He preferred bitterness. The true flavor of life, without being covered up by lies and deceit, leaving the most interesting aftertaste.

And yet, he couldn't stop himself from chasing after your lips.

Your kisses were sweet, they made him feel like there was cotton inside his head. He hated how you could made him lower his guard in such a way, but your lips were too intoxicating, too addicting.

Even a puppet like him wasn't save from getting addicted.

Your kisses were warm, soft and sweet, so sweet it made him sick. He wanted to stop, sweetness always hid a lie, and your love was just as sweet. He had to let you go before you could betray him, but his body would never listen to him.

The moment his piercing gaze matched yours, everything inside him softened, thoughts about letting go being replaced by the need to keep you by his side. The need to keep tasting your lips every morning, every afternoon, and many more times every day.

Bitterness was a simple flavor he could trust, and yet he found that your kisses tasted much better, and always left him wanting more.

Wanderer hated sweets, but you were an exception.

His mocking gaze would turn soft, almost like a storm turning into a warm, summer breeze when you were around. But that never meant you'd be safe from his teasing.

Even without a heart, the wanderer could feel something filling the void inside his chest, embracing his cold memories and bitter sins that would never disappear.

The two of you enjoyed to spend time together, walking without a clear direction in mind, sometimes having to sleep outside, with the moon as stars looking from the sky.

"Did you fall asleep standing?" Your lover chuckled before flicking your forehead. With a short huff, you rubbed that spot.

"I was just thinking. I should sleep soon, though." You mentioned, knowing that it would be unlikely that the man would do more than rest his eyes for a few minutes.

"The floor isn't dry enough." Wanderer informed you. "We have important things to do tomorrow, so I'll be nice for you today."

His words confused you, but your cheeks warmed up when he sat on top of a blanket and motioned for you to sit on his lap.

"What are you doing? I can just sleep on top of the blanket." He shook his head, faking a concerned look, but you could see the teasing glint in his eyes.

"Humans are too fragile, you'd most likely get sick because this blanket isn't thick enough." He explained. "Plus, it looks like it could rain soon, so you can sit on my lap and take a nap before we continue our way."

"We can just continue walking-"

"Sit, now." His voice went deeper, and you soon found yourself walking towards his sitting form.

His hand shot up to grab your arm, pulling you down towards him, finally sitting on his lap. His arms were wrapped around you, forcing you to rest your head on his chest.

"Was it so difficult?" Even without seeing his face, you knew he had that smug smirk of his.

"Yeah, yeah, good night." You quickly hid your face, burying it against his clothes, his chuckle sounding right next to your ear, only adding to the warmth on your face.

What you didn't know, was that your lover wasn't much different. It wasn't usual for him to act so... straightforward with affection, but he wanted to hold you in his arms, as a reminder that you were still there with him.

Even after knowing what he had done in the past, you decided to stay, and there were times when he just needed to remind himself that you were there. Would he ever tell you that directly? Not for now.

At that moment, he just wishes to keep you in his arms for a while longer.

"Didn't I tell you to be careful around this time of the year?" Tighnari sighed, eyes searching for the correct medicine for your sickness.

"I know, but-"

"Ah, ah." He cut you off, one of his gloved fingers touching your lips. "I'm sure your throat is pretty sore already, so don't talk. I'm sure my darling lover won't be a bad patient now, yes?"

You looked down, feeling a bit flustered, as he went back to looking between the various remedies he carried around. He had warned you about how cold the forest could be during this season, and the rains didn't help, yet you ignored his words and ended up giving him more work.

"Sorry." Your throat was sore, but you felt like you had to apologize for cutting his free time even shorter.

The touch of those familiar gloves appeared once again, warming your skin when his hands cupped your face.

"Hey, you know I'm not actually mad, right?" His thumb caressed your skin. "It's not only because of the sickness, during this time it's easy to slip up and fall in the forest, and the rain would make it harder for me to hear you if something did happen."

His warm, soft lips pecked your forehead, descending to leave two gentle kisses on both of your eyelids.

"You'll have time to worry once you're healthy, but don't think about anything else but your own health until then." His hands moved, stopping for a second when he noticed you chasing for their warmth unconsciously.

"Drink this, I promise we'll cuddle when you get better." His smile was sweet, one of the sweetest you've seen, one only for you.

...That's what you thought, until the medicine touched your taste buds. Did all the sweetest disappear from the bitter herbs to go to his smile? He kept looking at you like that, and you knew you wouldn't escape from drinking it all.

At least he gave you a kiss on the cheek for being such a good patient.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

Marriage isn’t as interesting for your lover. While he’d give it some more thought depending on your preferences, it’ll really depend on you. Be clear if you want him to propose, and he will, but if you aren’t then you’ll have to propose to him yourself.

Kaeya is happy to have you by his side, and the commitment that marriage brings does scare him, even if he won’t ever say it out-loud. Who knows what will happen in the future? If you get legally married, it may be even harder for the two of you.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

Of course! Kaeya is your number one fan, and he won’t let negative thoughts or mean people stop you from reaching your goal. He thinks it’s amazing, and loves seeing the determination in your eyes.

He’ll help you as much as you let him, be it with words or actions, as long as it isn’t something too dangerous. While he won’t stop you from activities such as adventuring, he won’t let you be completely reckless and accompany you if you’re going to do something that isn’t exactly safe.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

He is, he’s willing to do anything to try and ensure you’ll be happy, even if it costs him his own happiness. If he has to leave your life for you to live a happier life, he will, without a moment of hesitation.

His future is still uncertain, too many things could harm you, and it’d all depend on fate. Would you follow him even as he walks down a gruesome path? He wouldn’t want you to suffer because of your love, so he’d rather break your heart. In short, Kaeya would do anything for you even if means breaking his own heart.

