This Is So Beautifully Written, I'm In Love With This Piece. Ndownekee Helelmee

This is so beautifully written, I'm in love with this piece. Ndownekee helelmee

The tenderness, Zhongli just yearning for the feeling of humanity-😭 I'm a sucker for this fic

◊ title:: seen

◊ pairing:: zhongli x f!reader

◊ wc:: 1.9k

◊ warnings:: nsfw. mdni. mentions: war, blood.

◊ a/n:: my first nsfw zhongli piece. i love this man fiercely - every. last. inch. of him.

your relationship with zhongli began as one of acquaintances, but quickly and effortlessly turned into a fond friendship. it didn’t take long for both of you to act on your mutual attraction and for months now you’ve had…something…with him.

you’ve spent time together with increasing frequency: taking long walks in the outskirts of liyue when time allows, enjoying long, fascinating conversations that keep you both up until ungodly hours of the night, and sharing moments of physical intimacy. chaste kisses have turned hot and passionate. wandering mouths and hands. you’ve spent him with your hand numerous times, turning the inside of his pants creamy white just as he has done to you. in the beginning, you’d asked him a couple of times to take his gloves off, to touch you skin to skin but he would suddenly withdraw every time, leaving both of you panting and needy with no release.

you didn’t know why - he refused to talk about it. your best guess was that his hands were littered with unsightly scars, about which he was terribly self-conscious. but you stopped bringing it up months ago, deciding that his gloved touch was better than his absent touch. no matter how fiercely the raging fire in your loins burned for him, however, so long as he couldn’t be naked with you, you’d never let him bed you.

the markings on zhongli’s skin have been with him over the millennia, even after stepping down as the geo archon and relinquishing the title of rex lapis. shirking his identity as morax did nothing to rid him of his physical appearance, leaving him with the permanent, heavy reminder of his godship. he just wants to be a man now, to have a human experience; to just be himself, free from stifling decorum and tremendous responsibility.

he longs to show himself to you, to be honest and transparent about who he is but the fear of what you might think of him when you see him - all of him - when you discover who, no, what he was has been holding him back. recently, however, he has given it much thought and reasons that if exposing himself revolts you, it’s better to rip off the bandage, as it were - to get it over with so you can both go your separate ways before either of you get too invested or hurt too badly.

as far as zhongli is concerned, your likely rejection is all but a foregone conclusion, and damage control is the best he can hope for.

a night on the town ends like so many before, on top of your bed, tongues swirling and zhongli’s hips nestled between your open thighs, grinding his clothed erection against your throbbing clit. his slacks are darkened where his girth pushes painfully against the fabric - a sinful mixture of your slick and his prespend. a few feet away, his coat hangs atop yours over the back of your sitting chair; his shoes sit neatly underneath. leave it to zhongli to keep order even as his carnal urges take hold. 

pushing himself off you, zhongli kneels between your legs and rids himself of his tie and waistcoat. he watches you carefully to gauge your reaction as he takes his rings off of his thumbs. your heart leaps with anticipation when he begins to loosen the thin, black barrier from his fingers until a couple of deliberate tugs are all that’s needed to free his hands.

rough and battle-worn, they all but glow with a complexion of brilliant gold. the former archon feels naked; revealing his discolored flesh to you is just like being in a state of undress. your eyes widen, making zhongli feel the urge to pull away and cover his skin again. you open your mouth and look up at him, speechlessly searching his eager gaze, but for what? an explanation? confirmation of his suspected identity? so many questions churn through your mind, but there will be time for that later.

it warms your heart to see the man formerly known as morax, once feared by legions of warriors, standing before you, vulnerable and insecure as you admire the same hands that wiped them out long ago. you take both his hands in yours, turning them over before bringing one to your cheek, holding it against your warm skin as you press your lips to his palm.

zhongli releases his bated breath, watching adoration fill your eyes as your curious fingers meander into the long sleeves of his dress shirt. his heart quickens as you expose his wrists, the skin gradually darkening to match the ore of his old namesake. your eyes find his again as you gingerly bring your fingers to the collar of his shirt. 

“may i?”

