#platonic Knight of dawn

[writingforatwistedworld]

Self-aware au

Written before the English release!

I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, Jp-version spoiler(!!!), death, description of war, unhealthy mindset, religion, obsessive themes, unhealthy family dynamics

General! Lilia Vanrouge/(Platonic) Maleanor Draconia/(Platonic) Knight of Dawn-Yandere headcanons

Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce? Lilia Vanrouge 1.0. The more cold, hard and ready to behead the next human version of the usual Lilia (also known as the Lilia Vanrouge 2.0 model)

Lilia back then was “rough” and I am being nice calling him that

Back then, Lilia was surrounded by loss and a lot of Faes getting everything they ever owned ripped away from them

Of course this impacts him (I mean he is strolling through battlefield after battlefield so of course it does)

Lilia wasn't always such a devoted follower

Yes, he did believe in the Overseer, aka you, but only after witnessing the brutality that came with him being a general did he turn into a follower with such drastic views

After all, if there was no higher meaning to all this violence, to all this loss and despair, what was even the point of it all?

You became his moral, mental and also a bit of a physical crutch for him

Whenever he felt like he was this close to just giving up, he thought about you and that this was part of your greater plan (totally not part of some valley church propaganda)

After witnessing that human hiding behind the Knight of Dawn in all his haughtiness and cruelty, he finally set out on his quest not only to make the humans leave his beloved home but also to make them into loyal believers of the Overseer

But sadly, everything was for nought and Lilia had to go into hiding

The only thing keeping him going was his believe in you having a greater plan

A few hundred years later and Lilia finally found out what that supposed plan of yours was

Laying in that cold, lonely crib was the child of his old, now deceased enemy

Taking the child, now called Silver, in he learned the joy of a family, the boy giving him more joy than anything ever before in his life

Finally, he had found peace. Of course he did. This was your plan all along, right? You must have ordered those three fairies to make his beloved son survive until now, right?

You were, after all, a kind deity. There was no way this was all just a war happening because of greed. Because if this truly was just events happening after events then...

Lilia never finished that thought

The great ruler of the night fae, mighty and powerful sorceress who could fell an entire nation in one swoop if she wanted to was despite her cruel and aloof outside appearance a pretty devoted follower since the beginning

Despite being a Fae, she was feared just like her unborn son due to her powers (and being more or less being on the same level as a nuclear bomb but hey, I doubt that anyone of us would stand next to one of those, right?)

So it is no surprise that she turned to something, someone, to feel less alone

Especially after her husband disappeared did she wish for some sort of sign that she was not alone

And oh boy, did religious propaganda from the high church take that loneliness away

When her beloved son, although in an egg, was born, she visited your altar daily, thanking you for her child being healthy

(This could also be the reason why Malleus is the way he is but I am just a writer and not some all-knowing God so idk, just a theory)

She definitely has "taken care" *cough*totallynotproblematicforarulertobeinfluencedbyreligion*cough* of Fae that were non-believers

How dare their sinful ways dirty your holy image?

See? Totally not problematic

At first she only tried to protect her subjects after the humans attacked and took over parts of her kingdom

But after a while she started to have another goal

What if she shared your splendor with those little useless invaders?

Humans were most definitely vile but you were able to unite so many different kinds of Fae in your name under the Draconia name

So why not also unite those humans in your name in a peace treaty?

Such a kind God you were! Allowing for peace in your name!

And, well, if violence and destruction was needed to make those beings understand and surrender, then that shall be what they get

Besides, she was only honoring her husbands wish to get closer to the humans so who was she to selfishly aim for another goal?

The Knight of Dawn (long name, I know) did not always believe in you

Heck, the poor guy probably never heard of you until he fought the Fae

But if the humans from back then didn't really know about you, then how did he find out about and why did he start to see you as his God?

On this part, I would say, he and Lilia were eerily similair

Both were pushed into a war neither liked, so of course he was also in a very unstable situation which made him, like Lilia, search for something to hold on to

The three Fairies had mentioned before when he was still training to become as strong as he was now, mentioning a kind deity who accepted all, who loved unconditionally

Back then he only thought of you as one of the many deities that were prayed to back then

But once the war started and he saw your churches and cathedrals for the first time, his opinion slowly started to shift until he saw you as the highest being possible

I mean, all of us would if we lost all stability over night, having only destroyed buildings and a half-standing church in front of us

He hated the plundering of your sacred placed even before he became a believer, having the opinion that it was just a cultural difference between the two kinds

This led to him kneeling at the cracked altars of many of your churches, asking for forgiveness, hoping that you would understand that he didn't have another choice

What he would do to witness one of your sermons…

And when he was lonely enough, he imagined you watching down on him from up above

Just like a... a parent

You see where I am going with this?

So when he was facing the Queen he only hoped for your forgiveness, hoping that his loving family member would forgive his gravest sin, him killing a mother

And he found salvation, in letting that child and the retainer escape

Perhaps you could forgive him now

[hanafubukki]

*Casually strolls in again* Hello!! You called me back, and I shall deliver more! I was inspired by you (you lovely person and writer ❤️) once again for this scenario I would like to add on the previous scenario.

(Takes place during the dream of Book 7 where they are trapped in a dream. Where he finally meets Knight of Dawn and Reader)

Silver being shown the memory he keeps dreaming every time…

Finally he is able to fully discover and fully see the dreamlike memory…

He can see… himself surrounded by two people… holding him tight, loving and cherishing him… like he is their entire world…

But then the heart tendering moment gradually changes…

This time Silver is shown the women his mother now the only one in the room alongside him. The previous spot the man his father occupied is now… empty…

Reader is gently placing him down in a crib and caressing his face tenderly. Carefully covering him with blankets and making to keep him comfortable and warm. And hide him from the conflict.

Her still softly yet tearful singing to him. Tears trickling down from her eyes yet still tenderly smiling at him for the last time.

Silver reached his hand out to touch her but before he could, her figure and voice fades away…

[I’m evil. So sorry but at the same time, not sorry! Now excuse me, I shall take my leave again!*Running away again*

Until we meet again!

Ps. song I listen to this cover as well while thinking about silver again

https://youtu.be/etttoH0USGQ?si=b108AGI_8H7i7AA3]]

[continuation of these fics: A Moment in Time and In Our Embrace]

Hello Anonie 💚🌺🌸

Welcome back! I need a name for you, I’m going to call you “Silver Knight” because you leave Silver moments with Knight/Reader related scenarios.

Unless you want to pick a name for yourself of course 😂

Silver Knight Anonie, do you know the whiplash of emotions I felt? The compliment has me all gleeful and then I read the remaining ask and the heartbreak??

Why must you leave me in this despair?? 💔

If we are in that Silver moment when he falls to blot temporarily, when he believes he doesn’t deserve love, and he sees this??

Can you imagine how he feels? He feels his heritage, his bloodline, betrayed those he loves the most.

But then he sees this, his parents, and he doesn’t know how to feel. They who clearly loved him so much, who sacrificed everything for him? How could he think so negatively of them?

He doesn’t know what to do.

But then, just as Lilia called for him, he hears familiar voices.

[I’m setting a trap for you like those old cartoon for leaving me heartbroken like this Silver Knight Anonie😭, but never fear! I can add hope! I can add some fluff! 🥰😘

That cover song was so good, and she’s so pretty 💞🌸]

Summary: Love saves Silver once again.

"You don't deserve to cry!"

Silver fell to his knees, sobbing.

Why? Why?! How could he be born to this heritage? How could he betray his Father? Lord Malleus? Be the cause of their pain.

"My little love, why do you cry?"

Silver looked up in shock.

You.

It was you.

The one from his dreams.

He watched as you quickly walked towards a crib. The same cradle he had seen his father with. You picked up the babe and held him.

You rocked the baby gently, "There's no need to cry, sweetheart."

You twirl him around, squeals of laughter coming from the bundle.

"That look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam And I know it's true, that visions are seldom what they seem But if I know you"

Silver had risen to his feet.

This dream. He knows this dream. No...it was a memory.

"I know what you'll do You'll love me at once The way you did once upon a dream"

Silver watched as the Knight of Dawn joined you in your singing. The man that was once a hazy image in his dreams is now seen clearly.

The Knight of Dawn embraced his family.

You tapped the baby's nose, "See, my love? You are loved. There's no need to cry."

They...they loved me and I...

Silver clutched his chest.

I don't know. I don't know! What do I-argh!

The bright light of his ring blinded him before he was transported into another memory.

You were holding him, rocking him.

Yet, you seemed different.

Lonely.

"I will protect you From all around you I will be here Don't you cry"

You placed your precious bundle in the cradle. Tears fell from your face and yet you still smiled, making sure none touched your baby.

Silver neared you. He didn't want you to cry.

Please. Please. Don't cry.

"You'll be in my heart No matter what they say You'll be here in my heart Always"

"My little love, may you always be happy. May your eyes never cloud with sorrow. I pray they always be bright and true."

Those words!

Silver reaches for you, needing to wipe your tears as you have always surely done his.

Only for you to disappear.

No!

"Get up Silver! Do whatever it takes! Do not fall here!"

"My little love, do you not see? How loved you are."

Silver is filled with renewed determination. He would make sure everything would be right again.

"I will end this nightmare and bring my loved one’s smiles back!"

The ring lit up once again, engulfing the group in pastel colors.

"Our son."

Silver gasped, eyes widening.

It was you and him.

“You two are-”

Both smiled.

Silver fell.

Yes, I did use “once upon a dream” and “you’ll be in my heart” song.

Yes, I did use those lines that Lilia told Silver in book 7 chapter 1 about clear eyes without sorrows.

Yes, I am curled up in bed and in the feels. 💔🥺

But did I not say?! I will give some fluff! Some hope! 💚💚💗💗 and I meant it 🫶💞☺️🥹

[phoenixcatch7]

Trying so hard to not start fic writing before I've even finished the game but I want so so bad to write a time travel fic where post totk wild gets sent back to pre calamity hyrule in the middle of a lynel or gleeok fight, like he's just covered in monster blood and guts with a mishmash of armour pieces (at least one barbarian piece) hair long and tangled, scars all over, wielding a ridiculously huge savage lynel spear tipped with dragon claw and dripping sizzling blood. Smoke coming off him. Arm looking half rotted.

In the middle of the throne room.

Several particularly delicate lords and ladies faint. All the guards are pointing spears. He nearly takes someone's eye out before realising where he is.

Once he realises when he is it becomes a race of time to make the right waves before zelda comes to pick him up.

[diasomniareads]

Diasomnia related posts will be reblogged here.

Just a place for me to easily find and read anything diasomnia related. 💚💚💚

Tag list: check the tags of this post

Tag list 2

[amethystina]

hey hi hello i just finished watching black knight and immediately came back here to start on A New Dawn bc you're so right: badass tol and reckless smol was totally the dynamic they had going on and i need to be fed immediately with all the post-canon fics 🙏

Why hello there! Welcome aboard, I guess? ;)

Who, in all honesty, can resist the badass tol and reckless smol dynamic? Especially when they're as delightful as these two? I especially appreciate that while 5-8 IS kind of serious and grumpy, he also smiles quite a lot. That was a nice surprise tbh. And while Sa Wol is reckless, he has some very nice and serious moments, too.

Long story short, I just really love these characters xD

And I hope you'll enjoy the fic! There isn't a whole lot in the fandom so far, but at least I'm doing my part in fixing that, I guess? xD And it will be a long one! Because my habit of kicking down the door to new fandoms and throwing a whole fucking novel in people's faces is still going strong, it seems.

I just can't do things by halves.

[yuusishi]

Hi how’s it going? I saw that your requests were open and I was wondering if I could request a headcannon of how Kaeya, Diluc, and Dainsleif react to reader saying “I can get it, just don’t ask how”? Can be either platonic or romantic, whichever you prefer. Thanks in advanced!

. . . SWEET SECRETS

pairings : Kaeya Alberich , Diluc Ragnvindr , Dainsleif x gn!reader

genre : fluff

cws/tws : implied violence but it’s rlly short

a/n : warning this is lowkey ass cuz I didn’t really know how to go about the whole plot so sorry if it’s messy 😭. I’ll be putting the headers later cuz I’m not on my pc rn and that’s where I make them !!

KAEYA ALBERICH !!

He thought you were just trying to lighten up the mood seeing his stressed expression upon walking in his office, but seeing your dead serious face he couldn't help but get curious about what your "way of finding the missing artifact" could be.

You weren't part of the knights, just a simple adventurer from the guild, and definitely not on par with the Traveler.

He mentally weighed his options until giving up and leaving it in your hands.

He really wasn't expecting much, possibly a lead or two, but the entire missing artifact that the knights were searching for for weeks showing up at his office definitely woke him up without any need for caffeine that morning. It was safely tucked in a basket too...

Letting out an amused chuckle, he walked towards the basket. The fragile artifact was encased in a bundle of blankets to prevent any breakage, as well as a note tucked in the corner.

“I spent all night getting this so you owe me! The map to the thieves’ den is on the back of this note” signed with your name, even then he could probably recognize your handwriting at a glance without the need for your signature.

Sure enough a shockingly detailed map was drawn at the back of the small note. That was the day Kaeya considered recommending you to Jean as the Knights’ private investigator.

DILUC RAGNVINDR !!

You need to have one hell of a way with words if you were to ask Diluc to even remotely involve you in his investigations. He’s well aware the dangers his nighttime escapades pose if he were to bring others with him, that’s the whole reason he works alone in the first place.

He had mentioned in passing that his messenger owl had gone missing for the past few days, no longer answering his calls or bringing back any letters, that’s when you had an amazing conversation with Dawn Winery’s owner.

“I can give you the lead but…” “But…?” “I want to go instead” “Not a chance” “Please!” “Then tell me how you’ll be doing it” “I can’t tell you” “Then it’s still a no” “I promise I can do it myself! The only thing you have to do is swear not to ask questions tomorrow morning”

A heavy sigh left Diluc’s lips as you wait expectantly for his answer, “Should you harm yourself in any way while you’re out, you’re getting banned from the tavern, alright?”

If he had to be honest, he stayed up later than usual that night (at least when he doesn’t need to be the darknight hero). He wished you would stroll up to Dawn Winery in the middle of the night and said that you gave up on the investigation, but you didn’t.

He had work the next morning, he went to sleep and hoped to the archons that putting faith in your abilities was a good idea. Sure enough, that very morning he found his owl on a bench outside Dawn Winery with a note attached to its foot.

“No questions, alright? Just get me something from Good Hunter as a thanks!” Usually he’d find your letters amusing, but he couldn’t help but let his heart drop ever so slightly upon seeing the speck of blood on the corner of the page.

DAINSLEIF !!

You had met Dainsleif enough times to be considered more than an acquaintance to him. As he travels across Teyvat, he still manages to frequent the tavern you work in. Every couple months you’d see the familiar tuft of blonde hair accompanying his eccentric appearance.

You were just an ordinary bartender, so Dainsleif wouldn’t dare try to involve you in his plans against the Abyss even if you held a vision. All of his plans managed to endanger even the Traveler after all.

He mentioned something about a precious item related to Khaenri’ah that he needed, and just his luck you knew a couple visitors to the tavern that could aid him. But they weren’t the most approachable people.

“I can get you a couple leads, only catch is that no questions will be asked, ‘kay?” A bad feeling buried itself in your stomach every time he mentioned something about the fallen kingdom, yet you still offered.

After giving the offer a moment’s thought, he agreed, warning you to be careful.

The next week he came back, but you weren’t there, instead Dainsleif was greeted by another bartender covering your shift. Curious, he asked what happened with you, the only answer he received was that you managed to overwork yourself and got sick. The bartender swiftly handed him a paper filled with leads for the item.

He swore to come back to properly repay you after he completes his investigation.

[daze4all]

Yandere! General! Jing Yuan x Darling Reader Arranged Marriage Drabble

+ Yandere! Platonic son! Yanqing

"Lovestruck ...marastruck? what is the difference my dear?"- Jing Yuan

“This union was foretold by Fu Xuan no less how can we not be meant for each other?”- Yandere! Jing Yuan

 Yandere! General! Jing Yuan is the general of foresight and prefers to plan out his moves to win your heart

“ Hmm… care to play a game for your freedom? You know I’ll win I always do. However, you already lost and I have won so humbly admit defeat my dear” Jing Yuan says over game of go

His only acknowledgment is that he knows that this forced union is wrong but he is so lovestruck and Mara struck to notice.

Jing Yuan as a Protective, Delusional and Obsessive Yandere who believes you love him back you have too....or else he'll break on precipace of being marastruck and then you'll break too....

How it starts:

Yandere! General! Jing Yuan subtly sways you politically and arranges the marriages by getting the public on his side with a rumor of what cute or powerful couple you’d make…

It may be a slow battle but his eventual win.

Yandere! General! Jing Yuan is ruthless though when he has to be following Lan the hunt but erudition comes first careful planning so you fall into his arms like it was predestined

Reader is watched 24/7 if not by him than his subordinates with you not even knowing her does it so naturally you never notice as everyday patrolling  

When Yandere! General! Jing Yuan cannot watch you himself, he assigns a cloud night guard to patrol where you work

Yandere! General! Jing Yuan inquires about your day from them under the pretext of being worried for your safety.

Yandere!Jing Yuan  Pressures you with the Public into an Arranged Marriage

Yandere! Jing Yuan uses political machinations, coaxing touches and rumors to trap you so you think you came to him and accept his propasl on your own

Accepting! Readerwill have more freedom if you are receptive to his advance just watch out his jealousy comes out in the bedroom….

Is a Yandere still Yandere if his love accepts him? (sort of answered  it in Marastruck! Dawn! Dan Feng Sister/ Dusk Based Series x Jing Yuan)

2. Reader Says No do you think you can with Yandere! General! Jing Yuan?

Yandere! Jing Yuan may enlist Fu Xuan help with future reading from Fu xuan who he interpret her reading as it being happiest with him. Destined with him. Soulmates even.

If Darling! Reader keeps denying Yandere Jing Yuan slowly your work or business fails

You isolated or pressured to closer to him until you have to go to him and wind up in arranged marriage or accidently accept which is turned into a true marriage.

3. The public supports your union so you find it hard to break:

“This union is for betterment of the loufu. What a power couple for the loufu to show its strength and stability!” the elders on board

We’re so happy the General found happiness you make lovely couple – the public

“As Jing Yuan’s Disciple I’ll also protect you and keep an eye on you like the general asked to keep you safe!” – Yandere! Platonic Son! Yanqing

Yandere! Platonic Son!Yanqing would be happy to monitor you knowing how the general felt as he confessed his love woes to get Yanqing on his side.

Yandere! Platonic! Yanqing is so happy to have a mom figure.

Yandere Son! Yanqing will ignore any sketch bending of the rules Jing yuan does for your sake.

“You are just shy”  Jing yuan saysas he pulls you away for private adult matter to your protests as Yanqing is too happy to leave his parent for their date alone.

 As such a high political figure as the general’s spouse you are heavily, watched, guarded monitored and scheduled by the cloud knight under Jing Yuan direct Command for your protection.

