Genshin Series - The Sides Of Him Only You Get To Have And See Part 1: Soft And Gentle [All Male Characters]

i got you!

yours truly,

premise: as a friend of the most attractive students in school, you're more than used to acting as the middleman between them and the people vying for their affection, often tasked with delivering presents or handing out their love letters. however, when you chance upon a small bouquet of flowers on your desk without a note indicating the sender or who you're meant to give it to, you start to wonder if this one's supposed to be yours.

includes: childe, xiao, diluc, kazuha, albedo, thoma & gorou !

a/n: hahaha why is this so long... anyways this is a college au + reverse harem of some sorts. enjoy. i really don't want this one to flop so likes and reblogs are appreciated thx

“Do you think it's a prank?”

“Why is that the first thing that pops into your mind?” Keqing sighs as she fixes her makeup in front of a compact mirror, smacking her lips to spread the color evenly. “You're really cute, [Name]. why wouldn't someone like you by now?”

Your face burns at the offhand comment. “You're only saying that because we're friends.”

Ayaka giggles, twirling a lock of your hair with her finger. “Of course not. You're very adorable! If anything, it'd be more surprising if nobody likes you.”

“Who do you think it's from, though?” Ganyu quietly asks from beside you, observing the handful of carnations laying on your desk. Scanning the students currently present in the room, she thoughtfully adds, “maybe someone on the shyer side since they couldn't give it to you directly?”

“Or someone who did it to be romantic,” Kokomi suggests, scrutinizing the flowers with keen eyes. “That's quite nice of them.”

You hummed in contemplation, trying to figure out who placed it on your table. “Are you sure it's not a prank... or a mistake? You all sit beside me, so maybe they mistook my seat for yours-”

“You're the only one who faithfully sits there, [Name]. We don't even have assigned seats so most of us sits wherever,” Keqing clarifies, staring at you with a disapproving look. “Don't deny it. You know it's yours.”

“But I can't think of anyone who would like me!” you exclaim in defeat. “I am curious about who gave it, though... I should try to find out who it is...”

“More importantly...” Ganyu smiles at you, noticing the blush dusting your cheeks. “Who do you want it to be?”

childe:

in all honesty, he's your first guess.

not because you think he likes you or anything! he's just a huge flirt.

at the beginning of the school year, you hardly got along. you know he's a friendly guy, but it's in the way that... intimidated you. he's part of the “mood maker” clique, attracting attention wherever he goes, and you're not sure if you could handle his energy...

you preferred to stay away from the spotlight though that's a bit hypocritical considering you're friends with the prettiest group of girls in your year, and he relished in it. you didn't know if you could get along.

you didn't become friends until you were assigned partners for a project that meant a lot for your grade, and you vowed to yourself if you couldn't be close to him, you should at least be close enough to work together without trouble.

in the end, you surprisingly hit it off, childe easing the awkward air between you with jokes and random stories to tell about his weird friends. your friendship didn't end when the project did, and you continued to hang out outside of school. you're sure he didn't approach you to get closer to your friends, either; though you had some doubts at first, he was nothing alike with the jerks who tried to use you.

you're no stranger to the pranks he pulled, nor were you unaware of his flirty nature; he occasionally entertained the lot who fancied him when he attended drinking parties. so it made perfect sense if it was childe who gave those flowers, along with the gifts that followed after. it would just be him messing around again, right? oh, definitely! it wouldn't be the first time he spent his money in reckless abandon, bragging that he has the cash to spare for it.

but unexpectedly when you bring up the topic, his expression darkens, showing no sign of joking around. he looks a little shocked, too, to know someone was pursuing you.

“it's not from me,” he admits, gently taking your hand. “but it's true that i like you.”

xiao:

xiao is one of the people you deliver presents to lol

due to his intimidating disposition (and the endless amount of nasty rumors swirling about him, thanks to said intimidating disposition), hardly anybody would dare to approach him, daunted by the perpetual scowl etched on his face. he remains as eye candy, but an entity no one could reach.

you avoided him at first, too. his face is admirable, you can say that much, but you've become somewhat desensitized from having been surrounded by pretty faces 24/7 so you can't really say it's anything new... and yes, you are scared of him to a certain degree. you could never guess what he's thinking.

you weren't sure if he's as scary as people make him out to be though, since people tend to exaggerate gossip for the sake of shock value. he once defended a middle schooler from high school delinquents (through persuasion and not with fists), but the story somehow twisted into another tale entirely detailing how xiao had brutally wiped the floor with their faces and painted the concrete floor with blood...

but as intimidating as he might seem, you don't think he's that kind of character. if you overlook his piercing glare and sharp tongue, he's quite decent.

