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rinswritez · 3 months

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♡ "Our Sweet Underling" Chapter 8: Sweet Kisses ♡

After that night your worries were unimaginable! How could you have kissed Arlecchino like that? More importantly… Why didn't she push you away?! When you joined the Fatui you never expected to have your higher ups letting you kiss them! It felt too good to be true! First it was Scaramouche– which arguably is the least lovey-dovey thing you've done compared to your other heated encounters– then it was Dottore, now it was Childe and Arlecchino. Worse of all is that she had a girlfriend, who you wouldn't doubt if she found out, she'd have your head!

You nervously paced around your room, every so often adjusting your uniform. However no matter how hard you tried, you looked unkempt and tired. No amount of makeup– that was borrowed from Columbina, hence why you didn't want to use too much– would fix it. Yet you had to do this, you didn't join the Fatui to slack and make out with hot people! Although the second half didn't sound half bad, you did have your priorities straight.

Your dad and your siblings were back home, they needed your help. Financially, it was very difficult for them. Despite your father being born and raised in Snezhnaya, his income was never that great. He grew up to become a traveling merchant, gaining knowledge from all the different places of Teyvat. He'd tell you stories about them and you'd listen intently. You've always loved his stories regarding Liyue and Mondstadt especially! He'd often experiment with recipes and try his best to make them as great as they could be for you and your siblings. Although, while you lived with him, you and him agreed that the kitchen is a dangerous place. Too dangerous for him, since he was easily distracted. He’d always end up looking at the recipe book for too long, afraid of making the food wrong, yet in the end he’d nearly burn the whole kitchen. Since those incidents were common in the household, you decided to take over kitchen duty. He'd always been a quiet and humble man, with a simple job.

Therefore his shock was unimaginable when he heard you wanted to join the Fatui. Although he was all about you having your opportunities in living your best life, he couldn't bear having you live such a dangerous life. As a traveling merchant, he knew first hand the dangers of Teyvat. Thieves, hillichurls, slimes and more were bound to attack you. Not to mention you’d be joining one of the most dangerous organizations, as soon as you’d join, you were bound to make enemies of people. As much as the two of you joked and bickered with each other, you and him both knew that he'd miss you. Your siblings had a similar reaction, although the youngest ones didn't quite understand.

You had to do it. You couldn't put them through all that stress just to leave the Fatui at a minor inconvenience! And more importantly…even if you did leave, what would you say?

‘Oh sorry dad, I may or may not have kissed and slept with multiple of my higher ups while knowing that one of them had a partner. I decided that being a coward was better than telling the truth so I ran back to you like a bullied child!’

You physically recoiled at the thought of saying something like that. Your poor dad would have a heart attack! Before you could think anymore you stopped pacing right in front of the door of your room. Your heart rate increased rapidly as you opened it, and without the confident facade you usually had, you headed straight into the training grounds.

As you walked through the icy halls, an intense feeling of nausea bubbled in your stomach. You mumbled some curses and prayers to the Tsaritsa. How else would you manage today after all?

You were so focused on your thoughts, so utterly confused that you nearly bumped into the door of the training grounds. A strong pair of arms stopped you by grabbing you by the shoulders before you could get hurt.

“Oh, it’s you,” they said, their tone having its usual sass and snarky attitude. You instantly recognised it, your head snapped towards them and you were correct. It was Scaramouche.

You blinked a few times before slowly turning around. You felt sort of of nervous about seeing him again. After your previous encounters, and his endless complaints about wanting to train you according to Arlecchino, you were a bit worried that you'd hurt him.

“Hey.”

“Do you have a thing for doors? You keep walking into them like an idiot.”

You should’ve expected that.

“Oh I’m sorry, all mighty knight in shining armor of mine! I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience!”

He rolled his eyes and leaned closer to you, his eyes watching your every move. “One thing I didn't miss about you is your attitude. It sure as hell hasn’t changed.”

“All I heard is that you missed everything else about me!” You smiled proudly and put your hands on your hips, standing tall.

“Good grief you're such a pain…”

You rolled your eyes, a cheeky smile playing on your lips. “Did you already forget how good I could make you feel?”

He mumbled a quiet curse under his breath. “You won't let that go will you?”

“Nope, sir. I won't. But can you blame me? You really are quite the catch! And-” a cough was heard from behind you and Scaramouche.

You glanced towards the direction that the noise came from and saw Arlecchino, Columbina and Childe. The one who coughed was Arlecchino, who looked displeased with your exchange with Scaramouche. Childe, sweatdropped and waved at you, a forced smile on his face. A grin that would soon drop as he noticed Scaramouche next to you. Only Columbina seemed calm, her eyebrows furrowed and lips slightly parted, yet she wouldn't speak.

“Oh hi! Why are you guys here? I mean it's a bit early for training isn't it?”

Arlecchino shook her head.

“I'm afraid not, at least not for Harbingers. But what are you doing here with…” her eyes narrowed before she continued, “...with the likes of him?”

You blinked. Columbina smiled at you nervously as Childe averted his gaze and Scaramouche scoffed.

“Really? What a low blow. Even for you-”

You threw Scaramouche over your shoulder, your hand resting on his lower back as you opened the door of the training quarters. The three Harbingers stared at you in utter shock and confusion, on normal occasions Scaramouche would have strangled anyone who manhandled him in such a way. But in your case he just muttered a few complaints.

You softly placed him down and he shook his head and called you a bunch of names, you decided to mess with him a bit.

“Dumbass, getting flustered over something so stupid.”

“All this talk of my ass. Have you got no self restraint?”

“When it comes to you? Absolutely not!” you replied with a chuckle as Scaramouche rolled his eyes once again, his cheeks lightly flushed.

The other three Harbingers stood still as statues in the doorway. You turned around to face them while Scaramouche was already beating the remaining life out of a training dummy. “Aren’t you coming?”

Childe was the first to step forward, his eyes shining with the familiar thrill of a battle. Despite being timid as a kid, Childe always loved fights, be it snowball fights. He’s always had quicker reflexes than you, and you adored spending time with him even if you lost the aforementioned snowball fights. He'd make a task that you disliked, somehow appeal to you. You could never tell if it was just because of his company or because of his ability to make almost everything seem fun, yet you weren't complaining. You smiled at him, as if he had just handed you the stars themselves - knowing him, he probably would if he could - and reached for your weapons.

“You wanna spar with me?”

“You could tell?” Childe questioned, tilting his head to the side like a confused puppy

“The look in your eyes says it all, sunshine!” you playfully wink at him, a cheeky grin forming on your lips.

“I'd like to see how they fair with multiple opponents,” Arlecchino mumbled, deep in thought.

“I'd like to spar with them as well,” Columbina spoke up, her soft voice echoing in the training chamber.

Scaramouche turned to them, an annoyed groan escaping his lips.

“Do you seriously think they can handle that many opponents? They can't even take out one of us as is.”

“There's bound to be situations where they'll fight more than one person at once. The sooner they learn to defend themselves the better,” Arlecchino responds with a determined nod.

“I know how to defend myself!” you mumbled, crossing your arms and grumbling under your breath.

Scaramouche shook his head, mildly annoyed by your declaration. “Sure, whatever makes you sleep better at night, underling.”

You stick your tongue out at him.

“Whatever makes you sleep better at night!” You mock in an exaggerated voice, and then stick your nose up in the air and twist your heel, strutting towards Arlecchino and Columbina.

You could hear Scaramouche going on about how his voice doesn’t sound like that. Columbina pulls you in for a soft hug as soon as you walk close enough and whispers in your ear;

“I wish you knew how much I missed that one night. No words can describe how safe you made both me and Arlecchino feel, thank you” You feel her embrace tighten for a brief second before pulling away, her pale cheeks covered with a rosy hue. You feel your own face flush at the thought of the night you showered with them. You smiled at her and turned to Arlecchino.

“Do you really believe I’m strong enough to spar with all of you?” You tilted your head to the side, eyes glimmering with a light similar to the one of the sea during sunrise.

