#❥ SFT

[erikatsu]

A MILLION DREAMS — WRIOTHESLEY

ᥫ᭡ SUMMARY: A walk around the Court of Fontaine with Wriothesley leads to an unexpected conversation.

ᥫ᭡ PAIRING: Wriothesley x Fem!Reader

ᥫ᭡ WARNINGS: Fluff. Mentions of starting a family/having kids. Self-ship coded. SFT but minors, ageless, and blanks following will be blocked. 20+ to follow.

ᥫ᭡ WC: 1.2K

❥ SERIES MASTERLIST

The warmth of the sun was a feeling that you had missed. The sounds of bustling shops and people chatting amongst themselves as you walked by them felt like home. You didn’t realize you had a void you needed filled until breathing in the fresh air. The nostalgia was overwhelming and you longed to be back on the open road with your show. Instead you settled on reminiscing as you walked the streets, your arm linked with Wriothesley’s.

The two of you got a lot of looks as you made your way towards the aquabus station. Your faces weren’t familiar, and whispers from those curious told you they were slowly piecing it together. At least, they managed to figure out who Wriothesley was. You were thankful though, since you didn’t want to be recognized. It would be rather hard to explain how you managed to escape death, after all. While everyone that mattered was now aware of your status, you could comfortably walk around Fontaine without worry of being arrested as a fugitive. There were loopholes in laws, and while you may not have reclaimed your honor in your duel, you weren’t able to fight for the same crime twice, nor could you be tried for it.

The walk around town was well needed, Wriothesley deciding to escort you. You weren’t sure if he wanted to be able to stop you from being a menace to society or if he was caught up on his work and genuinely wanted to join you. He never left the Fortress, only doing so if he absolutely had to or if children were somehow involved. You didn’t question it, taking advantage of the rare opportunity to spend time in the open with him.

The aquabus ride was calming, listening to the melusine guide point out what was what along the short trip. Part of you was sad that you were on the way back, but another part knew that you wouldn’t change how things were now. If not for the man beside you, you’d have been back above the surface a lot sooner.

It was funny to think how much he had changed for you. Years ago, you never would have found yourself finding a real place to call home other than the circus. You never would have the belief system or outlooks that you did now. Settling down, starting over… well, the sound of that filled you with more joy than one last hoorah. You could also appreciate the irony of being born for the spotlight, yet belonging to the shadows– behind the scenes.

“You know, I haven’t come to the Fountain of Leuciene before, but I have heard the tales,” you remarked as you approached the said topic choice. “If I had visited back then I would have wished for better turn out or for more tour opportunities. A normal, successful life was not something I had ever pictured for myself.”

He was intrigued by your words, “You think the life in Fortress is a normal way of life?”

“Your Grace, I do believe I get to put on a show for you everyday, do I not?” you teased, causing a soft chuckle to slip past his lips. “Aside from that, the Fortress has much potential. For some, this is all they have. After serving their sentences they lived like normal people in a normal world. Some even finding love here. I think it’s as normal of a place to live as anywhere else. But maybe I don’t understand because I’ve never had a normal life before.”

“Not even in your childhood?” Wriothesley sounded slightly surprised. He wasn’t sure how the House of the Hearth worked. He just knew it was Fontaine’s biggest orphanage and he’d never had the pleasure of being inside.

You shook your head, “My training started two days after I had been brought in from Snezhnaya. Fighting, dancing, espionage, you name it. I was never given an opportunity to ever think about a life outside of it– having a normal job, falling in love, starting a family? I was expected to carry out my orders and devote myself to the Tsaritsa and her cause. None of that has ever been within my reach before.”

“I’ve never pictured someone like you living what some could consider to be a normal life,” he commented, coming to a stop in front of the fountain. “Jokes aside, I didn’t know children was something you wanted.”

You shrugged, looking at all the coins that littered the bottom of the fountain, “They’re not off the table. Like I said, it’s just not something I’ve ever been allowed to think of before. Let’s just say, if it happens it happens.”

Wriothesley wasn’t sure what to think. He didn’t even want to keep a pet in the Fortress, thinking it was unfair if not cruel to keep them away from Teyvat’s offerings such as sunlight and green grass to play in. The Fortress definitely was not, in his opinion, a place for children. Honestly, while he did have a soft spot for kids he was terrified of his own. Apart from where lived, the only parents he had ever know were bad people. Of course, he had worked through most of that during his time as a prisoner but he didn’t want to chance any lasting trauma he may have subconsciously buried.

You could tell he was a bit unsettled, but you yourself still weren’t decided. There was a lot that went into a decision such as this other than desire. It had taken you a long time as a child to learn trust and love. It had taken you even longer to open your heart to a deeper, more intimate form of both. Being able to do that for life you created... that was scary.

You looked up at Wriothesley, gently placing your hand on his arm, “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost. Before bringing a little fish into this world, she needs a better ocean to swim in. Besides the prophecy looming over our heads, I’m not sure if marriage is right for me.”

“Well, you’re certainly full of surprises today,” he jested, unlinking his arm from yours and wrapping it around your shoulder. “Marriage isn’t a necessity for children. Steps can be done backwards to, which is fitting since you never seem to stay inside the box of normalcy. On a serious note, if we did decide to have one, it would be a boy.”

“Sounds to me like there’s really only one sure way to find out who’s right, my dear,” you laughed, reaching into your pocket and grabbing a mora coin. “To all our dreams.”

He watched as you tossed the coin into the fountain, a small smile on his face. He was no stranger to sacrifices, to giving one thing up in sake of the other. Letting go of his worries for the sake of happiness was a form of sacrifice that he’d never pictured having to do. Then again also he’s found himself in quite a few situations he didn’t forsee thanks to you. And it wasn’t like you hadn’t done the same for him.

He placed a gentle kiss on top of your head before saying, “I guess we shouldn’t waste any time then.”