... you thought that way until you caught him tailing you on your way home.

he crept up behind you, maintaining a natural distance, but after numerous twists and turns in hopes of leading him away, he had yet to cease heading towards your direction. you wouldn't be so suspicious if you hadn't purposely gone in circles around town, leading back to where you came from — which meant he didn't have a particular destination in mind, and fully intended on being hot on your tail.

tired of having bated breath waiting for his next move, you gathered all your courage and confronted him directly, cornering him to the nearest wall to assert dominance. xiao seemed startled by your forwardness, and you took his moment of vulnerability as an opportunity to interrogate him.

unexpectedly, he sheepishly confesses, “i'm not a stalker, i got worried since you're going home this late. haven't you heard about the crime rate these days...”

from there on, you suppose you could say you understood him better. though he's snappy and stern, he's not that terrifying, even sweet at times. when you become proper friends (and you stop suspecting him as your stalker), he saves you a seat next to him, or brings you coffee that you like when he notices you're sleepy in class.

it wasn't long until everybody came to know you were friends and a girl finally — you guessed it — asked you to send a love letter to xiao in her stead.

when you gave it to xiao, he was unusually flustered, flushed pink to the tips of his ears. his expression falls flat once you tell him it's from someone else, badly containing the disappointment to show on his face.

nevertheless, you continue to be friends, and xiao has learned not to expect much from you.

he's the earliest to arrive in class, so you ask him if he'd seen the person who gave you flowers. with a cold, hard look, he says no.

he's acting kind of weird, isn't he...

diluc:

the barista in the coffee shop near your university that has to put up with so much bullshit flirting everyday.

he has to reject people in a roundabout way, and you know he hates it, but of course he has to provide great customer service if he still wants customers right... directly breaking their hearts would only make problems.

but he takes no shit from rude customers.

no, you weren't one of them. in fact, diluc quite liked you a bit. first of all, you don't have any romantic interest for the staff, you genuinely enjoy his drinks (he knows because your face is like an open book), and you mind your own business. he tolerates you enough that he can make small talk with you and it doesn't upset him in the slightest.

so it really ticked him off when some idiot was bothering you in the cafe, starting an argument over a trivial matter that shouldn't be fussed over.

in normal circumstances, diluc would've done the usual protocol — reason with the angry customer, offer free products, and let them leave the premises peacefully. but the moment he saw the man grab your shoulders and you winced in pain as a result, he didn't even have to think of what to do next.

cold coffee rained down on the ill-mannered man's head, evoking a surprised scream out of him. his fingers left your body in favor of patting away the sticky liquid from his clothes, and you stared blankly at the seething figure behind him.

“your order,” diluc announced, his voice tinted with rage. then he pretended to remember something, looking at the empty cup in his hand. “oh, i apologize. you ordered it hot, didn't you?” he forced a smile on his face. “would you like me to brew another one for you?”

the man erupted to a new screaming fit, but he was promptly dragged aside. diluc immediately questioned if you were hurt anywhere, his voice a total 180 from before and turning into a soft tone you nearly didn't recognize.

“that stunt you pulled...” you nervously said. “will you be okay...? won't you get, er, dismissed because of it?”

“...you don't know i own this place?”

“???”

in any case, you've become good friends ever since that incident. so when your secret admirer gives you your customized drink from diluc's shop (that even xiao doesn't know the recipe of!), you ask him if there's a customer who ordered your exact drink that morning.

strangely enough, he changes the subject.

“he only gave you coffee?” diluc wrinkles his nose. “he's not fit for you.”

he proceeds to shove you a plate of pancakes for breakfast and won't let you talk about that topic again.

kazuha:

the soft-spoken boy working part-time as a florist. as one would expect, his good-looking features attracted customers left and right, just like how a flower allures bees with its colorful petals and sweet nectar.

he studies in a different university from you, but it's relatively close by and you run into each other a lot. you could say you're pretty good friends; you exchanged contact information and text every other day, phone each other up to have a meal together whenever you're both free, and hang out over the weekend.

he stirred up some drama with you once. on a rainy day, he invited you to eat lunch together, but you've forgotten to take an umbrella before leaving for school so you told him you'd be a little late 'cause you had to run to the convenience store first. however, he told you not to worry about it and abruptly ended the call.

fast forward to the afternoon: the glass doors to leave the corridors had a few people lurking by, covering what was beyond. you cocked up an eyebrow in question, confused over what was all the fuss, but then you see that familiar pale hair streaked with bright red.

kazuha stood innocently by the school gates, a crimson umbrella in hand, and a small bouquet in the other. he checked his wristwatch every few minutes, seeming to be waiting for someone. he completely ignored the gawking stares pinned on his frame, busying himself by humming a quiet tune.

you hesitantly pushed open the doors, approaching him with wary steps. he immediately perked up once noticing you, beaming brightly to greet you with enthusiasm. he offered you the bouquet, telling you it's nothing more than a small gift the owner had let him craft for free (who mistakenly thought kazuha had a lover, since he was always on his phone texting someone).

you might have known the reasons behind the present, but nobody else did. and what general implications could gifting a bouquet of flowers have?

thus, the school's online forum exploded with questions, asking for the identity of the pretty boy standing by their university, and the lucky person he'd given flowers to.

needless to say it was hard to convince your friends that no, he isn't your boyfriend.

but that was another issue! the issue NOW is the other bouquet you received, much more recent in nature. after suspecting childe, your next thought was to ask kazuha if he had any buyers who purchased the same flowers you had.

his lips twitch for a moment, faintly looking displeased. but he flashes a flawless, award-winning customer service smile, covering his initial expression easily.

