#Li Ling x Reader

[halcyon-writings]

Can you do a thing for Li Ling getting medical attention from reader because reader doesn't scold him for getting injured?

for sure anon (also idk what this trope is but it’s chefs kiss)

nav.

You hear the flap of the small makeshift tent being lifted, while you’re in the midst of reading various emails and reminders. Instead of looking up from the dimmed screen, you hum in acknowledgement as you hear footsteps get closer.

A hand is raised in a lazy wave, before your lips part and you greet the familiar visitor, “Long time no see.”

You get a mix of a snort and a grunt in return, in turn, your nose crinkles in amusement as you finally deign to look at him. No one other than Li Ling stands before you. The arms of his divine power folded behind him while his actual arms are folded across his bare chest, a jacket slung loosely over his shoulders that you’re surprised it hasn’t fallen off yet.

“One would think even with the cold, you’d wear a proper coat,” You murmur, shutting the laptop before you and placing it back in the case as you stand.

“Bah, ‘s nothing but a cool breeze,” He says flippantly. Already, he seats himself on one of the spare cots, leave it to him to walk around like he owned the place no matter where the Esper Union assigned him to.

“For you maybe,” You reply, giving him a once over, only to not really find any sort of injuries at all, “What brings you to the medical tent?” You raise an eyebrow, as he sighs melodramatically, laying back onto the cot with a grunt.

“I’m injured,” He says plainly.

You snort. Before it becomes full on laughter, as you see him frown in your direction.

“Be serious.”

“I am!”

Your unconvinced look makes him crinkle his nose. Before he raises a non-divinely powered arm up in the air, it takes you squinting to actually see what he’s trying to show you.

“Please tell me you’re joking,” You say dryly, looking at the tiniest of scratches on his arm.

“Nuh uh!”

You still stare, unimpressed.

To which he at least has some sense to deflate a little, but Li Ling was still laying in the bed after all.

“You don’t want to debrief with Raven, do you?”

“They’re just so boring!” He complains, like he isn’t a higher ranked member of the union and probably even higher ranked than you if he thought about it for longer than a moment.

“Please, doc?” He whines… whines!

You sigh with what sounds like another laugh, before you take his arm, a gloved hand inspecting the “wound.” Because even if you didn’t admit it, you indulged him at times too.

“Alright, ten minutes. But if Raven comes here looking for you, it’s not my problem.”

He pumps his fist into the air, with a silent cheer.

“I knew you were my favorite.”

“Or the only one who plays along with you getting out of paperwork.”

When Raven finds him, you wave off a complaining Li Ling as he’s all but dragged away.

[blue-howlite]

Being their significant other headcanons, Dislyte edition.

Feat. Li Ling, Falken, Yun Chuan, Long Mian.

Author note: the first three were requested, the other was added by me for fun. The request for Falken asked for a shy reader but I'm doing really general headcanons here. Buuuuut... Yes I did change his headcanons a bit to fit the request. Also I wrote all this in the most gender neutral way possible, so anyone can enjoy it.

Twigger warnings: none? Maybe Long Mian being the most possessive man on Earth, but it was expected. Oh you can imagine some nsfw situations if you really try, but nothing mentioned here was meant to be nsfw.

Li Ling

You got in a relationship with this walking- floating menace. I'm not going to ask how.

He probably started floating around you a lot, showing off his powers to you until you asked him out because you thought he was flirting. He was not, but now he's glad you thought he was.

Anyway here we are!

First off, let's bust a myth. You know the "If there's something I can't stand is dumb rules"? Well, that doesn't really apply to you.

He might tease you sometimes, but he will never, ever cross your boundaries.

He respects you and you're one of the few people that can make him behave.

And this leads to another of his quotes.

"If you have something to say, you better have the power to back it up", right?

Well, he's your power to back it up. Doesn't matter if you're a normal person, and Esper, if you're in the Union or not, if you have a problem it is now also his problem and he'll back you up.

Yes this did lead to some accidents a few times but it's alright, the other person was always left alive.

Now the important part.

Six arms.

You think he's not going to use them?

No matter where you two are, his hands are always on you. Maybe one is on your shoulder, or on your waist, or holding your hand.

Anyway, if you're not comfortable with that he'll respect you. As I said earlier, he's respecting your boundaries, no matter how hard he wishes to squeeze you in a hug.

But he will lift you up at the most random times with his extra arms. And carry you around like a backpack. Like if he has somewhere to be and he wants you to be with him he won't talk, he'll just take you with him. You'll get used to it.

He isn't really possessive nor gets jealous easily. Probably because no one would dare try anything with you since you're with him. Bonus if you're strong enough that your fame alone is what keeps others from approaching you, Li Ling likes strong people.

Cuddles? Yes please. I feel like since most of his physical contact with others is through punches he's actually very cuddly. And he gives bear hugs. No I won't elaborate.

You're not a fan of physical contact? Cool, then you can do activities together! Maybe he can teach you how to cook meals typical of Tangton, or his family recipes! (Good luck if you're not a spicy food person.)

Pet names? He'll probably use your name more often, but "Babe" and "Sweetheart" are also good options.

And if you try to give him pet names he'll probably go 'uno reverse' and use them on you instead.

He's such a menace.

But he's your menace.

Falken

It all starts with you, who somehow you caught his attention, through an action or a particular feature you have, and now he's thinking about it. But what does Falken do when he thinks? He zones out.

So the first time you catch him staring at you and he doesn't even look away, you'll probably panic a little, thinking you did something wrong. He's an Union Commander after all, if he stares at someone there must be a valid reason, right? So you gather your courage and ask him what's wrong.

When he realizes that he's been staring you can bet he's embarrassed. Like a lot. He usually stares at things or animals, not people. And he'll notice you're a bit agitated now.

Him apologizing for making you uncomfortable is a great conversation starter though, he'll explain why he was staring and so you'll start talking. You become friends.

And soon you start dating. I'm positive Falken has some experience with love and so he recognizes the feeling that makes him zone out whenever he sees you, so he'll confess.

He's very focused on his work, but he keeps his life balanced so that he has time both for his duty as an Union Commander and as your boyfriend

Sometimes he might take some things for granted, like you enjoying PDA or physical contact. Please tell him if he crosses any boundaries, he'll be sure not to let it happen again.

That doesn't mean he'll take you for granted though. He loves you and cherishes you, he just needs help learning about you.

Which is something he really enjoys by the way.

If you happen to tell him about an interest or a preference of yours he will commit it to memory, even if it doesn't seem important at the moment.

If you have trouble speaking up for yourself he'll make sure to be by your side and help you. Not help you as in speaking for you, rather encouraging you overcoming your shyness and speaking for yourself.

Of course if you're actually unable to he'll just do it for you, but you can bet he's going to help you get better at it later.

It's not that he sees shyness as a bad thing, but he knows that sometimes it can get in the way and be an issue for you. He's okay with you being shy, as long as it doesn't stop you from being respected.

He doesn't get jealous but I see him as a bit possessive. Not possessive as in "you're mine", more as in "you're precious to me and I want to cherish and protect you". Like you're his but that's not the main point to him.

Oh you can count on him if someone makes you uncomfortable though. Guys/gals/hoes trying to hit on you? The "Eye of Horus" is on them and if stares could kill that person would be six feet under already.

Pet names? "Love" is the one he uses the most, "Dear" is for when he's back from a mission or he's tired after a long day of work.

He'll let you give him any pet name you want, as long as they make sense and aren't excessively ridiculous.

He just loves you and wishes to always be there for you.

Yun Chuan

Ohhhh boy, another menace. But a sweet menace.

So, how do you get the scary dog privileges? Well, the moment Screamer understands Yun Chuan is into you, that's when the fun starts.

Screamer is his wing man you can't tell me otherwise. He will get in your way so that you stumble on him and his master can catch you in his arms when you fall. He'll jump on you, pushing you against his master. Yun Chuan will apologize to you a lot about it but Screamer won't stop it, until one day his master finally confesses to you.

And you got the scary dogs privileges!

Yun Chuan will take you to befriend the Jagalions, that's for sure. Even if you're not a fighter he will teach you how to train with them and interact with them. Let's imagine that Jagalions don't trigger allergies so that even the allergy people can enjoy this.

Now, what about boundaries?

Of course he respects them. The funny thing is, he might even over-respect them.

He'll always ask if you're okay with anything, be it holding hands or kissing you. Especially in public, he will ask every single time for permission.

It's not that he doesn't like it, he loves giving you affection, he just wants to make sure you're comfortable with it.

He likes hugging you though. He is the master of bear hugs. Hugs in general. He will lift you from the ground while hugging you, no matter your size or height.

And about that.

This man is the best when it comes to body positivity. Like he will love your body for you and teach you how to love it as well.

Of course if you decide to work out he will take you to the Jagalions with him and you'll train together, but only if you're doing it because you want to, not because you feel pressured to.

No but like for real, doesn't matter if it's about a skin, hair or eye condition, or your weight, Yun Chuan will make sure you know he loves you as you are.

Possessive. A lot. In the "They're mine" way. If he's not with you then Screamer is. But he's also shy about it, he'll never admit to it. He's just making sure you're always safe, that's all. Even if you're a powerful Esper you might need assistance, right? Don't mind Screamer getting literally between you and whoever you are talking to, he's just making sure you're alright!

Rather than pet names he likes short versions of your name. He's not very good at pet names.

You can give him any pet name you want. He doesn't really get them but go ahead, have fun with it! But prefers when you call his name 100% of the time.

He might be awkward at times, like if for some reason you show a lot of skin (even though this man is barely covering his own shoulders), but it's just because he loves you and he doesn't want to hurt you in any way.

Long Mian

Because he likes collecting Miramon and creatures he deems unique, he's probably been watching you for a while and his first thought was to freeze you and put you in his collection room.

But! Then you made a different expression from the one you were making a moment ago! Maybe he could freeze you with that.

Your pose changed too! Oh no!

Once he realises that you have too many expressions and different poses, he decides to give you a few days and watch you, in order to decide how you would look best as an ice statue. He even starts talking to you, to see up close your facial features and watch them change with every expression you make.

He gives you a few more weeks, thinking that he needs to choose carefully.

And this plan backfires. He realizes he won't be able to hear your voice if he freezes you. And he likes your voice. He likes talking with you. He likes you.

This annoys him to no end, and he won't admit that he fell for you. But he still desires you, he wants you to be his.

After explaining to him that he can't force you to live in his collection room, you somehow agree to start dating. This way you're his and he'll still get to talk to you and spend time with you. Perfect solution, right?

...

He doesn't know how a relationship works. If it was up to him, you'd never leave his side, but you'll have to teach him that sometimes you have other things to do or that you need space.

He'll see you as something he owns and has to protect for a while at the beginning of the relationship. It will take an active effort from you to make him see you as an equal and not a collection item.

He'll come around I promise, he just needs time to understand his feelings and the fact that he does indeed love you.

Once he figures it out though, you're done for, because he will realize that others as well might develop feelings for you. He will make sure they know you are his beloved. Your neck is now covered in purple bruises and bite marks, he didn't mean to hurt you but don't you look beautiful like this?

Work on boundaries, he'll respect them once he understands why they're important for you. Which might take some time.

It's not that he will just do whatever he wants, he knows what 'No' means. He just won't bother asking, you'll have to say it first.

Loves you a lot though. The fact that he can't just freeze you and call it a day means that the time you two have is far more precious than what he has with the pieces in his collection. He treasures you, really.

He will make sure you know he loves you. Long Mian is self aware, he knows he often acts cold, but he doesn't want you to mistake his coldness for lack of love in your regards. So he always smiles a bit more with you and often tells you that he loves you.

Sometimes he'll just come up to you, kiss you, then go back to whatever he was doing.

He is touch starved, fight me.

He doesn't just like cuddling, he's addicted to it now. He just needs your body pressed against his, your warmth against his cold touch.

Did I already say he loves your voice?

Talk to him when you're together, sing if you want, read to him, just let him hear you. Whatever he's doing just let him hear your voice, let him know that you're here.

If you're sleeping he will come and lay his head on your chest to hear your heartbeat. He just needs to know that you're alive and well.

Pet names for you? Anything which he can put "My" in front of. "My love", "My dear", "My treasure", and so on.

For him? Just call him by his name. But if you really want to make him lose it (in a good way), put "My" first. Play his own game on him. He'll love it.

It is a complicated relationship and making it work requires a lot of effort from both sides, but it's worth it.

[vinnsley]

Could you write about a gnc reader being curious about Li Ling's transformation details? Like his extra arms and the stars on his neck?

CAN DO DEAR ANON!! (translation:i can, buz probably wont be accurate cus i know shit abt this man.)

~~Curious, arent you?~~

Li Ling x gn! reader fluff

reader and ling are already dating

----------

-Hey Lingling!

-Hm? - Li ling, your boyfriend, hummed as he was cuddling you, him being the big spoon.

-Could you tell me how you got your arms? and the stars? like, your transformation? how did it go?

-Ooh... darling, its.. very complicated. to say the least- - he wheezed? the last bit, you couldnt actually make out what type of reply was that. wheezing? crying? laughing? you didnt know. but there was one thing for sure.

You wanted to know how he actually transformed.

so each day, you would suprise him. popping the question "Cmon tell me lingling-" "HOW DID YOU TRANSFORM????" "please tell me babe im losing it i wanna know." "h o w d i d y o u t r a n s f o r m ? : )" even leaving sticky notes and throwing paper balls at him.

cant say he wasnt annoyed a bit, but he wanted this game to continue. he wanted to see what would be the result of this "transformation war"

everyone around was already done with this. when you start popping the question they just leave or disappear. you dont know how but they always just, do.

One time Li ling has left a sticky note on your door with the lines

"Hey Darling, once youre ready come to the unions garden i have something special to tell you ;)"

once you read the massage you immediately ran there. you wanted to know and todays the day youll know his secret, youll know how he transformed. once you got there there he was standing waiting for you.

"My, my, arent you curious about this? you didnt waste any time did you?"

------

THANK YOU FOR THE REQUEST HOPE YOU ENJOYED!!

[caramel1mochi]

One Hazy Winter [Iso x F! Reader] [6]

[ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 ]

Genre: Angst, fluff ‎ 

TW: Heavy depression, implied suicide ‎ ‎ 

Words: 5.8k ‎ 

Synopsis: One winter before his disappearance, you told your boyfriend Yu about a question you’ve had for so long; one even he could hardly respond to. It took many more hopeless winters for you to finally have your answer.‎ 

Note: Please don't copy or steal my work and pass it off as your own! If you'd like to use one of my headcanons or something, I'd love it if you tagged or asked.