Yandere Jing Yuan Schedules of course time to visit his office and teatime for a go game beneath the tree maybe while Yanqing spars or without for a more private moment…

“ Hmm… care to play a game for your freedom? You know I’ll win I always do. However, you already lost and I have won so humbly admit defeat my dear” Jing Yuan says over game of go

[yanderes-galore]

Heya! Could you write a yandere concept for Diluc from genshin impact? Please and thank you! <3

I'm surprised he or Kaeya wasn't requested earlier, here you go :) I do hope I got the gist of his persona right.... I feel bad because I ran out of steam half way through.

Yandere! Diluc Ragnvindr Concept

Pairing: Platonic -> Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Overprotective behavior, Violence, Possessive behavior, Jealousy, Denial, Controlling behavior, Manipulation, Fear of loss, Kidnapping, Stalking, Blood, Mentions of possible murder, Toxic relationship, Forced relationship.

Diluc is the owner of Dawn Winery and works at the Angel's Share Tavern in Mondstadt.

However, at night and away from everyone else, he is a vigilante who aims to take down the Abyss Order and Fatui.

He is truly a defender of Mondstadt, often busy trying to defend the city when the Knights of Favonius can't.

Diluc would probably be protective, controlling, possessive towards his darling.

Especially if Kaeya is involved....

Diluc seems like he'd meet you at either the tavern or winery at first.

Maybe Kaeya is showing you around Mondstadt, as much as his brother irks him... Diluc will admit you're interesting.

Diluc seems like he'd (ironically) be cold or distant with you at first.

He's a yandere who's in a bit of denial when they begin to show attachment.

He's been through a lot and isn't sure if he can let someone be so close to him.

He's always busy... although his day is immediately better when seeing you.

If you're at the tavern, he offers you food and drink while asking you about your day.

He may be in denial about his affections... but he does seem to have an interest in what you do.

For the most part, before he gets too involved, he's protective and vaguely interested.

He's trying to just be an acquaintance, someone to talk to while he serves you drinks at the bar.

Diluc's obsession would grow out of sight.

When he goes out to protect Mondstadt at night, he checks by your home to make sure nothing's wrong.

He doesn't want to consider following you around or knowing where you live stalking... but that's what it is.

You have no clue how obsessive he gets when you visit the tavern.

He likes to watch you as he works, it makes dealing with alcohol more bearable.

Diluc would definitely be rivals with Kaeya.

Kaeya is such a flirt and it irks Diluc's nerves.

To think his brother can just take you from him....

He gets so irritated when jealous.

It gets to the point when he's jealous of you in the tavern, he nearly breaks the glasses he's cleaning.

Which leads to Diluc needing to do something about this issue.

Diluc seems like he'd be manipulative towards you.

In a way he has the mindset of "It's for your own good".

Yet at the same time he's trying to restrain his more jealous thoughts and understand why he's so attached.

I imagine there's times he's possessive, it's usually with more romantic intentions... but he could also just be an obsessive companion/friend towards you.

Diluc hates the idea of getting too close with you since he's lost people close to him.

As much as he likes Jean, he feels the Knights of Favonius can't protect you like he can.

They can't care for you like he can, either.

Diluc is definitely a yandere that starts subtle.

You can't tell there's something wrong, he just seems worried and concerned for you at times.

He's... just someone you like to talk to.

But behind the scenes, as you sleep, he's making sure you're well cared for.

He'd get himself bloody if it meant you'd be his, he'd scorch any foe he has to.

He could either slowly build a connection with you to lure you into the winery and keep you there.

Or he could abduct you in the middle of the night once he snaps.

Diluc wants to keep you somewhere he'll always have an eye on you.

You're always watched, even when he takes you to the tavern you're never allowed to leave the counter.

If anyone flirts with you or takes your attention off Diluc, his eye twitches and he deals with the issue.

Diluc would probably kill, but it's always when no one's looking.

Plus they'll never find the body when it comes to him... no need to worry about it... they just left Mondstadt.

When Diluc's obsession stops being ignored and makes itself known, he really does act as some sort of twisted guardian for you.

He keeps you locked away, perhaps as a spouse.

He admits since he saw you he's wanted to court you.

Diluc would be the type of yandere to put you on his lap when he works.

He likes the control it gives him, allowing him access to your neck to make you squirm as he works.

He may not seem like it... but in private, Diluc can be affectionate.

He'll kiss you anywhere, sometimes soft... sometimes rough.

He hates others around you, often trying to rush people away from you so you don't speak for too long.

He has an issue where his protective and possessive behavior mixes.

He tries to excuse his possessive behavior as protective...

However, you can tell the difference the moment someone like Kaeya enters the winery.

The two nearly fight on the spot.

Diluc would love to spoil you if you're his.

He buys you gifts and tries his best to smother you in affection.

After all... if he gives you all his love, you'll never look at another.

Overall, Diluc is a yandere that wants to provide and care for his darling.

He'll give you whatever you want... he'll protect you... he'll love you...

Just listen to him... stay where he wants you to... and don't look at any other.

"Need a drink? I'd love another chat, dear."

[sakkiichi]

KISS IT OFF ME.

Ice cream always tasted better when it was from his lips.

Kaedehara Kazuha x gn! reader.

genre/cw: pure fluff, modern au, childhood friends to lovers.

word count: 1.8k.

Your first memory of him tastes of cool strawberries.

You were six, and through teary eyes, you first spotted him outlined against the afternoon sun, his hand extended to you.

You had fallen from your brand new bike, your knee scraped and bleeding.

“Are you okay?” A soft voice asks.

You sob loudly, sitting on the pavement, your bicycle toppled over by your side.

“Hey, it’s okay.” He says, offering you a hand.

You take it.

And when your cries die down, you’re convinced the boy before you is magical.

The softest eyes you’ve ever seen look back at you, rimmed by long lashes the color of starlight through clear clouds. His hair is like silken moonlight, a single vibrant red tuft sticking out, much like the setting sun behind him.

“Here,” the boy says, handing you a pink ice cream cone. “This will help you feel better.” He smiles, gently, closing your small hands around the cool cone.

You stare at him, enchanted, wondering who this boy that looks like an angel is and why do you feel so comforted next to him.

“My name is Kazuha, what’s your name?” He asks.

Through a mouthful of strawberry flavored sweetness, you introduce yourself.

“Then, I’m happy to know my new friend’s name, [Y/n].” The boy smiles again.

He seems to do that a lot. It’s nice. And you like the sound of your name when it comes from him.

While you hold your newly acquired ice cream, licking quickly to avoid it melting away, Kazuha picks up your bike, walking home beside you.

Under the stars that begin to illuminate the twilight sky, your friendship with your knight in shining armor is forged.

—

You are fifteen and nights are young and the summer seems endless.

A sea of city lights and distant stars hovers over you, as you sit on the rooftop.

Matching cookie ice cream cups in your hands, you and Kazuha share a comfortable quiet.

Silence with him always had that nature.

Taking the last spoonful, you lie down, over the baby blue blanket sprawled under you two.

You steal a glance in his direction, admiring the way the night breeze ruffles his hair and kisses his skin in ways you dream of every dawn.

He turns around, catching your gaze on him, pretty pink dusting his ears and cheeks.

“Is there anything on your mind?” Kazuha asks, clearing his throat.

You chuckle, his silhouette against a starry backdrop reflected in your eyes.

“Maybe…” You smile, taking his hand, tugging on it so he lies down with you.

“Mind telling me?” Your friend prompts, turning around to face you, his hand still in yours.

You hum, blinking against the starlight overhead.

“I hope that, ten years from now, we still have each other.” You utter, to him and the night.

Kazuha squeezes your hand, once to let you know he’s heard you, twice, his unspoken affirmation.

“We will.” He answers, with the constellations as witnesses of this unwritten pact. “That, I can promise.”

As the warm summer breeze wraps around you, your gaze helplessly orbits around Kazuha again.

Then, your sweet ice cream stained lips brush his cheek, a cool smudge in your wake, eliciting soft giggles from his lips, which you wish you could kiss instead.

“Thank you, Kazuha.” You breathe, closing your eyes, silver lined horizons announcing the approach of dawn.

—

Eighteen and you feel like you could stand on top of the world.

High school has finally ended and just in a few hours you’ll be taking your first steps into college.

Lady luck has smiled you this once, or perhaps it was fate, that landed you and your all-time friend Kazuha in the same college.

Friend.

That doesn’t even begin to cut it. There is no denying whatever’s going on between you two has gone past platonic for a while.

The last rays of the afternoon sun filter in through the windows of the apartment you’ll be sharing.

This moment, it reminds you of the day your path crossed Kazuha’s twelve years ago.

A small smile tugs at your lips at the memory, your eyes landing on Kazuha’s back as he carries a box with some of his belongings.

He is taller and stronger than back then, his hair considerably longer, tied back into a messy bun, droplets of sweat enticingly sliding down the back of his neck.

And yet, you still see the same kind angelic boy who rescued you with a strawberry ice cream in the scorching summer heat.

That gives you an idea.

With a fond smile, you head to the small kitchen, retrieving a tub of chocolate ice cream from the fridge.

“Kazuha,” you call him. “Why don’t we take a break? Here.” You show him the ice cream box, setting it on the cheap dining table.

“That certainly would be welcome, hummingbird.” He chuckles, wiping the sweat away from his brow with his forearm.

His white cotton t-shirt rides up his frame, exposing part of his recently inked maple themed tattoo.

You can’t deny the heat in your cheeks every time you see it, even though you were there with him when he got it.

“Say aaah.” You tease, offering Kazuha a spoonful of chilly chocolate.

His tempting lips take the spoon in his mouth, as his hand comes to rest over yours in the handle.

And all you can hear at that moment is your heartbeat loud in your ears.

The way he tucks his hair behind his ear with his free hand and the way his lashes flutter against his cheeks like flecks of moondust certainly are hypnotizing.

“Sweet.” Kazuha announces, once he’s swallowed the treat. “Your turn.” He prompts, burying the spoon in the cool sweet cream.

And yet, his eyes don’t leave yours.

And if you pay attention, they flit to your lips as the breeze outside ruffles the treetops, the sunlight filtering through them catching in the maple lakes reflected in Kazuha’s eyes.

And if you were aware of your own actions, you’d realize your gaze is magnetic on those lips that smile at you, that smiled at you all those years ago.

“Kazuha…” You manage, out of breath, your nose mere millimeters away from his.

He recites your name, his pupils blown in the molten sunsets of his gaze.

And then the collision of your mutual kiss makes your whole world stop spinning.

Kazuha’s hands cup your cheeks, his slightly calloused thumbs brushing against your skin, tracing patterns in verse, about the unrivaled love and care he holds for you, that he’s always held for you.

Your hands find themselves buried in his hair, gently tugging on the elastic holding it together, liquid stardust cascading over his shoulders.

The spoon clatters out of Kazuha’s grasp to the small table.

His lips are so sweet on yours, the chocolate flavor very much lingering, as you desperately, tentatively drink him in.

Kazuha and his smiles, his hugs, his poems and all the nights up by his side, every moment constellated and immortalized by the tender flames of innocent first love.

The sun sets, as the ice cream starts to melt and you keep kissing Kazuha for the first time.

Chocolate had never tasted so sweet.

—

Ten years have gone by since the promise he made on that summer night.

Your shift at work has just ended and you’re hurrying down the street, hoping you are not running too late or look too much like a mess.

Finally, the accorded ice cream parlor comes into view and there he stands.

Strands of hair seemingly weaved out of cottony clouds wisp around his face, some of them tied into a low side ponytail, the signature crimson strand almost glinting in the blue sky’s sun. One of his hands rests on his pants’ pocket, while the other waves at you, a new tattoo adorning his upper wrist now.

And as with the previous one, you were also there when he got it.

Doves. Because you were his.

You got maple leaves inked that time, on your wrist as well, they always reminded you of him.

Your gazes cross underneath the cerulean skies, and you quicken your steps.

“Kazuha!” You call, slightly out of breath. “Sorry, have you been waiting for long?”

Your boyfriend gives you a soft smile, tucking a rebel strand of hair away from your face.

His touch was always so gentle, since that day almost twenty years ago, when his outstretched hand pulled you up from the hard abrasive ground.

“Not at all.” Kazuha chuckles, hearth-like gaze dancing across your face. “I just got here, and no matter how long, I’ll always wait for you, my dove.” He utters, his forehead resting on yours, hands still lingering around your cheeks.

“You are too sweet, did you know that?” You whisper, inches apart.

He chuckles, that airy melodious sound you could never get tired of.

“Never as sweet as your presence.” He murmurs, his tender lips lingering on your temple.

As you gush over him, your cheeks ablaze, Kazuha’s hand finds yours; together, you head towards the ice cream shop, taking a sit on a secluded corner by the window.

Your matching vanilla ice creams arrive, yours, a cone, his, a cup.

“Do you still remember, Kazu?” You ask, tasting the sweet treat, refreshing you from the heat outside. “The first time we met?”

“Strawberry.” He answers, autumn eyes soft on yours. “I gave you strawberry ice cream.”

Your eyes widen, a bashful smile tugging at your lips.

“You still remember that detail?”

“I could never forget, even if I tried.” Kazuha’s free hand finds yours over the table, cool thumb from holding the ice cream tracing soothing circles over the back of your hand. “Cookies, the night we promised to stay together always.” A gentle squeeze. “Chocolate, our first kiss.” He brings your hand to his lips, the most tender kiss this world has seen landing on your skin, his warm gaze never once leaving yours.

You can feel your face heating up, droplets of vanilla sliding down the cookie cone.

You hurry up to salvage them before they can coat your fingers, perhaps as an excuse to compose yourself.

Then, tender fingers caress your jaw, slightly calloused.

“May I have a taste, my hummingbird?”

“Kazuha, you ordered the exact same flavor.”

“Not exactly the same.” He utters, leaning to kiss the ice cream off your lips.

And no matter what flavor you were having, none was as sweet as the feeling of those lips of his that often spoke in flowers, enveloping yours so tenderly. Kazuha’s kisses feel like fiery passion in soothing autumn waves, flakes of golden light overshadowing the world around you, making you forget about rainy stormy days.

You kiss him back, with as much fervor, a leaf desperately clinging to a tree branch on a late summer breeze.

Kazuha’s hand holding yours feels the stickiness of melted vanilla pooling on your fingers.

He hopes he can replace it by the ring safely tucked on his pocket very soon.

“Mine’s not as sweet.” Are your poet’s words when you two pull away, hands and gazes still linked.

And you can’t help but agree that ice cream did indeed always taste better with his lips on yours.

[therhythmafterthesummer]

Runaway Princess (M) ~Bang Chan

Pairing: RoyalKnight!Chan x Princess!Reader Themes: Angst, Smut, Fluff, Strangers to Lovers, AU - Mediaeval Setting Warnings: mentions and depictions of domestic abuse (unrelated to Chan), graphic depictions of intercourse (smut warnings under the cut). hope i didn’t miss anything Word Count: ~16k | AO3 Summary: Your best friend has sent her most trusted knight to help you escape your abusive home, an intriguing man with many facets you can’t wait to uncover.

Author’s Note: this piece started as just the mountain scene… but before i knew i wanted to expand more on it, blacked out, and suddenly it was twice as long. anyway, if you’re reading this, hope you enjoy! know that feedback is always appreciated.

Due to all the abovementioned warnings, this story is intended for an adult audience only. Minors please do not interact.

Smut Warnings: dirty talk? i guess, fingering (F.Rec), handjob, oral (M.Rec, F.Rec only implied), dry humping, nipple play (F.Rec), cumshot, unprotected penetration (there’s an unspoken notion that pulling out prevents pregnancy, this is all purely fictional, please protect yourselves irl!).

Disclaimer: the story represented in this work does not represent Stray Kids in any way; anything described in this story and all actions performed by the characters are purely fictional, this was created just for good fun.

“Who are you?!”

Finding yourself being pulled into a stable at dawn was not something you expected to happen today when you decided to go on a walk, much less finding the person that had pulled you into said stable to be a man you didn’t know.

“I’m sorry for the… Well, the unconventional method to get you to meet me”, the man gave you an apologetic smile, and a short bow of his head. “My name’s Chan, Your Highness. I am a knight of Queen Naeel’s guard. Her Majesty sent me here”.

Your eyes widened at the mention of Naeel’s name, your guard lowering just slightly. Now that the initial fight or flight feeling wore off, you took your time to analyse the man in front of you. Chan was… A handsome young man. He was certainly built like a knight as far as you could tell, very broad, his stance ready for any sudden movement you could make.

You scanned his face for a moment, trying to find any semblance of a lie in his expression. A mess of brown curls on his head, warm brown eyes, a big nose, plump lips, and a scar going from his right eyebrow to the middle of his cheek were all the details you could focus on, his attire that of someone who had indeed prepared for a handful of months travelling from one realm to the other. Interesting… Definitely a handsome young man, but no semblance of lies just yet.

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” 

“I have this as proof”, Chan reached for his pocket, taking out what looked to be a piece of cord and handing it over to you. “Her Majesty said that would be enough…” He sounded sceptical, and you couldn’t blame him. The thing was composed of several different colours of ribbons tied together, the fabric worn down and the colours washed out from years and years of use, a single star charm tied to the middle. You knew he was telling the truth as soon as you saw it, since you kept an exact copy but with a sun charm around your ankle.

Queen Naeel and you had been friends for years. When you met, you were both tiny little princesses, your parents had taken you both to a grand ball in the realm that separated yours, a friendship that bloomed through correspondence and even more meet-ups as you grew up. You had not known platonic love until you got close to her, and to this day she was probably one of the few reasons why you were still breathing in the first place.

“Why… Why are you here?” You eyed Chan carefully, your fist closing over the friendship anklet, shaking slightly in your tight hold.

“Her Majesty said–and please forgive me, Your Highness, these were her exact words–that she couldn’t let you continue living with your bitch-ass father”, Chan grimaced slightly, and you couldn’t help but chuckle–yeah, that definitely sounded like her. “She read your last letter and got worried, so she sent me to help you escape”.

You father… He was the king of your realm, a powerful man who had only ever known greed and lust. He resented your existence, it was something he never let you forget, he would remind you at any chance he got how your birth brought the death of ‘the only woman he had ever loved’–something you doubted was true, as that man had proven time and time again that he was incapable of feeling any form of love.

As you grew up, your father kept showing more and more distaste towards you. You were just like any other girl, rowdy, adventurous, with a thirst for knowledge that could hardly be quenched by the numerous volumes in the royal library. ‘You should be focusing on embroidery and all those things princesses do, not on riding those damn horses and getting all dirty in the royal gardens’ the worst part was that you did like those things, too. You loved embroidery and needlework, and you doubted other princesses didn’t enjoy riding horses or climbing trees, there was no way you were any different from any other girl out there.

Your suspicions were confirmed the first time you finally met other princesses, the exposure to other girls your age finally cementing in you the fact that your father simply hated you. It didn’t matter what you said or did, he would hate you regardless, so you stopped fighting him altogether, opting to keep your mouth shut when he spit his hateful words at you–it was a lost fight before it even started, after all.

By the time you were fifteen he had already remarried, his new wife birthing a son shortly after, finally displacing you from the picture completely. ‘Who wants a rude, daft princess when I finally have a prince of my own?’ you heard him tell one of his advisors once, you wouldn’t lie, the words stung, they hurt, and you spent days holed up in your room crying–not like anyone cared much about it anyway, if anything, only your maids showed concern when you eventually had stopped eating. Your father, his council members, your step-mother, none of them really cared about you.

