Xiangli Yao — ‘ THE ULTIMATE TRUTH ’

COULDA, WOULDA, SHOULDA, DIDN'T (ALTERNATE ENDING).

➳ synopsis: aventurine has never lost. that's what he tells people when he makes bets and in passing conversation about gambling. but every night when he lays in bed, he will always think about the day he almost lost you. angst version.

➳ character/s: aventurine

➳ warnings: 2.1 spoilers, aventurine backstory spoilers, aventurine real name spoilers, mentions of death, slavery (it's not romanticised, you're safe-), mentions of torture, blood, hurt/comfort, marriage, sleeping together (literally), reader described as beautiful

➳ word count: 0.7k

➳ notes: here's the happy version for those who were asking for it LMAO also i jumped on the bandwagon of fic writers inspired by aventurine official art-

𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 / 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭  / 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 / 𝐰𝐢𝐩 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

aventurine will never forget the day he met you. he himself didn't know much better than you did as you ran for your lives as children, but he knew he never wanted to see you like that ever again. that night, he thinks he fell in love.

even with the heavy metal cuffs crushing your wrists, he thought you were beautiful. in the most horrible circumstances, you found solace in each other's arms. aventurine made it a habit to kiss your brand mark and then your forehead as he let you use his arm as a pillow. any screams of pain either of you made as you were roughly dragged from your cell to undergo 'disciplining' haunt your minds in the rare moments of emptiness.

the day aventurine was bought away by jade, he's never felt fear quite the same as looking back and seeing you be dragged away by your cuffs, calling out for him as he left while you were pulled further down the abyss of pain and agony.

"i'll come back for you, wait for me!" he yelled behind him. he was desperate, he didn't know if he would ever get to come back for you and ultimately, that scared him more. the idea that his last interaction with you was filled with despair only fueled his desire to rise to the top. he would free himself and ensure that when (if) he freed you, you would have everything you needed immediately.

aventurine remembers the day he came back for you. he'd beat up a lot of guards, and possibly killed a couple, only to find you unconscious and bleeding onto the cold concrete floor in your cell. scrambling to his knees, he held you in his arms and bolted out the door, desperately praying to whatever god would listen that you were alive.

he lived a nightmare as you recuperated in hospital, but nothing came close to making him cry since leaving you than holding your hand and kissing you all over again as if it was your first time. each night as he slept in the chair beside your hospital bed, he wondered what would've happened if he never got to you or was too late.

when he proposed to you, it felt like a fever dream. when he woke up the next morning to see you beside him, ring glinting in the morning sun and cheek pressed into a silk pillowcase rather than dusty concrete. he smiled in adoration, pulling you closer by the waist and chuckling at your sleepy whine of protest before burying your head into his chest and falling back asleep. taking your hand in his, he kissed the ring he'd given to you as a token of your engagement, resting his chin atop your head.

his phone rang and he sighed, blindly reaching behind him to check who was calling him. dr. ratio.

groggily, he answered. "you're calling early, don't you know i'm spending my paid leave with my wonderful fiance?"

aventurine could practically hear the eye roll from dr. ratio over the phone. "i am well aware, i just thought you would want to be informed that i have located your old master that was missing from the premises when you were searching for them," he said, probably polishing one of his marble busts to occupy himself.

"...keep an eye on him. i'll figure out what to do with him when i get more sleep." and with that, aventurine hung up the phone. he returned his attention to you and caressed his thumb over your hip as he pondered this newfound information.

he could've lost you if he didn't get there when he did. he's grateful for that, because he can have you by his side forever and a little bit more. he would've come looking for you to discover you'd died if he didn't push himself harder than recommended to rise to the top. he should've lost you, for that is what the sick gods on some alternate plane of reality deemed reasonable for his kind.

he didn't.

heather

loading...dom subject 2 albedo x sub gn reader

summary: only if you knew how much I liked you but I watch your eyes, as he walks by. what a sight for sore eyes brighter than the blue sky. he's got you mesmerised with i die.

warnings: spoilers for shadows amidst snowstores event, smut, m4sturb4t10n, he is imagining all of this, unprotected s3x, or4l (reader giving), throatfking, rough s3x, penetration (reader receiving), dumbification, angst, I just realised this kinda has yandere implications but very very slight it's not meant to be read that way S2 isn't possessive/obsessive over reader but he does feel bitter over their love for albedo and wishes it was him so he vents it out I won't tag it as yandere but if what I described feels uncomfortable for you then you don't need to read it

(if I ever make a part 2 I'm gonna make it dom reader)

Alone in his hideout, deep within the mountainous Dragonspine, he lets out a sigh of relief as he pulls down his shorts. His eager hand cups the tent, palming his crotch while his teeth bites the glove off his free hand before tossing it aside. He repeats the motion with his other hand while his ungloved hand resumes the movement on his crotch. It dips into his underwear, pulling out his awaiting cock and wrapping his palm over it.