Heya! So I planned on doing this after I finished this story, turns out the scenes were too long and I need split it in two. Anyway, while I was tidying this, I couldn't decide on who the protagonist for my next x reader should be. So I'm making a poll! I'll be posting it within the next few days. I'm REALLY leaning towards Clove, but I thought it would be better if you guys chose instead. Thanks and have a good read!

。+❤ฺ·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ· +❤·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ·

Ying immediately rushed to her car when you shut the call and sped towards Yu’s house with only a coat to keep her warm.

Her neighbourhood’s location didn’t allow the haze to obscure too much of the residents’ vision. It was a good amount, but not debilitatingly blinding like your area unfortunately was.

And to her relief, the storm had abated by the time she had finally arrived at Yu’s house. For a moment, she was led to believe that you weren’t there yet, but all of that hope quickly dissipated once she saw faint footsteps imprinted on the thick snow just in front of her. Even with the storm that was still ongoing at the time, the rapid snowflakes weren’t falling fast enough to fully cover them.

This let her know you arrived way before her, all in the middle of a blizzard.

Ying slowly stepped out of her car and hugged herself in an effort to keep herself safe from the cold. It wasn’t much, and she wasn’t exactly built to stay warm with just her hands, but it was the best she could do at the moment.

She took out her spare keys and scrambled to open the front door, all while struggling to ignore the stinging cold temperature of the handle she so desperately pulled on. With one final click, the door swung open, and she was swiftly allowed an entrance to a house as lifeless and miserable as the atmosphere that engulfed her. With a deep breath, she rushed right through, swallowing all her fears with her.

‎ ‎

Everything was dark; the air was heavy… It all felt so constricted and suffocating. The windows were shut, and the lingering smog and rapid snowfall effortlessly blocked any sun rays from entering. But despite all of this, the house still felt unbearably cold from the inside. That, and there was still a considerable amount of misplaced light coming from... Her eyes promptly fell on the source, and it didn’t take long for her to come to her own conclusion.

The doors to the backyard were ajar, and this freely let in the cold and the snow without concern for the consequences. It was easy to tell that you pulled them open and rushed outside as fast as you could.

A sigh escaped her, and she moved through the vast yet smothering living room.

‎ ‎

“Y/N?”

‎ ‎

She called out, the echo of her voice only forcing her to outline the shakiness of it, how concerned she was. Even her muffled steps weren’t spared from the mocking reverberation around her as she slowly marched towards the double doors. And with each step, the higher the possibility was that you had died. Hypothermia at the absolute best. But at worst? Even if it logically made sense, she wanted to do anything but consider it.

It didn't take long for her to finally arrive in front of the two doors, her bare fingers slowly wrapping around the handle.

‎ ‎

“Y/N, are you out here?”

‎ ‎

Ying asked sheepishly as she pulled it wide open. But immediately, she fell into silence at the sight.

In front of her were the very trees that were so lively and vivid just a few weeks ago. Their hypnotisingly green leaves, and especially the white flowers she found so pretty. All of it was missing; it was violently ripped off with little regard. Now, the only thing all of the dead branches were capable of lifting was the very snow that killed it, all signs of life having scattered within mere hours.

There were no flowers. There were no leaves. All that remained was the filthy aroma of death and a few lemons that swung hopelessly in the wind, all dangling under the mercy of the second incoming blizzard. Only one more push from the merciless winds was all it took for them to disappear as well.

Ying's eyes then fell on your figure. You were on your knees, not too far away from the decaying trees you were facing, hands on your lap, shoulders slumped, silent, and... unmoving. Still like a statue. It's not that she wasn't beyond grateful that you were alive; she absolutely was, but this... this stasis, so to speak, immediately flooded her with concern.

At least when Yu was in a state somewhat similar to yours, Ying could tell that he was alive. You looked no different from a dead body.

‎ ‎

“Are… Are you okay…?”

‎ ‎

Ying slowly moved down the steps concealed by snow, her feet digging through inches upon inches of it before finally reaching solid ground. You had already processed her presence by the time she got close.

But even as she placed one hand on your shoulder, you didn't react. You couldn’t. Once she leaned closer for a better look, only now could Ying just barely dig out the empty expression on your face through the small openings in your pitch-black hair. The pure, unalloyed sense of detachment etched on your features, and that dreadful empty glare. Even though it was quite a laughable expectation considering who you were, she had assumed there would be tears, or… for you to scream, something like that. Somehow, this was much, much worse.

She stopped and knelt right beside you, unsure how to ease your sorrows after such a loss. Not when you were so silent and gave her absolutely nothing to work with.

‎ ‎

"Y/N, I'm– I’m so sorry..."

‎ ‎

Ying earned naught of a response from you.

You didn’t bother to note just how stiff and numb the tips of your fingers felt. It could be bloody frostbite for all you care, but that did little to shift your concerns. It was nothing in the face of what had just happened. It was hard to convince yourself not to chop down all of the trees again and call it quits. Drop gardening and rot in bed all day. Just like last time.

It took you years to build up the courage to plant again, let alone enter your dead boyfriend's house and spend more than two minutes there. Just a few years ago, the thought of your parents' and Yu's favourite fruits would nauseate you.

You thought you had come so far, only for this to happen. And in your mind, there was one concept that had now become clear. Everything you ever work for, everything that could ever make you happy, winter will be there to wash it all away in the blink of an eye… for no reason. So really, why bother? You mused to yourself, ignorant to the snow that surrounded your now-numb legs. Why bother plucking the last few lemons that dangled from the branches? They'd rot anyway. Or something would be wrong with them. Infested with some fungal disease you missed, probably. They'd wither away like everything else.

Your parents, Yu, and now this.

You felt all of the misery that used to swim in your mind return. And in this situation, it was the only thing that felt familiar. The familiarity of the heaviness in your body that would prevent you from moving, and the familiarity of vehemently refusing to see a tomorrow if Yu wasn't within your vicinity. The familiarity of depending on others for a better state of mind.

…

Ugh. 

Ying flinched once you stood up all of a sudden and moved forward. She immediately followed your lead, placing one hand on your shoulder to stop you.

‎ ‎

"What are you doing?"

‎ ‎

"I'm taking those lemons."

‎ ‎

"What? No, it's too dangerous. Let's just head back inside, I–"

‎ ‎

"Go inside– are you kidding? So I can mope when the blizzard inevitably takes it all away? I'm not going to do that anymore."

‎ ‎

“Y/N, it’s too dangerous!”

‎ ‎

You ignored her.

But just as you took a step away, you felt a firm hold on your wrist that forced you to cut your path short. You angrily met Ying's gaze in response, but she was quick to speak before you could.

‎ ‎

"Listen to me! We can wait for the blizzard to pass, plant another tree, and start all over again. Anything. Please just listen to me, Y/N. This is suicide!"

‎ ‎

"I've had enough of this! I'm not going to be passive anymore! Don't you dare drag me down!"

‎ ‎

She furrowed her brow.

‎ ‎

“These trees can die, Y/N, we can always plant another; but what if something happens to you?!”

‎ ‎

“Let go of me! You’re wasting your breath.”

‎ ‎

You attempted to pull away, but Ying kept you firmly in her hold. So much so, you were sure she could cut off your circulation with a bit more pressure. Since when was she this strong?

‎ ‎

"I understand that winter took everything from you and put you in depression. But, please, don't let it take you away as well!"

‎ ‎

"Winter didn't put me in anything, Ying. I let winter do this to me." You clenched your fist. "And I'm fed up with it! I don't want to be happy because Yu is with me, or because the trees are still standing, or– or because of something else, I want to be happy because I want what’s best for me!" 

‎ ‎

You narrowed your eyes. 

‎ ‎

"I finally care about the woman I see in the mirror, Ying. And winter can take that when I'm six feet under!"

‎ ‎

With her mind overwhelmed, you managed to escape her grasp in the midst of your words. And immediately, you took your chance and moved towards the trees. Ying, in panic, called out for you,

‎ ‎

"Wait, wait I–" she quickly followed, "let me help you, okay? Let me help you."

‎ ‎

Her hand was placed on your shoulder instead. And immediately, this forced you to stop as you looked at her once more.

‎ ‎

"Your determination is admirable, Y/N. And... if you're so adamant about this, then I'd like to support you in the process."

‎ ‎

You stared at her for a few prolonged seconds, attempting to deduce whether or not she was serious. And she was. Ying, the woman who undeniably had more of an incentive to stay alive, desired to help you under the threat of another blizzard.

Once this realisation dawned on you, a weak smile played on your lips.

‎ ‎

"Thank you, Ying."

‎ ‎

She met you with a smile a lot wider and more natural than yours. Then, with a subtle gesture, both of you moved towards the trees and aimed to pluck the last few remaining lemons and make sure you used them to their absolute fullest potential.

‎ ‎

‎ ‎

Six trees were planted, and you only managed to harvest about thirteen Meyer lemons. Which was embarrassing, since you would've usually come back with no less than six baskets stuffed with the golden fruit if it weren't for the blizzard. The urge to call it a pitiful harvest and toss it all perked up, but doing that would be giving in and crawling back to the prison of misery you tried too hard to escape from. You were so close. You couldn’t give up now.

The doors were slammed shut behind the two of you, and you quickly set down the mostly-empty basket. But before you could recount them, the gloves you wore were forcefully snatched away from you, and Ying immediately took your hands in hers.

‎ ‎

"Look at how blue your fingers are! Any longer, and you could have these amputated."

‎ ‎

Her soft fingers intertwined with yours. And somehow, the longer she kept this embrace still, the weaker the blue tint would be. Warmth shortly began enveloping your hands.

‎ ‎

"Ying, is there any reason for this?"

‎ ‎

"For what?"

‎ ‎

You used your eyes to point at what she was doing. And as per usual, it took her a moment to realise what you meant, a titter escaping her once she finally caught on.

‎ ‎

"Oh, the– uhh, the warmth from my hands, it– it helps, that is all."

‎ ‎

You stared at her with a raised eyebrow, accompanied by an unamused expression. That's one magically warm hand, you mulled whilst the blood returned to your fingers. But you were too exhausted to actually make that comment. And instead, you opted to wait for her until she was done holding you.

It only took a few extra seconds until Ying allowed you to finally pull your hands away. And once you did, you squeezed your index finger, taking in the sensation of being able to feel your limbs again. Thankfully, the heaviness was gone... both physically and mentally.

‎ ‎

"Thank you, Ying. This should make things easier–"

‎ ‎

The words were lodged in your throat once Ying suddenly forced you into a tight hug.

A sigh escaped her, almost as if the two of you had just escaped a life-threatening situation. Maybe to her, sure, but it didn’t really matter to you.

‎ ‎

"I'm so proud of you, Y/N. You've come so far." She pulled away. "I– I don't condone you risking your life, and please, never, ever do this again, but I commend you on your bravery."

‎ ‎

"Thank you...?"

‎ ‎

"Oh! I almost forgot, are you free this March?"

‎ ‎

You were confused about how to feel about her compliments, but this question, combined with the whiplash, was all it took for you to completely forget about what she said. Besides, how many times has she asked this now?

But, to be fair, she never really received a direct answer from you. From what you remembered, anyway.

‎ ‎

"Yes, I am. What is it with you and March?"

‎ ‎

"That's because we're visiting Yu's grandmother in the spring!"

‎ ‎

"Spring? But the lemons–"

‎ ‎

"We'll bake them into lemon bars! Something with a texture so soft, it’ll be exactly like biting into a sweet cloud! What do you think?"

‎ ‎

She inadvertently held and squeezed both of your hands to emphasise her words. And by God, you couldn't help but smile at her excitement. Even you couldn’t deny how cute it was to see her like this.

You escaped her grasp and held her wrist instead, moving down the dark corridor so you could lead her to the kitchen.

‎ ‎

"I'm sure she'll love it, Ying."

‎ ‎

With a beaming smile, your boss quickly snatched the basket on the way and continued following you. You could tell by the grin on her face that she was daydreaming about the day you'd both finally take the train to Yu's grandma again, to visit her after so long. And, admittedly, you couldn't help but do the same.

March is definitely going to be a fun month when it finally comes around. Besides, Yu’s grandmother always preferred softer foods, didn’t she? If, again, your memory served you correctly.

‎ ‎

❤ฺ·。

‎ ‎

Winter, two years ago.

‎ ‎

Why don't you just break up with him?

Seriously, what was the point of any of this? The stress of dating a man who shamelessly kept so many secrets from you? Honesty is supposed to be one of the pillars of a relationship, isn't it? And yet, it was nowhere to be seen in this one.

That's what ran through your mind for an entire day.

You've been dating Yu for a while now, and it felt like your relationship had been progressing at an adequate rate. He showed you many details about his life, including his house… but he refused to even disclose who the woman in the picture was. And this time, as opposed to how patient you've been for the past few years you've been dating him, you saw red.

Why didn’t he tell you about her? What did he have to hide? Was there something you just weren’t meant to know?

But... you stayed quiet. You acted like nothing was wrong for the rest of the day. The anger instead built up until it spilt at work the next day, and your co-workers had the pleasure of hearing about the turmoil in your seemingly peaceful relationship for the first time. So they planted a few ideas in your head. 

And you believed them. In fact, no, you didn't just believe them, you also began adding on to them once your shift was over.

He didn't tell you who the woman in the picture was; he didn't tell you who his parents were; how he managed to buy a whole house at the age of fifteen (oh, but apparently his grandmother 'helped him'); and he didn't even tell you why he had to be so tight-lipped or why his bloody eyes were purple.

What reason did you have to believe that Yu loved you in the first place? That he wasn't some sort of– actually, no, what if he also had other women on the side? You knew that someone with a figure like that would be able to make any girl swoon over him if only he ditched those massive hoodies. 

But it worked. It fooled you, of all people.

These thoughts, unchecked, started growing in your mind until they formed practically a whirlwind, one that only grew at the sight of Yu, who was ready to escort you back home for the day. You were a ticking time bomb at this point, ready to explode at him should he make the mistake of saying one wrong word.

You were still grieving your parents. You had many more things to be worried about than some two-faced snake. So why–

‎ ‎

"Y/N?"

‎ ‎

"What?"

‎ ‎

He was caught off-guard by your aggressive tone.

‎ ‎

"Are you... okay?"

‎ ‎

He couldn't help but notice just how quiet you were during your whole journey back home.