“no such customer ordered for those flowers that day. but i am curious about this matter... could you humor me and explain more in detail, by any chance?”

albedo:

the med student fawned over by students and teachers alike. he's simply brilliant, idolized by the entire student body. though he's mainly studying science, he's been praised for his art as well, his paintings hung in the art room proudly.

you're not very familiar with him, only knowing him through hearsay. you don't know what he looks like, so you've never confirmed for yourself if he's as beautiful everyone says he is.

he's well-known but you haven't heard anything bad about him, which is an impressive feat. his name is only ever mentioned in concert with endless compliments.

you meet him by chance in exam season. unsurprisingly, the library is filled to the brim, tables stacked high with books and each chair occupied by agitated students sipping energy drinks and coffee to stay functional. amidst all the chaos, one student remains radiant and carefree, leisurely flicking pages through his notes. he's situated by a corner table, unbothered by the mindless zombies despite having plenty of free seats beside him and everyone else is squished together like canned tuna.

and you, carrying binders, books and stationery, are visibly desperate for a place to rest. his eyes leave the words in his notes briefly, beckoning you to come closer. and you, still unaware of his identity, gladly plop on a chair and heave your heavy supplies atop the table. it shakes for a moment as it bears the new weight, rattling his items, and the zombies gape at you in question. ironically, the person you've been bothering is not offended at all.

you sneak glances at him when you need to freshen your eyes from studying, nauseated by the letters that never seem to come to an end no matter how many paragraphs you've read. you're at awe by his fair skin, not a single blemish in sight, and he doesn't even have dark circles under his eyes. truly mysterious. either he has a magical skincare routine or he's not human. if anything, you'd think he just came from a relaxing vacation, not in the middle of hell week.

you snap out of your trance, and you scold yourself for being bewitched. you have more pressing concerns, and so you grill more information into your brain, oblivious to the turquoise eyes that begin to stare at you.

the next encounter comes when exams are finally over, and you celebrate by buying the pricey food set in the cafeteria. the crunch of golden breading is rewarding for your taste buds and you shovel more food towards your mouth, minding your own business.

the seat next to you is pulled back, and you pause from chewing. it's that guy again, his refined beauty easy for you to recognize. he places his tray on the table, smiling amiably as he asks if it's fine with you should he sit there. you nod, but there's plenty of vacant tables around. it's also pretty weird that he sat next to you, not across...

well, strange as it is, that's how you befriend albedo. you've yet to learn why he came on so strong, almost aggressive. like he really wanted to talk to you. but whatever.

the more you learn about him, the more his image of “golden boy” withers away. picture of elegance? the standard of sophistication? sure. but this guy doesn't hesitate to do the weirdest shit sometimes.

he doesn't fear anything. he puts anything edible in his mouth. one school trip to the countryside taught you a few things. if he's offered fried bugs, he'll eat it. if he's given frog legs, he'll eat it. he doesn't care. he'll eat seemingly anything. because of this, you worry his admirers will put something strange in the food they give him, but that possibility doesn't cross his mind at all. (well. not that he eats it. he rejects gifts most of the time. exceptions are when they come from you.)

you're starting to think he really doesn't fear anything. when you start to scream in fright like a headless chicken while watching a horror movie, he calmly studies the anatomy of whatever horrifying creature is on screen, questioning their ability to walk when half of their body is split apart. why is he questioning horror movie logic. “ghosts are supposed to be transparent and can pass through walls, how come she can grab the main character's hair and drag him to the incinerator?” “albedo, please.” (he comforts you when you get scared, hiding your face in his shoulder as he wraps his arms around you. he softly whispers in your ear to tell you when the scary parts are over.)

he's also an overprotective older brother. for good reason, actually. his little sister, albeit cute and outwardly harmless, is an explosive child who likes to make trouble. if he takes his eyes off her for more than two minutes, she will undoubtedly set fire to his little garden.

but aside from being a pain in the ass, his observation skills can help you — surely albedo can make a few guesses for your secret admirer's identity?

she's the reason why he's so observant. he can tell you trimmed your hair because he's all too used to klee chopping off her own hair with craft scissors. he also notices when you feel a bit under the weather. klee is the type to hide her sickness so she could play outside, and albedo would often have to forcibly tuck her back to bed. you're no different. he will, quite literally, drag you to your house and make you rest.

albedo blinks at you, uncharacteristically silent. he purses his lips, and gives you a small smile. he asks a few unassuming questions, things like what traces your secret left behind, or if they'd sent a love letter and he'd check the penmanship to see if he found it familiar.

he's not the most eager to help, you know that, but you're still slightly disappointed when he says, “sorry, i can't help you with something like that. it'd be better if you figured it out yourself.”

thoma:

the cute neighbor living in the apartment next door. just like kazuha, he studies in a different university, but you run into each other a lot because... well. obviously.

you find him rather silly. he'd signed the lease not knowing pets weren't allowed in the premises, and tearfully waved taroumaru goodbye when he moved in. to cope, he started staying at the park near the apartment building, playing with the dogs there and getting hit on by their owners in the process, but let's not talk about that.

despite being a newcomer, he fit right in with the tenants. he made effort to learn everyone's names and chatted with them whenever presented a chance, thus winning their favor. it isn't a strange sight to see him with middle-aged ladies and looking at home, listening earnestly to their complaints about their husbands or rowdy children. (his hard work pays off when they give him their special recipes and inform him of supermarket deals lol)

he seems to get along well with old men too, invited to their drinking parties. except thoma isn't good at rejecting alcohol from older adults, so when you save him from such situation — pulling him away from the old men prying into his love life, because surely a good kid like him would have someone to love him dearly — he's become eternally grateful.