He wishes it was you. He wishes your soft hand was the one rubbing his cock. He wishes you were on your knees, looking up at him with needy eyes. He wishes you were here. But no. He doesn't have to wonder about your whereabouts. You were with him.

He saw the two of you today. That person was carrying you on his back. Fresh bruises and scratches littered all over your body. Goes to show how much of a failure he is. If it was him, he would have been able to protect you. He wouldn't have allowed anyone to lay a hand on a beautiful human such as yourself. He could have been better than that so-called perfect version of himself.

But your eyes weren't filled with disappointment or anger towards that person. Even with droopy half lidded eyes, there was a content smile on your face. The sight sickened him, filling his stomach with nauseating filth that made him want to throw up.

He first met you at midnight. By then most humans should have left Dragonspine. It was that day he discovered you weren't "most humans". You had mistaken him for Albedo — good — and chastised him for staying up late. You noted it would be too tiring of a journey for him to head back to his camp so you dragged him to stay the night at your camp. You cooked dinner for him, fussed over his unhealthy habits — Albedo’s habits more accurately — and asked him about his day. Never did anyone care for him as much as you did. But that blooming warmth was extinguished when he realised you cared for Albedo and not him.

"You can take the bed tonight. I can sleep on the floor,"

"Why can't we just share the bed?"

Your bright face turned into one of embarrassment. "S-share? You...want to share a bed with me?"

He tilted his head. "Yes, isn't that sensible? Humans preserve their natural body heat when they huddle up together."

It's only rational. He didn't understand your hesitation. That is until you two were actually sharing the bed. He strokes his hardened cock, remembering the way your plush body pressed up against his. The way your hot breath brushed against his neck. The way you wriggled under the covers in an effort to spare some distance between you and himself. The way you bit your plump moistened lips and avoided his gaze. Fuck, those lips. What pretty, pretty lips. He wanted to kiss them until they bruised. He wanted to bite them and shove his tongue past them. Or maybe he could shove something else.

His imagination painted a painting of you still on your knees but with your lips parted open. You were trembling under his intense stare that bore into your skull. He was getting impatient, and he felt like he had to use all of his restraint to not give into the urge to stuff his entire cock in your mouth. He groans at the image of your dumbstruck face as you struggle to take his dick. But he rewinds that thought and decides to tease you instead. With a smug smirk, he imagines himself rubbing his cockhead against your moist lips, smearing it with pre-cum. Your eyebrows would furrow and you would force yourself to take all of him. It would be too much for you of course, so you would choke but stubbornly try to continue even when tears clouded your vision. Instead of easing, he would be rougher, harshly grabbing your head and taking control to just fuck your mouth like his own cocksleeve.

He hisses, speeding up his strokes. He wants to cum right now. He needs to cum right now, he needs to cum, he needs to cum he needs to cum he needs to—

White spurts out his cock, tainting the ground. In his imagination, a surprised sound slips out of your throat, muffled by his cock in your mouth. You would gulp, forcing yourself to swallow everything he gives you and he rewards you by patting your head. At last, he relaxes as he calms down from his high, returning back to the present where he is sitting alone on his bed, jacking off to you. So this is an orgasm…

The concept of sex is not completely foreign to him. He has read books about it, and he understands that it is not just for reproduction, but as a show of love and trust. Given your feelings for Albedo, you've likely had desires to engage in this activity with him.

In the days you've spent with him, he noticed the lovesick look in your eyes whenever you looked at him. Thinking he was Albedo, you followed him around like a clingy puppy, went out of your way to prepare meals for him and gave him little trinkets that you thought he would like. What a lucky bastard. To have people who accept him as one of their own, to have a family and to be loved by such a perfect human.

He'll take it all from him. He'll take his identity, he'll take his family, he'll take you the moment the opportunity presents itself. You'll be happy too. He'll profess his love to you and you'll happily accept. He would have you for himself and he'll finally be able to kiss you just like he has been longing to do. He would be able to savour your sweetness. He would be able to savour your body.

Wetting his cracked lips, his hand dips down once again. He adjusts himself to the centre of the bed, ridding himself of his undergarments so he could spread his legs freely. Sweat cascades down his features, his neck burning as he allows indecent thoughts of you to roam in his head.

