#from the lovely makialene

[windwheeler-aster]

Hi!! Can I get a black tea with milk art in a sky blue teacup (gentle touches) with marshmallows on the side? Could it also be reverse hurt/comfort?

deadlines and devotions 

summary: kaeya knew that putting aside all of that paper work would eventually catch up to him. but now he sat in his office, helpless and hopeless, staying there over the weekend to try and keep up with work. however, he did not expect you, his dearest friend and crush, to come help him just when he needs it most. 

masterlist | event

customer’s order: a black tea (kaeya) with milk art (one shot) in a sky blue teacup (gentle touches) with marshmallows (friends to lovers) on the side. extra: customer would like some reverse hurt/comfort.

pairing: kaeya x reader

reader info: uses gender neutral pronouns (they/them), works at the knights of favonius, is close/good friends with kaeya, and reader is not traveler

word count: 1,979 words

genre: romance, friends to lovers, reverse hurt/comfort

format: one shot

warnings: deadlines for paperwork, kaeya feeling overwhelmed/wanting to breakdown, friends calling each other petnames, kaeya laying his head on your lap, playing with hair, exaggerated forms of expression love/how it feels (suffocating, pulsating) random/not planned out confession, and slight suggestive language/themes used (can still be read without suggestive interpenetration)

a/n: man, this one was tough to write!!! but i got it done, and now i hope i fulfilled your request💖 oh, and that you have a good read ofc💖

The sun’s light streamed in through Kaeya’s grand windows, highlighting the small dust molecules that floated through the air. When it landed on the books decorating his shelves, it revealed the thin layer of dust on each one. Truth be told, Kaeya hadn’t touched a single one of them since he had moved into this office. Although his copy of the Adventurer’s Handbook, which was incredibly outdated, had a thicker layer than the others. It had been an unexpected gift from the previous person who worked at his desk, seemingly left behind in forgetfulness.

Jean’s words echoed in his head. “I need these papers all filled out by Monday. I can’t keep waiting on you forever, Kaeya. It’s draining.” 

Kaeya shook his head slightly. “Alright, focus Alberich, you’ve got a job to do.”

He knew her words weren’t meant to be mean, but still Kaeya felt a small part of his heart break. Jean had always been direct, even blunt at times, when she needed things to be done. And Kaeya knew that she was just as stressed, and having all this spare paperwork lying around his office did no one any good.

So, why did he feel like breaking down after only filling out ten lengthy patrol reports?

“Archons above, Jean’ll eat me alive if I don’t hurry up,” he said under his breath, sorting out the papers into three piles. “Okay, this pile will be for the monthly reports…” 

He murmured instructions under his breath, only so he could remember them later. Kaeya’s eye skimmed over each paper’s title and date, determining what pile and order to put them in. 

Although it wasn’t the best use of his time, Kaeya felt less overwhelmed to do this. Technically, it is helping me later, he reasoned.  

A knock on his door pulled Kaeya from his thoughts. He froze, letting the paper in his hands go. For a moment, Kaeya’s exposed eye followed the paper as it flew to the floor. Then two gentle knocks moved his attention to his door.

He swallowed thickly, standing to retrieve the paper. “Come in,”

To his surprise, you carefully creeped into his office. He watched with great curiosity as you closed the door quietly behind you, shifting the papers in your hands.

“Hey Kaeya, I heard Jean asked you to fill out those papers. So, I wanted to help you out,” you looked up from the papers and smiled at him. “I hope that’s okay.”

He couldn’t help the faint smile that crept onto his lips. “Of course, any help is welcomed. Especially if it coming from the—”

You chuckled. “Oh, there’s no need for that now. It’s just us here, no need for titles and formalities when it’s just two friends working.”

“Well then, if you insist,” Kaeya smirked. 

You grab the paper that had fallen on the ground. Wordlessly, you hand it over to him as you place some of your weight onto one foot. Kaeya’s breath hitches when his fingertips brush against yours as you hand off the paper, but he’s sure you didn’t hear it. 

“Alright, if you just pull up a chair next to me,” he murmured, “we can get to work.”

You follow his suggestion, careful not to scrap the chair’s legs on his nice wooden floors. “How would you like me to help you, exactly?”

Just sit there and be there for me, please. “If you could read over some of the papers I’ve already written, that would be incredible. Just give it a look over, make sure everything that needs to be there is and that it makes sense,” Kaeya rests his face onto his palm, eyeing you with an emotion you could not recognize. “You think you got that darlin’?”

You giggled. “Are we still doing this?”

“Oh? I have no idea what you mean,” he playfully rolled his eye, letting it land on the stack of papers in front of him. 

“The pet names,” you clarified. "And, if that’s the case, you better get used to being called sweetheart, sweetheart.”

“Me, a sweetheart? I’m afraid that you’re mistaken, my dear—”

You elbow him in the ribs, enough to hurt but not for long. “Oh, quit being so hard on yourself. You can be incredibly sweet when you want to, therefore proving that you are indeed a sweetheart.”