Your gloominess wasn't anything new by any means. But this misplaced wrath definitely was. He could tell that, just by the way you carried yourself, the heaviness in your steps, your furrowed brows, and your clenched fists, something was wrong. Very wrong.

You averted your gaze to the mounds of snow obscuring the road instead.

‎ ‎

"Yes."

‎ ‎

The atmosphere was unbearably still. But, nevertheless, the two of you moved through it for a few more elongated seconds. And, to Yu, it felt like walking through an ocean of honey. Sans the sweetness of the liquid, much to his misfortune.

The only thing that broke the tension was the chirping of a few nearby crickets, the clicks of both of your boots, and the loud thoughts that gnawed at your mind.

His soft voice felt like such a farce. A mask he put on. It explained a lot, too, especially why his expression was usually blank, and his eyes were the only emotive parts of his face. Sure, it somewhat mirrored yours, but at least you were open about how much you loathed living.

He placed one hand on your shoulder, only further angering you.

‎ ‎

"Hey, why can't you tell me what's bothering you?"

‎ ‎

"What then?"

‎ ‎

...

‎ ‎

"What do you mean?"

‎ ‎

"What would you do if I told you?"

‎ ‎

"I'll... uh, I'll do my best to fix it. Whatever it is."

‎ ‎

You sighed and instead stuffed your hands inside your deep pockets. Your fingers brushed up against the earbuds he lent you the night before, the same ones you had completely forgotten about until now.

‎ ‎

"We'll talk at home."

‎ ‎

His heart skipped a few beats at this statement, but you didn’t pay him any mind.

‎ ‎

“I need water. I’m stopping by a store.”

‎ ‎

You said. And Yu was quick to pick up on how you phrased that sentence. Nevertheless, he averted his gaze, pulling up the collar so it could conceal the lower portion of his face.

‎ ‎

“Okay.”

‎ ‎

That was all he said before the two of you fell back into silence.

This neighbourhood was incredibly shady. The buildings themselves were coming apart, and the sidewalk was so disjointed that you were sure an earthquake must’ve occurred that they couldn’t be bothered to fix. Not only that, but the two of you were alone. But at least Yu had a large enough silhouette to scare off anyone.

Whatever. Getting out of here was the one thing you needed to do right after getting your drink.

‎ ‎

‎ ‎

You entered the one store that was open– well, you were lucky you even found a store to begin with. But just as you thought you could feel safe, the bulletproof glass with the bullet lodged in it worried you.

Only two people were here. A young cashier and a customer wearing all black, muttering stuff to him. He glanced at you from the corner of his eye, looked you up and down, then went back to his conversation. Weird, you mused, but you quickly brushed it off and instead marched towards the aisles.

‎ ‎

“I’ll wait for you here.”

‎ ‎

You responded to your boyfriend with a hum before disappearing into the crisps section. Not that it concerned you too much. Besides, the cashier was there.

You suddenly remembered the argument from yesterday as you continued searching. The thought of breaking up with him was just so seductive at this point. Really, what was the difference between him and the men who’d say anything to please you?

You stopped by where the juices were stocked. Only a foot away, and you’d find exactly what you needed. But you instead took out the earbuds in your pockets. Your fingers tightly wrapped around the case, your thumb successfully concealing the logo. Breaking up with him would ruin a ton of things for you. But it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

Okay. That was it. You’d do it.

‘We’re done.’, that’s what you’d tell him when you see him outside the store. You’d give him the earbuds, break it off, and go back home. Nothing personal, but you weren’t a doormat who was going to take this treatment.

A sigh escaped you.

Then, you pocketed the earbuds, grabbed a water bottle, and moved towards the cashier.

‎ ‎

‎ ‎

You emerged from the stocked aisles with your boyfriend’s name at the tip of your tongue. However, you weren’t met with him loitering around the automatic sliding doors like you expected. In fact, the entire area was empty, both inside and outside.

He was… gone.

‎ ‎

“Yu?”

‎ ‎

You audibly called out, but you earned nothing more than your echo in response. Where the heck was he? There’s no way he’d leave you alone in an incredibly dangerous neighbourhood like this.

You quickly moved towards an area that would give you a clear view of each and every aisle. And as you slowly walked across the store to observe every single one, you still couldn’t find him. Actually, you couldn’t find anyone aside from the cashier, who gave you a weird look whilst you paced around.

Maybe he was in the bathroom? No… this store was way too small to have a bathroom. But what if he was outside?

Yes, you’d check there, and call him if you couldn’t find him.

With this plan in mind, you stepped through the doors with your bag tightly clutched in your hand, and stepped towards the sidewalk, careful not to stray too far away from the entrance. You turned your head left and right, but all you were met with were the rows of streetlights that prevented the pitch-black darkness from swallowing you. And… your heart dropped to your chest.

Where was he?! He couldn’t have left. He just couldn’t.

With no time to waste, you took out your phone and rapidly began texting him, moving back through the doors and entering the store once more. It was a struggle to type out any comprehensible words, what with how shaky your hands were.

You texted and texted. But a response was naught. Your eyes widened, and you clutched your phone with unfathomable tightness.

There’s no way Yu would leave you out here alone, right? Even with the animosity between you, this could mean life or death. You could be hurt out here, what on Earth was wrong with him?

It’s okay. It’s fine. It’ll be fine. Maybe he just left for something. Maybe he just took a quick stroll since you took a while to pay? Maybe he’ll be back. He’ll be back. Or maybe your coworkers were right. Maybe he realised you were flirting with the idea of a breakup and decided that this was his act of revenge.

You heaved a sigh.

This was it, huh? Just like that? You should’ve expected him to take the coward’s way out.

Just as you slid your phone back in your pocket and went further inside the store, however, you huffed once you bumped into someone. All relief immediately dissipated the moment you looked up.

It was that scruffy-looking man from earlier, the one who was talking to the cashier. He stood in front of you. Uncomfortably close, and seemingly eager to block you from further entering the store past the sliding doors. You couldn’t help but notice how everything on his body was jet black.

‎ ‎

“Hey.”

‎ ‎

Terror immediately coursed through you as you took a step back. Your phone was promptly shoved back in your bag and swiftly zipped up, however.

Why was he still here? You thought he’d left by the time you went to check-out on account of his sudden disappearance. Apparently not…

‎ ‎

“It’s rude not to say it back to me.”

‎ ‎

“…Hey.”

‎ ‎

His ‘greeting’ was anything but friendly.

And if that wasn’t enough for him, it was impossible not to notice that he also had one hand deep inside the pockets of his hoodie. Crap. 

‎ ‎

“I… need to go.”

‎ ‎

You immediately stepped to the side, but he swiftly moved in front of you.

‎ ‎

“You don’t wanna talk to me?”

‎ ‎

“I’m– I’m in a hurry, I need to…”

‎ ‎

“Don’t be like that. All I need is somethin’ quick.”

‎ ‎

You just couldn’t get to the cashier, not when he kept stopping in front of you and blocking your path. What was worse was that his hand kept digging deeper and deeper into his pocket. And for the love of everything holy, you couldn’t find your voice to tell him off. Then, he lifted his chin to look down on you.

‎ ‎

“Your headphones look sick. Let me see them.”

‎ ‎

“Headphones…?”

‎ ‎

Your heart jumped out of your chest once you saw a gun emerge from his pockets, and he took a few steps closer to you, forcing you to back up again. You were unintentionally pushed out of the store and into the empty streets.

‎ ‎

“Don’t play dumb with me, woman! It’s in your pocket!”

‎ ‎

He shouted as he kept rushing towards you.

But your back suddenly pressed up against a large pole, and escape seemed hopeless in a place like this. There was nobody around. Not even cars that sped down the road. And even if you tried to run or scream, you were sure he’d gun you down before you’d get anywhere.

So you immediately lifted your hands in surrender.

‎ ‎

“Okay! I– I’ll give it to you!”

‎ ‎

“Good!”

‎ ‎

He pointed his weapon at you as you struggled to dig your hands into your pockets. But even here, you could tell he scrutinised you as if you were a mannequin dressed in apparel he really wanted to purchase. He snatched the earbuds once you held them out for him, but he used his chin to point at what you didn’t realise was your neck.

‎ ‎

“Hand me that sweet scarf while you’re at it.”

‎ ‎

He promptly pocketed the device.

This demand only further engulfed you in panic. But that’s not where it ended, he very clearly continued observing you for anything else he wanted. You were okay with handing him your belongings; it wasn’t worth losing your life because you were too stubborn to do so. But those earbuds were Yu’s. Not yours. Nevertheless, without second thought, you clutched the scarf on your neck with both hands and fumbled to rip it off.

An arm shot out from behind the robber and promptly wrapped itself around his neck. The grip was then firmly tightened to an impossible degree. His gun dropped with an audible clank as the robber desperately clawed at the figure’s considerably large arms in a vain attempt to free himself. It only took a few seconds for his movements to stop.

Then, he was dropped to the ground, revealing a very familiar figure behind him.

You didn’t get a good look at his unmoving body or said figure, however, not when you were forcefully pulled close and tightly held in the man’s arms. The scent of lemons swiftly invaded your mind. Somehow, it successfully pulled you out of your state of panic, and you leaned into his comforting touch.

‎ ‎

“Did he hurt you? Are you okay?”

‎ ‎

Yu’s voice was such a soft juxtaposition to the harsh silence he cut through. It was as if all the fury you felt towards him melted, all within a picosecond.

‎ ‎

“I’m… I’m fine…“

‎ ‎

He placed one hand on the back of your head and brought you closer to himself.

‎ ‎

“I– I should’ve known they would’ve pulled something like that.”

‎ ‎

“Was he…”

‎ ‎

“I left to throw something; the cashier wasted my time. Stopped me from going back.”

‎ ‎

The petrifying shock seemed to have seeped through the both of you, judging by how quiet and flat his voice sounded. But you were more shocked at what he’d done to the man. You couldn’t even peer through his thick hoodie, which obscured your vision, since he held you so tightly against it.

‎ ‎

“Is he– Yu, did you kill him?!”

‎ ‎

“He’s fine.”

‎ ‎

Yu held your wrist.

‎ ‎

“Come on. Let’s go.”

‎ ‎

He walked you a few steps, far enough for you to be unable to look back. Not only that, but he used his size to his advantage to block you from seeing the criminal’s unmoving body as he moved further down the sidewalk.

Then he placed both hands on your shoulders, now able to meet your gaze more clearly. He couldn’t help but notice just how blanched your face was.

‎ ‎

“Did he take anything?”

‎ ‎

“Only your headphones…”

‎ ‎

You muttered, and he nodded in response.

‎ ‎

“Stay here. I’ll be fast.”

‎ ‎

He pushed you out of sight for good measure, before moving back down the path you both marched on. And you immediately hid your face in your hands.

Your voice was beyond shaky, and you could hardly understand what on Earth had just happened as sweat dripped down your chin. You weren’t sure where Yu came from. Was it from inside the store? If so, how could you not have noticed the doors slamming shut? But… Your brain hyper-focused the robber. Especially how he writhed like a bug as Yu mercilessly choked him.

Being so caught up in your thoughts, you hadn’t even realised your boyfriend had returned with the earbuds until he placed one hand on your shoulder.

You hesitantly looked up. But this time, Yu could see something awry in your expression. Concern. Directed at him.

‎ ‎

“Did you… kill him?”

‎ ‎

“I only knocked him out.”

‎ ‎

“But how? How did you know how to…”

‎ ‎

“I… I didn’t. I acted on instinct.”

‎ ‎

“Are you kidding? You knew what you were doing back there! Are you trained in self-defence?!”

‎ ‎

Yu... wasn't sure how to respond to this.

‎ ‎

“It’s just the adrenaline, I–”

‎ ‎

“I can’t believe it. You could’ve run away; you could’ve saved yourself. Yet you…”

‎ ‎

“Run away? What– why would I leave you?”

‎ ‎

“I don’t know, it… I assumed you’d pull something like that…”

‎ ‎

“Why would you think that about me?!” 

‎ ‎

You paused for a second.

‎ ‎

“I– I don’t know.”

‎ ‎

“Y/N, please, tell me, did I hurt you? Did I make you upset? I– why would you think that I’d leave you in a place like this?!” Yu shook his head. “Something’s been bothering you since yesterday, right? Please, just tell me what it is; I’ll fix it. Whatever it is, I'll do everything I can to make it right, I–”

‎ ‎

As he spoke, you zoned out and instead observed him. The worry etched on his typically vacant features and that glimmer in his eyes that screamed shock as he tried to grapple with the very concept of upsetting you. He was terrified at the prospect of losing you. Very obviously terrified.

Your thought process was interrupted when he cupped your cheeks in his hands. He held onto you as if you could disappear any second, like some kind of fleeting spirit.

‎ ‎

“I could’ve lost you, Y/N. Something could’ve happened to you…”

‎ ‎

You blankly stared at him for what felt like a few minutes. His words went in one ear and out the other, and all you could focus on was what Yu did to the robber. He choked him. Knocked him out in seconds. This man, the very man who seemed troubled at the sight of the mauled corpse of a pigeon a few years back. You remembered that moment too. You were walking home, and he… saw it. On the side of the road.

…

You didn’t bother fighting the smile that played on your lips. Then, this smile morphed into a grin, and the grin morphed into misplaced giggling. You began laughing. Loudly. 

Yu blinked.

‎ ‎

“I thought you left,” you said in between gasps of air, “I thought you deserted me. I thought you wouldn’t come back! Can you believe it?”

‎ ‎

He watched you wipe away a tear as you continued,

‎ ‎

“But you knocked him out. He had a gun, Yu. Did you know that? He could’ve killed you. You could’ve died because of me!”

‎ ‎

“Why–”

‎ ‎

Yu flinched once you clutched his wrists and forced them away from yourself. 

‎ ‎

“Because of those secrets. I thought you had other women on the side. And you know what? I knew you were gone the moment he pulled that gun on me.”

‎ ‎

His eyes widened.

‎ ‎

“I was wrong. I was so wrong. You care about me, don’t you?”

‎ ‎

“Of course I care… What kind of question is that?”

‎ ‎

That answer was just as instinctual as his actions back in that alley. And it wasn’t hard to tell that he spoke without thought, his dull tone screamed his intentions behind those words. And you were delighted to hear this.

Yu flinched when you pulled him into a hug, your head buried in his chest.

‎ ‎

“Then I’d be the stupidest woman on Earth if I left.”

‎ ‎

For a few seconds, he stared unresponsively at the brick wall in front of him.

‎ ‎

“Oh– I…”

‎ ‎

He looked down.