he's honestly too good for his own good.

exhibit a: thoma is prone to cooking too much food for one person to eat in one sitting, so he tends to invite you to eat his hotpot with him or bring you packaged food you can easily pop into a microwave. after your one act of goodwill, he's become strangely attached to you, pronouncing you best buds. he then admits he used to live with a larger group of people (hence his cooking habits), and he's thankful for your company. (you'd argue you're getting the better end of the deal, receiving free food like this)

exhibit b: he's always available to help you in your troubles. need a hand with heavy groceries? he's on his way! ran out of soy sauce? just wait a bit, he's gonna grab some from the cupboard! forgot your key inside your apartment? then stay at his place for the meantime before the locksmith comes! your shower isn't working well?... he promises he won't peek in the bathroom, so feel free to take a bath h a h a h a. need someone's opinion on what outfit to wear for a date? sure, he's- wait.

YOU'RE GOING ON A DATE?

his face twists weirdly as you showcase two different shirts, asking which one he likes better. you raise an eyebrow when he doesn't dare to utter a single word. “are they both bad?”

he blinks rapidly, then shakes his head laughing. he half-heartedly points to the shirt in your left hand, but you can tell he doesn't really think much of it. he excuses himself fairly quickly, saying he had chores to do, and scurried back to his own home.

(you were only going to a date with ayaka's older brother because she insisted you both needed a love life, but it's not like you actually feel anything for him.)

it doesn't end there. thoma acts weird sometimes. he's strangely cold when he sees you inviting kazuha to your apartment to hang out. he also stiffens when he spots xiao walking you home.

but by far, he acted the weirdest when your phone number called him, but when he answered, he heard a different voice respond.

it's childe, whom you went drinking with. he doesn't know where you live, and you're not nearly sober enough to return home on your own, and it's not like you'll agree to staying over childe's house. you also refuse telling him your address, so childe is left with no choices but to call for someone he knows.

he uses your fingerprint to unlock the password in your phone, heading straight for your contact list, and dialed thoma.

it doesn't take long for thoma to arrive where you are, panting after running for a while, and childe is almost impressed. thoma hoists you up and you obediently wrap your arms around him.

“sorry for the trouble. [name]'s dead drunk as you can see,” childe comments, chuckling to himself. thoma doesn't look amused and replies with, “it's no trouble at all. i'd be glad to help [name] anytime.”

then in a way that almost seems possessive, thoma leaves childe behind.

so now when you arrive home, bouquet in your arms, red dusting your features, thoma is displeased once more.

(yet he is envious of those who can freely profess their affections, because he's certain if he were to ever admit his feelings to you, things can never be the same.)

gorou:

you first suspected childe because you thought the bouquet of flowers was a joke, but if it wasn't and it was real with the intentions of sweeping you off your feet...

then you might have another suspect in mind.

gorou is... a funny guy. can you put it like that? you don't know what to think of him. he's nice, you already know that very well, kokomi's good friends with him and told you a few stories about him, all of which are sweet and amusing. your first impression of him was that of a pure-hearted boy that can do no wrong.

he's younger than you by a year, and kokomi was fairly excited when she first told you he would be attending the same university soon. she promised to introduce you to him in hopes you'd be friends as well.

and okay, you could get behind that. there's nothing wrong with meeting new people. gorou sounded like a great guy too, and it'd be nice to take care of someone younger. you've been coddled by your seniors the past year as a freshman, and you thought it would only be right if you did the same to the new batch of students.

so you attended the welcoming party kokomi dragged you into. it was just a small gathering to get the freshmen familiarize themselves with older students, and she told you you'd get to meet gorou there, her eyes carefully scanning the crowd in pursuit of a specific face.

just as you were reminiscing over the past where your sadistic seniors encouraged you to drink a lot in the last welcoming party, shuddering in fright, kokomi tapped your shoulder and gestured to the brown haired boy standing before you.

it must be him. per courtesy, your lips curled into a practiced smile, exuding an amicable air. kokomi briefly exchanged a few words with him, but it looked like she was doing all the talking, the male frozen in spot as if he'd seen something strange.

he stared at you blankly, eyes slightly widened, and you slowly became unnerved with his vacant gaze, your smile faltering. you made eye contact with kokomi, silently questioning her, but she gave a subtle shrug of her shoulders, also confused by his behavior.

then, completely out of everyone's expectations, he'd dropped to the floor.

gorou had knelt on the ground with one steady knee, solemn in his endeavors. in an instant, your hand was seized, fingers enclosed in his warm palm. his piercing stare was impassioned, sincere at its core. heat shot up to the tips of your ears.

