. She counted them. There was one with your arms folded, a playful expression on your face. Another was you taking a curious peek at an alchemical substance. She spotted one more of your side profile staring up at a twinkling sky. Although Albedo was used to setting distances between people, it was different with you. Alone without you felt… emptier. Idle moments when he drew his favourite expressions of you could only briefly fill that emptiness.

You covered your hands over your mouth. “I’m so sorry Albedo!” You rushed over to meet him.

Cocking his head to the side, he pouted a little. “I didn’t expect the first words I’d hear from you to be an apology. What for?”

“I made too much noise coming over to you and I scared the bird away,” you said, sheepishly.

Albedo shook his head, his expression remaining composed. “It’s alright. The bird had stayed its course and coincidentally flew away at the same moment as your arrival. Besides, I had already finished my sketches.”

He noticed the dejected look still on your face. This certainly wouldn’t do for your reunion; he had to find a way to cheer you up. He flipped through his sketchbook, opening to the most recent page. You peered over for a better look. The sketches were strikingly true to life. Albedo had even drawn sequences of the bird fluttering its wings which were overlaid on top of one another. The resulting effect gave the illusion that the bird was moving on the page.

“The bird is known as an emerald finch. It’s one of the rarer finch species, known for its blue-green coloured plumage, like a jewel.”

You inspected the drawing closer. “Ah! I thought it looked familiar. I always saw a few of these birds gathering in the plazas in Liyue.”

Albedo nodded. “Yes, emerald finches are predominantly found closer to Liyue Harbour. However,” he took up his charcoal once again to scribe the date down in the bottom corner of the page, “this little one happened to find its way to me.” He met your eyes and smiled. “It’s quite adorable, isn’t it?”

During your travels, you remained patient. You counted the days until your return, but never let your wish impede the work needed to be done in Liyue. You both made sure to write letters to each other each week, but despite the regular correspondence, it was only now you realised just how badly you missed him. Letters weren’t nearly enough. You couldn’t feel his calming presence, see that fond smile, hear him casually talk about, well, just about anything.

Not letting a second more waste, you threw your arms around his torso. The position was certainly a little awkward. You had hugged him on his side, himself still holding his sketchpad.

“Dearest, hold on.” Albedo murmured. He quickly tucked his sketchpad away in a pocket on the inside of his coat. Releasing your arms from him, he turned to face you properly and circled your arms around his waist once more. “There, that’s much better.”

You buried your face against him and he reached a hand to stroke your hair.

“I missed you.” Your voice was muffled against his clothes. Albedo could still make out the slight waver in your tone. He breathed deeply. A wholeness surged within him as he heard those words, and felt you tangibly in his arms at last.

The winds had been still up to this moment. They knew well enough to respect the privacy between lovers.

EPILOGUE

“Are these little drawings of... me?” You were flicking through his notes relating to his latest project when you saw sketches of, undoubtedly, yourself.

Albedo faced away from you, busying himself with collecting random papers on the table and putting them in a neat stack. The action held no practical purpose, but it did help to hide the bashful look on his face.

#✏️〰odorawrites #genshin impact #genshin #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin x you #genshin x y/n #genshin impact albedo #genshin albedo #albedo fluff #albedo x reader #albedo x y/n #albedo x you

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odoraful · 1 month

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*ੈ✩‧₊˚ about:

hi! i'm daph (or odora) // uni student in my honours year // half chinese & half vietnamese

what do i like... reading, video games, piano, crochet, shojo/josei manga + anime, animated films, ttrpg shows (dimension 20, critical role, the adventure zone), kpop, cold weather and warm sun, public museums and libraries, cafe hopping, collecting charms

who's on my mind... genshin xiao, neuvilette, wriothesley // l&ds zayne // hsr blade, dan heng

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ rules:

general: i do not tolerate any kind of hate at all, so please be kind if you're going to interact. i write sfw, but i may interact with blogs that are nsfw!

inbox: i love talking to other people, so feel free to send in something in my inbox!! <3 as long as it's not anything too dark/heavy in nature

requests: i LOVE hearing everyone's ideas, so if my writing style is one you enjoy, i'd be honoured to take your request !! however, i can get busy, so apologies if they are slow to be done :') i'll put all requests under the tag 🌷〰requestodora i can currently take requests for: genshin impact, love & deepspace importantly, i do not write: 🚫 nsfw, gore, suicidal themes, incest, abusive dynamics, major age differences, pregnancy, dark content in general 🚫

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ thanks for reading!

#if anyone has similar interests i’d absolutely love to hear from you 🙇‍♀️#✏️〰odorawrites #🌷〰requestodora #🫧〰askodora

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odoraful · 2 months

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Are there other matters?

blade piques your auntie's interest when you visit her shop to run some errands.

content: blade & reader are friends (they secretly like each other); a little humorous :) word count: 723 a/n: *drops my first hsr fic and runs away* i might write a part 2 resolving the shenanigans that occur here if there's enough interest!

Blade had barely spoken a word this entire outing. Not that it was unusual for him, however, his wordless, watchful demeanour made every passer-by shrink away. It appeared to others that he was less of your friend and more of a guard dog. Despite the names of the Stellaron Hunters being cleared, just the sight of him with his stony stare was of automatic suspicion among the Xianzhou Loufu.

He folded his arms and leaned against the side of the building, watching you converse warmly with a merchant selling metal working supplies.

“An apprentice in the Artisanship Commission?” The merchant said in awe. “I remember when you were-” she placed a hand to the side of her hip, her voice dripping with fondness “-this big and dreaming about joining the commission, and look at you now!”

Out of the corner of his eye, Blade saw the merchant lift a hand and ruffle your hair. Despite the slight resigned look on your face as you leaned into the touch, you still laughed. To see someone as capable as you be treated like a child was an intriguing sight. His gaze travelled from your upturned lips to your hand smoothing out your tousled hair.

“Thank you, auntie. Expect me to visit you a lot more often nowadays.”

She tsked and squeezed your cheek. “Ai-yah, you should already be visiting me more.”

You noticeably grew bashful at her words. Luckily, your auntie’s disapproval vanished quickly. “Now you just hold tight, I know exactly what your junior apprentices need.” She crouched out of sight below the countertop and rummaged through the storage, the sound of tools clinked against each other.

You turned towards Blade and gave a thumbs up with both hands. He acknowledged you with a single nod. The grin on your face was too bright, almost blinding. You turned back to speak with the merchant.

Blade stared at the back of your head. Your smile was gone too soon.

Despising the ache he felt, he shook his head, keeping those strange, simmering feelings within him at bay.

“Boyfriend! Are you going to help carry this?” The merchant’s voice pierced through his musings.

Boyfriend...?

There was the tiniest waver in Blade's blank expression. He saw her gesture towards a wooden storage box on the counter, one hand on her hip.

You collapsed onto the counter. “Aeons, you don’t have to yell out like that!” Your hands covered your reddening face. “And he’s not my boyfriend.”

No matter how well one may hide it, family members had a heightened sense for when young people were in love. Highly amused by your reaction, your auntie pushed a little more.

“You know he’s watching you as if I’m going to steal you away or something.” She leaned in closer and mock whispered, “Is he one of these crazy possessive types?”

“Auntie!” Your eyes turned into saucers in shock. “He’s not.”

She lifted both her hands with a cheeky, knowing grin, as if to say ‘you don’t have to tell me, I already know.’

Blade was surprised at the familiarity of the look. It was one he often saw on Kafka, with her naturally sassy countenance. She had that exact knowing smile when she had asked him about the details of his sudden excursion during his downtime today. He angled himself off the wall to walk to your side.

“At least get to know his name, it’s Blade.” You said, firmly.

“Ohh Blade, huh?” The merchant’s critical eyes trailed up and down, assessing the man who had wooed her niece. “Hm…a tough guy name. What do you do?”

“You are referring to my occupation?” Blade asked.

Your auntie wasn’t expecting such a deep, gravelly voice that it made her physically jump. You scrambled to pick up the wooden box, heaving it into your arms. Blade head jerked to your movements in alarm. You tried to back away at a fast enough pace that etiquette would allow when exiting a conversation.

“Thanks auntie, but we really need to go now. Love you!” You frantically gestured at Blade to follow.

Your auntie bellowed with laughter. “Alright then, make sure you visit me again soon! You too Mr Blade!” She called out as you scurried across the market square. A puzzled Blade followed beside you, attempting to take the heavy box from your hands.

