Diluc With A Snezhnayan Reader

Diluc with a Snezhnayan reader

Notes: I finally pulled Alhaitham and Xiao earlier this week. My boys have finally come home. Sorry for any mistakes, as half of this was written while I was barely functioning on three hours of sleep :’) Anyways, enjoy!

Masterlist

There were few people from Snezhnaya that worked with the Adventurers’ Guild, but you were one of them. You belonged to a well off family, and didn’t have to deal with the pressures of most Snezhnayan people about finding a way to support the elders of your family. You were well experienced with the cold harsh climate of your homeland, and the treacherous work that came with living in such harsh conditions. However, you were blessed with an Anemo Vision, and with it, the ability to use the element to heal others. Even then, you always made sure to practice stitching and applying bandages, on the off chance your Vision didn’t heal someone, and you had to resort to applying more basic methods of first aid. You were glad you’d been practicing, because you’d run into plenty of injured people on your travels. Your journey across Teyvat led you to Mondstadt, the City of Wind, wine, and most importantly, freedom.

You nodded as you showed the knight at the entrance to the city your papers for the Guild, and walked through the gates, before walking around and looking at the beautiful city. You’d heard many stories from your grandfather, who was also an adventurer, about the City of Wind, but you’d never seen it for yourself up until now. Your wide eyes gazed around, before you saw a restaurant a little ways away from you. You were quite hungry after such a long journey, and figured that a bite to eat wouldn’t hurt. “Oh, hello, welcome to Good Hunter. Would you like to order in or take your food to go?” the lady at the counter asked. “I’ll order in, please.” you voiced. She handed you a menu and told you to have a seat at one of the tables nearby. You ordered your food and then ate, paying for it before you headed over to the Adventurers’ Guild’s kiosk. You had a day full of commissions ahead of you.

The last commission of the day was at some place near Stone Gate, which you assumed was the Dawn Winery. You’d tried their Dandelion Wine, and liked it very much, but your favorite drink of theirs was their apple cider. There was no better cider in the whole of Teyvat other than the one from the Dawn Winery. You were supposed to be helping the maids clean, and did so rather quickly with the help of your Vision. You were about to leave after you’d finished cleaning the last bit of dust from the carpet, but when you turned around, you ran straight into someone’s chest. You stepped back and looked up, finding a man with red hair and vermillion eyes. “My apologies, but, who are you? I don’t recall having ever seen you here, let alone in Mondstadt before.” his voice was deep, but the way he carried himself put you slightly at ease. “Oh, my name is (Y/N). I’m doing a commission for Adelinde, since, according to her, the dust is too deep in the carpet to get out using any normal means. And since I have an Anemo Vision, I figured I’d help out.” you chimed, smiling up at him. “Really? May I ask where you’re from, Miss (Y/N)?” he asked. “Ah, I’m from Snezhnaya. But may I ask what your name is?” you asked. He gave you a hard look, as if he was sizing you up, before he spoke again. “I am Diluc, the owner of the Dawn Winery. You don’t seem to have a Delusion on you, which leads me to believe that, for now at least, you aren’t part of the Fatui.” he thought out loud. “Archons, no, I’d never join them. My father told me that if I ever joined the Fatui, he’d never talk to me again. He wanted me to make an honest living, no matter how we fare back home, which is why I started taking up commissions from the Adventurers’ Guild in the first place.” you explained. “What about your mother?” Diluc asked, looking at you. “She was in the Fatui, and she had a Delusion, but it backfired, and killed her. I was ten at the time, but I do still miss her very much.” you became quiet, before shaking your head. “But that’s water under the bridge now, since it’s been so long. I should be going, but you have a wonderful day, Diluc.” you spoke, going to leave, but he gently caught your sleeve. “It’s only fair that I pay you since I’m the one who owns the winery.” he voiced, motioning for you to follow him. He grabbed his mora pouch and gave you twenty thousand mora, before going to the kitchen. “Think of this as a sort of welcoming gift for your arrival here in Mondstadt.” Diluc said, grabbing a bottle of Dandelion Wine. “Actually, I’m not particularly fond of alcohol, but I have heard that the apple cider here is wonderful.” you spoke. “Thank goodness I’m not the only one who dislikes alcohol, here.” he grabbed the bottle of golden yellow apple cider and handed it to you. “Thank you, I appreciate this. Anyways, I should get going, may we meet again, Diluc.” You called, walking out the door and back to the inn in the city.

Turns out, you did see him again, many times, in fact. The most recent occasion was when you were gravely injured during a commission, when a Mitachurl hit you with its shield. You were knocked unconscious from the impact against the ground, and Diluc watched you get thrown onto the path he was walking on. He saw the Mitachurl and glared over at it, manifesting his claymore and planning to kill it. However, he looked down at you, and put the sword away before picking you up. You’d slowly made a home for yourself in his heart, and he didn’t want to admit that. He decided instead to silently watch over you from afar, protecting you from the shadows, but this situation had opened his eyes to the reality that you could be taken from him so easily if you let your guard down too much. He carried you back to the Dawn Winery, and set you down in his bed. He ran to find Adelinde next. “Adelinde, please go get a healer immediately!” He yelled, causing her to turn back to look at him. She was about to retort, but then saw the panicked look on his face, and your unconscious form in his arms, and nodded. She hurried off, leaving him to pace around downstairs. The moment Barbara got to the Winery, he all but dragged her over to where you were to heal your injuries. After she was done, she turned and spoke to Diluc. “She should be fine with a few days of rest, but her arm is broken, and I couldn’t heal it. I know it will heal properly, but it will be at least two weeks before she can even begin to fight again. Sorry I couldn’t do more.” She apologized. He shook his head, thanking her for her assistance, before sending her out and closing the door. Diluc took off his coat and gloves, before sitting down in the chair at your bedside. He gently, almost timidly, took one of your hands into his, pressing his lips against the back of your palm. “I’m so sorry for not being there to protect you.” He whispered, looking at you. He leaned back, letting your hand fall back to your side. You had his heart and didn’t even know it, but plenty of others at the Dawn Winery did, it was quite obvious that the maids knew that his mood was better whenever you were around. Adelinde had become much softer and more welcoming with you than she was with other guests. She would talk with you for hours if you weren’t busy. She herself was curious about the woman that Diluc had fallen in love with. However, this occasion proved that he genuinely had feelings for you, and Adelinde was more than willing to steer him toward you if she needed to do so.

You woke up slowly, blinking the sleep from your eyes and rubbing them with your uninjured hand. You looked at the cast on your left arm and sighed, before hearing the door open and close when Diluc walked in. Your gaze snapped over to him, your eyes meeting his as he gazed at you. He sprinted toward you and all but tackled you to the bed. “Thank goodness you’re awake.” He whispered, hugging you tightly. You were taken aback, but reciprocated nevertheless. “How long was I out?” You asked when he pulled away. He rested his forehead against yours, a deep sigh escaping his lips. “You’ve been out for two days, I found you on the side of the road. I was so worried that you’d been killed.” He iterated. You saw the genuine worry in his gaze and the tears welling up in his eyes, and reached up to gently wipe away his tears. “Diluc, I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” You looked around. “Where are we?” You asked after a minute or two. “You’re in my room. It’s the closest one to the door, sorry.” He apologized, causing you to wave your hands frantically as you tried to tell him that it was fine, wincing as you did so. He gave you a worried look. “Do you need anything? Are you in any pain? Are you still tired?” He bombarded you with questions, talking a mile a minute as he anxiously checked you over for any injuries. “Diluc, I’m fine.” You replied, looking down at your arms, one of which was in a cast. “That’s gonna leave a mark.” You mumbled, cursing under your breath. “Barbara told me that it’ll be at least two weeks until you can start fighting again.” He glared at you for a moment, before seeing the regretful look you had in your eyes.