A sigh passed your lips as you looked at the anklet in your hand. “Do you even have a plan, or did my dear friend send you here on a whim?” Your friend could be very… Spontaneous, to put it simply. Some would even say she was a bit eccentric, but regardless of her odd ways, she had a strong sense of morality. If she believed something was wrong she would act immediately, ‘let’s just do it! We can always figure out the details later!’ She would often say, which, judging by the sheepish smile on Chan’s lips, was probably exactly what she had told him before sending him here.

“I’ve been trying to come up with something, but… It’s my first time in your kingdom, to be honest, so I don’t know my way around that well”, Chan simply shrugged. “Based on what Her Majesty has told me about you, though, I was hoping we could figure something out together, Your Highness”.

You figured it wouldn’t be hard to leave, considering your presence was hardly ever noticed in the castle anyway. So, after informing Chan of an inn he could stay at for the next few days, you two began to plot your escape. You would have to travel for months, so your baggage had to be kept at a minimum, clothes only as necessary, money, a few toiletries you refused to let go of, and the odd knick-knack with sentimental value were the only things you thought you might need. Chan seemed to agree with you, but he stressed the importance of the right clothes to take with you, no dresses or gowns, only garments that wouldn’t obstruct your mobility, and thick coats were a must since you were going to cross snowy mountains.

Throughout the next handful of days you set on the task to gather your supplies as inconspicuously as you could, getting them out of the castle in small batches to not attract suspicions. The thick coats were the first ones to go since they were the heaviest, you brought them to the inn Chan was staying at for safe keeping, and the rest soon followed, until five days later you were able to bundle everything neatly so you could strategically place it on your horse after–a suggestion Chan gave you alleging that ‘it’ll be easier for her if you distribute the weight’, which made sense to you.

On your last day in your father’s castle, you gathered as many jewels as you could, as well as any gold and silver coins you had stashed away for safe-keeping throughout the years. Deep down, you had always had the idea of escaping, so you had saved up, even if you hardly ever entertained the idea. You never had the guts to go through with it because you knew you wouldn’t have been able to make it on your own. Now, though, your best friend and her trusted knight had given you the support you needed, so you took it, finally releasing yourself from your father’s abusive grasp.

You wouldn’t lie, your first week was hard. You hadn’t realised how privileged you were. Sure, you had been emotionally and physically abused for years, but you’d always had food and shelter and comfort… The first night you had to camp out you could hardly get any sleep, the floor was uneven, and the noises of the night scared you. ‘Don’t worry, princess… I got you. I won’t let anything happen to you’ Chan had gently offered when he saw your panicked expression after a particularly loud noise. And, in a way, that did comfort you a bit.

Chan… Chan was gentle, he was proper, and so well mannered… At least, he was when he talked to you. As the days went by, you’d catch glimpses of his other facets, particularly when he thought you weren’t close enough to hear, and it intrigued you. When you two went to any tavern to get some sustenance, and you’d separate from him for one reason or another, you could hear him talk with the attendant, or with another customer, and it was as if he was a completely different person–or rather, a different version of himself. Looser, cheekier, and with a mouth that would put any sailor to shame–all that gone and replaced with his stoic, responsible, and sensible side as soon as you came close and he noticed your presence. It was fascinating, really. And you would lie if you said your curiosity hadn’t been piqued.

You started to notice Chan loosen up around two weeks into your journey. His stance around you relaxed, he’d joke more, tease more, and it gave you a very diluted taste of that Chan you had secretly seen–and heard–talking with anyone other than you. You tried your best to make him feel comfortable around you, but you also tried your best to press his buttons, to get him to react to you, to annoy him a bit. 

You quickly found out that Chan liked to lead, to be in control, and oftentimes–in situations that weren’t that serious–you enjoyed defying him, you enjoyed seeing the way his jaw clenched and his gaze shifted, almost, almost as if he wanted to put you in your place, but as soon as you saw that shift in him, you relented, hearing the shaky intake of breath and seeing the whiplash of his own emotions reflected in his eyes.

“How far are we?” You asked out of curiosity as you absentmindedly pushed the bright embers with a stick.

“I’d say… We probably have a bit more than a month and a half to go, Your Highness”, Chan simply looked at the bonfire, at how you pushed the burning pieces around. “Why? Are you not enjoying the super comfortable soil at night, princess?” There was a glint of a teasing tone in his voice, that bit of sarcasm that intrigued you, that piqued your interest, and it made you snort, such an un-princess-like reaction that you knew your father would’ve punished you for as soon as he heard it.

“I’ll take the forest’s soil every night if it means being away from that goddamned castle”, you commented, taking the stick out of the fire and waving it in the air to put out the small flame that had clung to it. “Oddly enough, sleeping on the ground feels more comfortable than being trapped within those walls”.

You could feel Chan’s eyes burning on your side profile, almost as if he was pondering while he scrutinised your face. There was usually distance between you and Chan, both physically and metaphorically, but tonight, as you sat thigh against thigh by the bonfire trying to keep yourselves warm, you could almost, almost feel how those reservations of his were diminishing slowly, but steadily.

“Your Highness, if I may… Why did Her Majesty send me to get you? What was happening in there with your father?” Chan surprised you when he asked such a personal question, and it was almost as if he could infer what happened, but he wanted to be certain of it, why he wanted to know, though, you weren’t sure. “You know how Queen Naeel can be, she didn’t give me any details other than what I told you when we met…”

Your eyes were fixed on the dancing flames in front of you as you took in a deep breath. “My father… My father is a man that doesn’t know love. He claims he does, but he doesn’t. He blames me for my mother’s death, says that, had I not been growing in her, she wouldn’t have died trying to bring me into this world. Stupid, isn’t it? Blame me, who didn’t ask to be brought here in the first place, while he himself put me in there. He’s just mad she died not giving him a son”.

It was as if a dam broke, words falling out of your mouth endlessly with no way to stop them. You told him everything that had happened to you–maybe in too much detail, you’d admit. You told him how your father treated you–or rather, mistreated you–how you were ignored, treated as a lesser being in your own home, how you couldn’t simply be you, you couldn’t exist. Food was kept from you when you spoke out of line, you were confined to your chambers when you didn’t behave as you were expected to, those workers that came too close to you would be discharged as soon as your father found out, and whenever you did anything your father deemed unworthy, not princess-like, not to his standards, he’d hit you. With a stick, with an iron rod, with his hands, with whatever he could reach at the time.

Chan listened intently to every single word that left your mouth, and you hadn’t even realised you were crying until you felt his hand holding yours, the soft caress of his thumb on your knuckles easing the trembles you didn’t even know were coursing through you.

“I’m… I’m sorry, princess”, was all he said as he held your hand.

“There’s no need for that”, you hiccuped as you used your sleeve to wipe some of the tears on your face. “The only one that should be sorry is him… And even then, I’m not sure I would ever be able to forgive him”.

“You don’t really have to, princess”, Chan offered, his tone gentle. “There are things in this world that can’t be forgiven. The notion that we must forgive to heal our wounds is… Is not for everyone. Not in my opinion, at least”.

“I think that’s a fair opinion to have”, you moved your gaze from where it was fixed on your joined hands so you could look him in the eyes. Chan was already looking at you, the light of the bonfire had his brown eyes almost sparkling, and you couldn’t help but feel your breath catching in your throat under his heavy gaze. Using every bit of royal tricks you had, you put up your walls, trying to appear more collected than you were when you finally spoke again. “Have you done it before?”

Chan blinked slightly, almost as if your question had startled him. “Done what, Your Highness?”

“Heal without forgiving”, your eyes jumped around his face, taking in his features, his lips, his nose, his eyes, his scar… Had he been sitting this close the entire time? You could practically count every individual eyelash, and if you were completely honest with yourself, it was quickening your heartbeat more than you would like to admit.

“I have”, Chan replied simply, his eyes seemed to be also taking in your features for a moment, until he finally let go of your hand, bringing it instead to his face, pointing to his scar. “Both physically and emotionally”.

You wanted to inquire more, to learn the story behind the scar on his face, but before you could, Chan stood up from the ground, huffing an ‘anyway, you should sleep, Your Highness’, effectively ending the conversation.

Something shifted between you two that night. You had expected Chan to treat you differently, perhaps trying to act sympathetic around you, or trying to act as if he were walking on eggshells when he talked to you after you told him what had happened to you, what had been done to you. Instead, he just opened up more, showing you more of that other side of him–not fully, but just… More. And it dawned on you then that at that moment, Chan started to see you, to really see you. As a person, as a woman, not some entity, some mindless princess living the perfect royal life. He’d joke even more, tease you even more, and he’d play along when you defied him, and it was fun. 

‘Be careful, princess’, he’d tell you when you got a bit too close to the edge, when you had pressed his buttons a bit too much. ‘Or what? What are you going to do about it?’ you’d taunt him, and sometimes, you’d catch his eyes moving around your face, resting on your lips for a fraction of a second, before they snapped back up and simply diverted the conversation. ‘I might have to leave you right here on your own, Your Highness’, he’d tell you with a teasing smile on his lips. You knew it was all talk, so you would always scoff at the comment.

It was odd, really, considering you hadn’t known each other for long. But Chan truly made you feel safe, made you feel comfortable, and in a way, you hoped he felt that way around you, too, all things considered. Somehow, it was as if there was something lingering between you two, when you talked, when you stood close, you felt almost as if there were sparks flying around, a tension that would build the longer you spent time together, a tension that was not uncomfortable by any means, it was just… There, as if you both were just holding your breath, expectant, and it truly, truly intrigued you. 

“We’re going further up the mountains tomorrow, princess”, Chan commented as you two sat on the stools of the inn’s tavern, watching as the attendant took the empty plates in front of you. “I heard from a lad just a while ago that it’s snowing heavily…”

Your eyes lit up, your whole body perking up as you snapped your head in his direction, looking at him. “Really?”

Chan blinked slightly, confused. “Yes? That’s not… It’s not something good for us, Your Highness”, he finished off with a laugh, taking another sip of his drink.

“Oh, it isn’t?” Your shoulders slumped slightly, feeling bummed out now. “I’ve just never seen snow before”.

Chan looked slightly surprised. “Never ever?”

“Never. It doesn’t snow where I’m from”.

Chan just hummed, thoughtful. “Guess we might need to get a few more supplies, princess”.

You rolled your eyes in annoyance, not because of the comment itself but because Chan kept on calling you ‘princess’ or ‘Your Highness’, and now, it was really starting to annoy you. “It’s been over a month already, Chan. Stop referring to me by title…”

Chan simply chuckled, taking a long sip of his ale and licking his lips clean right after. “You are a princess, Your Highness. I must address you as such. I’m only a Knight, after all”.

You hated the way he said that, as if he thought of himself as being below you–although you did want him below you sometimes, just in a more improper way. “I’m asking you not to, though. Isn’t that enough for you?”

Chan looked at you for a moment, then back to his drink. “This feels like a trap question…”

“Come on, if our roles were reversed, would you want me to continue calling you prince? Your Highness? Or would you want me to be comfortable around you? To be myself?” The question was pointed, and when Chan stared into your eyes right as you asked it, you could see something in them, an emotion you couldn’t quite decipher.

“Princess…” It was his warning tone, the tone that he started to use when you were almost pressing his buttons too much. “I am myself around you”.

You scoffed. “Please, not even you believe that”, you couldn’t help the sarcastic laugh at that, taking a sip of your drink.

“I am! At least, a more… Proper version of myself, I guess”, he admitted. “The me who’s a knight. A knight of Queen Naeel’s Guard, and as such, I must address royalty appropriately. Come on, let’s go buy a few blankets, princess”, Chan added as he stood up from his seat, gulping the rest of his drink in one go.

You hated that he continuously put that space between you two, because you didn’t want it there, because, by the time you had finally made it to the snowy mountains, you were burning up from the inside out, and you wanted nothing more than for him to let go of those inhibitions.

“It’s cold”, you dumbly commented as you both seeked shelter in the mountains, the snow under your horses’ hooves crunching with every step they took.

You weren’t that used to such low temperatures. not because you had any particular heating system in your father’s castle, but because your realm was of a much warmer climate all year round, so much so it was considered as if there were only two seasons there, rainy and drought, with constant warm temperatures.

“You don’t say, princess” Chan snorted, pulling on the bridle gently to stop his horse. “I think this place will do. The horses need to rest and it’s getting dark”.

It was an almost cave on the side of the mountain, big enough to fit you two and your two horses with some room to spare. It wasn’t completely closed off so it wouldn’t provide as much insulation as you would’ve liked, but you had to make do.

Chan looked for a place to tie the equines securely so they wouldn’t run away during the night, all while you set camp. You’d learn how to actually do these things on this journey, a skill that you were now grateful to have. Had you made your escape without Chan, you would’ve surely died the first night out there, unable to set a safe space for yourself. You could still remember the first time you tried to start a fire with the two pieces of flint, you had given up after the twentieth time, and Chan had offered you an encouraging ‘it’s all about practice, princess. You’ll get there eventually’. And you got there, the fire in front of you starting with a single flick of the two stones together proof of that.

“We’re only two weeks away from Queen Naeel’s realm”, Chan commented once you had had supper, extending his hands towards the bonfire. “It’ll be much easier to move once we’re there, probably three weeks in total for us to reach the castle”.

You simply hummed in response, scooting closer to the fire. “I can’t wait to see her, I really, really miss her”.

“You two are really good friends, aren’t you? For Her Majesty to do something like this…”

“We are”, you could feel your teeth starting to chatter slightly, so you tried to wrap the blanket you had brought with you tighter around your body. “I love her deeply. And after this, I don’t think I’d ever be able to repay her”.

Chan chuckled softly. “Her Majesty wouldn’t expect you to repay her, Your Highness. But if you’re close, I’m sure you know”.

“Oh, I know”, you tried to get as close to the fire as you could, taking special care to not get your blanket on fire. “But still. I won’t be able to repay her, nor you. I’m really grateful”.

“I mean, it was a royal order, so it’s not like I’m making art for art’s sake, princess”, Chan snorted. “But I must say, it isn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be”.

“Oh? Why? Did you expect a bratty little princess high on her horse? Or did you expect for the journey to be riddled with traps and schemes like in the classic novels they teach at school?”

You heard Chan mumble something, it was hard to hear but you could’ve sworn he had said something along the lines of ‘…a bit of a brat’ but before you could question it he was shaking his head slightly and speaking again. “Honestly, I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this, Your Highness. You’ve made it really easy. You’re fun to talk with, even though you’re a princess and I’m a simple knight, you treat me with real respect when we’re not joking around. I’ve had fun all throughout and, in a way, I’m grateful”.

Oh? So he did enjoy when you pressed his buttons, interesting… You blinked slightly, at his words, a little shocked. After a few seconds, you scoffed, a smile settling on your lips. “How silly. I am the one who’s grateful here”.

“It’s not a competition, princess”, Chan chuckled, standing up from where he was sitting by the bonfire to lay on the blanket you had laid for him on the floor. “You should get some sleep”.

You simply hummed in acknowledgement, but you didn’t move. Truth was, you were freezing. You had also laid a blanket on the floor for you to lay on, but you figured that if you were freezing sitting right here by the fire, you’d die if you laid down on the blanket. So you sat there, as close as you could to the fire, wrapping the blanket over your body as tight as you could.

You weren’t sure how much time had passed–fifteen, twenty minutes?– but you figured Chan was fast asleep already, since he was completely silent. You sat there, debating whether you should go to your other blanket on the floor, maybe pick it up and throw it over your body as well and sit here to try and get some heat from the bonfire. But you couldn’t move, you were just too cold and moving from this spot sounded like the worst idea ever.

Suddenly, you felt hands on your body, holding your upper arms over the blanket you had around your form. You tensed slightly at the unexpected contact, turning your face to find a concerned looking Chan staring at you. “You’re shivering, princess”.

“I’m–I’m really cold”, your whole face felt as if it was about to fall off, and it was truly not pleasant at all.

Chan moved away from you, picking up the blanket on the floor and wrapping it around you. It helped a bit… Emphasis on a bit, as you could still feel your teeth chattering slightly. He noticed, so he moved away again, grabbing his own blanket.

“Don’t you–Don’t you dare”, was all you could muster, seeing as Chan stopped in his tracks with his blanket still in his hand. “You’ll freeze”.

“You clearly need it more than I do, Your Highness. I’m used to this climate, you’re clearly not”, he attempted to wrap his blanket around your form, but you stopped him, a rush of coldness reaching you as your arms left the safety of your cocoon. “Your Highness–”

“Let’s just… Let’s just share, then”, you weren’t thinking much when you said it, you just desperately wanted some warmth, you didn’t think you could withstand this for much longer.

Chan looked apprehensive for a moment, until he finally nodded, guiding you from where you sat by the fire to the blanket he had been laying on previously. As soon as you laid down, he threw all remaining three blankets over your body, finally tucking himself in as well after you gave him a disapproving look when he looked like he was thinking of not doing it.

Soon enough, with the amount of blankets on top of you, and another human body next to you, you started to warm up. Chan wasn’t really that close to you, there was a fair distance, but the blankets provided enough insulation for his body heat to spread over to you, which you couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief about.

“Better?” Chan asked after a while as he was laying on his left side, turned to you.

“Much”, you were still cold, but not freezing cold, so it was a start. You would surely warm up completely eventually. “Thank you”.

“You’re welcome. Now, sleep”.

You laid there for a while, waiting to warm up further so you could comfortably fall asleep, hearing how Chan’s breathing evened out. Every time you had to sleep in a new setting, it took you a long time to get to sleep, be it for the hard terrain, the changes in temperature, or the noises around you, it always took you a long time, which translated into you tossing and turning more than you probably should with another person sleeping next to you.

At first you laid on your back, then you moved towards Chan, but you couldn’t help your eyes from staying open and focusing on his handsome face, so you laid on your back again, only to turn away from him and lay on your left side. You repeated the motions a few times, your coat coming undone in the process, opening and leaving your front exposed-save for the shirt below it, of course. Thankfully the heap of blankets provided enough warmth that you didn’t really need to close it again. 

As you continued to sporadically toss and turn, you couldn’t help but come to the realisation that you were literally sharing your sleeping space with Chan. Somehow, that realisation made you warm up quicker, made you even more restless, which honestly was not what you needed right now. What if you inadvertently pressed yourself to him while you slept? Sure, you were attracted to him but you didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, much less if you didn’t know how he felt about the entire thing. He was still, after all, putting that space between you two.

You continued your almost struggle with yourself, with finding a comfortable position to sleep, until Chan suddenly moved, his arm wrapping around you and his hand holding onto your ribs, effectively stopping your movement. An annoyed huff passed his lips, the heat of his palm just shy away from your breast kick-starting your heartbeat. “Stop moving so much, princess. I’m trying to sleep”, the low tone of his voice so close to your ear sent a shiver down your spine, you just couldn’t help it, and you had to shut your eyes tightly, swearing at yourself for getting yourself in this situation.