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Sadly, your lover is a really busy man, so you don’t have the opportunity to do much together often. Still, he tries his best to free his schedule a little and give you the short free time he has, even if it’s just a few minutes, before night comes.

If you somehow manage to have a full evening or even a day with him, Diluc is willing to try most activities you may have planned with little hesitation. Something he enjoys is playing chess with you, no matter if you’re good or bad at it, it’s relaxing for him.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

Yes, thanks to you, Diluc was able to open up about his worries. Slowly, he’ll talk more to you, about his troubles and other things that plague his mind, and even nightmares he may have had recently. It’s… rather refreshing to be able to talk about it.

You bought more color to his life, as cheesy as it may sound, and even Adelinde is grateful to you for giving her master a reason to smile more often. Being with him probably taught you how to notice if something is suspicious, as he’d prefer if you’re cautious when he’s not around, just in case.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

He does, even if he hesitates for quite a while. Your lover won’t act until you’re clear with your own preferences. If you’re positive with the thought of getting married, he’ll start searching for an appropriate ring to fit your hand.

It’d be a bit awkward, he’s nervous, but he knows that waiting for longer would only create doubts, so he’d propose to you when you’re alone, the other details would depend on your likes and dislikes. The wedding would be completely private, and only family and close friends would be invited (besides the workers at his manor)… You had to constantly remind him to invite Kaeya, though.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

Of course, Diluc will support you in any way he can, as long as your goal isn’t too dangerous. If it’s something risky, he’d ask you to think more about it, or at least let him help you more if you’re determined. He doesn’t want you to get hurt.

He believes in you, and finds it admirable that you’re trying your best to reach your goals. Whenever you need him, he’s there. If you need an item, advice, or just comfort after failing, don’t hesitate to go to him, he’ll always have time to help you.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Diluc has his own limits he won’t cross, but he’s willing to do quite a lot for you. He’s willing to ignore his schedule if you need him, his work may be important but if you truly need his comfort at that moment, he’ll go.

He’s also willing to try and talk more with Kaeya, if that makes you happy. There are things he isn’t exactly comfortable with doing, but he’ll step outside his comfort zone to try them out for a certain amount of time, just for you.

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Childe would love to do literally anything with you. As a harbinger, he doesn’t have much free time, so unless you work with him it can be a bit difficult for you to spend time together, even if he really misses you.

He usually lets you choose what to do, he’s good with anything, really! It would be nice if it’s something his siblings could enjoy, though. What’s better than to spend your free time with your partner and family? For someone like him, it’s the most domestic and warm activity.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

The harbinger didn’t really change much, except for the fact that there’s another person he cares a lot for and he’d protect with his life. If you express your worry about him getting injured after his battles, he’ll try to be barely a little more careful.

Being with him either means being patient enough to wait for him to come back from his missions, even those in other regions, know a few self-defense techniques just in case and have a bit of medical knowledge, as you have to patch him up from time to time.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

Yes, yes and yes! But it’d take quite a while for you to get married, as your lover knows that it would bring more unwanted attention to you if not careful. It’d be risky, but he truly wants to marry you and for you to officially be part of his family.

Childe isn’t the most romantic, but even he dreams of proposing to you after a delicious dinner under the night sky, with warmly lit candles around you, as he shows you the best ring he could find. Then, after you accept him, your wedding would be witnessed by family and close friends. It’d be like one of the fairytales he used to read to his siblings.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

Bold of you if you thought this man wouldn’t be your biggest supporter, he may even tell his siblings to support you too! They’re pretty much your cheerleaders at this point, to be honest, it’s both annoying and adorable.

But seriously, Childe believes that you can achieve anything if you work hard, and he’ll be there to help you whenever you need him. If your goal has something to do with fighting, you’ve got your own training buddy right there! He’ll be gentle with you though, no matter how he usually is, he wants to make you stronger but avoid hurting you too much.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

He is, without a single doubt. You’re one of the most important people in his life, and he won’t hesitate to do anything to keep you by his side. If you want to establish some limits to this, you’ll need to have a good talk with him.

Childe doesn’t care if he has to hurt others, especially if those people try to harm you in any way. He knows it isn’t healthy, but he’s too used to taking lives, and he can’t see them as something more valuable than your relationship. So, he’s willing to do almost anything for you.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

He would, but he doesn’t think too much about it, so it’ll mainly depend on your own preferences. If you want to get married, he’ll look for the best time to ask you, most likely on a relaxing day, when the two of you are resting under a tree. He likes to play with you thought, so you’ll have to guess what he wants to ask you first!

As for the wedding, Heizou would like to marry you at Watatsumi island. Some friends and family, the love of his life, and a beautiful scenery, is there anything else he could ask for? The wedding itself would be pretty fun and lighthearted after the main event.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

As much as he’d love to brag, he has to stop himself from doing so. As a famous detective, Heizou has a good amount of people looking for any weaknesses, so he can’t afford talking too much about you, specially out in the open.

But, if he’s in a closed space with a friend, you bet he’ll talk about how wonderful you are. No one has seen the detective look as soft as when he’s talking about you, if someone points it out, they’ll get to catch him with a surprised and flustered expression. Was he rambling? Oops.

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

Your lover knows that he can’t distract himself or avoid thinking about you, so he embraces it. He likes to think about what you’re doing, writing some of his guesses on a paper to ask you and see if he got it right.

When you’re gone, Heizou is a little more distracted, even if he’s still the best at his job. If he can send you letters, he will, making up some games that might make your brain hurt. If you win some of them, maybe you’ll get a prize. What kind? Well, you’ll have to find out!