“marry me!”

his voice resounded in the entire room, earning unwanted attention. the chatter halted immediately, all eyes dedicated to the spectacle that was the both of you, and your mind began to spin, cold sweat dripping down your forehead.

your voice was caught in your throat, not knowing what to say, and all you could formulate was a garbled string of incoherent mess. undeterred, the grasp on your hand was unrelenting, gorou committed through this act until the very end.

everyone was thinking the same thing: we haven't even started drinking yet, but this little guy is drunk already??

shameless. crazy. a head with loose screws. you're probably the only one who'd describe gorou that way.

but what kind of sane man would say that upon first meeting???

kokomi quickly tried to mediate the situation for him, pulling him away and patting his back to knock him out of his dazed stupor, and pushed you to the farthest corner.

she vouched for him when she saw your puzzled expression, thinking of him as a weirdo, and she insisted he's normally not that odd. she swears he was never interested in dating before, and she isn't sure what changed for him to... propose... all of a sudden... to you, who he'd barely seen for ten seconds, no less.

naturally, it feels strange for you to see him. after that disastrous encounter, gorou — who did feel embarrassment for what he did, horrified at his own impulsiveness — tried to make amends, backtracking steps (he skipped way too many and immediately went to propose lol) and treating you normally like a friend of a friend, slowly trying to make the atmosphere between you casual instead of a freezing blizzard that kills off the amicable mood.

in spite of all that, however, you do feel as if his feelings are actually genuine. he can be clumsy, and incredibly so, you don't know who else could propose to another person within a span of a minute meeting them for the first time, but he means well! you started off on the wrong foot, and maybe this bouquet of flowers is him trying to curry your favor... or something...

yet all he gives is a disbelieving look, and that's enough to provide a clear answer: it's not from him, and he's upset.

it,, probably wasn't a good idea to ask someone who likes you about another person who likes you.

but if it isn't him, who else could it be?!

drop your guesses in the comments but im pretty sure it's already obvious lol

genshin boys in a fantasy otome game

diluc: the stuck-up duke you're engaged to. incredibly rich and you're basically sold to be his wife by your parents who claim “they only want the best for you.” which, apparently, equals to this seemingly perfect man with handsome features and an endless amount of mora. however, as flawless he may be on the surface, you find out he's just a very negligent fiance who thinks buying you all the dresses and jewels in the kingdom is enough to make you happy. he's stiff and cold, shutting you out of his life; telling you his problems didn't concern you. but maybe... maybe he did that because he didn't want to trouble you. maybe he cares about you to an extent. he makes an effort to join you for dinner, no matter how busy he is, and his gifts are sometimes thoughtful, not just expensive. he's clumsy at flattery, but you appreciate the sentiment. (and maybe — just maybe — you could find happiness with him.)

kaeya: the step-brother of your fiance. you've always thought he was strange. his gaze on you lingered, and he stares at you far too often to be considered appropriate for a mere (soon to be) brother-in-law. his smiles are suggestive, and quite unsettling. but you find out he's kind, just a bit mysterious. he keeps you company when diluc can't make it into dinner, and he accompanies you around town in his brother's stead if he was too busy to come with you himself. he's nothing but a gentleman, friendly and approachable, but you both know there's a distance he can't cross. (and yet he longs to.)

childe: a smug thief you caught stealing one of diluc's treasures. before you can scream or call for help, he shushes you, and he slips away from the manor without managing to steal anything. it's a victory on your part, but he's a sneaky rat — he begins to visit you occasionally, just to rile you up for fun. you don't know how he does it, but he climbs through the balcony in your room, hiding in the shadows of the night to not let any of the servants see him. you're unamused by the blatant trespassing, but you can't deny he's entertaining to talk to. for a scummy thief, he sure does seem to love his family a lot. you can tell that much, from the voice he uses when he speaks of his siblings. (he sounds like that when he talks about you too, you know. you just never notice.) he gives you a ring one day — something he didn't steal for once. it's from his mother, he says. she told him to give it to the person he wanted to marry. he confesses he doesn't care about any of the treasure lurking within diluc's home anymore. because out of everything, he only wants to steal you away.

zhongli: your first love. he's an unassuming baron with not a lot of influence, but there's something powerful residing in his eyes, glowing amber even in the dimmest of light. he's kingly, his elegant nature befitting of an emperor sitting on a golden throne, and yet he's as humble as a commoner, with no regards to his overflowing wealth. there's something special about the way he snakes his hand around your waist when you take the chance to dance with him at a ball, supposedly for obligatory purposes, but you lose yourself in his gaze, the color of honey staring deeply into you lighting your cheeks red. when he takes your hand in his, you feel his warmth through his glove (and idly, you wonder what it would be like if his gloves weren't in the way). he led you to the floor, twirling and spinning, and he's the perfect partner; he's as gentle as a passing wind, but his searing touch lingers, when the song comes to a close and he releases you. then your eyes travel to his left hand, an engagement ring adorning his finger, and your heart crumbles into a million pieces.

albedo: a renowned mage known for his genius in the entire continent. magical powers aren't very common, thus mages are normally held in high regard, but he's even idolized by fellow mages. he was adept with his powers from a young age, but he doesn't see himself as anyone special. you meet him as a child when you both attended a boring ball, and since you were both children seeking some entertainment in this formal arrangement mainly utilized by adults, you both ditched the ballroom and went off somewhere quiet so albedo could show you some “party tricks”. he became your usual playmate from there on, and he's essentially your childhood friend. he does the meanest pranks (since he's a mage, he can easily turn your hair color into a bright green or temporarily turn you into a frog), but he's very nice when it counts. he gives you healing potions when you fall ill, and he casts a protection charm in every accessory he gifts you on your birthday. he's particularly interested in the study of dragons, despite dragons basically being a myth in your continent's fairy tales, and everyone thinks he's delusional for believing in them but you support him in his studies. you're naturally curious in what he does as a mage, and he's happy about that, however he is unamused when you jokingly ask him to make you a love potion to give to zhongli. (in retaliation, the very next day, he shows up in your room as a frog, claiming he had an “accident” while he was making a potion, thus turning himself into an amphibian. apparently, the only cure for it was... a kiss? what? didn't he make you an actual remedy when you were the one turned into a frog five years ago?)