You would be laying bare under him. He hasn’t seen you naked before but he knows from staring at your body for an ungodly amount of time — he claimed it was just an attempt to sketch you — that you would be fucking hot. He would be looking down at you, desire burning within his teal eyes that would threaten to light you aflame. A carnal flame that yearned to devour you whole.

He skips the foreplay; his mind racing to conjure up a stimulating scenario. Moans reverberated off the cavern walls that he calls his home, serving as an incentive for him to pound into you faster. He wrecks your hole, plunging in and out with such force that makes your eyes roll into the back of your skull. You’re choking on air, choking on your words as you try to call out to him.

“Hah– arghk! Ah–! Albe– mMH! Kkhn...Albedo!”

His daydream disrupted, he winches. Ah, that’s right he wasn’t given a name, was he? Well that doesn’t matter. Once he replaces Albedo he can wipe all memory of him from his mind. He can pretend he has always been Albedo. It would be his new identity, not that he has one in the first place. Although he can enact his plan – dispose of Albedo and take his place – and take you in the process, somehow it...hurt. It hurts knowing that whenever he sees those bright eyes full of adoration looking at him, it is aimed towards Albedo and not him. When you shower him in love, it's full of your love for Albedo and not him. Even if he replaced him, the one you love would always be Albedo and it will always be since you fell for him in the first place.

He grinds his jaws as he forces himself to return to his daydream. He imagines himself fucking your harder, harder, harder, fucking you so dumb that you can’t even talk. He doesn’t want you to talk if you are going to call out for him. He’ll get used to it one day. Maybe. But right now, the thought of you lusting over that disappointing failure his master calls a “pinnacle of creation” makes his fucking blood boil. You scream in pleasure, nails digging into the sheets as he buries himself deep within you. He’s the one making you feel this way. It’s him. Only him. Yes, if he keeps doing this, if he keeps giving you pleasure, you’ll realise he’s the one for you, right? You’ll fall in love with him right? You’ll forget about him, right?!

“Fuck, (Name)! Forget about– hgh– him... forget about him, forget about him! He is worthless, he is nothing! Hah, fuck…I love you! I love you more than he could ever! Fuck, fuck, fuck, (Name), I love you, I love you! Fucking take it!”

He violently slams into you one last time before spilling himself inside you; he’s marked you as his. You squeal, you greedy hole squeezing him and milking his cock. He pants, kissing your cheek as he pulls out. You hand cups his cheek as you return the kiss, smiling as you whisper to him.

“I love you,”

He opens his eyes, his hand dyed with cum. Sweat drips down his body, his entire body feverish and his hair begraddled. Gods, what have you done to him? He lets out a long breath, about to get up and clean himself off.

“Albedo?” he freezes. “Is that you?”

short lil aventurine imagines I have in my head..

dark content dni. / also mention nightmares and fem reader!

aventurine who’s really touch starved so he cuddles , hugs you any chance he gets.

aventurine who teaches u how to gamble just in case you two play together.

aventurine who laughs when you call him “rinrin”.

aventurine who haves you on his lap n’ lets you kiss his chips for good luck.

aventurine who wins every round of gambling then thanks you for the good luck.

aventurine who slowly opens up to you about his past slowly trusting you.

aventurine who will kiss you every time you wake up.

aventurine who lets you do skincare on him as your home date.

aventurine who watches horror movies with you on date nights.

aventurine who secretly wants to marry you sooner or later<3.

aventurine who wakes up early to draw doodles on your face as a prank.

aventurine who wants to have a family with you.

aventurine who loves to spoil you rotten.

aventurine who wakes up to nightmares you slowly comfort him<3.

NO ANGST IN MY HOOD BRO😭🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾‼️‼️🗣️🗣️ sorry

XHRUEGDHEBDVDJ??? ;;;;

𖥻⠀،⠀‹ ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN ↷

▾ ꭛ ˖ ︴CHARACTERS : aether x reader

▾ ꭛ ˖ ︴WARNINGS : aether cursing, mentions of blood and injury

▾ ꭛ ˖ ︴NOTE : i made a seven deadly sins reference hehe. proof read, i wrote this at 1 am 💀

if you enjoyed my content, consider sending a tip on my ko-fi!

aether had always been odd, but not in an unpleasant way. rather, he was mysterious—yes, that is the proper word to describe him.

always soft-spoken, always smiling—so bright it can rival the sun—and always ready to solve whatever problem comes your way.

halting your movements, you stand in front of your household, captured in a daze. your thoughts were filled with a certain male blonde, not because you were too lovestruck—although that isn't too far of an assumption.

you were never graced by lady luck's mercy, but it had not always been like this. death never greeted you when you least expected it every waking moment. telltales of a curse passed down from generation to generation had you wondering whether you were its unfortunate victim.

however, you digress.

aether, as if someone godsend, is always there with his blade shining a dangerous glint, ready to deflect death's scythe. whenever death lingers a little bit too close, you best know that the male twin would have you in his safe embrace.

