zhongli's beloved

Mondsadt, the nation of freedom. Full of life, joy and of course freedom. The first ever nation you stepped foot in and the first nation to almost kill you. Unable to forget the memory you doubt if you can still even step foot in there alone without breaking down even when they had apologized and begged for your forgiveness.

You can never forgive them for what they did and they were aware of that. They had harmed you in ways that no one can imagine.

Still they can never stop the burning jealousy whenever they see you interacting with the Hillichurls —or when they see you petting the slimes, decorating your face was a soft smile— they wanted to be the reason why you're smiling! Not some mindless elemental blobs!

But then again what can they do?

The nation's god—Venti—can never stand the painful feeling of something squeezing his heart whenever he sees you hand in hand with the Bough keeper Dainsleif or when he sees you calmly resting with Dvalin. Oh how he wishes it was him with you instead. The dandelion knight Jean, who could only watch as you and Albedo chat— her heart practically breaking when you gave him a kiss on the cheeks. Oh Archons... If only she listened to the alchemist.

And Archons don't even get me started at the uncountable amount of times Diluc almost wanted to rip his hair off in utter jealousy whenever he sees you clinging onto Kaeya's side like a lifeline as you two go on your way to meet Albedo all while treating his presence like a pebble on the side of the road. Eula who had lost all her will for vengeance. What's the point? Compared to her ancestors what she did was worse.

In Liyue it's not that different either. They were aware of what they did, they did almost kill you after all. But as annoying as it is, they were still persistent. Persistent of earning your forgiveness. Ningguang who sends you the most beautiful of gifts—the finest of silks only for it to be teard apart like paper by the geovishap hatchlings, in front of her face nonetheless. She could do nothing but watch as you let those vicious creatures tear and bite the cloth away—mustering nothing but a pained smile as you wordlessly look at her—taunting her even—but she does nothing but promise to bring a better one next time. It's okay, it's only money. She won't hesitate to spend every bit of her money if it means earning your forgiveness.

Zhongli—the nation's former god and your most devoted devotee or so he was. He no longer bears such title ever since he had tried to kill you- even so, he doesn't stop from trying to once again earn your favor, though he'd be lying if he said it doesn't hurt when you look at him with so much hate. He can't blame you but it pains him whenever you ignore him, whenever you throw and destroy the gifts he carefully picked. It hurts whenever he sees you so close with the twins neither can he deny the burning jealousy whenever he sees you treat Azdaha so closely. He has no right to be jealous- Archons none of them do.

Out of all Nations you visit Liyue the most. At first everyone was happy—proud even but you can imagine the disappointment when they realised that you only came there to board the the boats to Inazuma with Kazuha and the twins— Bediou was thankful that she took the samurai in. Even if its just for a short time she can bask in the presence of her God. Though she can't deny being jealous when she sees you so, so close with him nor can she deny the disappointment she feels when you finally leave the ship and onto Inazuman docks.

Speaking of Inazuma, Ei who orders her people to prepare the best room for you— adorning the place with beautiful ornaments she was so sure that you'd like, a king sized bed with the softest of pillows— all those effort and work only for her to be wordlessly rejected by you. Seriously you don't even look at her. Only shaking your head, grabbing Kazuha's arm- heading to the direction of the Kamisato household while the Twins and Paimon followed suit.

Honestly the only reason you even come to Inazuma was for Thoma and Itto, but these annoying pests keep getting in your way delaying you further—like Yoimiya inviting you for a firework show she planned on doing in your honor whenever you try and visit the oni—or Kokomi and Gorou's constant bouts of apology, saying they'll do better. You don't have any time for that!

The Kamisato household welcomes you dearly- not that you care of course - with Ayaka anxiously waiting outside with a hopeful smile inviting you for tea, that smile quickly disappears when you say you're only here for Thoma- she knew that you were only here for him but still tried, a foolish thing to do.

The children aren't treated any different either, of course you don't outright insult them—you just preferred not to interact with them. You know, you know shouldn't be mad at the kids-they were only influenced by the adults. It's the adults that should be punished. They hurt you. They almost killed you.

And as stated before multiple times they know that. They know they fucked up. Big time.

You hated them. But it's alright. Hate them all you want, insult and hurt them if you'd like. They won't fight back. They don't mind getting a hurt as long as its you.

They'll never falter. They love you. They won't stop trying to earn you favor. Beg, cry and bleed if they must. They don't care.

But it's all too late..

What they did is nothing but a wasted chance.

It was an opportunity they lost. An opportunity to serve you. To love you. To be used by you. To be adored by you.

It was all gone and just like how they had abandoned you— you abandoned them.