venti: a whimsical bard you happened to come across with when you snuck out of your home as a rebellious teenager. you were immature then, and a bit adventurous, and you wanted to see how commoners lived their life. you went out with simple clothes, with a cloak covering your facial features to hide your true identity, but some brute thieves noticed your expensive-looking wallet despite your efforts and immediately took the chance to rob you. then suddenly, a lithe boy jumps from a roof, distracts the men, and grabs your hand to lead you away from the chaos. he's light on his feet, full of bubbly energy, and although you were ready to compensate him for his help with whatever amount of money he could possibly ask for, he only requested for a single drink in a nearby tavern. he is... rather odd. he successfully identified your real title, but he didn't hand you off to palace guards right away to have you escorted back to your estate. no doubt having done so would earn him a great sum, because your parents had put a bounty over your head. instead, he offers to show you around town, plays you a song with his lyre, and introduces you to his friends. yes, he's certainly a strange fellow... but it's not just his behavior that's weird. his way of speaking is too eloquent for a commonner, and he knows too much about the officials governing the kingdom. his songs are always cryptic, insinuating a deeper meaning to his lyrics, and his eyes, though holding a childish twinkle, had a knowing gleam. and to top it all off, he introduced you to his “best friend” — the mythical dragon dvalin himself?! (it's somewhat underwhelming to find out he's the long lost prince of the kingdom right after you saw such a large creature hiding among the mountains.)

xiao: your ever so loyal knight. as a child, he lived in the slums; a part of the kingdom everyone tended to avoid from fear. your father took pity on xiao when he found him struggling to survive and brought him back home to take care of him, planning to assign him as your personal knight once he was given proper training. xiao was surely worth pitying when you first laid your eyes on him — downcast eyes, sooty face, torn clothing with muddy shoes, and lacking any personal belongings. however, after he'd taken a nice bath, you learned he was quite pretty, with youthful features certain to turn handsome as he grew up. his eyes were an enchanting gold, skin as soft as velvet, and his hair was shiny and silky, though it was unfortunate he shied away whenever you tried to take a closer look. he was surprisingly meek, but you knew better than that. (after all, if he survived in the slums all by himself, you didn't doubt his capability to murder a man with his bare hands.) he was incredibly distant with you, but you didn't give up your attempts to befriend him. you invite him to go to the library to read storybooks together, just to see a twinkle of innocence light up his lifeless eyes. you dismiss his panicked refusal when you set up garden picnics especially for him, because he may pretend like he doesn't want to eat anything, but you can clearly see him eyeing that plate of almond tofu. soon enough, he grows fond of you, and he protects you not only because of his job, but also because you're someone precious to him.

as your knight, and by extension, your dearest friend, he is tasked to watch over you.

so he watches from the sidelines as you befriend another young boy — a mage known as albedo — and gazes in envy as albedo converses with you casually, able to stand on even ground with you. how he wished he could do the same.

he watches as you sneak out from your window to wander around the kingdom without permission, panic settling his nerves when you nearly injured yourself in doing so, but he doesn't stop you from escaping home, because he wanted you to have a taste of freedom. he regrets his decision when you come back home telling about your newest friend, venti.

he watches the exact moment when you fall in love with zhongli, putty in the older man's hands as he twirls you around the ballroom, and xiao could only look at you from a distance, sourness rising from the back of his throat. your heart wasn't the only one that shattered that day.

he watches as you sit across from diluc in the dinner table every night, eyeing the engagement ring on your finger illuminated by the chandelier hanging overhead, and remains silent even when your chatter starts to fill the air. he longs to take it off of you.

he watches, with a sense of empathy, when kaeya glances at you with a gaze too fond, in times you can't notice. you overlook it, as always, because that's how you've always been, unaware of the effect you have on other people. he's glad you were oblivious, sometimes.

he watches as you interact with that good-for-nothing thief every late evening, standing guard by the door in case childe tried to do anything. if he ever did, xiao wouldn't hesitate to slit his throat, because anyone who'd ever dare to hurt you will die by his hand. but childe doesn't do anything, so he stays put, with gritted teeth while that rascal is shamelessly flirting with you again.

xiao watches. he only watches. because he has no right to interfere. he's only a lowly knight, at most, your friend, but it's okay. it's okay because you can smile, even if it's not because of him. that's all that matters.

right?

part ii / part iii / secret route 01

how to say goodbye.

summary: what do they do when it’s time for you to go back home? (savanaclaw and scarabia vers).

notes: 1k words, headcanons, angst

Leona Kingscholar

If you were going to leave him, then he wouldn’t have bothered getting attached in the first place. And now that it’s too late to do that, Leona’s only option is to destroy what the two of you have with his own hands. He’s always been good at that, you know: turning everything he can’t have to sand.