"it's as if he knew just what will transpire," you mumbled absentmindedly, unaware of your feet leading you out of the safety of your home and into the dangers of mondstadt territory.

recently, wolfhounds have begun appearing near mondstadt city. you could only hope that something large-scale as this isn't due to your awful fortune. it led you to believe bennett's bad luck is tamer than yours.

where would you be now without aether? a visionless person like you, not acknowledged by the gods, surely is not a threat to death. yet, what did your bloodline even do to receive such a curse—if your family really is cursed—and what is its nature?

alas, a normal citizen such as you, or as normal as one can be, cannot protect yourself from the unexpected outcry of the said wolfhounds that once invaded the territory of lupus boreas. as quick as lightning, disappearing in a blink of an eye and reappearing with their razor-sharp nails covered with a corrosive substance, you found yourself surrounded.

panic and fear overcame your whole senses and only then were you able to snap out of your daze. what can a mere basket with sweet madames do? your friends in springvale would certainly not like it if you give them ruined food.

you can almost taste blood in your mouth, the horrific taste of metal making you want to gag. death began to appear before you once more, this time, in the form of massive claws set out to rip you to shreds.

with your instincts into overdrive, you sidestepped one attack, only to land yourself in front of another. a cry rang out, and it only registered to you that the noise was your own when jolts of pain traveled throughout your body, paralyzing you on the spot. a substance so warm and sticky trickled down your arm, dirtying the ground and turning them red.

you looked up, your vision dimming, and razor-sharp teeth greeted you. your head will be cut off, and all you can think about is aether.

a glint of a silver blade blinded you, prompting you to close your eyes as drops of blood decorated your face. it burned but it was nothing compared to the searing pain in your arm. still, even the pain numbed down as your heart continued to pound erratically. 

it only registered in your ear that a familiar voice is screaming for your name, calling you desperately.

"aether…" you muttered knowingly before opening your eyes.

just like the many times he had saved you from death, his long and golden hair appeared disheveled, his face drained of blood, and his knuckles white from gripping his blade too tight. his golden irises eyed you with the same intensity, the same concern, and the same care.

when he saw your state, aether could feel his heart drop. he may have gotten rid of the wolfhounds, but you were still hit, their poison making it difficult for you to even move.

he could lose you at any given moment. not again.

"shit! we need to take you back to the cathedral!"

the next thing you knew, you were hoisted up in his arms, carried like a bride. the hailed hero of teyvat ran as if his life depended on it, your weight seemingly nothing for him. 

"don't close your eyes, okay, love? i'll bring you to barbara and she will patch you up." his voice trembled, you noticed, and the endearment did not escape your ear either. unfortunately, there were more pressing matters at hand.

even in your predicament—with the adrenaline leaving your body, and the wound beginning to hurt once again—you still find it in you to form coherent thoughts.

"why…?"

it was not a question pertaining to why he saved you, but to ask why he always manages to be there for you no matter which corner of teyvat you find yourself in.

aether knew what you meant, and his lips that were shut tight before began to move. he clutched onto you so tightly, desperate to feel your warmth, reassuring him for the nth time that you were still with him.

"i failed you one hundred and six times, i won't let you slip away this time."

for he who once traveled worlds, now traveled time and space, breaking taboos and disrupting balance, all to find a timeline where you lived.

▾ ꭛ ˖ ︴END NOTE : likes and reblogs are very much appreciated. thank you for the 200+ follows! i may open requests for an event soon, idk not really confident still.

Akiren, Goro kissing headcanons

Note: i hope this is to your liking anon! <3

Akiren

He honestly does not care where he is, if you ask for a kiss, you are getting one! Although, of course, there are limits. He would not engage in a full-on make out session with you outside, but he would definitely indulge you in a kiss or two. There may be times where he gives the back of your hand kisses too, and if you turn to look at him he will give you a smile and a wink.