You lean over to look Kaeya in the eye, intent to make him a little flustered with direct eye contact. But your friend only looked at the papers in front of him, quietly scribbling down something. Behind his eye was little to no emotion, and under it was a heavy bag. 

“Sweetheart, when was the last time you slept?”

He blinked multiple times, his cheeks growing warm and his eye widening. “O-oh, I think I took a quick nap last night. There’s no need to worry about me, though.”

“How long were you asleep?”

“Something like three or four hours, I don’t know,” Kaeya dismissed, stifling a yawn. “Really, it’s not a big deal.”

You raised your brow. “Kaeya—”

“Listen, let’s just get to w-,” he interrupted himself with a large yawn, closing his eye as he did so. “Let’s just get to… to work, ‘k?”

“Or, hear me out,” you suggest, pushing your chair away from the desk. “You take a break and I’ll fill in some paperwork for you.”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that—”

You smiled menacingly. “Well, good thing I’m not asking you. Now, Mr. Alberich, get on the couch and get comfortable.”

His cheeks were set ablaze at your words and commanding tone. Kaeya tried to appear nonchalant, shrugging his shoulders and pretended to follow your suggestion. Yet as he got up from his chair, he stumbled over to the nearest couch. Kaeya practically buried his face into his hands once he sat down, trying his best to hide his flustered face.

After grabbing your things, you let yourself fall back onto the couch. A gentle smirk spread across Kaeya’s face as he watched you bounce. However, his covert glance was still enough to garner your attention. 

He was shocked when you patted the space right beside so nonchalantly. But he still moved closer to you, albeit slowly and hesitantly.  

You offered Kaeya a gentle smile. “Would you like to rest your head on my lap? I hear it’s easier to sleep when in the close company of a loved one.”

His mouth opened in shock, but then Kaeya quickly snapped it shut. Did you already know of his feelings for you? But- but he did everything to make sure that—

“I-if you’re not comfortable with that, I completely understand,” you mumble. “I just want to help you get some rest, that’s all.”

Oh. 

“Of course I don’t mind,” he slid down the couch, slowly moving his head onto your lap. 

You hummed, gently guiding his head down. A peaceful look graces all of Kaeya’s face as his head lands on your thighs. Kaeya gently turns over so he faces your stomach, letting a gentle sigh leave him. You refrain from giggling at the sensation and instead choose to focus on the paperwork in your hands.

At one point while you were reading, your hands found their way to the base of Kaeya’s head. You gently scratched at his scalp, missing the quiet whimpers and gasps he let out as you did so. Your fingers pulled at stray bunches of his hair, careful not to pull them harshly, and twirled them around your index finger idly. But when you looked down at him, Kaeya stilled beneath your touch once again.

“Is this okay?” you whispered, knowing full well your friend was still awake.

He blinked slowly, now pretending he had just woken from his deep slumber. Kaeya tilted his head to look up at you, a sight you were realizing you could never be tired of seeing. Then he smiled softly.

“Yeah,” he murmured, “it’s more than okay.”

“You must be pretty tired if you’re just accepting all of this so quickly.”

“Mm, I’m pretty, that’s for sure,” he practically nuzzled his face into your hand, “and you are too, of course. I think you’re probably the prettiest person in all of Monds— no, in all of Teyvat.”

“Probably?” 

“Okay, fine, you are the prettiest person in all of Teyvat.”

You giggle, patting his head in thanks. “Well, that’s very kind of you to say, Kaeya.”

Silence filled the office as you continued to pamper Kaeya. However, no matter what you did, it didn’t lull him back to sleep. 

Which was no fault of yours, technically. Yes, you were the reason why the blood pounded in his ears. Yes, Yyu were why his heart picked up the speed, pulsating against his ribcage over and over again. His thoughts raced as he looked to your stomach as some of the ideas made his cheeks warmer and warmer. Even imagining the simplest of actions, like holding your hand or hugging you from behind, made the butterflies in his stomach soar as he imagined it. 

“Kaeya? Are you alright?” you asked, moving your hand away from his cheek and to his forehead. You let out a gentle gasp, pulling at Kaeya’s heartstrings simultaneously. “Oh no, have you come down with something?”

Kaeya felt bad that this would be how he would confess. But it felt like another moment without speaking his mind would be another moment wasted. He didn’t even care if you rejected him, Kaeya needed to get these suffocating feelings off his chest already.

“No, I just love you,” he blurted out.

“Oh archons, you really have come down with something haven’t you?” you frowned. “I knew all this stress wouldn’t be good for you. Now you’re just being delirious.”

“No, I— I love you,” he explained. Kaeya sat up, moving your hands off of him and into his own. “I love you so much it hurts, and I can’t let another day pass without letting you know.”

You blink slowly at him, reminding Kaeya of the owls that perch in the trees on his patrol route. “You… you love me?”

“Yes,” he chuckled, “what? Is it really that hard to imagine? I must have done so well at hiding my feelings from you if you can’t even believe it.”