Arlecchino gazed at you, her own eyes shining with that familiar glint that left you mesmerized, one of the reasons you loved her eyes so much. Slowly, her hand made its way to your soft hair, ruffling it. You closed your eyes and let out a content sigh. Arlecchino remained silent, observing you.

Columbina swore she could hear both your heartbeats in that moment. A soft smile tugged at her lips, yet it wasn’t the usual hollow one. She genuinely smiled. Soon, her soft laughter filled the room. With child-like enthusiasm she pulled both you and Arlecchino into her embrace. Her giggles became contagious, you started laughing too as you intertwined your fingers with her. You were unsure as to why you were laughing, but it just felt like a natural reaction. Arlecchino seemed to think the same, she let out a soft snicker under her breath, which left both you and Columbina floating up to Cloud Nine.

You took their hands in yours and smiled.

Arlecchino stiffened, her body freezing from the shock. Soon, she caressed your hand, her clawed fingers holding yours, but only for a split second. Her cheeks were a tinted red color, similar to her lipstick, yet less vibrant. Columbina on the other hand, held your hands near her heart almost instantly.

As she did so, she swore your cheeks flushed. Your heartbeat was never steady around the Harbingers, she noticed. She’d assumed it was because of your immense respect but holding you like this made her realize that it was something else. Something more… intimate. She felt her own heart skip a beat at the thought. As her and Arlecchino pulled away, she felt a smile tug at her lips.

You cared for her, her girlfriend and the other Harbingers. Did you love them? What did you think of each of them? She felt as though she met Arlecchino for the second time, her soulmate. Except now, there were two… Two soulmates. Two people care for her, love her and respect her. She stood next to Arlecchino and held her hand.

Your voice broke the comfortable silence you three were in.

“Columbina, I have something I want to tell you.” You lean closer and explain everything to her, whispering so that Childe and Scaramouche wouldn’t hear. How Childe and Arlecchino fought, how you took care of them and how you kissed them. Instead of the upset reaction you expected, she just laughed.

“I know, dear. Arlecchino told me, I’m not upset with you. That does mean you owe me a kiss too. I mean you did kiss my girlfriend, did you not?”

You felt heat rise to your face, but it was like your body was moving on its own. You leaned closer to Columbina, your lips meeting for the first time. She tasted like peaches, contradicting the more sour taste of her girlfriend’s lips. However, Arlecchino’s taste got sweeter when you kissed her. The more you thought of it, the more it made sense, two sweet women, one that was forced to toughen up to protect herself and her emotions, and another one who was forced to become more kind hearted in order to lure people in. Fatui work changed people in many different aspects. That’s just what it did to these two women, yet it changed them in the most contradicting ways. Still, you were proud of the people they’ve become today, or maybe it was your rose-tinted glasses that changed your point of view.

Your eyes traveled across the room to Scaramouche and Childe, on opposite sides of the room from each other, Scaramouche was still electrocuting that poor training dummy using his delusion as a way to vent his frustrations of being left out once again. Or… punch his frustrations away. As for Childe, he was creating mini whales with his hydro vision out of boredom.

You smiled at the two men as you skipped towards them, humming a Snezhnayan tune. You decided to talk to Childe first. As soon as he noticed you he pulled you into a warm hug, his face buried into your shoulder. You started playing with his ginger locks, they were surprisingly soft and fluffy to the touch. You felt your heart flutter as he reached up to caress your face, his blue eyes analyzing your expression before pulling away.

“You’re such a tease, Ajax,” you mumble, face slightly flushed. You flick his forehead and pull away from the hug.

“Ouch, you’re so cold!” He dramatically poses as if he got shot in the heart and you lean closer to him again, kissing the spot on his forehead you flicked.

“Better?”

He nods, his whole face lighting up. “Much better.”

He pulls you in for another hug and you smile and hug him back.

“I missed this,” you whispered, tears threatening to spill from your eyes.

You missed his hugs, you missed his touch, his smile, his laugh. You missed him, and you hadn’t even realized how much you had until now. You loved him. You’d love him until your heart stopped beating, you’d love him until Teyvat faltered. You’d love him with your whole heart, you weren’t going to lose him again.

