Liyue-harbour - Garden Of Avalon

𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚

pairing :: dottore x (ghost) reader

part 2

rumour has it that a student’s soul who had died on campus at the time lingers there forever. sages and students alike have seen them. the spirit had h/c hair with glowing eyes and an unfriendly gaze, and often seen in the sumeru akademiya kshahrewar uniform looking neat and tidy.

their appearance was so realistic that if it wasn’t for their see-through appearance, people would mistake her for a living student. however, actually getting a glimpse of them was a more rare occurrence than hearing them.

students and sages claimed to have heard things being whispered to them when no one else was there. were they about how she died? or were they just trying to help with whatever work others had? no one really knows, for the whispers were mostly inaudible.

their name?

y/n l/n.

and there he was, rummaging through the restricted section of the akademiya library.  zandik flipped through the pages of a book, desperately trying to find information he could use for his research on mechanical lifeforms. unable to find it, he circled moved on to the next.

that was when he heard it, a soft whisper in his ear. “such interesting research you’re doing, zandik.”

he turned around, expecting to see someone but he saw no one. he shrugged it off, thinking that it was just his imagination until he remembered what he had overheard the other students talk about yesterday.

what was it again? ah, yes. the famous spirit of the akademiya. however, zandik wasn’t one to believe in ghosts. at least, he thought he didn’t believe in them. his imagination began to run wild. could that have been them? the y/n l/n? there’s no way ghosts exist, right?

“who’s there?” he questioned. nothing. zandik was about to ask again but the whisper came back.

“you don’t know? looks like i expected too much of you…” they whined, voice muffled. zandik could feel the air around him turn sad but it soon became lively again. “anyway, your work looks interesting!”

he blinked and muttered a quick ‘thanks’. he thought it was strange, if he really did meet a ghost, why would it talk to someone like him? besides, weren’t they supposed to scare others? zandik blinked. he was still confused but continued with his research, a little more seriously now. he wondered how they had known his name. hearing their humming getting further away, he spoke up.

“how do you know my name?” his hands started to feel sweaty, and the humming stopped. the spirit let out a small giggle and answered the questioned proposed to them.

“are you for real? your name is very well known around the akademiya…” you stopped talking and hovered around the shelves. pink dusted zandik’s cheeks, and he wondered why he had asked such a silly question. soon, another round of humming started up. you let your fingers linger over some books.

he started to get restless. your humming wasn't horrible, it was just that he was trying to get as much information from the restricted section he could without getting caught. not being able to ignore you any longer, he decided to start a conversation with the ghost.

 "so….l/n" he started, "if you really are real, you're going to need to do more than whisper in my ear to convince me." zandik gulped as he felt the air turning heavy. he could not tell where the ghost was, for you were invisible.

 “of course i am!" you pouted, "and please, call me y/n." you floated behind him and materialised― eyes boring into his, hands behind your back. he saw you, standing on the ground in the akademiya uniform and kshahrewar beret. zandik was convinced that you are real. "does this make you believe?" he nodded and proposed yet another question and the air turned heavy once more.

“why are you still here?”

“because i can’t cross over.” suddenly, an idea popped into your mind. “let’s make a deal.” you had piqued his interest and it was evident in the way his eyes shined. 

smirking, you disappeared, only to re-materialise next to him. “i help you with your research and you help me find a way to cross over to the other side. as a former kshahrewar dastur and someone who has been in the akademiya for many years before you, i will be a lot of use to you.”

zandik roared with laughter. he accepts your deal and makes a final decision mentally. he would achieve his goals and find a way to bring you back to life.

masterlist | part 2

𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

pairing :: dottore x (ghost) reader

part 2 of lingering presence, please enjoy, i hope that this does not disappoint

tag list: @forgotten-blues @rosymetal @ello-its-me-ya-boi @ki--mi

in the many years that had gone by, you witnessed and experienced a lot. for one, you noticed following the agreement with zandik was that the both of you were no longer alone. there was finally someone who was not afraid of you, and there was someone who finally understood zandik.

it was mostly joy that you experienced until the day zandik told you about his expulsion because of an accident that ended up in the death of another student, soreh. that day, you watched zandik breakdown. it was the first time you saw him so distressed, what am i going to do now? what’s going to happen to my research? where am i supposed to go? he asked.