“No, it’s not that,” you shook your head. “It’s just that… never, in my wildest dreams, would I ever think you’d like me back.”

You leaned forward, startling both you and Kaeya. You both chuckled nervously, taking note of the small space between you two. Then chuckling faded away quickly as your eyes trailed down to his lips. 

Kaeya’s eyes drifted down to your lips and his grip on your hands loosened. And he physically gulped, as his nerves got the best of him. Because despite his vast experience, you still made him feel like he was about to have his very first kiss. You still made him feel so young and in love, two things Kaeya believed he would never feel again. 

“May I?” you asked for him, grabbing his cheek tenderly.

He smirked. “Of course.”

You and Kaeya leaned in at once, gasping then giggling as your noses bumped against each other’s. But then Kaeya grabbed your chin, tilting you gently to the right. For a moment, all was still in his office as he looked up from your lips and to your eyes. Your cheeks grew impossibly warm as Kaeya finally leaned in, connecting both of your lips together.

“This is much better than I ever imagined,” you murmured against his lips, kissing him over and over again. You felt more desperate now, craving the taste of his lips when you were only an inch apart. “You’re much better than I ever imagined, Kaeya.”

He smirked. “I better be. Now, c’mere. I’m not done with you just yet.”

thank you for reading 💖 all forms of interaction to my posts are appreciated 💖

[aetherarf]

Requested by @makialene

If you have a minute, could you write something with Diluc and praise? Just wholesome, letting him know you’re proud of him and he’s doing a good job

[[ Summary: Diluc works hard, is kind, tries his best, and is deserving of many good things. Some praise is one of those good things. ]]

[[ Word Count: 1'032 ]]

With a deep, exhausted sigh, Diluc walked into the Winery, hanging up his coat, taking a moment to pause, holding onto the coatrack for a brief second, if only to have that much less weight to hold him down, to have to stay upright.

A long night of his being the 'Darknight Hero' [he, admittedly, found the name somewhat cringy, but not enough that he'd do anything about it] followed a morn of getting everything set up in the Winery after the last... event that happened, making sure everything was clean and clear before the customers flooded in, an agonizing day of paperwork and trying to negotiate to get his wine transported to Liyue, and planning a meeting with Ningguang considering this... And a long, drawn-out evening, a dinner with the Winemakers' Guild, where they all did everything they could to get his sponsorship for their own agendas.

The sun had long since sunk and the moon hung high in the sky when he got home. Every bit of him ached. But, he was home, and while there was always more to be done, his body and spirit were no longer willing. He could catch up tomorrow morning after he finally got some rest [even if there was never any actual catching up. Getting the most high-priority things handled, and chipping away at everything else.]

When someone said his name, in a blissful tone, he paused, and instinctively straightened his back, turning to look at the stairwell you walked down, with a smile on your face. He couldn't help but sigh in relief- it was nice to see you, even if he wasn't sure he was much for conversation or company.

You always understood that, sometimes, he just didn't have it in him. He was a busy man... and admittedly overworked. He wasn't very good at letting others handle things for him. It was self inflicted, but also not such a simple task to figure out.

"There's my handsome man, after doing so much good. Are you feeling okay?" You asked as you walked towards him, grabbing one of this hands with both your own.

He struggled for a moment, before replying with a weak smile, "I'm just tired."

"Of course you are. Have you eaten?" You asked, and he nodded,

"I'm just tired." He explained, and without another word, you started leading him to the bedroom- He took the moment to close his eyes and just let you, not needing to worry. He knew you had every wholesome intention towards him, and this wasn't something he needed to fear.

For a moment, he just let his eyes close- he was being led. He didn't need to be wary, not in this little, quiet moment.

He was safe. A rare, but never unwelcome feeling.

Diluc could tell, just from the habit of walking around the Winery, the change of the sound that his own feet made, and the slight creek of the door, he sighed and opened his eyes. His room was dim- which was exactly how he preferred it. He only realized how close he was to overstimulation, but perhaps he was still buzzing with the day's anxiety. But it was coming to a close, it was almost over.

He walked ahead and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling off his boots, tossing them off to the side- before he could get his tired hands to try and work at his clothes, you were already on it, getting off his coat, his shirt, untying the ribbon in his hair. He closed his eyes for a moment, the relief of his hair no longer tugging on his scalp was a blessing.

It wasn't haphazardly tossed about, instead was put away to be cleaned at a later time, so he didn't need to worry about the visual clutter. He watched as you walked back from doing this small, but more than meaningful task for him, and stood right in front of him. Confused, he stared at you as you cupped his cheeks.

"I love you."

He smiled, "I love you too," though it sounded a bit odd with how you squished his cheeks. He felt... silly, but he didn't really mind. Not right now, anyway.

"You work so hard, and always come back safe..."

He felt a warmth in his chest, but it was dwarfed by the confusion,

"Why are you saying this?" He asked- not suspicious, only confused and curious. "Did something happen?"

"You just deserve to be told how good of a man you are."