“y-yes,” he says, closing his eyes as you begin to unfasten the buttons, starting at his collar and working your way down at an unhurried pace. the simple act causes his adam’s apple to dip under your touch and his member to twitch inside his slacks. his naked chest rises and falls, the skin there pale and unremarkable save for a small patch of dark hair. it tickles your soft lips as you kiss his flesh, his pectorals flexing at your unexpected but very much welcomed affection.

you finish with the final button, your covetous eyes taking in every ridge and valley of his musculature. zhongli shudders as your hands explore his stomach beneath the beige linen, the heat of his skin seeping into your fingertips as they traverse the length of his torso. reaching up, you slip your hands into his shirt just beneath the collar and begin to push the expensive material away from his shoulders. it falls away, down his perfectly toned arms, uncovering what the lore describes with surprising accuracy. 

intricate vein-like lines thread their way upwards along his battle-carved arms, etched into his flesh like the stone he once commanded. from his wrists to his shoulders, the graduation of colors reminds you of the forging of a new weapon in fierce heat. along his forearms of scorching amber and biceps of carbonized iron, geometric patterns glow with the same color and intensity as his bright, golden hands. his shoulders are just this side of black; dark brown like old soil, dense and compacted by the weight of the world and centuries of war pounded into them.

you see him. nearly every human to have existed in the past few thousand years would recognize his distinct markings anywhere. you now know who he used to be, but do you see him as the man who stands before you in this moment, or as the god who greedily ended entire civilizations?

“this changes nothing,” you murmur, sensing his needless worry. “zhongli,” you bring your hand to his face and ghost your lips below his ear, “do you not know by now that i can read you like one of your myriad books?” his breath is warm against your cheek when you press your mouth to the corner of his lips, whispering tenderly. “the color of your skin will not stop me from seeing right through to the core of you. you are a beautiful man, inside and out.”

zhongli’s heart rattles his ribcage, beating so hard like it’s trying to escape his chest to get at you. all the air rushes from his lungs as he turns his head to kiss you properly, devouring the taste of your lips.

you reach back and unzip your dress, letting it fall to expose your flushed breasts before guiding zhongli’s xanthous hands to them, wordlessly encouraging him to touch you. liberated from months of bridled desire, he cups and squeezes your soft flesh, a string of saliva snapping between your lips when he lowers his mouth to your tit. he suckles and swirls his velvety tongue around your pebbled nipple as his hands grab and pull your waist closer. he relishes the soft moan that you reward him with, yearning to hear other sounds he might be able to coax from your pretty mouth.

your wandering hand finds and squeezes his erect cock, aching and jumping at your touch. he sits back on his haunches, his breaths coming hard and fast through open lips. you watch his golden, elegant fingers unbuckle his belt and open his uncomfortably tight trousers before leaning over your body again.

you’re both locked in a desperate kiss when you reach down and slide your fingers inside his waistband, feeling the familiar heat of his impressive length as you free him. the resounding depth of zhongli’s voice when he groans into your mouth has you clenching around nothing. he so urgently removes your dress that the fabric rips in a few places, eliciting a pitiful whine from you at the sudden glimpse of morax’s deep-seated power emerging with his need.

with your fingers indisposed, fisted in his amber-tipped locks, you resort to unsuccessfully pushing his pants down his thighs with your toes. he takes over, making no waste of time working them down his legs, growling in frustration when they briefly get stuck around one of his ankles. you snicker at his plight and he gives up.

“good enough,” he huffs with a smile before settling between your legs, pants long forgotten when his naked cock nestles against your cunt for the first time.

your eyelids slide closed, zhongli taking advantage of your exposed neck when you roll your head back at the feeling of his hardness dragging against your slippery clit. your inner thighs hug his naked hips as he sucks and nips at your pulse point. he hasn’t even entered you and you’re already so close to your climax.

zhongli reaches between your bodies and rubs the throbbing head of his cock along your wet slit before nudging at your entrance, your hips rising off the bed to meet him. your walls spread around him as he pushes inside you, coaxing a long, low moan from his parted lips.