You rested your head in your uninjured hand, sighing deeply. “And don’t even think about trying to take any commissions from the Adventurers’ Guild until Barbara or someone else makes sure that you’ve fully healed.” He continued. “What are you, my mother?” You huffed, your voice heavily laced with sarcasm and annoyance. “I’m serious. You need to stop being so reckless and start watching out for yourself.” He scolded, giving you a reproachful look whilst he spoke. You scowled over at him. “Diluc, I’m not a child, I can take care of myself! Why do you even care about what happens to me, anyway?!” You yelled. “Because I love you! I’m worried about you because you’re so reckless! I’m terrified that I’m going to lose the only good thing I’ve had in so long! You worry me constantly, and you don’t even know it!” He shot back, before realizing what he said. He covered his mouth, willing the words to be taken back as he cast his gaze to the floor. He didn’t want to tell you like this, not ever like this. He was so scared that he had just pushed you away. Reluctantly, Diluc looked back up at you from the floor, panic swimming in his crimson gaze as he looked at you. Your eyes were wide and your face was bright red as you all but stared at him. “You… what?” You asked, watching him carefully to see what he would do next. He took a deep breath as his gaze softened into something you couldn’t quite read, sitting down in the chair he’d placed next to the bed. “I love you. I have for a while, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell you. I was so worried that you’d reject me and that whatever we had would be gone. I was scared that you’d ignore me.” He explained. You could tell that he was nervous easily. Diluc buried his face in his hands to hide the red that decorated his cheeks. You reached out and gently grasped one of his hands in your own, bringing it close to you and gently placing it against your cheek as you spoke. “You should have told me sooner. I didn’t know you liked me back.” You muttered softly, grabbing his wrist and pulling him close to you. You wrapped your arms around him and hugged him tightly, resting your head against his shoulder. Diluc stiffened slightly, before trying to pull away. “Wait, your arm-” “My arm is fine, Diluc.” You interrupted him, continuing to hug him. “I love you, too.” You said finally, pulling away and resting your forehead against his. You felt him pull away and pouted slightly, before your eyes widened when you felt his lips against yours. His kiss was gentle and his lips were soft, a stark comparison to his usual self. He reached behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you closer as he continued kissing you. After a few minutes, he pulled away from you and looked at you, sighing in relief as you smiled sweetly up at him. “Do you have any clue how long I’ve been wanting to tell you that?” He asked, watching as you giggled softly. “Sorry, it’s just so odd for you to lose your cool like this, it’s cute.” You mused, reaching up and cupping his face in your hands. Diluc felt his face heat up as you held him there gently, before putting his hands over yours and gently grasping them. He brought one of them to his lips and kissed the back of your palm as his eyes locked with yours. His gaze was soft and filled with gentle adoration for you. “I never thought I would fall for someone like you, but here we are, and never shall I regret it.” He mumbled, pulling you close yet again. You were going to have to work on touch with him, since he seemed to love it so much, but for now, you both held each other there, basking in one another’s presence.

I already love your writing sm and knowing you're open for Capitano requests makes me go FERAL /pos

(I miss him sm I'm always searching for CRUMBS)

Thank you, anon, I’m glad you like my writing! I’m planning on writing something for him and a few of the other men to post probably next month, actually. Until next time~

Scaramouche x Youkai!reader

Notes: I’m sorry if this isn’t that good since I really don’t know how to write for Scaramouche but anyways, enjoy!

Masterlist

Warnings: Spoilers for Scaramouche’s backstory, the Sumeru Archon Quest, and the Interlude Chapter in Sumeru!

“Kunikuzushi?”

He recognized that voice, the same one he’d heard right before he’d left Inazuma. It was you, one of the few youkai left in Inazuma. Miko, although the two of you weren’t even remotely related, took you in and all but raised you, being the older of you two. You would be forever grateful to her for her kindness. It was because of her that you met the one now known as the Wanderer. However, you only knew him as Kunikuzushi, the puppet that the Shogun had all but thrown away and left to erode into dust in the harsh torrent that was eternity. However, you had always been very kind and very caring toward him, and even when he was known as The Balladeer in his previous Incarnation, he still remembered you with perfect clarity, no matter what life you saw each other in last. In fact, you were the first person that the Traveler asked about what you knew of him when he had changed his history in Teyvat. Thankfully, nothing in your mind had changed about his origins at the Grand Narukami Shrine or about when he left, but the one thing that had changed was the fact that you no longer remembered him taking on the title of The Balladeer, and now only remembered him as Wanderer. He let only you use his original name.