Your senses were on high alert, suddenly aware of the lack of space between your bodies, Chan was not fully pressed to you, but one push and he could be… He could very well be flush to your back, the thought now worming into your brain, playing on a maddening loop and why wouldn’t he just move his hand a bit further up…?

“I’m trying to get comfortable”, could he feel your racing heart against his palm as he held you? There was no way he couldn’t, but you were still proud of the evenness in your voice, as if you were not burning from the inside out from your sinful thoughts and the mere feel of his hand on you.

“We’re laying on the ground under a dent on the side of a mountain, Your Highness. Sorry to say, but I don’t think you’ll find any comfort tonight”, Chan let out an amused chuckle, his words coming out as barely a whisper.

“I’m missing the inn we stayed at last night…” You commented absentmindedly. Your mind was too focused on Chan’s hand on your ribs, his hold firm, but gentle, succeeding at keeping you from shuffling too much and Gods why wouldn’t he just move it up?

“Almost two months of travelling and you’ve already let your standards dip this low, huh princess?” Chan shuffled a bit, getting more comfortable, you presume. Was he closer now? You couldn’t tell. There was still a fair bit of space between your bodies, space that the more you felt his warm palm on you the more you wished it didn’t exist.

“Beggars can’t be choosers, isn’t that what they say?” What if you pushed yourself to him? Would he like that? Or would you overstep some boundary if you did? Chan was unmarried, you knew that much, and sometimes you saw the way his eyes looked at you, the way they settled on your lips longer than what was conventionally appropriate, the way he leaned forward just a bit only to step back and smile at you, the way his hands would linger on your skin whenever he had to touch you… Or had you imagined it? “That’s what’s brought us here, cuddled up under these blankets, barely even sheltered by the mountainside”.

“This can hardly be considered cuddling, Your Highness”, there was a glint of amusement in Chan’s words, you could almost hear the smile on his lips as he said it.

Chan’s hand started to move, painfully slow, retreating carefully from your frame so it could go back to lay wherever he had been keeping it before placing it on your body. You couldn’t let that happen, not now that you knew how having the weight of his hold on you felt like. Maybe the cold had effectively killed every single one of your brain cells, all reason slipping from you as your hand shot to his quickly before he got to remove it from you completely, tugging on it–the sudden movement catching Chan off guard, making his chest press against your upper back with the motions.

You heard it. 

You heard the way his breath caught in his throat at the contact, and the sound fuelled your impulsive actions, so you placed his hand right back where it was on your ribs, if only a bit further up, almost, almost touching the underside of your breast. “We need to fix that then”, cuddling wasn’t exactly what you had in mind right now, but it was a start.

Chan didn’t move away, he didn’t talk, you doubt he was barely even breathing, at least for a moment. There was silence for a bit, until you heard the shaky inhale, feeling the exhale against your nape right after. “Princess… What are you doing?” His tone was tentative, checking the waters for what might be appropriate to say or not, just like he often did.

“I’m not doing anything”, you couldn’t help the smile that crept onto your lips as you lied through your teeth.

“Bullshit”, you’d truly only ever heard Chan swear when he thought you weren’t close by to hear, and even then he was usually so far away it barely even felt like it was him talking. Now, you had finally heard it clear as day against your ear, and it shouldn’t have affected you, but it did–your thighs pressing a bit closer together to ease a bit of that ache that was steadily building between your legs.

Chan didn’t make any attempts to move, not closer nor away from you. You could feel his chest rise and fall against your back in short spurts, and you knew you had caught his attention with your stunt. Maybe the cold had truly killed your reason. “What if I am doing something, though?” Your voice was barely a whisper, but you could hear a pin drop in the silence that surrounded you, so you knew he was listening.

You heard–and felt–his deep intake of breath, the thumb of the hand you kept pressed to your ribs moving ever so slightly, back and forth, back and forth, slowly, each stroke almost touching the underside of your breast. “I shouldn’t…”

“You don’t sound too convinced”.

“I’m not”, he admitted immediately, almost as if the words had escaped from a place deep within him where they had been contained. “You… You’re a princess, Your Highness”.

“And? I told you my story, my title has brought nothing but despair and desolation to my life. Besides, I’m running away from my land, I wouldn’t be surprised if the King has revoked it already”.

Silence fell between you two, but your positions didn’t change, nor did the movement of Chan’s thumb on you stop. The more the silence stretched out, the more unsure you started to feel, insecurity creeping into every secluded area of your mind.

“Unless you… Unless I’m making you uncomfortable. You can say that, too, if that’s what this is, and I’ll stop”.

Chan chuckled softly behind you, the sound almost incredulous. “I must be a better actor than I thought if you think you are making me uncomfortable”, he went silent for a bit, until his upper body shuffled a bit closer to you, fully pressing his chest to your back as his lips came close to your ear. “The only uncomfortable thing right now, princess, is my traitorous cock straining my pants”.

Your breath hitched in your throat, your thighs further pressing together, an involuntary reaction upon Chan’s confession. Encouraged by his words, you held his hand tighter, dragging it further up so he could finally cup your breast, a shaky exhale passing your lips as his hand groped you as soon as you had placed it there.

“Fuck…” Chan’s lips attached to your neck, leaving kisses and licks wherever he could while his hands grew bolder, dragging to your other breast to provide it with as much attention as the other, gently teasing your nipples over your shirt. “Is this why you were tossing and turning so much? Because you were thinking of me touching you like this?”

“I was–Was truly trying to get comfortable…” Any time his lips pressed on your skin, you felt a jolt of excitement spark from the spot and shoot straight down to your core, your clenching thighs doing absolutely nothing to ease the ache that continued to build between your legs. You needed him. You needed Chan to touch you without barriers, you needed to feel as much of his skin on you as you could. “Chan…”

“Fuck”, his hand shot down from your breast to cup you over your trousers, pulling you to him so your rear was flush to his crotch. You couldn’t help the whine that escaped you as you felt him, hard and warm, grinding slowly against you, with his hand still on your mound. “If you keep making those sounds, if you keep saying my name like that… I’ll do something you might regret in the morning”.

You pushed further into him, your bum dragging over his crotch, making him swear under his breath. “Do it”.

His hand moved, slipping past the waistband of your trousers, under your underwear for his fingers to find your slit. “Shit, so wet and I’ve barely even touched you, princess”, coating his fingers in your essence he brought them up to your clit, rubbing teasing circles on your skin, moans catching in your throat as you bit your lower lip to dampen the sounds.

“Chan… A bit–bit softer”.

Chan’s fingers complied, adjusting the pressure of his slow movements on you. “Mmm, like this?”

“Go up a bi–Oh, shit…”

A soft chuckle passed Chan’s lips, raising goosebumps on your nape as he mumbled against your skin. “Swearing, princess? Such a dirty mouth… I wonder what else it can do”.

“You…” Swallowing thickly, you gathered your thoughts, the slow, almost teasing movement of his fingers on your clit making your head spin. “You’d be surprised”

“I’m sure”, his pace picked up, your legs parting enough to give him more space to manoeuvre, holding onto his forearm for dear life as your breathing became more and more laboured. “I’ve been… Been thinking of doing this, princess. Of touching you, kissing you… I know I shouldn’t have, but I was”. 

“Been… Been thinking about you, too…” You could feel heat spread on your face the more he worked you up, his lips on your skin aiding the movement of his fingers on building and building and building your impending orgasm. The slow grind of his hips against your rear was maddening, the feel of his hard length on your bum suddenly making you feel empty, the need to have him in you growing exponentially with each swipe of his fingers on your clit.

“Spread your legs further, lay it over my thigh”.

You did as asked, right as Chan pushed his knee between your legs for you to move them further apart and give him more space for his fingers to dip from your clit to your entrance, his ring and middle finger entering you with ease, a shameless moan escaping your mouth at the sudden feeling of fullness. You were sure it wouldn’t be as fulfilling as his cock, but it would do for now.

 “Guide me, princess”, Chan whispered against your ear, his tone confident, but slightly urgent, his lips brushing your skin with every syllable. “Tell me how you like to be touched here”.

“Bit more towards the entrance… More… Harder…”

Chan adjusted his fingers to follow your direction, prodding your walls until he finally found the spot you were guiding him to. Your sigh of relief did not go unnoticed, an amused chuckle falling from Chan’s lips as the movement of his fingers inside of you picked up, his palm lightly stimulating your clit. “You’re fucking dripping all over my fingers… You have really been wanting this, haven’t you? Shit, I bet if it weren’t for these many layers of fabric we could hear the wet sounds as my fingers go in and out of you…”

“Shit…” The faster he moved, the more you cursed, your moans and whines becoming more and more frequent. Desperation started to cling to you, your hips rolling to chase his fingers as well as to rub yourself against his crotch, your walls clenching around him the further that familiar knot in your stomach tightened. You needed your release, and you needed it now. “Chan… I need–Want to…”

“Come on, princess. Give it to me. I got you, remember? I got you. Let me hear you come for me…”

Your vision blurred, the knot in your lower belly unravelling as your climax hit you after a few more flicks of his fingers against your walls, letting warmth spread within your body in its wake. You might have moaned out his name as you did, you couldn’t tell, your senses momentarily shut off, completely overcome by the entire feeling.

Chan removed his fingers from your core, his hand dragging out of your underwear spreading the remnants of your release on your skin as it went, sneaking under your shirt and settling on your lower belly, softly kneading your flesh. “I’m fucking ruined, princess”, his lips pressed kisses on your skin between words, making you flush further. “How can I go back to acting normal around you now that I know you can moan so prettily for me?”

You were still panting, your nerve endings still on fire, but that didn’t stop you from turning around, finally coming face to face with Chan. The full moon and the barely lit bonfire provided enough light for you to make out the features of his face, to see his eyes scanning your face intently. “I’m sure we can figure something out”, taking a hold of the collar of his coat you pulled him to you, crashing your lips with his, a surprised yelp escaping Chan’s throat with the action, surprised as if he had not just had his fingers in your cunt, as if he had not just coaxed a mind-numbing orgasm out of you.

As soon as the initial shock passed, he sprung into action, his tongue making its way into your mouth to hungrily push against yours. His hands found purchase on your bum, eagerly groping you as you palmed his crotch, firmly pressing against his length, the action making Chan bite your lower lip with a grunt and his hips buck forward.

You wasted no time undoing his coat, unbuckling his belt, unbuttoning his trousers, and pulling his zipper down, finally slipping your hand in his underwear to get a feel of him all while you continued to devour his mouth. Chan was warm and heavy in your hand, the sensation making you feel dizzy with all the chaotic thoughts that suddenly started to roam freely in your mind–how he would feel in your mouth, how heavy he would feel on your tongue, how he would stretch your cunt open, how he would fill you up…

“Show me how you like it”, you mumbled against his lips as your fingers wrapped around him, your thumb spreading the fluids spilling from his tip around his head, aiding you to give a couple tentative pumps to his cock.

“Shit… Spit on your hand, princess. Make it feel as if it were your warm, wet cunt on me”.

Chan truly was swearing a lot, you had heard him before, but you weren’t prepared. The contrast of his usual way of addressing you and this had your head spinning. Seeing him and hearing him lose himself enough to let his mouth run freely was immensely gratifying, and you wanted nothing more than to continue to hear him let himself go like this. 

So you did as asked, ungracefully spitting on your hand so you could wrap it around him once again. Somewhere in the back of your mind you could remember your father reprimanding you when you were little for spitting– ‘proper ladies do not spit, much less princesses. That’s something only peasants do’. To his standards, proper ladies surely didn’t let knights from other lands finger them on the mountains, yet here you were.

“Tighter”, Chan whispered against your lips, bringing his hand to join yours around his length, helping you tighten your grip around him to his liking. “Fuck, yeah… Just like that”, his hand moved from yours so he could grope your breast instead, while the other pulled the hem of his shirt further up his torso to not get soiled by his fluids. You took advantage of that, placing your free hand on his abdomen to feel his soft skin under your palm, feeling his muscles clenching ever so slightly the more you worked his cock, the more you touched his bare skin.

Removing your hand from his length briefly, you spit on it again to further lubricate him as soon as your hand resumed its motions. His hips bucked, fervently chasing your hand, the movement producing obscene squelching sounds that had Chan grunting against your mouth.

You both had gotten under these blankets however long ago cold as a seal’s bum, it was still snowing out of your makeshift shelter, but the second Chan’s hands had touched your bare body the temperature started to rise. Now, as his hips continued to thrust into your grip and your lips eagerly moved against one another, sweat collected on the back of your neck, the warmth and heat produced by your bodies completely all-consuming.

It was getting harder to breathe, your lips moving from his to attach to his neck instead, pressing kisses there as you tried to get some air into your lungs. “Fuck, you could–you could make me blow like this”, Chan was breathless, his chest heaving the faster you moved your hand around his length, focusing now all your attention on his tip.

“That’s the plan”, Chan had wanted to hear you come earlier, and now you wanted to hear him come for you, too.

Groans and grunts fell from his mouth, albeit slightly muffled as Chan bit his lower lip to dampen the sound. As you continued to lick and kiss his neck you could hear him mumble, something akin to ‘fucking ruined…’ while his hips started to move faster, fucking your hand to chase his own release.

Chan tilted his body slightly, a warning passing his lips as he held his shirt higher and as he tried to create some space between you two and the blankets over you. With a few more pumps of your hand he finally came undone, his release spilling from his tip and landing all over his abs as a drawn out groan fell from his mouth.

“Shit, what a mess…”

“I got you”, you reached your free hand out of the mess of fabric on top of you towards the bag resting above your heads, blindly rummaging its contents until you found the handkerchief you kept in there.

You did your best to clean him up, using the last bit of dry fabric after to wipe your hand while Chan buttoned up his trousers again. It was really warm under the blanket, but you knew that if you removed yourself any further from here you’d freeze in record time, so you stayed put–Chan clearly having a similar thought.

Silence fell for a while between you two, you could see Chan looking at the ceiling of the cave, a hand in his hair softly massaging his scalp and lightly tugging on the strands between his fingers as he seemed to mull something over. The fact that he seemed to be making a conscious effort to not look at you made you feel anxious all of a sudden. Was he regretting what just happened? You didn’t regret it one bit, if anything, this felt like just an appetiser, something to mildly ease your hunger until you could finally stuff yourself full.

“Princess…” His voice startled you, but you turned to look at him regardless, finding him already eyeing you, almost tentatively. “I’m gonna… Gonna kiss you now, yeah?”

He sounded… Nervous? Almost as if he thought you wouldn’t let him. You couldn’t help but scoff at the thought. “Kiss me”.

His lips were on yours before you could even finish saying ‘me’, soft, tired pecks against your lips, his arms pulling you further into him for your head to lay on his arm while one of his legs slotted between yours, keeping you close. “I’m truly, truly ruined”, he mumbled against your lips, his hand coming to hold your hip. “Royally fucked…”

“That’d be two of us, then”, you pressed kisses back on his lips as you spoke, your hand coming to play with the hair on the back of his head as his thumb drew patterns on your hip. “Is this now cuddling enough for your standards?”

A soft chuckle fell from Chan’s lips, giving you another kiss as his hold on you tightened. “Now it is. Before it was just me trying not to rub myself on you the second we got under these blankets”.

Chan pulled back slightly, just enough to look you in the eyes. Sneaking his hand from your hip to your bum, he squeezed your buttcheek, the motion making you hike your leg up his torso, pulling him even closer to you. “Still cold?”

You shook your head, and Chan simply leaned in, pressing a kiss to your lips briefly, accentuating his next words with a tight squeeze to your bum. “You’re not gonna get rid of me now, princess. As soon as we make it to the next inn and I get you on a bed I’m gonna make you all mine”.

You chuckled softly, leaning in to press a loud kiss to his lips. “I’ll hold you to that”.

As Chan held you, softly caressing your back, your bum, your thigh, and with the aftereffects of your orgasm still pumping through your veins, you finally fell asleep. 

The next morning you woke up as soon as the first rays of sunlight touched your closed lids. Once you regained your senses enough you could feel warmth all over you, and you realised then that Chan was clinging to your frame, holding you so tightly in his arms you could hardly breathe. You tried to wake him up, gently caressing his back and softly murmuring his name. Your attempts only made him whine, musing a sleepy ‘five more minutes…’ before he nuzzled his face in the crook of your neck.

All you did was chuckle softly, threading your fingers in his hair to massage his scalp, eliciting a satisfied hum against your neck. Just as you had not been prepared for Chan’s unfiltered swearing, you had also not been prepared for this facet of Chan, the clingy, touchy Chan. Even as you broke camp, he remained as close to you as he could, with his hands on you as much as he could, touching you, hugging you, even kissing you. A completely different demeanour from the one he sported when you had gotten into that almost-cave the night before.

And you retaliated, of course. With your own touches, with your own words, with your own mouth, finally able to physically display your feelings. When Chan bent over to pick up the last bundle of blankets so he could strap it up to his horse, you were presented with an opportunity, something you had wanted to do for so long but you hadn’t dared. Now, though, you could. You could indulge, so you did, reaching to him and pinching one of his buttcheeks. Chan stilled for a moment, but he resumed his movements almost immediately after, regarding you with a smirk as he finished his task.

Just as you were about to hop on your horse, you felt his hand on your rear, gripping the flesh tightly as his free hand cupped your cheek, bringing your mouth to his, stealing the air out of your lungs with his heated kiss. All you could do was whine as you brought your hand to his nape to attempt to pull him impossibly closer to you. It was truly exhilarating, feeling Chan’s warmth all over you as he kissed you, his tongue feeding the fire in the pit of your stomach, and his, too, if the hardness you felt against your belly was anything to go by.

Finally, letting go of your buttock, Chan landed a harsh smack on your rear, making you simultaneously gasp and laugh, completely in disbelief. Chan simply shrugged, alleging ‘you get your fun, so it’s only fair I get mine, too’ before he helped you get on your horse, moving to mount his as soon as you were seated.

Once you both left your former campsite behind, and got back on the trail, you couldn’t help but ask, “so, how long until we reach some civilization?”

“Probably a day, or half a day if there are no eventualities”, Chan offered. “Why, princess? Wanna get fucked that badly?” You could practically hear the smirk on his face as he talked, and you couldn’t help but scoff, incredulous. Oh, how you liked this side of Chan, too…

“Oh, I do want to get fucked”, you heard Chan laugh next to you, seemingly also in disbelief at your honesty. “But, I’m asking because I’m truly curious, besides, I figured since you already had your fingers in my cunt, might as well stop being all mysterious and tell me more about yourself on our way there”.

Chan chuckled, but he humoured you regardless. It wasn’t as if Chan hadn’t told you things about himself before, he had told you enough to intrigue you, to want to inquire more on his life, and you had managed to gather a few things here and there just by looking at him, just by the way he did things, said things, or the way he carried himself. So, as you continued your journey, hearing him tell you about his humble up-bringing, about his family, about his knighthood, steadily satisfied some of that curiosity you had towards him.

You learnt that Chan had two younger siblings, and his parents were still alive. His mother worked as a seamstress, while his dad was also a knight in the Queen’s Guard, ‘it was almost a given that I would take the oath as well and follow my father’s steps. And honestly, so far I haven’t regretted it’, he commented as soon as he mentioned his father’s profession. 

