#mondaymelon

when you ask to touch their ears... ♡ (tighnari and gorou x gn!reader)

warnings! fluff ig?

(a/n) @iamdedinside come and get your tighnari ♡♡

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tighnari ♡

he doesn't think he's heard you right the first time.

"you... want to touch my ears?" there's a look of utter confusion on its face, as he just blinks at you, wordless, with round eyes. the look of absolute shock takes you by surprise, was it really that preposterous of a proposition that he'd be acting this way...?

"well... i mean, if you'd be okay with that..." you grin sheepishly, wondering if you've crossed the line. sure, "i mean- uhm... nevermind..." you know him well, but it's also common knowledge that forest watcher tighnari doesn't like people touching him - especially his animalistic features.

but what surprises you is the embarrassed glance he gives you, face bright red, before his fluffy ears droop awkwardly before he mumbles to you, so quietly you almost can't hear it, "i'd... i'd be okay with it."

"eh????"

and that's what brought you to this situation.

you're sitting on a couch, tighnari's head resting in your lap, eyes closed as you gently rub his ears, marveling at how soft they are. they're silky smooth, and it's obvious that the male takes great care in them. the dark fur runs under your touch with ease, and you smile softly. tighnari's strangely silent, flushed face hidden in his gloved hands, but you can tell he's actually enjoying this from the way his ear's twitch at your touch and his fluffy fox tail waves back and forth against your side constantly.

"mhmm..." the sound of a contented hum escape's tighnari's mouth before he can muffle it. instantly, his ears are pressed flat against his head as he turns up to look at you, face burning red.

"hehe, you're cute, tighnari."

"...d-don't say that."

gorou ♡

he's embarrassed that you have to see this side of him.

gorou has his fair share of rumor going on about him, the most popular one being, "if you want top dog gorou's victorious luck, give his pointy ears a rub." it's caused him quite a few troubles, and since then he's just about prohibited anyone from rubbing his ears for his so-called good luck.

so when you ask him if you can touch them, he's quite startled. but his shocked expression isn't enough to mask the rosy blush that instantly creeps onto his face.

"you... want to-!? is this... about the rumor that's been going around?? i didn't think you would be roped into this too...!" gorou sighs, face flushed, as he shakes his head. "but... if you really want to..." his blush only deepens.

"i-i... i wouldn't mind. if it's you." hesitantly, he scoots closer to you before laying his head in your lap slowly. "just... be gentle, okay?"

as you take the hazel fur in your fingers, astounded by how smooth and velvety it is, gorou makes a muffled whine from where he's buried his face in his hands, clearly embarrassed beyond belief. "s-sorry," he mumbles quietly, not moving from where he is. "just... ignore any sounds i might make. my ears and tail are really sensitive to touch." he grumbles softly, and you can clearly tell he's embarrassed just by his voice.

but it's hard to ignore it when he's whimpering and yelps quietly whenever you even slightly brush his ears. you persist anyway, lightly petting and stroking his twitching ears that flick back and forth restlessly. still, you continue, because you can see the way his fluffy chestnut tail whips back and forth excitedly.

as you pull away your fingers, just about satisfied, gorou turns to look at you with his teal eyes, looking slightly... upset...?

"oh... are you done?"

"just about." you smile, giving the male a little headpat. he flushes at the action, pausing for a long moment.

"if y-you want to... i'd be okay with you touching my ears from now on." his face burns, he doesn't look at you, he can't, not with you watching him so diligently.

your eyes widen. "wah- really?"

"m-mhm."

when they first fell in love with you. ♡

(sumeru genshin impact males x gn!reader)

written headcanon style! enjoy ✩

(a/n) might be writing a part two of this with tighnari and some other male genshin characters so please comment which characters you would like to see! thank you for reading ♡

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cyno ♡

he was never the emotional man, at least not around other people. but to you, he was just the hobby-chasing mahamatra who liked to play card games religiously.

the two of you met a long time ago, years before, during his time at the academia. The two of you had the same biology class. over the course of half a semester and more than a few group projects, you could say the two of you had grown relatively close.

close enough that cyno, being cyno, was comfortable enough to tell always tell you his most terrible jokes.

"hey. why did the biologist break up with the physicist?"

you had stared at him quizzically, not sure if this was a test or an actual question about the work, but replied anyway. "what?"

"they... had no chemistry."

"..."

"do you get it - because like chemistry is a subject of science and biologists study the science of life and we're in science class and-"

he'll never forget the way you laughed that day. the way your serious expression faded into one trying to hold back laughter, and the way your lips curved upwards instantly... he felt his heart skip a beat as you let out a quiet giggle under your breath. he didn't know why or what, but a wave of affection swept over him, almost engulfing him completely before he reeled it back, face tinted red.

"hehe, you're funny, cyno." you had told him, smiling sweetly, still struggling to mute your laughs.

"am i?" cynos crimson eyes were wide as he looked at you with a look of surprise.

"mhm!" you nodded at him, beaming. "oh, are you free after school today? we should meet up to do the homework."

cyno hid his face from you then, face burning and flushed red as he mumbled out a response. "i'm free."

"great!" you slid him a slip of paper, torn off of your biology worksheet. "i figured you should have my number. don't forget to text me, okay?"

"i won't."

and he kept his word.

al haitham ♡

it all happened after the school announced an academia-wide field trip to the desert, quite the far trek in hindsight. you were surprised the school even agreed to it. that aside, the entire school was excited about it, especially to people who had moved from the sandy dunes to the lively rainforest in order to study at the academia.

however, al haitham, your literature class partner, had stayed silent. you glanced at him several times throughout the entire day, but his expression didn't change one bit, nor did he even look from his book.

"al haitham." you called out his name, eyes sparkling curiously. "what are you reading?"

"a comprehensive look at sumeru's last 300 years." his answer was short and quick. you whistled, impressed that he was willingly reading such a text.

"are you going on the field trip?" you questioned, wanting to ask but not wanting to annoy him.

"i see no reason not to." yet another blatant answer. he turned the page absent-mindingly, eyes trailing from sentence to sentence. you decided to let him read, not wanting to bother him more than you already had.

just then, a group of students walked into the room, bustling about loudly and chatting amongst themselves not too quietly at all. if they noticed the two of you, they certainly didn't care. they laughed and shouted some more before taking the tables next to where the two of you sat and continued to squawk about.

you caught al haitham wincing at the noise, mutely noting the fact that he had taken off his headphones. you never realized the ashen-haired man had sensitive hearing, but now a lot more things made sense- especially the fact that haitham never ate lunch, like the other students, in the cafeteria.

hesitantly, you reached up and cupped your hands over al haitham's exposed ears. "is it too loud?" you whispered as quietly as you could, hoping that al haitham wouldn't be bothered by your question.

as you glanced down at his expression, his look of astoundment startled you. his emerald eyes sparkled with a look of tenderness that you would've expected as he gazed up at you, his diamond shaped pupils staring up at you and you only.

then, so subtle you almost missed it, he whispered, face flushed:

"thank you."

kaveh ♡

kaveh was always a friendly person, and that was certainly not an exception when it came to you. after a class, he would always burst into the room and come to walk you to your next one.

it come to a point where you would wait for him to show up after the lecture ended, purposely packing up your things slower as you scanned the door for any signs of the blonde man. and he always showed up.

always.

except, then he didn't. you waited until the students of the next hour began to come in, and then waited more until you were sure you were already late. yet, he still didn't show up. worry began gnawing at your stomach as you fidgeted through all of your classes that day, mind cloudy.

and he wasn't there the day after that, either. you missed his presence, his sunny demeanor, and his blushing reaction whenever you decided to tease him.

after about a week of the constant torture, he showed up again, grinning and raising his hand as if he was expecting a wave after your design class.

and you didn't just give him a wave. you dropped all your things instantly, eyes wide and teary, and leaped onto the man, sending both of you tumbling to the ground as you gave him the tightest hug you could manage.

underneath you, kaveh let out a shout of surprise, trying to get you off of him so he could get up, but he wouldn't budge. and he glanced down at you, confused at what had gotten you so worked up, he spotted glistening tears spilling down your face.

"wh-what's happened?" he questioned with a worried expression as he helped you up, tears still running down from your eyes. "did someone hurt you? who was it??"

"idiot..." you leaned against his figure, burying your face into his chest, not caring if you were to be late or not. "you left without a word...!"

"i-i'm sorry-!" kaveh glanced down at your figure clinging onto him, face flushed as his heart pounded so loud that he was sure you would be able to hear it. "i caught a cold..."

"don't leave me again like that, okay??"

"o-okay."

wanderer ♡

you had known him for a long time now, you would've admitted if you had no other choice but to be truthful. but it was a hopeless thing, since never once did he ever seem to notice you - much less care about you or your wellbeing.

at least he had never outright told you that he disliked your presence. it was a small comfort, but a comfort nonetheless.

so it was a surprise when he showed up at your doorstep, clothes and hair drenched from the relentless rain outside. he stared at the ground sheepishly, expression embarrassed as he spoke. "i... i didn't have anywhere else to go."

"oh." you had stood there for quite a bit, mouth rounded and eyes wide before returning to your senses. "you can come inside. i'll get you a towel."

the dark-haired man nodded silently, stepping outside as drops of water fell from the sides of his hat. you halted, whipping around. "leave that on the porch."

"but-"

"it's wet. it's going to be no help when we try to get you dry." seeing scaramouche's face fall, you cleared your throat. "but if you must, you can leave it in the mudroom."

"...alright."

you weren't even sure why he was sitting in your living room, a towel around him and sitting on your couch by the fireside, slowly sipping a hot mug of tea. he didn't seem to be thinking of speaking anytime soon, so you did it in his place.

"did you need something?" you questioned him after taking a long sip from your own mug.

"no, i just..." he shook his head. "can i stay here? just for a little while longer?"

the softness in his voice startled you, but you managed to give him an answer without stuttering either way. "you can stay for however long you want." at your response, you saw the male's eyes light up, along with his face flushing a bit too, an action that was not gone unnoticed.

"...i appreciate it. i want you to know that i really do. thank you."

actually... im fine with it. (yandere!pantalone x gn!reader)

warnings! yandere implications, mentions of kidnapping and being tied up (not sexually), fluff

(a/n) requested by an anon!! tysm for requesting ♡ reminder that requests are open!!

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"Are you awake?" A gloved hand reached out and grasped you chin lifting it up to give the holder a closer look of your expression.

Slowly blinking open your eyes, you surveyed the room quietly, noting that there were chains on the wall, along with a bed, and there were no windows. Your wrists burned, too, from where they were tied up behind you on the chair you were sitting on. The only source of light in the dimly-lit room was the small, singular chandelier that hung on the ceiling, seeming oddly out of place considering how grim the entire scene looked.

Finally, you focused your gaze at the man in front of you, still holding your chin and giving you a close-eyed smile. "Where am I?"

The black-haired man in front of you didn't skip a beat, only taking his hand of your chin and instead gesturing to the area. "A special place I prepared just for you."

"Why am I here?"

The man laughed. "My, you're taking this awfully calmly. You're here because I brought you here, of course."

well no shit. even i could make out that much.

"Who are you?" You questioned, although almost immediately regretted it after seeing the man's expression darken.

"Hahah... of course." Laughing, he stood up, from which he had originally been bending down to match your height. "You never even noticed me."

Thoughts ran through your head as you tried to put his face to names, but none matched until something lit up in your brain. "Pantalone?"

"Yes, that is my name." Pantalone sighed sorrowfully, his gaze never leaving your face. "But to you, I was just the kind man who you helped give directions to."

"How- Why-"

"Because I love you, my angel. More than you will ever realize."

You stayed silent at the sudden confession, although considering that you were the one that was restrained in some unknown place, it would be unwise of you to decline. Archons know what he would do to you.

"I've been watching you for weeks. Not through my underlings... I can't trust them. You're too lovely, they'd fall in love with you too, and then I'd have another problem to deal with. No... I watched you out of my own love, saving you from whatever trouble you had encountered behind the scenes and always making sure that you would be okay." Pantalone didn't seem to care whether you were listening or not, but rambled on anyway, his voice only becoming more and more desperate.

"But then some guy came to your house and saw me, and then began asking for you. Who does he think he is, asking to see you so casually??" The man's voice broke off into a low growl as his expression contorted into one of rage. "So I took care of him."

"You... killed him??"

"Darling, come on now, don't be mad at me. It was for your own good. After that, I knew it was much too dangerous to be living alone in a world of predators, so I generously took you in. This is where you'll be staying from now on. With me until the end of time."

"..."

"You answer? You can't refuse, but I'd still like another opportunity to hear your beautiful voice again."

"...Actually... I'm fine with it." You had come to the conclusion in the matter of seconds, but from what little knowledge you knew, you concluded that Pantalone had to have been powerful in status, careful with his plans, and also dangerous enough to have anyone look the other way to what he was doing. And considering the jeweled chandelier that dangled about five feet away from you, you also concluded that Pantalone was considerably wealthy. Not only that, but during his speech, you couldn't help but feel... moved. He had gone to such lengths just to make sure that you'd rest easy.

Not only that, he was also quite the looker himself. With that curly, soft black locks and fair face, every time you looked at him, you could feel your heart skip a beat. And if you really were to live here, then wouldn't that mean you wouldn't have to pay rent? And you'd get free meals everyday?

If he was shocked, he hid it well. Nevertheless, he wasn't able to stop the utterly confused expression flitting across his face. "You're... okay with it? I mean- that's good- but I expected at least a little resistance." He didn't seem disappointed per say, more just startled that you had actually agreed from what free will you had.

"Well... yeah. I mean... sure, you're a pretty dangerous person, but you do seem to actually care for me. Not only that, I wouldn't have to pay rent, get free food... not to mention that you're quite handsome yourself." Attempting to explain yourself, you winced as the tight ropes cut into your skin. Immediately, Pantalone rushed forward, uttering you quiet apologies as he cut the ropes off your hands with a knife that he had hidden in his sleeve.

He cleared his throat as you watched you settle into a more comfortable position, remorsefully noting the reddened bruises on your wrists. "I'm... handsome to you?"

As you nodded, he turned away, but you were able to spot his flushing ears that his hair was tucked behind.

"Aha... You really are too kind." The black-haired man smiled at you. "This is for the better. If you really are agreeing this steadily, then it means you won't try to run away. And if that doesn't happen, we can live together. Happily for the rest of our lives." And just like that, he swiftly leaned forward, holding your chin up with both hands as his soft lips met yours and engulfed you into a kiss. You felt your face burn warm, but you didn't resist, nor did you want to. Sensational fireworks seemed to light off from every inch of your skin, diving your consciousness in a sea of warmth. When Pantalone finished, he pulled away only slightly, giving you a smirk that played on his lips.