Yet it felt as though you were betraying him by loving the other Harbingers. You were confident you were his soulmate, but you also knew better than anyone that you were the other Harbingers’ soulmate too. His soft voice grounds you, reminding you that you were here now, there was no need to dwell on the what if’s yet.

“I missed this too, Solnyshko,” he responded, his eyes glimmering the same way they did when you were kids, full of hope and excitement as to what’s to come. They soon fluttered shut as he rested his head on your shoulder.

“Your eyes are beautiful Ajax,” you muttered, in response he lazily opened one eye to look at you.

“When did you become so cheesy?” he teased, a grin playing on his lips.

“Oh shut up! It’s true.”

Your eyes unconsciously traveled to his soft lips, his silly grin made your heart beat faster. Before you knew it you leaned in and you kissed him. You kissed your childhood best friend. He tasted like cinnamon with vanilla. It left you craving more, so as soon as he pulled away to breathe you pulled him back in. You could hear his heart beating rapidly. He cupped your face, caressing your cheek with so much care, as though you were an illusion, a dream.

“Do you just go around kissing your higher ups?” he teased as soon as you both pulled away.

Your face flushed and you looked away.

“What? No! Of course not-”

“I haven’t forgotten about last night, you know. You kissed me and Arlecchino. Is there something you’re not telling me?” His teasing grin returned, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

You sigh heavily as you decide to give in and just say it, growing lightheaded as your heart races.

“Fine. I love you, Ajax. But it’s so confusing. Aren’t I supposed to love just one person? I love you, but I love the other Harbingers too. I wish I wasn’t so greedy as to want you all to myself. I wish I could say I love all of you without shame swallowing me whole. I don’t feel ashamed because I love you, I’m ashamed because I worry that I’ll ruin this for all of us.”

What if he hated you?

But instead of responding like you expected him to, like he should’ve: With disgust, with anger, resentment for being so greedy… he stared at you as if he was trying to understand you. Soon he cracked a soft smile, a chuckle escaping his lips.

“You really are an idiot.”

You felt your face flush from embarrassment and anger! How could he say that so casually as if you didn’t admit you loved him for years? His chuckles turn into a full on fit of laughter, which caused you to grumble;

“Hey! What’s so funny? I just poured my heart out to you and that’s all you have to say!?” You punch his shoulder, but with not nearly enough force to hurt him. You didn’t want to inflict harm on him, especially since you loved him for so long now. Pushing him away would be stupid on your part.

“You jerkface!” You continued hitting his shoulder with a frown. You were only half-jokingly upset, scared that he’d reject you but also overly dramatizing your emotions to not make him worry.

“Jerkface? Are we in kindergarten?” he chuckled, cocking an eyebrow.

You roll your eyes in irritation.

“You know what I meant! How am I the idiot here?” you snark, sounding an awful lot like an angry chipmunk. Childe softly ruffled your hair, despite your grumbling protests.

“You aren’t greedy for wanting all of us. You’re probably just polyamorous-”

You blink owlishly, staring at him for a good minute without saying a word, your mouth opening and closing as you struggled to come up with anything to say.

“Poly- Huh?” you stutter out, eyebrows furrowing.

“-And that’s not a bad thing. You’re not greedy, your heart’s too big to fit just one person romantically.” Childe shrugs, as if this was obvious.

You continued to stare at him dumbfounded as you bit your bottom lip, considering his words. Your eyebrows furrowed as you averted your gaze away from his.

“But what if the rest of the Harbingers don’t think the same way you do?” you whisper, tears threatening to form in your eyes at the mere thought of being rejected from the people who you’ve grown so attached to.

If they were the sun, you were a sunflower, needing them, craving them to grow as a person. With eyes full of hope you looked up at them like they’ve handed you the world itself. You couldn’t lose that, not after longing for it for all your life.

You sighed, a familiar feeling of fear pooled in your stomach, but with it came a certain feeling that you couldn’t quite understand… Excitement maybe? You wanted to tell them your feelings for a while now, this was a perfect opportunity for you to do so.