He turned around and looked at you, standing a mere ten feet away from where he himself stood. He nodded softly in affirmation, acknowledging that he’d heard you. Your ears twitched slightly, moving around and checking for any signs that the two of you were being watched or eavesdropped on.

“Kunikuzushi.” You breathed, the name sounding like it was meant for only your lips.

When you didn’t find any signs of immediate danger, you hesitantly took a step forward, before sprinting at him and tackling him to the ground below. “Umph-!” He grunted, taken by surprise when you collided with him. You wrapped your arms around him and sighed deeply, squeezing him tightly as you hugged him. “I thought I’d never see you again.” You whispered, relaxing only when he returned your embrace. “What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here. What if Ei catches you?” You asked. He shook his head. “I’ve met the Traveler, and if things were to come to that, then I’d ask them to help me stop her from doing anything.” His hold on you tightened. “But I had to see you again. I couldn’t take being without you anymore. It’s all been a mess, and it turns out that there was another incarnation of me in a different timeline that destroyed and killed so many people, and-" He stopped when you gently cupped his face in your hands, your hands just as soft as he remembered. “Kuni, slowly. I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on.” You pressed your forehead against his and sat up fully to let him have some space. “Come on, I’ll take you somewhere we can talk.” You offered, getting up and gently taking his hand into yours.

You kept walking until you reached an old, abandoned shrine, and sat down before patting the ground beside you in an invitation for him to sit. The Wanderer quickly did so, sitting as close as he could to you. “Ok, start from the beginning.” You coaxed, and it all came crashing down from there. You heard about how he used to be a Harbinger who mercilessly killed and tortured those around him, destroying and fighting whatever and whoever he was told to. You heard about him changing his past and becoming what he was now, and you heard about his time with the Traveler, and with Lesser Lord Kusanali. You heard about how he got his memories back, and how he finally got back to Inazuma. By the time he was done, Kunikuzushi was shaking, and you could tell he needed comfort. You were willing to give that comfort, and gladly did so. “That is a lot to handle, and I don’t even know where to start, but what I do know is that you’re the most important person to me in the whole of Teyvat. It doesn’t matter to me whether you’re The Balladeer or The Wanderer, you’ll always be Kunikuzushi in my eyes, and I’ll always be here for you.” You said, hugging him yet again. You saw the tears rolling down his face as he leaned against you, trembling in your arms. “Hey, hey, look at me.” You cooed, causing him to pull back and look at you. “I want to travel with you. I want to stay by your side from now until the end of eternity, if you’ll let me.” You hummed, confusing him slightly. “But I thought that the last time I saw you, you were-” “Helping Miko at the shrine? Yes, I was, but I stopped a while ago. Ever since then, I’ve been waiting for you to either come back or for me to decide to leave Inazuma. But I just had a feeling that if I left, you’d be here when I wasn’t, so I waited.” You explained, looking down at him as you spoke. “I want to be there for you instead of leaving you alone like the last time you left. I love you, Kuni. I always have and I always will.” You confessed, your face flushing pink as you spoke. He sighed, turning his gaze away from you as he spoke. “And you promise not to leave?” He asked. Without hesitation, you nodded. “I promise.” You replied, hugging him yet again. “Thank you.” He mumbled, his face growing warmer with each word.

At the Grand Narukami Shrine, Miko smirked as she watched you pack. The moment she received word from the Traveler that Kunikuzushi had returned, it wasn’t a surprise to her when, about three hours after you’d left the shrine, you came running back up the steps to the shrine to ask for her permission to leave Inazuma. “I’m surprised it took you so long to get back, little one. Of course you may leave.” She replied, ruffling your hair gently. You smiled at her and then rushed to get what you’d need, packing everything into a backpack and changing into different attire that would be better suited for adventuring. “I best be going. Farewell, Miko!” You called, all but sprinting back down the mountain to join Kunikuzushi. He looked at you and nodded, before holding out his hand for you to take. You smiled and took it, walking with him. You didn’t know where your journey would take you, but so long as you were by his side, you knew there was nothing to fear.

Alhaitham x Diluc and Kaeya’s Sibling!reader headcanons

Notes: This idea has been knocking around my brain for like a month now and I can’t get this man out of my head now H E L P.

Masterlist

Warnings: Slightly suggestive, also spoilers for Diluc’s backstory utc. 

Misc. headcanons of mine:

My personal headcanon is that reader is Diluc’s twin and is older by like two minutes, and they hold it over his head and baby him because they just know it annoys him.

But please, for the love of all of Teyvat, don’t introduce Alhaitham to Diluc first.

I headcanon that Alhaitham and current Diluc would hate each other.

To the point where you can’t leave them in a room together alone because only one of them is coming out alive and it sure as hell isn’t going to be Diluc.

If you were to start dating Alhaitham before Crepus’ death, that’s a whole other story, because Crepus would still be there to tell them that, no, they can’t just murder him for dating their sibling.

All things considered, I think that Alhaitham would actually really sincerely respect Crepus but he’d also bully the everloving hell out of Diluc and Kaeya.

Kaeya’s patience is much better than Diluc’s, but they both tolerate him until Crepus leaves.

You can only watch as the two hiss death threats at him and then immediately go back to pretending to actually tolerate him once Crepus gets back.

However, on the other hand, if you were to start dating Alhaitham after Crepus’ death, things would be very different.

For one, Kaeya would probably actually get along with Alhaitham because they both love to piss Diluc off.

Unfortunately, that also means that Alhaitham and Diluc start off on the wrong foot and it’s all downhill from there.

How Alhaitham met them:

I imagine that the way he first met Diluc and Kaeya was at the Cat’s Tail, where he was playing TCG with Kaveh and the others.

The only problem with this was the fact that you were there and you were hugging his arm as he played against Kaveh, a game that the ladder was horrifically losing.

Diluc and Kaeya hadn’t seen you in ages for anything other than Mondstadt’s annual festivals, and you definitely hadn’t spoken to them during those times, so to see you after all this time with a significant other didn’t exactly rub them the right way.

However, when they saw the one you were with gently and slowly pull you into his lap, that was when they knew you wouldn’t look their way or notice that they were there.

They eventually left the tavern, but committed the man’s face to memory.

Lo and behold, they ran into him the next day, and things only got worse from there because, surprise surprise, Alhaitham was alone and also in a bad mood to top it off.

Your relationship with Alhaitham and how you two met:

You first met Alhaitham during his Akademiya days when he decided to take a trip to Mondstadt, around the age of 16.

He was doing a self study on Mondstadt’s ruin mechanisms and puzzles to see if he could make a breakthrough with the ruin puzzles in the desert and you were intrigued.

You, being an adventurer who was very well versed in solving said ruin puzzles, you had him join you on commissions that had to do with said mechanisms.

your friendship only grew from there, and you soon stopped hearing only talk of studies and started hearing more talk of the place he lived: Sumeru.

You’d always wanted to go there, and your father had told you that once you were 18, you could travel wherever you wanted to.

And that’s exactly what you did after Lisa advised going to Sumeru because she had good experiences there with the people and whatnot.

You didn’t know whether or not he even remembered you, but the moment you saw Alhaitham again, everything came rushing back to you both and soon enough, you two had started dating.

All things considered, he’s actually very attentive to your needs and wants.

You feel tired? Go ahead and sleep, he’ll wake you up in a couple of hours if you want him to.

You need help with a difficult commission? Sure thing, just let him get done with this last document he’s checking and you’ll be on your way with him in tow.

He’s very touchy in private to make up for his aloofness in public.

You usually find his arms around your waist whenever you’re sitting down, or you find yourself in his lap whenever he’s reading a book.

Usually it stays that way unless you’re both in the mood to do other things on any given evening.

The first time you meet Kaveh, the two of you hit it off almost instantly and he struggles to make sure they you two don’t both do something stupid whenever you’re around each other.

He usually invites you to join him on nights where he’s going out to Lambad’s Tavern, and on the off chance that there aren’t any chairs left for you to take a seat, there’s always the option to sit in his lap.

