Let's Be Honest Here.

Boyfriend Material

  Ft. J. Kirstein, A.Arlet, L. Ackerman,  E.Yeager, R.Braun, E. Smith

Lemme just preface this by saying I am so excited to start dabbling in other fandoms + writing. I have a silly demon slayer au I’m writing plus Levi 100 followers celebratory fic! So without further ado, enjoy! (Sfw & nsfw h/c about my fave boys! Modern au btw!) ((pps it’s kinda long bare w/me pls))

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deku is a [makes his lock screen the color of your eyes / borrows your oversized hoodies because they smell like you / rubs his thumb over the side of yours when he holds your hand] kind of boyfriend and

todoroki is a [walks you home even if it's an hour out of his way / follows you around in sephora to take pictures of everything you pick up / keeps a polaroid of you in his wallet] kind of boyfriend and

bakugo is a [matches outfits and jewelry with you so people know you're dating / drives you to the grocery store and cooks food for you after he stays over / gets mad if you don't text good morning and good night] kind of boyfriend

cocky bastard vibes - zhongli

ship: zhongli x reader

synopsis: in which reader shares their free thoughts on the liyue statue of seven

notes: standalone snippet part of the bookkeeping!verse

It was a beautiful day in Liyue. The grass was a luscious green and the birds were singing a beautiful song. After a nice stay at the Emerald Maple Inn, you and Mr. Zhongli decided to have a cup of tea next to the Statue of the Seven before heading on your way to Qingce Village. You were to accompany him to pick up supplies for the next funeral rite, and with the way the morning was going, you knew nothing would ruin this peaceful day.

"So how much do you want to bet that Rex Lapis was hot and knew it?”

You ignored the choked sound that came from your side as you gazed up at the picturesque statue. Though your companion would probably consider your question quite out of the blue, you couldn’t say it was the first time you wondered such a thing. Whenever you passed by one of them in Liyue, the thought always plagued your mind for a few hours after. Judging by Mr. Zhongli’s reaction, though, it seemed he did not share your sentiments.

"Ehem… That… certainly is an interesting thought. I can’t say whether or not previous records touched on such a topic."

You hummed, gazing up at the statue. Really? That couldn’t be true. Why wouldn’t anyone talk about a statue looking like that?

“Well there are many reasons why I’d say I’m right. First off, his outfit. He has a hooded cloak on while also being shirtless. There’s absolutely no logical reason to dress like that unless they’re from the deserts of Sumeru, wouldn’t you say? It obviously was a conscious fashion decision. If you pair that with the seductive way he’s sitting, I’d be inclined to assume he’s quite clearly feeling his look.”

Silence came from your side. Hm, Mr. Zhongli still wasn’t convinced? Then you would go on.

“You do see it, right? His posture is relaxed, yet confident. Not to mention the way he’s looking at that cube in his hand with practically bedroom eyes. His knees are apart too. My friend from Sumeru told me that when a man sits like that, he’s displaying his dominance.”

Still silence.

"You can't sit in a seductive pose like that without on some level being aware you look good doing it. I mean look at him! He's shirtless and everything! I've heard even macho fishermen say that they pray to the statue for a good night before coming home to see their wives. You can’t blame them, right?"

A hesitant cough.

"I-I'm sure it was a younger time when those statues were sculpted."

You groaned.

"Maybe, but you’re not even looking! If you did, you’d agree with me that Rex Lapis is clearly exuding such massive 'cocky bastard' vibes!" You countered.

For some reason, the more you spoke, the more flustered he became.

"C'mon, Mr. Zhongli! Why are you so embarrassed? It's not like I'm slandering his good name! I mean, if Rex Lapis didn't want us talking about him like this, maybe he shouldn't have made a statue with abs clean enough to eat off of!"

Okay, maybe at this point, you were piling it on a bit thick. Could anyone blame you? His face was in his hand as if he had a headache, and were his ears tinged the slightest hint of red? It was an interesting sight. Never had you seen him look so completely flustered. Sure you were rather blunt, but you didn't think your words were that provocative. Mr. Zhongli really was practically a 65 year old man.

"I thought you respected the Geo Archon…" He muttered weakly.

You gasped in offense.

"I do! I’d even consider my words the utmost of pious behavior. In Mondstadt, the sisters of the church consider themselves married to Barbatos, the Anemo Archon. So finding the Geo Archon to be a sex god is pretty much the same thing, right?”

“No, it is not.”

How they like to be called - Character x gn! Reader

Characters: Diluc, Childe, Kaeya, Zhongli

Genre: Fluff, Humor

Warnings: Nicknames, terms of endearment(?)

Diluc: Darling, Love

All you have to do is look at this man and call him by an affectionate nickname and he would get flustered.

But that doesn’t happen for every nickname you call him by. But there are specific ones…

“Do you want to take a break, Diluc? Come lay on my lap, Darling.”

OHO he gonna drop his pen on the ground and look at you with widened eyes

Gosh darn he’s so adorable I can’t even

“D- don’t call me that. What if the maids-”

“Love, I don’t care about the maids.”

You broke him.

-

Childe: Babe, Sweetheart

Oh he’s such a tease. He would call you such embarrassing names in public.

Pumpkin pie, for example.

Yeah you hated that. So you began to plot your revenge.

But you decided to forget about it.

“Babe, can you hand me the fork?”

OH YOU GOT HIM RIGHT WHERE YOU WANTED HIM

He’s so flustered he would just stammer his way out of the situation

“Oh the fatui wanted a pep talk for a-!? for a p- project they’re working on-”

That was quite the show.

-

Kaeya: My love, Angel

This man literally does not get flustered.

Do what you want, you’re not breaking him.

That is until…

“Did you like the lunch I made today my love?”

Oh my god his face

His one eye was blown so wide-

He tries to play it off cool, but you KNOW something's up.

“I don’t e- eat lunch, darling.”

He… doesn’t eat… lunch?

You managed to fluster Kaeya, you deserve an award.

-

Zhongli: Dear, Honey

Oh Zhongli is super dense. He is SO dense.

He has you unintentionally flustered every time you’re with him, but you almost never fluster him.

Oh haha hold on, I said almost.

Call him by a classic nickname in front of his colleagues.

“I’m going to take my leave honey, be back home soon okay?”

Oh HELL YES

His face, his precious face is so… SO red.

He just looks at you with puzzled eyes and tries to distract himself-

“Y- Y/N?…”

This is probably the pinnacle of your existence, you made Zhongli blush.

Taglist: (send an ask to be added!)

@tiredsleep @cxlrose @yuezhong @art3m-screams @myluvkeiji @simp-lyzity @queen-of-wires @luuvlei @purmpkle-heart @reminiscenttwilight @chillipadi @mikachu2x @raincxtter @manager-of-the-pudding-bank

✫ 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 ✫ — [part 1]

𝐟𝐭.;; albedo, childe, diluc, xiao, and scaramouche

[part two is here]

𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐄𝐃𝐎;; “Hm…? You wish to know more about [Name]? Well, I suppose I might be of assistance. [Name] is an intriguing individual, I’ll give them that. Just when I think I’ve finally got them pinned down, they manage to evade me yet again. But surprisingly, I think I actually find that to be…enjoyable? How odd…Ah, my apologies. Where were we again?”

𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐄;; “Oh-? You’re asking me about [Name]? Why? Are you interested in them, Traveller? Haha, there’s no shame if you are, no need to be shy comrade! Oh…you aren’t? That’s a relief…hm? I didn’t say anything. It must be your imagination!”

𝐃𝐈𝐋𝐔𝐂;; “[Name]…? They’re okay, i suppose. As far as customers go, they don’t really frequent the tavern, but when they do, they always manage to pay without issue. In my books, that would make them a relatively decent person. And…I find that I quite enjoy the time spent between us, regardless of how short it is…huh? My face looks…red? You’re probably imagining it, traveller.”

𝐗𝐈𝐀𝐎;; “You want to know about [Name]? Tch, stupid mortal. You shouldn’t call out my name for tedious things like this…ugh…I suppose I could indulge you. [Name] is…strange, to put it bluntly. I tell them time and time again to not make me Almond Tofu, and yet, it seems like their hearing has failed them. I also think they’re adding too much sugar to it, because whenever I eat it, there’s this weird, tingly feeling in my chest, and my face gets embarrassingly warm. They should really cut down on the sugar..”

𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐄;; “Hah? [Name]? Tsk, you’ve got a lot of nerve, don’t you Traveller? I can see that look in your eye, and quite frankly, it’s pissing me off. Let’s get one thing straight. [Name] is mine, so back off, got it? They’d never look twice at someone like you, so get that delusion out of your head. I’m the only one who [Name] likes, not you.”

twirls hair. imagine flirting w strict driving instructor diluc, who has had enough with your reckless driving. absolutely sick of you inviting him to peek down your low cut shirt and “accidentally” touching his thigh as you reach for the joystick. just a fake ditzy giggle n oops! it’s so firm i mistook it as the gear shift ~

the way you’re not taking road safety seriously at all and pouting as if you should’ve passed the test without a hitch makes diluc frustrated, even more so when you plead for him to “bend the rules a little” and “not be so uptight.”

it’s really funny to you of course because when he’s releasing his frustration on your throat by fucking it, making tears spring up from your doe eyes, you know he’ll give you the pass and his number. diluc’s a gentleman so surely he’ll regret pounding your throat sore, after all you were too cute slurping with your hair tucked behind your ear, blinking up as if you ask with your gaze, am i doing good?

diluc definitely has a thing for praise hungry brats. (not projecting !!! nope. ps. i passed the exam w 100%, watch me hit you on the roads <3)

Okay but like Akaashi with an s/o who always wants to be the bigger spoon and is always holding his hand and holding his face. But this one time she oversteps her boundaries and she retreats completely cause she’s worried she’ll do it again. Pls do head canons or your take on it.

s/o pulling away after overstepping boundaries

pairings: akaashi x reader

warnings: none

a/n: i wasn't 100% sure with what you wanted me to write, so i wrote what i thought was correct. i hope thats okay !!

akaashi is totally fine with you wanting to be the bigger spoon in the relationship

he's got nothing against it

however, as of lately

akaashi has noticed that there are times you feel down and start to pull away from him

which makes him somewhat concerned, as he feels like he might've done something wrong that's upset you or made you feel uncomfortable

he picks up on the fact that you pull away from him, yet he just doesn't have the right words to ask you if you're okay and if he's done something wrong

but when it comes more frequent, he starts to wonder why you start pulling away from him every now and then

you explain to him that you begin to pull away when you feel as if you're overstepping boundaries

akaashi is very understanding of this situation and that you feel like this,

he tells you to let him know if you're worried about what you're doing and even if you want to just ask him if it's okay if you can do what you want to do around him if you worry about him reacting badly

© all content belongs to akaashisbabygirl 2021, do not repost or change

A SPITTING IMAGE

Zhongli x Fem!Reader 3.1K words

Summary: It's inevitable that an archon baby would possess divine features, It still doesn't catch you any less off guard when they start to present themselves.

Content Warning: a baby lmao, mother reader, father Zhongli, reader from Sumeru, probably grammatical errors

| Zhia | pronounced 'Zheeyah' - I took a mix of a traditional arab name (Zia) and added a h to match Zhongli. I thought it was fitting considering I decided to make the reader from Sumeru :)

As beautiful as Sumeru was, the nights in Liyue were nothing short of remarkable, in you're own opinion. The usual Liyuan climate was divinely warm - an array of sun rays and a steady ocean breeze usually upheld the alluring city atmosphere - but as the sun set, the warm ocean breeze chilled over and left the city in a pleasurable state of tranquility.

Liyue was much different to your birthplace of Sumeru, and nights in Liyue by climate standards alone were enough to cause your appeal towards the city to prosper. But now the nightly routine of cuddling your baby Zhia while you waited for your husband to finish his evening shower was what truly made your nights in Liyue unforgettable.

The wind blew steadily through the open window, and the constant patter of the shower a door down had become white noise as Zhia lazily lay front ways against your chest, your own back pressed against the headboard of your bed frame.

This scene had become a persistant routine over the past couple of months since baby Zhia had been born. You'd usually spend most of your day at work, your daughter left in the care of Liyues youth (usually Chongyun, Xingqui and Xiangling when they were free) then ending your day an hour or so before Zhongli ended his own. And as you waited for your husband to finish his end of day shower, you sat stroking your daughter as she slowly temped herself to sleep after a long afternoon giggling about with the teens.

Tonight was no different, a soft hand stroking patterns against your daughters head, playing with the few inches worth of thick black hair - paired with golden amber tips. For having such a formidable and strong willed bloodline, she truly was such a well behaved, reserved baby.

She looked so peaceful, occupied with a pacifier, slowly blinking up at you as you ran a thumb up and down her head, coaxing her eyes slowly shut as you cooed at how adorable she looked.

All up until the small lump finally made contact with your fingers. The tiny - well, microscopic - rigid outline of what you could only describe as what felt like bone peaking through the hair on the right side of Zhia's head - similar to how a fresh tooth felt piercing through skin.

A soft yet sudden breath escaped the gap of your mouth, a slight "huh?" breaking past your lips as your fingers began rubbing around the general area in which you thought you felt the bump.

It took a second, your fingers grazing over nothing but soft hair until finally, a hard and sharp sensation grazed the pad of your thumb once again.

"Oh Zhia baby... what is that..." The words were soft as you positioned yourself higher against the headboard, eyebrows furrowing inwards as you pressed your finger into the unknown bump, inspecting it in the most inconspicuous way possible as to not startle the girl. Zhia was a calm baby, but still a baby no less, and panicking and causing a fuss over her would undoubtedly lead to an outburst of tears you were frankly way too exhausted to handle right now.

The sudden movement, though slight, was enough to have baby Zhia jolting out of her previously sluggish state, eyes peering wide awake as she glared up at her mother in wonder. The pacifier between her lips continued bobbing up and down as she reached a hand to clench her mothers top, and despite the fear you now held at the situation, you couldn't help but smile down at her and run the side of your index finger against her cheek.

Maybe you were bias as her mother, or maybe it had something to do with her literal divine genes, but Archons she was so perfect.

"Stop being so adorable and let me figure out what's going on here baby."

"What's going on here?"

The sudden display of the new voice in the room was enough to start you into a slight jump, Zhia letting out a weak whine at the shift in movement.

With the concern in your chest and your hand running circles over the lump in her hair, you hadn't noticed Zhongli coming out of the bathroom, ready to join his wife and daughter on the bed for their usual nightly cuddles together.

"Zhongli, you scared me." Your voice was notably quieter then usual, your statement not an exclamation of humor like usual, but instead a fact stated more to yourself then to anyone else in particular - you seemed distracted and concerned - and Zhongli took quick note of that.

"Is everything alright dear? You mentioned something being wrong."

Your eyes previously gaping intensely towards the top of Zhia's head now flicked up to look over at Zhongli, a quirk of your neck silently indicating for him to come closer.

"Baby, look." Your voice was slowly growing more panicked as the situation progressed, and as Zhongli finally placed himself on the bed besides you, you swiftly guided his hand over to the top of his daughters head, allowing his fingers to run over the small hard lump you'd recently noticed in the depths of her thick tufts of golden tipped hair.

"A... lump- it's- I don't- Oh god." He was quickly noticing how your tone was slowly descending into one of panic.

Zhongli was silent for a moment, his fingers continuing to rub circles, inspecting the object of your concern on your daughters head. His brows pulling inwards only pushing your cause for concern over the edge, a full blown panic beginning to bubble in your chest.

"Oh Archons, w-what is it?! Is it something bad? Do you think it's an early sign of some sort of illness...? O-Or a disease of some sort?! What if its not benign?! Should we take her to doctor Baizhu? Im taking her to doctor Baizhu! Do you reckon he'd come to us at this time of night? Like right now-"

"Darling!" His tone was stern, yet there was a hint of humor behind his sudden interruption. "I...-" His eyes suddenly softened significantly from the previous look of what you had interpreted as concern but really was just him focusing on the feeling of the bump on Zhias head. "I don't think you have any cause for concern." Finally, he let out an airy laugh.

"What do you...?"

"It's not a lump."

His confidence in his words was somewhat reassuring, especially as you considered the fact that your husband was over 6000 years old. He had seen a lot of things, observed many different illnesses and was very knowledgable. But your motherly concern was unwavering on the matter. Sure he was wise but can wise explain why your baby had a sharp lump poking out of her head?