In private though, his kisses are gentle and reassuring, you will never want to leave his arms. This man is absolutely in love with you, completely taken by you, and he makes sure you feel the full extent of his feelings. Whenever you pull away, he will nuzzle your nose and whisper a soft, "I love you so much," against your lips. He likes giving you neck kisses too, especially if you're ticklish there. If you show any kind of reaction, he will kiss you there whenever he is in the mood to be playful. He is also the kind of person to give you a kiss, just cause. You're in the way and he needs to pass through? Gives you a quick kiss in your shoulder, and an "Excuse me, treasure."

His kisses are fun and passionate, another way of expressing his love and as a way to keep him grounded. Sometimes, as he kiss a ticklish spot and you giggle, he smiles to himself and thinks that everything is going to be okay, because he has you.

Goro

He is not really into PDA, especially considering he has a public image to uphold and he thinks it will put you in harm's way if the both of you ever try to publicize your relationship. So if you ever ask him to kiss outside, he will wave you off. But if you are in a semi-private place, somewhere you can probably hide for a few minutes, then he may give you a peck on the lips. That's all you're getting though, as he tells you, "Be patient, please."

Whenever you are behind closed doors though, there's a sense of urgency and need behind his kisses. As if he is trying to confirm for himself that you are really there with him, and that it is his only lifeline. If you keep indulging him, he may or may not get addicted. He also likes giving you forehead kisses, and you may find him giving you a lot of those when he is extra affectionate. He finds your kisses as a way to 'recharge', and so in the times you are tangled up in each other's embrace, he makes the most of it. "Are you okay?" you asked one night, and Goro nods while tucking a stray hair behind your ear and a kiss on your nose, "I am now."

His kisses are a way for him to express his feelings, because gods is he terrible at it sometimes. But he is trying, and he hopes that somehow, that reaches you. There are so many things he cannot tell you yet, and when he remembers that, his kisses turn desperate and needier than usual.

People have been adopting their favourite characters so much now that Mihoyo actually went and said: Meet Childe, your new child.

When people first meet the twins, they think that Aether is the chaotic one and Lumine is the stotic one, until they realize their mistake when Lumine tries to stab whatever problems they have and Aether has to stop her.

love again

dan heng x gn reader 3.3k words , hurt comfort + second chance romance this was inspired by one of cardan's letters to jude (from the folk of the air series by holly black) but other that than i have no idea where this was going ++ dan heng might be ooc too but this was very fun to write :,)

the astral express used to be your home.

now, it is nothing more than a sore subject; a burden that presses on your being—a constant reminder that perhaps, there are some things you grow out of, but are forever unable to get rid of. it has taken far too much of your life for you to cast aside, and as much as you wish you could permanently erase it from memory, you aren’t sure if you even want to.

it’s a conflicting dilemma to be faced with. you’re constantly wedged in between two emotions: wanting to forget, and wishing you didn’t want to. there’s something so comforting about holding onto the remnants of the past. and yet, simultaneously, there is also something so devastating when faced with the realization that they belong only to the past; nothing more than a reflection of a bygone time.

still, you’d like to say that you’re faring pretty well. belobog has taken quite the space in your heart, and even though it might only be filling the hole that the express left you with, you’re more than content.

you’ve learned to adapt to the everwinter—the eternal freeze, as they’d call it. and even though it’s sweeping winds have proven to be quite bothersome at times, you don’t really mind. you’ve gotten used to enveloping yourself in a thick coat before exiting the house. and waking up a few minutes earlier than usual to warm yourself with a hot beverage isn’t so horrible.

but most importantly, you’ve begun looking forward to your days, as opposed to letting what happened a few months back tie you down.

it was a moment in time anyone would remember vividly had they experienced it—for a completely haunting reason. even after seven months of solitude; more specifically, seven months of self induced isolation, you can still easily step back into that day, as well as the ones that followed, though those are a bit more blurred in comparison.

when dan heng accused you of being a traitor, you knew there was no going back. in the blink of an eye, everyone on the astral express viewed you differently, and as much as they tried to believe otherwise, they couldn’t shake off the possibility of his words holding some ounce of truth to them; his status was that of a trusted guard, authority held in high esteem.

but he was also your lover.

dan heng was the embodiment of everything you’ve longed for; precious, beloved, sacred. only, that wasn’t enough to quell his misplaced anger towards you. instead, it fueled it even more, and with each day that followed, he made his distaste for you increasingly apparent.

you’ve tried to explain—persistently, and determined to dispel any suspicion he held towards you; desperate to make things right; to make him love you again. but every time you’d catch him alone and free from his duties, he’d glower at you before you could even reach him, and even as you trailed after him with a string of rushed explanations falling from your mouth, he wouldn’t listen. he didn’t want to. he didn’t need it.