Although he needed a few seconds to realise it, Yu finally rested his hands on your back and gently returned the hug. It would take him longer than a few minutes to comprehend most of what you just said. Heck, it took a moment for Yu to even realise you had forgiven him, let alone the fact you pulled him into an embrace. And it felt… like the knot in his stomach had disappeared.

Once he had finally stopped mulling over your random laughter, Yu couldn’t stop himself from smiling like an idiot, a tinge of red painting his previously pale cheeks.

‎ ‎

“Thank you.”

‎ ‎

He muttered.

Yu cared. He truly cared about you, you thought to yourself. Maybe those secrets were kept for a reason. Maybe… Maybe his hands really were tied. But you could wait until he was ready to share them with you, right?

Yeah, you definitely could.

[esper-union-lounge]

Starting Small...

Li Ling (Nezha) x Reader

Summary:

Li Ling is used to always winning, be it in sparring matches, or videos games in the arcade. Yet, when it comes to you, he's at a lost. How can he ever win the attention of someone like you?

Tags: Canon Divergent, pre Yun Chuan timeline, unrequited (Li Ling), slight Kuudere! Reader, song inspired fic

══════════════════

"Just watch, [Y/n]. One day you will pay attention to me!" he growled. 

*****

It was early in the morning.

The Esper Union’s headquarters was quiet, as the first sunlight emerged from the crack of dawn.

The hinges of the door turned, a small rusty squeak ruined the tranquillity of the early hours. You and Li Ling entered the lounge, tired and somewhat dishevelled.

The large Esper, Li Ling, immediately flops down on one of the couches, while you went to the bar area in search for an ice pack, tending to the bruise that began to show on your wrist.

On the couch, Li Ling was gazing at the clock on the wall spacing out a little from the lack of sleep.  Listening to the ticking sound of the clock’s hands, he counted the minutes remaining until he needs to clock in for duty.

"You know, you could give me a thanks for saving you back there," he piped up, a smirk followed inevitably, as he turned his head to look at you. However, you didn’t care to entertain him.

"I thought I already did," you simply replied, refering to the incident last night. Yawning, you took the first aid box from the cupboard. A hiss escaped your lips when you apply the disinfectant on your wounds from a fall that you took. 

A frown appeared on his face when he heard your dismissive answer. Li Ling pouted his lips, and returned his gaze to the clock. His brows furrowed slightly, feeling a little frustrated.

There was a moment of silence between you two. The unsettling feeling in Nezha's chest made him enquire, "Are you going to see that Bounty Hunter again?"

He asked without looking at you. His voice was low and half-hearted.

You stopped what you were doing. A little perplexed by the shift of his tone. He, somehow, sounded a little upset.

"Yes, I am." you simply replied.

Li Ling remained quiet as you continued to patch yourself up.

"I'll be heading back home now," you said, and walked over to the Esper. Li Ling was spacing out you waved in front of him to get his attention.

The motion snapped Li Ling out of his thoughts, "Oh, okay," he spoke as he watched you heading towards the door. He was annoyed, and that feeling sat on his chest. This was not post-rescue scene he had imagined it to be. If only you could stop being so uptight about getting that intel from the bounty hunter, he wouldn't have wasted a night's sleep just to follow you, and save you when things went south.

It was the most anti-climactic victory he ever had.

Unsatisfied, he quietly clicked his tongue. "Hey," Li Ling called out to you.

You are just about to push the door open when you hear him, you stop and turned to him.

"When and where are you going for that 'date' with that Bounty hunter?" he asked.

You gave him a questioning look comprehending what he just said. You rolled your eyes at what he was implying.

"Tagging along like last night?" you asked sarcastically.

Li Ling gave a smug toothy grin, his sclera turned back to into white. "Wouldn't want what happened last night to repeat itself, right?"

"It's not a 'date'," you quickly corrected him, "I am just looking into something."

However, Li Ling held a sceptical look. He had noticed you got friendly with that Bounty hunter, maybe too friendly for his taste.

You only shook your head and headed out. Leaving the Esper alone in the lounge, with a feeling of unsatisfactory lingering in his chest.

Soon after, the topic of the bounty hunter ceased for a while between you and Li Ling. He tried to bring it up once, but you return a silent response to his question. Denying him the attention he wanted from you. 

As time went on, your attention began to drift away from Li Ling. Too busy, with your intel gathering to even look at him anymore. Li Ling started to become a little more aggressive in his approach to get your attention.

He tried to show off his flaming hot wheels, yet, you were looking at your phone.

He scored the highest score at the arcade, yet, you were looking around the arcade and chatting with Mona.

He even tried to show you videos of his victorious sparring matches, yet, you were disinterested. 

"Ack!" Bardon cried.

A smirk plaster on Li Ling's face, he had won the round of arm wrestling. Bardon let go and fixed his robotic arm. "I don't think anyone can beat your arms in any round," he commented.

Grinning wider, Li Ling scoffed, "They always say, I am the strongest of Tangton for good reason."

Lewis shook his head and replied, "It's only your Esper arms that are strong, but let's see if you could win against me?" he challenged with a smile.

"While you guys are at it, please don't break the table," Tang Xuan butted in," I don't want to pay for something I didn't break."

"You're on!" Li Ling said.

On cue, the door of the lounge opened. You walked in. You noticed the boys were at their usual spot doing their own thing, and you simply headed to the bar area.

Seeing you entering the lounge, Li Ling immediately switched his tact. He removed his Esper arm from the table, instead, he placed his arm on it.

"Oh? Changing your mind?" Bardon said.

"I reckon I should play fair," Li Ling replied.

"Ha, since when do you play fair," Lewis laughed. 

Arranging their arms and hands, Tang Xuan prepared both parties, "On your marks... Get set..."

Immediately, Xuan releases the hands. Both Espers began their battle. 

You were by the fridge looking through the items inside. Completely unaware of how Li Ling's face was scrunched up; making the extra effort to give Lewis a swift defeat.

As seconds went by the tension grew, both Li Ling and Lewis were at their wit's end, trying to bring each other down, but their strength was equal drawing an inconclusion of who was going to win.

You had found what you wanted and swiftly grabbed it off the fridge. Closing the door, you turned to head back out of the lounge. Taking a glance, you saw how the arm wrestling was turning out, but quickly ignored it, for you were never interested in such endeavours.

He can see how you were not paying attention to him. Li Ling gritted his teeth, and with all his strength he pushed Lewis's hand down.

Slam!

The sound from the impact made you jump, dropping the pudding off your hands. The cup fell, messing up the carpeted floor of the lounge.

You cursed and rushed back to the bar to gather paper towels. Li Ling stood up, showing he came out victorious.

His eyes travelled around the room, trying to find you, to see your reaction. However much to his dismay, you were busy picking up the mess on the ground with Bardon; who was kind enough to offer help.

"Hey," Li Ling called for you. Your head went up and gave him, rather, a cold look.

"Did you see that?" he asked, all proud.

"See what? ," You gave him a confused look before returning to the mess. 

"What! You didn't see any of that?!" Li Ling exclaimed.

Dragging your head back up you said, "No, I didn't. Why don't you be useful for once and help with cleaning the carpet?" you sighed with annoyance.

Turning to Bardon, with a smile, you thanked him.

"No worries," he replied, "I am glad that I could help."

The look on Li Ling's face was not a pleasant one. He kicked the chair.

"Oi, calm down!" Tang Xuan said, "What's the matter with you?!"

Li Ling clicked his tongue turned to a corner and sulked. Lewis and Tang Xuan could only look at each other, confused at Nezha's sudden behaviour.

You, on the other hand, can see him sulk by the corner. Feeling a little guilty over how you spoke to him.

Remaining quiet, you finished cleaning the floor and went over to the bar to wash your hands. By then Tang Xuan, Lewis and Bardon bid you a goodbye before leaving for their retrospective task. Leaving you alone with Li Ling, who was still sulking by himself.

Letting out a sigh, you decided to approach the Esper and called for him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" you asked.

He turned his head slightly towards you, but the pout was still evitable on his face. Like a child, he turned his cheek the other way.

"Li Ling," you called out his name, this time your patience was running a little thin.

Hearing you call his name he finally turned to look back at you. "What?" he asked.

"What's the matter?" you crossed your arms, "you have been acting brash lately."

"... Why can't you get it through that thick skull of yours?" he said bluntly, "isn't it obvious?"

You let out a defeated sigh. You contemplated for a moment, thinking back at the times Li Ling was acting brash in front of you. It started right after that night with the bounty hunter.

"You are just trying to get under my skin," you replied.

"Is this what you think I am doing! ?" Li Ling said, still frowning.

"What else? You were acting so insufferable in front of me," you stated.

Furrowing his brows, Li Ling spoke up, "That's because you won't pay attention to me!"

Eyeing the Esper with a sceptical gaze, you have no idea what he wanted, and only questioned, "Why should I?"

"Because," Li Ling began, "I am the best. I have a lot of victories under my belt. This proves that I am the strongest, so you have to respond to that, no?"

You remained silent, while he continued with his confession, "I am doing this to win your attention! What must I do to get it? And, I am not going to lose to our bet! " gritting his teeth, Nezha crossed his arms, and let out a huff.

Ah, yes, the bet.

Standing in silence, you weren't too happy with his outburst. You know that Li Ling always has a rather childish tantrum when things don't necessarily work out.

Although, at times, the intent behind such behaviour was an understandable one, a gesture to show he cares about his close friends, and you, deeply, yet, as of late, it became nothing but a source of headache to deal with.

"Well obviously, being all about power and muscles isn't going to work," you spoke in a rather calm tone, for you don't want to trigger Li Ling any further.

"Why don't you start with something small?" you said and crossed your arms. You only say this just to get him off your back, and to stop the boastful acts he has been doing around you. 

"Like what?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Shrugging, you walked towards the door, opening it before stopping, "That's for you to figure out."

Suddenly your phone vibrated, you realised the Bounty hunter had sent you the address to meet up, a promise to relay the intel in exchange for a certain price. Without a word, you replied to the text.

Li Ling only looked at you with a sour gaze, "The bounty hunter?" he asked.

You quickly place your phone back in your pocket. Looking at the Esper, your head shook. Telling him to not question any further.

"It's the 'date', isn't it?" he asked once more.

"It's not a date," you sighed, and left the lounge.

***

You weren't sure what to expect when the bounty hunter asked you to meet him in front of a fancy restaurant. However, you weren't expecting yourself to be waiting for an hour and a half on the street.

The sky turned dark by then, and the air grew a little cold from the time of the year. Rubbing your hands together, you asked yourself when the Bounty Hunter was ever going to show up.

"Excuse me," the waiter by the door asked, "Are you going dining in with us?" clearly a little fed up with you standing by the entrance.

"oh no, I am just here waiting," you piped up, "My 'friend' is coming."

"I doubt that," a familiar voice spoke behind you.

Turning around you saw Li Ling with this signature smirk.

"What are you doing here?" you asked, a little annoyed.

"Just tagging along~" the Esper chimed.

"Listen, I am not going to pay for your meal once we get in," you huffed.

"I know," he replied, "Because we're not eating in that fancy place anyway."

You remained quiet. Ignoring Li Ling as he continued to grin like a go-lucky kid. Hoping, he would get bored by the lack of your attention and walk away.

Despite so, Li Ling grabbed you by the arm and began dragging you across the street.

"Hey!" you yanked your arm away, "What's your problem?!"

"You are waiting for that Bounty hunter, right?" he said, "you know, he's never going to show up."

Your expression turned into a surprise.

"I looked into him a while ago, and someone like him is obviously a crook. He doesn't have the intel. You're just wasting your time, [Y/N]."

He showed you a report file on the bounty hunter on his phone.

Your perplexed expression soon turned into a frown, clicking your tongue, you cursed under your breath, "That bastard..."

You had been scammed, and couldn't help but to feel played. An angry scoff left your lips.

"I should have known something was off about him when he asked for a deposit!" you stomped your feet. 

Li Ling chucked at you, "Well, ya' got to be careful next time. If you aren't sure about the people you meet then, you can always come find me. I'll help you out."

"Come on, I know a good place we could eat!" he added. 

You looked a him smirking a you. Your stomach growled telling you that you were indeed feeling hungry.

"Fine..." you said and followed Li Ling.

He took you to a food truck place and ordered two portions of food, while you ordered one.

As you both sat and ate your meals, you noticed Li Ling was looking at you, feeling all giddy as he ate his burger.

Wiping the sauce from the corner of your lips, you took a glance to see the Esper smiling.

"What?", you said.

"Nothing," he shrugged while smiling, "just feelin' good."

"Huh...", you said.

You both ate in silence, and for once, you seem to enjoy Li Ling's company. Food always taste better with people around.

"... Thanks, by the way..." you said, "If you didn't come to fetch me, I probably still be left in the dark by that bounty hunter."

"Hey, no worries. Just got to do what is right, you know?" Li Ling replied, and he smirked. He kept looking at you as you ate. 

You couldn't help but let out a little smile, "Why are you...doing this...", you asked,"...for me?"

You meant to say, he didn't have to accompany you and treat you for a food truck dinner.

"Well...you got to start with something small..." He chuckled. 

His words came with a bit of surprise for you.

It was rare for Li Ling to act rather gentle with others, especially with you. He was a 'go full out, or go home' type of guy. Yet, the Esper was being subtle. In all honesty, he wasn't all that bad to hang around.

You let out a chuckle, rolling your eyes at him and shook your head.

"Hey [Y/N], pinch me would ya'?" he said.

You furrowed your eyebrows, confused by Li Ling's request. Nevertheless, your arm reached out and gave his shoulder a little pinch.

"What is that all about?" you asked.

"Oh, nothing..." Li Ling shrugged," just want to make sure I am not dreaming~". He let out a toothy grin.

*****

"In your wildest dreams," you scoffed.

---------------------------------------------------

Author's notes:

Li Ling will forever be my baby girl UwU.... But all jokes aside, this fic is a long time coming. I promised that I would edit it, but life in general is just kicking me hard and by the time I get to the fic, I am too tried.

Anyway, this is one of the very first fic I wrote when I started playing Distlye. Not sure has Li Ling's characterisation changed from the countless of in-game retcons, but nevertheless, I enjoy writing his character.

(C) Esper-Union-Lounge

[poisonioushearts]

Self aware Li Ling?