"You can expect more of that later."

the first time you hold hands.♡

(liyue genshin impact x gn!reader)

written headcanon style! enjoy✩

(a/n) gift for @lume-nosity ♡ feel free to comment or reblog characters you want next!! (the xiao part took so much out of me i cant stop fucking squeeallinggg please hoyo give us soft xiao interactions next lantern rite pleaseee)

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xiao ♡

he never was an affectionate person, but he tried to change that for you.

it was common knowledge that the adeptus was cold and typically uninviting to mortals, but to you, he was a completely different person.

he was never harsh to you, never yelled at you, not even when he was raging mad, because he didn't want to scare you. he never told you anything differing from kind words or praise, because he knew that doing so would make you happy.

and it did.

recently, xiao had agreed, albeit reluctantly, to come with you to liyue harbor to have a small meet up with you. it wasn't often that you got breaks from your job, but when you did, you would spend them at wangshu inn, excitedly conversing with the dark-haired man as the moon rose and shone overhead. This time, you had invited him to come to you instead, and that you would show him around modern liyue.

he never liked mortals, but you were different.

"xiao! there you are!" you gave the male a wave from where you stood, beaming. above, the sky was just beginning to get dark, the horizons tinted with hues of violet and crimson.

you could see him clearly from where you stood, the adeptus walking at his usual brisk pace. as he reached you, he paused and hesitated. "what do mortals call these things again?"

"dates?" you giggled, laughing at xiao's innocent and silly nature.

"that's it." the dark-haired male nodded, before glancing at you and then downward with his warm amber eyes. "then... can we hold hands?" he stares down at the ground, face and ears tinged red from embarrassment. xiao extends a hand toward you slowly, waiting for a response.

and you gladly take it, intertwining your fingers with his gloved ones and smiling. "of course."

the night is cold, but with the two of you interlocking hands, suddenly, everything seems all the bit more warm.

childe ♡

"comrade" had always been his title for you.

and the two of you had always been close. you had been childe's friend, advisor, and companion for longer than you could remember. the two of you had braved the harsh winters shneznaya, and when the male had received orders to head to liyue for some unsettled matters, you were more than willing to pack everything and leave with him.

after all, without childe, nothing could be the same.

you watched silently at the interaction between the northland bank receptionist and the familiar ginger, before making a quick motion to childe to mention that you were heading out. it was just too stuffy inside, and you needed some air. it had been a busy past few weeks, and the times where you did have rare solace, you decided you maximize the most of.

pushing open the heavy door, the cold night breeze greeted you. it was chilly, but it did help clear your head. the moon is full tonight, you note to yourself, staring up from where you're leaning on the side railings and smiling.

then there's the sound of footsteps behind you as low and behold, tartaglia himself comes out to check up on you.

"hey, comrade. what are you doing all alone out here?" his voice is nonchalant, but you could decipher the worried undertone in his words.

"i needed to clear my head." you glance back at him, before gesturing to the empty space beside you with a grin. "the view is great here, childe. come take a look."

and he does, stepping over to your side gently with the ghost of a smile still lingering on his face. he follows your gaze quietly, up at the round, shining moon and glittering stars that light up the night sky. then he turns to look at you, and his gaze softens.

then warmth shoots through you as he grasps your hand, fingers brushing yours before he clasps them tightly.

"it's okay if i do this, right, love?"

kazuha ♡

it was in his notebook that you saw his true feelings, displayed for you to see, and you knew how much it meant for him.

you hadn't meant to stumble across journal - really. it was by complete chance that kazuha had decided to go for a walk and you hadn't realized, and so had gone into his room to speak to him only to find him gone.

thinking that he might be holed up somewhere in the space, busy writing something, you searched high and low and only found a leather bound journal with a red maple leaf on the cover that had clearly been stitched on. opening it, you were astonished to find pages on pages of endless haikus, poems, all sorts of rhymes and tales, all written in kazuha's graceful, flowy handwriting.

a smile upon the breeze, cruelties done out of fun. that out of so many people of these my lover is none.

the rising sun brings forth new morn still, the memory fades yet, for even though your face was forlorn, your smile i shall never forget.

for as long as we play this game, i wish our paths will never part. would you say you felt the same? if i told you what lied in my heart?

the poems and easing verses run ceaselessly from page to page, and you can only feel your eyes widen and face burn as you keep reading, albeit a bit guilty for going through his personal things like this. but as you turn the page to read the last poem, you can hear footsteps resounding from somewhere down the hall.

someone's coming.

immediately, you hastily scramble to place the journal back where it was and then dive on top of kazuha's bed, hoping that no one would spot you underneath the covers. the steps stop at the door, and you can hear the hinges squeal quietly as the door gets pushed open.

"hello?" kazuha's voice is confused and quiet, and you already know that he's suspiciously scanning the room. heart racing, you hear him walk closer to the bed, pausing before-

"what-" the male threw back the covers, and you can glimpse his startled expression from where you're pressed flat against his mattress. "what are you doing here...?"

"uhm... surprise?" you sit up awkwardly, scooting off the bed and getting onto your feat nervously. "a-anyway- don't think about this too hard- let's just..." you clasped kazuha's hand in yours, smiling frantically. fingers locked together, you tugged kazuha to and out the door. "let's just forget about it, okay?"

poor kazuha's so embarrassed, he can't even say a thing except mutter a quiet:

"o-okay."

ganyu ♡

working overtime was something ganyu was accustomed to. however, she was still unfamiliar with many concepts, namely you, and your seemingly endless affection.

you were a peculiar person, in ganyu's eyes. you always, no matter how late she got off work, waited for the adeptibeast patiently, usually handing her a gift or drink of some sort before walking her back to her house.

the evenings the two of you spend together at what ganyu considers the best moments of her days.

The warm evening glow reflecting off of your face, the lanterns lining the streets, the hustling murmur of excited in the background only convinced ganyu that she cared for you more than she would ever let on.

"ah..." ganyu turns to you, and you blink at her questioningly in return. "speaking of which, was there anything you wanted?"

"huh...?"

"well, you're always waiting for me after work... and bringing me all sorts of things too... so i wanted to pay you back for all of the effort." ganyu glances away, deciding to look anywhere but you, glancing at the food stalls, buildings, and the stone path the two of you are walking on. however, her efforts were fruitless, as you were able to see a clear view of her flushed face.

"aw, that's so sweet of you!" grinning, you let out a little giggle at her mannerisms. "but i didn't give you those hoping for something in return. its because i care about you!"

i care about you.

those words rang in the blue-haired girls ears as her warm eyes widened. "then..."

she walks closer to you, tugging at your sleeve with red tinged cheeks. as you turn to look at her questioningly, she takes your hand in hers, intertwining her slender fingers with you.

"can i do this?"

shenhe ♡

she had never really understood humans, nor wanted to, until she met you.

no one ever called shenhe a human. it was only ever adepti this and adepti that. maybe it was her lack of present emotions, or maybe it was just her cold demeanor, but her words fell upon deaf ears whenever she tried to explain.

"eh? you seem pretty human to me, shenhe. it's pretty hard to get it wrong, honestly." you glanced up at the white-haired girl curiously. the two of you were seated at liuli pavilion, upon your request to share lunch together.

"hard... to mistake me?" shenhe smiled airily, an expression that was seen by few. "just as i thought. you're different than everyone else. in a good way."

"...th-thanks...?"

shenhe merely let an relatively amused expression cross her face. "let me ask you something. to you, what makes a human human?"

you thought about her question for a long pause before answering. "i'd like to say... emotions. humans are egotistic and greedy, i'll admit to that, as i'm guilty of it myself, but humans also are thoughtful. they're kind, caring, genuine and understanding. that's what makes communities so powerful too. it's because everyone as the mutual trust and belief in each other that they can do great things." you grinned at the girl. "you have emotions too, they just don't get shown as often as the emotions of others. but that doesn't mean you don't have them."

the white-haired woman stayed silent for the count of three, her multi-colored eyes sparkling as she stared at you with a level of affection you didn't know was possible.

a light blush began creeping across her face as well, although she didn't seem to notice her red cheeks and ears. instead, she just beamed at you.

"caring, you say? then, tell me, is this something a caring human would do?" with that, she reached down at took your hand with hers as a faint smile began to form on shenhe's face. her slender hands were cold to the touch, a pleasant feeling in the warm liyue heat as she intertwined her hands with yours.

"yes, it is."

"good."

when you first fell in love with them. ♡

(inazuma genshin impact + dain x gn!reader)

written headcanon style! enjoy✩

warnings/notes! fluff, wholesome content ♡

(a/n) @silverbladexyz come and get your dansleif ♡ @dizzy-sekai come and get your husband heizouuu~ feel free to comment or reblog characters you want next!! my requests are closed but i take brain rots and asks✩

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ayato ♡

he can see your embarrassed face from a mile away.

you've known him from a long time, longer since you could remember, since the two of you had been children. since then, he had gained many more responsibilities and duties, filling up his schedule almost completely.

still, he makes time for you, no matter what.

and if you trouble him about it, saying there's no need to, he'll only smile and respond, "a little trouble is worth it if it means spending time for you."

he knows you all too well.

just from a glance, he can read your expression like a book. and he makes it no simple matter, either. ayato will smirk at you smugly whenever he manages to make you successfully flustered, face burning at whatever flirty line he's just spoken.

so when you walk into his estate one morning, eyes downcast, he immediately knows.

"hey. tell me. what's wrong?" he frowns slightly at your behavior, no doubt concerned. when you stay silent, his expression only deepens. "you can tell me."

and you do tell him, eyes teary with worry. '"...there's just... a lot going on right now." you finish, sighing, not wanting to let this part of you be revealed to the azul-haired man so easily.

his eyes glisten, his voice soften. sending a bittersweet expression your way, he places a gloved hand over yours, where its trembling on the table, before leaning forward and pressing his soft lips to your forehead gently.

"it's going to be okay. trust me, alright?"

"how can you be so confident about that?" you question him, pouting with disbelief. you can feel your face burn at the action, but you try your best to ignore it, especially with ayato's gaze burning into you.

the next time he speaks, it's barely a whisper:

"i'll make sure of it."

thoma ♡

he was always gentle to you and everyone he met.

and you loved him for it.

the way he smiled softly and raised his hand in greeting at the children playing on the street, or the way he snuck out of the estate to give the stray animals some food to eat... his heart was kind, and he made you happy when you were around him.

"off to to see the stray dogs again, thoma?" you give him a little wave from your post. "would you mind if i came with you?"

"not at all! i'd be happy with you by my side." the man smiles charmingly as the two of you walked down the path. pausing, he turns to you with a quizzical expression. "ah... but don't you have work to do?"

"hehe, don't worry, i made sure to inform my supervisor. i've been waiting for you, actually." thoma blushed at your confession, laughing nervously.

"i-i didn't make you wait too long, did i?"

"of course not. you were just on time, actually. anyways, when you visit all those pets, what do you usually do?"

"ah... actually, i was planning on knitting some sweaters for them. after all, it's been getting colder recently and they don't have any shelters, so..." thoma sighs. "winter is always a tough time for strays. i would take them in if i could but... there's just too many, and that would only lead to more problems." you can see his eyes soften at the mention of the topics, his expression full of remorse. he feels deeply about this, and you know its already starting to rub off on you.

"then how about we adopt one together?" you first suggest it as merely a joke, but as you see thoma's eyes light up, emerald irises sparkling with hope, you feel your own heart skip a beat.

he rushes forward, clasping your hands in his own as he stares at you intently. "could we...really do that??"

he's too close...!

"i-i mean- if you really wanted to-" you stammer, trying to avoid eye contact as you can feel your skin grow warm from where he's touching you. just thinking about it makes your face flush.

"then let's try our best together!"

itto ♡

he didn't care what others thought about you.

to him, you were just someone he cared about.

his childhood was rough, to say the least. he was shunned and ignored wherever he went, even if he was hurt and in need of assistance. so you completely understood when you came to the arataki gang headquarters, pleading for a chance to get into the infamous group.

of course, he gladly let you! after all, at that time, the gang was short on hands, and you were the perfect fit - just what they needed.

in fact, they're so happy to have you here that for the first week or two of your arrival, everyone calls you "godsend" or "savior" instead of your actual name. it's entertaining to say the least, and you're glad to have found such a nice group. they're your found family, and they never cease to make you laugh.

itto is no exception. he jokes a lot around you, especially if he senses your feeling down, and always brings you whatever snacks he was able to win from the kids that day. its childish, you know, but you love that little playful aspect of him. it makes you feel warm.

then the rumors start.

you don't even know the full story, all that you know is that they're false - lies spread by the citizens of inazuma with too much time on their hands and too many stories to tell.

"they killed a innocent man..."

"oh my! really? i heard they engaged with several various married men...! seems like they really betrayed all of us... making us think they were a decent person... i can't believe this."

you're nervous to go to the first meeting after the rumors start, so you don't, telling them you're sick and that you'll need a week or two to recover.

well, it's been two weeks, and there's another meeting planned. there's no way to escape it this time - they've surely already heard the rumors, no matter how clueless they may be.

so when you show up at the planned spot, you're surprised to only see itto standing there, glancing around for you. he spots you walking toward him, and gives you a big grin that stretches across his face. "hey! it's been a while! how have you been?"

"...good."

"what're you so quiet for? is something wrong?" itto blinks at you with his crimson eyes cluelessly.

"ah... you've heard the rumors, haven't you?"

"of course i have." you feel a chill surround you as you frantically stare up at him with wide eyes, entire body trembling. "what about it?"

"they're not true!!" you stutter, tears desperately pooling at the edges of your eyes. "i promise-!"

"i never said they were. don't worry. i believe you."

"you... do?" suddenly, everything seems warmer.

"of course. you'd never do something like that. i trust you." he grins sheepishly, laughing a little. "sorry, did that come out too headstrong?"

you shake your head, smiling. "not at all. thank you."

"it was the least i could do."

heizou ♡

he always matched your level and helped you catch up to speed.

and it happened quite often.

after all, the detective's man was astoundingly fast, he was a genius in all standards imaginable. because of this, even though you were quite clever, you still found it hard to decipher some of his ramblings when he was trying to crack a particularly difficult case.

still, he tries his best to help you, especially since you're a detective yourself. he often points out things that people aren't able to see the first time, but never acts obnoxious or brags about it. he's just happy to be of help.

so when the two of you get assigned to the same case, the red-haired man is ecstatic. he doesn't stop talking once on the way to the office, the words just keep on coming! he's speaking so fast that you can't make out his individual words but you can tell he's excited from the way he almost skip-walks and the way his emerald eyes sparkle when he looks at you.

he's giddy all throughout the debriefing, occasionally sending you enthusiastic glances from across the table as he grins at you playfully. it's hard to concentrate when he's acting so... childish.

but it's not like you don't like it.

quite the opposite.

when you two finally set off for the investigation, heizou still hasn't calmed down. maybe it's because this is the first time that heizou gets the chance to show you his skills on the job, or maybe it's just because he can finally be with you while he does his work... either way, you don't find it annoying. instead, you find it almost funny that he's this eager about the whole thing.

there's a light tap on your shoulder, and you whirl around to see heizou grinning at you, upturned eyes closed as he hands you a daisy that he's just picked off the side of the road. his face is red, but he manages to hand you the flower nonetheless, your fingers and his brushing against each other as he does. his flushed skin is warm to the touch.

"is this...for me?" you look at the man, confused. still, you can feel heat creeping onto your face.

"who else?" heizou gives you his signature grin, opening his eyes to reveal his near spring green irises underneath. "thanks for staying by my side."

bonus!

dansleif ♡

he was distant, but even so, he tried to show you his feelings for you.

he was never the affectionate man. far from it.

he never acted cold, at least he didn't try to when you were around. dain was usually silent, too, which didn't help the awkward pauses in conversation whenever you tried to talk to him. still, there was something about him that just made you feel so happy.

and dainsleif felt the same, although he may never admit it. your mere presence was enough to put his usual wandering thoughts at peace, and he felt more collected. your demeanor just had something to it that washed away whatever troubles he had been facing, no matter how large.

you forgot how you had met him. but you remembered when and where. it had been a starry night, and the moon shone bright. you had peered out over the shadowy meadow, and had spotted his tall figure, his head of blonde glimmering in the light.

you blink your eyes hazily, glancing up at the sky. the sun set a long time ago, and the moon is hidden by dark clouds, flashing with bolts of lightning.

it's well past your normal sleeping time, but your sleep schedule is already so messed up it barely matters anymore. dain sits across from you, staring out the window and at the howling wind outside. the two of you coincidentally were out for a walk, one of the rare times dain was free, when a thunderstorm had to start and the two of you leaped into the nearest ruins and were sitting and waiting out.

"at least there's a roof, right?" your voice was hopeful, trying to make the best of the situation. that is, if you could call it a roof. it was a few poorly placed wooden boards that were sealed with some kind of gritty cement, but it managed to keep the rain out, so who were you to complain?

dainsleif nods, his gaze trained on you. pausing, he hesitates before opening his mouth to say something. "if you're tired... you can rest. i'll take watch."

"no! i couldn't do that to you-" you cut yourself off with a sudden yawn. self sabotage. "besides, who knows the next time we're going to be able to talk alone like this?"

"it'll be okay. here." he pats his legs from where he sits, an unreadable expression on his face. "this'll be more comfortable than the stone floor, right?"

you can already feel your face burn. "ah-"

"please?" something about his almost whiny voice takes you off gaurd, and you already feel your will crumbling.

"alright..." you slowly walk over to him, laying on the ledge he's sitting on and resting your head in his laps. he smiles down at you, before unpinning his cape and draping it over your figure. the warmth and his sweet scent hits you immediately, and you can only feel yourself being lulled further into sleep.

"dain-!" you protest weakly, pouting. you can feel his smiling gaze from where you've buried your face in your arms, embarrassed face flushed red.

"sleep well, darling."

meet me backstage.♡ (6reeze x gn!reader)

(written handcanon style with aether, xiao, venti, kazuha, heizou, and wanderer)

(a/n) this took me so long so im praying it doesnt flop (人´口`)

total wordcount - 3,382! (extra long since i wasnt able to post yesterday)

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aether ♡

aether, or better known as starbound✩, is someone you've known for a long time, even before his debut as an idol.

you know his potential better than anyone, so it's no shock to you when his popularity skyrockets, and he's even able to form a band named 6reeze. But as he gains more and more fame, with shows, practice rehearsals, vocal and dance coaching, board meetings, tours, and fan meet-n-greets filling up any free space in his schedule, suddenly, you conversations and hangouts grow scarce.

so you're ecstatic when he invites you to one of his shows even gifting you vip front row tickets.

you've never actually been to one of his performances before, mostly because aether shoots it down each time, mumbling something about how it's "embarrassing beyond belief," his face and tips of his ears flushed red each time you bring it up.

you don't catch a wink of sleep the night before the show - too busy preparing all the fanmerch you've so lovingly compiled.

in the morning, you're blown away of how many people are gathered at the entrance, and by noon the crowd has just about settled into their concert seats - yours being in the very front row.

the performance blows you away - every part of it is immaculate. all of their moves are fluid and rhythmic, but still, aether is the one that stands out to you the most.

the way his golden hair whips back and forth as he moves, the way his eyes light up when he spots you in the crowd, the way his smooth voice rings out from the stage, and the way his face is flushed from effort as he dances to the beat. then, he extends his hand outward, blowing a kiss to the crowd, and about half of the audience squeals with excitement and swoons dramatically. and then, so subtle you almost miss it, he locks eyes with you and mouths silently, "meet me backstage."

and when you do, glancing around the rooms for any sight of the blonde man, something, or rather, someone, pulls you in, grabbing you gently by the wrist and pushing it against the wall. you're barely able to register aether's familiar golden hair and eyes before he leans forward, closing the gap between the two of you, his hot breath fanning your face as he presses his lips against yours. and just for a moment, everything fades away until the only thing you can see before you and the only thing you can feel is him. and only him.

"that kiss was for the crowd. this one was for you, sweetheart.♡"

xiao ♡

alatus was his stage name.

and he was cold to you, but that wasn't really a surprise to anyone. he was cold to many and all. and it wasn't like it bothered you, either. you were glad to know him.

so when you heard that the indifferent, unapproachable xiao was an idol, and in a group no less, it was utterly shocking. you just couldn't picture the male on a stage, dancing to pop music and sending crowds of fangirls swooning.

...okay, maybe you could imagine the last part. even you would admit that xiao was handsome. dark, silky smooth hair with startling teal highlights and honey-like amber eyes... it would just about sway anyone's resolve, not excluding yours.

as for your relationship with the man, the two of you had been classmates for years, and over that time you had grown pretty close to him, or at least, you'd like to think. you still kept in touch with him, and xiao occasionally invited you out to dinner or to come over, but it had been a while since the last invite. from what he had told you, his schedule had gotten a lot busier. it was a shame.

after a moment of thinking, you come to a brilliant idea - you'll attend xiao's next performance and surprise him! just imagining the shocked look on his face immediately brightens your mood.

so when you do settle in your front row seats, waving your glowing teal lightsticks, and xiao finally turns around and spots you, he does a complete double-take. his mouth hangs slightly open and his golden eyes widen by just a fraction, and you can see his confusion slowly spread across his face.

"what are you doing here??" he mouths to you frantically.

you just grin at him and cheer louder.

"ugh... you- meet me backstage after this."

that's what he had said. so why wasn't he here?? you had searched all the rooms up and down, bumping into several assistants on the way who sent you disapproving glances, yet you had yet to catch sight of the dark-haired male. you let out a long sigh, slumping your shoulders and preparing to give up when a low whispering of "over here." came from the closed door right across from you.

with a moment of hesitation, you swung open the door, only for someone to tug you inside and shut the door behind you, enveloping the room in darkness. through the faint light that filtered through the window, you could see the figure of xiao, his hand holding yours as he scowled at you.

"you surprised me, you know. i almost messed up my choreography."

"ah... sorry... it's just that we haven't been able to talk for a while and i was hoping that-"

something cut you off. but it wasn't xiao's voice, it was the sensation of his lips against yours, sending sparks flying across your skin. heart racing in your chest, you shoved him away, hands pushing against his chest. you glanced up at the man, trembling. "what- what was that for??"