he didn’t need you.

and who were you to ask for more? soon enough, even welt and himeko had little to no trust for you. they couldn’t even seem to tolerate you; always making excuses to avoid engaging in conversation, seemingly edging you out of their circle through subtle means.

it was exhausting, and also painful. incredibly so that one silent night, you hopped onto the train, dragging a suitcase from behind and begging pompom to take you somewhere else—anywhere else—and to keep quiet about your disappearance. not that you thought anyone would care, really, but still.

that’s how you ended up in belobog; with a broken heart you’ve tried piecing back together and an unspoken explanation festering in the back of your mind—that you weren’t siding with kafka, simply hoping to reach a compromise with her; a conversation caught and taken completely out of context.

but you’re faring pretty well. and time heals all wounds, apparently, so there’s an obstreperous hope rooted deep in your heart that makes you believe things might just really get better. each day that passes signifies another step inching you closer towards the line of recovery. and perhaps, knowing that one day you might cross it, was enough.

but belebog has been in some commotion lately.

for a reason completely unknown to you, the silvermane guards have been raising a ruckus by the streets every day. causing citizens, in return, to erupt into an uproar in absolute fear of what might follow.

and you’ve resigned yourself to that oblivion. ignorance is bliss, and you had no plan on disrupting the semblance of peace that’s been so graciously bestowed upon you. but the world has an incredibly humorous way of working, and somehow, it seemed hellbent on giving you the answer to a question you had no interest knowing.

“please wait.”

a firm hand encloses itself around your wrist, tightening its grip even further (though still gentle), upon noticing how you were trying to escape.

“y/n—” he tries once more.

“no,” you deny without any hesitation.

everything about this is wrong. the last thing you needed was for dan heng to appear right in front of you, and in belobog of all places. god, this was your home; your newfound sanctuary—did he have to ruin that too? how long until enough was enough?

you despise the way his touch sears into your skin, abhor the fact that even after months, he still manages to get a reaction out of you, and resent that your heart still races seeing the tender look on his face. that treacherous, good for nothing organ.

you level him with a glare before forcefully pulling your hand away from his; the loss of his warmth causes your heart to sink into your chest. “do not speak to me,” is all you say, and then pivot on your heel to walk towards the opposite direction—going to god knows where.

“this is where you’ve gone to?”

the question falls on deaf ears.

“you do not belong in belebog,” he says.

and you want to whirl around to ask him: where do i belong then? the astral express, where you have all cast me aside? but they remain lodged up in your throat, eventually dying when you realize how meaningless it would be trying to argue with someone who has never been willing to listen in the first place.

you continue walking, and each step you take is so heavy that they echo in his ears. dan heng is at a loss for what to do—has been for the couple of months, but he knows better than to let this opportunity slip through his grasp, so he follows, trailing behind you while keeping a distance.

he tries making small talk; starts talking about how he’s on a mission, accompanied with march and a newfound acquaintance who goes by the name trailblazer—claims that belobog is bound for conflict, and that he’s glad to see you, as if he wasn’t the one who pushed you away.

but you pay him no mind. there is no reason to show him any reaction. all you need to do is disregard him until he gives up.

“herta has been trying to contact you,” he suddenly announces. “she is worried; so are asta and arlan.”

“tell them there is no need. i’m alright.” you reply, voice rushed, wishing to get whatever this was over with.

what follows next are updates about everyone you’ve known on the express: himeko, welt, march, and even a couple of researchers have apparently been worried in regards to your disappearance; asking pompom about your whereabouts, and soon trying to find out the answer themselves. and while it washes away a bit of indignation, it holds little to no value to you now.

so what if they were troubled? for all you knew, they deserved it—they wanted you gone, and so you did them a favor by leaving, but now they want to pretend that they care? incredulous.

in a fit of frustration, you take a sudden halt in your steps, prompting him to take a pause as well; his feet rooted to the cobblestone pavement. when you turn to face dan heng, his shoulders straighten to correct his posture and his eyes search to meet yours, but you’re unhappy—displeased, and quite annoyed.

“leave. me.” you demand through gritted teeth, trying to prevent every other word threatening to escape by biting on your tongue.

but he cannot. because if you’ve been faring pretty well, then dan heng has been faring horribly, and if he made a mistake, then it was up to him to fix things.

“i have been looking for you,” he admits.

“you’ve found me, now leave.”

“my love—” he tries to begin, and it nearly kills you.