He let out a soft chuckle as he pulled you in for another sweet kiss.

“If they can’t see you’re perfect, I will. I’m fully devoted to you, Solnyshko. If they can’t reciprocate your feelings, then they’re missing out on being with the sweetest person to ever enter their life,” he whispered, your foreheads softly brushing against each other. Your eyes fluttered shut, a shaky breath escaped your lips as your hands reached for his own.

Recently everytime you closed your eyes, all you could see was the future you had with the Harbingers. Going stargazing together- you wouldn’t doubt Columbina would talk about the auras of the stars, despite not seeing them. She’d hold you in her arms, and her cold yet welcoming embrace would be the only thing you’d be thinking about for a while.

Going fishing with Childe was next on your list. He’d always loved it, although you were honestly never interested in fishing. You were just observing his cute expression, how he stuck his tongue out when concentrating on reeling in the fish, how he bragged to you after catching a bigger sea creature. He was so adorable.

Dancing with Arlecchino was without a doubt one of your wildest and more hopeful dreams. You already knew that Arlecchino learned how to dance from a young age. She was really good at it, her movements flowed smoothly, every sway of her hips left you breathless, you could stare at her for hours. She was so elegant, you wished you knew how to dance so that you could join her.

Dottore was next. You’d love to go to the local book stores of Snezhnaya with him, since both of you had an interest in what Teyvat had to offer, you thought it’d be fitting to go to the libraries of Sumeru and read together. You'd sit next to him, lean on his shoulder as you flipped the pages together. You knew he was a bit crazy, but he was without a doubt smart.

And lastly Scaramouche, your ‘wake up call’ in a sense. He was the reason you even realized you were in love with the Harbingers. That you were in love with him. Truthfully, your heart still skipped a few beats around him and the Harbingers. You should’ve gotten used to their presence by now, yet you didn’t. You’d love to take him to a flower field, he was as beautiful as purple asters. His figure, his intricately applied makeup, his soft hair which perfectly framed his face, his eyes, which shined with that familiar passion you knew so well always softened slightly whenever he’d look at you. The flower field was perfect, you concluded. Especially if you could make him a bouquet.

Suddenly a thought crossed your mind.

Could you ever marry them? You felt your face heat up at the thought, yet it also made a part of you feel content, warm, and safe. Your stomach was filled with butterflies at the thought of waiting for all of them on the aisle. Soft smiles playing on their lips as they walk towards you.

Arlecchino would wear an elegant black suit, her tie more loose than the others, her coat draped over her shoulders, a corset enchanting her figure further, tight black pants that’d make her muscular legs show off further. She’d look even more stunning, her eyes would shine brighter than when they usually did when looking at you, she’d be… perfect. Her red lipstick would be exchanged for a deeper shade of maroon, that’d leave a light stain on your lips.

Columbina would wear a white wedding dress with black rose patterns adorning her top, her sleeves would be puffy, making her look like she came out of a fairytale book. Her usually pale face would be covered in her natural blush, shiny eyeshadow making her closed eyes appear that much more magical, her light rosy lipstick would match the color of your blush that’d practically be covering your whole face from both shyness and adoration.

As for Scaramouche, he’d have a typical white dress shirt with a purple corset the same shade as his hair, black pants and you wouldn’t doubt for a second he’d complain about the choice of the corset for him. His usual red eyeliner would instead be black, making his eyes look similar to a fox’s. His cocky smile would be exchanged with an expression full of love as he walked towards you.

Dottore would wear a black top with sleeves that puff up at the ends, enchanting his every movement, a deep blue coat that you could tell you wouldn’t be able to get your hands off of. The coat would be long in the back, short in the front and would make him look that much more breathtaking. Along with typical black pants- he had always preferred functionality over aesthetics.

Ajax would wear a white long sleeved shirt, an orchid blue waistcoat adorned with silver accents, long sky blue pants and a black coat over his shoulders. He’d smile at you, brighter than ever before, and his eyes, for once, would regain their glow. You felt your heart skip a beat at the thought.

What were you thinking?!