Admittedly, Diluc didn't feel like he was that good of a man. He wasn't a bad person, but there was always a haunting guilt taunting him, that he wasn't doing enough, that he wasn't enough,

"You've always been more than enough. You've given everything you had and then some. But even without that, I'd love you anyway."

He exhaled softly, and opened his mouth to say something back- anything, even when his brain was so frazzled, only to have a finger pressed over his lips,

"No, no more talkie. You've done enough of that today, haven't you?"

Exhaling through his nose, he smiled. He didn't need to say anything, or even nod. Even if you let him.

"Well, actually one more talkie. Do you want to cuddle?" You asked, "I'm sure you're tired."

"Would you mind?" He asked,

"Of course not."

"... Even if you were the big spoon?" He asked, a little shy. He wasn't massive, but he also wasn't small.

"Of course not."

And even if it was, maybe, a little comedic, and he took care to pull his hair over his shoulder to get as much of it out of the way as possible, resting his hands over yours as they wrapped around his torso, he exhaled softly, relaxing in the soothingly cool room. He'd pull up the blankets when he was ready to completely fade, but...

Right now, he just wanted to doze, to rest, as he could hear you whisper sweet little praises, chaste and loving.

He was human, in the end. Even he wanted to hear praise, if only it was once in a blue moon, it was...

Nice.

[solomonish]

Proxemics (TWST - Ace/Reader)

@makialene suggested: Only if you have a minute (and want to of course, I know you’re busy with the February writing challenge!), but I love how you write Ace, do you think you could do something for what may have happened if we had said yes when he asked to share the bed with us the first night he stayed over? In canon we kick him to the couch but I’m a sucker for the “only one bed” trope

lol i only meant for this to be like a 500 word ficlet but here i am with 3.3k .......i also like the bed sharing trope ig!! i know this request was from the beginning of february so hopefully the length makes it worth the wait hehe and! don't forget to check this out on ao3! (it was fic length so of course i'm posting it there)

feel free to leave a suggestion~

Throughout your (admittedly short) time in Twisted Wonderland, you began to learn that, sometimes, the best answer to give people was no answer at all. This wasn’t because you feared the repercussions of your words - no, most of the people you met were so harmless despite their best attempts to appear tough it was almost silly. No, you learned not to answer because of how goofy these people could be. Most often, the most appropriate response was a flat expression. Somebody needed to be a voice of reason in these people’s lives, because you were beginning to think none of them ever had one prior to you.

Grim seemed to have the same idea, staring at Ace with an amused expression, paws on his hips. The both of you passed a flickering glance towards the other, a silent ‘can you believe this guy? No, I can't either,’ before Grim finally spoke up.

“So, the point is you’re both terrible?”

Ace visibly recoiled, the faux woe-is-me expression from his tale of the stolen tart leaving his face immediately. The indignation that replaced it was worse on your dwindling patience. “You don’t think that it’s insane for my magic to get sealed away for eating ONE slice of tart?! For a mage, that’s like having your arms and legs bound and shackled! And there were three tarts! It’s not like he could eat them all himself. Come on, you KNOW this is messed up!”

Your eyes drifted to the collar. He couldn’t have chosen a comparison that was more on-the-nose. Heaving a heavy sigh, you removed your hands from your hips and instead grabbed your chin thoughtfully. Though you and Ace had a rather short friendship, he was pretty open and you felt as if you had a good grasp on his personality already. Of course, he was a natural troublemaker - although, perhaps in Crowley’s eyes, so were you. Ace’s impulsiveness was a tad endearing, but he wasn’t quite sly enough to escape the consequences that always came. Part of you wondered if he was purposely testing the limits so he could figure out how to make his clean escape every time.

Still, despite knowing how he attracted trouble, you knew his Housewarden’s punishment was extreme. Besides, was there really a reason to make an example out of Ace when he was the only one who’d dare eat food that wasn’t his? The longer you thought about it, the more excuses you could come up with.

Finally, you nodded your agreement. “It does seem a tad extreme.”

“Riiiight?!”

“Yeah, but…if there were three tarts, they were probably for a party. Maybe it was someone’s birthday or somethin’?” Grim reasoned, jumping from the floor to the coffee table so he could be a bit more on your level. With a proud grin, he immediately began preening himself. “Lookit that! I’m, like, a master detective too!”

“A birthday party, huh…”

“Did you even apologize?” You asked. Ace stuck out his tongue, and that was answer enough.

“Man…I thought you’d be more sympathetic. I’m a victim of tyranny here!”

You nodded noncommittally. “He may have been a tad extreme…”

It was Grim’s turn to be offended. Was there any winning for you in this world? “But you stole food! That ain’t cool!”

You agreed with Grim, one hundred percent. Even if you were in a separate world, you were pretty sure moral codes were more or less the same, just that those around you didn’t seem to care much for them. But still, basic roommate etiquette had to be a thing, right? Ace didn’t seem like he wouldn’t know one of the cardinal rules of sharing a living space - did he not have family members, ever?