You learnt that he lived on his own, and that on his ‘hardly existent time off’ as he put it, he enjoyed hanging out with his small group of friends, playing bocce, or going out to eat, or going out for drinks. “I’d say I’m a very simple man, princess. Boring, even”, he added with a chuckle. “But what about you, though? Other than, you know, the thing with your father… What do you do to keep yourself entertained? You’re adept in embroidery, right?”

You had told Chan in passing once when you were camping in the woods that you liked to embroider to keep your mind off of things, you were honestly surprised he remembered such a mundane detail. “I mean, I’m not sure if adept is the word to use, but yes. I’m fairly into needlework in general…”

You told Chan you enjoyed playing draughts, how you used to play it a lot with the maids that got close enough to you, or even with Queen Naeel when you two would meet. “I’d like to try new things though, things that I wasn’t allowed to do. See if I can find anything that brings me joy, I want to have fun…”

Your conversation flowed like this, smoothly, seamlessly. Slowly but surely peeling layers and layers of yourself and showing them to Chan, just as he did the same. It honestly felt almost the same as before, you had never truly been uncomfortable speaking with Chan, on the contrary, he was quite enjoyable to talk to, but now, with no barriers between you both, it all just felt… Easy, soothing.

By the time night fell you had found yourselves in a small town close to the base of the mountain. An excited ‘holy shit, hot springs!’ leaving Chan’s lips as soon as he spotted the many signs, and you couldn’t help the sigh of relief as he said it, the cold was truly not something you could withstand for much longer, so hot springs sounded like heaven at that moment.

As soon as your horses were secured and sheltered, you made your way to the attached inn, finding the attendant with ease for Chan to confidently ask for one room. Taking both of your belongings, he urged you to go to the hot springs, “you must be freezing. I’ll take these up, and we can meet later for supper once we’ve warmed up, yeah?” An offer you gladly took.

The warm water eased the tremors that had started to course through you when the sun was no longer providing any heat as you travelled. A couple of old ladies engaged in conversation with you while you bathed, their presence was comforting in a way, they were nice and provided you with some company as you scrubbed your body clean. But even if they were nice, you did try your best to keep your body underwater, or to always face in their direction, not wanting to attract too much attention to your back.

When you warmed up enough and felt clean enough, you made your way to the tavern area of the inn, ordering some drinks and securing a table by the corner. Chan joined you shortly after, with a towel still draped over his head and a bright smile on his face making his dimples pop and his eyes almost disappear into crescents, and you simply couldn’t help the flutter in your heart at the sight.

The food was surprisingly decent, better than the last few inns you had stayed at throughout your journey. You heard from the attendant that the place was quite popular among travellers, mostly due to the hot springs, and you could understand that completely. You and Chan took your time eating, and even after your food was finished, you stayed there for a while, a relaxed aura settling between you two as you simply enjoyed each other’s company, drinking, talking, flirting… 

However, as soon as you made it to your room, as soon as the door closed behind you two, it was almost comical how fast Chan made his move, pinning you to the closest wall he could find as his lips connected with yours, kissing you with force, with want. Gripping your thigh, he hiked it on his hip as one of his legs slotted between yours, his thigh adding just the tiniest bit of pressure against your heat, making you moan and whine against his mouth.

You liked kissing Chan, you truly did, but right now, as your hips rolled to get some stimulation from his thigh between your legs and both your hands and his held and groped anywhere they could on the other’s body, you just couldn’t wait anymore. So you untangled your legs from his and pushed him towards the bed as you continued to kiss.

With one final push on his shoulders, Chan sank, sitting on the edge of the bed for you to climb on his lap and straddle him, cupping his cheeks to pull his mouth to yours once again almost immediately after. He grunted as soon as you lowered yourself fully on his lap, his hands roaming your body, fondling your hips, your thighs, your back… All as you quickly worked the buttons of his shirt, swiftly unbuttoning each one so you could finally get a full feel of him.

“Don’t be alarmed…” Chan mumbled against your lips as soon as you unbuttoned the last button of his shirt.

You pulled back from his lips and looked him in the eyes. Chan looked almost… Apprehensive as you looked back at him. Slowly, you brought your hands into his open shirt, feeling his abs, his pecks, reaching his shoulders. You could feel his heated skin under your fingertips, every dip, every curve, but most importantly, you could feel every raised bump that seemingly didn’t belong there, and as soon as you slid the shirt off of his shoulders and moved your eyes from his to take in the sight of his bare skin, you understood why he had given you a warning, why he asked you to not be alarmed.

Chan was well built, broad, fair skinned, all defined muscles that flexed and relaxed under your touch, but by far the most distinctive feature of his physique, were the numerous scars littering his body. They were everywhere, on his chest, on his arms, his abs, you wouldn’t be surprised if they covered his back and his legs, too. Chan simply looked back at you, expectant as you took in his form. You’d lie if you say you weren’t surprised by the sight; sure, he had a scar on his face, but that paled in comparison now to the amount of scars on his torso. Deep, superficial, keloids, faint marks, it was all an assortment of different textures and shades of his skin tone and there was no way you could just… Not notice them.

Your hands moved, tentatively, slowly, tracing the many different shapes, feeling each of his intakes of breath with your touch. You didn’t know how long you sat there just touching him, but finally, you settled your palms on his pecks, shamelessly feeling him up as your eyes fixed on your hands and you tilted your head slightly to the side. “Chan, you… You’re really handsome”, you emphasised your words with a squeeze on his pecks, which made him huff an incredulous laugh. “I’m not alarmed”, you turned your gaze back up to meet his, looking him right in the eyes. “I’m just… Curious”.

Chan just hummed, his hands moving from your thighs to hold your hips. “I’ve been in a lot of… Altercations. Some related to my knighthood, some… Not so much”.

“Will you ever tell me the stories?” Removing your hands from his chest, you proceeded to unbutton your own shirt, slowly, leisurely flicking every single button open until you could finally shrug it off of you, leaving your torso completely exposed. 

“Only if you have a few hours to spare to listen to them”, Chan took in the sight of your bare chest, you could literally see the moment his eyes zeroed in on your breasts, growing impossibly darker. You’d let him have his fun, but there was something more important you wanted to do, or at least, to show him. So you took his hands from where they were fondling your hips, his hold relenting immediately as you brought them to your lower back, pressing his palms against your skin.

“Feel them”, was all you told him, a look of confusion crossed his face briefly, but his hands moved regardless, slowly moving up the expanse of your back, that look of confusion quickly replaced with that of shock, his eyes going wide and his eyebrows rising high in surprise, only to scrunch with concern right after. 

How could you be alarmed about something you yourself carried with you every day of your life, too? Chan’s fingertips traced every single dip, every single bump, every single scar on your back, all as he looked deeply into your eyes, all as you got lost in his eyes as well. “My father was a monster, but he wasn’t stupid. He’d only leave his mark where he knew no one else could see, not unless I let them see them, at least”, you offered, shuddering slightly under Chan’s featherlight touch.

You would usually hide your marks pretty well, always told your lovers you liked the thrill of getting intimate with clothes on, that it added a sense of obscenity to the entire thing. Truth was, you simply didn’t want to deal with the looks they could give you, or to explain anything to anyone, mostly out of fear of what would happen if you spoke up against your father. Chan already knew, though. He knew what you’d been through and he had shown you his own scars, so there was no point in hiding them, no point when you could see in his eyes no semblance of judgement or disgust towards you, if anything, all you could see was fire, burning brighter the longer he looked at you, the longer he explored and touched you.

In his exploration, his hand found the back of your head, pulling down to crash your lips with his. Chan’s kiss was urgent, loaded, all passion and fire overflowing into you with each grunt, each groan. His hands brought you closer, bare chest against bare chest sharing your warmth as your fingers threaded in that mess of brown curls of his, tugging him impossibly closer to you while your tongues pushed against one another. It was both suffocating and freeing, stealing the air out of your lungs while simultaneously filling you with life.

The second your hips started to move, grinding against his hardened length his grip on your body tightened, his hands roughly palming your thighs, your hips, your rear, anywhere he could reach without breaking the contact of your chest against his, almost as if he wished to continue enjoying that feeling of warmth of your bare skin against one another. 

You felt yourself moving, Chan’s hands keeping you firmly in place as he stood up and manoeuvred your bodies so you could lay on the bed with him on top of you, right between your legs. Pulling away from your lips, he rested his weight on his hands, looking down at you just as you looked up at him. He took his time, just scanning the features of your face for a while until his eyes moved, taking in the sight of your bare upper torso, his eyes moving almost frantically as if he didn’t know where to look first. And you let him, mostly because you were also doing the same, taking in his breathtaking features, taking in every bump on his skin.

“I haven’t done this in a while”.

Chan surprised you by saying that. He didn’t look particularly ashamed or bashful or anything, he just looked… Serious. And somehow, it made you chuckle. “Could’ve fooled me”.

“Don’t wanna fool you, though”, a smirk crept onto his lips as he lowered himself on his elbows. His lips found yours, one of his arms sneaking under your neck for you to rest on it as his opposite hand found your thigh, pulling you to him so you could hold onto him. Chan rolled his hips, letting you feel him, hard and warm right at the apex of your thighs, making you moan into his mouth. 

Suddenly, Chan moved, rolling to the side and moving your body along for you to now straddle his hips, the motion earning a surprised yelp from your lips. His mouth trailed open mouthed kisses from your lips, to your chin, your neck, your collarbones while his hands roamed your back, all as you shuddered under his touch.

“Good…” you gulped the saliva that had collected in your mouth, feeling as Chan’s lips finally found their way to your breasts, kissing everywhere but where you wanted him most. “Chan…” You didn’t mean to sound that needy, that urging, but that was how your call of his name came out, and honestly, you didn’t care if you sounded desperate, because you were.

“Shh, don’t be so impatient, princess. Let me enjoy you for a bit, there’s no need to hurry”, Chan mumbled against your skin as his hands came to cup your breasts, squishing them together to create the perfect space for him to dive his face into with an appreciative hum, his thumbs coming to graze your nipples, his touch so featherlight it was almost as if he was teasing you, giving you a small taste of what you could feel and it was steadily filling you with anticipation. 

A shaky gasp escaped your lips as you felt Chan’s lips suck on the tender skin of one of your breasts, leaving a purple mark right as he gently pinched both of your nipples between his fingers. “Is this okay?” his mouth barely even moved away from your skin as he talked, and you nodded, only for Chan to lightly tweak your nipples, the barely there stimulation sending a shiver down your spine. “Words, darling”.

“Yes…” You gulped, looking down at him right in the eyes as you spoke. “It’s–It’s okay”.

Chan simply hummed, satisfied with your answer. So his lips returned to your breasts, sucking purple roses on the delicate skin all as both of his hands worked in unison to tweak and twist and pinch your sensitive buds, the combined stimulation eliciting quiet moans to spill from your lips. You felt yourself heating up further the longer he spent working your chest, touching you, marking you, and it was right as you were close to begging that you finally felt his tongue, landing tentative swipes against one of your nipples for him to finally suck it into his mouth.

“Oh, that’s good…” your finger’s tangled in Chan’s hair, tugging the strands gently. Chan hummed, sneaking his free hand to your rear, holding one of your buttocks tightly as his mouth and his hand continued to work you up. You hadn’t realised you had started to move until you felt him buck up into you, your hips slowly grinding against his, feeling his hardened length against your core, providing you with that relief you’d been desperate for even with the fabric that still separated your flesh.

Chan’s hand on your rear tightened, almost urging you to move faster, to move harder against the outline of his cock, and the moment you felt his teeth graze the sensitive skin of your nipple you couldn’t help but do just that, moaning from all the different sensations that completely clouded your senses. His mouth on you, his hands on you, his hardness under you, all combined sent sparks of pleasure everywhere within you, kindling that fire in the pit of your stomach, burning brighter with each roll of your hips against him.

Once Chan was satisfied with his work on your nipple, his mouth moved to the other, his hands switching positions to continue with the same treatment as before, one holding your other breast, stimulating your nipple and the other gripping your rear as tight as he could. You knew you were too far gone the moment you looked him in the eyes again, seeing his lustful, almost greedy stare looking back at you with his lips attached to your breast, so your hips sped up, chasing that feeling that was building between your legs the more you ground yourself against his hardness, and before you knew it, you were coming, trembling as heat spread within every crevice of your body, as your mind clouded with only bliss and pleasure and Chan.

“Fuck, fuck, wait…” You mumbled, breathless, firmly tugging on Chan’s hair to get him to detach his mouth from your nipple. “Too much, sensitive…”

Chan chuckled softly, moving his mouth to press kisses on your neck as he removed his hand from your breast, too, moving it to join the other to fully cup your rear. “Enjoyed yourself?” His mouth found the skin behind your ear, pressing a kiss there, only to move along and take your earlobe between his teeth, tugging gently, making you swear under your breath with the action. “Couldn’t even wait, huh? Had to use me as your mount to get off?”

You simply shook your head, taking in deep breaths. “Couldn’t wait”, was all you said, completely shameless. “Not when you looked so good with my tits in your mouth”, your lips were on his in an instant, muffling Chan’s groan as you kissed him, relishing the taste of his tongue on yours and the tightening of his hold on your rear, whether the action was due to the motions of your kiss or the impact of your words, you didn’t know.

Resting your weight on your knees and separating your hips from Chan, your hands trailed down his torso until they found the waistband of his trousers. “Off”, you mumbled against Chan’s mouth, giving him enough space to manoeuvre and remove the offending piece of clothing, his underwear coming off with it, leaving him completely bare for your curious eyes to admire.

Just as you imagined, Chan’s legs were also covered in scars, of many different depths and shades, on his thighs, his shins, his calves, they were everywhere. You shuffled lower on Chan’s body, getting comfortable enough for your fingers to delicately trace each bump of raised skin they could, until finally, you moved your attention to his length, hard, pink, and pretty–especially so as precum pooled around the tip where it laid on his abdomen.

Chan was unmoving, propped on his elbows simply looking at you, the expression on his face somehow both lustful and relaxed as he let you explore him as much as you wanted, however you wanted.

“You’re staring”, there was a glint of amusement in Chan’s tone, highlighted by the smirk on his face and it made you look away from his cock to his face again.

Licking your lips, you regarded him with a smirk of your own. “What? Feeling shy?”

“With that look in your eyes? No, just feeling desired”, he said it so naturally, so unabashedly sure of it, you couldn’t help but chuckle.

The moment your fingers wrapped around his length, you could see his chest rise and fall as he took a deep breath. “Remember what you told me back at the campsite?” Your hand moved, slowly dragging up and down his length, focusing on his tip.

“I told you many things at the campsite, princess”, Chan licked his lips, his eyes jumping back and forth from looking at your hand working his cock and your face as you talked to him.

“You told me something… Something that made my mind wander…” Tightening your grip around him, you moved closer to his length, and you could’ve sworn Chan was holding his breath in anticipation. “Wanted to do this so bad, you have no idea”, with that, you replaced your hand with your mouth, finally, finally getting a taste of him.

A shaky breath and a loud ‘fuck!’ fell from Chan’s lips as soon as you took him into your mouth, as soon as he felt your tongue landing firm swipes against his frenulum and your lips dragging over his tip. You took your time, savouring him, building his pleasure as you kept a rhythm, aiding your movements with a hand on what you couldn’t fit in your mouth.

His jaw went slack, quiet groans and curses spilled freely from his mouth as Chan took in the sight of you working him up. One of his hands reached for you, moving your hair out of your face to keep it from obstructing his view, settling to caress your cheek after, his touch almost tender, a complete contrast to your lewd ministrations.

“Fuck, you do have a dirty mouth…”

You simply hummed around his length in response as you continued to move. With a deep breath, you took him further into your mouth, right to the back of your throat, making Chan close his eyes and throw his head back, biting on his bottom lip to muffle his groans. 

Wet, gagging sounds filled the room, joining Chan’s constant swearing and groaning and grunting, and the combination of that along with the feel of him in your mouth had your head spinning, had you all worked up and burning up as your inner walls clenched around nothing.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, you’re so good at this”, you felt Chan’s hands on your head, pulling you off of him as he quickly scrambled to get close to your mouth. “You’re too good at this, don’t wanna blow yet”, was all he said as he crashed his mouth on yours, savouring you, devouring you, all while tugging the waistband of your trousers and your underwear for you to finally take them off. Heat spread all over your face, blushing at his words, at his hands on your back, at his hands on your rear, at his tongue in your mouth.

“I want you…” Your back hit the mattress as Chan mumbled his words between kisses. His middle and ring finger found your dripping core, entering you with ease to rub against that exact spot within your walls that drove you up the wall, that exact spot that you yourself had shown him how to find, making you moan against his lips as he continued to ravish your mouth.

“I need you…” His fingers diligently worked you up, loosened you up, preparing you for him, all as your palm found his length, stroking him leisurely and your fingers tangled in his curls, tugging him even closer to you. It wasn’t enough, though. Not enough closeness, not enough fullness.

“Can I have you, princess? Hmm?” Chan pulled away from your lips, enough to look you in the eyes, to take in every single one of your features, your heavy lids, your slightly agape mouth, the way your brows furrowed as his fingers continued to pleasure you, to stretch you open.

“You have me, Chan…”

You missed his fingers within your walls and the weight of his cock in your hand immediately, the feeling soon replaced with anticipation as Chan took a hold of length and dragged his tip along your folds, coating himself in your essence. Chan looked into your eyes, looking for any signs of you wanting to back out, to stop this now. He clearly found none, if anything, all he got was you rolling your hips, enticing him, tempting him. So he moved, finally stuffing you full of him in one swift motion, eliciting a shared sigh of relief as soon as he was buried snugly within your walls.

You pulled him to you, wrapping your limbs around him and connecting your mouths almost desperately. Chan kept himself propped up on one of his forearms, with his hand holding your head in place and the other hand moving below you to find one of your buttocks, holding you tightly as he started to move. Gone was the Chan that wanted to take his time, to take it slow, the Chan that claimed there was no hurry. 

His hips collided with yours repeatedly, his pace steady, relentlessly pounding you to the mattress, his cock hitting just the right spot within your walls to get you moaning for him as soon as he started moving. You felt lightheaded, between his thrusts and his mouth on yours you could barely breathe, but it was hard to register it when all you could think about was how good this felt, how right it felt.

Chan’s lips moved away from your mouth, your moans now filling the room as he left wet, open mouthed kisses from your cheek all the way to your neck, whispering against your skin. “So good, fuck… You feel even better around my cock, shit…”

“Chan, please… Need to… Want to…” You could barely talk, but you tried anyway. You wanted your relief, you wanted to feel it while he was inside of you, you wanted him to feel it while he was inside of you.