Good Morning (Diluc x reader)

Notes: You guys get soft content today because I’m feeling sappy. Kinda short but anyways, enjoy!

Masterlist

Warnings: Slightly suggestive.

Diluc wasn’t what others would call a soft individual. In fact, the word “soft” and the name “Diluc” were two things that clashed quite often.

But not when it came to you.

You were the only one he was like this around. His gentle words and hushed confessions of adoration and love were reserved for your ears only. It was in moments like these that you truly saw how gentle he could be.

You woke up slowly, blinking away the last remnants of sleep as you lazily gazed over and smiled softly when you saw your husband. His red hair was down and covered most of his face, and he looked peaceful in the clutches of sleep. You scooted over to him and laid back down beside him, gently brushing his hair out of his face to get a better look at him. He had dark eye bags that worried you to no end, but he’d never sleep enough to get rid of them if he kept going like this. You were about to pull away when he spoke. “It’s rude to stare, (Y/N).” Diluc said, opening one of his eyes to look at you. You were about to apologize when he gently wrapped an arm around you and pulled you close, holding you in his arms as he spoke. “Good morning, did you sleep well?” You asked him, your voice barely above a whisper when you spoke. He nodded before leaning down and pressing his lips against yours, kissing you slowly before pulling away with a smile. “I don’t have anything to do today, and Elzer is handling most of the things I would have to do, so do you mind if I spend the day with you?” He asked. “I don’t mind, I’d love to have your company.” You replied, cupping his face in your hands and running your thumbs over his cheeks. Diluc put one of his hands over yours and leaned into your touch, smiling just a little more when you giggled at the sight. “Alright, come on. We need to get up, dearest.” You said. The word falling from your lips so naturally, even now, still caught him off guard, and you watched as his face reddened slightly. He turned his face to the side to hide his red cheeks, causing you to giggle quietly as you pressed your lips against his forehead. “We don’t really have to do anything today if you don’t want to. In fact, we don’t even have to leave this bed if you don’t want to.” You mused, tracing nonsense shapes on his chest. Diluc buried his red face in the crook of your neck as he held you close, causing you to laugh softly. “Be careful what you ask for, you might just get it.” He grumbled, watching with a playful smile on his face as you pulled away. “Come on, you dork, get up. We still have to do commissions.” You laughed, throwing the covers off of the two of you and getting up to get dressed. Diluc gazed over at you as you buttoned up your shirt and grabbed your pants from the dresser. “What are you staring at? Come on and get dressed.” You asked. He grabbed his shirt and vest, buttoning them up and dressing quickly before gently grabbing your hand as you got to the door. “I was staring at you. You look wonderful today, my love.” He said, lifting your hand to his lips and kissing your knuckles gently. You could feel your face heating up as your cheeks turned red. You cleared your throat and then looked back at him. “Well then, shall we go, dear husband?” You asked, walking downstairs with him. Diluc nodded softly, turning the door handle and opening it, holding it for you as you walked out. “Yes, we shall, dearest.” He replied, closing the door behind him.

Siblings (Alhaitham x Diluc and Kaeya’s sibling! Reader

Notes: I felt like I had to write a scenario for this because it was too good of an opportunity to do so. Kept it gn since that’s what I had for the original post of this idea but I hope you all enjoy!

Masterlist

Alhaitham scowled as you spoke, not at you, never at you. He was scowling at the counter as you spoke to him. His attention was diverted back to you as you gently took his hands into yours. “We only have to be in Mondstadt for a week. It’s for the Windblume Festival and I never miss a single one, and… are you mad at me? You seem angry.” You asked, looking up at him as his gaze softened and he shook his head. “No, I’m just slightly annoyed is all.” He replied. “Annoyed about what?” You asked. “There’s going to be a lot of people, and I don’t exactly know your family all that well outside of the things you yourself have told me. I’m annoyed about the fact that, of all occasions, this is the one thing I genuinely don’t know how to properly prepare for.” He answered, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the counter with a sigh. “Oh, I didn’t know you were nervous. I would have reassured you if I’d known sooner, Haitham.” You said, gently placing a hand against his cheek. He reached up and put his own hand over yours, leaning into your touch. “I promise you that whatever happens, I won’t just stop dating you for their sake.” You reassured him, using your other hand to guide him to lean down as you pressed your lips against his. “Now then, we need to pack tonight, because we have to leave early tomorrow morning in order to get to the Dawn Winery in time for the start of the festival.” You said, slowly withdrawing your hands from his face and turning on your heel to go to your room. He sighed as he looked at where you’d disappeared off to, looking up at the ceiling. “Lesser Lord Kusanali, give me the patience to deal with this one’s family, please.” He muttered to himself. He knew that today would be a long one full of preparation for when the two of you left.