However, Ace was your friend now. Even if you had gotten off to a rough start - one that might have only been 48 hours ago, or maybe 48 weeks ago, the chaos was making it hard to tell - it was clear now that he was a pest but still a ride-or-die. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t warm up quickly to him. Besides, if this world was as villainous as you suspected it was, you didn’t want to chase away one of your only allies in the whole place.

“If you apologize, I’m sure he’ll forgive you,” You offered. Neither of them look particularly convinced.

“You don’t go messin’ with another man’s meal…” Grim muttered. Then he perked up, his tail and flaming ears all on high alert. “Hey, wait a minute! I just realized I never got those cans of tuna the headmage promised me!”

After a few moments of your steady glare, Ace finally conceded. “All right, all right. Fine. I get that I should apologize. But you’re coming with me. This was your idea after all.”

If there was one thing in this world you had the advantage in, it would be general manners for sure. “Oh, I’ve got this. Don’t worry.”

Matching your confident grin, Ace gave you a thumbs up before scratching the back of his head. “Anyway…you got a place for me to crash tonight?”

Oh. In the insanity of his most recent adventure, you had entirely forgotten about his original predicament. Grim did too, if his yelp was any indication of his emotions. “You were serious about that? Outside of the bedroom me and Yuu use, this entire dump is buried under a foot of dust. So if you wanna crash, you better start cleanin’!”

“Dude, no way! I hate cleaning!”

“I don’t think many people like cleaning…” You added softly. That was a mistake, because Ace’s attention was immediately focused on you.

“Just let me stay with you!”

“What?!?” Your voice involuntarily cracked. Clearing your throat, your eyes darted around the room. Grim looked displeased with Ace’s audacity, though the entire conversation seemed to just frustrate him. Your eyes wandered behind him, to the ancient, dusty couch, and the spot where you thought you could see the shadow of a spring poking out. “You mean, like, in my bed…?”

“I’m real slim. I won’t take up any space!” For emphasis, Ace put one hand over his heart and the other up in the air like a scout taking a pledge. Your gaze flickered between him, Grim, and the couch, each person (or object, or…cat?) giving you a different answer. Though you thought a million different worries would be racing through your head, you were only lingering on one single thought: why not take a page from Crowley’s book?

The headmage only harped others on his generosity to toot his own horn, but you did feel incredibly lucky to be given shelter in your time of need. Why not pay the good deed forward? Besides, you were growing weary of this conversation and being awake in general. Dealing with Ace’s complaints was the last thing you wanted to do. Besides, it wasn’t like you’d never slept in the same bed as a friend before. Where was the harm?

“Okay.”

Both Grim and Ace widened their eyes. “R-really?!”

You shrugged. “The bed’s big, Grim. And there is…a lot of dust in here. We’d be just as cruel as Riddle if we made him sleep on the couch when it’s in such sorry shape.”

A draft brushed over you, and you shivered. The ghosts would surely have something to say about you insulting their furniture. Grim was displeased too, muttering under his breath but still making his way to bed, clearing throwing in the towel. Ace took another second to snap out of his surprise, but, once he recovered, gave you a more genuine smile. If you looked closely, you would have realized he was almost flustered.

“Thanks.”

Yawning, you gestured for him to follow you up the stairs. They groaned loudly beneath your feet, but you were beginning to understand the difference between weak wood and loud wood. “It’s no big deal. Do you have nightclothes? I think I have an extra set lying around…no guarantee they’ll fit though.”

“Nah. I came prepared.” You looked back and eyed the small bag you hadn’t noticed before.

“Confident in your persuasion skills, are you?”

“Maybe I just find you particularly dependable.” The two of you chuckled as you walked into the bedroom. Sleepily, you instructed him to change in the bathroom and quickly changed your own clothes. When you were done and sat on the bed, you absently ran a hand over Grim’s back. He was already asleep, and didn’t even stir at your hand running over him. You should’ve asked if he was alright with sharing the bed - with how often he wound up curling at your feet, it was basically his space, too. He didn’t seem too bothered with the idea, though, if he was already sleeping - and as an uninvited guest himself, he didn’t really have much room to complain.

It wasn’t until Ace walked back in the room after a quiet knock that you began to feel nervous. To avoid his gaze, you pretended to set an alarm on the clock (that miraculously still worked and was accurate - the ghosts again? Magic?) Ace rounded to the other side of the bed, and you could feel his hesitance in the slow movements he took to lift the blankets. Unable to stall anymore, you followed his movements, making sure to keep plenty of space between you and him.

“Well, you know where the bathroom and the kitchen are. Good night.”

“Uh, yeah. Night.”

Silence quickly filled the room, and you had to fight not to focus entirely on the body a foot away from you.

—

Maybe the couch would have been better.