The hold of your limbs around him relented, letting Chan pull himself away from your space to rest his weight on his heels. His thumb found your clit, the contact immediately sending that jolt of excitement up and down your spine. With one of your legs over his shoulder and you holding onto the other one to keep you spread open for him, he kept ramming into you, stealing the air out of your lungs with each thrust as his thumb rubbed your clit diligently, building your release and getting so, so, so close…

“You have no idea how much I’ve been wanting to see you like this”, Chan’s thumb sped up, looking you in the eyes as he spoke, panting slightly. “So pretty, just taking my cock so well, aren’t you? Is this what you wanted too, hm?” All you could do in response was frantically nod and continue to roll your hips to meet his thrusts. “Look at you, can’t even talk, fuck…”

You simply shook your head, reaching for his hand on your thigh. “Close…”

“Close?” Chan snapped his hips harder, faster, the movement of his thumb on your clit not stopping. “C’mon, princess. I got you…”

When you came, you came hard, a sob of his name falling from your lips as you held onto Chan’s hand on your thigh for dear life, his groan of appreciation almost going unnoticed as your mind went blank. “Fuck, fuck, princess… Such a good cunt… Feel so good around me, tight, warm, shit…”

Throwing your other leg over his shoulder as well, Chan moved impossibly faster, holding onto your hips tightly, chasing his own high. “So close…” His voice was barely a whisper, completely lost in the feeling of it all as he continued to indulge in your body, in the feel of your walls clenching around him, in the way your tits looked when they bounced with every single one of his movements against you.

Pulling out, Chan held his cock in his hand, wrapping his fingers around it and pumping himself to completion right on top of your lower belly with a groan. You couldn’t help but shiver at the feel of his warm seed on your body, a sensation that you immediately knew would plague your wettest dreams, along with the sounds that ran freely from his mouth.

Chan plopped down next to you, panting, breathless. Much like yourself, just trying to catch your breaths. Closing your eyes you set to enjoy the feelings coursing through your body, the ringing in your ears, the aches and the burns and the warmth, all pure bliss and satisfaction.

When you opened your eyes again and turned your head to the side you found Chan already looking at you, and, as if there had been some pulling force between you two, you found each other once again, your mouths sealed in a slow, passionate kiss.

“So much for taking your time…” You teased him as soon as he pulled away from the kiss, making him laugh.

“Couldn’t resist when you looked so good with my cock in your mouth”, Chan reached for his discarded shirt, using it to wipe the remnants of his climax from your body, dumping it on the floor right after.

Once he laid back down, he pulled you to him, holding you close to enjoy the post-coital bliss as one of his legs slotted between yours.

“We have a problem, princess”, Chan mumbled against your hair. 

Your hands traced patterns on his back as you cuddled, feeling the scars there, too. Humming in acknowledgement, you urged him to continue, trying your best to act as if those words hadn’t brought the tiniest drop of concern in your mind.

Chan’s arms held you tighter, humming as well until he finally spoke. “Against my better judgement, against all that is proper, I’m utterly smitten by you. How are you gonna take responsibility for that, huh princess?”

Pulling back from Chan’s chest you looked at him, at the teasing smile on his face coupled with the serious glint in his eyes, and you couldn’t help but chuckle, with a genuine smile on your lips. “I guess you’ll have to court me and find out”.

“You’d like that?” There was a tone of hopefulness in his voice, and it made you giddy. “I told you, I’m a boring man, darling. You’d get tired of me”. 

“I’d like that very much”, you pressed a kiss to his lips. “Besides, you’ve already marked me, you’ve got to take responsibility for these, too”, you gestured to your chest, to the numerous purple splotches Chan left behind, a sheepish smile appearing on his face as he looked at them.

Cupping your cheek, Chan looked you in the eyes for a bit, taking you in until finally he leaned in and kissed you again.

That night, even though you were both tired from the long journey, you both spent as much of your energy as you could just exploring each other, enjoying each other, until your bodies couldn’t keep up anymore. By the time the moon was at her highest in the sky you and Chan were already spent, so you simply held onto each other as sleep finally claimed you both.

When you woke up the next day, the light coming from the window was enough for you to infer it was close to midday, and slightly alarmed, you tapped on Chan’s arm that rested around your waist. “Chan… Chan… It’s morning already, we overslept”.

Chan simply grumbled, moving his hand to your ribs, right below your breast, tightening his hold on you as he buried his face in your hair and pressed his chest flush to your back. “And? It’s not like we’re camping, doesn’t matter if we sleep in…” He mumbled, clearly only half awake.

You immediately relaxed in his hold, you’d gotten so used to getting moving as soon as your eyes opened that it almost became a part of your routine, but Chan had a point, there was no hurry to move when you were staying at an inn like this. Taking a hold of the hand he had placed on your ribs, you moved it so you could place a kiss on his calloused palm. The action made Chan let out a satisfied sigh, moving as close as he could to you as you clutched his hand to your chest.

“Maybe…” Chan spoke again after a while, mumbling against your shoulder as he started to press kisses on your skin, making goosebumps raise under his touch. “Maybe we could even stay for another day… So we can, you know, recover from the long journey…”

Chan’s hand moved away from where you were holding it against your chest, softly caressing the skin of your abdomen, your belly, your thighs, reaching your bum only for him to squeeze one of your buttocks, making you chuckle. “What do you think, hmm?”

You pressed yourself further into him, feeling him already hard against your rear. “What’s one more day to a two month trip, right?”

“Exactly”.

You moved, and as soon as you were on your back Chan was already on top of you, kissing your neck, your chest, your nipples, your belly… Slowly, leisurely, he left kisses everywhere on your torso as his hands massaged your body, mumbling words of praise against your skin as he went ‘so beautiful, driving me fucking crazy…’ Until he finally found himself between your legs, making you shudder and tremble with his tongue, with his mouth, with his fingers… Certainly one of the best ‘lazy mornings’ you had spent in a long, long time.

You did rest that extra day in the inn, going into the hot springs, eating at the tavern… But admittedly, most of the time you were just in your shared room, all tangled limbs, sharing moans and groans and grunts, sharing your warmth, sharing your stories. And by the time you left the inn, hopped onto your horses, and continued with your journey, you realised that this is what real peace felt like. 

After a few weeks, after you saw the first of many banners signalling Queen Naeel’s territory, after many more stays in inns throughout her realm, after many days and nights spent just enjoying Chan’s company, you finally made it to your friend’s home. The second you stepped into her castle you were almost winded by the collision of her body against yours, holding you so tightly against her that you couldn’t help the tears that welled in your eyes. 

“You’re here…” Naeel sobbed against your shoulder, only to quickly pull herself away from you to hold you by the shoulders, her eyes frantically scanning the features of your face.

You couldn’t help but giggle, bringing her into a hug again, quiet tears spilling from your eyes as you held her in your arms. “I’m here… All thanks to you, and Chan, of course”.

“Oh, Channie!” Naeel removed herself from your embrace, jumping instead towards Chan who had been standing behind you, looking fondly at the reunion, his expression quickly changing to that of shock as Naeel hugged him tightly, too. “You did well, thank you, thank you”.

“Your… Your Majesty, please”, Chan cleared his throat, awkwardly patting Naeel on the back.

“Ah, right, physical contact, big no, no”, she regarded him with another smile, reaching for your hand to pull you closer to her. “I trust you two had a safe journey?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary, Your Majesty”, you had spent the last few weeks with the unfiltered, carefree Chan, it almost made you laugh to see him back into his Proper Knight mode. “Besides, Her Highness was an excellent companion all throughout”.

“Oh? Was she?” Naeel looked back at you, with a glint of something in her eyes, something insufferable you were surely going to have to deal with as soon as you two were on your own.

Chan just hummed in response, adding a “if that’s all for now, I’ll be taking my leave, Your Majesty. I’m sure you two would like to catch up”.

“Yes, yes. You’re dismissed, Channie. Take a week off, or two, or three, as you see fit, you deserve it”, with a couple of pats on Chan’s shoulders, Naeel pulled herself away from his space, coming instead to your side and slinging an arm over your shoulder, pulling you tight against her side, making you smile.

“Your Majesty”, Chan bowed his head towards Naeel, then turned to you, offering his hand. “Your Highness”, you placed your hand in his, and felt heat creep on your face as he brought it to his face, placing a soft kiss on your knuckles, regarding you with a warm smile and an even warmer look in his eyes. “I’ll see you soon”.

With that, he left, leaving you a blushing mess. A blushing mess as if you had not let him fuck you for days on end.

Naeel quickly took you to the courtyard, her attendants bringing you cakes and biscuits and tea for you to spend the afternoon in a resting area that was clearly just set there for her to relax in. “So, how was the trip?” Bending at the waist, she expertly tied the anklet you had given back to her around her ankle, once again matching with you as you still wore yours religiously.

“Not that bad…” You commented as you chewed the sugary treats. Speaking with your mouth full would’ve surely earned you an angry slap from your father, but he wasn’t here, he was hopefully no longer in your life, so you could be as free as you wanted, knowing that Naeel wouldn’t judge you, if anything, she was just like you. “Compared to, you know, living with my father, it was rather enjoyable I’d say”.

Humming softly, Naeel took a sip of her tea. “And Chan?”

“Chan… Chan’s nice. Really… Really nice”, you took a sip of your tea as well, trying to hide from your friend’s inquiring eyes as she looked at you.

“He is! Just a bit too stoic sometimes”, she chuckled, reaching for a biscuit. “I was hoping he would loosen up a bit with this trip. He’s one of my best knights, but he needs to relax, to detach from work a bit. I hope he managed to distract himself”.

Your mind quickly filled with memories of the nights you and Chan shared, in the mountains, in the inns, in your campsites… You could almost feel the phantom of his touch on your skin, and it was heating you up way too quickly. “I think he… He did loosen up a bit. Or that’s how it seems to me”.

“Mmm”, Naeel gave you an inquisitive look. “You’re quite feisty, and he likes that sort of thing, so I sure hope you gave him a hard time and got him a bit out of his element…”

You stared at your friend, blinking. It dawned on you then, why your friend chose him for the task, why she sent Chan to get you, and your jaw would’ve hit the floor if it hadn’t been attached to your face. She was playing matchmaker. She had not only rescued you, but she was trying to get you laid. “You sent Chan with intent! You sent him specifically on purpose!”

“Of course I did!” Naeel laughed, loudly. “I knew you’d like him, and judging by the way you were looking at him I was right! And I was sure he’d like you, too. Haven’t seen him smile as bright as he did when you guys parted earlier!”

“Naeel, dear…” You couldn’t help but scoff a laugh, utterly baffled. “I love you so, so much. You’re nuts”.

“You know me well, my dear. And I love you, too”, Naeel’s smile couldn’t have been any brighter, and it warmed you up. You truly, truly loved your friend deeply, even if she was a bit nuts. “So, does that mean that you guys got acquainted with one another as I hoped?”

You looked at her for a moment, completely silent, your face going dead serious, which made a look of worry flash on her face. Until you couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto your lips. Slowly, you unbuttoned the first few buttons of your shirt, showing Naeel the purple marks on your chest, the marks that Chan had not let fade since the moment he first pressed his mouth on your chest, the marks he left time and time again, making Naeel gasp and bring her hands to her mouth.

“Oh, wow!” Throwing her head back she laughed again, lightly kicking her feet. “I’m a fucking genius! I should be crowned again, Queen of Matchmaking!”

You couldn’t help but laugh with her, reaching for your cup of tea. “I can’t believe you, Naeel…”

Figuring out the logistics of you staying with Naeel was easy. You didn’t want to live at the castle, it reminded you too much of your old life, and you also didn’t want to be pampered anymore. You wanted a new beginning, a different life to that you had known, so your friend helped you settle, giving you a humble house in the castle town and offering you a job as a royal seamstress within her already established team ‘I’ve seen your work, and I’d love to have you design things for me!’. It was a privilege not many could have, and you were aware of it, so you took the offer. If your friend believed in you and your abilities, why wouldn’t you believe in yourself for the task?

Your new home was cosy, just big enough for one person, with enough space for your few belongings. You thought you’d have a hard time your first night there, but it was surprisingly easy for you to fall asleep there. Almost as if your body knew there was no danger, as if it knew you could finally rest.

For your first few days there you didn’t see Chan. You didn’t know where he lived, and you hadn’t had the time to ask Naeel about it, so you settled for waiting until you could run into him, and although there was a part of you that knew he would come looking for you, there was still a part of you that worried he might’ve decided you were not worth his time anymore. That was, until you heard a knock on your door and you opened it to find the man standing right there at your doorstep, with a small bouquet of flowers in his hand.

“Her Majesty told me where you were staying”, he had a sheepish smile on his face, shyly handing you the bouquet, and you couldn’t help the smile that made its way onto your face as you took it. “I was hoping to… To maybe show you around?”

“I’d like that”, stepping into his space, you leaned in, pressing a soft kiss on his lips as your front door closed behind you.

One of Chan’s hands found your waist, pulling you closer to him with an appreciative hum as the other held the back of your head, angling you a bit so he could deepen the kiss. You didn’t care if anyone saw you, just like he also didn’t seem to care, if anything, he held you in his arms confidently, and it made you chuckle against his lips. “I take it you’re no longer conflicted about your feelings for me?”

Chan simply shook his head, removing his hands from your frame so he could link your arm with his and pull you along to walk down the street. “It’s too late for that, princess”.

“Ah, but you’re still calling me princess?” There was no ill intent in your voice, if anything, only a bit of a teasing tone.

“Of course! You are my princess, after all. Are you not, darling?”

You couldn’t help but laugh, tightening your hold on his arm as you continued to walk with him, following him anywhere he pulled you to. “Then I’ll be your princess, and yours only”.

Chan simply smiled at you, one of those smiles that made his face light up, his dimples pop and his eyes disappear, and as usual, you couldn’t help the flutter of your heart at the sight. You didn’t feel like a princess anymore, not like a real one at least, but the switch from it being a title, a title that had only meant pain in your life, to it being a term of endearment, a term used by Chan and only Chan, helped you cope, and you hoped that, in due time, you could finally fully heal.

© therhythmafterthesummer 2022-2023. all rights reserved. do not repost or translate my stories.

Constructive feedback is always welcome :)

[vollereix]

(ALMOST) PASSING OUT IN FRONT OF THEM gn!reader

can be seen as either platonic or romantic, if i used any gender/pronouns please do lmk! I try to keep most of my work gender neutral but once in a while i’ll still make some mistakes!!

characters included: Amber, Cyno, Diluc, Ganyu, Heizou, Xiao,

warnings: passing out/fainting, overworked reader, poor mental and physical health for xiao’s.

AMBER

Oh she’s the sweetest of them all

Would try to catch you before you fall

Takes you back to the Knights or Barbara for help

Amber was busy talking with some of the Mondstadt citizens she didn’t realise the way you swayed a little on your feet. You’ve been feeling unwell since last night but you didn’t want to let Amber know, she had been so excited to be partnered up with you for the mission there was no way you could break her heart!

“…Amber,” your voice called out weakly, the ground started spinning, black spots appearing in your vision.

Hearing your somewhat pained voice, the outrider immediately turned her attention to you, she was quick enough to catch you before your head hit the ground.

“ah! oh no, i’m so sorry!!” Amber panicked for a while before reminding herself that the two of you were in Mondstadt and not some place far away with danger lurking right at the corner.

Breathing out a soft sigh, she would excuse herself and take you to Barbara for a check up.

CYNO

If you were expecting him to just drag you to ghandharva vile for Tighnari then you guessed right.

Except not the part where he drags you though.

Being Cyno’s assistant was a tough job, especially when you haven’t even graduated yet. It just happened all of a sudden, you only remember him asking you to follow him… and ‘till now you’re still following him.

Dashing through the streets of Sumeru city, you finally made it to the place you had agreed to meet your mentor with. You had stayed up until early morning studying for your upcoming exam, you couldn’t fail, not when Cyno put so much faith and trust in you. Your stomach growled hungrily, perhaps you should have grabbed something to eat…

“You’re here, let’s go.” The two of you set out immediately, after all it would be an extremely busy day today.

You had just finished taking out a group of fatui when a wave of dizziness washed over you. Leaning down, you gripped onto the wooden boxes for support.

ah no, this can’t be happening now…

Amidst your pain, you failed to notice the way Cyno came over to you full of concern. He wrapped an arm around your shoulder, trying to get you to look at him.

“…what’s wrong?” His voice is a lot more gentle now compared to his usual tone.

“Cyno, i’m sorry- I don’t think I can…” Your sentence was cut short as you whimpered at the pain.

Cyno had no idea how you ended up in this situation, you had looked completely fine this morning… albeit you did look a little tired. Pulling you into his lap, the two of you sat together.

Occasionally a hand would come up to play with your hair or rub circles on your back. You would stay like that, against Cyno’s chest until you felt well enough to walk.

He would bring you to Tighnari, often stopping to give you a rest and some time to catch your breath.

DILUC

Now unlike the previous two, you actually passed out from getting drunk.

Diluc would 100% find a way to blame Kaeya for getting you tipsy, even if he had completely nothing to do with

Carries you bridal style, places a kiss on your forehead and pills for when you wake up on the bedside table.

This was… the fifth? no, sixth- actually it could be the seventh glass of dandelion wine you had.

Before coming to the tavern you had promised Diluc you wouldn’t get wasted… well—

You were laughing your head off while saying some incoherent words. Diluc looked at you, a part of him was concerned and the other part just wanted to strangle you to death.

“Charles, i’ll leave the rest to you.”

A pair of warm hands pulled you out of the Angels Share. Making sure you were close to him at all time, the two of you walked to Dawn Winery.

Stumbling on your own feet, you fell face first onto the ground before bursting out in a fit of laughter. Diluc rushed to check you for injuries. Not finding any, he could only smile softly at your beautiful laughter.

“We’re almost there, can you still walk?” Diluc helped you get into a sitting position.

Seeing that you were completely wasted, he had no choice but to pick you up. The rest of the journey back was full of your drunken jokes.

After sometime of walking, Diluc realised you were sound asleep.

Tucking you under the sheets, he placed a cup of water and hangover pills on the bedside table for when you’d wake.

Just before he left, he brushed your hair out of your face, giving your forehead a gentle peck.

GANYU

This girl’s overworked herself

If you passed out she’d probably lie next to you and fall asleep.

Either that or bring you back to your house.

“And we’re done!” You announced after finishing the traveler’s third commission.

“Last one is… quite some distance away.” Ganyu pointed out.

The traveler was busy attending to things in Mondstadt, leaving you and Ganyu with the task of completing her dailies. And due to her absence it seems you will no longer be able to use the teleport waypoints.

ah, what a hassle

You could have sworn you sleepwalked a bit, your legs felt heavy as you yawned again. The both of you had been walking for almost an hour, you just wanted to sleep.

As if on cue, your body decides to let you. Instantly, your limp body fell onto the grass, asleep.

“oh, ah… I guess you’re asleep.” After some contemplation, Ganyu laid down next to you.

The two of you soon fell asleep side by side… in the middle of Liyue.

Keqing eventually found the both of you though.

HEIZOU

Tries to shake you awake

Stays with you until you wake up

Would 100% take leave and care for you if needed

Heizou pulled his hair in frustration, this was by far one of the most complex cases he had received. Not only did the both of you spend restless nights going through the case but the fact that it had been almost two weeks since he first received the commission got you two on the edge of your toes.

“No, we’ve already tried this. C’mon, what are we missing?” You muttered out, clearly irritated.

Digging through the pile of papers in front of you, your eyes landed on the building in which the case occurred.

but i’ve already checked that place with detective Heizou at least five times before…

Resting your head in your hands, you felt hopeless. How could this be? You’ve never gone this long without a breakthrough before. Never.

Some time passed before you packed your bag and decided to go back to the abandoned building to take another look.