Leona won’t cry, he won’t even protest. He’s used to this sinking disappointment in his chest; he’s always been the outcast, the loser, the second-born prince. Never good enough for his family, his people, and now, you. Sure, he knows it’s a hard choice for you to make. But the worst thing about this was that he would have given up everything for you, but you can’t do that for him. He’s just not good enough for you to stay. So Leona cuts you off. All his walls go back up, higher than they were before. He snaps at you if you come close, and you can’t find him at any of his usual napping places. All the while, he has to stop himself from pulling you into his arms again.

“What? If you’re going to leave, then leave. There’s nothing for us to talk about.”

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Genshin Fic Recs

so… i ventured into the vast world of Google looking for some good GI fic recs… only to find such a pitiful amount that i was promptly devastated. therefore, the solution is to make my own! :D

keep in mind most of these will be ChiLi or XingYun, and yes, i will try not to include smut unless it was one i really really liked. if anyone wants a separate list for just smut (though that will most likely be shorter) i can try to make one later.`

ft. my bookmark comments :)

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Can I request.. established relationship with Albedo where him and the reader are expecting, it can be hcs or a one shot, it's up to you!♡

God, imagine how soft he'll be, starting a family of his own. Imagine klee also being excited because she'll want to play with the child later on

Thankyou beforehand if you accept this request, don't forget to drink water <3

i LOVE the concept of parent albedo and the idea of him finding out he's gonna be a papa is so 🥰🥰🥰 tysm for this req, i did a hc/fic hybrid for u <3 (sprout if u see this ur papa bedo brainworms yesterday finally gave me motivation to write this lmfao so ty)

I've tried to make the actual method of family starting rather ambiguous to help make this more accessible for any readers, but quick warning that there are still small mentions of pregnancy etc just in case the mere mention/concept makes anyone here uncomfy

[Genshin Masterlist]

I think if he was to have children, physically or adopted, it would have to be something that was planned out first. But that final confirmation that you're actually having a child together will leave Albedo in a quiet shock as it actually settles in.

He's fascinated by human life, always has been, so the concept that he finally gets to curate and raise a child of his own leaves him elated. He wouldn't see them as another of his experiments at all though, especially once he's finally able to see them for himself.

When the news is finally confirmed between you, he won't be able to help himself from pulling you into his arms and holding you tight for so long.

"'Bedo," you chuckle, patting his shoulders. "You can let go of me now."

He shakes his head, which you feel against your shoulder, tufts of blond hair tickling your cheek as he does. "One more minute."

"Is this really so exciting for you?" You ask with a smile as he finally pulls away and you can literally see the little creases in the corners of his eyes as he beams at you.

"We're having a baby," he breathes, the words still seeming foreign on his tongue. He repeats the phrase more readily, more assuredly, and he can't stop himself from drawing you into a passionate kiss.

You kiss back gently, tenderly, cupping his cheeks in your hands."I love you so much, I'm so glad we're doing this."

Albedo will be brimming with anticipation the entire time, constantly planning and re-planning and trying to make sure everything is so very perfect for the arrival of your little one.

Baby-proofs his entire office and at least half of his lab within the first few days. Even though he's always been a hard worker, you're pretty sure you've never seen him so amazingly efficient before.

Absolutely offers to take time off from the Knights to help you look after the baby when they first arrive, practically insists he stays at home with them at least some of the time so he can bond with them as early as possible.

"We have to tell Klee." He states firmly, suddenly, hands on your shoulders as he looks intently into your eyes. He's determined now, basically already walking out of the house to go find the unruly pyro girl. You have to practically jog to catch up with him as he seeks her out.

You find her out along the outskirts of Mondstat city, skilfully cajoling the poor fishermen along the riverbank to let her use her bombs to speed up the process. As she notices the pair of you approach, she leaps up and bounds over to you with a skip in her step.

"Big brother!!" Klee cries out gleefully. Her own personal endearment for you follows fast and she barrels into you immediately, the momentum almost knocking you off-kilter.

"Good to see you too, Klee," you laugh, lifting her up (to which she cheers enthusiastically) and settling her on your hip. "We have news for you."

Once Klee finds out, she does not leave you alone the rest of the day. She's more excited than both of you, effervescent and overflowing with boundless energy as she talks about all the different things she can teach to her new baby sibling.

"I can show them how to make bombs!"

"When they're older, Klee," Albedo chastises gently, but even he can't help shaking his head at the smile that overcomes him at the concept.

hospital au continuation [scaramouche ft. albedo]

fluff, hurt/comfort, modern hospital au, i feel like this is super ooc request: Hey I really loved those doctor AU headcanons especially with scaramouche! Could you do more with him? Would love to see him and s/o sassing one another throughout the hospital but then turn serious the next second. Maybe him admiring how s/o is an expert doctor? Like making painless stitches or taking a patient seriously when other doctors have dismissed the symptoms. Go wild! a/n: thank u for the request! i'd like to say that i'm sorry if this will be very medically inaccurate,, i'm only basing this on my knowledge of medical dramas (which,, aren't accurate to begin with,,) i don't seek to offend anyone D: this was very fun to write tho

the hospital is a place of both life and death. it's the world's little humor to make a place that houses fresh life for the newborn, yet is sometimes the last place a person stops by before bidding their life farewell. as such, being in a hospital—working in a hospital— can feel even more sickening than the diseases you're expected to cure, but you're glad that you at least have people you work with that make the experience much better.

scaramouche may be a nurse that most of the other medical staff either fear or avoid, but he has become your friend (or perhaps even a little more than that).

though he's the type to make the new interns fear for their lives if they commit a mistake, or tell the doctor a little too straightforwardly whenever he knows they're doing something wrong, he does it out of both professionality and hidden passion for helping those that "can't help themselves", as he says.

the type of dynamic the two of you have on field is surprisingly looked up too by many of your coworkers— or, as some may put it, they look up to your ability to get along with scaramouche.

in you opinion, it's quite easy, especially after getting to know his softer side when dealing with patients.