"i had to shut you up somehow, didn't i♡ ?"

venti ♡

you're venti's roommate - so in short, you're his babysitter. and there's no end to the trouble he causes.

there were many a time where he would come home absolutely wasted, reeking of alcohol and red in the face as he stumbled around, usually waving an empty wine bottle about.

still, he kept up on work on his idol side of life. his stage name was barbatos, but his band members all deftly called him tone-deaf bard. for his group, 6reeze, he was one of the songwriters and the main vocalist. and his voice was no joke, it really was astounding. his vocal range was stellar and his voice was smooth - not to mention that he was always on key. so... yes. as reckless as he may be, venti still had his work going for him.

so when he finally invites you out to accompany him on one of his tours, you steadily agree, curious on how they’ll perform.

and you’re not disappointed.

their concert blows you away, the bright colors and shining lights, the stage effect and the wonderful choreography - everything is incredible, and you can feel your heart racing just looking at them, just hearing venti’s melodic voice singing out the lyrics that you’ve already memorized.

“fly you away, riding the day

open up your heart, darling

you’re a work of art~

and you’ll never have to be alone

cause we’re standing with you

just ring my number on your cell phone,

let’s raise our voices in song, yeah!”

maybe you’re imagining it, but you swear you can feel a gust of wind inside the stadium, blowing past you as venti continues to sing, the lyrics ringing out clearly. then, he twirls in a circle, sending the crowd a winking grin. as he meets eyes with you, he mouths you the words “meet me backstage after this~!” before sticking his tongue out and finishing the choreography.

following the rushing crowd outside, where they’re hoping to get one of 6reeze’s autographs, you instead head into the stage rooms, stepping inside and spotting the twin-braided man sitting on one of the tables, absent-mindingly spinning a pen around while kicking his legs back and forth. as he spots you, he drops his pen, teal eyes lighting up as he hops off the table and grips you into a hug.

“hehe, thanks for coming today!”

“it’s no problem at all. the performance was really good. i’m impressed.”

“then… if i did so well, can i have a little reward in return?”

“uhm… what do you-”

something warm presses against your face - venti, and you can feel your heart hammering in your chest as he leans forward and kisses you, grinning his usual carefree grin all the while, a light red dusting his face. it’s warm, unbelievably so, and you can feel the heat spreading across your body like wildfire. when he finally pulls way, he smiles at you.

“that was what i meant♡.”

kazuha ♡

kazuha had a way with words.

every syllable that left his mouth was elegantly phrased, the way the letters rolled off his tongue with such ease, and the way his voice just sent a wave of calm washing over you was almost addicting.

so when your closest friend became an idol named wanderai, a mix between the word wandering and samurai, you immediately decided to be one of his biggest fans. you frequently sent him fan letters, signing your name as "anon", always gushing about how flawless his movements and singing is, completely entranced. and he did respond, always sending you back small thank you’s and his polite gratitude. as courteous as he replies were, receiving his letters always made your day. scratch that, your entire week.

then you heard there would be a fan meet-n-greet after the next concert - so of course you had to attend! you sat through the entire performance, completely allured by kazuha's fluid dance movements throughout all of the songs and his rhyming verses. when its finally over, you try to rush ahead of the crowd, knowing full well that there will be a swarm of fangirls who will shove and push and... bite to get a earlier spot in line. it had happened before.

yet, despite your efforts, you aren't able to get the first spot in line, or any of the first spots. instead, you're stuck in the back, thirty-ish place or so. it's not that bad, per say, but you had wanted to get to meet your favorite idol before he lost too much steam from having to answer hundreds of ravenous fans. it would have to do.

when you finally reach the front of the line, he smiles up at you politely, giving you a little wave from where he's sitting. "hello there."

"hey, wanderai! uhm..." you give him a letter - your piece of mail that you've prepared just for this moment. "i'm anon. thanks for... well, you know, existing, i guess." you stop there, already awkward. "a-anyways- i'm sure there's a lot of people behind me, so i'll save you the time and-"

"you're... anon??" the male's eyes widen as he takes the envelope, freezing his movements. he glances up to you, almost unbelievably, and just blinks.

"ah... yeah, that's me. didn't expect me to be here, did you?"

kazuha smiled, shaking his head. "it's a pleasant surprise. actually, after this..." he makes a gesturing motion, ushering you in, and lean forward as he whispers into your ear, "once i'm done with this, meet me backstage. please, wait for me."

"of course! then... i'll take my leave. th-thank you!" you dash away, face flushed red from the close contact, hoping that you didn't come off as too... fanatic.

and you wait. it takes a while, but that's too be expected. it's only been about half an hour, a lot shorter than you had predicted, when the white-haired male peeks inside the room, smiling when he spots you. "you're here."

"well, you told me to wait, so..." you laugh nervously, still blushing from the memory of kazuha's whispering voice gracing your ear. shaking your head, you grinned. "so, what was it that you wanted?"

"this."

then he moves in, his soft lips pressing against the side of your flushed face, his own expression quite red himself. he pulls away as quickly as he comes, glancing down at the ground as his face burns. "wh-what-" you can feel your heart rate increasing to rapid levels as you just stand there, eyes wide and trembling.

"that was a thank you, anon. for being by my side for all of this time♡."

heizou ♡

heizou is a clever man, even when he doesn't try.

and he's smart enough to hide his identity from you, especially since he knows that you'll completely lose your mind if you ever do find out. and it's only a matter of time until you find out that he's actually shiki, part of the world-famous boyband 6reeze. he's been lucky enough already that you aren't that much of an avid idol fanatic.

the two of you are sitting in the main room, one of his arms lazily across your shoulders as the two of you watch the television. heizou has a day off, and what better way to spend it than by doing absolutely nothing with his favorite person?

that's when everything just goes wrong.

you're bored at the constant torrent of ads, so you grab the remote from off the coffee table and start browsing through the channels, casually trying to find something better to watch. as you surf through the endless options, a familiar head of wine red catches your eye.

heizou spots it too, and immediately cringes, hoping you haven't seen it, but it's already too late. you glance at him, then at the tv screen where it's showing a close up of his face. "heizou... are you... did you commit some crime and is this your mugshot??"

"ah- well-" the usually level-headed man is trying his best to keep in his laughter at your absolutely confused expression. "it's not like that-"

"...heizou. you can be honest. tell me. am i harboring a criminal right now???" you turn the tv volume down - thank the archons - and turn to stare at the man with blown eyes.

"listen... they just are... interviewing me. for something." heizou's hammering heart had started to go down, thank the archons yet again, yet he was still a little red in the face and blinking a little faster than normal - all things that you noted silently.

"reaaalllyyy?" you sent the man a questioning look. turning up the tv volume again, the news interviewers voices were loud and clear.

"now then, shiki, how has this idol career affected your life?"

heizou watched in horror as he saw himself laugh slightly on the screen. "well, it's certainly made many things more awkward and embarrassing when meeting up with friends and family... but for the most part, it's been really rewarding! especially being able to meet so many great people, and by that i mean, my wonderful bandmates, of course!"

"oh? embarrassing, you say?"

"yeah. they always tease me about it too, but its always fun to meet up with them afterwards backstage. they sometimes even bring me flowers or snacks."

you turned off the tv, watching the monitor blink into black. you just sat there, hand on the remote and not moving. a gradual silence settled over the two of you. "...why, heizou? why didn't you tell me...? i would've helped you any way i could've!"

"...love. it's not like that. i just... i just didn't want to make things more awkward between us. i promise."

"how do i know you aren't just lying to me again?"