Yes

That's all I have to say about that

Gender neutral reader

Warnings: not proofread, probably some grammatical errors

Self aware Li Ling(and being the players favorite)

When I tell you that this man is smug

Everyone can tell he feels special for being "the chosen one"

Calm down my guy 🧍‍♀️

TREMBLE AT MY POWERRRRRRRRoh my god all the enemies had turned to dust

He does the hair flip

Like the one where he puts his hair behind with with his hand(it's very dramatic)

He thinks he's so cool

When you give him those nice relics he guards them with his life

It's because they help him be strongernot because they were from the dear player of course

At first he was skeptical, like, why would he need these things to make him be stronger?

He sees his power numbers before and after and he's just like: 🥲

He thought he was strong before lmao

Once you fully level this guy and keep him on your team he's proud

He really did achieve what he wanted to

If you have to occasionally replace him he's just like...oh

but you'll still use him, right?

Deep down inside he believes that if he's not strong he's useless, and in the world of a video game he is right-

yeah okay I'm done with the angst(for now)

If you pair him with shadow decree members his eyebrow is twitching

But whatever you think is best...

Pair him with his best friend(Tang Xuan)and you've got world chaos and peace maker

Excited that he gets to destroy the world and help people

Well not 'destroy the world' but like show off his power to you

He wants to meet you irl because you are like his second mentor

RESPECT x1000

Thank you for reading! Reblogs are greatly appreciated.

[meowcatsposts]

Caught [Li Ling]

✎⁾⁾⁾ note: this fic is *significantly* shorter than my usual ones, but I hope it's enjoyable nonetheless ;)

Overview

Mans catches you dancing by yourself to some ~hot~ music

He’s like, damn

You’re so into it-

So you don’t notice until you turn around lol

Your head–swaying with the thrumming beat.

Your hands–running all over your body, feeling it inch by inch, savoring it.

Your hips–rolling with the music, humming sensually in your ears.

How you felt so sexy in a shirt and shorts, you hadn’t a clue. But you knew you were in the moment, feeling it–enjoying it. Enjoying how easily your body rocked and swayed to the rhythm. Enjoying how hot you felt, how lovely your body felt. Eyes closed you whipped your head back and exposed the delicate skin of your neck and collarbones, fingers brushing against that sweet, sensitive spot. Your other hand caressed your waist and your hips, and you bit your lip in bliss. 

It felt so good to let loose.

“Babe,” Li Ling called, nearing the bedroom. “Babe? What’re you doing?”

You weren’t answering, but the door was ajar. Taking it as a green flag your boyfriend entered the room, unbeknownst to your little “dance” session.

“Damn,” he whistled softly, just under his breath. “Look at you.”

Your hips–rolling to whatever was blasting in your earbuds. Your neck–exposed. Your hands–running all over your cute little body. Li Ling could list so many things that made you look so hot, so delectable, but simultaneously his brain short-circuited, the image of you letting loose burned into his mind. He groaned softly, pursing his lips to muffle the noise; his sweatpants felt significantly tighter now. (Oh, the things you do to him.)

Currently, you had your back to the door, feeling like absolute royalty–and completely unaware of your boyfriend’s hungry eyes. Turning to look in the mirror, the all-too-familiar figure of your dearest jumped into your peripherals. 

“Oh shi-”

You scrambled to pause your music as you ripped out your earphones and straightened out, limbs turning rigid. Your gaze finally landed on your boyfriend’s wolfish grin, then almost immediately flitted to anywhere else but him. Gosh, your face was so red–red with embarrassment–and scalding hot. Li Ling found it cute, however, and let out a low hum. (He didn’t miss the way your cheeks burned redder, too.)

“Why’d you stop, hm?” he teased, crossing his arms and leaning against the entrance, clearly blocking your only exit.

“Shut up,” you groaned. Absolutely soaked in embarrassment you slapped your hands on your face and curled into a tight ball on the floor. What were you going to do now?

Li Ling chuckled, rolling his eyes. “You don’t need to be that embarrassed, babe. I thought you looked sexy, anyway.”

Sexy? Your face was ablaze, and your heart was screaming frantically in your ribcage. Was it even possible to burn up this much? All the while, you were utterly unaware of just how close your boyfriend was.

“So sexy, in fact…” 

A pair of lips brushed softly against the shell of your ear, and you squeaked as you were forcefully pulled up. Just as your back hit your boyfriend’s chest, his large hands firmly gripped your hips, pulling them flush against his. Something unmistakably hard pressed into your ass and suddenly, the air in your lungs turned thick.

“You feel that?” Li Ling asked, voice a hushed, raspy whisper. Judging by your tight shoulders and cute ass pressing just a little harder, he knew you felt him, so painfully stiff and needy for you. Suppressing a guttural groan he mumbled teasingly, “You feel it, don’t you?”

All you could do was nod ever so subtly, nearly melting under your boyfriend’s hardened grip. Li Ling chuckled, but it wasn’t a playful, teasing chortle anymore. Instead it was a breathy, famished sigh–and of what, your pretty little head could guess, right?

[capitollie]

If your dislyte requests are open, can you write about gnc reader cuddling with Li Ling? 👉👈

~Li Ling might be all energetic and loud outside of your twos shared apartment, but inside he’s like a kitten.

~he’s head over heels for you, and loves picking you up with his arms, wheter your tall or short it doesn’t matter. He WILL pick you up.

~he’s very gentle when cuddling, but god his grip!

~once you set an alarm for work and he wouldn’t let go of you and you had to fight for like twenty minutes to get out of his arms 🧍

~Rest your head on his chest and he’s putty

~Tang Xuan once barged into the apartment to pick up Li Ling for a gaming competition, bro caught you two cuddling and won’t stop being your guys’ number one shipper teasing you about it lol

~your lucky to have this golden retriever of a man lol

[cottagec0relover21]

Ok so, the idea just popped in my mind and I RLLY need someone to write it LMAO

Your Chilchuck fics give me LIFE so you were me go to, no questions asked

Could I get Chilchuck with a reader (preferably male, but gender neutral is also ok!) who miscalculated the ammount of anxiety medication they had left and ended up running out in the middle of the dungeon? Reader is having a hard time with their anxiety ticks and one of the side effects of going a bit too long without them is his body starting to "shut down" and become slightly like a ragdoll. Reader is still talkative and behaves as normal besides their head going to the side aggressively, flopping to the side and body parts just going all weak when they sit, flopping legit like a ragdoll (this os very self indulgent and has happened to me once, it is not good to say the least LMAO)

I completely understand if this makes you uncomfortable to write! And if so, a reader with severe generalized anxiety would work in the place of this request!

Hii! I'm sorry if this took too long ;-; since I have generalized anxiety and therefore I'm more knowledgeable about that subject, I'll write for a reader with severe generalized anxiety. I don't want to fuck up the other option with the ticks and such, because I don't know about the condition and I don't want to offend anyone. So hopefully this is okay!! love y'all thanks for being patient!

(Also changing my POV today) I'm so glad you love the way I write, it means the world to know that💗

"A Comforting Half-ling"

[Chilchuck Tims x gn!reader]

Warnings: none - fluff

Your hands were sweaty. You had been fidgeting with your fingers for a while, feeling a pit at the bottom of your stomach that made you even more anxious that you already were. The slight pang of pain in the chest that came from time to time the more you thought about the problem at hand bothering you as you sat on the corner of one of the rooms of the dungeon that the group had stopped by. Why were you so anxious? Simple. There was another party in that same room, and the rest of the group had decided to be all social and chat for a bit as they sat down to take a break from walking around.

Gosh I must look really weird sitting alone in this corner. I think they didn't hear me when I said "hi." What if they think I'm an asshole? Or a weirdo? Or a weird asshole?! you thought, looking around the room.

—Oh yeah, and that one there is (y/n), they're kinda shy— you jumped, your head snapping back to stare at the middle of the room as Laios pointed a finger back at you. Everyone's eyes were on you. Never had you wanted earth to swallow you whole and never come back so desperately before.

As the conversation resumed, the half-foot's eyes stayed on you, a curious and worried expression on his face as he watched you fidget with your hands.

He excused himself softly and walked up to them.

—Hey, why don't you come with me for a second? I need your help with something— Chilchuck pointed to the door, and your feet hurried to stand up and get out of the room as quickly as possible. Once outside that room, and away from the hearing range of the others, he sat against the wall, patting the space beside him.— What's got you so jumpy?— he looks at you, genuine curiosity in his voice.

Looking at him, you wonder if it's okay to admit out loud how anxious you were about, not just talking to people, but almost anything that had to do with being in public.— You're always behind us when we encounter other parties, and you don't seem to want to be there. I'm starting to think you're not just "shy"— Chilchuck called you out.

Beginning to explain to him how you were always on edge around people wasn't the easiest task. Admitting that, you were afraid of not being seen as capable, but being seen as a bother or even a burden ate you up every second of your life to Chilchuck was hard but worth it, because now you had someone that understood you better than any of the rest of the group. Everyone gets a little anxious at times, but you were a little extra anxious about everything.

Sitting cross-legged and now intently staring at you as you finished your through explanation of how you felt almost all the time, Chilchuck sighed and placed a comforting hand over your shoulder.— I'm really sorry you have to feel like that. I get anxious for five minutes and I hate it, so you being on edge all the damn time must suck— he offered a sympathetic apology, understanding you easily.— Whenever you feel like that, just... uh– try and tell me, or nudge me, whatever works best for you— he smiles softly, and the look on your face makes him huff softly in embarrassment and look away, retrieving his hand from your shoulder. When you give a soft laugh at his reaction he starts protesting and huffing at you, although we all know he wasn't seriously that upset.

When you hug him, however, he falls silent and sighs, taking a moment to return your embrace.

From then on Chilchuck tries his best to comfort you and help you everytime he notices you feeling anxious.

You need to buy something but can't because you're afraid of taking too long and upsetting the line behind you? He'll go with you and hold your hand. Maybe you're afraid of the guy at the stall, selling whatever it is you want to buy. Don't worry, he'll talk for you when you get nervous and start to stutter. Or even if you don't even want to talk at all.

Afraid someone is judging you? He's jokingly rolling his sleeves up and asking "Who? Who is it? Point at them and they'll never see what got them!" (They won't but that's because he's small and he kicks their knee from behind)

If you feel like everyone is judging you, though, he holds your hand and guides you away into a corridor/hallway where it's less crowded

Ever start hyperventilating? The first time he'll panic, and he'll struggle to find the words and actions to properly help you calm down. But it doesn't take him long before he has it memorized.

You're basically the only one on the group who's got Chikchuck breaking his rules about innerparty relationships, because he's grown very close and attached to you.

You're such an amazing person, you shouldn't have to struggle like this.

He gets very happy for you when you manage to do something that makes you anxious on your own. Maybe you spoke up to a whole group of people completely alone, or maybe you went and bought something that you really wanted without struggling at all.

When that happens he's sure to give you a smile and a thumbs up or a pat on your leg (you're taller than him, don't tease him about it or he'll get all red in the face and start mumbling to himself)

Overall, Chilchuck would understand you and try to help. He struggles, and sometimes you might think you're being a bother for him, but he makes sure to tell you that "no, you're not a burden nor a bother. I'm simply... not used to comforting people that often."

+ romantic established relationship headcannons

If you tell him that having him by your side is comforting, even in the slightest, he'll cough and look away, hiding his growing embarrassment.

If you ask to borrow something of his to comfort you, he's scrambling all over his words but eventually giving said item to you gladly.

You hide your face in his scarf after wrapping it around your neck and softly inhale his scent— Ah... you smell so nice. And the scarf is so warm— so is his face. A beautiful tomato red all over his cheeks and ears as he looks at you, genuinely feeling better just by borrowing his scarf.

Or maybe you borrow his gloves (if they fit) and put them on.— Okay... but why my gloves?— he asks curiously, waiting an eyebrow as he looks up at you.

You smile, wiggling your fingers after putting the gloves on— Makes me feel like I'm holding your hand— he falls silent, and he opens his mouth to speak, but the only thing that comes out is a flustered exhale as he turns around and walks away from you as he mumbles a "you're unbelievably.... cute" that you're sure he didn't mean for you to hear.

A few minutes later he'll return by your side as you're walking and extend his hand up, looking ahead— You can just hold my damn hand, you know?— he mumbles, and you notice how his cheeks tint with red once again.

[halcyon-writings]

HI *twirls hair* what if u wrote abt dislyte boys (of ur choosing) being carried by their s/o after they get hurt?

I haven’t written for them yet so I’m gonna do Tang Xuan and Li Ling! But also lowkey *shakes them* please why is floor 80 so hard jdgksjgkds

these are also gonna be in hc format (yall pls remember to add in if you want hcs or a fic/scenario)

cw/tw: minor injuries, but nothing graphically described, some spoilers for character lore/backstory.

nav.

Like all missions for the Esper Union, there is a certain level of risk one must realize that they have to accept. Tang Xuan was no exception to this risk. While he normally wasn't the one having to deal with any sort of injuries (despite his excitable nature, he knew when to be careful), there were times where he too ended up having to make a trip to the medical tent on site to get treatment from whoever had accompanied them.

And unfortunately for him, he was a bit more injured than what he would have been happy with. (It was after Yun had left the Union. Not that he would have admitted it, but Xuan was certainly not completely at his best. Distracted? Totally.) Which was how he ended up with blood on his temple, and his foot giving a searing pain anytime he put pressure on it. So getting to the medical tent was a bit more of a struggle than what he would have liked.

He had known you were a part of this mission as well, but seeing as how you had your own responsibilities, the esper wasn't expecting to see you so soon. Your expression shocked but also worried for him. Having confided in you with what had happened with his brother but still not deciding to take a break from the Union, as the miramon certainly wouldn't take breaks for him either, your concern practically doubled-no, tripled.

What he wasn't expecting however, was one of your arms going underneath his knees, and the other behind his back as you had lifted him into your arms, keeping him close to yourself. Despite his slightly woozy state, Xuan feels a rush of heat on his face. Stammering that he didn't need to be carried only for you to insist otherwise and keep going along. The fact that you had cared enough to do so, even though it was a little embarrassing, warmed his heart just a bit. Once the embarrassment settles, he’s happy to be carried by you, laughter most likely caused by adrenaline (and maybe a little bit of embarrassment).

Contrary to his friend, a certain long haired and rambunctious young man has a slightly different reaction. Li Ling's own prideful nature, probably wouldn't realize he has to go to see someone for an injury unless he's almost dying. (Just kidding, but it's definitely one of those "It's my injury stay out of it." moments.) He sees that his strength is far above that of either miramon or Shadow Decree members, so how could they hurt him of all people? Plus he’s just that good that he wouldn’t get distracted, right?