“archons, yes…” you sigh, your mouth hanging open at the exquisite stretch zhongli’s thick girth provides as he fully sheathes himself inside your heat. you paw at his black shoulders, his muscles dimpling under the pressure of your fingertips when he begins to move with slow, shallow thrusts.

the same golden fingers that slayed gods centuries ago now brush stray locks of your hair from your face with tender care. you wrap your arms around his neck, holding him fast to your body as though he might disappear if you let him go. 

“i have wanted you like this for so long…” he mutters against the damp skin of your neck, his movements gaining in speed and depth. there are a thousand things you want to say to him, but his sculpting of your insides to fit his shape has left you breathless and unable to form a single coherent thought.

he raises up onto his arms and laces his glowing fingers between yours, gently pressing your hands into the bedding on either side of your beautiful face. watching your body move with his, zhongli is filled with deep satisfaction and the first flutterings of love at the edges of his heart.

you turn your head to press your open lips to the warm, dark skin of his bare arm, quietly gasping his name as his erect length drags sweetly along the wet walls of your core. your soft skin pressed so intimately with his - stained with earth and the blood of many men - confers your approval of his naked form with far more eloquence than any words ever could. your full acceptance of his true self turns his gaze from his lonely past. his focus now lies ahead and all he can see before him is his future with you by his side.

zhongli mlist

i hope you enjoyed reading this as much as i did writing it. 😩😮‍💨 if so, reblogs are greatly appreciated!! 🧡

Good day or morning to you all

Here's a treat for all us Zhongli lovers <3

I have no regrets

Mora For Your Thoughts?

Zhongli is always interested in what you have to say, no matter what it is.

★彡penny for your thoughts, zhongli edition.

"Mora for your thoughts?"

You smile up at your husband, whose question has pulled you out of your midday reverie. Zhongli sets the tea tray he’s been holding on the table, settles beside you on the couch with a tender smile and kisses your cheek, eagerly awaiting your answer.

"Well," you begin, "I was wondering why cats get nine lives, but dogs don't."

Zhongli rubs his chin thoughtfully. "A fascinating question. In fact, I seem to recall a story from centuries past that tells the story of a cat and his dog companion, and how they once compete for immortality." He pauses, knowing that the story will take all evening to narrate - which he will only do if you're fine with it.

You rest your head on his shoulder, knowing full well that any story from Zhongli's internal archives is bound to be a treat. "Go on." There is tea, and there is time.

******

"Mora for your thoughts?"

Sitting by the windowsill, you keep your gaze upon the clear sapphire sky up above. "I was just wondering what it would feel like to soar in the sky, unfettered by the troubles of the world below."

Zhongli hums. "If I weren't living strictly as a mortal, I would love to let you ride on my back across the skies."

You turn to him, a big smile on your face. "Wow, really? In your dragon form?"

"Of course, dearest. Though I doubt that would be possible at present, but perhaps one day." He, too, now looks up into the blue, blue sky.

You shake your head. "It's the thought that counts! Just imagining it makes my heart race! I've always wanted to ride you - I...I mean ride on your back while you're in dragon form..."

Zhongli throws his head back and laughs, a pleasant, rumbling baritone that never fails to make butterflies erupt within you. With golden eyes full of mirth, he says, "For now, I shall regale you with descriptions of the sky and clouds from my own experiences. Would you like that?"

"Yes please! Tell me all there is to see and experience alongside the loftiest birds!"

And thus, your husband kisses your forehead and begins to narrate his skyward anecdotes, each description more vivid than the last, until it feels like you are up there in the skies atop a draconic Zhongli, feeling the wind race across your face and the clouds split into tendrils like cotton.

******

You narrow your eyes down at the book you're reading, utterly displeased with the direction the author's taking. Though you suppose it's to be expected of a run-of-the-mill romance... still, you sigh and look up from the novel, finding Zhongli's own inquisitive gaze upon you. He is reading a book as well, but for now chooses instead to focus on his beloved.

"Mora for your thoughts?"

You smile at the fondly familiar question. "I just find it frustrating how, in the novel I'm reading, the main character is more attracted to the man with anger issues and a drinking problem, rather than the level-headed and genuinely kind man."

"Ah, a case of second-lead syndrome, hm?"

"Yup," you affirm, and then sigh again, "it wouldn't be so bad if the romance scenes were at least well-written. None of them seem romantically-charged at all. It's frustrating. There's so many things the author could have done..."

"Is that so?" Zhongli sets aside his book, his eyes carefully trained on you. "Have you any suggestions?"

It's an innocuous question, so you answer without hesitating. "They could've had a scene where they were pressed together in a tight space, or had to share a single bed at a busy inn...and their kissing scenes are drier than the Desert of Hadramaveth! I would've liked it if their kisses had both passion and tenderness."

A soft chuckle, and Zhongli is now cupping your cheek. You lean into his touch contentedly as his thumb draws soothing circles along your cheek. "Shall we enact your romantic fantasies and make them a reality?"

Saying this, your husband kisses you, equal parts tender and passionate. What follows makes sure you know firsthand that what you two have is miles more powerful than words in the pages of a book.

day twenty | ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ

"Was I ever going to be told about this, or was I supposed to accidentally discover it myself?"

tags: pet names, fem!reader, established relationship, reader is preganant, dragon!zhongli doing dragon!zhongli things because im a simp, nesting, tooth rottingly fluffy

ao3 link | taglist | masterlist

hello everyone ^^ this segment of the zhongli flufftober that is now just 31 fluffshots is inspired by this ask! i recommend checking it out so you know what the original context was :) i had so much fun writing this, i was literally kicking my feet and giggling like an imbecile... anyway I've been told by a couple of betas on some other works that i may have a slight over reliance on dialogue so I've been working on setting the scene a bit more through description, please tell me if this slays or not.

i am down so astronomically bad for family man zhongli be still my beating heart and ovaries cause wtaf

Zhongli's favourite part of the day is easily six pm when he can hurry home from the funeral parlor to see you. But over the few weeks, he's been becoming more on edge as the clock tends to the end of his work day. He's never particularly enjoyed being away from you for long, granted, but he always wants to be at home now.

On his way home, he passes through the market stalls and finds himself drawn to a couple of stands, musing over how the wares would suit your home perfectly. Before he knows it, he's bought a ridiculous amount of goods and is staggering under the weight of it as he returns home to you. He'd only meant to buy the vase, but then he'd been drawn to some woolen blankets and pillowcases with golden threads, and how could he ignore his instincts when they were calling out to him so loudly?

"You're finally home," you smile when he comes through the front door. You dare not ask about the ridiculous amount of things he's been buying recently–when you do, he looks at you with confusion, as if you're supposed to know what he's doing. You don't. At all. When it comes to Zhongli and his instincts, you've learned to ride the wave and accept whatever you're told.

Zhongli lowers his head to kiss you, manoeuvering his pile of goodies out of your way. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm great. How are you?" You shoot back snarkily. You know that's not what he's asking—he's asking about whether the baby's been good today or whether you've done anything particularly exciting with the sudden excess of time you've been granted since taking maternity leave.

"I'm well, thanks," he replies, chuckling and your evasion of his question. You do this almost every day, withholding the detail of your day from him until he sits down and gives you his full attention—something he can't do while carrying a whole mound of knitted goods.

"I'll tell you more after you put that away. Where are you putting all that stuff anyway?" You ask, and Zhognli shrugs.

"Places." he smiles, heading upstairs. The aforementioned place is your room—not that you spend much time in it. In fact, Zhongli's been in your old room more often in the past three months than you have since you moved in. As your pregnancy progresses, you seek him out more than usual, desperate for his comfort. And so, his room has become a shared room. Not that he particularly minds.

When he returns downstairs, he lies down, resting his head in your lap, and you tell him everything you've done today, absent-mindedly braiding his hair as you talk. He likes being close to your stomach, even though you're barely showing, and listens attentively, asking questions about your adventures. Nine times out of ten, you both fall asleep like this, and you awake in the morning in your bed. But today, you wake up before Zhongli does, having napped earlier in the day, and carefully slip away from him, slipping a pillow under his head where you once had been.