"you know, i really don't get what you have against albedo," you say before taking a sip of your drink.

he shrugs. "i have nothing against him. does it look like i have? he just annoys me seventy percent of the time."

"there's nothing about him that's annoying," you laugh at his answer and glance at those electric purple orbs, then shift your gaze to the quite similar purple darkening under his eyes.

"you should sleep more. doctor's orders." you touched and traced under one of his eyes before his hand swatted yours away.

"well, nurse's duty. as if you get any more sleep than i do, doc. you've been on ER duty for days now. do you even sleep?" he raises his brow, and you could only guiltily laugh and attempt to change the topic.

"ah! let's get dinner tonight? it's friday and i'm sure we're allowed to go home on time today." you ask him, and he looks at you mischievously.

"ask me if i want to come then."

"i don't care if you want to. but i want you to come if you can," you huff out, pouting at his show of slight disinterest.

"yeah yeah," he says a little shyly all of a sudden, "i think i can."

"is it a date then?" you tease, expecting him to laugh and deny.

"your diagnosis. in my humble opinion, i think it is." he says casually, sitting up straight and placing his arms at the back of his head.

"you're getting better at pick-up lines now aren't—"

a buzz. two buzzes. and in an instant the two of you stand to get to action.

"see you there, i'm making a stop at albedo's first," you say seriously, starting to walk away.

"hurry up..." scaramouche could only sigh as he practically ran to where his pager summoned him.

the two of you had lots of common patient, but you silently agreed that right now, there was one closer to both your hearts than the rest.

it was a little boy, with a serious illness, but as of now, it's all but speculation. his symptoms are concerningly similar to disease x, and though you've encountered many patients having similar or the same disease, you've never had one with a child.

this small, sweet, and kind child deserved to live much longer than 6 years, and that much you and scaramouche could agree on.

albedo looked almost embarrassed to give you the child's test results. he sighed as he saw your running towards his office, only sadly looking at the envelope that contained the papers before putting up a serious and professional expression.

"sorry..." was all he said, and your heart sunk immediately. you muttered a hurried gratitude before rushing to the boy's room while scanning through the results.

your mood was drastically dampened, but the sight you first saw as you entered the boy's room made your heart both warm and hurt at the same time.

"the bags under your eyes are darker than yesterday's, i think..." the boy touches his cheek lightly, and scaramouche only accepted it, and though his gaze on the child was soft, you saw him give you a glare as you entered the room with a failed attempt of hiding slight laughter. "my mom says that it's a sign of overworking. nurse scara, you should sleep more so that you don't get sick like me." the boy smiled at him.

scaramouche finished changing his iv bottle and smiled sadly at the kid, only lightly thanking him for his concern before turning to you as if nothing happened at all.

"ahem," he cleared his throat, "he was apparently experiencing some chest pains before we got paged; me and the other nurses available already took care of it, though."

"i see," you were a little lost in thought before scaramouche spoke again.

"is something wrong?"

"well," you sigh, "turns out, our suspicion was correct; he has the disease."

scaramouche clicked his tongue, his face bitter and furious. "if the others listened to your suggestion, maybe it could have been treated faster."

you sighed. "well, it's not like we can treat a disease before confirming what the disease really is... it's not their fault. you know that."

"i do..." scaramouche replied. "well, what are you planning to do now?"

"we'll analyze whether an operation is possible. his condition right now is pretty fragile, so it's better to see what our chances actually are if we operate." you say, handing him the papers in case he wanted to check.

"looks like our date isn't happening, huh."

you could only frown as you get lost in thought.

your job was a job that required minimal mistakes. it wasn't as if you made a mistake, but why did it feel as if you just did?

you tiredly exited the operating room, and was surprised to see scaramouche waiting for you. though he probably already knew of the failed operation and the untimely death of the boy the two of you grew close to, he stayed, waiting.

"the operation was unsuccessful," you said heavily, looking at him with shame.

"it's not your fault," his voice was quiet and understanding, and he could only sigh.

"i think," you hesitated, heaving a deep breath. "i think i need a hug."

he looked at you with what seemed like slight disgust and bargaining; he hated hugs in general. but he ultimately sighed in defeat before saying, "just this once."

his embrace was tight, and so was yours; it contained pent up frustrations about things that were beyond you control, things that you wished you could change but never could, and feelings of regret and sadness for a patient you just lost.

"uh... wanna take that date you offered the other day?" he asked, awkwardly patting your back.

"i'd rather stay at home right now. with you," you answer.

"okay."

"okay."

"Well, is it just me, or were they also waiting for the winery's grapes to turn into fine alchohol?"

Happy (late) birthday Kaeya dearest!! ❄️🤺

my girl yanfei serves only the LAW in the court of JUSTICE 🏐🔥

Moonchase Event Quest 1 Spoiler!

Xingqiu is struggling