Marrying the Harbingers was beyond ridiculous. None of them seemed like the type to be interested in that kind of commitment! Not to mention the fact that you were an underling, an attractive one, but certainly an underling! Arlecchino and Columbina already had each other, Dottore was too focused on experiments, Ajax was focused on Fatui work, and Scaramouche was…Scaramouche.

You looked back up at Ajax and smiled. He grinned before kissing your forehead once again. You felt your heart flutter at the feeling of his lips against your skin. You pulled him into your embrace and played with his hair, untangling his messy ginger locks. He looked up at you, his face comfortably snuggled in your chest. After a moment of comfortable silence, he spoke.

“Do you plan on telling them?” his muffled voice came from where he was pressed against the fabric of your uniform.

“I will, I’m just unsure as to when,” you sighed, awkwardly fidgeting with your Fatui insignia.

“Hey, it’ll be okay, they’re all obviously head over heels for you, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind-” Ajax reassured you, holding your hand in his.

“But what if they do? What then?”

“Then it’s the two of us, just like when we were kids.” A soft, comforting smile adorns his lips and you grin back, be it nervously.

You twist your heel and nod determinedly to yourself, walking towards the Harbinger, the thrill and anticipation intimidating you a bit.

“Where are you going?” he asks, tilting his head curiously but following you nonetheless.

“It’s now or never!” you respond, trying to mask your anxiety with a false confident act.

Ajax blinked dumbly before giving you a look, indirectly asking you if you’re sure. You gave him a nod and walked towards Arlecchino and Columbina. Arlecchino was sharpening her polearm quietly while Columbina rambled full of excitement about your future sparring match.

You gently tap Arlecchino’s shoulder, to grab her attention and Columbina, who already sensed your presence, raised an eyebrow.

“Is something the matter, dear?” Columbina asks, her soft voice making you feel light yet also reminding you of the truths that’d soon leave your lips.

“I…” you pause, looking for the right words.

Scaramouche stopped attacking the training dummy as soon as he noticed your nervousness. He walked up to you and the other Harbingers, letting out a scoff.

“What are you doing with them again, underling? Don’t you have anything better to do?”

“There's something I want to tell you all of you,” You muttered, catching Scaramouche’s gaze, as your face heated up from embarrassment at the thought of confessing like this.

Dottore walked through the door without a care for the tense atmosphere.

As soon as he spots you, he smirks and puts down the clipboard he was holding as he says: “Ah, if it isn’t the cute lapdog.”

You stuck your tongue out in response to his comment while Arlecchino and Scaramouche glared at him.

“Well, since you're all here I'd be an idiot to back down now… I have something I need to get off my chest” You gave Childe a nervous glance before gulping.

“Get what off your chest?” asked Columbina, suddenly anxious as to what your confession might be.

“I think I might be polyamorous, I wish I wasn’t but I may be. I’d sacrifice everything I have and don’t have to be with you. I crave you like the sunflowers crave the sun after days of endless rain. I want to be with you, hold you, protect you… Although you’re probably the ones who’ll be protecting me, I’ll learn how to be strong enough to be someone worthy of your love and respect. I love you, my heart is filled with utter adoration for you. Forgive me for being greedy.” You kneeled before them and lowered your head in shame as tense silence filled the air.

“I sincerely apologize for my foolishness, I can’t control who I love, yet that won’t stop me from feeling guilty. I know you guys have bright futures-” You looked at Childe and Dottore, then turned to Scaramouche.

“You have reputations to uphold and-” Lastly you turned to Arlecchino and Columbina.

“You have partners. I can’t hold you back, that’d be so, so foolish and selfish of me. But I really want to make your lives better in any way I can, I want to be the reason you try your best. I want to make you smile. I sound like a cliche protagonist from a romance book, yet I can’t help it. You deserve a comforting and cute romance after all the shit I’m confident you’ve endured while working here. I value you a lot, I want to love you. So if you’ll let me-”

Tears threatened to spill from your eyes as you shakily inhaled.

“I’m in love with you,” you repeat, as the silence in the room is swallowing you whole.

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