The sheer amount of knitted things Zhongli brought today has made you want to revive your old hobby of crocheting in the hopes you might be able to make something for the baby. If you remember correctly, the last time you crocheted anything was when you still used your room for its intended purpose—and not as a walk-in wardrobe. And so, you march yourself to your room, ready to check under the bed for your trunk of supplies.

Or rather, you would be if Zhongli hadn't replaced your bed with what feels like thousands of pillows and blankets.

Oh, Li, you think, wrapping a blanket with golden threads around your shoulders.

Sometimes, it's easy to forget that the man wasn't always human—that even though his body is that of a man's, his mind and soul aren't, and that sometimes old instincts kick in. Was he embarrassed? Was he worried that you'd think he's weird?

You walk towards the large pile of comforters out of curiosity. If he put this much work into it, you might as well test if it's any good, right? You sink into the blankets, curling up with one of the pillows in your hands. It feels like every part of your body is being hugged by him, no less. You can swear the blankets smell like him. Before you know it, you've fallen asleep, a golden pillow clutched close to your chest.

When Zhongli wakes up and finds you replaced by a pillow but the house silent, he's slightly concerned. Have you injured yourself while he's been sleeping? It can't be. He would have woken up. And so he's decided to search for you. Just to make sure you're alright. He can't be too careful. But you're not in his bed, and you're not in the bathroom, the study, or the small makeshift library he'd put together for you.

The final place to look is your old room, but you'd had no reason to go in there before, so why would you go now all of a sudden? But of course, that's where he found you, curled up in the middle of the sorry attempt of a next he'd put together to try and curb his urges. He wishes he'd had enough time to finalise his preparations, but seeing you sleep so happily makes his heart swell. He sits on the floor beside the bed, carefully taking your hand in his as you stir, resting your hand on your stomach as you sit up.

"Good evening," he smiles, and you stare at him blankly as if you don't understand, a sign you've slept well. "Are you alright?"

You nod, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him into bed with you. When you've finally woken up enough to talk, you look up at him and ask: "Was I ever going to be told about this, or was I supposed to accidentally discover it myself?"

"I had intended it to be a gift for you and the baby when you were further along, but I have no objections to you getting an early present." His smile is excited and bright as he pulls you closer to him, suddenly overcome with the feeling that you can never be close enough.

"This is not what I expected when I found out dragons nest." You smile against his chest.

"Well, I can't exactly bring you feathers, can I? You'd slaughter me the minute I step over the threshold, so this will have to do."

"I can think of worse places to sleep," you smile, kissing him lightly. "Thank you. I love it."

© 2023, thesparklingwriter. please do not copy, edit, repost, or translate.

taglist: @ainescribe

"allow me to comfort you?"

zhongli x gn!reader

genre: fluff/reverse comfort

word count: 1.1k

tags: zhongli is SO SAD. IM SORRY. uhhhhh cuddles, lots of em, kith kith, nightmares, zhongli is dragon boi

tw/cw: ig zhongli has some sort of what i guess could be called anxiety but that's kinda it

a/n: decided to double post this week because i have exams and this is my way to destress, enjoy :)

ps... this is not very well proofread

opening your eyes in the morning is normally quite a peaceful feeling, especially when your boyfriend is with you, as he would normally have his arms wrapped around you, lovingly awakening you from your slumber. however, today seemed different, or rather, tonight. 

you were awakened to the feeling of movement, and a rather dragonic looking man stirring next to you in bed. 

was he having a dream? a bad one? you could’ve sworn this was the first time this had happened, and you weren’t sure what to do. 

after a moment, you sat up, and decided to awaken him, as you could see the golden patterns on his arms glowing every few seconds, which after knowing him for a while, you came to figure meant he was in some sort of distress.

you grabbed his arm and started to move your hand up and down gently, as to not startle the man too much. some people might think its a risk not worth taking, to awaken a literal sleeping dragon, and even you knew the man had the potential to hurt you, but he never would. you trusted him, more than anything. 

after turning on the lamp at the bedside, you began making more effort to awaken the man. 