"It's... not? B-but how can you be sure? I still think we should take her to Baizhu. Or maybe that mondstat healer can give her a look if he's too busy. Uh, what was her name again? Barbatos? Oh gods no thats the drunk archon... Barbara!"

In that moment, Zhongli had truly never seemed so amused by anyones fussing in his millenniums worth of life like he had in this moment. "No, no dear, unfortunately, I don't think any of those people could help with this one. Not any healer, not any scholar from Sumeru, certainly not that drunken bard." Zhongli rolled his eyes in apathy at the mention of his fellow yet imprudent archon.

"Then... what can we do?"

"Nothing."

There hadn't been a single thing that had ever left you at a loss for words like your husbands own in that moment. How could he be so... calm? Zhongli more then anyone else was so completely overprotective when It came to Zhia. The most minute scrape, the smallest topple, even the slightest of whines from her tiny little figure and Zhongli was making a fuss about how she needed to be more careful - about how someone needed to be hovering over her at all times when he couldn't because archons forbid anything happens to her…-

And yet here he was, eyes glimmering, with a humored tone to his voice over what quite possibly had been the scariest thing you've experienced with your child. You mean, when is a sharp lump on a babies head ever a thing worth not worrying about?

"Nothing?! Zhongli do you-"

"Nothing can be done about it because those people wouldn't have a clue as to what is occurring."

Your eyebrows furrowed as you clenched your daughter tighter to your chest, the conversation growing in volume starting to make her restless. "What and you would?" Your tone was obviously mocking and yet Zhongli's smile only widened.

"Yes."

At a complete loss for words now, you couldn't help but allow your eyes to widen completely, head now spinning - reeling - trying so desperately to connect the metaphorical dots here.

Zhongli finally chuckled once more. His hand still in Zhias hair which was previously observing the lump was now just stroking patterns over his daughters head. Zhia's response to this was a content coo as she finally took proper notice of her fathers presence, and suddenly Zhongli reached over to take the infant from your arms, wanting nothing more than to finally hold his daughter after a long day.

You complied with his movements, watching as he smiled down on her and cradled her small body against his chest, hand still intertwined in and stoking along her short dark strands of hair. Zhia took well to the embrace of her dad, an array of content noises filling the air as she desperately grabbed at the loose hair behind him, pulling and tugging in a way that had Zhongli chuckling.

"I would understand whats occurring because I've been through it."

His words were shocking and yet all you could do was lean forward to rub a hand against Zhias back and place the other on your husbands thigh. "What?"

"Well technically I don't exactly remember it too well, I was but a mere child myself when it happened but... Love, theres no need to worry. This isn't a lump nor an illness or a disease."

"...So what is it then?"

And finally, with a proud smile, Zhongli announced, "I guess her Archon genes are a little more dominant then we thought. They are her horns."

"They're-... They're her... She has...- Horns?!"

Zhongli really seemed to be quite amused by the situation, taking to the idea of his daughters new features quite well. Adoringly, he looked down upon his baby against his chest who was now glaring up at his own eyes, her head resting against his shoulder with a glassy, fatigued look. She was becoming sleepy he noticed. "To be quiet honest, I really didn't expect her to grow horns. Few immortal beings who take the form of humans possess horns. The Qilin do-"

"L-Like Ganyu and Yanfei?"

"-Precisely," He responded. "But its because they possess Adeptus genes. I thought maybe because she was an Archon and not an Adeptus she wouldn't possess such features but now thinking of it, I guess it was pretty presumptuous of me to think like that considering I too also have horns in my truer forms. It's only natural she'd take all my Archon features, even my ones not visible to the eye in human form."

Now, you had been told on occasion that you were quite a talkative person. And being married to a man who found himself maundering off on long and complex tangents meant you had become quite talented at responding to convoluted topics and contributing engaging input. And yet for the third time this evening, Zhongli had managed to stunt your articulation skills all together.

What in the world was he talking about? Horns? Divine features? This was certainly not a matter to be smiling about you had concluded. And yet he somehow had never looked so content.

This was undoubtedly a vexing situation. And he was smiling.

Zhia, up until this point had been quite subtle in regards to her Archon features. Sure her eye color was rather potent and there had perhaps been a few instances in which Zhia's excitement had gotten the best of her, just maybe causing the tips of her hair to start glowing a golden amber in and around the public streets of Liyue - one instance in particular being when she had gotten a little too joyful at the sight of a bird pecking at the pond in the plaza while Zhongli and yourself had been shopping at the general goods store, causing Zhongli to swiftly grab her from you and sprint towards the closed Funeral parlor for cover.

There had been instances but all together, Zhia looked and for the most part acted like a normal, human baby.

But horns?! Horns may as well have been a hand written sign that some supernatural phenomenon was occurring under your family roof. Neon flashing lights indicating that your household in particular wasn't entirely what they seemed.

"Zhongli, you don't see this as a problem?"

Zhongli's eyes flicked up and away from his daughters fluttering eyes, brows furrowing in ambivalence at your words.

"Why would this be a problem? She is what she is... Are you perhaps... not happy about this feature in particular?"

You quickly shook your head, squeezing your eyes shut with dismay. "No, no, of course thats not it. I know she's not human and im not put off by features that indicate who she is. It's just... Zhongli this is going to be very difficult to hide and people'll start asking questions. You see..."

"Oh." Finally, Zhonglis eyes dropped. "I hadn't thought about it like that. I guess- that is going to be quite an issue isn't it?"

A soft hum left your lips in response.

"Well, there are always methods of concealment. I've heard of a girl in Mondstat who covers her ears by blending the feature into her hair."

As the words left Zhonglis lips, your face fell in disbelief. "Really Zhongli?"

"What?"

"You don't see the problem with what you just said?"

"I don't-?"

"Youre aware of the way a girl hides her ears? She must do it real conspicuously cause obviously no ones figured her out, huh?" Your sarcastic tone was enough to have Zhongli's mouth twitching with a smile.

"I guess I hadn't thought about that either."

Finally you let out a sigh, allowing your head to fall back against the headboard once again, head turned to the side to stare at the now sleeping baby in Zhongli’s arms.

You loved your husband truly, and you loved your daughter even more. But Gods this was way too complicated for a mere mortal like yourself to have to think about. Curse the Archons and curse Zhongli's double life.

“You could always say you’re half Adepti or something.”

Was this man serious? You were from Sumeru. Who the hell was going to believe that?

"Or maybe I can convince everyone I had an affair with a god and she isn’t yours.”

Zhongli's eyes widened in despair as the indication of your words settled in, his arms subconsciously hugging his now sleeping daughter closer to his chest. In response Zhia whined and shifted in his grip before settling quietly with a hiccup.

Though he was aware you were clearly joking, even just the idea of Zhia not being his own was enough to make his stomach roll - the dismayed look he sent your way was something he couldn’t help displaying - a look which had you laughing humorously.

As your laughter settled, your eyes rolled away from Zhongli and landed back onto your baby, and your smile dropped as it quickly dawned on you that even if you actually wanted to do that, no one would believe you. The child was a spitting image of her father, from her amber tipped hair to her large golden eyes - people would believe HE was the one who’d had an affair and you were the non biological parent before anyone suspected he wasn’t her father - and everyone in liyue had seen you during your pregnancy.

Watching your clear change in facial expression, Zhongli read your thoughts like a divine contract and was soon the one chuckling at your own dismay. "It's okay darling she has your smile."

"No she doesn't. People just say that to make parents feel better about their shitty genes."

Zhongli laughed once again. "Don't feel bad love you were up against a God."

"Guess I really had no chance, huh? She was born to follow in your footsteps, I guess that starts with her features."

A comfortable silence soon fell over the room as you both contently watched the soft breaths of your daughters sleeping figure. Zhongli in particular looked absolutely captured by the image of his daughter against his shoulder, stroking a thumb over the skin of her cheek in adoration.

"So what are we going to do? About Zhia, I mean. Those horns don't exactly scream human."

"Maybe no one will question it."

You gave him an incredulous look. "Really?" You deadpanned. "I'm like 98 percent sure Childe already suspects you're not who you say you are. A supernatural baby is probably like written confirmation for him."

"Okay but Childe's barely in Liyue as it is, his suspicions aren't nearly as problematic to me, besides he saw me handing over a gnosis, I think we crossed that bridge long ago."

"Zhongli!"