“do not!” you yell, every emotion you’ve been trying to keep at bay reaching its boiling point; eyes flaring with bitter anger at the term of endearment. “you have no right to call me that!”

you can’t do this anymore. for the sake of your own wellbeing; your pride and sanity, or whatever is left of them—and for every piece of yourself you’ve slowly been regaining. he is not allowed to strut out of your life and slam the door on you only to come back.

“you have no right to be here! leave!”

“come back to us.” to me, he wishes to say, though it remains in the back of his mind. “i am begging you.”

“i will never go back.”

“you do not belong in belobog.”

“i do not belong in the express either; you have made that very clear to me—all of you have.”

“i was mistaken in my judgment.” he tries to reason. and the turn of events is humorous, because this was exactly what you’ve been trying to do a few months back. and now, dan heng is completely aware of how desperate the feeling is. “but i have explained. they were not wrong to put their faith in me, but i was wrong to accuse you—i am sorry. the fault is on me, but please do not blame them for their suspicion.”

“i don’t care. you don’t get to do as you wish and expect me to follow through. i don’t belong here, yes, but whether you like it or not, this is my home now, and you have no right to take me away from here after tossing me aside.”

gesturing wildly with a hand, you continue. “i have been trying to navigate my way through the aftermath of what happened. and i have resigned myself to that loss—so leave me. you have no right to barge into my life and ask me to come back. you have no right to take advantage of my love after taking it for granted.”

the air stills around you then, temperature seemingly dropping a few more degrees, if that were even possible in this everwinter. helpless, you look at dan heng with quiet agony—defenseless and exposed, but most of all, ashamed.

dan heng stares at you in horror, and it makes you want to cry. you needed to get out of here; needed to lick at your wounds and stitch them back shut. god, where did your walls go?

“leave it. i—” you shake your head, unsure on what to say next. your hands fall to your sides, nails digging into the palms of your hands as they clench into fists.

“tell everyone on the astral express that i am fine. there is no need to worry about me.”

and he hates it; the way you speak of your home as if it’s no longer of that nature, but simply a place you once knew of. he hates how you’re right in front of him, within reach, but still out of grasp. and he hates that there is no one to blame for the consequence of his cruelty but himself.

red rimmed, exhausted, and on the precipice of surrender, dan heng’s eyes burn—perhaps he is being too selfish, but even then he doesn’t think he can stop.

“march has been wearing the clothes you’ve left at your station,” he says. and you have no idea where the direction of this conversation is heading, but something compels you to listen anyways. “himeko has been blaming herself for your departure. welt has been persistent in his demands for an answer from pompom. arlan and asta cannot go one day without mentioning your name.”

there’s a slight pause he takes before resuming.

“you have not left just because you did; you are part of the astral express. you will remain a piece of us forever, so please,” dan heng begs, swallowing against a scratchy throat. “come back to us.” and then corrects himself in a broken voice. “to them, at least.”

“enough!” you snap, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“please—”

“you are asking for too much.”

“i will take anything you give me,” he lets out, strained and miserable; unceasing in his pleads. “you can resent me for an eternity, shout at me all you want, curse me unto death, just come home.”

and it’s enough to reduce you into a foolish mess; the patent desperation of it all—longing in his voice, yearning in his eyes. you’ve always had a soft spot for him. it seems that some things never do change.

“you don’t need me,” you whisper, still in disbelief.

dan heng offers you a breathless laugh.

“i do,” he confesses, wearing a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “more than anything else. and i have tried not to need you—not to even think about you, but it’s a losing game.”

he takes a hesitant step towards you, praying you don’t move backwards in response. and when you don’t, it only spurs him on to continue, so he does exactly that; slowly moves closer until you’re only a breath apart from one another.

“when i found out the truth, i have never been more in dispute with myself. it is humiliating being proven wrong, but rather than shame, i felt sorry for not believing you; for not even listening.”

you have no room to cut in. he speaks before you can let out a single word. “i don’t deserve forgiveness. i don’t deserve to even ask for it, or any of this, but i beg you, come home. i am sorry for hurting you—for driving you away, but i’ll be selfish once more and ask you to come home.” hate me at a nearer distance. just don’t be too far away from me.

and for once, you’re rendered speechless; completely overwhelmed. your cheeks flush with heat, and you feel so much that you begin to cry—pathetically sobbing as you fall into him and weakly punch at his chest, somehow still managing to feel your heart skip a beat at the contact.