“those damned sages!” he slammed his fists on the table. “soreh was already dying, all i did was to put her out of the misery she was in! and how dare they remove me, the one who contributed the most to the research paper, from the author’s list! utterly ridiculous…sheer foolishness if i must say!”

your eyes following zandik as he paced about his dorm room. you felt bad for him, you wanted to help him. remembering something interesting you overheard, you floated down from the ceiling and materialised, placing your hands on his shoulders.

“aren’t the sages exiling you to aaru village? you know…i heard the sages talk about recalling the akademiya scholars who were sent to the eleazar hospital in the desert today, you could start again there. no one would know who you are since only exiled scholars are sent over.”

and that was your new destination. you had followed zandik to aaru village, then to the eleazar hospital. true enough, no one suspected a thing. zandik had lied to the exiled amurta scholars who worked at the hospital, claiming that he was also an exiled student from the amurta darshan.

eventually, the hospital was shut down and the two of you were wanderers. until, a man with a mask covering the right side of his face approached zandik. the man, pierro, invited zandik to join the fatui with the promise of resources for his research. “will you treat me like the akademiya did? will you call me a monster, a madman? or will you treat me as my hometown did, and cause me away with pitchforks and clubs…?” the answer that zandik had gotten excited him and he accepted the offer.

both of you had stayed true to the deal made, or so you thought. now, you sat on the operating table, fully materialised. somehow you could feel the cold of your surroundings, you could smell the remnants of dried blood from zandik’s— no, dottore’s experiments, you could feel the blood rushing in your veins and you could feel the beating of the heart in you.

all these years, you faithfully followed and helped the man in front of you to the best you could, no matter how gruesome his requests were, because he promised that he’d help your soul rest for eternity.

“the deal was to help me cross over, not bring me back to life.” your hands gripped the edge of the operating table you sat on. you assumed that he had made an artificial body for you, one similar to the rest of his segments, complete with an artificial heart. you felt something wet roll down your face. tears? the last time you cried was when you were alive. you felt betrayed.

zand- dottore stepped closer to you. he wiped the tears off your face and chuckled, “how could i not? believe me when i say this. originally, i wanted to help you cross over, but the amount of knowledge you withhold is too much to let go…plus, the research on cloning you did before you died was what gave me the idea of bringing you back. though, i made some adjustments to your new body. unlike my segments, you are immortal. you won’t die, at least not until i do.”

had you known that your old research on cloning would give dottore the idea of bringing you back to life instead of helping you find a way to achieve eternal rest, you would never have talked to him the day you found him in the forbidden section of the library. more and more tears rolled down your face and dottore wiped each and every one of them.

“do not cry, my dear. a smile looks so much better on you,” he took his mask off and leaned in, planting a kiss on your forehead. he pulled away after, crimson eyes staring at you, “you are now mine for eternity.”

masterlist | here is the anticipated part 2 of ‘lingering presence’! apologies if this is not up to standards.

MY HEARTTTTTTT😭😭 LOVE THIS SO SO SO MUCH

I can’t find your rules anywhere, so just ignore this if it breaks any of them or if it’s too specific, but I just had this thought…

Friends with benefits + mutual pining with Wriothesley :0

You don’t get to meet up too often because of your busy schedules, but when you do it’s more than worth the wait. You almost don’t want to leave his bed when it’s over, but you’re too scared to stay, and he wordlessly let’s you leave even though he wants nothing more than to pull you back down and never let you go.

Love is a scary thing, after all, so you both dance around the subject for months.

But one day he finally caves in and decides that enough is enough, so when you prepare to leave he wraps his arms around you and quietly whispers, “stay.”

Nothing more needs to be said. You both catch the underlying meaning behind his words, and you’re finally ready to accept all that entails :,))

16+ !! Suggestive content !!

I AM BARKIFNAJKSDAJKSNSA HOLOY SHITTTT AJKWDBNJKASNJAKSDN my god. friends w benefits to lovers. mutual pining. mY GOD THOSE ARE TWO OF MY FAVORITE TROPES 😭😭😭😭😭😭 im sCREAMIFNAKSJDNAKJSDSAJK

「 CWS : 」 fair warning the concept alludes to sex and has mentions of sex, but nothing is, like, explicit. It's just used as plot points and as a device more than anything. That being said, if uncomfy, don't read ♡

like MAN the first time you both fall into bed together, it's after a party that, for the sake of keeping up appearances and keeping your jobs, required attendance. Neither of you were particularly happy to be there, and as fellow wallflowers you hit it off as you hid from the crowd on a balcony together. Then, after a few flutes of overpriced champagne, a quick reassurance from you that you could definitely fuck in one of the rooms of this mansion without getting caught, the rest of the night was history.

It started out normally, at first— every now and then one of you would contact the other after a stressful day, and you would either fuck in his place or yours, then leave before midnight. No lingering kisses, no sparks of possessiveness. Not at first. Not until you appear at Wriothesley's doorstep, looking tired, disheveled and sad. You ask for him to fuck you out of whatever slump you're feeling but it doesn't feel right to him. So instead of fucking you into his mattress, he's instead making you a meal out of whatever he can find in his pantry and offering a willing ear over a few glasses of wine. He learns a lot about you that night— about what you like, what you dislike. The feelings that you play close to your chest that hardly anyone ever sees. He even learns about your laugh, and how stunning you look when you smile like that. He learns something about himself too— that just sex with you might not be enough for him anymore.

You seem like you learn something about him, too. When you both grow quiet after talking and sharing together, laying your hearts out for the other to see, there's a newfound tension between you too. At one point, he come close, lips near hovering over yours, ready to give you a kiss more gentle and yet more meaningful than all the kisses before—

then one of the wine glasses tumble to the floor, and you giggle and you're tipsy and you're looking anywhere but at Wriothesley and he backs off, also so so so confused about what will happen now. Now that he wants something more. That night, you take his bed and he stays out on the sofa, thoughts too muddled by everything that just occurred to get any proper sleep. Unbeknownst to him, you don't get any rest that night either.

Things change. A little. Neither of you talk about That Night. Neither of you address the almost-kiss that would have definitely meant more than just this casual fucking. You're both confused, scared of the feelings that grow like wildflowers and vines, begging to be let out. Neither of you talk about it though, too scared to make the first move and ruin a good thing because of selfishness. But neither of you can stay away from each other— even despite busy schedules and hectic work, you manage to meet each other and have some of the most mind-blowing sex. It usually happens at his place, now, despite it being where That Night took place. You become a fixture in his home on nights when you're both available, taking up space in his bed but never staying too long.

Each time you slip out from under the covers, pulling your clothes on, blowing him a kiss that you can both tell is becoming more and more strained before you dart out the door, too fast for his racing heart to catch up with. You don't give yourself enough time to think about what would happen if you just stayed. If you buried yourself under the sheets and against Wriothesley and just let yourself be vulnerable, hoping that things fall into place the way you wish they would.

Wriothesley lets you walk out each time, all too aware of the conflict that paints your face. He's feeling the same thing too, after all. You struggle to move, to get out of there before you do anything dumb, Wriothesley struggles to hold still, to not take your hand in his and press the softest kisses on your arm, up to your face and to just hold you like he's been wanting to for months. His heart aches when he hears the frantic rustle of your clothes being practically thrown on, wishing that he could just bridge the gap and ask you to stay.

But it's too much one day. You slip out of the sheets like you always do, on foot on the floor, the other still tangled in the blankets, forcing yourself to move move move because if you stop for just a second you know that you'll never want to leave. But you look so sad to leave. All too much like That Night that started all of this. And his heart aches for a different reason than usual and before he can even think (because he knows that he'll never forgive himself if you leave looking like you're just going to spiral in your own thoughts when you get back to yours) he wraps a hand around your upper arm, pulling your back against his chest and holding you close—

so close, you can feel how his heartbeat hammers against his ribcage. You can feel his breath against the back of your neck and how his breath hitches as he prepares to speak, arms coming up to hold you closer, finally letting himself hold you close like he's been wanting to for months.

"Stay," he whispers, sending shivers down your spine. It's just one word, but it falls so heavily in the silence. Months and months and months of this back and force dance of longing and pining finally being put to an end. He lays his heart out on the table— whatever happens next is all up to you.

You tug slightly on the arms holding you so tightly to him and as he loosens his grip you turn, draping your arms around his shoulders and holding him close and oh his heart skips a beat in his chest because he feels so much for you. So much that he cannot put it into words that is in any way close to the love and affection and the fondness that he feels for you.

So instead he holds you close, one arm around your back, hugging you to his chest. The other grabs the edge of his blanket to drape over your forms when he lays you both down, skin to skin and heart to heart. He holds you against him under the blankets while you doze off in his arms, content and happy. And the rest is history.

Can you tell. Can you tell how much I absolutely love this trope.

THE NATSUYA ONE IM MELTING

Valentines Day with the Free! Boys 🌹

𝙆𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙢𝙖 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙨𝙪𝙮𝙖 🍰꒷︶꒦

Natsuya is a gentleman(child).

He crushes on you every time he's with you. It's like highschool all over again.

He's very romantic. Will write you a love letter, and put his favorite picture of you two in it. Takes you to an amusement park and gets you cute plushies from the claw machines. (Not to mention how you two share a cotton candy, it’s so freaking cute >_<)

He's so soft with you. Always holding your hand. You're very playful with Natsuya, so when you boop his nose with yours he just gets so flustered and melts internally, even though he's a grown man.

Gifts you a mixtape with all the songs he dedicates to you. (And the songs that reminds him of you.) Man's is just smitten for you.

“Gosh.. why’d you have to be so cute” Natsuya mumbles under his breath as he watches you play an arcade game.

𝙍𝙞𝙣 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙨𝙪𝙤𝙠𝙖 🦈꒷︶꒦

Soft loverboi.

He might look tough, but for you he's so soft.

Would get you small little gifts which remind him of you, because you're adorable.

Would probably take you for a long drive.

He's a pretty chill guy but gives you the princess treatment.

“You always look beautiful baby.” Rin says and kisses your head.

𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙪𝙠𝙚 𝙔𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙖𝙠𝙞 🧸꒷︶꒦

The stoic (but loving) man.

Shows he doesn't care much about Valentine's Day, but internally he's panicking about what to get you, where to take you.

He takes you for a picnic. A cute afternoon picnic.

And all the food is made by Sousuke. He makes all your favorite dishes and snacks.

Also gets you a cute hair accessory 'cause he loves your hair and loves to play with it.

Sousuke hums softly as he plays with your hair. Your head on his lap. “Hm? No, I'm not-… blushing....” He pouts (Because he is!!)

𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙤𝙩𝙤 𝙏𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙖 🎐꒷︶꒦

Malewife incoming.

This man, is so sweet. He would give you a love letter telling how much he loves you and what he appreciates about you.

Would take you to a cute cat cafe. (Because he loves cats so much and ofc you.)

Would buy you your favorite flowers.

He gets so shy when you hold hands. He loves your soft hands.

You stand on your tip toes and kiss Makoto's forehead as he leans down a little. “H-Huh..I-...” Poor baby was at a loss for words.

“-love you too.”

𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙪𝙠𝙖 𝙉𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙨𝙚 🐬꒷︶꒦

The dense but cute one.

Now Haru might be dense in most (romantic) cases but he knows about Valentine's Day and what's it about.

He makes mackerel for you :> (Please eat it even if you don't like it poor man made it with love.)

Sets up a romantic pillow fort with fairy lights and candles.

You both cuddle and watch movies all night. And of course, he didn't forget your gift. Gets you matching starfish rings with him.

“Cute,” he mumbles as he sees your figure asleep on his chest.

. ♡

𝐎𝐇 𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐘 𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐎 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐄!

୨♡୧ pairings :: roommate!welt x reader ; roommate!blade x reader ; roommate!gepard x reader

୨♡୧ contains :: modern!au, nothing crazy maybe some suggestive stuff and talking about lack of shirts, alcohol consumption but like rlly mild like I'm talking a few glasses of wine

୨♡୧ gia's notes :: screaming sobbing crying i got welt AND sampo on the same 10 pull :> anyways first exam in five days lets fucking gooooo. something short and sweet in the meanwhile

୨♡୧ request :: @sentieence 𖦹 (hope that this is enough blade content for you, i threw in a couple extra hee hee har)

𓆩♡𓆪 WELT

for an animator who mostly works from home, your roommate is surprisingly elusive

of course, you know what he looks like because you met him when you first moved in

he's smart, poised, handsome, and kind - as made apparent by his insistence on helping you move all of your boxes of belongings into the place

he was always polite, never overstepped boundaries, bid you a good morning or night whenever your paths crossed

and, well, that was about it

you knew that welt worked in his room, but if it weren't for his occasional appearances, it was almost like you were living entirely on your own

which wasn't exactly awful, per se, but you did want to get to know your roommate better

however, life's plans always manage to throw a wrench into the mix

your regular routine of work and returning home was interrupted with the unforeseen circumstance of having to stay later to finish a project in time- leaving you exhausted before you even left the building and began your journey back home

your stomach began growling as you climbed the stairs to your apartment, and you found yourself wondering what takeout you would rely on this evening to carry you through to the next day

those thoughts were interrupted by the enticing aroma of food cooking entering your nostrils as soon as you swung your front door open

you paused in confusion, taking a second to shed your shoes and coat before wandering into your kitchen, met with the surprising sight of your roommate with his back to you, humming quietly as he cooked himself a meal

you were almost hesitant to interrupt him, yet your stomach had other plans as it growled embarrassingly loud, causing welt to glance behind him and shoot you a quick smile before turning his attention back to the stove

"come sit, i'm making enough for two"

you grinned at his words, setting the table before settling down and watching welt cook with a practised grace

even in his own home, he dressed so formally, with his crisp button-down's sleeves rolled up to his reveal his forearms, the tendons rippling in such a way as he stirred the contents of the pan that you wondered just how an animator could have that physique-

you coughed to rid yourself of those thoughts, instead focusing on your drink as welt plated up the steaming food, placing one in front of you before taking a seat across from you

it all felt very intimate, and you tried not to get flustered as you made eye contact with your roommate from across the table

despite the easy expression he wore, his eyes met your gaze with an intensity that demanded you to match it, making you almost shrink back into your chair as welt nonchalantly took a bite, humming to himself in satisfaction

you followed his lead, feeling the tension in your shoulders as you sat back in your chair and appreciated welt's cooking

"you should cook more often" you sighed

welt let out a chuckle

"is that so?"

you hummed in affirmation, eagerly finishing your plate, the hot meal leaving you feeling fully satiated

you accidentally made eye contact with welt as you took your last bite, a certain look of endearment adorned by him that had you stuttering, teeth scraping unpleasantly around your fork

"i'll cook as much as you want to as long as you join me for the meal"

you almost choked on your food, feeling very self conscious all over again as welt's gaze remained fixed on you, chin propped up by his arm as that same accursed look on his face appraised you

"that would be nice"

𓆩♡𓆪 BLADE

on all counts, your roommate was an asshole

he was irritable, didn't clean up after himself unless you nagged him, and had woken you from your sleep more times than you can count because of whatever stupid shit he's up to that requires him to thump his way around the flat

it was infuriating, but hey, rent was cheap and the place you're in isn't half bad

all you have to do now is endure the circumstances for the remainder of your lease

you did your best to avoid the aptly named blade and his sharp mouth

mornings were particularly risky, with his half-asleep state invoking even more snide comments than usual as he makes himself a cup of coffee, black with no sugar

and then he proceeds to leave the unwashed mug in the sink

it pisses you off when you come back home at the end of your day and see it later alongside a stack of other dishes, dark ring of residual coffee staining the perfectly good piece of ceramic, and there's some string inside you that snaps and has you huffing and puffing your way over to your flatmate's room and knocking on it persistently

once, twice, three times

you hear an exaggerated sigh before the sound of his muffled footsteps, and then the door is being swung open and you're ready to chew him out for what feels like the millionth time

and then your eyes register the fact that youre stood face to face with his bare chest and the words die on your lips

the baggy clothes he wore really didn't serve him justice, and it's an active effort to peel your eyes away from his toned chest to meet his eyes, only to see a flash of amusement as he watches you make a fool of yourself

"something wrong?"

the bastard's enjoying this

"wash your dishes" you squeak out, before hightailing it back to your own room and trying to forget the image of your hot asshole roommate without a shirt on that was now branded onto the back of your eyelids

and it seemed that blade hadn't forgotten your encounter either

the next morning you were pleasantly surprised to see the dishes were done and set to dry, and you even picked out the same mug blade had used yesterday for your own coffee

the sound of the kettle must have masked his footsteps, because you almost jumped out of your skin when you heard blade grunt out a morning before reaching for the just-boiled water and the mug you placed on the counter

you turn around to tell him to get his own, though you're surprised to be greeted with the wide expanse of his bare back, all muscle that coils and stretches as he added milk and sugar to the drink and stirred it with a spoon and turning to face you yet again, smirk adorning his face as he took a long sip from your own cup

you bite the inside of your cheek, focusing your gaze onto his smug face as he leaned back against the counter, taking an exaggerated stretch back that let his muscles flex

"i thought you didn't like milk and sugar"

"i don't, but you do"

blade slid the mug across the counter back towards you, making his way out of the kitchen leisurely as if he hadn't just inadvertedly confessed that he memorised how you make your coffee

you take a sip and your suspicions are confirmed as it tastes the exact same as you make it, and you smile down at your drink despite yourself

having blade as a roommate might just work out after all

𓆩♡𓆪 GEPARD

gepard my beloved

honestly good luck living with this man and not having a massive crush on him

you feel guilty, but the thought of just how good of a boyfriend gepard would be has crossed your mind multiple times

the domestic setting of already living together doesn't exactly help these thoughts, either

over the late nights you've spent staying up talking, and the manoeuvring around each other in your cramped cosy apartment that has led to more brushes and lingering touches than you could count, this great image of intimacy has been constructed over the past months

the fact that he's single and painfully attractive is something that you're acutely aware of as well

even when alone, your mind often wandered back to that glaring fact, and on the rare occasion you let yourself indulge in the what ifs and maybes surrounding gepard

and with a couple glasses of wine in you right now, those thoughts were running rampant

it was a friday night and you were finally home from work, dressed in your comfiest clothes and just unwinding in the living room watching a trashy romcom with some takeout

and speak of the devil, you heard the familiar sound of your door being unlocked as gepard let himself in with a mumbled greeting, the door soon slamming shut behind him

you didn't turn your head, instead listening to him curse as he tripped over something in the hall, and his muted footsteps as he made his way to where you were sat

"long day, huh?" you teased, turning your head just in time to watch him loosen his tie with one hand, the pale column of his throat suddenly leaving your throat dry and reaching for your glass again

"something like that"

gepard shuffled over, intercepting it before you could place it back down on the table and took a sip from the same spot you did, making you feel flushed for reasons other than the alcohol working its way through your system

you placed your feet on the floor, about to shuffle up on the couch in anticipation of him taking a seat next to you, though the man surprised you as he crouched down, opting to sit in between your legs, his broad shoulders nestling comfortably against your knees

well, that was new

you zeroed in on his hair, reaching out your hand before thinking and combing through his tousled locks

you didn't expect the content sigh he let out at your simple action, watching the way his shoulders softened and he leaned back into you, his head now resting comfortably against your thigh

the ends of his hair tickled your bare skin, and you tried not to squirm at the feeling of his eyelashes fluttering closed as he hummed gently at your ministrations, basking in your presence

the thought of gepard having the exact mannerisms of a cat crossed your mind, and the giggle that escaped your lips was not lost on him, as he craned his head back to look you at you, brows furrowed at your mirth

"what?"