He certainly wasn't taking this as seriously as he should have been. After all, it was his identity on the line, not your own. "Okay, okay," he chuckled. "Don't talk too loud you'll wake up Zhia."

"Out of all features! She couldn't have had like a birthmark or something? She had to have the one thing that comes out of her head."

Chuckling once again, Zhongli raised his unoccupied arm to pull your body into his chest. Once your head made contact with his body - yourself proceeding to wrap one arm around his waist and the other stroking against Zhias back - he finally leaned down to press a kiss against your forehead. "You worry too much. Besides, headwear fashion is quite popular now-a days."

Your face softened as a slight smile took place of the frown. "She'll be wearing beanies in the summer."

"Well maybe we can convince Hu Tao to give Zhia her hat. It's not like she'll say no, that child loves Zhia."

You giggled. "...Its not the most fashionable hat." Zhongli smiled.

"Perhaps." He mused. "Or perhaps she could just... not cover them."

"But, Zhongli, baby- what about your-"

"Its alright darling, I'd rather my daughter be comfortable then keep my identity a secret. I wouldn't necessarily have to reveal everything. Maybe just enough to keep people off our backs."

Finally allowing the conversation to fizzle, Zhongli settled his back against the head board, holding his wife and daughter close in his arms with a content sigh. He couldn't ask for more; A wife who cares and a daughter who resembled himself to a tee.

Sending one final glance down to his daughter, cooing at how peaceful the baby girl looked sleeping in his arms, he spoke, "And Its really not as if people aren't suspicious, I mean- her hair was glowing at second life grocer and I ran her to the funeral parlor, everyone definitely saw."

“Oh god, Zhongli-!”

💋Single Dad Zhongli | A Beautiful Beginning

Warning: None (SFW)

Pairing: Single Dad!Zhongli X Fem!Reader

Mia's notes: wtf...I wrote 8,314 words for something. Like it took me weeks to write 10k words for a project I'm working on and I speed wrote this in 2 days fufufu. Anyways here is the first part of Single Dad Zhongli!! First part...I have to go through this a good 10 more times for the other characters...fuck. Anyways hope you enjoy reading this! Reblogs are appreciated! Love you guys!!

WC: 8.3k

When you get a look at him walking down the street in his turtleneck sweater and blazer, with his hair flowing in a perfect low ponytail, amber eyes practically glowing golden in the sunlight and that dashing smile on his lips, you’d think he was a god who had descended upon the earth to grace everyone with his presence.

He’s the ideal man; well mannered with his gentlemanly gesture, a silky deep voice that had you entrapped in his knowledgable talks of history and the sort, and how can we forget about his tall build and great looks? Really a one in a million kind of man.

Men and women admired how he carried himself during formal events, a wine glass in his hand and a warm smile on his face as he entertained the crowd, even though it wasn’t him hosting, most of the time.

During the day, he’s usually deep into his work, analysing various rock samples and writing down his reports, pushing the thin metal reading glasses up the bridge of his nose without his concentration flickering the slightest. Sometimes his eyes would flicker to the felt framed picture standing on his desk, him with two little kids in his arms, the three of them grinning widely.

When Zhongli is in job mode, stopping him is almost an impossible feat since he’s always so engrossed in the rocks that lay on the table.

His job as a lead geologist, working at the Natural History Museum never felt like a job to him, since his passion was in understanding the mysteries and beauties of Earth. History had always interested him ever since he was a child.

He’d often been invited to various exhibitions with other well-known people, and whenever he opened his mouth to talk of the beauty of the cor lapis or the noctilucous jade, a crowd gathered around him.

His job was well paying, really well paying. He had an apartment in one of the richer parts of town and if anyone ever had the pleasure of being invited to one of the parties he hosted, they’d be in awe of the sleek interiors and various geodes that decorated the rooms.

Everyone loved him for who he was, loved him so much that they’d even offer to pay for his meal if he ever forgot his wallet at home, an event that occurred one too many times. Of course, he would send a gift basket to their homes as a form of thanks.

Out of all the people who loved him, there were two little angels whose love surpassed everyone else’s, and who he loved in equal -possibly greater- amounts. His daughter of 7, Ganyu and his younger son of 3, Xiao.

He tries his best to balance his job and kids, and it shows. He always tried to take out time for his two children, making sure to come home on time to eat dinner with them and tuck them in, reading them their favourite bedtime stories and kissing them goodnight.

If ever he couldn’t make it home due to reasons, his assistant and kind-of babysitter, Aether was always there to take care of the kids. He was practically their elder brother by now, with how often he was with the kids, having known them for over 2 years.

Xiao, his little son, was a very naughty boy. Always throwing a fit and making life harder for Zhongli, and Aether whenever the poor man was left to care for the child. He wants the same book read to him every night, he wants 3 kisses before he sleeps and he must have his dragon stuffed toy or else…

Zhongli made a note to start disciplining Xiao since he was to start going to daycare soon, and he would have to behave well over there. Maybe he needs a little motivation. Something sweet…

To stop Xiao from crying about how the green paint didn’t colour his hair green permanently or how his feet were Missing when he put on his shoes, simply pass him a bowl of sweet almond tofu. In an instant, his sobs would dissipate as he starts stuffing his tiny mouth with the dessert. Zhongli would find it so amusing at times, giggling while wiping the syrup off of Xiao’s little lips.

Ganyu, his elder child, was mature much beyond her age. She loved drawing, loved doodling flowers and deer, like sketches littering her art books. Zhongli was always filled with pride whenever she showcased some of her artworks to his guests, enjoying how they gushed over her skill.

She loved playing with her dolls and dressing them up, saying that when she grows up, she’s going to make pretty dresses for her dolls to wear. She even promised her papa that she would make him a pretty princess gown and Zhongli laughed heartily, patting her head and telling her that he’d be looking forward to that day.

Ganyu was a quiet child and didn’t really like going to school since there were so many kids everywhere. Zhongli was there to comfort her, dropping her off at school and telling her to have a great day. He would also personally ensure that her lunch is packed and her bag has her homework.

First grade went smoothly, she even made a friend, Keqing. Zhongli was happy for her, seeing her open up and enjoy school. On a random day during second grade, she went in all excited, brighter than the sun that morning. But when Zhongli came to pick her up in the afternoon, a little(much) later than usual, his heart broke to see her crying figure curled in the lap of some woman sitting on the stairs at the main gate of the school. A really…pretty woman.

With work and his children, the question of finding love again… never came up.

Well, he did get tricked into going on blind dates, all thanks to his stupid friend Childe. But it just never worked out. All the women he met were peculiar. Some of them very obviously wanted him for his wealth, some of them just wanted to have a good time, and then some who he thought were nice, they just couldn’t handle taking care of children so fresh into the relationship.

Maybe he just wasn’t meant to have a lover again. Well, he did think he needed one nor did he think he could add romantic relations to his tight schedule. He had his sweet angels, he had his work. That was his life.

The desire to find love had long flickered away, all being left was the smoke coming from a dying candle.

But something sparked in him when that pretty woman raised her head and made eye contact with him, her smile so warm and serene.

“Hello. Do you happen to be Ganyu’s father?” You softly smiled at the man as he approached you in long, hurried strides. The school grounds were empty and the sun was almost setting down the horizon. Zhongli was very, very late that day. He gave a quick nod and kneeled in front of you, reaching to touch the shoulders of his quivering daughter.

“Angel? What’s wrong?” He tried prying her off you but all she did was shake her head and dig her nose deeper into your neck, clutching the neckline of your lilac tee in her small fingers. Zhongli was taken aback. His daughter was refusing his embrace?

His eyes searched yours for an answer as you shushed the crying child and patted her hair. “She’s upset that you arrived…later than the other parents. She thought you forgot about her.” Your brows furrow when her crying increases at your words. Zhongli sighed, a small smile appearing on his lips a second later.

He mouthed a thank you while sitting beside you so that his daughter could get a better view of him. “Ganyu, my little angel. I’m sorry for coming late, I promise I’ll buy you some ice cream to make up. Don’t you want to go home now?” He whispered, dropping his head down for him to look into her eyes, something he couldn’t do because of how snuggly she had been wrapped in your arms, face hidden against your skin. When he reached to cradle her red cheeks, Ganyu swatted her father’s hand away and vigorously shook her head against your neck. “No! I don’t want to talk to papa ever again.” She spoke, cries muffled.