#✏️〰odorawrites #i got back into hsr at the start of this year and blade was my first limited 5 star character muahah #honkai star rail #hsr #honkai star rail x reader #hsr x reader #blade x reader #blade x y/n #blade x you #blade #hsr blade #blade hsr #hsr blade x reader #hsr blade x you

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odoraful · 3 months

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Distractions

zayne catches you being a little unfocused because of his hands...

word count: 998 a/n: the spirit of the 2005 pride and prejudice mr darcy hand flex scene possessed me when i wrote the ending of this fic. i hope you enjoy zayne's shenanigans hehe

Although Zayne is an expert at controlling his reactions, he can’t help but smirk when he notices your gaze flick between the page of your book and his hands. You thought you were being subtle. Sitting beside each other on the couch, him absorbed in note taking and you feigning focus in reading, should have given you enough cover to allow for your sneaky glances. However, the surgeon trained in detecting even the most minute abnormalities can sense your eyes lingering for a second longer every time.

One, two, three, four seconds. Zayne counts in his head.

From his periphery, it’s obvious how your head slightly turns to the left. He finds it cute how determined you are to try to hide it. Untucking the hair behind your ear to cover your eyes, flipping the page every now and again to shift suspicion away. He considers whether he should say something.

One, two, three, four, five seconds.

“How is your reading going?” He asks.

He puts his pen down and uses his thumb to massage the heel of his opposite palm, alternating between hands. He wraps his left hand around his right wrist, holding it in place so he can rotate it to release a few cracks. Every movement is slow and methodical. Nothing more than a well-calculated display just for you.

It was an innocent question, yet you feel like you’ve been caught.

“Oh! It’s going well, you know, some interesting things are happening right now.”

Zayne closes his notebook and turns to give you his full attention. He rests an arm on the back of the sofa, slowly drumming against the plush surface with his fingers.

“Really? Like what?”

You frantically lift your book up, eyes darting back to the page. “Well, the main character has just entered the foreseer’s palace and um…” Your voice trails off.

“I know, you told me that before we sat here.” He shifts closer to you, your bodies now touching. He wraps his arm around your shoulder, plucking the book from your grasp. Your body freezes at his unexpected closeness.

Head leaning forward to inspect the words, he flicks back a few pages. His breath is near your ear as he speaks,

“That was about… three pages ago? And yet, you can’t recall what you’ve just read.” He hums in thought. Goosebumps form on your skin at the low timbre of his voice. He moves the bookmark back to its original location and places the book on the table.

“Has there been something else occupying your mind?”

Your heart leaps to your throat as you face him. He isn’t wearing his glasses, and his hair is slightly tousled from being recently dried. Unmistakably, amusement glitters in his eyes.

You huff. “You’re teasing me now, aren’t you?” Your flat stare at him makes the corners of his lips lift. He breathes a laugh, never getting over how much he loves seeing your expressions.

“Your reactions are too fun to not at least try. Although, I’m not satisfied just yet.” You feel Zayne’s hand drift down from your shoulder to rest at your waist, electrifying the skin under your clothes.

“I’d still like you to make your intentions clear to me.”

You shy away from his boldness. “Okay, okay…I just thought your hands looked… pretty, that’s all.” You mumble, playing it off as nonchalantly as possible, embarrassment bubbling inside you. His touch disappears as he withdraws his arm from your side. Puzzled, you watch him examine his hands in front of you.

“Pretty? Hm…that’s a new one.” There’s a faint sadness in his tone. He absentmindedly rubs the scarring on his forearms, a consequence of his evol powers. “I can’t imagine why something so unremarkable would be so interesting to you.”

The opportunity presents itself and you take both his hands in yours.

His skin is cool to the touch as you glide a thumb over his knuckles. He briefly tenses. You pat his knuckles in reassurance, a signal that he can relax. His fingers are slender, with prominent veins trailing along the backs of his hands.

Hands that are a testament to his skill and dexterity as a surgeon. Hands capable of playful touches and soft embraces that you feel lucky enough to experience everyday.

Zayne has trouble steadying his heart rate. He tries to recall the slow breathing exercises he instructs patients to use, but his thoughts get muddled when you connect palms and interlock your fingers with his. Despite it being his own orchestration that led to this, he’s become putty in your hands. Your touch is delicate, treating him like he’s fragile ice. He admits to himself how nice it feels for you to give him this kind of attention.

“I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but they’re not unremarkable to me, Zayne. I think they’re beautiful.”

You squeeze his hands in emphasis. A moment passes.

There is such sincerity in your eyes, he can’t help but begin to believe those words, believe practically anything you say right now.