Ace never spent much time sleeping in such close proximity to somebody. Any time he spent a night at a friend’s, they usually had a makeshift bed for him already. He never even had to share a room, let alone a bed. There were inherent boundaries he could figure out for sure, but knowing that there was another person behind him but not knowing how much wiggle room he had was a different type of stress he wasn’t prepared for. Not to mention, it had only been about ten minutes since they settled in for the night. There was no way the prefect was asleep so he could test the waters a little, yet his shoulder was already starting to protest the way he was laying.

Uncomfortable position aside, Ace was pretty sure the prefect only agreed to let him in the bed because their couch had visible springs coming out of the cushions and a thick layer of dust. The dust was hardly any better here - what wasn’t on the bed was in the air instead, already making his nose uncomfortably stuffy. No wonder the prefect was always so sniffly in the morning. There was also a spring getting ready to push through the fabric of the mattress, just beneath his ribcage and digging into him. If he had been on the couch, he could have sprawled out however he wanted to avoid it! But, instead, he was stuck in a bed with someone, terrified to move.

Ace wasn’t sure exactly why he was so afraid. The prefect was cool, and would easily brush off an accidental bump in the night. But while he was changing in the bathroom, Ace reminded himself to knock before entering the bedroom and suddenly got a pit in his stomach. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out what had his guts tied up in knots - or, he could, but he chose to ignore it lest it get worse and become another hurdle for him to jump before falling asleep.

Sleep. By the seven, he wished he could just fall asleep. If he were unconscious, he wouldn’t have to deal with so many stupid thoughts!

His side began to tingle, growing numb from the acute pressure the loose spring was putting on him. That was the final straw. Ace had to move, lest his entire right side go numb before he even got an hour of sleep.

Tentatively, Ace shifted closer to the center of the bed. He was surprised by how much ground he was able to make, pushing the boundary to see how comfortable he could get. Of course, he quickly overshot the available space, stopping cold at MC’s sleeve barely grazing his own arm. Quicker than intended, Ace forced himself to the very edge of the bed, gripping the edge of the mattress to prevent himself from following. The bed moved with him, and he squeezed his eyes shut, hoping desperately the prefect wouldn’t ask him what he was doing. Seconds passed, agonizingly long, before he slowly relaxed. They were letting him get away with it. He could work with that.

Hanging on to the very edge of the mattress wasn’t ideal, but at least the spring was no longer making his body numb. Ace could sit like this for a while, at least until the prefect fell asleep and he’d feel more comfortable moving around. Goodness, he knew he wouldn’t take up much space, so why was he suddenly so wary about where he was laying? He should just sprawl out and show the prefect who’s boss, since they were so harsh on him after he told his story.

But then they might think he was a creep, or worse, a rude bum, and that weirdly stung.

So Ace stood still, barely breathing as deeply as usual to avoid shaking the bed any more than he already had. For a moment, he debated listening in to see when the prefect fell asleep, but that immediately felt invasive and he scrapped the thought. Maybe he could fall asleep like this? He could hardly be held accountable for how close he got trying to get comfortable in his sleep, right?

Ace battled with himself for a while, feeling pathetic all the time. He was caught between cursing himself for placing himself so willingly in an awkward situation, and cursing himself for making a situation awkward that didn’t need to be. But, at the end of the day, he knew he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep like this. If it wasn’t the fear of falling off the bed that kept him awake, it was his thoughts running a mile a minute. Ace stayed stuck to the edge of the bed for what felt like forever. The prefect was asleep by now, right?

He had to sneak a peek. He had to. If the prefect was still awake, he’d just say he had to…go to the bathroom! Or, better yet, he’d excuse himself for a drink from the kitchen, only to dash out of the house like a madman and grovel at Riddle’s feet for forgiveness. Then, when the prefect accused him of running away in the middle of the night, he could accuse them of having vivid dreams about him and fluster them so badly, they wouldn’t pursue the train of thought any longer.

Bracing himself, Ace pushed himself up with his forearms and dared a glance behind his shoulder.

Almost immediately, he sighed in relief. The prefect was asleep, having shuffled a little closer to the middle of the bed in their sleep. At their feet, Grim was curled up peacefully, the fire in his ears flaring lazily and a little dimmer than usual. Carefully, making absolutely sure he didn’t wake anybody up, Ace shuffled himself a little more inward and carefully lowered himself on his back. The spring was no longer digging into him, and like this, the bed was almost comfortable. At the very least, he wasn’t curled in a horrible position trying to avoid something jabbing into his side.

However, there was one small hitch in his plans. He could feel the prefect next to him, not quite touching but definitely warm and solid beside him.

Gulping, Ace folded his hands over his stomach and stared at the ceiling, trying to calm his thoughts once more. It was fine! Nothing was happening! Just a couple of pals sharing a bed in a pinch. Nothing was weird about it unless he made it weird. And if it was weird, the prefect readily agreed, so he had some ammunition on his side! He just needed to calm down and fall asleep. Nothing would happen if he could just sleep.

—

Ace did manage to fall asleep soon after finally settling down. Still, when he awoke to somebody pounding on the door, he couldn’t fight the feeling that a few more hours would have been nice.