After all, some secrets only reveal themself in the darkness of the night.

The floorboards creaked beneath you, retracing your steps, you couldn’t help but feel like something was different.

“!!”

There was a plastic file sitting atop a stack of books you were sure weren’t there the last few times you came by.

Did someone just put it here? It seems relatively clean compared to the rest of the house.

Carefully you skimmed through the pages, using your kamera to take pictures of them.

So this is why we were deadlocked for so long…

Sitting down on the old couch, you took your time in reading and reviewing all the new information. Undoubtedly, time passed really fast when you were engrossed in the papers.

“Ah there you are!” Your partner’s voice snapped you out of your reverie.

“heh had a feeling i’d find you here, so what did ya find?” Squeezing himself next to you, he flipped through each and every page thoroughly.

Now that the only thing keeping you awake was out of your grasp, the restlessness of staying up all night finally took a toll on your body.

As you started to drift off to sleep, your head lay limp on Heizou’s shoulder.

A shocked expression came across the detectives face, although that soon turned into a sly smirk. Gently, he moved your head from his shoulder to his lap.

That’s better.

XIAO — f!reader

Tries to stay calm but probably ends up freaking out.

Gets Ver to help, or Zhongli.

He will 100% stay by your side and look after you a lot more once you wake up.

Since the death of your parents, you had been spiraling in and out of depression. You’ve been cooped up in your room all day, only eating when someone reminds you.

The last time you had stepped out into the sun was… some months ago. Anyone who looked at you could see how pale and skinny you were. Almost like a zombie(no offence to Qiqi).

Some of your friends came to visit but after a while they eventually left you there in your room, all alone.

A flash of green behind you told you that Xiao had come back. “It’s almost the lantern rite… come watch it with me.”

Xiao looked at your almost lifeless body, he had turned down the traveler’s offer, hoping you’d go with him instead.

“…no thank you…” Your voice trembled a bit as tears rolled down your cheeks. It seems that someone does remember you after all.

Before you knew it, Xiao had appeared in front of you with a cup of water and a bowl of soup. After helping you into a sitting position, he slowly spoon fed you the food.

He couldn’t stand the way your happy and adventurous self was now gone, leaving you a weak and helpless mortal. To live and get by on your own wouldn’t be easy, he made sure to check on you every few days but this time…

Zhongli had asked a very important task from him, one that he could not turn down. He had no idea it would take him an entire week to complete it.

An expression of guilt appeared on his face, if he had focused more on the task, maybe he would have been able to see you, check on you. Then your health wouldn’t have deteriorated to this state.

After some persuading from Xiao you finally agreed to go see the lanterns with him, but only if he stayed with you the entire time.

Leaving your room, he let you change and get ready. A sense of fear and dread crept up his spine, was this what’s best for you? Could he be asking too much?

His train of thoughts was soon interrupted by you opening the door. You wore a long white dress, much like a hospital gown. There were eminent dark circles under your eyes.

Xiao grimaced at the sight of your frail body. Taking your hand in his, he teleported the both of you atop Yujing Terrace.

the fireworks are beautiful

A ghost of a smile could be seen on your seemingly monotone face.

Once the show was over, Xiao suggested taking a walk around the harbour. After all, it’s been so long since you last saw Liyue if not the four walls of your house.

A hand in his, you struggled to keep up with his pace, even though he was walking exceedingly slow.

my body just isn’t used to so much exercise

You consoled yourself, it was nothing much to worry about.

Barely a few steps later, you could feel the way your heart pounded loudly in your ears. Your steps getting sloppier and your vision becoming limited.

It doesn’t matter how many times you tried blinking the ‘fatigue’ away.

Soon, your frail body couldn’t handle it anymore. Without warning, you collapsed to the ground in a heap. Breathing erratic and laboured.

Xiao immediately knelt down next to you, shaking your limp body. It felt like all eyes were on him, soon enough a mass of people surrounded the two.

zhongli will know what to do, he has to

Picking you up, he teleported to the Wangsheng funeral parlour.

“Oh! vigilant yaksha, what brings y- !!” The ferry lady saw your trembling body in his hands and made a move to get acloser look at the hat had happened.

“No! Stay away from her!” A dark aura surrounded him.

Backing away, she immediately went to find Zhongli.

—

“Here, eat this…” Not long after you woke up, Xiao already started formulating a plan to help you get better.

He even went as far as asking Ganyu and the traveler to keep you company while he was busy. Suffice to say, you rarely even went a day without Xiao by your side.

[hunnieknight]

My type/genre of writing, or common content i made

Non-established relationship, Oblivious!Reader, Dry Humor, One sided pinning, Sub and Bottom Reader

> `~•. ♡ Hunnie Knight ♡ .•~` <

Highschool AU

Yanderes, Obsession

Subtle Marking (Various)

Volleyball Player (Childe x Fem Reader)

Forgot your umbrella (Various)

_______________________

Parental

Parents, domestic

Copy Paste(Navia x Gn!Reader)

Baby horns (Ganyu)

Little Pilot (Yukong)

Baby bunnies (Furina/NSFW hidden undercut)

Mom!!(Yae,Sara,Kokomi)

Chubby Reader

You don't want to sit on their lap (various) + Tighnari

Kinks?(Lisa)

Chubby Bunny (Kafka/Acheron)

Chubby Bunny 2 (Ganyu)

Soulmate AU

Your have their constellation star, Yandere, chapter stand by itself(not continuous)

Series 1 (Aether, Bennett, Xiao)

Feral Reader

Feral, animalistic, may contain blood or suggestive stuff

Sheep Reader (Horn Gang/Yanfei, Itto, Ganyu)

Kitsune Reader (Youkai Trio + Yelan, Lumine)

Little Beast! (Himeko + Kafka)

Grandchild AU

You are Pulcinella's grandchild, Harbingers x reader

Series I

Series II

Series III

Groups

Red Claymores (Diluc, Beidou, Dehya, Xinyan)|Geo Exclusive (Geo only) | Horn Gang (Itto, Yanfei, Ganyu) | Youkai Trio (Itto, Sara, Yae)

Red Claymores walked in on you

You Resonate with Geo (Mono Geo team)

Sheep Reader (Horn Gang)

Kitsune Reader (Youkai Trio + Yelan, Lumine)

Playing Among Us (Geo Exclusive)

The Avian Gangs (Bird Constellation exclusive)

Brain cells (Anemo boys)

WoodChuck! (Mono Geo)

Safety! (Debut Harbingers)

Treat Only! (Express Trio)

Sketch Ideas/Concept

Sketches

Sketch Ideas (4ggravated / Alchemist Trio)

Sketch Ideas (Ragbros / Zhongli)

NSFW

Minor(under 18) do not fucking interact

Mona x AFAB Reader

Lynette x GN!Reader

Furina x AFAB Reader

Stelle x AFAB Reader

Rosaria x AFAB Reader

Furina x Reader

Itto x Reader

Others

May contain Yanderes and suggestive content

Seelie Reader by @//genshinarchives

Afraid to break their gift (Various)

The Dawn's Hospitality (Diluc)

Help with zipper (Various)

How do they call you(Various)

SAGAU answer by @//hiraya-rawr

Suggestive (Childe)

Hickey (Genshin women)

Take Down by @//ddarker-dreams

Empress AU by @//sea-lanterns

You and your plushie (Various)

I hate Mona (answer)

I am him!(Venti and Zhongli)

Durian!(Various)

Melusine Reader (Neuvilette,Platonic)

Minecraft Server (Various)

Idiom (Stelle)

Lick lick Kiss (Stelle)

Perfume (Navia)

Not staring (Sara)

Plushie!(Navia)

First Aid!(Natasha)

Sneak Out! (March/Stelle)

Great Parents (Mondst various)

Asmr artist (Yanfei)

Art Log

NOT X READER

Art Log 1

Zhongli babysit Ganyu

Fox Banner

Art Log 2

Sleepy General (Jing Yuan)

Too much milk (Jing Yuan)

Tubbs (Jing Yuan)

Doggg(NinetyNine)

[mayullla]

Hello, i hope you have a great day!

about the event, may i ask for a 🌼 for platonic yandere diluc. 🦋 please~~

Title: Clinging

Character(s): Diluc (Genshin Impact)

Summary: Diluc found you in the forest running away from hilichurls after taking you in his arms he saw your blood was not red but gold.

Warnings/tags: Platonic yandere, Fem!reader (child!reader), Sagau; gold blood au

[ - A little present~! Event - Closed - ]

The sounds of your snore were small yet enough to bring Diluc out of his focus on the documents. Looking down to see you in his lap sleeping peacefully Diluc felt a sort of comfort. Touching your hair, lightly combing the strands so as not to wake you up.

He had found you lost and alone in the forest crying for help in fear of the hilichurls that were after you. The sounds the hilichurls made scared you as you continued to run from them with tears in your eyes and snot. Diluc was around there that time when he heard your screams. He planned on saving you grabbing you on the waist his weapon out. But had to pause when the hilichurls stopped, their behavior different than before as if checking to make sure you were okay and examine him. They left before Diluc could take another step as if... they were sure that you would be in good hands.

It was odd, to say the least, but his thought turned to you when he could hear sniffles and small hands clinging to his jacket.

He will investigate those hilichurls later as for now he had to make sure the little child he found was okay.

A small girl, you were crying in his arms calling out for your parents but was just you and him. Diluc never saw you before, well at least never in Monstade.... protecting the citizens he would have noticed you at one point or another.

Yet his heart only seems to drop when he saw a small cut on your arm where red blood was supposed to flow instead was gold in color. The wind howled as Diluc quickly took you back to the dawn winery. Too dangerous he thought for you to be here in the middle of nowhere focused on his goal that he must bring you somewhere safe.

Diluc knew many stories where there once was a ruler loved by nature and creatures of all. That their touch was healing and her powers strong. She was bowed and was of higher rank than those of archons. But she disappeared in the end, many different stories were told of her end but all stories told the sadness and anguish.

Diluc didn't know what you were yet maybe it was some sort of magic, but as how one was familiar with their own vision element even tho it was his first time meeting you Diluc was so sure of who you were.

And the dangers that will come with you.

The world was unkind to a child giving you so much that what was supposed to be your blade can be turned against you. You can be worshipped for your blood but if you fell into the hands of another with a more dark intention he was sure it would be either the end of Teyvat or the end for you.

Diluc wasn't fond of children, he wasn't really sure what to do with them. To be honest, he didn't know what to do with you as you were a child and it wasn't like he could just magically become experienced with them and like them... but you were another situation altogether. You were not someone he could just toss to the knights of Favonious Knights when he didn't even trust them that much.

So here you were in his home. In his arms, you cling unwilling to let go. You cried when Adelinde tried to take you away from him, the head housemaid glanced at Diluc silently telling him to be patient and take care of you for a while.

It was a struggle when you didn't eat at all, stuck to Diluc in fear that monsters would show up again when you were alone without him. He had to pull you away from his jacket sitting you down on his lap as Adeline told him to feed you. You ate a bit that time when he told you that if you really want to continue to stay here you would have to eat. The first bite and he saw your eyes sparkle finding the food delicious. Diluc continued to feed you because even tho you hurriedly ate your hands still cling to his jacket again.

Diluc honestly didn't know what to do when you continued to cling to him having a hard time doing what he usually does he had no choice but to stay. He had no choice really when you cried yourself to the point your voice went raw because he had gone out to protect Monstade at night.

It took some time... a few days really. You didn't let go of him at all but slowly you started to trust people around you, your started to let go of Diluc's jacket when Adeline called you. Diluc was able to go out with his mask late at night but it seems that you would always notice when he comes back. Waking up when he was near and heading down to greet him.

"How do you know that I am near?"

"I don't know... I just woke up..." It was an odd answer there was definitely more to it than that. Diluc didn't know what it was but was also something he realize you didn't either. He didn't ask again preferring to quickly change and go to sleep with you right beside him clinging to his shirt.

He had grown so used to you, so quickly and so soon. He wondered if this was the actual feeling of taking care of a child. Things he did he wondered what his own father had thought while doing when he was your age. He came to cherish you, yet there was this worry because your blood was gold you were different from him... and from the archons themselves... if words get out that a child's blood was gold many would search for you and not all were kind and just merely curious.

Diluc patted your hair combing it with his fingers. You didn't wake up from his lap but whined a little at his disturbance. You try to get closer to him in your sleep finding comfort in his warmth.

Diluc was worried about the future. But he was sure that he would do everything to keep you safe. Even if it meant to keep you a secret from the world, even if it meant you will have to stay by his side even when you didn't want to.

He will keep you safe and even if a few knew who you were the people he trusts would never get the chance to take you away from him and the people who he didn't trust he would make it so they would not be able to spread the word about you.

You belong here after all and nowhere else. He would protect you.

[thesithdiaries]

Dream of Fire (Rhaenyra Targaryen imagine)

Pairing: platonic Rhaenyra Targaryen x female Targaryen!reader ; platonic Daemon Targaryen x female Targaryen!reader

Requested: Yes

Warnings: spoilers for the show and the book "fire & blood", angst

-

The Targaryens took a heavy loss when Queen Aemma and Prince Baelon died on the same day. The king locked himself away in his chamber, Rhaenyra left with Syrax for hours, and Y/N stayed by herself. She knew everybody grieved differently and it was a painful time for everyone. Her uncle Daemon managed to distract her a few times, giving her lavish gifts he got on his travels but ultimately left her alone, knowing she had to grieve alone and without anyone bothering her.

What nobody knew was that she had a dream about it, years ago. The death of her mother haunted her sleep but she did not know how it happened. The only thing her dream showed was Aemma’s body being burned by Syrax. She spoke to her mother about it, who assured her it was just a dream and to not worry about it. However, the moment her father left the tourney, she instantly knew it was happening. 

One early morning, few hours before dawn, Y/N rushed to the castle. She looked disheveled, clearly just woken up. The knight who guarded her door was following close behind, concerned for her safety. She pushed open the door to her father’s bedchamber. Viserys was still sleeping, the previous day was a hard one and he did not have the chance to rest.

“Father! Wake up!” Y/N exclaimed, shaking him. “Wake up, wake up!”

Viserys jolted away, both mad and concerned. “What is the meaning of this?” He asked groggily. “Can’t this wait?”

“No! It cannot wait,” she plopped next to him on the bed. “I had a dream I wish to speak to you about.”

He groaned, turning away from her. “Go back to sleep.”

“Father, this is important. It was a dream about my sister.” Viserys did not even bother turning around. “I saw her on the Iron Throne.”

The king chuckled, “what? Your sister on the throne? That is outrageous, dear.”

Y/N scoffed. “It is true and it will happen. You know I am right.”

“Go to your chambers at once or I will get the Kingsguard to drag you there,” he threatened. Y/N knew he was bluffing but left anyway. 

On her way back, she spotted another family member with silver hair walking along the corridor. “Uncle!” She called for him, making him stop in his tracks. “What are you doing up so early?”

“I could ask the same thing to you, little dragon,” he teased, grabbing her hand. 

She did not want to tell her uncle about the dream since he was the heir at the moment. “I wanted to get some fresh air,” she lied. “I have missed you,” she told him to change the subject.

Daemon started walking with her. “I have missed you as well. I wish your father gave you and your sister permission to travel with me.”

Y/N laughed softly. “I do not think he trusts any of us enough to let us leave King’s Landing together.”

“We could all go to Dragonstone for a while,” he proposed.

“I doubt he will let me back there. Remember what happened last time I visited?”

Daemon smiled, the images of Y/N breaking her leg at the beach amused him. Of course, it was not remotely funny at the time since she was in a lot of pain but Viserys' expression throughout it was incredible. “Alright, no Dragonstone for you then. Maybe I can go back to bring back those books you love.”

Daemon and Y/N kept chatting all morning, eating breakfast together in the gardens. Viserys called for her at midday, curious to know more about that dream of hers. 

-

“I, Viserys Targaryen, first of his name... King of the Andals, and the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm, do hereby name... Rhaenyra Targaryen Princess of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne.”

Y/N smiled looking at her beautiful sister. After a long talk with her father about the implications of Rhaenyra being the heir, he accepted. Rhaenyra, however, was insecure about the decision at first. She had not considered being named heir, since it was supposedly only for men. 

-

Screams of pain. Fire. Blood. Dragons fighting. Crowds of people. Flashes of her dead family.

The same images haunted Y/N’s dreams for days. She had not been able to sleep for more than a couple of hours, terrified of seeing the same things. Things she does not understand and could not even begin to think about.

Y/N decided to flee the castle for a few days, to see if maybe a location change would ease everything and make it better. She sneaked out to the city, finding hospice in a small inn. It was not remotely close to what she had in the Red Keep, but it was clean and it felt cozy. 

Y/N was laying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She waited for sleep to arrive but it never did. She could not think about anything else, only the dreams. Did not matter how much thought she gave it, there was still no possible answer to what it all meant.

The following morning, Viserys and Rhaenyra waited for Y/N in the gardens to eat yet she did not show up. 

“Maybe she is not feeling well,” Rhaenyra proposed, not entirely believing herself.

“Yes, she spoke with the maester yesterday about a headache,” he gave his daughter a reassuring smile. “I am sure she is fine.”

Both of them felt uneasy. Y/N always showed up for breakfast, even if it was to tell them she was not feeling well. They ate in silence, hoping everything was alright.

That afternoon, Rhaenyra went to her sister’s chambers but she was not there. The bed was made, it was clean and tidy, and it did not have the usual daily mess of books and candles. 

The heir to the throne proceeded to walk all over the grounds, looking for her to no avail. She initially thought she had gone for a ride with her dragon but no, the beast slept peacefully in the dragonpit. Y/N was gone.

Rhaenyra ran to her father, finding him with the small council. Viserys heart dropped when he saw the state of despair his daughter was in. “Y/N is gone.”

“What?” The king stood up immediately, walking towards her. “What do you mean “gone”?”

“She left,” Rhaenyra stammered to talk, “I searched everywhere for her but she just vanished. Even her dragon is still here.”

Daemon, who was also present in the room, left without a word. He knew the Keep like the back of his hand. If there was anyone that could find Y/N, it was him. But unfortunately, he did not. He searched through the many tunnels and secret passages along the castle with no luck. Deep down in his heart, he knew Y/N was not aware of them and that there was no possible way of her getting lost in the Keep. She was gone.

-

Two days went by and nobody had seen or heard from the princess. 

Viserys had sent out the Kingsguard and the City Watch to search for her. The uncertainty of the situation was driving him mad, he was desperate to at least know something. On the other hand, Rhaenyra sobbed quietly, instantly assuming the worst for her sister. She had sent Ser Criston with the rest of the Kingsguard, begging him to find her. 

Daemon needed a distraction. He needed to stop thinking for a moment, the stress was getting to him. He sneaked through the Streets of Silk, finding Mysaria in the brothel. Of course, she was waiting for him with a pleased smile.

“My prince,” she whispered. “I have a surprise for you.”

“I am in no mood for surprises at the moment,” Daemon bit back.

“You will be for this one. I saw a girl with the same hair color as yours,” his eyes widened at her so-called “surprise”. “She was at the inn close to the Gate of the Gods. Go find her.”

Mysaria did not know Y/N personally but had heard so much about her from Daemon. He talked highly of her, he loved her very much and was very proud.