Wrong. Even despite his skill as an Esper, he wasn’t infallible. Li Ling’s still a human after all. So when he’s unexpectedly attacked, a simple patrol didn’t warrant his attention as much as other work did, he unfortunately let his judgement slip just this once. A lucky hit, he grumbles, while your frank look proves your disbelief. Thankfully it wasn’t just him caught off-guard, otherwise he surely wouldn’t live down the embarrassment.

Only he stumbles once you convince (according to him: nag) him enough to go see any of the Union’s several medical specialists. That's when you decide he probably shouldn't walk the rest of the way there. Unceremoniously, you take him in your arms, and carry him the rest of the way while he makes a rather embarrassing noise that's a mix between a yell and a squawk. He insists that he is more than capable of walking himself and you respond dryly with just, "and do what? bump into a miramon if they so happen to appear again?"

He grumbles. Face flushed and expression flustered because even with his more fearsome reputation, there is undoubtedly going to be stares. (Xuan and Lewis stare in awe because no one has ever really made him speechless like that before, and he simply flips them off at hearing an awkward cough hiding a laugh.) Even with the short walk there, Li Ling will admit that it's kind of nice to be carried around like this (as with his extra arms, he's probably doing most of the carrying), will probably start getting comfy only when you actually have to put him down, but he'll never admit that. Although for his sake, indulge him once in a while, would you?

[blue-howlite]

Do you have any hcs about Li Ling and his love language being physical touch with reader?

Oh my gods no I don't but I'll fix this immediately.

Li Ling x Reader, headcanons

Type: fluff. Pure fluff.

Warnings: Physical touch as a love language so I wouldn't recommend this to all the haphephobic fellas out there, aside from that nothing really. Maybe NSFW if you squint really hard and already have a 'horny disgrace' mindset.

Yn = Your name

First off, I think that physical touch would naturally be his primary love language. The second is quality time together.

But we're focusing on physical touch here.

As I said in a previous post, he has six arms and he'll always have at least one of them on you. Either walking hand in hand, or he has an arm around your shoulder, or even just your arms touching.

If he can't touch you because you're in a very formal setting, like a meeting or something, he'll poke you every time he has to get your attention or say something to you. He thinks he's very subtle, but he's not.

If either one of you has been away, maybe a mission or regular work if you're not an Esper, once you meet again the first thing he does is hugging you. Like bear hug. You're not getting away from him again any time soon.

I also said this in a previous post, but he like to just carry you around with his six arms, like a backpack. Literally, if you two have to go somewhere together, you're not walking. You're either in his arms or in his arms.

I feel like he's the type that expresses his love at all times. He doesn't have a "right time right place" policy. He loves you, so he'll show it to you.

Which I'll admit can be a bit overwhelming.

If you ever need a little break from his affections or some you time, he might not like it but he'll give you your space.

If you think he doesn't give the vibes of someone like that, remember that he was trained by Yun Chuan since a young age. The man that tried covering his eyes when a woman was in a night dress that was a bit revealing. Li Ling was definitely taught respect for personal boundaries, you can't tell me otherwise.

So yeah he might be a dork sometimes but he is ✨ respectful ✨ and he will respect you.

Back to the matter at hands, sleeping together. His hands won't leave your body.

No you horny disgraces, go back to horny jail, today isn't feeding day.

He is the big spoon and will fall asleep like that. If you want to try to be the big spoon, you'll have to deal with his extra arms so it's not super comfortable.

But that's not the only way you'll sleep together.

If you come back later than him you'll find him already in bed and he might look asleep... but the moment you get to the bed he's hugging you and mumbling "Good night". You're not getting away until he wakes up.

If he comes back later than you and you're already asleep, he'll lay close to you, rest his forehead against yours, and fall asleep like that. He doesn't want to wake you.

But.

If you fall asleep facing away from his side of the bed.

If you dare to.

He will sulk. Like you can't see him because you're asleep but I promise, the moment he sees he can't press his forehead against you, he's sulking. I know.

He'll move little by little, in order to not wake you up, until he's spooning you. And he will hold you tight. Not enough to hurt you or wake you up, but enough to stop you from getting away from him in the morning. And he won't let you go for a while even when he wakes up.

Because he like cuddles.

He really likes cuddles.

He'll agree to waking up early in the morning just to be able to cuddle with you more before work.

He won't have you sitting in his lap only because he's low-key hyperactive and never sits down.

But you can sit on his shoulders if you don't like to be carried like a bag by his extra arms.

No seriously I didn't mention this earlier but this man doesn't mind, whatever size you are it's fine, he doesn't have six arms for nothing.

If you're chubby or buff he'll use his extra arms and keep you by his side, if you're thin he'll lift you with only one arm and move you around just for giggles, if you're medium he'll carry you around koala style. Either way, he's having fun and making it enjoyable for both of you.

Again, all of this with your consent. He's ✨ respectful ✨.

But honestly just get used to his hands being constantly on you, he loves you and needs to express his love.

[cyberpunkhwx]

Afternoon coffee

❥ Paring: CEO! Song Mingi x employee reader

❥Genre: Drama, fluff, slightly suggestive towards the end

❥Warnings: nothing that I’m aware of, please let me know if you find any!

❥Summary: finally getting a job can be exhausting but what if there are ways to entertain yourself?

❥Word count: 0.6 k

❥Requested? No

"Ahh, I can't do this anymore" you signed as you just finished another paperwork that you got today. It's been only a week since you got a job at KQ. As a manager, it’s been more tiring than ever.

"Miss y/n, Mr. Mingi wants his afternoon coffee» «Yes sir" you went to make him his coffee and went to his office.

"Y/n, be careful, he doesn’t seem to be on his good mood today. One of the employees almost ruined his work" your friend said before letting you go inside. Well thanks to her now your heart is beating faster than ever.  

"Your coffee is ready Mr. Song."  

"Come in" his deep voice almost made you drop the coffee. Not today y/n, not today.

You took a deep breath as you slowly opened the door, stepping in.

He was sitting on the office chair, eyebrows tangled as he read through some paper, the sunlight coming through the window on his golden honey skin.

His suit was on the hanger as his hand was playing with the collar of his shirt, hair kind of messy cause of his glasses in it.

Your gaze caresses his features until they were on his chocolate eyes, which were....

..

...

LOOKING AT YOU?!

shitshitshitshitshit

His eyes were locked with yours, already lost focus on the pages he was reading, wondering about the girl who came in a minute ago, standing frozen.

"Are you going to bring the coffee, or should I ask someone else to do it" he said looking unbothered.

His voice woke you up as you made your way towards his desk, almost tripping on the way, feeling his gaze lowly on you.  

"Stupid heels" you thought, you still weren't used to these clothing since you started working there.

"Here's your usual Sir, is there anything else I could bring for you?" You asked about setting the coffee on his desk.

He ran a hand through his hair, fixing it as he put down the paper in his hands.

"Take these papers and give them to Mr. Choi, say I signed them" he said leaning back on his chair, sighing as he closed his eyes for a second. Stretching his arms out. You nodded as you leaned down to grab the papers, and dang. the stupid high heels.

You tripped on the left foot as you trying to balance yourself on the chair. But it didn’t work since you ended up there you were now.  

On your boss's lap.

On Mr. Songs’ lap

ON SONG MINGI'S LAP

You froze, couldn't do anything. Not like you could, the situation was a bit too awkward.

His arms still behind his head eyes wide open as he stared down at you. Lied side-way on his legs.

He cleared his throat as he slowly lowered his arms, slowly putting them on the arm beside him.

It took you a few seconds to realize what situation you're exactly in. You tried to get up, but it wasn't really easy because of his ling limbs keeping you away from the ground.  

Tall men🙄  

"I-I'm sorry sir I-"  

You tried getting up again but then you lost balance and almost fell off of his lap, before his fast reflexes helped and he wrapped his arms around you, securing you on his lap.

"How about you stay here Miss...?"

"Y-y/n"

"Well how about our Y/n stay here for a bit huh? I'll give Mr. Choi the papers later" he said smirking as he moved you on his lap, locking you in between his limbs.

"Well, maybe you needed a break after all. »

A/n: please let me how it was!

DO NOT copy or translate my work in any other place!

Ateez masterlist

[caramel1mochi]

One Hazy Winter [Iso x F! Reader] [5]

[ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 ]

Genre: Angst, fluff ‎ 

TW: Heavy depression ‎ ‎ 

Words: 4k ‎ 

Synopsis: One winter before his disappearance, you told your boyfriend Yu about a question you’ve had for so long; one even he could hardly respond to. It took many more hopeless winters for you to finally have your answer.‎ 

Note: Please don't copy or steal my work and pass it off as your own! If you'd like to use one of my headcanons or something, I'd love it if you tagged or asked. SIDENOTE did anyone see how Clove speaks? Who would've thought vehemently studying Irish slang 8 months ago would come back to help me like this??? Writing them is gonna be such a breeze fr hint wink wink nudge nudge nudge

‎

。+❤ฺ·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ· +❤·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ·

Winter, present day

‎ ‎

You wanted to call yourself stupid for not catching on. How wasn’t it obvious?

There was a gun in his bedroom and a medallion with a symbol that you've never seen before, even after relentlessly googling around. Purple eyes, mysterious disappearances, owning a house with undisclosed memories that he was just willing to abandon for your apartment, and… other than his grandma? Yeah, no family.

You sighed and pushed open the wooden doors to the café, allowing the bell above to announce your arrival on this boring and slow Monday. Yesterday was spent entirely at Yu’s house. Not only to tend to the trees you planted a winter ago, but to also keep searching for that gun. And, alas, there was nothing. Maybe he took it before he disappeared. Maybe he… 

Ugh. 

‎ ‎

You stepped behind the counter and pocketed your headphones. Only now did you hear Ying’s muffled voice way behind you inside her room, drowned out by the music. You were sure that she was speaking to someone on the phone, considering your co-worker called out at the last minute. Who, however, would remain a mystery. Not that you cared.

Then, the door swung open, and you heard the clicks of her shoes as she walked down the corridor, phone in hand.

‎ ‎

“I made sure to check it before I left.” She explained. “Around March, last I heard. That’s the only day– Y/N!”

‎ ‎

Ying’s previously quiet voice shot up a few decibels upon noticing you. But before you even realised it, your mind had prepared itself for the sudden incoming hug it really didn’t want.

‎ ‎

“Oh my God, I was so worried!”

‎ ‎

Her arms found their place tightly wrapped around you, completely ignoring the seemingly important call, as she had tossed her phone on the counter behind her in favour of this embrace. You placed one hand on her back in a weak attempt to reciprocate it. However, all you could notice was how cold her silky black ponytail was as it fell on her back. ‎ ‎

“I missed one day, Ying.”

‎ ‎

“I thought something happened to you!” She pulled away, her hands still on your shoulders. “You should’ve told me– where were you?”

‎ ‎

“At Yu’s.”

‎ ‎

Her posture immediately relaxed with that answer, and a wide grin painted her features.

‎ ‎

“Ah, is that so? And how are the lemons? I trust they’re in excellent condition.”

‎ ‎

You would’ve groaned at how she referred to a bunch of seeds underground as if they were babies being taken care of. But after that tangent, maybe that comparison was… Well, apt wasn’t the word, but, you know. Something like that.

‎ ‎

“Still acclimating. They require less maintenance in the winter, but…” 

‎ ‎

Your words were lodged in your throat, and you were rendered unable to tell her exactly what you were thinking. But Ying somehow didn’t notice. Instead, she began taking a few steps back to close the call she’d abandoned, another idea popping up in her mind.

‎ ‎

“How large was his backyard again? Why don’t you plant more seeds there? Something that can withstand this weather?”

‎ ‎

“When’s the last time you’ve been to his house, Ying?”

‎ ‎

She placed one hand on her hip.

‎ ‎

“I visited Iso’s house a few times before, Y/N. I even recall mentioning the absurd size of his backyard. Ah, I think I used the word ridiculous, too… That might’ve offended him.”

‎ ‎

Ying explained thoughtfully with a finger on her chin. And from her dreamy tone, it was easy for you to infer that she was just about to go off on another tangent should you let her keep talking.

She promptly moved towards the register with this memory in mind. But before she could say anything, you interrupted her.

‎ ‎

“Who’s Iso?”

‎ ‎

…

‎ ‎

“Iso?” 

‎ ‎

Ying stayed silent for a moment. 

Then, she tittered, 

‎ ‎

“I– I must’ve misspoken; I meant to say Yu.”

‎ ‎

You crossed your arms.

‎ ‎

“Who’s Iso, Ying?”

‎ ‎

“Ah, it– it’s just a character from a book I’m currently reading. It’s not anything important.” Ying fanned herself with her hand as she spoke, presumably from a bout of anxiety. “Anywho, as I was saying– would you like me to come along with you? We’ll find new spots for you to plant in!”

‎ ‎

…

You ran your fingers through your hair, leaning on the counter behind you.

Ying only had two Meyer lemons that day, and you managed to scoop out a combined amount of nine seeds. A lot, but compared to a normal lemon that had at least ten–fifteen seeds in one fruit, it was nothing. And what worried you was the prospect of you failing or only managing to get a few trees out of those.

It couldn’t hurt to have a few… backup fruits, right? If the lemons failed, you’d maybe have… something else. Besides, the cashier from that one shop seemed fond of you when you bought the garden ready passion fruit. You could purchase another orange and strike up a conversation with her. Besides, you needed to work on mentally desensitising yourself to being in his house.

‎ ‎

“I'll take care of it myself, I could use some alone time.”

‎ ‎

Even though every second of your life was composed of ‘alone time’ to the point that it was concerning. But Ying didn’t really want to mention that. Not when your mood seemed to be substantially improving with it.

She flashed you her familiar grin in response.

‎ ‎

“Well, if you’d like any help, I’m one–”

‎ ‎

“One text away, got it. Weren’t you talking to someone?”

‎ ‎

You gestured at the phone she set on the counter a while ago, referencing the call she’d abandoned in favour of this conversation. And you swore you could see buffering in her eyes before she caught on.

‎ ‎

“Oh! Right, thank you, I’d almost forgotten about her.”

‎ ‎

She quickly grabbed the phone and waved goodbye before disappearing into her office for the day. And by then, you had already known that customers made their way inside. You didn’t even need to look back to know. Not when that repetitive jingle gave it away, and the sounds of them snickering and gossiping to each other.

You sighed and ran your fingers through your hair, preparing to serve the group.