They all open their mouth to explain, before backing down, seeming uncomfortable about talking to you. “Okay-“ you started, “You’re the creator of teyvat, your grace! And we came to take you home.” You could feel glares right on top of the other directed to the anemo archon who rubbed his cheek into your upper arm, looking at you. he was so mesmerized by you that he wasn’t bothered.

If looks could kill, he’d definitely be dead. “The creator?…” you spoke, your voice had a tone of confusion and curiosity. “Yes! You were brought here when you perished from protecting teyvat from some force, and we’re here to bring you back to the world you truly belong in!” Venti was digging an even deeper hole for himself, Zhongli sighed, making a mental note to punch him through a few mountains when they return.

“Uhm..yeah, no. Maybe you got the wrong person? I swear I never made Teyvat- more like it was made for me but-“ You were shushed by Ei. “well, you..you died in a war far before any nation was created, as a last resort to keep you safe, you were reincarnated to this world..” Ei explained. Zhongli nodded, agreeing with Ei’s words.

You sat looking at her with a dumbfounded expression, you absolutely cannot believe what she’s saying. “You’re messing with me, aren’t you? okay, very funny, that’s it-“ you stood up, Venti falling forward to your seat as you swiftly took your hand from his grasp, your upper arm was warm from him rubbing his face into it. He almost whined, holding his cheek who collided with the seat you used to sit in.

“We’re telling the truth, your grace! If we weren’t, why else would we be here?” Albedo spoke up, also standing from his seat, you looked at him with uncertainty, a silence slowly washing over you. Your eyes dart from each of the characters, Zhongli looked uncomfortable, staring at the cup of water you had handed to them. Ei was busy eyeing your cat, who had jumped on top of the table, curious to what’s happening.

Aether tightened his fists, also uncomfortable at the situation, Venti no longer looked at you, rubbing his cheek with his hand. A sigh left your lips, “look, I’m not this creator person you think I am,” you see them visibly deflate. “But I’m also not a cruel person, I won’t leave you guys out in the streets, if you guys really do come from gens- teyvat, then I’ll house you until you guys return, but only until then.” You pointed your finger at them, as if a parent scolding their child after eating sweets before their bedtime.

you silently hoped it won’t be long until they returned back.

It seems as that any god out there has not heard your prayers and pleas because you have crossed, the two-hundredth-twelveth (212) day, or for short, exactly seven (7) months, on your calendar of how long five (5) of the most important characters have been living in your home.

Zhongli no longer wore his long coat, you remember after a week of them staying with you, you had gone to get them clothes, Zhongli now wears white shirts and sweatpants, in which he still does not understand why they’re called sweatpants when you don’t “sweat” in them.

You may have caught yourself looking at him once or twice, the shirts you got him basically defines his abs. You remember not being able to look at Zhongli for at least three (3) days straight, because when you did, you’d be facing his pecs.

You are thankful for Zhongli though, he helps around with cooking and cleaning, sometimes you can feel his chest against your back when you’re cooking breakfast. Or when your cleaning when he carries you on his shoulders as you clean the highest shelves in your house.

Venti is also a bit of a problem to handle, because he’s been snooping in your closet while you work. How many times have you seen him wear your clothes? He particularly loves the skirts, you had some female friends leave them behind when they’d come sleep over for and skirts weren’t your style, he thankfully took them off your hands! he loves the way they twirl and they’re easy to just put on than shorts. Of course, you had no problems until Venti found…your underwear drawer. Ah, the face you made when he pulled out your underwear and asked what it was..you beat the shit out of him the same day.

Although he does cause problems, he’s the perfect person to go to when you’re under the weather. he either hums or sings you to sleep, persuading you to take a nap, he’s disheartened at the fact of how tired you are, he beats himself up on how he hates that he doesn’t know anything about your world, so you do the work for them, as you always have when they were still stuck in your game.

Ei, well, she wears anything! She prefers oversized shirts though, you had bought her, her own oversized shirts, some styles you’d think she’d enjoy, Ei loved it and always rambles and chirps about how she’s never wore anything so comfortable! Ei’s not a very chatty person, and sometimes she can feel how awkward it is when you sit beside her, enjoying tea you brewed for both of you. She’s embarrassed that she does not know what to say and ends up showing her gratitude and her want to communicate through actions.

She links her pinky with yours as you doze off, too tired to notice that she was basically holding hands with you. She paws at your shirt whenever she sees sweets being sold on the street whenever you guys go to the grocery because she’s shy to ask you to buy her some sweets. If someone told you years ago this is how the Raiden Shogun acts around her loved ones, you would’ve never believed it, behind her tough facade, lays a gentle bunny, just wanting affection from people she loves most.