“Well,” his voice comes out more uneven than he expected, “I do think highly of your opinion.”

He releases your hands. The surprise on your face reminds him of a child whose toy is packed away before they can finish playing. Another expression of yours to log in his head.

“You should get back to your reading. I’ve distracted you for long enough.”

He collects his items from the table and stands, handing your book back. Before he leaves, he kisses you on the forehead and you happily lean into it. You feel quite accomplished. Perhaps this means he’ll let you hold his hands like that more often. You become quickly engrossed in your novel as he walks past.

He’s grateful you don’t look up at that moment to see him flex his hands, an unfamiliar heat pulsing through them. The sensation of your touch lingers with him for the rest of the night.

#✏️〰odorawrites #all the guys' hands are so pretty in-game <3 #love and deepspace #l&ds #lads #love and deepspace fluff #love and deepspace zayne #zayne love and deepspace #l&ds zayne #lads zayne #love and deepspace x reader #lads x reader #zayne x reader #zayne fluff

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odoraful · 3 months

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Forever?

wriothesley takes care of you when you're sick and realises the depth of his devotion to you.

word count: 1488 a/n: wrio's story quest quickly became one of my favourites <3 also, thank you for the support on my past works from all the likes, replies and reblogs ! your reactions brighten my day, giving big hugs to y'all <3

“And you’re absolutely sure you don’t need me to do anything?” Wriothesley asked, pacing around the infirmary room.

For the Duke who deftly ran the Fortress of Meropide, this was the first time you had seen him so on edge. And, it was because of you.

During your daily duties as an assistant nurse with Sigewinne, you began to feel an itchiness in your throat. By the end of your shift, you needed to lie down to stop everything in your vision from spinning.

Sigewinne looked up at him. “Your Grace, this is the third time you’ve asked me,” she replied, her voice raising in frustration, “and as a fully qualified nurse, I assure you I have this under control!”

Turning back to you lying on the bed, she brought out a thermometer. You opened your mouth, hearing her mutter the seconds under her breath as your temperature was being measured. Your throat began to feel ticklish again. You tried to stifle your coughing, but they erupted from you causing a fit. Wriothesley rushed to your side. It was interesting to see such a novel, panicked expression on his face. You wished you were in better condition so you could poke a little fun at it.

“I’m okay.” You reached out to pat his arm. “This is probably just a common flu.”

“Y/N’s right. Coughing, dizziness, and-” she wiggled the thermometer in the air “a high temperature. These are all clear and direct signs of a flu.”

Wriothesley sighed. He caught your hand and caressed the back of it with his thumb. “Sigewinne told me you were unwell and I might have automatically thought of the worst.”

Your laugh came out more of a croak. “That I contracted some deadly, incurable illness that would leave me with only 24 hours to live?”

He let out a breath. “Something like that...” Moving to sit at the edge of the bed, he continued, “pretty ironic though, isn’t it? A nurse like you getting sick?”

You rolled your eyes. “Oh, I’m sure all of Celestia is rolling with laughter at me right now.”

Wriothesley smiled. It gladdened him that you could maintain a good sense of humour, even if it was for his sake to lessen his worries. The clinking of jars pulled your attention back to Sigewinne as she packed her tools into her kit. Slinging it over her, she hopped off her chair and walked across the room to store the medical kit away.

“I’m sorry Y/N, but I have some other check-ups I need to attend to. Are you alright to be alone for a bit of time?”

Being stuck in an infirmary was one thing, but without company? It was hardly how you wanted to spend your time. You always endeavoured to provide company for your patients. Giving them someone to converse helped divert their attention away from their ailments. However, you understood that Sigewinne had duties to fulfil.

Before you could reply, Wriothesley spoke. “Alone? I have no pressing work matters at the moment so I’d be more than happy to provide my care.”

Sigewinne squinted her eyes. “If I’m judging your capabilities to tend to someone by the way you treat your own injuries…”

She trailed off as she examined her boss sceptically.

Wriothesley carefully brushed aside loose hair strands from your face. A calloused hand gently caressed your cheek before it travelled to your forehead. Palm facing up, he checked how bad your fever was. The Duke whispered something to you that Sigewinne couldn’t quite make out, causing you to playfully slap his arm.

Watching you two together was a rare study of human life for her. She saw a relationship bloom first-hand, growing from strangers, friends, and now partners. She knew Wriothesley had a tender side to him, but you had been the one to unlock the affection he had tightly secured behind iron bars.