“why are you here?” you cry, choking between words and hiccups. “you confuse me. i don’t know what any of this means.”

he pulls you in closer, placing your head on his shoulder with a careful hand, allowing your tears to stain the fabric. “i love you.”

“you don’t know anything about love.”

“i do. i know it because it’s you.”

you sob into his shoulder, shaking. “i hate you.”

“i know,” he says, rubbing small circles on your back to soothe you. “but i love you, forever and always. i don’t think i can stop. i have been too careless with you. if you’re willing to let me, i want to fix that.”

“you can’t. i’m a mess.”

so dan heng says, “i love you regardless. i’ll love you always,” but what he doesn’t tell you is i have been killing myself over your absence. you have the power to destroy me, and you don’t even know it—and i have no idea what to do with that revelation.

you could turn into a criminal and i would still fear losing you more than i would death. i would follow you anywhere, even if it meant i had to throw away all my morals—so long as i’m with you, i need nothing more.

though, he’s still quite relieved you aren’t actually evil.

“you won’t.”

“i will.”

“but you left me,” you murmur.

“and i’ll never do that again,” he promises, words dripping with so much honesty that you can’t refute them; sincerity practically emanating from his body.

your pulse quickens. already faltering in your resolve to push him aside, the lump in your throat expands to a quivering voice as you breathe out his name: dan heng.

the way it rolls off of your tongue enthralls him. it’s enough to send him into a spiral—it’s also enough for him to understand what you’re trying to convey.

he pulls you in even closer, eliminating any space between you two as he presses up against your form, relishing in the way you feel in his arms—something he was starting to doubt he’d ever feel again.

really, honest to god, he was definitely made for you.

"i'm sorry. i'm sorry. i'm so incredibly sorry," he apologizes repeatedly while holding onto you. and while his touch is foreign, it is also terribly familiar.

“dan heng,” you call out to him once more.

“yes?” he questions, uncertainty heavy in his tone.

“i cannot go back to the astral express,” you reveal, and he can practically hear how his heart instantly shatters at your words. “not immediately, at least. belobog is a lovely place. i want to stay here for a while.”

and then they piece themselves back whole. “it is nice,” he agrees, arms tightening around your torso like the prospect of letting you go would end him.

“how long until you leave?”

“i am not too sure anymore.”

you pull away slightly to give him a questioning look, and he smiles at your curiosity. “i’ve told you earlier that i have been looking for you. if you are here, then there is no reason for me to leave now.”

“then you’ll stay?” you ask.

“yes,” he tells you. “i will stay.”

“but you have nothing here.”

“i have you.” and that is more than enough for him.

“but the astral express is your home, even more so than it is mine.”

“no,” he corrects you. “the express is where i reside in at most, but my home is wherever you are. and if that’s in belobog, then so be it.”

“you’ll stay here with me? in this cold?”

“yes,” he assures you, lifting a hand to cup your face. as a thumb brushes across your cheek, he starts leaning in until his lips hover over yours. “i’d like to stay with you, and i’d like to keep it that way forever, if you would let me.”

you don’t say anything else, because truthfully, it’s unnecessary to speak in this moment. instead, you find another way to communicate with him by filling in the gap separating you two with a kiss.

dan heng makes a startled sound, shocked at your advances, especially with taking into consideration the circumstance prior to this. but then realization strikes through him, and soon, he’s kissing you back.

it’s slow at first; delicate, unsure if any of this was actually real, uncertain if he even deserved it. either way, he’s mapping every second of this moment onto his heart, eyes slipping shut as he wills himself to be patient with you. but then sweet longing pierces through him, and the kiss turns fervent, wholly desperate, because it has been far too long—and he realizes that he’s wasted too much time.

so he keeps kissing you, and you let him.

warmth floods from your face to your chest to your fingers, spreading like wildfire. belobog is a region of unparalleled coldness—it is always freezing here; the wind is biting, and there’s a permanent chill that creeps through the air. but right now, you are melting into a lovesick puddle as dan heng kisses you with an intensity you’ve never known before; transferring all the love—all the longing, he’s stored up for you through slightly chapped lips and careful touches.

you think of it all of a sudden; how dan heng told you that home is wherever you are—and in his arms, you realize just how true that statement is.

Genshin Impact 2.5 - Anime Version

me: *watches anime*

me: *posts about anime*

me: *has anime character as icon*

me: *has anime character as header*

me: *has anime quote as blog title*

me: *downloads anime wallpaper*

me: *buys anime merchandise*

me: *learns lyrics to anime openings*

me: *downloads anime openings into itunes*

me: anime

person: wow you’re a weeb lol

me: