ne rêve pas ta vie, vis tes rêves

Zhongli would be the sweetest 

If he found you, head in your hands and on the verge of tears, he’d be there to offer you comfort 

He’d 100% do whatever it would take to make you see the worth that he sees in you - his belief in you, in everything you do, is strong enough to move the mountains 

Again, you found yourself crumpling another useless pile of garbage in your hands. The paper's harsh ridges digging into your skin the more pressure you use. With a violent swing you’d fling it across the room, watching it bounce on the floor. 

“Why,” the words already painful in your throat, “why can’t I do this!” Your head dropping onto the desk, cushioned by your arms. You’ve cried countless times already, failures after failures sticking to you like leeches. It was all piling on top of you, and it was starting to feel suffocating. 

It didn’t matter what you tried to be successful in, lately it felt like nothing you did was ever good enough, ever perfect enough, ever worthy of being proud of.

You’d be jostled back to reality by the sound of someone unraveling crumpled paper. Wiping away your tears you’d turn your head toward the sound. To your utter dismay you’d catch Zhongli looking at the paper you’d just tossed. 

“Wait!” you’d shout, rushing to his side. With a raised hand he’d halt your momentum, there was something about him which made you react in ways you never expect. Insisting, you’d reach out your hand as if to beg him to hand you the paper, “Please, let me have that.” 

It would break you to have him look at something you weren’t proud of, to find him listening to another failure like some hideous flare pinned to your chest, having him see just one more was too painful 

Of course he’d console you when you were disheartened. He’d capture the tears tumbling down your face, or rub your back in an effort to help you breathe through your sobs 

It would break him to see you speak so poorly of yourself 

Zhongli reaches up to the hands covering your face, the ones which caught all the horrible comments you let slip from your mouth, and makes you look at him, “Do not speak ill of my darling, for I cannot look kindly on words which would demean them.” 

Even as the tears fell down your face he continued to look lovingly at you - “The being I know has more worth in themselves than to hear such harsh comments.”

If you’re angry, and the hatred you felt for yourself was starting to overflow on everything you did, he’d be there to quell your furry

“You just don’t get it! I cannot do this. …” The pain in your words weren’t meant for him, but you hated yourself so much it was infecting your whole being. “You couldn’t possibly understand.” it was getting worse, you felt all reserves burst like a container filled with too much liquid, “You are everything i’d never be - you’d never understand how hard it is to struggle for every. little. thing. To look at yourself in a mirror and be filled with so much loathing it rips you apart.”  

Zhongli, taking a step forward, would envelope you in his arms. Your natural reaction was to fight against him, but he wouldn’t let go no matter how hard you pushed, no matter what vile gushed from your lips, he’d stand there and hold you together. When you finally calmed and the strength left you, he’d collapse to the floor with you. 

“Y/N,” he spoke your name so softly, it forced you to listen … 

“I cannot fathom the pain you find yourself in tonight, and yet, I must express how I am constantly inspired by you. Living is a struggle, and each day has its own unique challenges to overcome. Even so, you continue to fight onward. You stand up against each tribulation, fighting until your strength all but fails you. This is the trial of being human, and the glory you claim as a member of this world. There is no requirement for you to be anything more than who you are right now. I do not ask this of you, and you shouldn’t ask that of yourself.” 

His long fingers brush away any tears you have before continuing. 

“Rivers themselves take thousands of years to carve out their majesty, yet never stop. The smallest sapling does not yield to the wildness of nature. The dimmest candle still provides warmth and light to those around it. And you, my beautiful flower, will leave a legacy behind you no matter how many bruises you gather along the way.” 

He’d tuck the fallen strands of your hair behind your ear and take you deeper into his arms.

When you finally do reach your goal or finish what you were working on, really feel any semblance of accomplishment he would be there to celebrate you

“Are you proud of me?” you’d ask, looking into Zhongli’s amber eyes.

“Unbelievably, and yet I have wisdom to impart to you,” you’d tilted your head, intrigued, “What you’ve accomplished was done so by you. Your own determination and grit is what brought you to this point. My pride in your successes is meaningless if you don’t feel that same pride within yourself.”

His encouragement fills up your heart. “So my flower, I must inquire. Are you proud of yourself?”

“Yes, I am. I finally am.” You’d say through tears of joy, and real, honest to god pride.