“Perhaps I’m willing to give you a chance.”

She looked over at you with a warm smile. “Please get all the rest you need! I expect to see a full recovery in the coming days.”

You thanked Sigewinne for her kindness as she pulled Wriothesley aside and gave him some firm instructions on how to treat you. Until he was able to recite these back to her did she finally leave the infirmary. It was shocking and delightful to see how assertive she sometimes was. An exasperated Wriothesley looked over at you. He offered to carry you back to your shared private quarters since you were too dizzy to get up on your own.

“I’m giving you a free ride right now! This is probably the best deal you’re going to get around here.”

You protested at the idea. Your embarrassment was not abated even when he mentioned that the residents of the Fortress would be retired to their quarters by now since it was evening. Under his assurance that he would deal with any unwarranted gossip about the Duke and his partner, he gingerly lifted you up from the bed, an arm wrapped beneath your legs and another around your back. You turned your face into his chest, the rhythmic thumping of his heart lulling you. If you had looked up even once, you would have noticed the blush creeping onto his ears.

He entered your bedroom holding a cup with steam rising from it.

“It’s honey tea,” he said, settling the cup between your hands. Your eyes shifted between the cup and his face.

“You added-”

He interrupted you, raising both hands up in innocence.

“I know, I know what you’re going to say 'Isn’t it sacrilegious for me to add anything to tea to sully it’s flavour?' but adding honey makes for a far better remedy than just regular tea.” At your bewilderment he added, “Sigewinne can back me up on this.”

You took a sip, the warm liquid soothing your throat instantly. Putting it on the side table to cool, you sunk further into your soft bedding.

Wriothesely shifted on his feet. Seeing you laying in bed, brows slightly furrowed, breath raspy, gave him pause.

People always had their own perceptions of the Duke. Cold, calculating, unapproachable. It was just a persona he had to uphold to set the tone for how things were handled at the Fortress of Meropide. He folded his arms, a feeling of guardedness overwhelming him. However, he also wanted people to know that they could rely on him. He wanted you to know you could rely on him. But, here he was, never having been taught how to properly look after someone, let alone himself and his own injuries. He shook his head.

It would’ve been better to leave you in Sigewinne’s care. He thought. After all, what can I do that a head nurse can’t?

“You stayed with me,” you said under your breath, bringing him away from his thoughts. “I... didn't want to be alone so, thank you.”

His head whipped up to look at you. Though your features showed signs of fatigue, your smile was still bright. Scrunched nose, creases at the corners of your eyes. You were the one who was sick and yet you were unknowingly tending to him and his worries. Wriothesley pulled a chair over and sat by your side.

“Don’t stay too close to me, you might get sick too,” you warned. In retaliation, he inched closer, putting the chair flush against the side of the bed frame.

“A bit too late for that. Besides, I have a strong constitution.” He took note of your falling eyelids. “I’ll stay with you as long as you need me.”

Your voice was drowsy as you responded. “As long as I need?” You turned on your side facing him, nuzzling into your pillow. “So," you extended the syllable, "does that mean forever then?”

Forever...?

There were very few people in Teyvat who could leave the sharp-witted Duke without an immediate reply. His thoughts were a jumbled mess. His previous feelings of self-pity battled with the very real evidence of your appreciation.

Yes, even after my ashes are scattered among the Fontainian waters.

Maybe that would be too grand of a reply. He put his face in his hands, steadying his nerves. He imagined what your face looked like right now, your eyebrows probably raised with a teasing smile. When he felt his mouth was capable of speaking properly, he looked up, ready to answer.

However, you were asleep.

Your fatigue had caught up with you.

Wriothesley snorted. Here he was desperately trying to come up with some semblance of a creative answer in the span of seconds, and you had passed out before he could reply. A peaceful quiet fell, backgrounded by your deep breathing. He would tell you his answer in the morning, but he decided to rehearse it now, whispering it into the open air.

“Yes, forever.”

#✏️〰odorawrites #wriothesley #wriothesley x reader #wriothesley x y/n #wriothesley fluff #wriothesley x you #genshin impact wriothesley #wriothesley genshin #genshin wriothesley #genshin impact #genshin #genshin impact x reader #genshin x you #genshin x y/n

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odoraful · 3 months

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Driving Habits

how do the l&ds boys act when they're driving with you? :)

tags: headcanons, established relationship, boys being cute, fluff a/n: the way i was genuinely getting giggly writing this like the chokehold these men have on me,, i also hope that the gacha is kind to all rafayel enthusiasts who are pulling for his memory!