Zhongli was at a loss for words. He was really sorry for his mistake and forgetting to tell Aether to pick Ganyu from school. He wanted to express his apology but what was he supposed to do now? He’s never had to encounter a situation when his perfect daughter acted out.

Again he looked at you with a desperate expression, pleading for some help. You gave him a subtle nod and looked back at Ganyu who was huddled up in your lap. You brushed away her falling tears with your thumb before talking to her in a hushed tone. “Ganyu, can you look at Miss Y/N for a moment? Please?” Zhongli felt his heart skip a beat at your honey-like voice, his astonishment increasing further when Ganyu pulled away to look into your eyes, occasionally hiccuping and wiping away her tears with the back of her sleeves.

You looked at her with a gentle understanding gaze, pulling out a handkerchief from your pocket for her to blow her nose. “Are you angry at papa?” You ask her, puffing your cheeks in exaggerated crossness, rousing a little giggle from her.

“Yes…papa forgot about me.” She sniffled, messily wiping her face with the cotton cloth. You tilt your head to the side and look at her questioningly. “But if papa forgot you, then why is he here to pick you up?” Your question made the little girl dart her gaze to Zhongli, who still had an ashamed smile on his face.

“Papa didn’t forget about Ganyu! How could he forget about his sweet little angel!” You make reference of the pet name Zhongli used for her, quickly catching his expression to see for any discomfort. Thankfully all you got in return was a charming smile. You poke Ganyu in her tummy, the ticklish feeling causing her to fall into a fit of laughter.

Seeing his daughter much calmer now, Zhongli tried again to pull her into his arms and this time she let him do so. He picked her from your lap and brought her in his own, hugging her tightly like he had never before, giving her the warmth and fatherly reassurance she needed. “I am so sorry Ganyu. Papa will be careful from next time, promise.” He vowed, giving her a kiss on her forehead.

You couldn’t help but feel your heart melt at the father-daughter bonding the two of them shared. The way he held her like the most precious being in the universe, it made you smile. Feeling the weight of a gaze upon him, Zhongli glanced at you, your eyes meeting and holding contact for a second too long.

“Oh, I am extremely sorry for coming late today. I assure you this is the first and last time this is happening. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble for you to stay and look after her.” Zhongli stood up and bowed slightly, holding Ganyu on his hip. He felt really bad for having put you in a position where you had no choice but to care for his daughter. Being a teacher, you surely had lots of work and other things to do, and he really appreciated you looking after Ganyu in his absence.

You laugh and wave your hands in front of you, brushing off his worry. “That is alright sir. Ganyu is a student of mine, and she’s no less than a daughter to me. Taking care of her is second nature to me.” You walk closer and pinch the girl’s cheeks and give her a wide smile, pulling a similar one from her.

When you took in a breath, the subtle smell of pinewood filled your senses, the smell of Zhongli’s cologne. Your face tipped up to see how close you were standing to the male and to respect his personal space, you took a step back, blushing profoundly. Only, Zhongli didn’t mind you standing so close to him, he quite liked it. But it wasn’t appropriate for him to voice those thoughts so he stayed silent on the matter.

Zhongli sighed in short-lived relief. “Though I am going to have to scold you for being late. Ganyu how do people who come to class late apologise?” You cross your arms playfully. Ganyu’s eyes light up as she tugs the lapel’s of her father's jacket. “Papa you will have to write on a paper ‘I am sorry for coming late’! You have to write it 20 times!” She exclaimed.

“Of course angel, I’ll get right to it when we get home okay?” He promised, giving a little oomph when Ganyu hugged his neck out of the blue. When you giggled softly, Zhongli peeked at you. That laugh of yours pulled his heartstrings and he joined you, the two of you giggling together.

“If that is all, then I should be bidding you farewell, Mister…” You trailed off, wordlessly asking the male in front of you for his name. He coughed and extended his free hand for you to shake. “Zhongli. Please, just Zhongli is enough.” Your smaller hand wrapped around his and your fingers felt so soft, Zhongli wondered if you’d held the clouds in your hands at some point during the day.

“I am Y/N. It is a pleasure to meet you, Zhongli.” His name coming from your lips felt so perfect. Never before had he felt warmth blooming across his face when someone spoke his name. This feeling was so strange yet so right at the same time.

The beginning of something wonderful and memorable.

Zhongli gazed at you warmly, “The pleasure is all mine Y/N.”

Aether was the most surprised, seeing Zhongli return with Ganyu in his arms and a giddy grin on his lips. You could practically see the halo of pink hearts floating around his head. “You look like you’re in a good mood. What’s up?” Aether chuckled, setting little Xiao in his seat and walking to take Ganyu and give her supper.

Zhongli snapped back to his original self, trying to gather his composure while walking into his house. “Nothing much, just met Ganyu’s teacher today.” Aether didn’t think much of it, brushing it off as a parent-teacher meeting, but sweet angel Ganyu had to open her mouth.

“Aether, Miss Y/N is the best teacher ever! She is so pretty and she makes me laugh and she even made papa laugh today. If Y/N didn’t help papa then I would still be mad at him. Even papa thinks Miss Y/N is pretty, right papa?” She blurted out, then proceeded to stuff her face with mashed potatoes.

The younger male glanced at his superior, smiling in amusement at the scarlet red blush that covered his embarrassed face. “Oh, is that so Zhongli?” He teased, giving him a knowing look.

To ease a forming lump in his throat, Zhongli walked to the fridge to grab himself a glass of water. “Yes, she is quite…beautiful and sweet. She was really nice to Ganyu when she started crying and it was very kind of her to take care of Ganyu when I reached to pick her up late and…I’m not going to speak any further for I don’t wish to embarrass myself more.” Zhongli gulped down the liquid and averted Aether’s gaze, one filled with mock and tease.

Days later Zhongli was still thinking about the attractive, kind teacher he met. Did he say attractive? Well, you definitely were, since he did find himself get attracted to you. Your smile and gentle eyes peering at him had etched themselves into his daydreams. It was quite strange, he never felt this sort of tightness in his chest before whenever he met another woman. But you, oh dear you, you had stained every vacant thought of his ever since that afternoon.

A knock on his bedroom door snapped him out of his thoughts. “Ahem, come in!” He called out, expecting it to be Aether with some reports or something of the sort. Only to his surprise, his daughter walked in, a sheet of paper and a bright red crayon in her hands.

“Hello angel. What’s the matter.” Zhongli spun in his chair and leaned down to lift his daughter in his arms, seating her on his lap. She laid the paper on top of his work and handed him the red crayon. “Papa you still have to write the apology to Miss Y/N! You have to write ‘I am sorry for coming late’ 20 times! Papa you promised!” The little girl huffed.

Zhongli laughed, but upon seeing Ganyu’s serious expression, his jest died down. She really did want him to write the apology. “Of course angel, I’ll start right away.” Even when he said that she refused to move from his lap until he started writing.

For his comfort, he used his own pen, the ink gliding across the sheet in his calligraphic handwriting. Whenever he finished writing down one sentence, his daughter cheered and counted down, a method of motivation which she had learnt from her teacher, she informed. Zhongli smiled to himself. Beautiful and smart. This woman kept surprising her.

“Andddd done!” He announced, putting a full stop at the end of his 20th sentence. He had to admit, even though he writes pages worth of writing in a single sitting, this punishment felt very taxing.

“Yay! Congratulations papa! Now when you give it to Miss Y/N tomorrow, she will surely give you a gold star.” His eyes widened and his cheeks warmed. “You want me to come to give it to her?” He inquired, making sure he heard her right the first time. Ganyu rolled her eyes dramatically, “Of course papa. If I give it to her, then she will think that I wrote the apology.”

Her reasoning was very valid for a 7-year-old, so Zhongli shrugged and decided to go along with it. “Then I shall come with you tomorrow.” He smiled. What a perfect opportunity to get to meet you again.

The next day when Zhongli woke up to take Ganyu to school, he felt…more eager to do that daily task. While getting ready, he spritzed on his favourite cologne, one which he saved for special occasions, he wore one of his better coats and sweaters and he made sure his hair looked better than it usually did. He thought to himself, ‘why am I dressing up so much? What is going on with me?’

And all his questions were answered when he walked into the school grounds and saw your smile as you greeted the other children and parents. You were practically glowing, shining brighter than a diamond in the moonlight. You walked to the children who were reluctant to leave their parents and you encouraged them, gave them the confidence to join you in your classroom.