‎ ‎

❤ฺ·。

‎ ‎

You were still thinking about that gun even after it’d been a whole year since you visited his house. However, when you passed by his bedroom, the thoughts took over your mind like a virus. The urge to peer through his drawers once more grew unbearable, even after you’d done it a few dozen times. And each time, it wouldn’t change; there was simply no gun anymore. This weapon only raised more questions in your mind. None of them were new, except for one:

Was Yu dead? 

Was that the reason for his disappearance? Maybe the hourglass medallion was related to it. Maybe they were a… an organisation? A group, something like that. Maybe he’d gotten into a fight with these people, or maybe they sent someone out to kill him. But why?

You thought of at least a hundred possibilities as to how he would’ve died, but none of it made sense because of one thing, how did someone like Yu get involved with people like this? The only reason you entertained it was because of his eyes, his nonexistent parents, and the bloody house you were in. There’s no way a barista with the same salary as you would be able to buy all of this.

But you never doubted him; you trusted him. You trusted his decision to keep it all vague. You trusted that, one day, he would tell you.

Maybe that was a mistake.

‎ ‎

Oh, screw it, you thought as you pushed the doors to his backyard open. Ignoring the familiar cold sensation that wrapped itself around your exposed face and neck was an easy task, especially when you were finally taking in the sight before you.

Six trees. But you already saw that before. What grabbed your attention were the white flowers scattered around the deep green leaves, like fairies that had sprinkled dust during the night. Once you’d reached it, you meticulously cupped one flower in your gloved hands and observed the shape, but all of it was healthy. All it needed was one more year to finally bear fruit.

The pearly white tint of the flower beautifully stood out against your black gloves; its thin petals curving in a manner so purposeful, you swore it was sculpted by the gods. They also needed pruning, you mused before going back to grab a tool you left behind. But you’d get to it after you watered them.

Incidentally, it was February; Winter was finally coming to an end. And this meant that the snow that coated the ground was starting to melt off, patches of dull grass sneaking through any opening they could in an effort to get some air. This made the shovel you were about to use somewhat redundant when it came to shovelling the snow.

Nevertheless, once you’d picked an empty spot in his spacious backyard, you slid the blade of your shovel under the thin mound of melting snow. Then, once you scooped up most of it, you tossed it aside and cleared the area.

‎ ‎

‘Why do you plant things in the winter? Why not summer?’

‎ ‎

Yu suddenly questioned from behind as he rested on the staircase after he’d done shovelling all of the snow. Since he’d volunteered and successfully done most of the gruelling work for you, you had enough space to finally plant the germinated lemon seeds once you were done spacing them out.

And to him, his inquiry made sense. Winter was the season of death, and even his optimism wouldn’t stop him from admitting that. So why would you pursue a hobby that sprouted life at that time?

You continued shovelling the snow out of the way as you remembered what you told him that dreadful day. And this time, you didn’t block your brain from pulling these annoying conversations from the depths of your mind – not when you wanted to remember the answer.

‎ ‎

‘Planting things in the winter helps them bear fruit faster. Moreover, the seeds I'm planting are winter fruit.’

‎ ‎

Despite sitting behind you, you could easily tell that Yu immediately perked up at the foreign term.

‎ ‎

‘Winter fruit?’

‎ ‎

‘Yes. It's exactly what it sounds like.’

‎ ‎

Whenever he learned something new from you, he would just have the cutest look on his face. If only you could see it now, you mulled. But that privilege was revoked years ago, and you weren’t in the mood to mourn right now. Not after all of your impressive progress so far.

‎ ‎

‘Lemons are a winter fruit?’

‎ ‎

You nodded.

‎ ‎

‘...What about oranges?’

‎ ‎

He noted the abundance of oranges you had at the time, and your silent plans to have them planted, if only it didn’t take years for the blasted trees to bear fruit. This question, however, made you pause at the time.

‎ ‎

‘They... are.’

‎ ‎

‘I see. And why oranges specifically?’

‎ ‎

Seemingly oblivious to the pause in your answer, Yu continued pressing on, unaware of the consequences of asking such a question.

Once the snow was out of the way and you’d cleared the grass, you moved back towards the doors and grabbed the nearby rake, ready to make space for your orange trees.

‎ ‎

‘They were my dad's favourite.’

‎ ‎

The answer came solemnly; the shift in topic immediately souring both his and your mood. And Yu quickly caught on to his mistake since he immediately rushed to apologise,

‎ ‎

‘Oh, I'm- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…’

‎ ‎

You pushed a plentiful amount of dirt out of the way with only a few repetitive movements. And though they were few, you still felt the sweat form. The thick jacket you wore started to weigh heavily on you. That, and just about everything else, but were you really going to work in a tank top out here?

‎ ‎

‘No, it's okay.’

‎ ‎

Yu watched you stand up once you were done, dusting off your hands. Yet he noted how weak your movements were. How much hesitance was involved in just getting the dirt off of your fingers, or even holding yourself up.

How easily upset you were at the mention of your deceased parents. 

At the time.

‎ ‎

‘Can we leave? I'll... I'll check on the trees afterwards.’

‎ ‎

He immediately stood up and took off his glove to pull you closer to him.

‎ ‎

‘Of course. You deserve a break, after all. Where would you like to go?’

‎ ‎

‘Do you remember the bridge I told you about? I heard it looks better in the spring; but we should go tomorrow.’

‎ ‎

Yu beamed at this, his fingers interlocking with yours, and his thumb had already begun outlining the lines on your palm. It sounded like an innocent suggestion.

‎ ‎

‘Tomorrow? Okay, but you'll have to send me the location in advance.’

‎ ‎

You remembered both of you leaving for the bridge that day and what came afterwards. You remembered the dread that followed you throughout the entire trip. Not to mention the gloom, all because you remembered your father. And it’s not like any of it was to be missed. You didn’t miss having your whole day ruined at the mention of one person.

You stood back and stared at the hole you’d dug with the shovel, measuring its width compared to the tree you were about to put in its place.

Perfect, you thought. It was all perfect.

‎ ‎

❤ฺ·。

‎ ‎

Summer passed by like a breeze, and Ying was beyond delighted at the harvest you brought back and immediately got to work with the others to turn them into delicious treats to sell. Luckily for you (or her), they sold like hotcakes, and today, once winter finally arrived, the moment you walked through the doors and heard the jingle from above, you already saw the results of your hard work.

Ying stood deep within the dining area in front of the wall that used to be empty for so long; now, however, it carried the large, expensive painting she had yearned for the past few years. And just like she predicted, it looked absolutely stunning. The colours perfectly complemented the warm colour palette of the general area, and the ladies and their surroundings bounced off of the previously dull flora she’d decorated the area with. That, and, you know, it was just a pretty painting to look at.

You approached and pocketed your headphones, but Ying needn’t look back to know you were there. The crunch of the ice under your boots was loud enough. All thanks to the strong snowfall outside.

‎ ‎

“Isn’t this amazing? It feels like I renovated the whole area, Y/N!”

‎ ‎

She said excitedly as she clasped her hands together, meeting your gaze. Did you even want to ask how long she spent staring at the painting? Not that it was a bad thing.

‎ ‎

“I admit. It does look impressive.”

‎ ‎

“And I couldn’t have done it without you! Speaking of which, you look happy today. Did something happen?”

‎ ‎

Ying asked with a tilt of her head, and your smile only widened at this despite your futile attempts to keep a straight face.

‎ ‎

“The lady at the nursery suggested I sell some of my plants there with her. I’m still considering it.”

‎ ‎

She didn’t know who she was, so you didn’t really bother telling Ying the name of this new friend you made. But her face still beamed at this.

‎ ‎

“Why not? You mentioned your apartment being cramped a while ago. Is that still the case?”

‎ ‎

“It is.”

‎ ‎

Of course she’d remember an off-handed comment from months ago. Besides, all anyone needed to know something like this was to simply glance at any of your windows, and they’d see the potted trees pressed up against them.

‎ ‎

“I’ll still have to wait until the weather clears up.”

‎ ‎

“I see. Good call.”

‎ ‎

She didn’t need to look out the windows to see the thick fog outside. The way to work was difficult enough for her since she had to avoid the black ice and check the weather for any potential storms. Nevertheless, despite how subtle it was, Ying immediately picked up on the wistfulness that bled into your previously content tone.

‎ ‎

“Is… something wrong?”

‎ ‎

Your smile slowly fell as you carefully leaned on the table behind you.

Don’t quote me on this comparison, I hate Chemistry. But despite solitude being bound to you like protons to a nucleus at this point, and vice versa, you’d been keeping this question to yourself, and it felt like it was driving you mad. For once, you needed to ask someone, and who better than Ying? And you weren’t in the mood to be subtle or to ease her into it. 

Might as well lay it all out.

‎ ‎

“Is Yu dead?”

‎ ‎

She seemed incredibly caught off guard by the question.

‎ ‎

“Dead? That– that’s a… ah, a bold assumption… Why would you ever say that?”

‎ ‎

Should you even tell her about the gun and the hourglass medallion? Even though you were still pissed at Yu for keeping so many things hidden from you, you still felt it disrespectful to air out his laundry behind his back. Well, if he was alive, that is.

Besides, it’s not like she was innocent either. She had a mysteriously large sum of money herself, despite being a humble café owner. Speaking of… why didn’t she just buy the painting with that instead of waiting for your harvest? Maybe you shouldn’t ask everything.

You sighed and ran your fingers through your hair.

‎ ‎

“Just a thought.”

‎ ‎

“No, don’t say that. You’re doing so well, Y/N; don’t let the pessimism get to you!”

‎ ‎

You smiled in amusement at her words. Was the change in your appearance and attitude that drastic? You could’ve sworn one of the positive things about your genes was the lack of dark circles under your eyes. Ying, however, only kept going.

‎ ‎

“How about we visit his grandmother? I know both of you used to do that a lot. Are those lemons done growing?”

‎ ‎

“They are. I should be able to harvest them on Sunday if the weather gets better.”

‎ ‎

It’s been a while since you visited her. And honestly, you may or may not have missed her delighted smile and hug whenever she’d see you come in with freshly baked goods for her to enjoy. Shame this all stopped when Yu disappeared. If you took it this horribly, you couldn’t even imagine what she was going through.

‎ ‎

“Sunday? That’s great! Would you like me to come with you? I’ll bring the baskets!”

‎ ‎

For once, the offer sounded enticing. Hauling baskets around in a bus also sounded like a terrible idea. So… 

You nodded.

‎ ‎

“I don’t mind.”

‎ ‎

“Wonderful! So, what do you always bring her? Was it lemon bars, or…”

‎ ‎

Ying started spitballing ideas as she walked you to the counter, attempting to come up with a list of lemon desserts for you both to bring. Sweets and baking weren’t her forte, but it was really fun to watch her ramble on about something she really enjoyed. It wasn’t that hard to tell that she never got to have a casual conversation with someone outside of work, anyway.

And so you let her talk, instead opting to listen to her in silence and only chiming in when she was out of words.

‎ ‎

❤ฺ·。

‎ ‎

Both of you settled on lemon pie. It was a nice change compared to the usual pound cakes you’d always bring her. And besides, you needed to bring something special after not visiting her for years, or however long it’s been. Not like you were one to keep track of time.

Nevertheless, a week had passed since that conversation, and things only continued to improve. Mentally, that is.

You were way too exhausted from tending to what felt like a few hundred trees all day. The work felt like it was never ending. It’s not like you were able to go outside anyway; the fog never let up since then. Even the buses were starting to reroute, and your path to work was getting more and more hazy.

Thankfully for you, it was Saturday; you’ve been up since the crack of dawn, and you’ve just finished your housework at two in the afternoon. Pruning, fertilising, watering and fending off fungal infections and diseases. Even though it was winter, an abundance of dormant plants still equaled a considerable amount of work. Sure, as Ying said, the air was fresher in here, but you needed to sell all of these plants. It was quite literally a forest at this point. That wasn’t to mention the ones at Yu’s house that you still haven’t tended to, the ones you were going to harvest tomorrow had the weather improved.

Once you set down your shears and gave your fingers the relief of rest after spending the past hour pruning your kiwi tree, it felt like they were just one wrong move away from falling off your body. And maybe that was the time for you to actually stop working.

‎ ‎

You walked back inside to your hotter bedroom and slammed the door to the balcony shut, taking a deep breath of the fresh air to isolate a specific scent. And it didn’t take long for you to spot it – the scent of hot chocolate. You’d just made it for breakfast and had completely forgotten about it whilst waiting for it to cool off.

Huh. Instead of drinking it in bed, maybe you should try something Ying would probably do.

You ran your stiff fingers through your hair and moved towards the kitchen, grabbed the lukewarm cup and headed for the living room. Once you sat down on the couch, the remote immediately made its way into your hand and the television was turned on. Yu’s blankets were still there. You washed and tossed them back there, since there was no reason for you to move them. Not like you felt ill when you looked at them. They were pretty warm. 

Besides, you were more concerned with the television and whether or not it would work after being unused for so long.

And… Yeah. It was kind of boring. Scratch that; it was very boring. Ying was probably just way too old-fashioned for you.

You surfed through the channels for a few more minutes. And with every channel you passed, you were only further reminded as to why this blasted thing was never used. You surfed and surfed and surfed, eventually landing on whatever channel it was once you’d gotten bored enough and instead picked up the phone to scroll through social media. Maybe you really should hit up your landlord and stop funding this useless thing mounted on your wall, you mused.

Your train of thought, however, was immediately derailed once your ringtone blasted in your ears. Ying had suddenly called you. And despite your annoyance, you accepted it without thought, holding the phone up to your ear.

‎ ‎

“Y/N! Good afternoon, how are you?”

‎ ‎

“Hi. Do you need something?” 

‎ ‎

She tittered, and you could feel her anxiously fan herself from the other side of the phone.

‎ ‎

“What if I just wanted to check in on my friend?”

‎ ‎

“So you… don’t need anything.”

‎ ‎

“No, I do. Are you free this March?”

‎ ‎

You sighed and instead looked out the window, your eyes locking on the rapid snowfall that only helped further coat the ground in tonnes of snow. Sidewalks, houses, dead trees, balconies… Well, the uncovered ones, of course. Your balcony was safe.

‎ ‎

“Possibly. Why?”

‎ ‎

This question was weird to ask, to say the least. Especially to someone who lived their life with no planning and went with the flow. But you did understand why she’d ask since she planned months and months ahead.