Aether wore whatever you gave him, if you gave him a clown costume, he probably would’ve worn it. Aether doesn’t care about whatever you give him, he cares about you, your safety and happiness. He swore to that ever since he became your very first vessel. He helps with little things like, taking care of Marsh, who seems to love him as much as the cat loved you, or maybe carrying many bags of grocery to bring inside the house.

He doesn’t care much for what you give to him, or what you say to him, he’s there for you, and your happiness. He strives to keep that smile on your face. You can’t help but smile whenever you come home to Aether sleeping on the couch waiting for you with your cat curled up by his stomach, if you were to be honest, he looked like a boyfriend waiting for their darling partner to come home and so they could greet them but ended up sleeping, waiting. You felt grateful that he decides to wait for you. You showed your gratitude with a kiss on his forehead.

Albedo felt very outcast from this. You bonded with the rest of the characters so easily, but yet he, he doesn’t know what to say. He has a hard time understand human emotions, and he doesn’t know how to show them. He watches you pet Venti’s head out of affection, and his blood boils. He wants head pats too. Albedo wanted to talk to you about his experiments, his discoveries and alchemy, or maybe just drawing, art in usual. He was afraid that you wouldn’t like him and what he did, even though he pursued what he lived and breathed doing in teyvat just for you, he believed that was your path for him.

He never really expected a conversation, maybe a small “good morning Albedo, how are you?” But never a conversation, not like how you and Zhongli talk about history, or you teaching Venti about how music works in your world, or maybe Ei who you keep feeding sweets to, Aether, when both of you baby your cat and give him smooches. He kept expecting and expecting until you, watched him draw.

He finished a drawing that was done a few days ago, it was you, sitting by a window, reading your favourite book. You had approached him and sat beside him, leaning in a bit, he was a little shocked, you could tell from the way his grip fell from one of the pencils you brought him a week prior. “Just wanted to see what you’re drawing albe.” You smiled at him, he felt a small warmth grow in his chest, as he tried to continue drawing.

That’s only some of the stuff that’s happened during their stay at your home. In all honesty, you were slowly growing attached, you loved how every time you came home from work, you’d see aether sleeping on the couch with your cat, Zhongli greeting you from the kitchen, Ei watching him cook, and Venti who was strumming a ukulele you had kept in your storage.

You were slowly getting fond of them and used to them in your home, you know you shouldn’t be. They could poof anytime they want and you’ll have to get used to coming home to only your cat. You realize how lonely you lived your life. A sigh leaves your lips, slapping yourself on the cheek. “stop thinking like that, [name]. Don’t get attached. It’ll only hurt you.” You tell yourself. You don’t want to, but you have to.

“your grace, can we-“ Ei called out, reaching for you. “Ei, please we’re in public.” You pulled her to your side, looking at her hands which carried an item with a colourful packaging. Sweets, you assumed. “[name]…can we get this?” Ei corrected herself, showing you the object, she gave you puppy eyes, which you were sure she wasn’t even doing on purpose.

Both of you stared at each other in silence before you broke. A sigh left your lips as you put the item into your shopping cart. “That’s the last thing you’re getting for yourself, okay Ei?” You scolded her as she nodded, a small smile on her face.

Zhongli glanced from behind the both of you, his hands on the shopping cart, he was busy looking at snacks, that he deemed maybe healthy for you. You, Ei and Zhongli decided to spend the day going shopping, feeling too cooped up in the house. Ei clung to your arm as you guys strolled further into the snack isle, before a hand grabbed you unoccupied arm.

You stopped, looking at the man on which the hand was connected to, he was old, creepy and he smelt bad. “hey...” Your breath hitched, you stepped back, trying to free yourself from his grasp, Ei let go of your arm, pushing the creepy man away. “Don’t touch them.” Ei exclaimed, almost shielding you away. Her soft and flowery aura has now faded away, her hand in front of you to either keep him away or keep you away. It was obvious the man was drunk by the way he walked, wobbly and slurred.

“I’m not here for you..now out of the way..” The man tried to push her away, trying to get to you but being a shogun in teyvat means she’s not easily pushed around. “Ei-“ you watch the man try to push Ei around and start to slowly get violent, before you know it, you’re being dragged to the ground by the man.

It was a blur the next few seconds, the old man’s hand held your shirt in a death grip, you sat on the floor trying to get out of the drunkard’s grip, and another second, he was brought down, Zhongli toppled over him. “You stay the fuck away from them.” He growled, his fist raised as a threat as the man laid on the floor flabbergasted.

