Shounen Ai Mangas That Should Be A Part Of Your Reading List If You Enjoy Reading Healthy And Plot Driven

I finally found someone who write for pgr :D and this is so good sgsjshwhwhw

Hi. :) Your writing is divine and I would be honored if you fulfilled even one of my requests. Please bestow upon me an emotionally broken, male PGR MC being comforted by Kamui and/or Lee after a long, hard day. Also Kamui and/or Lee going to male Skk needing comfort after anti-Construct discrimination. Or male Skk worrying about his gender while being in love with Kamui, Lee or Chrome.

Courtney! Thank you for the ask! (And for your kind words ❤️)

So, this is actually part 1 of your ask, because I have so many ideas and no time to write them all haha. It's Lee being confronted with anti-Construct discrimination and having an emotionally charged exchange with the Commandant after. I know you requested a male SKK, but I couldn't find a way to bring it up organically so the SKK is written as gender-neutral (I hope that's okay 😣). I wanted the focus of this piece to be a dance between Lee and SKK, a tension that goes unresolved and the comfort that can be found in that liminal space. It ended up being quite long (2.1k), which is why it took a while for me to finish.

Part 2 will feature an emotionally fragile male SKK getting anxious about their gender and feelings towards Kamui when getting comforted physically. I'm not sure when it'll be out since I write best when inspiration strikes, but I hope you'll bear with me until it does!

Okay, enough blabbering that nobody cares about. Go Lee!

Liminal Space   //     LEE

All done. Lee stood and stretched. The workshop was empty at this hour, nobody to keep him company but white lights and crystalline silence. He liked it. There was a certain sense of clarity in this kind of solitude, like the universe was revealing her tender secrets just for him. The night breathed while the world slept, and Lee loved the quiet of his own thoughts.

He’d just finished developing an inver-device for his robots. The complexity of such technology had been beyond his understanding for a long time, but he’d studied it and he’d figured it out. There was pride to take in such human things, he thought. The simplicity of learning.

He put the little bot in his pocket and made his way down the brightly lit corridors. Even at this hour, Babylonia dreamt in working colours. Offices blazed with golden light. Labs leaked blues and greens as Constructs underwent maintenance or emergency surgery. There was no true rest here, not in this place cradled by starlight.

He’d almost arrived at his room when a harsh voice tore through the veiled silence. “Hey. You.”

Lee stopped, but didn’t turn around. A midnight confrontation usually went one of two ways. He highly doubted it was going to be the pleasant one. “Something to say?” he asked coolly.

“Yeah, in fact, I do.” The vitriol in the man’s voice was clear. His footsteps drew close. “We don’t need you filthy things. Humanity can fight its own war. You bloody robots can eat shit.” A hand clamped down on his shoulder. “Once we reclaim the earth, there’ll be no place for things like you.”

“If you say so,” Lee said, reaching up to brush the man’s clammy fingers from his shirt. “Now if you’ll excuse me--” An arm shoved him roughly against the wall. The man was stocky, with bloodshot eyes sunk deep in his lined face. His breath stank of alcohol. “No,” he slurred in Lee’s face. “I don’t think I will. What’re you gonna do about it, filth?”

Lee wanted very much to put his knee between the man’s legs. How easy it would be to overpower this pathetic drunk, to give him a dangerous awareness of the fragility of human flesh. But the consequences of such behaviour were simply unacceptable. He schooled his features into neutrality, blue eyes like chips of ice. “I’m not going to do anything,” he said. “You’re not worth my time.”

The man’s face twisted with rage. He slammed Lee’s head against the wall with enough force to rattle his teeth. His vision glitched. “Fuck you,” the man hissed, spittle flying like bullets. “You’re an abomination.”

“Maybe,” Lee admitted. “But I’m still better than you.”

A wad of spit landed on his cheek, wet and sour and foul. “Fuck you,” the stranger said again. Then the anger seemed to drain from him, replaced by an intense disdain Lee reciprocated. He spat once more in Lee’s face before releasing him. “If the earth is going to be populated by freaks like you,” he said. “Then we might as well let the bloody Punishing have it.” He sauntered down the hall, swaying as though he walked on invisible waves.

Prick, Lee thought. He watched the man disappear around a corner before scrubbing a sleeve across his cheek. The wetness smeared across his face, like an oil slick across water. He cringed. Disgusting.

Straightening his jacket, he made his way down the corridor. His mood had soured considerably, all the more because the man had something vaguely resembling a point. He’d never permitted himself to dwell on it, and there had never really been the time nor space, but the truth was that Earth was for humanity. It always had been, and it always would be. People like him were needed now, but one day, under blue skies and birdsong, they would no longer be necessary. Just remnants of a time rather forgotten.

He paused outside your room. Soft golden light peeked out from under the door, like an invitation he didn’t know how to accept. What am I doing here?

The door slid open soundlessly. “Lee?”

Suddenly, you stood before him, all messy hair and tired eyes. You looked exhausted, but somehow still radiant, like a fire blazed just out of sight. No matter how dim, it never went out. Lee stuttered. “H-How did you know I was here?”

“I sensed fluctuations in your M.I.N.D,” you said, flashing a small smile. “And I recognise your footsteps.” Lee flushed, but said nothing. He couldn’t seem to meet your eyes.

“I should--”

You cut him off with a sweeping gesture. “Come in. I need some distraction from all this paperwork, anyway.” You didn’t wait for him to accept. Stepping aside, you poured yourself another cup of coffee and took a sip. “Can’t live without this stuff,” you said, grimacing at the bitter taste. “Though I really wish I could.”

Lee sighed. The door clicked shut softly behind him. He looked different in the warm glow of your lamp, all his hard edges blurred into something tender and vulnerable. “You really should take better care of your health, Commandant,” he said, snatching the cup neatly from your fingers. “Starting with going to bed at a reasonable time.”

You laughed. “You’re one to talk, Lee. Constructs need sleep too, you know?”

“Not as much as you.” He sniffed the confiscated coffee. “This smells terrible.”

“It’s not that bad. Does the job.”

“A job that shouldn’t need doing,” he scoffed, tipping the brown liquid down the drain. You studied him, noting the way he seemed to move just a little too stiffly, a little too absently. Lee was meticulous about everything, living his life with the precision of a needle. His M.I.N.D. was like a lake, a glassy mirror to the sky and stars, the world’s beauty reflected back to her heavenly eyes. Quiet and calm, tranquil. Two fluctuations within half an hour certainly wasn’t the norm.

“What happened?” you asked after a time, when the silence between you had grown heavy. He bristled. “Nothing.”

“Lee.”

His words came slowly, like they were dug from some secret grave where they’d been left to die. You waited patiently. His words were rare. To know his thoughts was a treasure beyond worth. “I ran into someone unpleasant outside the workshop,” he said finally. “They attacked me.”

Anger flared to life within you. “Who?” you growled, trying to calm the animal urge to fight, to protect. Lee didn’t look at you. “It doesn’t matter,” he said firmly. “I diffused the situation.”

“Then why are you so upset,” you demanded. “Nobody can hurt you, so what did they say?” He fell silent once more. You forced yourself to still, to be a confidant instead of a bully. There was no forcing Lee; he would tell you or he wouldn’t. When he spoke again, there was a bitterness in his voice that was heartbreaking.

“The Earth isn’t meant for people like me, Commandant,” he said. “We’re fighting to return it to its rightful owners. People like you.”

“Is that what they told you?” you asked, fighting to keep the emotion from your tone. “The Earth belongs to all of us. Including you.”

He smiled ruefully. “Always an optimist. But you’re wrong. Us Constructs know nothing but war. We were built for it, after all. When Earth comes back to us, it’ll need kinder hands to guide it. To heal it.”

You’d heard enough. You strode up to him and unwound his crossed arms. His eyes widened, those beautiful eyes bluer than the ocean and just as deep. “These hands are kind,” you said, turning his palms up to the sky. “These hands build robots. These hands protect me.” You brushed a thumb over his skin. “These hands protected Murray. So tell me, how are you not fit to heal the Earth?”

His breath caught, just slightly. Your name drifted from his lips like forbidden fruit, caught somewhere between meaning and insignificance. “It’s not the container, but what’s in it,” you continued, staring at his metallic right hand. The black steel was dull in the gloom, chipped paint and scuff marks marred the smooth surface. Proof of a life lived in danger, of a selfless devotion to the terrible war. You laced your fingers through his. “A body built for war isn’t the same as a soul made for one. A hand that kills isn’t the same as a heart that’s cruel. I don’t care what anybody says, if reclaiming the Earth means abandoning the people who fought for it, then let the Punishing have that damned rock.” You were painfully aware of the space between you, a distance that seemed to shrink but never close. “The future I fight for,” you finished quietly. “Is one with you in it.”

Lee was silent. Your fingers between his were like a brand upon his soul. He didn’t know what to say. All his words felt awkward, like the clumsy tatters of a dream. They stuck in his throat, choking him, but there was so much he wanted to say. So much he wanted to show you.

You moved to pull away. Don’t leave. Without thought, he tugged with his robotic hand, pulling you into an embrace that was at once desperate and tender. He held you against him, strong arms wrapped around your shoulders as though he couldn’t bear to let you go. “I was more upset than I realised,” he said softly, breath warm against the shell of your ear. “Thank you, Commandant.”

“Of course,” you said, pressing yourself just a little closer to him. “Anything for you, Lee.”

You stayed like that a while, and it was like the whole world paused. Just you and Lee suspended in a moment protected by the very night itself. You breathed in his scent, clean air on an ocean breeze, and rested your head in the crook of his neck. The warmth of another body, the press of skin on skin. You hadn’t realised how much you’d needed it.

When the moment broke, Lee’s cheeks were flushed. He pulled away. “S-Sorry,” he said awkwardly, as if all the embarrassment of the past few minutes was hitting him all at once.

You laughed, perhaps a little too sharply. A little too breathlessly. “Nothing to apologise for,” you said. “I think we both needed that.”

You cleared your throat. Something had happened, something that lingered in the air still. You could almost reach out and touch it, if only you dared. But you let it fade, felt it disappear from the air as if it had never been there at all.

Because you weren’t ready. And neither was Lee. Perhaps one day, you thought with some regret. But not today.

Sighing, you moved back to your desk and leaned against it. Picking up a file, you scanned it absently before tossing it back down. You quirked a smile at Lee. “Do you want to stay awhile?” you asked, gesturing to the pile of reports on your desk. “Plenty of riveting work to be done.”

Lee snorted. “As if I don’t have better things to do.”

“Do you?” You sat down. Here you both were again, back in familiar waters. A push, a pull, a constant tug-of-war. Never a winner, just the eternal game. It was both a comfort and a curse.

Lee grabbed a stack of papers and settled on the couch. “No,” he said. “Not tonight.”

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

You rubbed a hand over your face. Some hours had passed since you’d invited Lee to stay. Though he didn’t look any worse for wear, you were quickly losing steam. Your mind had long lost its focus for reports. Instead, you studied Lee’s face in the gloom, admiring the perfect symmetry of his features. He was so beautiful.

You shifted on the couch. You’d migrated here a while ago with a blanket thrown over your outstretched legs. Your bare foot rested against Lee’s thigh, though neither of you acknowledged it. Sighing, you tossed the report to the ground. Your vision was so bleary you could barely make out the words anymore. Only one question drifted in your mind, still coherent after the delirium of six cups of coffee and no sleep.

“Why didn’t you fight back?” you whispered in the semi-darkness. “Why did you let some asshole attack you?”

Lee didn’t look at you. He was silent for so long you didn’t think he’d answer at all. “Because,” he said finally. “I didn’t want you to get into trouble, Commandant. Misconduct from me reflects poorly on you. I’m not going to disgrace you.”

You chuckled. “I think I would have been rather proud.”

“That’s because you’re reckless,” he said dryly.

“Guilty as charged.”

Several long moments passed. Your eyes drifted shut. “Sleep,” Lee said. “I’ll finish up.”

You were already half gone, free-falling towards an ocean as black as night.

You could have sworn something soft brushed against your temple.

But perhaps it was just a dream.

Awww imagine reposting and translating someone work.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT !!

So, an anon informed me that my work was reposted and translated onto wattpad by the account: yukobit0. While in the process of looking for my post, I found many others who are big in the hashtag tokyo revengers. I just wanted to inform you all incase you were unaware. On my blog it specifically states my work is not to be reposted onto other platforms!! The person running the obit00 account did credit the original poster in the beginning of each ‘chapter’ on wattpad. Even so, many of these creators specifically say they do not want their work reposted. Please report the account or dm them so that they may take it down. Below are images. I tagged some people who’s @‘s I saw. Though I only got up to chapter 38 (my post) and I did not @ everyone I saw. If you see others please @ them!

@hqnma @mitsukeys @kazuluvr @kawaragi @bonten @zvnphoria @antagluv @swaggybaji2 @chifiru @himeno-exe @tokyo-fukushu

Ong helo again, i want to req reverse streamer au w childe when the reader acc dies at the golden house where the traveller aka childe fight them amdjjsjsjs, i kinda wanna see how his reaction is. (Lets just say the liyue harbor osial attack was done by another hsrbinger)

Just this and if yoi dont write for angst or you dont wanna write this feel free to delete thsi req. (I got the request idea when j was reading your latest work, it was really good 🤸‍♂️)

Yeah give me that angst baybee im a sucker for sadness

I may be a bit bad at writing angst tho, its not my strongest in writing

Also i know you cant see in game bruises/scratches but lets just pretend they exist even out of cutscene

Lets pretend Y/n's little sibling in game is also named Teucer

-ˋˏ✄— Fallen Harbinger

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ Tartaglia x Reader [ Reversed + Streamer AU ! ]

Pronouns: they/them

"Farewell, Fallen Harbinger."

CW: Angst! Death! Mentions of blood!

.navigation. // .genshin impact masterlist.

'Go to the Golden House,' the quest read.

It had just been another regular day for Childe. Wake up, do his morning chores, then do his regular, messily scheduled streaming.

And, as per usual, he had been streaming Genshin Impact, a well known game in the streaming community.

"The Golden House? Uh, okay then..."

He stole a glance at his chat, who were telling each other to shut up, while some only asked what would happen in confusion. Spoilers were probably deleted by his mods.

"Chat, you're scaring me, chat. What the hell is going to happen? No, no, don't tell me, I don't think I want to know yet."

Something in his head screamd at him, as a cutscene played. His chosen traveller looked around the Golden House before stepping closer to the Exurvia of the former Geo Archon.

And then, in stepped familiar h/c hair, their e/c eyes devoid of light despite the golden mora shining within the Golden House.

"Hey! The lil skrunkly!" He whispered, low enough to not desturb the cutscene.

They conversed for a bit, before the cutscene ended and a battle began.

"Surreder is a valid option, I promise I'll be gentle."

Childe swallowed his saliva, laughing quietly to himself.

"Oh I am going to have fun. Maybe."

─𖠄࿐

The fight ended, and Childe was shaking in his seat. He had barely finished phase 3, getting disracted many times.

Another cutscene played, revealing a tired, worn out traveller. But Y/n was no better, not even on his level.

Standing across the traveller, now out of their Foul Legacy form, was same old Y/n, shaking in their place as scratches and bruises littered their skin.

"Hah, you've bested me. How... intriguing. You truely are...as strong as they say."

Childe, having a chill run up his spine, stared intelty at his screen, deathly quiet.

"La Signora has even praised you for your strength, even if she had not faught you herself, yet. Hah, to get a Harbinger's attention and praise... You sure are a special one, huh?"

─𖠄࿐

Having none of their energy remaining, Y/n collapsed to the floor, on their knees. They could see the traveller hesitate to approach them, but they spoke before he could move.

"Well? What are you waiting for? I may have overused Foul Legacy, and it wont be too long."

They spared a glance at the traveller, and even in their weakest moment, a competetive and mischievous glint shone in their once dull eyes.

"Go on. Aren't you going to kill me?"

The traveller's breath hitched, before they chuckled once again.

"Haha, only joking... Unless you're up to it, of course. I'm not quite a fan of dying to Foul Legacy, but after a fight with the oh so great traveller? It was a fight worth dying for, I guess."

Coughing, blood trickled down their chin, and they wiped it off with the back of their hand.

"May I be able to hope to see you again? To have another battle? Perhaps in the far future, perhaps never again at all..."

Taking a step forward, the traveller ceased his motion as the Harbinger raised a hand.

"No need. Whatever healing you might try to do would not work. Foul Legacy takes my energy, decreasing my life span. Perhaps I wasn't meant to live long, perhaps my only purpose was to serve the Tsaritsa."

A chuckle, breathy and tired and solemn and...happy.

Happy to have someone to pass one last message for them.

"Before you leave," they spoke. "You'll probably be able to find one or two of the Harbingers here. One of them would be summoning a god banished to the depths below. You cannot stop them. Or maybe you can. But, before you leave."

They looked up, and despite the scratches and blood on their face, their half lidded eyes shined a thousand times brighter than all the mora in the Golden House.

"My siblings... My mother, my father... Everyone..."

They smiled, brighter than their eyes. It was soft and kind and solemn and genuine and sad.

A million words spoke through that smile. A million messages, a million apologies, a million grateful thank yous. Directed to their family, their parents, their siblings.

A million farewells. Directed to everyone.

Directed to the traveller. To Childe.

"Give them one last goodbye for me, will you? A hug, for everyone. A kiss on the cheek, for mum and dad."

A smile, solemn and bright. But never remorseful, never faux.

"Tell Teucer I'm sorry."

Falling to their side, they collapsed on the ground with a thud, and the Golden House was deathly quiet.

─𖠄࿐

Childe stared at the screen. Eyes wide, mouth agape. If you looked close enough, you could see his shaking form as the cutscene ended.

Another quest popped up.

'Bid Y/n L/n a final goodbye.'

And he wailed in his seat.

Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he made it seem more dramatic to make people assume he wasn't really badly affected by their death.

"I— what— NO! My skrunkly! My little meow meow!"

He moved his character to stand in front of Y/n, an interact button popping up.

'Bid your farewells.'

He did so, seeing his character change to the traveller, who kneeled down beside Y/n. Paimon floated down to the ground, placing a hand on their head.

"...We promise you, Y/n. Your family will be alright."

Taking a flower, a Cecilia from Mondstadt, the traveller gingerly placed it atop their head.

"...We'll be going now, Y/n." He said, and stood up.

Childe had been quiet the whole time, and he could see his chat going wild on the corner of his eyes, all screaming 'NO' or 'o7' or anything alike.

"What the fuck!?" He exclaimed, not touching the game. Rolling his chair backwards a bit, he turned his head to chat, hands intertwined in front of his face, covering his mouth.

He wiped his teary eyes and wet cheeks, trying to find his voice.

"That was too early! I thought I could ignore the death flags until further!!" He exclaimed, staring directly at his face cam. Running a hand through his hair, he dramatically slouched on his chair, groaning loudly.

"Nooo! I would have protected them!"

Suddenly springing up from his seat, he wailed even louder.

"THEIR FAMILY!! THEY'RE GOING TO BE FUCKING DEVASTATED! And— and— their siblings! TEUCER!" He exclaimed.

"I'm sueing Mihoyo Hoyoverse what the fuck."

─𖠄࿐

@Tartaglia Tweeted!

WHAT THE FUCK WHAT WHY I— NOOOO

@ScaryMouche Tweeted!

@Tartaglia do u know how loud u are wailing up there??

@Tartaglia Tweeted!

THEY KILLED THEM SCARA THEY KILLED Y/N

@ScaryMouche Tweeted!

WE KNOW YOUVE BEEN FUKIN CRYING ABOUT IT FOR THE PAST HOUR

@ScaryMouche Tweeted!

Honestly if u didnt pay most of the rent Dottore probably would have kicked u out before you lasted an hour in this house

@Tartaglia Tweeted!

Guys who wants to come with me lets make a personal shrine for Y/n in our backyard

@IlDottore Tweeted!

@Tartaglia Do that and I will burn you and the shrine.

—PATCHWRK !

Yes.

Okay seriously. Reblog if you're OLDER than 11.

cat of war part ii

Please, reblog! IIt’s called self defense. Apart from having here, in the US, one of the highest cases of homicide and rape in the world and high rate of GBV, think about how this could help your mother or sister

The street performer i met today.

Ft. Akito x Gn!reader.

Cw : usage of the word pretty? Reader Pronoun : They/Them A/N : basically this was the brainrot i had 2 days ago.

—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–

I was supposedly rushing to meet the other since i was 15 minutes late, ena sure takes her time when she's shopping eh? If i diddn't ran away when she wasn't looking i'm gonna be even more later than this.

The street is bustling with people today, i wonder why.

when I almost walked towards the crossing something caught my attention—

"Is this a sound of a guitar?" I tried to listen carefully, trying to figure out where the noise was coming. Hm?

Electric? No... i don't think so. Should i go take a look? Wouldn't i be even more later than now? I peered over to the crowds who seems to be listening to the music.

"Heh listening for a while wouldn't hurt right?" As i walked towards the crowds i could see— oh a solo street performer? Interesting.

I tried to squezze in through the crowd, and does it work? Yes. From here the front i could see the performer.

There they Sat, their finger flicking thru the guitar string gracefully, making a soft melody. I thought i was never a big fan of a song with soft melody like this, but... maybe it could change?..

Their eyes were half lidded making them look sleepy but yet they put on a gentle smile whilst their finger continued on making a melody. So graceful...

Wait... what was i thinking?! Graceful?! Huh?. My mind were telling me to leave, but something or somewhere in my heart was telling me to stay and listen to their performance.

My feet were glued, and my eyes are stuck admiring them and their little melody. I crossed my arms perhaps i were giving up on leaving, if its possible maybe my ears could be smiling while hearing their song right now.

I stood here alongside the crowd for... how long? I was too busy listening to their performance that i missed some phone calls from my friend, i did noticed that my phone was buzzing inside my pocket, but i was just too busy to care.

Times do went on, i realized that their performance was coming to an end.

They hop off slowly from the stool they were sitting and then bowing to the audience politely. "This is it for today, thank you for listening to my performance. I hope i could see everyone again"

Before i know, all the people beside and front of me was clapping, Signaling that the performance was over, and.. snapping me back to reality. "Aw..." I let out a whine alongside a "i should've come earlier."

Just before i left, i took a notice that they were staring at me or... maybe examining? Their eyes do look serious though.

"Ah... aren't you Shinonome Akito from BAD DOGS?, its unusual to see you here, Glad you enjoyed my performance." While they giggle softly and packing their guitar in.

Huh?.. me enjoying their performance?

"I hope i can see you somewhere akito." They said taking off their leave while smiling at me.

I tried to speak and ask for their name, but they were already too far away.

Their smile were so— oh my phone is buzzing again, i should hurry really...

But in honesty their performance was amazing, and their features, how do they make such an amazing music while keeping their composure like that? I said as i too, took my leave.

They were.... Pretty

i wish i could talk to them.

—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–

Bonus lol :

"Evening." I said while entering the weekend garage, i could see kohane, An, And toya also looks like they were waiting for a bit too long eh?

"Where were you?! We were supposed to discuss about our performance by the end of this week! You were the one who suggest it and yet you were late!" An said crossing her arms and sighing.

"I tried to call you akito, but you weren't answering" add toya.

"Even toya got worried" said kohane giggling.

"Yea yea! I know im sorry, its ena! I were stuck shopping with her" i said as i pulled one of the chair wanting to sit down.

"And shinonome why do your face looks a bit flushed? Are you okay?" Kohane said her face plastered with worry.

"I was about to ask that too" An said

My mind recalled to the time where they smiled at me, their smile were so genuine... and pretty.

"Huh?! Wh...– what do you mean im flushed?!" I said not realizing that im trying to cover my... flushed face?

"Ooh~ does the tough guy akito got a crush?" An teases.

"N..– No im not! Just get on with the discussion already!"

"Oh! He do~ Aha!" Said An laughing and so is kohane, even toya is giggling.

Sigh... i guess i need to get used to her teasing again eh?

But, did An just said a.. crush?

Well cough im not that kind of person who falls inlove with someone just met right? Right?!

—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–—–

HAAA i swear it isn't supposed to be this long, and it was supposed to be finished yesterday. But headache says no.

---

your big brother kazuha hcs were so cute 😭 i was wondering if you could also do hcs for either kaeya and diluc as big brothers

autophobia.

# — characters: gender neutral reader, kaeya, diluc, crepus

# — summary: “in family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony.” –friedrich nietzsche

# — warnings: mentions of death, fighting, panic attacks, anxiety

# — tags: hc/drabble format, slight canon divergence, hurt/comfort, LOTS of fluff, but also LOTS of angst, found family, implied (romantic) albedo x reader

# — notes: i know you liked the kazuha one because it was cute but because this concept with kaeya and diluc specifically actually crosses my mind a lot.. like a LOT a lot, this is a long one, so buckle up! as always, reblogs and reactions are appreciated, and i really really hope you enjoy!

# — tag list: @marius-z @the-gayest-sky-kid @kkiryus @keiq0 @favonious-captain

wanna join the tag list?

✧ — ❄ +🔥 — ✧

so i'm assuming you meant diluc and kaeya separately, buuuut... it's hard to put them separate when they are brother, though they behave otherwise

so let's say, for the sake of this post, you are their adopted younger sibling!

crepus took you in along with kaeya since you two were abandoned in the same place at the same time

however, you two were abandoned by completely different people, so no, you have no ties to khaenri'ah

(but, if you want smth that's like.. kaeya and the reader being sibling spies for khaenri'ah, i can make a whole 'nother post. i digress.)

as children...

you three were inseparable

kaeya and diluc bonded well to begin with, but with you added to the mixture, they may as well have been joined at the hip

diluc is the oldest amongst the three of you, and sort of gets saddled with caring for you and kaeya in subtle ways, even if crepus is present in your lives

he's kind of like the "leader" if that makes sense? he's fine with you and kaeya having opinions or dictating what activities you do for the day

but neither you nor kaeya can refuse diluc whenever he asks for something or makes a demand

(he will deny, as an adult, that he ever made demands as a boy. it's true that he didn't, but you and kaeya will sometimes tease him about it anyways.)

"kaeya, can you stop spinning them around like that? you two might break something and dad would have a heart attack if either of you got hurt." a young diluc peers over the top of his book at you and kaeya, who have been horsing around while he reads something about knighthood.

he's been taking his studies seriously these days in order to fulfill your father's dreams of becoming an esteemed knight of favonius. since crepus couldn't do it himself, diluc took it upon himself to do it in his stead. he's an overachiever in every sense of the word, and you thought he was the coolest brother in all of teyvat.

kaeya sets you down on the ground gently. "yes sir!" he salutes his brother, snickering when you copy his actions.

diluc snorts and rolls his eyes. "that's not even how the knights salute, kaeya. you'd know that if you studied more."

kaeya scrunches his nose. "hey, i take my studies very seriously, thank you very much. i just gotta make time for my siblings, unlike some people." he leans over and uses your head as an arm rest, not budging when you try to shake him off. "it's called time management, diluc. look it up."

your brothers bickered like this rather often, but there was never any bite to their words. you could always see them fighting back smiles as they went back and forth, trying to keep the upper hand on the other. a lot of the time, you were caught in the crossfire, be it physically or verbally. you didn't mind much, but sometimes they would get annoying.

you manage to shove kaeya's arm off your head. "for the record, neither of you are good at managing your time." you grumble. "diluc studies too much and kaeya studies too little."

"what, are you supposed to be goldilocks, then?" diluc closes his book, smirking at you. "are you supposed to be the perfect kid?"

you cross your arms over your chest. "well, duh. i studied for a little while today, and i'm playing with kaeya now. i'll study some more later. that's how you do it."

your brothers share a look of defeat and then turn their eyes back to you. kaeya ruffles your hair. "ah, our youngest is growing up so fast," he muses, "soon, they'll be the grand master of the knights and we'll have to follow their every command."

you sputter and try to push kaeya off of you again. when you fail, your struggling turns into an all-out wrestling match, with kaeya beating you in record time thanks to his longer limbs. "on second thought," your brother pants, "maybe i'd make a better grand master? what do you think, diluc?"

"sure, kaeya." diluc answers dismissively. "you'd be the greatest."

it's a respect thing, mostly.

never once has diluc lorded his title as eldest over the two of you, so you and kaeya came to respect and love him naturally.

diluc takes after crepus in more than just appearance.

even as kids, he was mature and responsible, but still maintained his boyish behaviors whenever you or kaeya were involved.

he's the older brother you ran to during stormy nights, since you knew for a fact that he would be awake anyways.

he's the older brother you went to for silent comfort

if you had a nightmare, diluc was the brother you went to.

(kaeya can pout about it all he wants.)

if you wanted to cry, diluc was the brother who would hug you silently until you've let it all out. he won't ask questions or push you for answers; he'll just sit there and be your rock.

i suppose in a literal sense, he's the warmth of your childhood. diluc is the sturdy, resilient, ever-burning flame that you use for comfort in times of need.

also, don't tell anyone, but diluc was definitely a hugger. a HUGE teddy bear.

kaeya was definitely the more tactile sibling

but if you denied diluc a hug or went to kaeya instead of him, he'd get all mopey and then deny it until you cuddled with him.

"you were pouting earlier."

"i don't pout. can you get out my room?"

you giggle. "i came to give you a hug, since i didn't give you one earlier."

diluc sits up with a groan, his hair wild. "is that why you're here at..." he peeks at the clock on the wall. "two in the morning?"

he sounds exhausted, but you can tell he's not going to reject you. he never does. you don't say anything -- you just stand there and wait for diluc to ask for what he clearly wants.

"you're gonna make me say it, aren't you?"

you nod.

diluc sighs and scoots over in his bed. "get over here, you brat. i'm sleepy." when you climb in beside him, he tosses the comforter over you and hugs you close. he smells like cinnamon and you sigh contently. "can't believe you woke me up for this." he grumbles.

you snicker. "love you too, 'luc."

"whatever."

as the resident middle child, kaeya took it upon himself to balance being a big brother and a little brother all at once

i know it may sound easy to people without siblings, and maybe even some actual middle children may say that it's not that hard

but middle child syndrome is very real, and when you step back and think about it, it's really hard when you're kind of overshadowed by your older and younger siblings.

he doesn't feel any sort of negative way about it, but kaeya is a smart boy -- he knows that he put himself in a difficult position by behaving the way he does

he babies you, even though the age gap between you two isn't very large.

kaeya is the older brother who seeks you out instead of the other way around.

and for some reason he never makes noise when he moves?

(is it related to his mission? find out next time on the next episode dragon ball z)

it's something he LOVES using to his advantage, by the way.

"shit!"

kaeya makes an accusatory noise. "what would father say if he heard you say something like that?" he leans on the doorway, a playful smirk on his lips. "did i really scare you that badly?"

you clutch at your chest in an attempt to slow your racing heart. "would it kill you to make a little noise when you move? for barbatos' sake, i could have died just now."

kaeya's expression falters for a moment, but he glosses it over so quickly, you think you may have seen incorrectly. "dramatic as always. anyways," he extends a hand out for you to take, "our dearest older brother is heading into the city and wants us to come with."

"it's not a request, is it," you ask, taking your brother's hand. you roll your eyes when kaeya tells you that no, diluc actually did ask. but because neither you nor kaeya can say no to him, you two were already going along. "figured as much." you sigh.

i'd like to think that by the time kaeya was in his late teens, he had adopted a particular manner of speech

specifically, the one he uses as an adult

it's corny to you, but you secretly think it makes him even cooler than he already is

because kaeya is exactly the kind of cool protagonist-like boy you read about in stories

he's always had his eye covered ever since you two met, and he's always carried himself with grace

now that you're an adult who knows of his past, it makes sense

but little you just wanted to be like their big brother

and honestly, kaeya did what he could to mold you in his image

not to say he told you his secrets, but whenever he saw his habits in you, it made his heart break and swell at the same time

truly, the most painful parts of his childhood was realizing how much he loved you and diluc

"...why are you wearing an eyepatch?" diluc raises a brow at you. "is there a secret costume party in the mansion that i don't know about or something?"

just as you're about to explain why you're wearing it, kaeya comes stumbling into the room, his hand covering his right eye. "there you are!" he yells.

diluc snorts so loud he has to cover his mouth. so that's why you had an eyepatch on -- you took it from kaeya. from the frantic look in his eye, diluc thinks you may have just taken it off of kaeya in his sleep or something.

you shriek and duck behind diluc, who's failing at masking his laughter. "don't hurt me!" you yell from behind your brother. "i just thought it looked cool!"

kaeya growls. "then you should have just asked to try it on, you dirty thief! who takes shit off someone's face like that?!"

diluc actually barks out a laugh and kaeya fixes him with a glare capable of freezing over anything. "sorry, sorry." he tries to apologize as he makes a face in an attempt to school his expression. "it's not funny, i'm sorry."

"you're still smiling." kaeya deadpans.

"to be fair," diluc snickers, "you've got sticky fingers as well."

it's true; kaeya definitely has a habit of taking the belongings of others -- yours in particular, actually -- and hiding them in the most absurd places. he must have never thought someone would return the favor like this. he sighs, the fight and frustration leaving him.

now that he's looking at you from behind diluc, kaeya can't help but feel proud of the fact that you're acting like him. it was an amateur heist on your part, but with some more practice, you could be just like him someday. he sighs fondly at the thought of it.

"fine, you got me." he concedes. "but can you give it back now? i kinda need that."

kaeya will forever be grateful to have you and diluc as siblings, because even though you were all young and curious, neither of you asked why he wore an eyepatch -- or at the very least why he worked so hard to keep it hidden from view. you step out from behind diluc, the cloth still over your eye, and kaeya feels his heart stop for just a moment. he loves you so dearly, his precious little sibling, but...

remember your purpose, something hisses at him. don't get too attached.

it's too late for that, he thinks. kaeya hold out his other hand, thanking you when you place the eyepatch in his hand. "don't do that again, yeah?" he says softly.

surprisingly, kaeya's gentle tone makes you feel scolded -- mostly because he doesn't speak like that often. you duck your head and murmur an apology.

"hey." kaeya flicks your forehead. he's wearing his eyepatch again, and that warm, brotherly smile that makes you feel safe. "it's okay. i'm not mad at you; never have been, never will be. it's okay."

you nod shyly. if kaeya says it's okay, you think, then surely, everything will be as he says.

to you, kaeya was the brother that helped you with everything

for example:

while diluc helped you master your swordsmanship, it was kaeya who taught you the basics

from stances to defensive maneuvers, kaeya covered everything

he even taught you the basics of other weapons as well -- somehow he was adept with all of them, and he didn't hesitate to share his knowledge with you

it's kaeya who uses you as an arm rest and uses his height to keep things away from you

it's kaeya who steals from your plate when you aren't looking

it's kaeya who teaches you how to swear

but it's also kaeya who stays up all night whenever you say you feel unsafe

it's kaeya who doesn't judge you when you ask him to check under your bed or in your closet for intruders or hilichurls

it's kaeya who shares everything with you and diluc

it's kaeya who helps you catch and bottle crystalflies in the vineyard during sleepless nights.

it's kaeya who braids crystalflies into your hair, and let's you do the same to his as gets longer.

(it's also kaeya who manages to rope diluc into these crystalfly braiding sessions.)

it's kaeya who comes to you when he's having a bad day -- kaeya who asks you to just hold his hand and say nothing while he calms down

"having another moment?" you ask quietly. you were in the middle of painting something for adelinde's birthday when kaeya suddenly walked in and sat beside you, dropping his head on your shoulder.

you never knew what it was that tormented him so much. you hated whatever it was that turned your brother into a shadow of himself, but no matter how much you wanted to fix all of his problems, you couldn't. kaeya wouldn't talk about it, and you knew better than to pry.

so, you did what you could.

kaeya nods silently. you can feel him shaking ever so slightly. you move to put the paintbrush down so you can hug him, but he shakes his head.

"don't mind me," he chuckles despite himself. he sounds fine, but you know better. he takes your free hand in his, tangling your fingers together. "do what you're doing. i'll be fine soon."

every time. every single time kaeya has his moments, he pretends like it's nothing or like it's bothering someone. you have to swallow back the comforting words.

kaeya's always preferred physical comfort, anyhow.

you give his hand a light squeeze and keep painting. "remember the breathing exercise diluc taught you." you murmur. when you feel kaeya nod again, you hum.

your brother dozes off on your shoulder after half an hour. at least he's calm for now. you glance down at your fingers.

even in his sleep, his grip is still tight.

so... what changed?

you all know what happened the day crepus died.

if you don't, allow me to paraphrase:

when your father died, your brothers' respective personalities took a hard left.

diluc, having watched crepus' life come to an end right before his eyes, became vengeful after the knights of favonius instructed him to hide the truth.

as for kaeya, it was as if all of the traits that you admired so much in him became amplified in all the wrong ways.

you always knew he was keeping a part of himself locked away, but you didn't realize just how much until he came clean about it.

and you... well.

kaeya and diluc weren't the only ones to receive their visions that night.

but, for the sake of brevity (and accuracy), allow me to share some of kaeya's lore with you:

and this is verbatim, mind you.

"if khaenri'ah and mondstadt went to war, which side should he support? to whom should he offer his assistance: his birth father, who had ruthlessly abandoned him? or his adoptive father, who loved him and raised him?

"for the longest time, kaeya had agonized over these impossible questions, caught between the opposing demands of loyalty and duty, faced with an impossible choice between truth and happiness.

"but now, crepus' death upset this delicate balance. he felt liberated, but also ashamed of how selfishly he was responding.

"as an adopted son, he should have saved crepus, but he had arrived moments too late. as a brother, he should have shared in diluc's grief, and yet as their father lay dying on the ground he had hung back behind his brother, that ancient plot running through his mind."

- kaeya's vision lore.

so where do you fit into all of this?

you were somewhat like kaeya -- a child ruthlessly abandoned by their parents during a stormy night to fend for themself

unlike your brother however, you had no internal strife. you had no attachment to a destroyed nation -- no questions of loyalty to follow through your adolescent years into early adulthood.

you were just... you. another grieving child of the ragnvindr family.

but because you weren't like kaeya -- because all you knew was the dawn winery, diluc, kaeya, and crepus -- it might have been you who felt the fight between your brothers the most

you shouldered most of the pain from their separation, probably even more so than your brothers would ever admit out loud

because they were your only family. you may have been too young to understand the concept of abandonment when it happened, but as you grew older, the fear only grew with you

you fought so hard to keep your brothers and father close to you -- to keep your family intact

what you fear most isn't hilichurls or abyss mages or even the fatui

it's abandonment.

i'm sure you've asked this at some point, but what does the title of this request even mean?

autophobia (n.) - the fear of being alone.

your knowledge of khaenri'ah isn't very expansive.

all you know of the fallen nation is what's been taught to you through history books, but even then, there wasn't much to cover. as kaeya speaks, you try to remember all that you could from your history lessons as quickly as you can.

khaenri'ah, as you recall, was godless nation. not because they were abandoned by one, but because they had no need for one. the nation was thrown into ruin by monsters and gods alike, and as far as you knew, there was nothing left of it.

so, at first, you reach out to kaeya to comfort him for his loss. he's lost so much in his life, hasn't he? but as you're reaching for his arm, he jerks away from you, regret and shame pooling in his eyes. "kaeya..?" you whisper brokenly.

your brother's expression is pained as he tells his story to you and diluc.

none of it makes sense to you. you can't seem to wrap your head around the idea that your brother was sent to destroy mondstadt from the inside out. he would never do that -- he couldn't. as tough as he seemed, kaeya was just a big ball of fluff on the inside. the boy you grew up with wasn't capable of being a--

"traitor." diluc's voice is hoarse and low, coming out as a growl. you snap your eyes over to your brother, glaring at him to shut him up, but he pays you no mind. he looks furious enough to kill, and all three of you can feel the hostility that rolls off of him in waves.

kaeya doesn't help the situation as he opts to provoke diluc. gone is the remorse he once had written all over his face; in its place is a false sense of amusement. you'd think he was seriously enjoying diluc's anger if you didn't know him any better. kaeya shrugs nonchalantly. "if that's what you wanna call me, so be it." he says.

diluc's hackles rise and you instinctively place yourself between your brothers. "you lied to us," he seethes, "for decades, you've been lying! to me, to our family, to-- to mondstadt!"

kaeya has the gall to chuckle. you feel diluc surge forward, but you force him back. "honestly," he tsks, "our poor father is dead and that's what's got you upset? you really do take your job as cavalry captain seriously, don't you?"

you feel your jaw drop. this entire time, you've been trying to convince yourself that this conversation wasn't actually happening -- that kaeya was just playing a really poorly timed joke to lift your spirits. but the longer it goes on and the angrier diluc gets, the more it sinks in that this... this isn't a joke.

your father wasn't the only one to die that stormy night.

diluc shoves you to the side seemingly with all his strength as he lunges for kaeya, his weapon materializing his hands. you crash into the wall hard, but when you groan, disoriented by the impact, neither of your brothers stop to help you. you're strong enough to handle pain like that on your own, but kaeya and diluc vowed to never harm you -- or each other -- on purpose many years ago.

you're forced to watch as the vow dissolves into nothingness as diluc stabs the floor where kaeya had fallen.

"is that the best you've got, captain?!" kaeya taunts. he's light on his feet and his eyepatch is missing, allowing you and diluc to see what he's been hiding since he was a boy. his right eye glows an ethereal shade of yellow in the dim lighting of the hallway. he looks unhinged and hysterical, a wild, carefree grin marring his once gentle features. "you won't be able to stop me like that!"

"stop it!" you scream. "please, don't do this!" the words come out so loud, they manage to rip your throat raw in an instant. your brothers pay you no mind as they mercilessly attack each other; if someone didn't know they were brothers, they'd think they were fighting to the death. belatedly, you realize that they are.

"we took you in," diluc shouts as he parries kaeya's blade, "fed you, cared for you, loved you, only for you to stab us in the back?!"

"to be fair," kaeya grunts in response, "i haven't stabbed you in the back just yet. stay still, though, and i will."

you watch helplessly from the side as your family crumbles before your eyes. you give up on trying to stop your brothers. in terms of strength, they've got you beat; if you were to try to insert yourself in this battle, they'd likely do more than just injure you. the very thought of them accidentally killing you instead of each other makes you gag.

your childhood shatters with every clash of the swords that you hear. with every clang, another part of your relationships dies. all at once, your lungs stop functioning. you can't breathe -- it's as though someone is stepping on your chest with no intent of letting up. your stomach is about ready to rid itself of its contents as one thought becomes clear.

you're going to be left all alone again. left to fend for yourself in the same storm you were abandoned in all those years ago.

suddenly, a searing heat and a biting chill overtakes your senses, forcing you to take a deep breath. the shock of the temperature change makes you look back at kaeya and diluc, whose weapons are now encased in cryo and pyro elemental energies respectively.

you're struck with a sinking feeling of dread as their swords press against each other with diluc's flaming claymore starting to overtake kaeya's broadsword. kaeya's fingers are slowly being frosted over as his elemental energy spirals out of control, and you see diluc's hands starting to blister and peel with the heat of his pyro.

at this rate, they're likely going to kill themselves.

you're on your feet and holding your own weapon before you can even stop and contemplate the consequences. you understand that diluc and kaeya have you beat in terms of strength.

but your strength, however, comes from your speed.

your brothers are blown off their feet in opposite directions with the force of your slash. the three of you remain motionless for a moment, each of you panting with exertion and emotion. you stare down at your trembling hands, amazed by the power you had, and nearly faint at the sight of an anemo vision resting comfortably in your palm.

you'll process this later, you decide. right now, your brothers were more important.

"enough!" you cry. "that's fucking enough!"

diluc scowls at you, but it's weak. he must be exhausted from having burnt out so much energy so quickly due to the vision activating on its own. "you heard that asshole," he growls at you. "he would've killed us all a long time ago! and now you're stopping me from killing him?"

"the cavalry captain of the knights of favonius doesn't kill people, diluc." your words are punctuated by embarrassing sobs, but you don't care. "especially not their siblings. can we just--"

diluc spits out some blood, interrupting you. "if you're going to stand here and preach to me the value of a family that no longer exists," he pushes himself to his feet with the help of his weapon, "then we're done here."

"diluc fucking ragnvindr, don't you dare walk away from this." you try to threaten him, but it doesn't work. diluc starts walking and you swing your sword in his direction, leaving a clean slice in the wall he was leaving on. your anemo energy is unstable and volatile, but you have enough control over it to use it at will. you hate that that is what gets your brother to stop and listen to you.

"look," you pant, "we're all hurt in more ways than one. c-can we just... i don't know... try to heal together? please, i-- diluc, you never explained what happened to father, a-and," you turn to kaeya with tears on your cheeks, "you were there. you never explained either! why?!"

for a second -- for just a split second -- you see the kaeya you grew up with. "i..." kaeya catches himself, ridding himself of any vulnerabilities. his face darkens, and your stomach twists at the sight of this stranger wearing your brother's face.

"i don't owe you any more explanations." he says. he jumps to his feet with ease, but it's obvious that he's in excruciating pain. "i told you everything you needed to know. do with that information what you will." kaeya's voice is so distant.

on the other side of the hallway, diluc glares murderous daggers at kaeya. "i'll handle you someday. mark my fucking words."

you don't think you can take much more of this. "diluc," you try, "we're siblings! could you just--"

"i have no siblings."

you go completely still. every part of your body halts and stumbles as it tries to start again. you let your weapon dissolve as your lips begin to tremble. "w-what?"

"are you deaf?" diluc's crimson eyes burn right through you. this isn't the man you grew up with. you're not sure who you're looking at. "i said i have no siblings." he groans as he stumbles away. "whatever. i need to prepare for my father's funeral."

you don't put up a fight as you watch diluc hobble away. you turn to kaeya, still unsure if you heard correctly. maybe you were so overloaded that you were having auditory hallucinations. "k-kaeya," you stammer desperately. you don't even know what to say to him. "please."

the last glimmer of hope is extinguished as kaeya turns on his heel and walks away without a word.

for the second time in your life, you are abandoned.

this time, though, you know you will never forget it.

so... what happened? what now?

diluc buried himself in work and set off to travel the nations in search of answers for crepus' death

and a few years after that... well, we all know the tale of mondstadt's beloved "darknight hero".

you ran away from home about two days after the fight, joining the adventurer's guild and wandering the nations at a leisurely pace

which meant that diluc had the dawn winery to himself.

kaeya went on to become cavalry captain of the knights of favonius. diluc never did rat him out.

he's notorious for his reckless, yet clever and cunning behavior, his charm, and his super high alcohol tolerance

you make a point to avoid the city of mondstadt at all costs. there's no point.

there's nothing there for you anyways.

but the story doesn't exactly end there.

things don't get better as the years go by, but your brothers do mature.

they're... cordial with each other. sort of. enough so that they can hold conversations with each other, even if they do escalate into super passive aggressive arguments

they each hold enough regret to fill an ocean about the night you all separated.

kaeya is less conflicted about his choice between mondstadt and khaenri'ah, but he wishes he chose a better time to say it all.

he regrets brushing you off when you tried to unify them when you needed each other the most.

diluc lies awake at night thinking about how crushed you looked when he denied having siblings at all. your face haunts him well into his adult years.

he wishes he had listened to you -- if only he just listened.

as for you... you don't hate them.

at least you don't think you do. you haven't seen your...

you haven't seen kaeya or diluc in years. you don't know how you'll act if you ever come across them again.

you've mastered your vision and perfected a style of swordsmanship that you created based off of what kaeya and diluc taught you all those years ago

maybe someday, you'll be able to show them how much you've grown.

you wonder if they'll be proud of you the way they used to be.

will you ever see each other again?

inevitably, all roads lead back home.

after completing a difficult bounty in dragonspine, you make your way into the city of mondstadt for some much needed rest and relaxtion without much thought. it's a lot more... desolate than you remenber it to be. perhaps the quiet will do you some good; you just want to relax for a while, anyways.

after collecting your rewards and locating an inn to stay in during your time here, you decide to wander the streets. mondstadt is certainly less lively than you remember, but there are a few new and familiar faces that you come across during your stroll.

you run into aether, the blonde traveler who took a liking to you when you met in inazuma. he felt indebted fo you since you were the only person in inazuma who made a genuine effort to get him connected to the raiden shogun without trying to involve him in internal political affairs.

"not my home, not my business," you told him with a shrug. "the same goes for you. you're an outsider and people love to remind you of that, so use that to your advantage."

paimon tells you with a mouthful of food that aether started running into more trouble since he took your advice, but that he's stronger because of it.

"if you ever need my help again, you know you can commission me, right?" you nudge aether before you two part ways.

the traveler raises a brow at you. "are you asking me to pay to hang out with you?"

you whistle quietly. the aether you met in inazuma wasn't this brazen. you laugh, impressed. "i gotta make a living somehow." aether punches your shoulder lightly and you wince jokingly. "okay, okay! your presence is payment enough. happy?"

"extremely so." the traveler grins. you two part ways after that, with you laughing at paimon's enthusiastic waving. you continue your trip down memory lane as you walk the streets of mondstadt.

you come across amber, eula, and lisa, who you've met in passing before that day; you greet jean, who welcomes you with open arms; you even happen across albedo, who actually hesitates to speak to you.

you stayed with the chief alchemist for a few weeks up in dragonspine, basically helping him clear out any dangerous spots so he could conduct some research. during that time, you two grew quite close, and only three days before your departure did you two realize that there was something more than just snow in the air.

eventually, your trip ends at the angel's share. you're not much of a drinker, but something light wouldn't hurt, would it?

it would, you realize once you step inside. most of the patrons are off to the side, far away from the stools. but, there's a knight with long, blue hair sitting on the stool teasing the red-haired bartender on duty.

"welcome to the angel's share," the bartender sighs, seemingly on auto-pilot. "can i... oh."

"yeah. oh." you shoot back on impulse. too many years have passed for your biting tone to be interpreted as a joke, because both diluc and kaeya flinch.

what were you thinking, coming in here?! you knew you weren't a drinker, but you just had to pick now to try and start?

you weren't mentally prepared to look these two in the face -- not after what happened. you tried your hardest not to blame them, but no matter how many times you looked at it, they were in the wrong every time. bitterness grew old and sour deep inside you -- it was the main reason why you and albedo were stagnant at the moment; your fear of abandonment was too strong for you to commit to something like a relationship.

the chattering of the bar patrons continues in the background, but as the three of you stare at each other, it all seems to fade into silence.

"you're home," diluc speaks after a long pause. he's a lot bigger than you remember him. if you weren't so pissed at yourself, you'd tease him about when he was a scrawny boy. he looks almost relieved to see you -- did he think you were dead or something? "it's... been a long time."

you blink at him and hold your tongue. if you speak, you fear you may say something you regret.

"you're all grown up now." kaeya speaks next. you see the same regret start to swim in his blue eye, only this time, it's been amplified by time. he sounds so fond and proud -- he sounds like a brother. "i see you've got control of your vision."

you hiss internally. all three of you are in control of your visions. why did he feel the need to bring that up? and why did he sound like that? the time for praising one another has long since passed.

"are you two done pretending like you care?" you snap. diluc and kaeya wince, but don't answer. you march over to a table in the furthest corner of the bar and put your head on the wooden surface.

all the enegy you thought you had for the rest of the night pretty much bleeds right out of you after that. you don't have what it takes to face them, and you certainly don't have what it takes to walk anymore. you doze off, exhausted by your thoughts.

when you come to, you're in a familiar bed. the panic that rises doesn't last very long. you know exactly where you are, and you have a pretty good feeling you know who brought you here.

the sun is pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows, filling your room with its light. judging by its height, you'd estimate that it's about midday. were you really that tired? you bury your face in your hands and groan loudly. if your hunch was correct and diluc and kaeya brought you here -- brought you home -- last night, then that meant they were planning on talking to you today.

either they were going to talk to you when you left the room, or they would come to you.

the latter ends up being true when you hear knuckles rap an old rhythm on your door. bitter as you may be, you can't help the smile that crosses your face. that was your code when you were kids. "what's the magic phrase?" you manage to say after a while.

kaeya's voice comes through the door. "would you believe me if i said i forgot?" he cracks it open and sticks his head inside. "it's been so many years, you can't blame me."

you shake your head fondly. "get your ass in here before you piss me off." kaeya slips through the door but doesn't close it. you raise a brow. "diluc, i know you're out there. weirdo."

your eldest brother pushes open the door and strides inside. neither of you speak for what feels like forever. the two of them have spoken to each other over the years, but with you back in the loop, they feel as though they're back where they started. you fix your eyes on your hands as you try to organize everything that's flooding your brain.

"i'm sorry." diluc finally says. he's sitting on one side of your bed and kaeya's sitting on the other, and both of them are looking at you with so much sincerity that it makes your chest tighten.

you narrow your eyes. "do you even remember what you're sorry for?"

diluc swallows thickly. "how could i forget? it's only been in my nightmares for about five years."

nightmares? you look away, suddenly ashamed by your callousness. "is that so." you mutter.

"i think it goes without saying that i'm sorry too," kaeya says next. "to both of you. i don't.. i don't think any of us would be in this position if it weren't for me."

neither you nor diluc answer right away because in a way, he's right. if kaeya had just waited a little longer, or delivered the news a little more delicately, things may have played out a little differently. you sigh through your nose.

"it's... not okay." you answer bluntly. you could never lie to them -- not then, not now. "it's never going to be okay."

"i understand." diluc nods stiffly, his voice tight. "truthfully, i don't know how to apologize properly. for years, i thought about how i'd reconcile with you two, but.. nothing ever came to mind."

"i wasn't finished." you level your brother with a glare. "it's never going to be okay, but... i don't mind talking to you guys." your brothers start to look hopeful for a second, but you shake your head. "it'll take a very long time to forgive you, and even longer to trust you again, assuming that i choose to do that at all."

kaeya reaches for your hand slowly, tapping his fingers on yours experimentally. when you don't pull away, he intertwines your fingers with his the way he used to when you were kids. a fresh, unwelcome set of tears rushes to your eyes. you hate it -- hate being so emotional after all this time, but...

sitting here before your brothers makes you feel like a kid again. you feel smothered by the amount of love you once received and gave them in return. you curl your fingers, tightening your grip on kaeya's hand. he's so much colder than you remember, but there's an unmistakable warm that's seeping through.

"i could never handle you crying," he chuckles shakily, reaching over to wipe the tears that escape. "especially if i was the one who made you cry."

diluc grabs your other hand. he doesn't say anything; when you look at him, you see that he's got his other hand covering his face. "i don't even know what to say to you." he says, his voice muffled. "you shouldn't even be giving me the time of day -- not after what i said."

you sniff. "you're right, i shouldn't. but," you squeeze his hand twice. "at the end of the day..."

at the end of the day, you were still siblings, whether diluc believed it or not. your experiences together were too real, too fresh in your mind, even now, to be fake.

"at the end of the day, we're family." you sigh.

you were going to need time -- a lot of time -- to heal and to forgive. it was going to be a slow, painful process as you try to heal a wound that's long since scarred over, but you were still willing to do it. you weren't going to let this final glimmer of hope slip away from you -- not again. and neither were your brothers. deep down, you still trusted and loved them, and they, you.

clinging to that faith, no matter how small, you decide to take the first step.

✧ three hours.. no proofreading (nothing is ever proofread on this blog LOL)... im going to bed now, gn <3

Wings Of Freedom

Ft. Venti x Gn!Florist reader

Cw : Hurt/No comfort, some grammar error i think? Ooc venti maybe, I HATE WRITING RAAAGH, english is not my mothertounge so sorry if some of the word are amiss.

Summary : You've always dreamed to be a florist, tending and caring a flower is what you've always liked to do. Even after you opened up your little flower shop it always has an upside downs, Customer comes and go but not until a certain green bard came abruptly to your life.

☆–—–—–—–—☆ ☆–—–—–—–—☆

☆–—–—–—–—☆ ☆–—–—–—–—☆

Having to tend a little flower shop by yourself isn't always the easiest, picking up flower on starsnatch cliff by midnight and feeling the strong wind of mondstadt creeps up to your bone and then planting a seed of mondstadt native flower which grows into a beautiful flower then wilts the next day or either the pot falling from the balcony of a small rented house you're living in, then having to deal with rude customer.

Then again you remembered, this is the life you've always wanted.

Since little, You have always happily helped your parents with their little generational bakery. Either you were running around and delivering the freshly made bread to person that ordered it then getting a lot of compliment about how enthusiastic you are, it has always been the happiest day of your life. You wished that you could stay on that timeline of your life forever.

Sadly, one day. Your parents generational bakery comes to its end, as much as you can remember somebody blacklisted your parents bussines and making the bakery to be put out of business.

The day after it happened, it was a total chaos your parents were running here and there looking for a job vacancy to apply in. Your father said that he himself got a high paying job on snezhnaya and said that the job he applied in is pretty much dangerous and he had to move out of mondstadt to Snezhnaya leaving you and your own mother behind.

That night, he left you and your mother alone and left a letter saying..

"My dear beautiful wife, and my beloved child today is the last night i could see you with my own eyes. Worry not my dear family if the day ever comes that i wasnt in your arms remember that, i'll soar the sky and be with you as the wind of mondstadt. So fret not my dearest family."

You remembered how loud your mother cry were, after all when your father left your mother was very ill, You tried to use every allowances your parents gave you to look if theres a doctor who could treat her illnes, but your mother said...

"(Name) this sickness is uncureable, no matter if you search at the most smartest doctor. They cannot cure this generational illness, my own mother your grandma has this sickness too. Unfortunately she said that this illness has been going on our family tree since the first generation to our own. (Name).. im very scared if you caught this illness too, what if i was not there to tend to you? How would you survive by yourself?..." she holded your hand tightly while a little drop of tears falls down through her cheek.

Her word echoes through your ears frequently, even after her passing you could remember how her tone were laced in fear.

Mother... mother i miss you so much..

You doesn't even realize how your eyes water to the bitter memories when your mother passed away.

You tried to remember correctly about the symptoms your mother had when she was sick, first... she was pale.. and weak and then sometimes she.. coughed up blood wait why were you trying to remember the symptoms?? Perhaps, you were scared.

What if you caught the same illness your grandmother and your mother was? After all if you look at yourself correctly at the mirror you could see that your body were showing the same symptoms your mother had.

You turned your head to the dark sky of mondstadt, right.. its time to pick some cecilia

you got out of your so beloved bed you could feel the cold of the wooden floor hitting your bare feet, Maybe Midnight its a bad time to go pick out some cecilia, but deep down you know that you wanted to feel the mondstadt air and ease your mind for a little while.

You took one of your basket that you usually use to gather neither herb or flower and walked yourself up to the starsnatch cliff.

The midnight air was cold yet comforting, with every step you took you couldn't help but reminsice the old days when your beloved mother would take you to a night stroll on the starsnatch mountain. Often she tells you that sometimes a bard would play his lyre and sing a beautiful melody of a mondstadt poem. Said she that she would often gave up the idea of picking out the flower and admire the bard melody instead.

You wondered, was his melody really that good? So that your mother who has always hated bard fell in love with his melody. She even said that bard shouldn't sang their tune and stops being drunk.

Was he and his melody really that majestic?...

Indeed you were lost in your thought, until something or someone snapped your thought the more closer you walked the clearer the source was, its a... melody?.. was it the bard your mother tells you, From afar you could see a certain green bard sitting on the edge of the cliff and sang a certain melody.

What is he doing? On the middle night like this, does he not know the mondstadt air is too cold these day? And i was trying to enjoy my time picking out flower alone too. –You grumble down to yourself

The more you got closer to the cliff the more you could hear his melody, honestly his melody was beautiful. You were struck admiring him and his melody not caring about how the cold air is hitting you to the bone.

"Hoho~ is someone admiring the bard and his tune?" The green bard stopped playing and turned his head at you, "Was my melody beautiful that it made you stop your track and listen to it?" His feet dangling on the edge of the cliff.

"Ahem! Of course no, i was uhh here to pick out some flower see??" You bend yourself down to pluck some cecilia

"Lying is bad you know? But i'll let you do whatever your doing" said he as he continues to strum his lyre down and sang an old mondstadt song

What a weird bard –You muttered down to yourself

"Anyway Since this is midnight, what kind of a bard would see himself at the cliff while singing some mondstadt song or poem and not singing drunk at the angel share?" Again you said while picking up a batch of fresh flower while occasionally shivering from the cold air.

"Well, singing here made me remember some of the beautiful moments i shared with my late friend ehe, and honestly stranger seeing you here reminds me of a certain person, Hm.. which person was it eh?~" Said the bard with a cheeky tone, "Ah! I remember, it was that woman that would often came here to pick out some flower! Just like you." He got up from the cliff and walked towards you, "Though picking out flower at midnight isnt good is it? You should go home soon."

Damn.. who is he to tell me to do something?...

"Of course stranger, i will go home after i finished, and i diddnt quite catch your name, whats your name?"

"Im Venti the number one bard in the wholee teyvat! And what's your name stranger?" His aqua green eyes met yours

"Im... (Name) its a pleasure to meet you."

"No need to be so formal (Name), I'll be going now. See you somewhere!" He waves his hand at you while walking down the mountain.

Hmm, his name sound quite familiar i wonder –You continued picking out the flower, Today flower is so fresh~

After you finished on picking out the flower for tommorow sell, you descended your way down the mountain, again feeling the cold air of mondstadt hits your bone. Though seeing that bard makes you wonder if he is really the bard that your dearest mother mentioned, his melody were really beautiful.

After a little journey down the starsnatch cliff to your little rented apartement you set down the filled bucket with flower in it down and started to plant them down one by one on a little pot you got from flora.

Today flower is really fresh, im sure flora would like it~ —you muttered down to yourself

Though you wonder how you ended up being a florist, when all you dreamed was to be an adventurer, just like your father.

Your father had an pyro vision that light up brightly just like his own heart, said he when he got it, he felt disappointment arose on his heart. When he wanted an Anemo vision, so why does the god grants him an pyro one instead?

That pyro vision often burned his hand, you remember one time your mother dared him to cook by himself since apparently he made mother mad and ended up (almost) burning the whole kitchen and made your mother even more mad.

But, Again when you rethink of what your father said when he was disappointed of getting an pyro vision instead of anemo, you wanted to be mad you really do. Even after numerous of pray you did to the gods to grant you a vision, you never got one. Imagine how fun is it to have vision with you?

Like maybe cooking is easier when you have a pyro vision with you, or maybe the Anemo one! You could clean the leaves near your home by swooshing the wind.

Tsk, why was that old man so ungrateful. —you grumbled while aggresively patting your hand to get the dirt off.

You plopped yourself down to the bed and made yourself comfortable.

I hope tommorow is better.

The next morning came pretty quick, the ray of sunlight seeping from the curtain stirs you awake. The first thing that came in your mind is.. work.

Flora must been waiting, better hurry..

After you've done your usual morning routine, you picks up 2 pot of cecilia and walks outside your home, as usual you being you still being popular despite the incident that occured on your family.

You walked and walked to the mondstadt gates while occasionally saying hello to the people outside.

"Flora! I brought the flowers from last night, they looked really fresh today." You squatted and puts down the flower pot arranging it under flora's table

"When did you picked this up?" Flora asked

"As usual you know, on midnight. Though the wind was really freezing me up last night!"

"(Name)! I told you to stop picking up flower at midnight, who know a monster might get you or maybe the wind will freeze you!" She kneeled beside you, "Im worried about you (Name), dont push yourself, your sickness Its– " she paused, her eyes showing worries.

"You shouldn't be worrying me too much flora! I can take care of myself, im very strong no monster and wind could make me succumb to my own knees." You got up and offered your hand to her, "Now cmon! The work is waiting."

"Alright alright! Just dont overdo yourself." Said flora as she takes your hand and got up to her foot.

◇—◇

As time went by, the sun has set down. Leaving you and flora alone, Time to pack everything– you muttered to yourself but you noticed that, a certain bard has been watching you from afar. Though you paid no mind since ur eyes is starting to give up on staying awake.

"Aaaa im too tired, why does these weeks seems so tiring to me flora?.." you stretched your back while whining a little, "I gotta go rest.."

"Yea, you definitely should (name). Plus you gotta go check that illness of yours, its been a while since you paid a visit to that doctor." Flora turned her eyes to you whilst organizing the flower pot in front of the stall, "now go home (name), leave the rest to me!"

"Alright.. thanks flora, you too dont go home too late." Said you as you packed your things and walked yourself home.

The walk to your home wasnt that far since the place your staying in is near flora's flower stall, when you arrive at your doorstep again you realize that someone gaze has been eyeing you since you walked yourself home.

Eerie... –was all you could thought

The moment you entered your house you feel that something is wrong, your head was spinning abruptly and your vision was blurry, your palm were sweating.

"Hey! You alright??"

You could hear someone voice? When you turned your heels to see who it was.

Oh.. its that green bard– was all you could mutter before collapsing into the floor and your vision darkened.

◇—◇

You do not remember how long you were gone, but what you remember is that when you woke up you could hear 2 person mumbling about something, what is happening?? –You asked yourself

You started to open your eyes little by little, while sometimes you squinted your eyes trying to adjust to the lights around you, when you started to observe your surrounding. You realized that you were laying in your bed.

You turned your head to see where the mumbling noise was, flora?..

"(Name)! Thanks the archons you're awake, this green bard was running to me saying that hey! Your friend collapsed! –to which i replied WHO?!" She said whilst removing the ice pack on your head.

"Ehe! Glad i've spotted you on time, sorry about breaking into your house though." Said the green bard which if you remember correctly, his name was Venti.

"Must've been whatever this sickness is.. right??" You turned your head to flora.

"Anyway, (Name) ill go get your food from my house alright? You stay put here with venti. Venti dont do anything weird to them, remember what our agreement is." Flora said while she got on her heels and walked herself through your home.

And now what left is just you and the bard whose his position right now is sitting on your bed, "So how do you feel (Name)?" He opened his mouth to speak.

"Do i know you?" You muttered

"Aww cmonn dont pretend we're not close! (Name) its not good that you're starting to forget your savior!" He said crossing his arms

My what?! I diddnt even known him for long!

"Okay okay i–" your own voice was interrupted by a fist of cough coming down from your own throat, that hurted..

"Take it easy (Name), just rest i'll watch you." The bard said, "Should i sing you a tune then, its free dont worry." He said summoning his lyre, as he started to strummed his lyre down you realized how familiar the melody was, it feels as if you were listening it for the second time ever.

When you looked at his face, your mind suddenly went nostalgic. He reminds you of a certain someone? But.. who?

"Do i.. know you?.." for the second time again you muttered to yourself, you tried to recollect any memories that involve this certain green bard but there was none

"Have i ever met you before that time on starsnatch cliff?" You blurted the word out of your mouth, to your surprise the bard choked on his own melody. Seeing how surprised and weird his look was you began to ponder even more.

"Ehh i wonder.. what do you think then (Name)? Was i that weird bard who you met on the starsnatch cliff last time?" His aqua green eyes meets yours.

To which you shrugged your own shoulder as a response, "i dont know... venti.."

"You dont have to remember its fine, anyway flora will be here soon with your medicine, maybe to pass the time should i tell you a story?"

You only nodded your head in response.

"At last there was a story—"

Where a bard met a mondstadter who piques his interest, their hobby of dancing and their hobby of baking intrigue him.

There comes a day when he started talking to them, to which on his own surprises! They share the same hobby as him... Which is Singing. Everyday they would be running around the town singing music, every night they would sat together on the startsnatch cliff and tells eachother funny stories.

The moon is beautiful today isn't it? They blurted out, in which the bard responses, I know.

But sadly there comes a day when the bard partner had accident, their family bussines went out of bussiness. The bard never knew what his partner was dealing with, until one night it all ended.

-☆-☆-

"Alright! Thats it, the another part of story can wait another time (Name), flora is here already." He said standing up from your own bed, "I'll get going if you want to know the continuation meet me at the starsnatch cliff Ehe! See you"

Again he waved his hand at you and left, somehow your heart aches when he left something felt amiss on your heart.

"Flora who is he?." You turned your head to face her.

"Not important (Name) go eat first alright" she said

Who.. is he? Why does he feel so familiar

This time you could only bottle the feeling down to yourself, even flora persist that she's not gonna give you an answer. Should i try asking the bard??..

-☆-☆-☆-

Ironic isnt it? Seeing your own lover started to gradually forgets you? Just because of your little mistake everything started to went downhill.

The only thing that brighten up your life, Gone. Even when you tried so hard to make them remember who you are, you failed.

Because of your own mistake, now you cant do what you used to do with them, holding hands, hugging, laughing with each other, and maybe even being affectionate with each other.

Merely, they were nothing but a stranger to you now, all because of your own mistake.

It was your own mistake Venti, if only at that time you were quick enough they wouldn't forget you.

-☆-☆-☆-

Ty for reading whatever this shitty ahh post, gn im gonna go sleep ty.

---

may i request an chifuyu angst, they're in a gang fight and where instead of him being shot, his s/o gets shot instead?

ROSTER . . . chifuyu matsuno

SYNOPSIS . . . you weren’t supposed to be there, but you were ; fluff pt. 2 ; angst pt. 2

CONTAINS . . . blood, death, swearing

NOTE . . . a bitch be struggling out here😭

chifuyu’s foot collides with his opponent’s face, scarlet staining the sole of his sneaker as it crunches through bone and snaps cartilage. his opponent reels back with a gurgled cry, leaving chifuyu to plunge back into the throng in search of a new target. a sea of blue and black surges around him, wild whooping and battle cries piercing the air as the two rival gangs ravage each other in pursuit of absorbing the other. he grits his teeth. the rival gang may not have the best brawlers, but they outnumber toman three to one; and, when it comes to physical altercations, numbers have a shocking way of determining the final outcome. he hasn’t yet met someone strong enough to evenly trade blows with him, which is somewhat reassuring.

as he elbows his way through the crowd, he can’t help but wonder how takemichi is doing. that kid’s so inexperienced, he’s probably--

“chifuyu!”

his ears perk at the sound of a strangely familiar voice. it almost sounds like yours, but that can’t be right. there’s no way you would be here right now. before he can turn his head, he feels something solid slam into his back and unceremoniously shove him forward just as a gunshot rocks the air. chifuyu’s heart skips a beat at the unforeseen sound of a gun being fired, and he stumbles, knees wobbly. what the hell? who brings a gun to a fistfight? almost immediately, the lingering weight on his back increases drastically, and he grunts as he’s consequently dragged to the ground and pinned beneath it.

“hey, get off,” chifuyu snaps. “what are you doing?” he rolls onto his side, causing the object weighing him down to flop to the side with a dull thump. “what’s going--”

his breath catches in his throat.

his eyes widen.

his body freezes.

the pressure on his back belonged to a body… but it wasn’t just anyone’s.

no.

it was yours.

no.

you’re sprawled motionlessly in the dirt, limbs angled awkwardly from having been shoved off by your boyfriend. your eyes are glossy and clouded over, empty and devoid of the resplendent, vivid twinkle of light that chifuyu had admired since the day he first met you. now, they just stare sightlessly at the night sky while the stars above sparkle and wink mockingly with the same luster that was supposed to belong to your soul. but in the unjust exchange for the brilliance of your eyes, they gifted you an ever-growing pool of blood that shone just as radiantly beneath the moonlight... but made chifuyu feel sick. a perfect hole has been etched into your forehead--a hole that’s not supposed to be there. blood dribbles from the wound and arches down your forehead, and it’s with a pang of dread that chifuyu realizes that the majority of the blood is originating from the back of your head. your skin is already beginning to pale, the youthful glow that you always radiated dulling into a muted shade kissed by the cold lips of death.

all around you, the flow of the battle has waned dramatically, almost every combatant falling into a shocked silence at the murder that just unfolded. a heavy silence hangs over the abandoned parking lot. no one moves. no one says a word.

“what…” chifuyu whispers, slowly shuffling toward you. his blood turns to ice in his veins as he tentatively, cautiously stretches out a hand to touch you, only to feel his stomach plummet when his fingertips press into cold flesh. it’s not an illusion. you’re tangible. this… is real? “no,” chifuyu’s voice trembles. his hands shake as they inch forward to caress the sides of your face. he flinches when your blood slithers over his fingers--blood that’s not supposed to fucking be there. “no, no, no, this isn’t--” his voice snags in his throat. his throat is beginning to knot up with quickly approaching tears, but he isn’t sure why. you’re not dead. you can’t be. you’re… you’re not even supposed to be here, goddamnit!

but the more his eyes travel over your lifeless features and his fingertips roam along your face--the same face he’d caressed and kissed goodbye less than an hour ago--the more it’s becoming undeniable. this is real. you’re really here… with a bullet through your brain.

“(reader)..?” panic begins to set in. ignoring the haze of death dimming your eyes, chifuyu seizes your shoulders, jostling you gently as if trying to rouse you from a nightmare… just as he wishes someone would do to him. tears sting his eyes, blurring his vision until all the colors in the scene before him bleed together like a smudged watercolor painting--like this was a mistake. an accident. a twist of fate. chifuyu doesn’t know what he’s feeling. he doesn’t know whether this discomfort and nausea is rage, grief, guilt, or despair. all he knows is that it’s so intense that he wants to scream. tears openly cascade from his eyes and drip onto your skin, diluting the blood and causing it to stream even faster down your skin in watered-down rivulets. in a fit of frustration, chifuyu swipes his sleeves across the blood spatters, desperate to wipe them away because they’re not supposed to be there. not on the love of his life. not on the person he already started secretly setting aside a bit of money in order to purchase a promise ring for. not on you.

“what are you doing here?” chifuyu can’t keep the tremor in his voice at bay. he carefully lifts you up by your shoulders, setting your head on his lap with such gentleness that it almost seems as if he’s afraid to disturb your slumber. he can’t bite back the pathetic whimper that slips from his lips when your head makes a sickening squelching sound and lolls like dead weight against his thighs. “you’re supposed to be at home. you’re not supposed to be here. why are you here?” voice raising, he pulls you up and into his arms, holding you tightly against his chest. “why? you... you didn't have to do that! you're supposed to be home! you're supposed to be safe!” his body wracked with sobs and shuddering breaths, he buries his head in the crook of your neck, hating how cold your skin is against the warmth of his hands. “(reader)!”

he doesn’t hear the thundering footsteps as keisuke and takemichi hurtle past him, making a beeline straight for the culprit. he doesn’t hear the crackle of bones splintering or the dull thud of the gun as it hits the ground. with his ear pressed to your chest, all he hears is… nothing. you’re heart is supposed to be beating, but it isn’t. it’s silent. it’s… silent. it’s…

all my fault.

this… is all my fault.