Blinking, Ace eyes the streams of sunlight with vitriol, as if each dust particle swirling around had personally offended him. After a moment, he realized that neither Grim nor the prefect were stirring. He wondered if he could just ignore the door, but their guest seemed awfully persistent. Groaning, Ace threw an arm over his eyes, wanting just a few minutes more to rest. Even if the bed was old and had a spring that wanted his blood, he felt surprisingly warm.

His mind took a few more seconds to catch up with his situation. Oh, how harsh reality tended to be.

The prefect had turned towards him in their sleep. That would have been fine, if they hadn’t also taken to leaning their head on his shoulder. Because of the bulky collar, they had to position themselves at a lopsided angle, practically nuzzling into his shoulder. If he wasn’t warm from the blanket and morning sun, the flustered blush heating his face and turning it red as his favorite pie was sure doing the trick.

Without thinking, Ace pushed himself out of the bed, unable to spare a second to prevent the prefect from waking up. Before anybody could ask any questions, he bolted out of the bedroom, his heavy footsteps loud as thunder with the brunt of his weight and the groaning wood. The stairs were worse, but he ignored them, practically jumping off the last few. When he opened the door, he was out of breath and still trying to bring the blood down from his face. Deuce stood outside, fist raised to continue his incessant pounding on the door and an eyebrow raised. Ace hated how different they looked, with Deuce neatly in his school uniform and himself still in rumpled bedclothes.

“I thought you might- why are you so out of breath?” Deuce asked. He peered into the house, perhaps wondering if the dust was strangling Ace. Without knowing how to respond, Ace opened and closed his mouth a few times before deciding silence was best. Unfortunately, Deuce had a rare intelligent moment and connected the dots Ace wanted to keep far apart. “You didn’t-”

Immediately, Deuce narrowed his eyes. A shiver ran down Ace’s spine - since when could little Deucy be so scary? “Woah, Deuce, let me explain- ack!”

—

You were awoken by a sudden force against your stomach, knocking the wind out of you. Somebody - Ace, you remembered belatedly - ran to the door, which seemed to be losing a battle between it and somebody’s fist. A minute later, your alarm went off, and you groaned. It wasn’t an ideal start to the morning, but you had worse before.

Then Ace started screaming, and you realized Deuce was in the house. Okay, maybe this was going to be a rough morning.

You pulled yourself out of bed and trudged to the top of the stairs, hoping to separate the two before they broke your house even more than it already was. However, both boys stopped fighting and stared at you the moment the steps creaked beneath your feet. Something about their bewildered expressions stopped you from speaking. You watched Deuce’s eyes flicker between you and Ace.

“What, is it my beadhead?” You asked through a yawn. “I know it’s a lot, but it isn’t…oh.”

Realization hit you like a truck. Ace sunk to his knees, probably wishing he could sink into the floor and never return (a sentiment you shared the longer Deuce stared at the two of you, seemingly deciding whether to beat up Ace or lecture you first). This morning was turning out to be the roughest in a while, and you’ve only been up for five minutes!

Ace was definitely sleeping on the couch next time.

[kasdeyalilith]

Share This Popsicle With Me?

Warnings: None

Chongyun x Reader (Fluff)

This is for @makialene, hope you like it!

"One client, two clients, three clients!-"

"Hu Tao! stop pointing at old people" you bowed apologetically at them before grabbing Hu Tao's hand

"What's wrong? This is good for the business. Oooooh I see another one, Hi Uncle!!!" Hu Tao waved at the person

You just cursed at yourself; Hu Tao is a wonderful person, but she can be a little too much at times. Maybe it's because she spends a lot of time with dead people? That brings to mind a certain blue-haired person who works with the same type of crowd. You unconsciously smiled at the memory.

"Ohohoho You're smiling out of nowhere! Must be Chongyun eh?" she teased you by elbowing your side

"Nnno-no of course not!"

"Sureeeeee...what time is your date again?"

"I-it's n..not a d...a-date! We're just gonna have popsicles that's all!"

Hu Tao was laughing from ear to ear as she mouthed ok and ran away, giving discounted coffins to every passerby. You followed her, muttering curses and making a mental note to have Zhongli accompany her the next time you go flower shopping. That girl will be your death, and she will cheerfully prepare your funeral.

--------

The view from the top of Wangshu Inn is always breathtaking, especially at night when the light of the port contrasts with the sleeping mountains of Liyue. You occasionally travel to Wangshu Inn to see a friend, who appears cold on the outside but is very lovely once you get to know him over some almond tofu.

Leaning on the balcony, you waited for Chongyun as you hum a melody you heard from Xiao. Wait! Is your dress okay? You didn't dressed too much for the occasion right? Oh Gods what if you did? You're wearing a simple blue dress that ends on your knees and had your hair braided by Xiangling earlier. Maybe applied a little makeup as Xinyan advices but is it too much?!!! Oh Archons! What should I do?! Chongyun must see this a desperate attempt from you to impress him. There's your first love going down the drain.