“Papa come! We need to meet Miss Y/N before you go!” Ganyu’s excited figure pulled Zhongli through the crowd of adults and kids until he found himself standing a few feet from you. He froze up when Ganyu left his hand and darted towards you, engulfing your leg in a bear hug. He should also greet you, it’s polite to do so.

“Good morning, Ganyu! How are you today?” You kneeled to her eye level and conversed with her, grinning at her enthusiastic replies. “I am very good! I was a big girl yesterday and I made papa write the sorry note for you. Please give him a gold star!”

Your E/C trailed up to the man who stood behind Ganyu, his lips turned in a lopsided grin. “Oh is that so?” You look at him with a playfulness in your tender gaze, he couldn’t stop his heart rate from increasing.

He pulled out the slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to you, praying that when you take it from him, your hands would meet. He really wanted to feel your feather-soft touch once again. And thankfully the archons above heard his prayers for when you reached out to grab the paper, you lightly touched his warm hand, your touch sending waves of homeliness through him. Was it too soon to describe that feeling as homeliness? Maybe, but that word was just perfect to describe the sensation taking over him.

A delighted giggle escaped your lips as you unfolded the paper to find that he had indeed written the apology 20 times. You were amazed by his beautiful handwriting, almost finding it hard to believe that he wrote it and it wasn’t the product of a professional calligraphy artist.

“Ganyu, why don’t you go join your friends in class? I am sure Keqing is waiting for you.” You wink at her, seeing her bubble excitedly. She gave her father a quick hug and ran inside, leaving you and Zhongli standing in front of each other.

“She never stops talking about you.” You beam at him starting a conversation as the other students started crowding into the main building. The pride that filled his amber eyes beckoned you to speak further, wanting to see more of his handsome expression.

“She admires and idolises you, Zhongli. She always tells all her friends bout how her papa knows everything about the earth and she even told us stories about how the Liyuan Canyon was formed as a result of years of erosion by the river. She had the whole class captivated, I’ve never seen the students so quiet and interested in history.” You giggle as he sheepishly laughs and rubs his neck.

“Thank you for your kind words. Though I must express, you are a role model for her as well. She always talks about the pretty teacher who pays attention to all the students’ needs and encourages her to perform her best” He complimented, only realising he called you pretty when he recalled his words after seeing you blush. “Oh dear, I am really sorry. That was not professional of me.” He spluttered. ‘What happened to the calm and composed Zhongli?’ He cursed himself.

“I don’t mind the compliment Zhongli. Thank you.” You looked to the side to avoid his eyes, but when you noticed the emptiness around you, you realised that you had a class to take care of. “I should probably get back to my students.” You patted your clothes out of instinct as you waved at him and turned to walk away.

Zhongli mistook your hurry as discomfort from calling you pretty. Just as he was about to scowl at himself, you looked over your shoulder and grabbed his attention. “And about your gold star, how about I give it to you when you come to pick Ganyu in the afternoon?” Your offer to hang out with him for a while longer did not go unnoticed.

He stood tall and fixed his blazer, mirroring your gentle smile. “I’ll be looking forward to my reward.”

That afternoon he was greeted with you waiting to put a gold star sticker on the breast pocket of his blazer, Ganyu getting excited at how her father got his first sticker. All day that day, he subconsciously ran his fingers over the smooth star-shaped sticker, smiling to himself.

From that day, your relation progressed from father and teacher to some sort of friends.

In the crowd, his face was the one you’d always be most eager to see and he yours.

The two of you would talk of trivial topics before the school bell rang and you had to leave for your respective job; and in the afternoons he would stay back a little longer, your conversations drawing him in as Ganyu played in the grounds.

Your nightingale like voice and childlike expression whenever you spoke of something that excited you made him sigh in happiness. His mind was all fuzzy and he felt like he could spend hours just hearing you talk and admiring your beautiful features.

Conversations with you were never dull, you always kept Zhongli on his toes with the tales you had to offer about your teaching experience and he entertained you with historical stories that had your interests piqued.

One day you told him that Ganyu mentioned during a presentation that she had a little brother and you were hoping to see a picture of him. Happy to fulfil your request, Zhongli pulled out his phone and swiped through the gallery, showing you various pictures of him, Ganyu and Xiao.

He laughed heartily when you snatched his device and gushed over his younger child, commenting about how much he resembles his father. You even requested to meet him someday and Zhongli was more than excited for you to meet Xiao.

The first time you met Xiao, Zhongli was slightly nervous, constantly reminding Xiao to be on his best behaviour. He knew it would be hard for a toddler to follow such strict instructions, but a man could dream.

To his surprise, Xiao was much more mannered when you walked over and greeted him in your baby voice. His eyes were wide and head tilted to get a better look at your face from his father’s arms.

Looking at Zhongli for perMission to hold him and receiving a nod in return, you opened your arms, getting ready to hold him. Zhongli expected his son to shrink back, but Xiao’s eagerness to jump into your arms startled him.

Picking up the 3-year-old on your hip, you asked him questions such as his name and age, cooing whenever he answered. Your praises embarrassed him and he hid himself in your hair, softly playing with your H/C ends.

“I’ve never seen him this quiet. Are you sure you’re not a divine being?” Zhongli’s eyes lidded as he exhaled deeply, a lovestruck expression drawn on his face. You blushed at his words and gave your much more accurate reply. “I guess I am just good with children. I like them and they like me, isn’t that true little Xiao.” You booped his nose and he snorted a laugh in return, proving your claim.

The 15 minutes he stayed back turned into an hour, the three of you walking to a nearby park and sitting on a bench while Ganyu tried catching butterflies in her little fingers.

Often Zhongli would buy you some coffee or tea from a local cafe, whatever is your preference. Many a time you told him that he had no need to, but he insisted, saying that it was a treat, from one friend to another.

In the chilly autumn afternoons, with the sun’s dim light shining between the withering leaves, Zhongli came to fall in love with you, staring at your features as you cradled Xiao in your lap, poking his nose and laughing with Ganyu whenever he sneezed cutely.

But, what was he to do with these feelings?

“Papa! Papa!” His little daughter burst into his room, with Aether and Xiao trailing behind her. Zhongli’s eyes darted up from his work and he took off his specs, jumping from his seat to kneel in front of his frantic daughter. “Ganyu? Is everything alright?” His eyes scanned her for any injuries, raising an eyebrow when he saw her with an ear to ear smile.

“Papa it is Miss Y/N’s birthday tomorrow! We have to specially meet her tomorrow! We have to make her a card and buy her a gift! We need to buy her a pretty diamond necklace.” Ganyu rambled on, various gift ideas pouring out her mind. Zhongli smiled and shook his head. “Yes, we do need to buy her a pretty gift. Why don’t you go put on some shoes and we’ll go shopping right now?” Ganyu squealed and ran out of the room.

“Ah is this the reason you declined day after tomorrow’s invitation to the Historian Meet?” Aether wiggled his eyebrows at Zhongli, causing him to roll his eyes at Aether’s childishness. “It’s nothing like that. Y/N invited us to her house for her birthday dinner and I thought it would be quite rude to decline her offer over something that happens every second month.” He tried justifying himself. A simpler reason would have been, ‘I like her and I want to spend more time with her.’

That year her birthday fell on a Saturday and she had invited Zhongli and his children for a celebration dinner on Sunday, just the 4 of them. When she asked him over the phone if he could make it, Zhongli nodded like an eager child and then slapped his forehead in realisation that she couldn’t see him.

In the afternoon, Zhongli and Aether took Ganyu and Xiao to the shopping complex, and the two children who would usually be so engrossed in buying for themselves, their only goal for today was to find the perfect gift go you.

“Papa should we buy her a dress? I want to pick a dress for her!” Ganyu whined and pulled the others into a boutique. “I’ll take care of Xiao while you help Ganyu select a gift.” Aether declared, leaving the father to fend for himself.

A good 20 minutes it took for the 7-year-old to select a dress, with the assistance of her father and a store clerk. Zhongli was in awe of the floor-length mermaid shaped silver dress that Ganyu tugged from the shelves, proclaiming that it was the perfect gift for Miss Y/N. He sure hoped that his estimate of her dress size was accurate enough to fit her.