"nothing," you hummed, continuing to card your fingers through his silky hair, absentmindedly twisting a lock of it around your finger, watching the man sigh and sink back against you from his place on the floor

the weight of him resting against your legs just felt so right, and you felt yourself begin to relax into the position as well, your attention turning back to the movie as you continued your tipsy affection on your roommate

that seemed to be a sobering thought as you remembered that fact, and you were half tempted to pull away if it weren't for gepard looping his hands around your thighs, thumbs tracing absentminded patterns of his own into your skin, eyes fixed straight ahead

well, if he's not complaining, you didn't exactly see a reason why you should be either

୨♡୧ honkai star rail masterlist

𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐇

synopsis: wriothesley finds out you have a crush on someone and somehow manages to guess it’s on literally everyone but himself

characters: wriothesley x gn!reader

wc: 1.4k

warnings: fluff, a tiny pinch of angst and insecurity, my poor attempt at humor, slight miscommunication, friends to lovers, coworkers to lovers, swearing, first time writing for wriothesley so he might be ooc

notes: i almost made this angst to fluff but then decided i need to stop adding angst into literally everything i write (even though there’s like a tiny pinch of angst in here too 🙄). anyway, wriothesley is a lot harder to write than i thought he would be so i apologize if he seems ooc here

“Heard you gotta crush on someone,” Wriothesley teases as he walks into his office where you sit on one of his couches. You don’t even hear him walk in, too engaged in the book you were reading to pass time until you had to go through hundreds of inmate records to find something Neuvillette had requested.

His declaration is so sudden it almost makes you spit out the tea you had stolen from him.

Your eyes go wide as you stare at where he moves to lean against the front of his desk, arms crossed and waiting for an answer with that stupid smirk of his, “Hey now, that tea is expensive, so don’t go wasting it, okay?”

“Who told you about that?” you press for answers, a hint of anger in your voice as you ignore his previous statement about the tea. He had plenty to spare anyway.

Wriothesley’s smirk widens a bit, “So it is true.”

Damn him.

You don’t even bother trying to make an excuse, knowing your best friend all too well. He’d pick apart your words like weeds in a garden, finding meaning in them that you hadn’t even intended.

“And what if it is true?” you cross your arms defensively, glaring at him from across the room.

“At least tell me who it is,” he says as he rests his palms on the wooden desk behind him. When you don’t give in to his pleading, he playfully scoffs, “Oh c’mon, I’m your best friend! It’s kinda an obligation for you to tell me these things.”

You turn away, fixating your gaze on a nearby wall adorned with some weird painting he had hung awhile back, “Oh yeah? Since when? Last I checked there aren’t any rule books for being friends with someone. I don’t have to tell you a damn thing.”

“It’s Neuvillette, isn’t it?” he smiles knowingly. Perhaps that was why you were always the one receiving tasks from the Chief Justice instead of him — a guess at best, but enough evidence to convince him Neuvillette was the one.

No, you idiot. It’s you.

You snap your head back toward him, “What? No! I don’t like Neuvillette…not like that, at least. He’s nice and all, but I don’t think I’d be able to date the guy.”

“Damn, I really thought I had that one,” Wriothesley mumbles in defeat, pushing himself off the desk and instead moving to walk around the room as he thinks. It scares you. The fact that he’s so particular with facts and little details that it’s only a matter of time before he collects all the pieces to the puzzle and figures out he’s the one you like. What would he say when that happens? “Too nice, huh? So you like someone a little colder, then.”

Damn it, he got you again!

You don’t answer him.

“Not even going to try to deny it?”

“No,” you grumble to yourself, slumping further into the couch, “you’re only going to dig further anyway.”

He gives a satisfied hum, “Right, so it’s Clorinde then. I mean c’mon, we don’t get a lot of visitors, so it has to be her. She fits the description too.”

You exhaustedly sigh and swipe a hand over your face dramatically, done with his antics, “It’s not her either. And there is no ‘description.’”

He perks up in a way that makes you way too uncomfortable, “Navia?”