"then will this help convince you?"

and just like that, he wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you to his embrace as he meets his mouth to yours. he catches you by surprise, even surprising himself.

thump. thump. thump.

the motion seemed to lift you up into the air and drop you somewhere high above the clouds, all you could feel was indescribable warmth and you could feel your face burn under his soft touch.

"h-heizou...!"

"is that enough of a reason to trust me one more time♡ ?"

wanderer ♡

as a good friend of all of 6reeze, you've also gotten to be pretty close with scaramouche. or, at least, that was what you called him.

if you really had to, you would call him kuni, or maybe even wanderer. but to you, kuni had always been scaramouche. the man had been part of a past idol group that he had quit a while back, and just recently had he joined 6reeze, where he had been named wanderer. yet to you, as a devoted follower of his past band, and himself, you still couldn't bring yourself to not think of him as scaramouche.

having only woken up seconds ago, you bring the constant ringing of your phone, which is buzzing away on your nightstand, to your attention.

"...hello?" you pick up the call, voice still groggy.

"what's up with you? just woken up?" scaramouche's usual tone of voice greets you. you can tell he's sneering just from the sound of it.

"...yeah, actually. half a minute ago."

"...it's two. in the afternoon."

"okay, and?"

"...you're hopeless. i was going to invite you to one of my concerts, but..." you could hear him shrug on the other side of the call, the sound of fabric rustling. "i'm not sure if i want to anymore."

you hastily sit upright, pulling on whatever you can find from your wardrobe before speedily making yourself as presentable as possible. "nono, i'm awake! it was a joke. IT WAS A JOKE!!"

you can hear the man scoff. "fine. here. i'll send the digital tickets your way. it's tonight. don't miss it." with that, he hangs up.

it takes you a while to get things prepared, and its almost already time when you do. quickly gathering up your things, you're able to make it to the concert hall in time to give the male a little wave before he heads onstage.

he acts like he doesn't see you, but that farce crumbles when he just scowls, embarrassed, before mouthing, "meet me backstage after."

so you do.

after the show passes, the event containing several songs that all shared a similar theme. maybe it was because white day was coming up, but there were a surprising amount of… well, love songs. romance. it wasn't in scaramouche's nature, or you should say wanderer's, to sing those kinds of songs. you were already shocked enough that he had agreed. needless to say, the concert was flawless, and the audience seemed to think so too, wildly cheering and screaming out their favorite members' names. it was almost entertaining to watch.

"heeellooo? anybody there?" you peer about the empty rooms, wondering if your conscious has failed you. maybe scaramouche hadn't told you to go backstage after? maybe your brain just imagined it and was playing tricks on you?

those thoughts all dissipated as you rounded a corner and spotted the man sitting at one of the round tables. as his violet eyes landed on you, he let a small half-smile crack across his face. "it seems that our late contender has finally made it. took you long enough."

"hey!" he always acted like this, and it seemed that today, as lucky as it was, was not an exception. "nevermind that- why did you want me to come here again?"

"ah-" the boy suddenly looked a lot more... shy? that was not a typical sight. "i-i actually have something for you."

"oh?" now you were interested. this was not a normal occurrence by any means.

"here." he reached into his bag, which was sitting on the table, and pulled out a small wrapped box. "don't expect anything big, okay? i just got it because i... felt like it." with that, he handed you the box and watched you unwrap it with a nervous expression.

"it's a... necklace?" you stared in amazement as you held the pendant up to the light, watching the tear-drop shaped sapphire and amethyst shard glimmer with a thousand colors.

"do you like it?"

"more than anything." you smile, placing it around your neck and securing the locking chain in the back. "does it look good on me?"

"you don't even have to ask to know my answer, idiot♡."

masterlist ✩

@lume-nosity come get your kazuha and xiao ♡

my favorite you (rui kamishiro x gn! reader)

warnings! slight suggestive content, fluff, angst

_________________________________

"Ah..." Rui's voice was quiet as he pulled back the curtains covering the windows of his room. Outside, the rain was relentless, pouring down seemingly endlessly and filling the room with the sound pitter-pattering raindrops. His amber eyes seemed to sparkle as he turned to glance at where you sat on his plush bed, yawning. "Looks like you'll have to stay the night."

"Eh?" You glanced up at the male, eyes widening. "S-Stay the night??"

The purple-haired man shrugged, a smile playing at his lips. "It's either that or~" He gestured toward the ongoing torrent outdoors. "Having to walk home though that."

"But-"

"It'll be fine~ After all, there isn't any school tomorrow, so I don't see why not... unless you have some other unknown motives?" Rui smirked at you as he strided over next to you, sitting at your side.

"It's not that..." You felt your face grow warm at his accusation. As subtly as you could, you cleared your throat and turned back to Rui. "But my parents would get mad at me..."

"I'll text them." Rui smiled at you, still waiting for you to come up with a better excuse. "They'll understand, and they'd trust an all straight-a's student~"

You highly doubted his statement, but protested nonetheless. "But there's only one bed-"

"But there are multiple sleeping bags. You take the bed, and I'll take the ground. How about it? And if you get too cold, we could always share one~" Rui didn't take his gaze off of you, his golden eyes watching your every embarrassed movement. Your face flushed at the sensation of someone watching you, but you felt something inside of you cave in.

"Alright..." you half-sighed, half-said, slumping your shoulders. You were way too tired to be dealing with this. "Whatever then. Let's do it."

"Do it?" Rui's smirk never let his face as his expression only grew more cocky. "My, my, already becoming that suggestive, are we?"

Face burning at his nonchalant words, you whipped around to face him, which you were avoiding before. Pouting, you glared up at him accusingly. "You know that's not what I meant!!"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Now then, if you've calmed down enough, let's get ready for bed, shall we? I would cook dinner... but you know how that'd go..."

Still mildly seething, you managed to recall the last time Rui tried to bake something, instantly shuddering at the thought. "Let's not relive that."

Rui silently agreed, which was almost funny, since the two of you had hardly agreed on anything the past few days. The two of you bustled about the house, opening cabinets and grabbing fluffy blankets and snacks. As you wrestled the sleeping bag out of the case, you spotted Rui smuggling more than a few packs of grape soda candy along with the collected snack pile, but you decided to keep silent.

The two of you were nice and comfy, Rui being on the floor and you laying on his bed at his insistence. You had wrapped yourself up in several warm blankets and Rui merely had one draped over his shoulders. As the rain outside ceaselessly pelted down from the sky, Rui glanced up at you expectantly.

"Hey." His voice was soft, so much so you almost didn't catch it.

"Hm?" Rolling around, you peeked down at him. "Need something?"

"You were with Toya yesterday. Toya Aoyagi." Rui's tone was still gentle, but not so much as before. "Why?"

Blinking, you replied with an air of confusion. "Ah... because he's my friend?" Not really understanding his question, you settled back and waited until Rui found the words to elaborate more.

"Friend... just a friend?" His question is short, but it took you aback.

"Well, yeah..." Still startled, you rambled on. "I have lots of friends, you know. Not just him. There's Akito and Tsukasa and Mizuki and Haruka... I could name a lot." You let out a quiet, airy laugh. "Why do you ask?"

Rui smiled, an expression without any malice or suspicious motives. Instead, he just seemed... sad. His daffodil colored eyes were pained as he stared up at you, whispering, "Am I just a friend to you too?"

"...What?"

"A friend. You said you had a lot of friends. Am I one of them?"

"Of course-" You cut yourself off as you saw Rui's resting figure slump. "But..." Still struggling to find the right words, you patted the pillow beside you. "Here. Lay here first, and then I'll explain."