This is a very good choice Angel. You really like Miss Y/N, don’t you?” Zhongli gave her a close eyed smile, paying for the dress at the check out counter. She nodded vigorously, “Yes! Miss Y/N is my favourite and I know she’s your favourite too!” Zhongli choked on air as the cashier subtly smirked, having overheard their conversation.

“Ganyu! You don’t speak like that in public!” Zhongli spoke sternly but didn’t deny her statement. “Sir, I know it’s not my place to say, but would you like to check out our selection of pendants? Maybe you could find something of your liking.” The cashier offered, gesturing to the display of necklaces and gems aplenty.

Zhongli hummed to himself. A pendant would be a nice gift, holding great emotion and even hints of intimacy. He felt a tug on his pants and his daughter was having thoughts that overlapped with his. Maybe a necklace would be a perfect gift along with the dress.

Finally, the night of the dinner came. You were getting restless, repeatedly smoothening your knee-length dress while checking your make up in the mirror. How this night would end, you had no knowledge. But you really wanted to try your best, hoping to woo the man you had been developing feelings for.

When the bell rang, your heart pumped faster in your chest as you darted across your small apartment to open the door. There on the other side was Zhongli, Xiao on his hip and Ganyu standing beside him, clinging to his pants. Behind them was a blonde man you’ve never seen before, who you assumed to be Aether by the description Zhongli had given you in the past.

“Good evening Y/N. Wishing you the happiest birthday.” Zhongli leaned forward and pressed an air kiss to either of your cheeks in greeting. Seeing the way his father kissed your cheeks, Xiao reached forward and wrapped his hands around your neck, the suddenness of his action making you jolt forward to catch him and Zhongli scrambling to catch you with his free hand, in case you fall. Xiao cutely pressed a big kiss to your right cheek and then your left, mumbling a small hello.

Your face turned ruby red. But not at the child’s kiss. Zhongli’s hand was firmly gripping your waist as he held Xiao, the boy leaning on you in a very awkward position. The tension was thick, your eyes stayed fixed on Zhongli’s bright eyes as even he found it hard to tear away from his gaze from yours.

Thankfully, a deliberate cough from Aether helped snap you back to reality. “Let me hold him. And please! Do come in.” You took Xiao from Zhongli’s arms and opened the door wider, letting the 3 of them in. “I hope you don’t mind me calling Aether along, I required some assistance with the children.” He apologised.

“Nonsense! I am so happy to finally put a face to the name. It is great to finally meet you Aether. Zhongli doesn’t stop talking about how helpful you are, be it with his kids or in general.” You extend your free hand to shake his, getting a cheeky smile from him in return. “It is wonderful to finally see the Y/N that has Mr Zhongli daydreaming and-.”

“Oh by the way, here is your present. Ganyu selected it herself.” Zhongli grinned and took a well-wrapped box from Aether, preventing him from talking any further. You giggled at his obviousness and walked to the couch, sitting down and pouring some drinks for everyone, handing the kids a carton of fruit juice each.

“Come on Miss Y/N! Open your present!” Ganyu bounced on the couch in excitement, pushing the box further up your lap. Zhongli was ready to tell her off for misbehaving, but you quickly puller her to your side and together started ripping off the nicely done wrapping paper. Zhongli hissed internally at how messy the two of you were being, but seeing to smile at Ganyu’s elated figure, he guessed that you did that for her happiness.

“I hope you like it Miss Y/N!” Ganyu played with her fingers as you lifted the lid of the box. Even Zhongli sat on the edge of his seat, waiting to see your reaction. He was more than pleased when you gasped and squealed, pulling out the sequinned fabric of the dress. You stood up and pressed the clothing to your chest, the dress draping in front of you. Zhongli imagined you in that dress, looking absolutely stunning with your current makeup and hairdo. He could hear the drumming of his heart in his ears, but that wasn’t able to drown out the sounds of you thanking him for buying you such a wonderful present.

“Please, I wanted to treat you. A wonderful person such as yourself only deserves the best.” He beamed as you folded the dress and carefully put it back in the box, ready to store it to be worn on a special occasion.

After a little more talking and laughing, the children started complaining about feeling hungry. Seeing the clock, you clapped your hands and announced that it was indeed time for dinner.

Once you seated everyone at the dining table and disappeared into the kitchen to bring dinner, Aether kicked Zhongli from under the table. Aether’s wide eyes and curled lips along with his head tilting towards the kitchen struck Zhongli as an instruction to go help Y/N. Not only out of politeness but also for some alone time.

He left the table and walked into the kitchen to see you gathering plates and bowls for everyone. He offered to help and even after you denying, he was resilient. Finally, you gave up and let him lend a hand, setting the plates and cutlery on the table.

He helped you carry all the dishes you prepared by hand. He wasn’t very happy that you went through the pain of cooking everything, especially since it was your birthday celebration, but the flavourful smell wafting through the air made him look forward to the meal.

At one point during the set up, the two of you reached for the same pot of curry sitting atop the counter, your fingers making contact. Like lovestruck teenagers, you stared at each other and started blushing, both offering to take it out instead. Using your ‘my house, my rules’ ability, you went and placed the final serving bowl on the table, with Zhongli trailing behind you only a breath away, bumping into you when you suddenly turned.

“Dig in!” You announced and everyone started eating. Moans of satisfaction and exclamations of ‘so yummy!’ filled the dining room, making you bashful.

Zhongli praised your cooking, telling you how he’s never tasted such delicious home cooked food and if he had a choice, he would eat such food for the rest of his life. Only when he was drinking water did he realise the implied meaning of his words. When he looked at you, he was relieved to see you smiling at him, in a way that showed that you accepted that hidden meaning. Could it be…

Dinner went by as smooth as it could. Yes, Xiao did start crying about how he did not want to eat his vegetable because they were yucky. Aether and Zhongli tried their best to convince him to eat, using methods such as the aeroplane and the chop chop train, but all in vain. Thankfully you stepped in to save the day.

Only when you did the aeroplane did Xiao agree to eat! He was happily eating the beans from your fork as if that was his plan all along, to be fed by you. You laughed at how Zhongli’s mouth was hung open. His own son had betrayed him, he wasn’t going to forget that ever.

Zhongli seemed to find more and more things about you to admire, from the way you were able to keep his children well behaved and still joyous with your humorous anecdotes to how you gelled well with Aether, laughing with him about Zhongli’s embarrassing parenting moments.

Eventually, dinner came to an end. Xiao very conveniently crawled into his father’s lap during dinner and fell asleep against his shoulder and Ganyu’s head was lolling around as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

Aether announced that it was time for him to take the children home since it was much past their bedtime and they had school the next day. As you went to shake Ganyu awake, she grabbed your hand and pulled your face down so that she could whisper in your ear.

“Papa has a special gift for you. I hope you like it.” And she was out like a light bulb.

You smiled to yourself and carried her downstairs, not wanting to bother the father or his friend with the task. Aether was quite thankful and once you were walking down the stairs, he caught Zhongli’s eye and winked at him teasingly, enjoying the reawakening blush on his face.

You and Zhongli set his kids in the backseat and buckled them up snuggly. Aether and Zhongli spoke a while and you not wanting to pry in their conversation continued to make the kids feel comfortable in their seats. A smile graced your face and their sleepy figures as you closed the door.

Aether stepped into the car and waved at you and Zhongli, the male finding his spot beside you.

“Are you staying a little longer?” You asked, hoping that he wasn’t going to head off for some last minute meeting or anything. Zhongli turned around to face your apartment building, lifting his arm and sticking out his elbow for you to grab. “I’ll stay if you want me to.”

You beamed at his offer and grabbed his forearm, walking with him back to your house. “Ah, I completely forgot about the cake!” You walked to the kitchen with Zhongli trailing behind you. From the fridge, you pulled out a small chocolate cake with Happy Birthday frosted on in royal red icing. “My cousin is a baker and she sent it for me. I was really hoping to share it with you and your kids.” You chuckle nervously, placing the cake on the coffee table in front of the couch.

“Well, maybe you can cut it in my presence and bring it over tomorrow to my place. We can have it along with a nice cup of coffee if you’ll accept my invitation.” He spoke while lighting up the birthday candles, both of you sitting side by side on the couch, your bodies almost touching. All either of you needed was a little encouraging push.