“Zhongli- no, no. Don’t.” You stood up quickly, your hand wrapping against his chest, pulling him off as security came to haul the drunk man away. Zhongli huffed, his fists still tight out of anger and annoyance. Your hand laid on his cheek, his gaze on the fading figure of the drunk man. “It’s okay, Zhongli. I’m okay.” You reassured him, his body subconsciously leaned into your palm, his hand slowly taking your wrist to keep you in place.

might call on you more than necessary

he's just happy that he has u all to himself

even if he's down bad w sickness

it doesn't help that gojo silly ass keeps trying to pull u down every two minutes into the bed w him lmao

u gotta keep reminding him that uh hello??

pathogens?? disease???

lol whats that? gojo doesn't know

can get a lil dramatic at times

like if he gets a but too hot he will wail ur name as if the sun came to greet him itself lol

or if he feels even the faintest of shivers he will make it be known how much he's being inconvenienced

though that's all trumped by the dry look on ur face

he'll tease u about how much u still love him

u can throw a pillow at his face to let him know how much u do

If there was one thing Gaara wasn’t used to, it was kindness. Despite everything you had done to him to show him that you genuinely had no bad intentions, he never believed it.

Even so, he agreed to watch the clouds with you anyway. It wasn’t like he had anything better to do. While Kankurō and Temari weren’t necessarily bad people, they were his siblings, and sometimes, he needed a break from the pair.

You enjoyed his company. You felt all warm on the inside when you were with him. You hadn’t known what to think about the situation, so you had asked your friend.

⠀

“I feel all warm when I’m with him, and I just… I don’t know. I have the temptation to hug him, I guess?”

Your friend had laughed at you when you had told her this. “Y/N,” she said with a smile on her face, “you’re in love.”

After thinking about it for a while, you had concluded that she was right. You were in love. In love with the boy that didn’t know what love felt like because he had never experienced it in the way that most others had.

You loving him wasn’t the only reason you were kind to him, but you had to admit it was a factor. If you hated someone, why would you be as kind to someone as you were to Gaara? The shinobi of Suna weren’t exactly the nicest people. You knew this from witnessing every other child shunning Gaara by either bullying him or pretending he wasn’t there.

⠀

You remember it as clear as day. You had seen Gaara, he was sitting alone, and both of you couldn’t have been more than eleven or twelve.

“Hello,” you greeted, sitting next to him. “Don’t you have lunch?”

He shook his head. Despite his refusal to say a word, you smiled. “That’s okay. You can have mine. I’m not that hungry.”

You handed him the lunch and watched as he took it and began to eat slowly. “My name is Y/N, and I’d like to be your friend? Is that alright with you?

After a few minutes, the boy nodded his head. And ever since that day, the two of you had befriended one another.

Eventually, Gaara began to open up to you. Not necessarily about his past, but he talked more and more with every day you spent together.

⠀

As of now, though, he was utterly silent. As if he had something on his mind, perhaps. You knew better than to push it, though. If he wanted to say something, he knew you well enough that he would do so. However, you knew that he didn’t entirely trust you.

You had overheard it in a conversation between him and his brother. “Your friend is here,” he had said after he had answered the door to see you standing there.

“She’s not my friend,” he grumbled, not knowing you could hear him.

“Then why has she come here specifically asking for you?” He teased, although you could sense the intimidated tone of his voice.

“She’s a nice girl. I just don’t entirely trust her motives.” And that had been the end of the conversation.

The conversation had taken place a few years after you two became friends. You were hurt, but you weren’t surprised. Gaara just didn’t trust people.

“Why are you so nice to me?” Gaara said to you, finally speaking, as the two of you watched the clouds.

You looked at him. “Because you’re my friend, Gaara. I care about you as a person, and I want to show you kindness.”

He shook his head. “No, that’s… that’s not what I mean. You’re always standing up for me, and I don’t get it.”

You sighed. It was now or never, you supposed. “Gaara, do you… Do you know what love is?”

He stared at you for what felt like the longest time. But then, he nodded. “I do.”

“Good, that’s… a start. My friend told me that because I have a desire to be nice to you and give you, well… love and feel all warm inside when I’m around you, I’m in love with you. I guess that’s a factor in the matter, anyway. You don’t have to feel the same. I just wanted to let you know, since you asked and all.”

For what felt like the longest time, both of you were silent. It was neither a comfortable nor an uncomfortable silence. It was right in the middle, a level of comfort you never wanted to experience in your life another time if you could help it.

“Stay with me,” Gaara then said. “Stay with me. Just stay, alright? I’m not sure if I feel the same, but… if you stay with me, then I could very well learn to love you. Learn how to love in general.”