Rui didn't hesitate, but he didn't say a word to you either. Slowly, he got up, blanket trailing behind him, and eased his way onto the mattress. Filling the space to your right, he trained his eyes on you. "I'm waiting."

Nodding, you tried to swallow the fear bubbling about and stopped your hands from wavering. "Rui... the question you asked... it's actually something I think about a lot too. S-Sometimes... I feel like we're just friends - y'know - during play rehearsals or lunch break. But other times..." Your voice trailed off, tone shaky. "Other times, when it's just the two of us, I can feel myself blush and I can hear my heart pound. I'm not an idiot, Rui. I-I know what this means... and I've been putting off saying this for a long time. Longer than I should've. And for that, I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I hurt you." You couldn't trust yourself to say anymore, afraid of saying something you shouldn't, afraid of saying something that would ruin, well, everything.

Rui stayed silent for a long time. So long that you were beginning to fear that he had fallen asleep, and right when you were about to call out his name, he spoke.

"Is that how you feel? Is that your answer?" In the dark of the room, you couldn't make out anything more than the movement of his lips.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Then you'll let me do this, won't you?"

And just like that, the rain stopped. Moonlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the room with a glow. On rhythm, Rui turned to you, eyes shimmering. He pulled you close, so tightly you could hardly breathe, and stole your breath away as his lips met yours. Everything is warm - too hot. Rui doesn't seem to notice, nor does he seem to care, and you might as well not care either as the purple-haired male cups your cheeks and brings your head to meet his. Warmth surges through your body as your heartbeat echoes in your ears. It's fast, almost unbelievably so, but it's easy to forget it when Rui is right in front of you. His golden eyes gleam as he closes the space between the two of you again, and this time, you can feel a smile gracing his lips. And in your ear, you can barely hear him whisper three words:

"I love you."

just this once. (scaramouche x gn!reader)

warnings/notes! sick insomniac reader, scara is a bit of a meanie in the beginning, fluff, implied suggestive content

(a/n) gift for kyoi!! ive been bribed to write this - also this is scaramouche, not wanderer! takes place before sumeru archon quest - requests are open at the time of writing this btw!!

epilogue in the tags!!

enjoy!!⋆｡°✩

________________________________________

"Idiot."

"Hey!"

"What? I'm not the one who's sick right now. Only idiots catch colds." Scaramouche sneered at you, dark violet eyes gleaming cruelly.

"I've got a fucking weak immune system!!" Protesting, you crossed your arms and pouted from where you lay buried underneath the blankets on your bed.

"As a puppet, all I can say is that human bodies warrant more trouble than they're worth. As far as I'm concerned, you're the one who has the lacking side of the bargain here." Scaramouche rolled his eyes at your antics, only laughing quietly to himself when you abruptly sneezed.

Sniffling, you glared up at him. "Ugh, seriously? I'm sick right now, can we just..." You gestured your hands wildly, not exactly sure what point you were trying to prove. "...not?"

"As if."

"Be roommates with Scara, they said... it'll be fun, they said..." Cursing under your breath you sighed dramatically. "Who am I kidding right now??"

The Fatui Harbinger just stared at you, a smile playing at his lips. "Go on, it's fun seeing you so worked up over nothing. Ah~ truly. Why go circuses from Fontaine when you already have such a dramatic show in front of you?" Scaramouche let out a bout of laughter, only pausing when you sneezed yet again.

Groaning loudly, you flopped back onto your pillow with a soft thump. Scaramouche watched your movements as if he had nothing better to do.

"So... are you just... going to stand there? Ominously?" You sent a pointed look at the violet-haired man, arms crossed, eyes half-open and staring down at you.

"Maybe I will."

"Whatever then. Goodnight." You turned over, gripping your plush blankets with one hand with the other propped under your head while you tried not to think about Scara's burning gaze on you. And although you were tired, tired was an understatement, you couldn't find it in you to fall asleep. Either it was the Fatui Harbinger standing by your bedside and seemingly waiting for you to fall asleep, or maybe it was just your insomnia being a bitch. Your heart hammered in your ears. Why now, out of all times, had you had to get sick?

"Hey. You okay?"

What was that?

"Turn around for a second. I can't see your face." There was a note in the man's voice that you had somehow never heard before. The sneering tone was gone, for once and it had been replaced with someone a lot more mild.

"...Okay." Turning around, you felt your face flush at the sight. Some time had passed, and now the bright moonlight streamed into the room through the windows on the adjacent wall. Scaramouche stood there, chin slightly lifted, gaze unwavering, his hair ruffled lightly and an almost worried expression on his face.

...worried...?

Scaramouche leaned forward, brows furrowing at your red face. Gently cupping your cheek, easily taking you by surprise, he frowned slightly. "You're burning up."

"W-What-??"

"Stay here. Don't get up or even try to move or you will overexert yourself. I know your limits far more than you do." Scaramouche pressed a finger to your lips, effectively shushing you. However, his eyes were still uncharacteristically soft, expression weary, almost. He was acting so... soft. And it was almost scaring you. "I'm going to get you an ice pack and something to drink."

Not really sure how to respond, you just nodded.

Scaramouche smiled at your reply. And it was strange. Really, really strange. Bursts of something you couldn't exactly decipher spread throughout your body, lighting up something in your heart. It was hard to describe, as much as it was hard to feel it. As soon as you had broken out of your daze, the harbinger was already gone.

So, you sat there, and waited.

And before long, he was back. This time, carrying a little wooden tray with two cups on it. One for you, and on for him. You didn't even know Scaramouche was capable of acting like this. You gratefully accepted the cup, sipping the drink happily. It was on nights like these that you truly were able to appreciate how lucky you were.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Mhm. Thanks... for well, everything you've done for me tonight." You beamed at him. Your fever had gone down, and now the night air felt cold on your skin. You were in a Fatui encampment in Shneznaya, but the only thing it made you do was make you long for the warm afternoons of Liyue.

Scaramouche had pulled up a chair - when, you had no idea. He silently nodded before trailing his gaze back up to you.

"Still can't sleep?"

"Ah... well..." You let out a sheepish giggle, placing your now-empty cup on the nightstand beside your bed. "You know how it is. I have trouble falling asleep."

Scaramouche stayed silent at that, and didn't say anything. You had begun to think you had somehow offended him, and he was thinking up of ways to dispose of your body before he finally spoke again. "Are you cold?"'

You nodded truthfully before saying, "It's only to be expected, though. Even with the Fatui's high technology heating systems, Shneznaya's permanent winter just can't be beaten." Shivering, you huddled up the blankets on your bed tighter.

"Then...

...Can I sleep with you? Just this once?"

Caught you off-guard was an understatement. A severe understatement. You stared at Scaramouche, who was busy examining the floor, face flushed. "...Can you repeat that?"

"Ugh- You-!" Scaramouche cut himself off, face red. "I'll sleep with you. Just for tonight."

...scara's blushing. "Why so flustered?" you jokingly retorted, somewhat enjoying the current situation.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"Hmmm~ well, you'll have to give me some time to decid-"

Scaramouche didn't let you finish. He rushed forward, holding your shoulders in his tight grip as he fell onto you. Strands of hair framed his face in a picturesque manner as you stared up at him from where he had you pinned on the bed. Not even letting you stop to breathe, he pressed your wrists above your head and into the mattress, your eyes widening as you felt a warm pair of lips meet yours. He stole your breath away as he pulled back, glistening eyes dilated as he smirked down at you. His usual expression was beginning to dawn back on his face as he leaned into you and whispered into your ear:

"I don't think you'll ever have trouble sleeping again."