𝑹𝑨𝑭𝑨𝒀𝑬𝑳

Although he doesn't drive too much since Thomas often goes out to run errands for him so he can paint, driving is reserved for him to clear his head when he has an artistic block. Anything to keep his hands and mind occupied on something else. When that does happen, he’ll often ask for you to join him.

A hundred percent giving you the passenger princess treatment! You two have a shared playlist so you can karaoke in the car together, he always makes sure the air conditioning temperature is adjusted just right so you’re not too hot or cold.

Rides with him are always fun, and you two can comfortably switch between light-hearted and deeper topics - the beautiful scenery in Whitesand Bay being the perfect background for these discussions about art and life.

When you need to get out of the car, he’ll firmly tell you to stay in your seat while he gets out first. You sit there a bit confused until you see him slide over the hood of the car, and rush to your door so he can open it for you and personally escort you out ♡

When you’re waiting for him to pick up your drinks, he’ll approach your open window and pretend to be a stranger trying to hit on you.

“Hey there gorgeous, can I get your number?” You can’t stop laughing. “Rafayel! Just get in already!” “Oh? Who’s Rafayel? What a handsome name… No way, is he your boyfriend!? He must be lucky to have a person like you in his life.”

𝑿𝑨𝑽𝑰𝑬𝑹

Xavier is honestly someone who doesn’t mind taking public transport or even walking to places he needs to get to. As long as he has you to accompany him, a walk to Twinkle Toys to play claw machines, or catching a train to go shopping in Azure Square sounds like a good plan to him.

When he does need to drive, your safety is his number one priority!!

His hands are always at 10 and 2 on the wheel, he’s always checking his mirrors making sure there aren’t any hazards around. It's endearing to see him be so careful. When there are bad drivers that try to speed past or cut his car off, he’ll put an arm out in front of you as a protection so you don’t lurch forward in your seat.

“Are you alright?” He feels a twinge of panic. “That must’ve scared you, I’m sorry.” He shakes his head. “Seriously, it’s a miracle these people passed their driving test.” Does he realise some of the things he does feel straight out of a Linkon romance drama?!

And don't worry, if you’re putting makeup on or doing your hair in the car, he’ll slow down and let you know if there’s a speed bump coming up so you don’t accidentally hurt yourself :(

Loves having plushies and cushions in the car! Customise his car to your heart's desire; he wants you to be as comfortable as possible (and also secretly likes showing off your shared prize wins to other hunters who carpool with him).

𝒁𝑨𝒀𝑵𝑬

This man is an EXPERIENCED driver.

Need to be dropped off somewhere? He’ll absolutely drive you when he can.

“But Zayne, it’s 20 minutes out of the way to Asko Hospital…” He folds his arms, a second passes as he tries to come up with a totally brilliant excuse as to wanting to spend as much time with you as he possibly can. “I was planning on driving a more scenic route today anyway.”

Finished a mission on the weekend and you’re too tired to go home on your own? He’s picking you up. There’s somehow always your favourite drink sitting in the cup holder waiting for you when you get in.

Drives with one hand on the wheel, the other on the arm rest, fingers lightly drumming against the padded surface. You felt weak in the knees the first time you saw it because it’s honestly so attractive?? He’s performed countless surgeries with extreme precision, so driving must be an effortless task for him. This doesn't go unnoticed by Zayne since he always senses you sneakily glancing over at his hands and forearms.

Because of this, he now exclusively reverse parks with one hand for the sole purpose of impressing you. He leans super close to the passenger side to check the side mirror. It’s a largely exaggerated act since he has a reverse parking camera built-in his car that can easily help him. He just loves seeing you become so flustered and nervous at his closeness, suddenly interested in everything outside of the car that isn’t him.

#✏️〰odorawrites #zayne driving in some of his tender moments and memoria scenes opened my third eye #love and deepspace #lads #love and deepspace fluff #love and deepspace x reader #zayne love and deepspace #xavier love and deepspace #rafayel love and deepspace #zayne x reader #xavier x reader #rafayel x reader #l&ds fluff #zayne fluff #xavier fluff #rafayel fluff #lads zayne #lads rafayel #lads xavier

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