He immediately left for the location. Some men of the City Watch spotted him and ran after the rouge prince.

Once there, the owner of the inn pointed up the stairs. He knew about the guest that has been locked in a room for days, knew who she was, and knew that people would eventually come looking for her. The man feared the prince but also respected him.

Y/N was sitting next to the window, staring down into the city when the door busted open but she did not move. Daemon stood there, dumbfounded. “Come on, Y/N. Time to go,” he urged her, motioning his hand to make her move but she did not turn around. “Y/N, stand up.”

Y/N did not. She could hear him clearly and did not attempt to move. The fear was filling up her body once more. She finally understood what the dreams meant and it broke her heart to even think about it.

Daemon, lacking the patience, pulled her up only to see her true state. Y/N had bags under her eyes that showed she had not slept in days and her skin looked dull. “What happened to you?” He wondered, caressing her face carefully. To his annoyance, she did not answer.

He picked her up, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. The men that had joined the search were pleased and concerned for the princess. They only hoped that she was not harmed during the time away from the castle.

Y/N did not say a word the entire way, only holding onto her uncle’s cloak. Daemon’s heart was pounding. He was glad Mysaria spotted her when she did. Gods know what could have happened if their enemies found out about the princess being by herself.

Viserys and Rhaenyra rushed towards her chambers when they were informed of her return. They walked in to see Daemon holding her as she was wrapped in a blanket.

“My sweet girl,” Viserys cried, kissing her forehead. “We have been so worried about you. Where did you go?”

Rhaenyra sat in front of her, tightly holding her hand. Y/N was not looking at them, she stared blankly at the wall. “Sister?”

“Darling, what happened to you?”

“I have been having terrible dreams… about all of you,” she quietly spoke. Viserys felt chills through his body. “We all died, and so did our dragons. There was so much fire… I am so scared of what will happen to us.”

The family sat there quietly, unable to say anything about it. They knew about dreamers in the family and how dreams are predictions of the future. “It will be alright, my dear. No harm will come our way.”

“Father is right, we will be safe,” Rhaenyra assured her. Y/N shook her head, holding back tears.

“I saw you die, Rhaenyra, by dragon fire. We were at a terrible war." 

Her sister glanced at both her father and her uncle, flabbergasted at the confession. Dragon fire? 

“Fire cannot kill a dragon,” Viserys sweetly reminded her, caressing her head. “Your sister will be fine.”

-

Y/N never stopped having those dreams.

As time moved on, the family started seeing it was true. Y/N was right all along and they did not listen to her worries. The entire family was in danger and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

//

Taglist:

@my-dark-prince / @Daemonloversblog / @littlemoonash / @mypatrochilles / @beefbaby25 / @sweetybuzz2 / @Fin-never / @asexualaromosafezone / @nerdy4itall / @yelchinweasleylothbrok / @Juless_world / @thatgaytevinter / @kaitieskidmore1 / @chevelledahuman / @rozendiors / @claudiajacobs / @savagemickey03 / @multifandom-loser / @direluvr / @dandycandy75 / @bitchyglitterfox / @rumandtearsflowerisevil // @madelineannmolder / @omgsuperstarg / @edum123 / @asiababy1903 / @valentiinita02 / @ali-r3n / @bluebear142077 / @newtsniffles / @ayamenimthiriel / @theBoredCat / @aries-hco / @thekayarlene / @druigbarnes01 / @poisxnedmind / @secretsthathauntus / @hc-geralt-23 / @krokietino / @instabull // @laenordeservedbetter / @dany-is-my-queen / @canyonyodeler / @kloy344 / @goofymickeyr

[akiraruru]

Hi I saw you was in need of ideas 😁 and I saw you like ragbros (like me) how about hc (platonic)where they have a little sister (like 18-19year old) who is also adopted like kaeya and is also traumatized before she came to dawn winery and she is more traumatized. She is also super powerful like she is a mage (like in historical manhwa) and has electro vision is also a member of knights of favonis. Sorry I went for too much details 😅

If you don't write platonic hc, how about hurt to comfort fic of diluc/ kaeya/Zhongli where the reader thinks he ib love with someone else (like jean for diluc rosaria for kaeya guzhiong for Zhongli).

Sorry for long ask. Take care 😘

A/n: sadly I'm not very good at platonic stuff, hope u like this oneshot tho!

Included: Kaeya, gn reader, Rosaria

Cw/s: mentions of drinking, angst, possibly ooc, I suck at writing angst

Kaeya had always been passionate about the things he loves. Though, recently everything has been going much worse than before, it's like his path throughout life has become rocky, rather than ups and downs, it has really been down these past few days. He went out drinking more and more, constantly visiting his brother's tavern, chugging down beer down his throat hoping to wash down his foul feeling.

You understand what was Kaeya's feeling and you always have, you gave him time, time to think carefully and to rest his mind and body. Though you never expected it to come to this, you never expected it to become this bad; you felt sorry for him.

You tried to talk to him about it to at least help ease some of his foul feelings yet every time you do he just tells you

"I'm fine"

"I'm okay by myself"

"There's no need"

In such a tired tone, he always pushes you away. Why? Why didn't he want your help? Maybe he just wanted some time... But didn't you already give him a week? All these thoughts and questions run through your head all at the same time it's giving you a headache.

During his time at the tavern, he has encountered Rosaria multiple times in a row and yes, you have witnessed some of those times and nothing bad seems to be happening. After all those encounters with each other, Rosaria made the first move; starting the conversation first.

He knew Rosaria, a close friend of that he hasn't connected to in a long while.

"Hey, you alright?" Rosaria asks.

She looked down at the blue haired knight that had his head laying on the table, beer in hand.

"Hmm... no" Kaeya responds, his words coming out wobbly due to the alcohol.

Chats between Rosaria and Kaeya was pretty constant again, sharing small talk whenever they passed each other, talking during breaks... Of course you took notice and didn't seem to mind, I mean, they're friends after all. And they haven't talked to each other for a while so it's understandable.

It's been weeks and kaeya has started to feel better, more upright and was coming back to his usual smug personality. You were happy, proud even, but you felt a little... what do you call it? Jealous? No, that can't be right. You? Jealous of who?

Maybe it's because it was Rosaria that helped Kaeya more than you did, it's great that she helped but during those times, why did Kaeya only talk to Rosaria about it? Why not you? He always pushes you away but why not to Rosaria either? Is there something special about her? Questions are running through your mind again.

He's been out of the house recently too, often meeting up with Rosaria. At this point, you think he sees her more than you, could it be that he fell out of love? Too many questions and possibilities are in your mind, overthinking every little thing.

You decided to confront him during dinner.

"Kaeya.. is there something wrong?" You ask worryingly.

"Nothing's wrong. Why?" Kaya responds.

"It's just that uhm... You've been.. I don't know, distant?" You furrow your brows slightly as you speak.

"Distant, how?" Kaeya tilts his head.

You take a deep breath thinking about saying it or not.

"Do you not love me anymore?" You finally asked.

"What? Of course I love you, why did you think that?" Kaeya replies.

"You've been hanging out with Rosaria a lot too..." You fidget with your fingers.

"Ahh, I see now" He chuckled.

"Wanna know why?" Kaeya smiles.

You nod in reply, desperate for answers. You watched as he got up towards the calendar and pointed out your anniversary and.. oh it's today. Wait, it's today?

Kaeya goes to a cabinet and pulls out two boxes wrapped delicately, each of different colors with a ribbon wrapped around it like a bow, a letter on top of the two boxes.

"What's this?" You ask, inspecting the box.

"I wanted to make up for all the things you did for me" Kaeya smiles softly.

The letter contained 3 paragraphs about his undying love for you, alongside a kiss mark on the bottom.

"I needed some help so I went to Rosaria" He explains.

You open the boxes, careful not to damage it. The 1st box contains a silver/gold (what color you want) necklace below a tulip, the necklace has your birthstone as it's pendant, shaped into a heart, your name and Kaeya's was faintly sketched onto the back of the pendant.

2nd box contained earrings that matched the necklace, right below a rose.

"Wow... I.." You were left utterly speechless.

Now you were the one feeling guilty, especially since it's your anniversary and you don't have nothing for him

"Don't worry about your gift, you being here is enough" Kaeya brings you into a tight, warm embrace.

[jaynahh]

may i please request diluc and xiao (separate) taking in a teenaged reader with trust issues?

Diluc + Xiao with a Teenager!Reader Part 1

Hi, you didn't talk about Y/n's backstory so I made it up.

Next part here.

Strictly platonic.

Diluc:

You were a regular at Angel's Share. You went there almost every other day as a way of an escape. The atmosphere was nice, excluding the drunkards.

You couldn't really order anything, you were still barely making any money at your age. No one was willing to let in a child for work. But on the rare occasions where people gave you some Mora for doing a simple task, you would order some juice.

Diluc always noticed when you came in, that you sometimes skipped the counter and went to sit in a corner table quietly. He was curious, but he was too busy to talk. Sometimes his eyes would scan the bar, his gaze landing on you from where he was working.

Until, one day a drunkard came up to your table and started bothering you, rambling about stuff you didn't want to listen to. Diluc noticed this and also how you looked slightly uncomfortable.

When Diluc approached your table, you looked at him and then at your glass of juice on the table, avoiding his gaze. He shooed the drunkard out of the share.

You thought that was the end of the incident, but no. You felt Diluc's stare as he sat across from you. He asked why you were always here alone. A place like this was not made for people underaged.

He didn't get an answer. Not even eye contact. Diluc frowned. A teenager like you should be enjoying their time with their parents. He let you be, and got back to work.

When it was closing time, you followed the drunkards out but was stopped when Diluc placed a hand on your shoulder. You flinched back. He asked—no, told you to sit at the counter. You didn't know what he would do if you refused, so you obliged.

When Diluc closed the bar's door, you felt even more worried what he was going to do. He went around the counter and stared down at you with a stern look and his arms crossed. He started asking questions about you. Where are your parents? Why are you here out of all places? Were you another spy?

You didn't want to answer him. What will he do with all that information? But you knew you needed to stop this. You explained how you always came here as an escape. Plus, your family wouldn't check if you were in a bar.

Diluc uncrossed his arms. You wanted to escape your famiy? His gaze softened. His thoughts were interupted by your stomach growling.

You looked down in shame. You don't remember the last time you ate something other than a couple of almonds.

"...Here." You looked up to see Diluc sliding a glass of water towards you. "I can whip up a small meal for you. Do you like fisherman's toast?" Surprised, you finally made eye contact with him. He took that as a yes and started gathering the ingredients. You slowly sipped your water, thinking how nice it would be to finally eat properly.

Diluc finished rather quickly. He slid the plate of food infront of you. You felt so happy—but wait. What if there's poison in it? No... You literally watched him make your food. Diluc noticed you were hesitant, but that was okay.

"Do you go any other place than here?" He asked. Diluc wanted to make sure you were doing alright.

Hmm... Oh, you explained that sometimes one of the Knights of Favonious would ask if you would like to spend the night in headquarters since they somehow know about your situation.

No. That wouldn't do. Diluc can't trust the Knights. So, he offered if you'd like to stay in one of the rooms in his manor, Dawn Winery, instead.

You didn't answer, you were surprised but still hesitant. How could you trust a guy that owns a bar and sells stuff that gets people drunk? Well, he let you stay after closing time and even made you a nice meal without getting payed... So maybe you can see where this was going.

On the way to the winery, you walked behind Diluc, adding some distance between you two. Diluc was okay with that, of course. You saw a hilichurl camp that Diluc failed to notice, but you still kept quiet.

You stared at the hilichurl closest to you, which wasn't really close—The camp was far but noticable. The hilichurl looked in your direction, and you thought of it as a staring contest. You never saw a hilichurl in person, so it was an interesting sight.

But... The hilichurl took your staring as offensive, so he called his hilichurl group to attack you. They were running quickly, but they were still pretty far. It kind of scared you. Without thinking, you sped walked to the opposite side of Diluc to clutch his sleeve while staring across him at the hoard of hilichurls.

He furrowed his eyebrows at you in confusion. Then a bunch of loud footsteps came from the other direction, and Diluc quickly discovered the large amount of hilichurls approaching.

You were pretty out of it, but what your mind registered was Diluc swinging out a huge claymore and turned the monsters into flames of dust.

Your mouth was hanging open in surprise. Diluc tied his hair back up and approached you, looking worried. "Did you get hit anywhere?" He kneeled down.

Closing your mouth, you made direct eye contact with him. No one has ever done something like that for you. Sure, people would just act like they cared, but you knew this was different. Diluc was trying to take care of you, maybe you could trust him.

Xiao:

The only ways for Xiao to approach someone with a lower rank than him was if you got into trouble with monsters or if you offered almond tofu.

You've heard some stories about the adeptus, but to you it wasn't really interesting. The adepti made a contract to protect Liyue, but humans don't really need them in this time anymore.

One day you had enough of your family, and decided to run away. You didn't know if you were leaving for good, even though you wanted to leave them forever. Trying to sneak your way out of Liyue harbor, you were being consumed by your thoughts.

You didn't really plan this out. Of course you ran away by yourself though, you couldn't trust anyone but yourself. Maybe you would become a wanderer, an adventurer, a lone treasure hoarder, or maybe a poor young teen that has no Mora.

Whataver it will be, there's no backing out now. You were already lost, not knowing which way you came from, surrounded by the nature. if you would've done this a few years back, you would be scared out of your mind. There was no human life around you anymore. But you've matured since then.

You now realized how calming it actually was, not being able to hear any voices. All you could hear were the whisps of wind, along with faint footsteps of lizards, frogs, and other little critters.

Finding yourself at the edge of a huge lake, you scanned your surroundings. In the distance, you could see a huge building that looked like a tree house. You think you've heard about it... Wangshu Inn?

Maybe you could afford a room to stay in there, and probably find a job. It still looked like a pretty far walk from where you were, so you decided to take a rest on a smooth rock you found. After making sure no monsters were around, you closed your eyes.

After a moment, you took out a tiny box of noodles and chopsticks you packed in advance. Sad that it's cold now, but it's better than just a slice of an apple.

Crack—!

You heard something like ice freezing in an instant. You lifted your gaze from your noodles and saw that a small portion of the lake was frozen with a cryo arrow stuck to it. Was that an elemental reaction? That was so cool— This is not the time to be interested. There was a hilichurl trying to shoot arrows at you while other types of monsters started running towards you.

Eyes widening, you dropped your chopsticks. You were still sitting down, looking at the hilichurls, espacially the huge ones with huge axes and sheilds. You stood up after you placed the box of food on the ground, and turned around.

But then, you thought it was pointless to run— The hilichurls were way faster than you in terms of physical strength. You turned back around, hoping for something, anything other than death to happen.

Suddenly, a huge puff of greenish black smoke appeared, blocking your vision from the world. Has death finally come to claim you..? You coughed, hearing the ugly screams of hilichurls in agony. The smoke started to clear up, as well as your foggy thoughts.

You opened your eyes and was met with rich gold ones staring back at you.

"Tsk. Foolish human, running off into the unknown, basically begging to be met with attackers." You noticed a sightly taller guy with his arms crossed and eyes now closed.

The mysterious man eyed you, noticing how young you were. You just stared back, too shocked to say anything. You then tried to look behind him, to see where the hilichurls went but you were stopped.

He uncrossed his arms to put a hand on your arm but you backed away slightly. "Don't... look." He placed his arm back to his side and quickly sighed. "Where are your caretakers? I'll lead you to them," the guy said, showing a hint of annoyance.

You furrowed your eyebrows. "I don't have any," you said quietly before bending down to pack up your noodles that were on the floor. "Hmph, surely someone as careless as you couldn't be living alone. I can take you back to your family, just tell me where they are."

You stood up and looked at the man. Hmm... His eyes looked softer. Totally different than a minute ago. He probably just didn't want to scare you. You were still considered a child in his eyes, after all. A fragile one that he could easily break if he wasn't careful.

"...I ran away. Don't take me back," you almost whispered. The boy noticed your voice was mixed with fear and sadness. Still, he didn't understand— You're supposed to cherish family and friends, not run away from them. Especially mere mortals. They don't have much time to spend together, so you must savor it.

You looked down at the ground. "I hate them. Don't take me back."

The man did a little "Hmph" again and crossed his arms, looking down as well. He was thinking of ways to help you, since taking you to your family wasn't a solution... Oh.

"Here, come with me." The boy held out his hand, waiting for you to take it. you looked back at him, worried of what will happen if you accept his hand in yours. Who was he, anyway? How did he appear out of nowhere? Where did the hilichurls go?

...Maybe you would find out if you took his hand. You have a feeling that this boy is someone important. You reached out. Right when your fingers touched his palm, you were engulfed in dark smoke once again.

You waved your hand infront of your face to clear the smoke away. Your vision started clearing up. The soft grass you felt under your feet was instantly replaced with hard wood. You then noticed that you were on the highest balcony of Wanshu Inn. Did you just... teleport?

"Follow me." You heard a voice. Oh, so the guy you just met teleported with you. There were no other directions than going inside the Inn, so you followed the man, making some distance between you two. The boy didn't really seem to care, though.

You both were met with a middle aged lady standing behind a counter. "Verr Goldet," you heard the boy say. Assuming that was her name, you looked around the room, not listening to their conversation. There was a kitchen downstairs from where you the were, and you also saw another balcony.

Flinching away when your were tapped on your shoulder by the man, you placed your attention back on the two strangers. The lady smiled at you. She received a black face in return.

Verr Goldet was going to say that she could give a discount just for you so you could afford to stay in a room, but looking into your so dull eyes made her hesitate.

"You know what... You can take a room for free. Here are your keys, tell me if you have any problems. I'll try to help." You, shocked, took the keys from her hand. "Xiao, please help them find their room," She made a closed eyed smile at the boy.

It wasn't a long walk since your room was the highest. The man helped you unlock the door and pushed it open for you. He followed you in.

"So... Are you going to be alright here for the time being?" He turned his head towards you. You still didn't really believe that you had a roof over your head for free, but you still nodded.

"Okay. Don't be so reckless next time..." He turned around to head out—or maybe teleport out—but you stopped him. "Wait." He stopped and looked over his shoulder. "What is it?"

"...Are you that adeptus guy?" You remembered how the nice lady referred to this guy as "Xiao," whose name you heard of when the people of Liyue started gossiping around you.

He sighed, but still didn't turn around. "I don't know who you're referring to, but I am an adeptus." He closed his eyes and faced the floor. Hm, so maybe he is Xiao. You weren't sure though, so you didn't associate him with that name yet.

"Why did you save me?" You asked. If it weren't for his incredibly accurate hearing, he wouldn't have been able to hear your quiet little voice. "...It's my duty as an adeptus. It's in my contract to protect the people of Liyue." He turned around to meet your gaze.

He was actually an adeptus, that actually made a real contract with Morax and actually protects people everyday in his life. It would be foolish of anyone to not put trust in him.

The adeptus spotted the little twinkle in your eyes, much different than when he first saw you. He let out a long but quiet sigh.

"If you're ever in trouble, no matter how much troublesome your situation is... Call out my name. I'll be there." He kneeled down to reach your height. "...What's your name?"

"Adeptus Xiao."