“No, I’ve never even met her aside from like one time two years ago,” you refute, sliding further down on the couch to fully lie down and shut your eyes, “I don’t get why you’re so excited over this.”

Wriothesley thinks for a moment before squinting his eyes, “Don’t tell me you have a crush on a prisoner?”

You teasingly peek an eye open while leaning back to look at him, “And if I did?”

“You better not,” he warns, pointing a stern finger at you like you were a prisoner and not his coworker.

You laugh to yourself at his sudden change of mood, “Relax, I was only joking!”

“Not funny,” he says unamused, prepared to pull out the prison’s rule book and slap it over your head if you did, “I’m really runnin’ out of people here.”

“Yeah, okay,” you say sarcastically, resisting the urge to roll your eyes, “thousands of people live in Fontaine. You’ll figure it out eventually.”

You really hope he doesn’t.

The following ten minutes consist of Wriothesley irritatingly pacing around the room and mumbling all sorts of names to himself. Some of which you recognized, others you had never even heard of before. And, despite all of your countless no’s to his guesses, he never gives up. Nor does he realize the answer is right in front of him.

“Just give it up already,” you finally interrupt as he stops in front of you.

A heavy sigh falls from Wriothesley’s lips as he collapses onto the couch, narrowly missing where your legs were outstretched. Defeatedly, he lays his head against the back of the sofa, shutting his eyes as he thinks a little harder. “Oh my god,” he says suddenly, head shooting up to look at you, “…don’t tell me.”

No way. Did he figure it out?

Your breath captures in your throat as his eyes flicker back and forth between your own, searching for some sort of truth. He knows. Your best friend knows that you have feelings for him — and not just the platonic kind.

His brows furrow and his face morphs into one of disgust. It makes your heart drop; the way he’s looking at you.

He doesn’t feel the same way.

“I can’t believe it,” he clicks his tongue in disgust, crossing his arms and turning his attention away from you, “you like Furina.”

Your jaw drops to the floor and suddenly you don’t feel bad anymore, “I actually can’t believe you just said that. Archons, I think you need to visit Sigewinne. I mean, seriously! Furina? Of all people!”

He grins and shrugs carelessly, “I don’t know? She was the last person I could think of.”

“Something is seriously wrong with you.”

“Clearly not so wrong that I couldn’t figure out that the person you actually like is me.”

“Oh please, I don’t even—wait, what? You knew?!”

A boisterous laugh erupts suddenly as you stare at him with wide eyes. You sit up on the couch quickly, slapping his shoulder as he continues to laugh, “Sorry, sorry!”

You don’t find it amusing, “I—when did you figure it out?”

His laugh eventually subsides into a drawn out sigh and his blue eyes soften a bit as they gaze into your own, “I’m not an idiot, you know? I wouldn’t be running this place if I was.”

“Right,” you mumble awkwardly, averting your gaze from his, “so, um, were you just doing all that to lighten the mood so you could let me down easily or…?”

“Or…what?” Wriothesley mocks you, a playful smirk pulling at his lips.

You roll your eyes with a scoff, “don’t make me say it.”

He spares you, luckily. It’s unlike him, but he doesn’t care to joke with you any longer when the subject is so serious, “Yes, I feel the same way. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“No, I totally wanted to hear you say you hate me and want me dead,” you say sarcastically, trying to fight a smile.

“I’m being serious, I really do like you,” Wriothesley presses, ignoring the way you’re becoming awkward from the nervousness floating in the air.

You finally exhale the breath you had been guarding in your chest, relieved that this didn’t go as horribly as you once thought it would.

The alarm sounding for dinner goes off after and you both stand from your places on the couch, “So what do we do now that that’s out of the way?”

Wriothesley falls into step next to you, holding the doors to his office open to let you out first, “We have our first date in the cafeteria, of course.”

Your face drops and you stop in your tracks to glare at him, “That better be a joke.”

He laughs it off quickly, not thinking you’d take it so seriously. Eagerly, he grabs your hand tightly in his as he pulls you to the exit of the Fortress, “Relax, I’m just teasing you! You deserve only the best, after all.”

“You are so annoying.”

“Only for you, sweetheart.”