“zhong. my love, wake up”

after about thirty seconds of attempting to awaken him, the man suddenly sprung upwards, breathing heavily, and catching hold of his surroundings. he scanned around him, before grabbing onto your hand and looking down, closing his eyes. 

shortly after you began to hear gentle sobs from the man. surely this can't be right. rex lapis, crying…?

“hey, what happened? you okay?”

you quickly realised however, that these questions were pointless, and that he was not going to respond. instead, you opted for pulling him closer to you, wrapping one of your arms around his broad shoulders, and holding his hand with the other, gently stroking his thumb. 

his gentle sobs continued for a few minutes, before you moved your hand from his and used it to pull his head to your chest, where you presumed he could perhaps find some solace as you ran your fingers through his hair. 

when his sobs finally slowed down, it took him a moment to pipe up. 

“surely this position is uncomfortable for you, aren’t my horns hurting you, or digging into you somewhere? i can make them g-”

“shh, i’m okay. promise.”

“v-very well”

after another moment of silence, he spoke again…

“i am... sorry for awakening you. i cannot remember the last time this happened, but it was truly long ago”

“my love, you have nothing to apologise for. do you want to talk about it?”

“i suppose it would be improper of me not to offer up an explanation after so crudely awakening you like this… i dreamt that… they left me”

“they left you…? who?”

“the liyuean people. i dreamt that they abandoned everything here, that their archon was no longer worthy and-”

was he crying? again?

“hey, you’re okay. it was only a dream”

“i’m sorry, i do not have these experiences often, which means that they only feel more real to me”

you wipe the tears from beneath his eyes, and lean up to place a gentle kiss to the top of his forehead.

it was still an odd sight to see zhongli crying. 

"i know, darling, i know”

“may i talk to you about something? If you wouldn’t mind lending an ear?”

“that's exactly what i'm here for, ‘li” 

“very well. truthfully i sometimes feel as though a lot of my person is a façade. of course i am required to believe that i am powerful, otherwise i would not hold my position amongst the seven, but honestly i sometimes feel that i am not enough for the people here in liyue. i have given them everything i have, but what if that is not enough? what if one day, liyue, rex lapis, morax and zhongli are all left in the dust. what if it is all forgotten? if my efforts are put to waste?”

“zhong. when was the last time you interacted with a liyuean? they all know that you care for them more than anything, do not let your own self doubt get in the way of that, or you will become blinded by your insecurities. you are doing a good job, take it slowly. after all, fate awaits us all, and there is very little that can be done about it. i promise you, the people of liyue love you. i love you”

“i love you as well, dear. sometimes i just worry.”

“i know. i cannot even begin to imagine the amount of pressure you are under.”

you used your hand to tilt his face towards yours, before easing his worries with a kiss.

“shall we lay down dear? i still feel apologetic for waking you up”

“sure, but just this once, allow me to comfort you?”

“very well”

you moved to lie flat on your back, as zhongli moved himself closer to you, resting his head upon your chest.

“is this okay?” 

he asked, wondering if the position was comfortable for you. after all the man did have literal horns poking out of his head.

“mhm! can i play with your hair?”

“please, do. that sounds ever so pleasant at this moment in time.”

and so you moved your fingers to entangle in his hair, gently massaging his scalp as he let out a large yawn, wrapping himself tighter around you.

“i love you, y/n”

“love you too, ‘li”

after a few moments of pleasant silence, you piped up again, with intentions to ask the man if he had calmed down any.

“zhong?”

“zhong~?”

ah. he was sleeping. 

“sleep well, prince”

and all of a sudden, began a low, rumbling, purring noise, from somewhere in the mans chest. an ability you were completely unaware he had, but for some reason the sound soothed you, and let you know he was calm, and happy in your presence. 

you placed a gentle kiss to his head once again, before drifting off into your own slumber. 

you awakened to the feeling of gentle kisses being placed upon your shoulder, by none other than zhongli himself, who was obviously very impatiently waiting for you to wake up.

“ah, you're awake. good morning, dear”

“mmm, morning zhong”

“did you rest well?”

“i did. you?”

“me too”

“why of course, i'm not sure why i asked”

“what is that supposed to mean…?”

“you started purring in your sleep last night”

“i did WHAT?!"