You nodded at him and picked up the knife. “Well, time to blow out the candles and make a wish!” You exclaim, closing your eyes and leaning forward. You were silent for a second, making your wish and once you opened your eyes, you blew the candles. Zhongli clapped as you cut a slice and before you could pick it up, he beat you to it, lifting the confectionary to your lips. “Birthday girl gets the first bite.”

You couldn’t deny the tension in the air when you wrapped your fingers around his wrist to guide the cake to your mouth. He couldn’t deny the feelings bubbling in his heart when you laughed with a face full of chocolate. Both of you could read the others eyes when he leaned forward to swipe some frosting off your lips.

“I…I umm brought you a gift. Apart from the dress.” He blushed and reached into his blazer pocket, pulling out a long velvet box. He sat up in front of you and opened the box to reveal a pendant- a gorgeous pearl-shaped one, the gem of a soft pink shade sparkling in the lighting of your house.

“Zhongli…this is so beautiful.” You hesitated to touch the gift, not knowing its monetary worth, but with his encouragement, you reach forward to brush your fingers against the silver chain and the glistening gem. You looked away from the necklace and saw his gentle eyes on you, taking in your fascinated expression. “Zhongli…can you help me put it on?”

He was taken aback by your request. Asking him to help you with your necklace, it was a direct request to be touched, for him to brush his fingers in butterfly soft motions over your skin. A request for intimacy.

He gulped and nodded, carefully picking the necklace out of its case while you turned around and lifted your hair, exposing your neck. The sweet smell of your perfume hit his nose and it was a lucky coincidence that you were unable to see his shaking fingering and red ears.

“This gem, it’s a rose quartz. And it does have some…meaning, if you wish to put it that way.” You shivered when the cold metal touched your collarbone, it sliding up your skin as Zhongli tried to clasp it behind your neck. You could feel his breath fan over the nape of your neck. “What’s its significance.” You whispered, the tone of the rooming dimming down.

“It…It’s a symbol of unconditional love. Of the purest and sincerest of emotions, from one person to another.” The click of metal signalled that the necklace was locked around your neck. You looked down to admire it in your fingers, giving great attention to how Zhongli’s hands dropped down to your waist. He shuffled closer, closer enough for your back to hit his chest and his chin rest on your shoulder, his burning cheek right up against yours.

You allowed his faint embrace, leaning back to rest your weight against him. He hummed in your ear softly. You could feel his Adam’s apple bob nervously as if he was itching to speak. A moment later, he found the courage to pour out his feelings.

“Y/N...I have a confession to make.” He pulled from you, causing you to shift in your seat and face him. You smile at his gentle smiling, feeling his hand reach up to cradle your cheek. Relaxing against his warmth, a satisfied breath escaped your lips as you slowly nodded your head, giving him to go to speak on.

“The reason I chose this gem was…as a confession of my growing feelings for you. I don’t know how or when it happened, but now when I look into your eyes, I…there’s no way around this.” He blushed bashfully and looked to the side, unable to collect his thoughts and convert them into words.

“Zhongli…just tell me what you’re feeling. Who knows, maybe I’ll reciprocate your feelings…” You lift your other hand to cover your pink cheeks. He chuckled lightly at slanted in your direction, till you could see the golden threads of his irises.

“Well then if I may be so bold to confess…Y/N, I have developed romantic feelings for you. My confession is in no means a way for you to feel obligated to feel for me back-“ He was going to ramble out a long apology after his small confession.

Your smile grew and you threw yourself into Zhongli’s arms, rubbing your nose against his neck. The overwhelming feeling of happiness was intoxicating as you giggled into his shoulder. “I like you too Zhongli. Like a lot.” Your confession, so simple yet filled with so many emotions, Zhongli laughed in relief hearing your words.

“I am so happy you feel that way.” His arms tightened around your waist, squeezing you in a bear hug. You squeal in his hold and pull your face away to see his soft happy smile. His smile faltered when he noticed how close your lips were to his, he could feel your warm breath on his lips, the sensation quite ticklish.

“May I…may I kiss you Y/N?” He gulped. Your lips brushed over his when you nodded and a wild part of him came to life.

His hands flew up to cup your cheeks as he pulled you in, placing his lips on top of yours with such gentleness, it made your head feel dizzy. His soft lips danced with yours in harmony, parting and meeting yours again and again. He delicately brushed his thumbs over your cheekbones, drawing you deeper into the kiss. Your hands dropped to his sweater, clutching the wool in your fingers. His kisses had you feeling drunk, and with every breath and gasp for air, you pulled him in for more.

You shifted closer to him till your thighs touched, every contact had electricity zooming through your nerves. Your fingers found the ends of his well-kept hair and shamelessly you tangled your digits in his soft chocolate locks, bringing him even closer if possible. His hands trailed down to your lower back, arching you closer to his body, till the warmth of your chest pressed against his. Your warmth… radiated that home like feeling again, and Zhongli welcomed that with open arms, holding you like the most precious being in the world.

Thoughts ran crazy in Zhongli’s head. He knew that if he ever had the opportunity to kiss you, your lips would feel so smooth against his, but he never expected it to feel so…perfect. As if his lips were made to kiss yours, fitting together like puzzle pieces. Butterflies flew crazily in his stomach, a sensation he’d completely forgotten about before he met you. You entered his life and gave him the love he didn’t know he missed and now that he had a little taste, he craved more and more of you.

Separating for real this time, you panted, feelings his heavy breath against you. You lifted your head and bite your lip, stopping that huge grin from appearing on your face. Zhongli didn’t want to hold back his happiness. He laughed and hugged you tight, peppering kisses on your cheeks.

“I am so happy you’ve agreed to accept my feelings Y/N. So very happy.” He cheered, words trailing off as his eyes fell upon you again. He pecked your lips, once then twice, making sure the events that just happened weren’t a dream.

“So what does this mean for us? Do you think Ganyu and Xiao will be fine with you having a lover?” You hesitated with your words, trying to voice out your concerns. He understood your worries and grabbed your hands, bringing them up for him to place gentle kisses on your knuckles. “I think they’d be quite welcoming. They love you already and having you join our little family would bring them great happiness. That is, if you’re ready to?” Zhongli whispered softly, knowing the responsibility you would be agreeing to if you accept.

You think for a minute, then flip your hands to place Zhongli’s on top, giving butterfly kisses to his nervous hands. “I don’t know if I can think that far ahead. But what I know is that at this moment, I want to be with you, I want to be with Ganyu and Xiao. I want to see your face, first thing when I wake up and I want to kiss the children before they sleep. If you’ll have me, the way I am?”

Zhongli didn’t even need to give it a second thought, he was already nodding his head and pulling you against his chest, kissing you all over again. Hearing your angelic giggles and feeling your electrifying touch, Zhongli knew that for the first time in a long time, he was ready to love again.

"we should consider marriage."

you blink. nanami's knife never loses its rhythm.

you put down your pen and cushion your chin on one hand, eyeing him. he's unbothered. he keeps prepping the ingredients for dinner, his forearms flexing with each pass of the knife. the tight ridge of his broad shoulders always loosens in the kitchen.

"for us or for someone else, kento?" you ask, biting back your little smile.

he levels an unimpressed look your way. "for us."

"it took me a year to convince you to date me," you say. "you can't blame me for checking."

(i don't want you to get hurt, he says on a humid summer day. he gazes out into the campus courtyard, eyes hidden beneath the gleam of his sunglasses.

you suck the watermelon juice off your sticky fingers. i'm aware, you say, nonchalant. but sometimes being hurt just means you've lived well.

he looks at you differently, after that.)

nanami hums; the oil sizzles as he adds the vegetables to the pan. the steam wisps around him. there's the smallest upward tilt to his lips, and his dark eyes make you think of warm summer nights, heavy and honeyed.

he sets a lid over the pan, rinses his hands, and pads over to you. you open your legs to let him press between. he lays a heavy hand on your thigh, his thumb slipping under the hem of your shorts.

"so," you say, "we're considering, huh?"

"yes," he says. "i'd like to know that when something happens to me, you'll be taken care of. being legally married helps ensure that."

you wind your arms around his neck, pull him further into the cradle of your hips.

"oh, is that all?"

"yes," he says, deadpan. he tugs you closer still. "that's the only reason."

you laugh and hook your legs around his hips. "you realize that with you, this is basically an actual proposal, kento."

nanami leans down, catches you in a deep, aching kiss.

"basically."