‎ ‎

“There’s something I must do, but it’s highly likely that I’d end up needing your assistance with it. Do you recall a few years ago, when you…”

‎ ‎

Then, the word ‘storm’ caught your attention, your eyes immediately darted back to the television as your brain tuned out Ying’s words. Turns out that the channel you’d stopped at was the weather forecast, and the woman was explaining an incoming catastrophic storm headed towards…

Crap. 

‎ ‎

“I– I have to go; I need to leave.”

‎ ‎

“Where? What’s happening?” 

‎ ‎

Without thought, you stood up and rushed towards the thick jacket you had hung up on the coat rack right next to the door.

‎ ‎

“Ying, there’s a blizzard. It’s headed right around the neighbourhood where Yu’s house is!”

‎ ‎

You slipped on your boots and grabbed your keys, stuffing whatever remaining essentials there were in your pocket.

‎ ‎

“What?! Y/N, wait, don’t tell me you’re–”

‎ ‎

“I’m going, Ying!”

‎ ‎

“Don’t! Don’t, just wait for me, I–”

‎ ‎

You slammed the door shut, haphazardly holding the scarf over your nose, and rushed down the flight of stairs.

‎ ‎

Ying failed to convince you not to go before you closed the phone and shifted all of your focus back on your path, and she especially failed to get you to understand what was truly happening through your skull. To her, you either didn’t notice the magnitude of the situation, or you just outright didn’t care. Rushing into a blizzard just to keep a few trees safe was something no sane person would do, even with how much those trees meant to you.

And despite the thick haze that blocked you from seeing only a few feet in front of you, the people rushing to get home as soon as possible, and the rapid snowfall, none of it mattered. You clutched the ice-cold pole inside the bus and leaned your head against it, its temperature seeping through your thick black gloves and stinging your skin.

Your eyes locked on the windows as you watched the driver struggle to make his way through the fog, and your heart raced fast enough that it nearly constituted a heart attack. People around you were scared. The children huddled with their parents like scared birds, and you swore you could hear a few of them reassure their kids that they were going to make it home just fine. But you tuned it all out in favour of what was important to you.

All you needed to do was get to his house. Get to his house at the very least, and it’ll all be okay. 

Those trees will be okay. You’ll make sure of it.

[esper-union-lounge]

NOTICE

Sorry, I am setting the Li Ling fic to private for some time, because I feel as though the writing is not good enough.

I want to edit it more, and improve on the reading experience.

I put a lot of work into this fanfic, and it's one of the first ideas I had when I started dislyte. So, I want to make this fic better.

Thanks,

-Espers Union Lounge

[mikaela-the-slut-expert]

The God of Song's

Second Ascension

Xie Lian x M!Reader x Hua Cheng

Alright listen y'all. I'm adding a previous part to my first glance series. BECAUSE I really want my timeline to follow the novel's timeline and most of the lines follow the novel as well. I want the story to focus on my OC so obviously it'll be his pov. Be patient with me y'all 😭

The whole point of the part is just to give Y/n some depth? To explain partially my OC's background and abilities. Like I had to put some foundation for the ready bro.

Dúshé means poison laced tongue

Mûguô means bitch or whore

Míngqín means song bird

if you see the name Mei Li, just read it as Y/n I tried replacing them all but I'm blind

_____________________________________________

Y/n is a rarity. An unnatural beauty with white hair. A being who uses his siren like vocals and imitation against others. A majority of heaven officials are wary of him and are diligent on keeping their distance. The reason being, he dips between both realms.

Y/n is a ghost, who ascended and became a god. That's why most people don't like him. He's strange and shouldn't possibly exist. A ghost who became a god? That's an anomaly. What could be worse than that? An anomaly that has power.

He's a god of the upper court and yet he doesn't have his own palace. He rejected it choosing to make his own domain in the mortal realm. Just like a ghost would. His reason being? It's closer to Xie Lian. Y/n having so much power as a god and a ghost, with the ability to wipe out a nation leaves the other officials anxious. They'd prefer if he was banished from the Heavens. Which he was. Even then 6,000 temples stayed up in his favor.

They have many names for him: Y/n, God of Song, dúshé, general, and even the name mûguô was passed around for a while. Only Xie Lian uses the nickname, míngqín.

He used to be a general for XianLe and an imperial guard for Xie Lian. They grew up together, along with Feng Xin and eventually Mu Qing. But everyone knows the stories. Mu Qing stopped following Xie Lian after his banishment and never spoke a good word of him again.

Feng Xin and Y/n however stayed loyal. They grew up together, and were banished together. And yet Feng Xin and Y/n grew apart. Feng Xin and Xie Lian grew apart. Leaving y/n with Xie Lian alone. A banished ghost and a banished prince.

So their wishes came true, but not forever. When the bell in the Heavens starts to toll and shake everyone is expecting to see a newcomer. They must be powerful with how hard the bell rings, surely?

The official's hopes were diminished when they saw the familiar silhouette of Y/n and Xie Lian. He ascended a second time!? And Xie Lian he...he...he fucking ascended a third time?!

Y/n looks much different his face hides behind a veil now. Only his striking blue eyes can be seen. He stands by Xie Lian's side as the other officials whisper. None of them notice the bell fall... Or as someone's golden palace gets ruined.

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Y/n stands next to Xie Lian while Ling Wen talks about his highness getting first place, for once. Of course for nothing good. Something about banishment but at least Xie Lian got 100 merits for it.

Y/n gets lost in thought and starts paying attention to his two birds, Wèizhī. It's supposed to be one, conjoined name but the twin birds liked the name for both of them. Yes Y/n has birds. While other gods have families as swords, or ghosts have butterflies. Y/n has his birds. They're Oriental Magpies and they represent Y/n perfectly. Both of them imitate others, and both of them sing.

Y/n's attention is brought back when Ling Wen points at a 'bell'. He looks over to the civil god with an arched brow. "Ling Wen I know you're tired but there's no bell up there", he says with a shrug

"There was a bell there. When general Li and his highness ascended you both caused quite the turmoil. Causing the bell to fall on a passing by heavenly official" she explains.

She points in another direction, "Do you see that golden palace?" Xie Lian smiles, "Ah yes I can."

"It was put up to replace an official's golden palace that was damaged from your ascension" and Xie Lian's smile falls into a nervous one.

"So we've offended many officials from the moment we arrived?" Xie Lian confirms

"If you can make amends maybe not"Ling Wen

Y/n places a hand on his hip and cocks it to the side, "How do we make amends then?"

"Easy, just pay eight million eight hundred eight thousand merits" Ling Wen adds, "Of course I know you both don't have a tenth of that amount."

Y/n gawks behind his veil. He groans and Xie Lian grins. ,"Please allow us to think about what we should do" he heaves a long sigh.

The two of them walk to the side and Mei Li watches Xie Lian crouch down in distraught. " A-Lian I can pay for it, half of it was my fault after all" you frown patting his head.

"Ah no that's not necessary, I'll find a way. So please don't waste your merits on me, míngqín." Míngqín, a nickname Xie Lian made for you long ago. You love it. Yes you are a songbird, and you're his songbird.

Y/n glances away, he'll pay for it when he gets the chance. Right now he'll stay by Xie Lian's side. "Oh we should probably find the array for the upper court. I don't have the password anymore." Xie Lian brings his fingers to his temple and Y/n does the same.

They search through multiple arrays, some even bet on how long they'll stay this time. When they finally find it someone whispers, "So his highness and his general are back?"

Xie Lian brightens when they finally find the array he's looking for, "Yes I'm back!" Y/n cocks his hip and doesn't answer.

The heavenly official chuckles languidly, "his highness and general /n caused a tremendous force this time, yes?"

Xie Lian rubs the back of his neck, "Ah well it wasn't so bad." Y/n crosses his arms.

Another official cuts in, "It wasn't so bad for his highness, but my luck isn't as good" While Xie Lian looks very sorry, Y/n doesn't.

It seems Xie Lian doesn't know who they're talking to but Y/n knows it's Mu Qing. He cocks his hip and Xie Lian thinks to himself, that one day Y/n might pop his hip out if he keeps up. "This one heard that General Xuan Zhen flicked it and the bell split in half though? Surely it didn't cause the great general much pain?" Y/n hums in fake sympathy and checks his nails.

They're interrupted by another official. Y/n sighs at this.

"Who the fuck knocked down my palace?! SHOW YOURSELF!" Y/n covers his ears as he recognizes Feng Xin.

Feng Xin and Mu Qing start bickering about something, Y/n looks over to Xie Lian. To see if he's doing okay with the familiar faces.

Xie Lian laughs nervously, "it was my fault I apologize, I didn't mean for it to get out of hand"

Mu Qing replies sarcastically, "Oh what a coincidence."

This upsets Y/n, he crosses his arms and sets a glare on Mu Qing. "Are you implying we did it on purpose as an act of revenge? General Xuan Zhen I thought you knew by now the world simply does not revolve around you. I think you want to be a victim." He spits. He refuses to sit here while Mu Qing slanders Xie Lian's name. Off to the side he can other people whisper dúshé.

Mu Qing scoffs, but Xie Lian cuts in, "I will try my best to compensate you, I apologize"

Y/n glares at Mu Qing's spot. The man glares back but he falls silent and invisible.

Xie Lian and Y/n leave the array afterwards.

Y/n frowns and plays with a piece of his long hair. "This one is sorry A-Lian, I just couldn't stay quiet"

Xie Lian waves a hand and smiles, "It's alright no need to apologize."

Ling Wen has invited Xie Lian and Y/n to the great hall so that's where they go. Y/n watches over Xie Lian's shoulder reading the scroll she gave them. Apparently they can earn merits if they solve this "ghost groom" issue.

Y/n hums, "We can do it A-Lian we've experienced worse"

Xie Lian nods, but looks back at Y/n nervously. "Yes but I also can't use any spiritual devices", "Then maybe it's better to get the help of some deputy generals?" Ling Wen adds.

"That's why I'm here, I'll gladly do the work for you-"

"But I don't want you to do all the work for me, I'll feel bad, so for my sake let's get help from some middle officials?" Xie Lian smiles nervously, of course he doesn't want to push Y/n. He does so much for Xie Lian already.

Y/n cocks his hip, and glances to the side "I suppose, but who will really come help?"

Xie Lian laughs, "Ah you're right. Ling Wen I'm afraid no one will willingly come to my aid"

She waves a hand though, "I'll get you some help don't worry". Then she goes into the array, and asks who could send two martial officials to help the emperor.

It probably would have worked too, if Mu Qing hadn't ruined it, "I heard the emperor isn't in the north at the moment. This help must be for his highness right?"

Ling Wen sighs, "You're always in the array these days General Xuan Zhen, congratulations you seem to have plenty of time."

"My hand is wounded, I'm currently nursing the injury." Mu Qing replies coyly

"Oh? You poor thing I didn't know it took a bell to take you out General" Y/n adds smugly.

They all leave the array once it's obvious no one is coming to help.

"It's alright A-Lian I don't mind doing it" Y/n hums softly running his hand over Xie Lian's arm.

"Yes, we're used to being alone so we'll leave it as is" he sighs.

"May heaven Officials give their blessings" Ling Wen says.

"No paths are bound!" Xie Lian replies and leaves in a dashing manner. Y/n follows him with a sigh. He has to make sure Xie Lian doesn't fall out of heaven.

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Okay guys. So if y'all have read this and the first glance series please tell me if you like it 😭🙏.

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[judgementdaysunshine]

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🌊 + Li Shang + trust

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Show how much you trust me

Pairing: Li Shang x Fem reader

Description: After saving Shang from Shan yu show him your secret to see if he still trusts you

You fought a group of huns with your friend Mulan who had been your friend for years, joining her in the army for honor but to also be who you are even with the risks involved with what the two of you were doing. You happen to turn when you see Shan Yu behind your general and friend Li Shang fighting 3 other huns on his own, not seeing shan behind him ready to take him out but you were going to make sure that wouldn't happen to anyone let alone someone you cared about if you had any say in it. You run jumping and tackling shan yu managing to get good hits even cutting his shoulder, rolling and moving quickly in between the hits with your sword before you got hit and thrown a few feet away from him hitting your back on a rock slowly leaning up seeing Chien Po and ling running to where you were, fearing that you and shang had gotten hurt instead you all see shang and mulan disguised as her alias Ping fighting while the boys ran to you after seeing you across from them leaned on the rock you hit. You groan in pain as chien po lifts you and puts you on his shoulder running to hide from the avalanche with shang and mulan behind you looking at them until you couldn't see them running to find them, getting caught in the avalanche finding mulan's horse Khan not to far getting on him looking for your friends seeing nothing but snow until you looked behind you and see a red cape. You immediately get and grab him looking until you hear a gasp seeing mulan nearby "Mulan! Over here!" she gets on in front of you as you see the edge of the cliff going over until you stopped mid air seeing the rope on khan smiling in relief as you guys are helped until as you and shang step on the ground the rocks below you collapse screaming as you fall grabbing hold of a steep part of the cliff holding on to shang hearing everyone yelling. Soon you see the rope next to you after climbing up on an edge putting shang over your shoulders and grabbing the rope as everyone gets you up and away from the cliff "Step away they need air" you look at each other as you catch your breath "You are two of the craziest men I ever met...and for that I owe you both my life from now on both of you have my trust" you smile as everyone cheers until you heard mulan yell in pain seeing the wound and immediately knowing that the secret you both had kept was gonna be exposed. You grab her and run in the medic tent, carefully treating her wound shaking as you try to sew the wound up until shang grabs your arm doing it as you notice one just above your chest "Do you still trust me?" You take your armor off closing your eyes until you hear a sword and feel something warm under your chin opening your eyes to see his fingers holding your chin with his sword in the corner. He patches you up thanking him as you hold your armor "You're my friend and you saved my life my debt is repaid and I trust you" you smile putting your armor on telling everyone of mulan's condition relieved she recovered going to celebrate victory until the huns came and took the emperor fighting shan yu with shang deciding to give shang an up throwing both your shoes at shan yu "I was the one you threw at the rock". You pull your hair back and with your helmet on as he realizes "Show how much you trust me" you say running as he follows you fighting him giving shang time to get him stuck as the fireworks hit him both of you holding lanterns until you both jumped landing on mulan who was looking for the both of you smiling and hugging each other as you join the boys and end up being rewarded for saving China by the emperor going back home to your family who heard the news being proud of you. You were holding your baby sister when you heard your brother say someone was here for you turning to see shang smiling big hugging and inviting him for dinner and soon after the two of you began dating and joining him on his adventures with your friends and mulan after getting engaged.