You heard your name called before you could unravel yourself any further. You whipped your head quickly, and you swear you heard some bones crack.

"Chongyun!" you winced, that's too loud for your liking. Great job self.

"Hey-"

Chongyun locked his gaze on you for so long that you began to sweat nervously. I knew it! This is so humiliating; he must think I'm overdressed. You prayed to Morax to give you strength. You feel like rolling on the ground in embarrassment. When he continued talking, your thoughts were cut off.

"Sorry I...I uhm- what I want to say is uh...w-what I- youlookbeautiful" he says hurriedly while looking anywhere but you

Chongyun can feel his body heating up, you look stunning in that blue dress. Even if you're dressed in a garbage bag, you'll look absolutely gorgeous. His heart began to pound relentlessly, and he was convinced he was going to pass out from it. He instantly grabbed a popsicle to eat and offered you one.

"Popsicle?"

"Uhm Thanks"

The air is filled with silence, what's happening? Why does it feel kind of awkward? You keep on fidgeting your feet while Chongyun scratches his head.

"Do you wan-"

"Should we-"

You both spoke at the same time

"Uhm you could go first-"

"No you!"

"It's ok you cou-"

You giggled at how charming he gets when he's worried, and you're both so tense that even conversing is strange and odd. You love it.

Chongyun chuckled alongside with you and scratches his head again, he gulped and takes the hand that's not holding your pospicle.

"Want to go somewhere?" his eyes glinted in the sunlight and the only thing you could do is nod and let him take you somewhere you can both share stories and laugh while having popsicles which you found out are made by Xiangling and she sneaked in some chili flavored ones. Oh no.....

-----

Unbeknownst to you, a certain yaksha is looking at your intertwined hands with the Exorcist. He grips his polearm hard as his heart clenches harder at the sight before vanishing in the shadows.

/////////

I'm sorry for inserting Xiao, it's my inner simpness telling me to do it. I swear! ehe.

[marshmallowprotection]

I finally got around to drawing GE Saeran with partially dyed hair. Or, as I call him, Todoroki Saeran. I think it turned out okay. — submission

Credit to @makialene​

Hi. Hello. He’s handsome. I love this. I don’t want to frighten you by typing in all caps but my brain is screaming so I hope you understand that as I babble about how much I love him and how much I appreciate you for sending this to me and I’m sobbing, looking at him. He’s unsure of what to think but he wants a genuine opinion from his MC. 

I WANNA SEND YOU A GIFT FOR THIS. AAAAAAAAAAAA.

Saeran glanced over at the sound of an opening door, his eyes nervous but tenatively looking back in your direction. You didn’t say anything and so his face started to feel warm as he questioned his actions, and if it was okay for him to get away with him. 

He hadn’t exactly asked you—

Right, he reminded himself. Right. He didn’t have to ask permission. That was something he had to remind himself of daily. You weren’t in charge of him, he was free, but he still liked to know what you thought and what you would think of him. 

Would you still love him if he was with his red hair? 

Or, would you prefer him with the soft white that you had come to know?

He wasn’t quite sure, but suddenly, he was drawn from his thoughts by the sound of a giggle. He blinked, once, twice, and then thrice. You had covered your mouth to soften the sound but you were amused. He loved the sound of your laughter but he didn’t know why. 

Was it silly of him to try it this way, or were you just laughing because you thought he looked a bit silly? 

His thoughts were answered when you crossed the room, leaning forward in front of him to grasp at the edge of his locks, brushing some of his bangs out of his face, and that smile never left your lips once. 

“Trying something different?” you inquired, and he managed a nod of his head in response. “I didn’t expect to find you doing this when I went looking for you, that’s for sure.” 

His face was still warm with embarrassment. His mouth felt dry, like cotton again. “Do... do you think it’s...” He trailed, shaking his head before he could complete the thought. “I just... I just wanted to know if I could stomach it if I saw myself like this again. But I... I couldn’t commit to doing the whole thing so I just thought... a comparison... might help?”

Leaning just a bit closer, you pressed your lips to his. 

“Saeran,” you sighed, eye lashes fluttering, and hand never straying far from his face. “I love you, darling. I love you no matter what color your hair is, so I hope you remember that! You could have purple hair for all I care and I’d be okay with that. I just want you to be comfortable in your own skin. Whether that means, red, white, pink, or... I’m sorry, pffttt... haha.... it kind of reminds me of vanilla ice cream with strawberry glaze on top, I can’t stop... hahaha... I’m sorry, it’s so cute!” 

It seemed like you had more to say but he wasn’t going to question it. He liked the sound of your laughter, and how your eyes sparkled when you just looked at him. He knew that you meant it. 

That you would love him no matter what he looked like, and that was a very reassuring thought after all he went through. He didn’t know why he doubted it but... now he had a better idea of how he may want to look now that he was free from the chains that held him down. 

You still laughed, and he sighed, though, this time, it was a more contented sound. 

“Thank you, Y/N.” 

He meant it.