You walked hand in hand with Alhaitham almost the entire way to Mondstadt, a soft smile on your face as you hummed a tune he’d never heard before. You’d donned regular Mondstadter attire, which he noticed immediately. However, he also noticed that you were more anxious than before as the two of you got closer to Mondstadt, but kept brushing off his attempts to find out why with a small “I’m fine, really” but he knew that wasn’t even close to the truth. He decided to ask one last time before giving it a rest. “Please tell me what’s plaguing your mind. I want to help you if I can.” he said, giving your hand a gentle squeeze. You knew that this softer side of him was for you and you only, and that brought you comfort. “I just don’t know how they’ll react to you, since it’s been so long since I last saw the two of them. I know they still care about me, but the reason I left was because the constant arguing and bickering was a bit too much for me. I don’t want to get you dragged into that as well.” you admitted, looking at the entrance to Stone Gate. Alhaitham slowed down to a stop at the pier just before the entrance. He led you to a table and sat beside you, taking your hands into his and looking at you. “I will try my best not to be argumentative with the two of them for your sake if I recognize them, I promise.” He reassured you, watching as you nodded hesitantly after a minute or two. “Thank you, I know it kind of cramps your style, but I really need this.” you said, hugging him. Alhaitham wrapped his arms around you and hugged you back, before slowly lowering his arms as he spoke. “Now then, let’s get going, they’re probably waiting for us at your place.” he advised, holding his hand out for you to take. Without further delay, you both finally crossed the threshold to Stone Gate, and made your way a little further to the Dawn Winery.

Not much had changed about your old home since you last saw it. The only real difference was the fact that there were some decorations for Windblume hung on the lamp posts and the windowsills of the winery. You reached into your shirt and fished out a key on your necklace chain, fitting it into the lock and turning it until a soft click reached your ears. You then gently pushed open the doors and walked into the place. The smell of mahogany and fire reached your nose as you took a deep breath and sighed. “Well, welcome to my abode, we can set our stuff upstairs in my room if you want to.” you proposed. “No, you can’t, but I’ll be happy to take it upstairs for you, dear.” a familiar voice said behind you. You smiled softly and turned around, only to be greeted by the face of Adelinde. “Addie, you know I don’t like to trouble you.” you tried, but she shook her head. “Now, now, Master Kaeya already tried that excuse, and he got an earful during Weinlesefest because he tried not to “be a bother” to me. I haven’t seen you in almost a year, and I’m not about to be told by anyone that I can’t spoil you now. You’ve been gone for far too long, and me and Elzer have missed your lively chatter. Not to mention that you haven’t introduced me to this gentleman behind you yet, either.” she scolded, before taking your bags from your hands and carrying them up to your room. She then came back down and took Alhaitham’s bags from his hands, carrying them upstairs to your room as well. Once she got back downstairs, she dusted herself off a little and clasped her hands together. “Now then, tell me everything. I want to know who this is.” she said, gesturing to Alhaitham. “Well, about that...” you started, and kept going from there, telling her everything that had happened during the time you were in Sumeru.

“And that’s when he finally asked me on a date. But enough about me, how have Diluc and Kaeya been?” you asked, looking at her. Adelinde sighed deeply, before gesturing for you to follow her to the sitting area. “As you know, your brothers haven’t been on very good terms for a while now, but they have recently started talking more to one another. It turns out that Miss Lisa is the one to blame for that because, from what Master Diluc tells me, she saw the two of you on a date together in Sumeru City when she was there for her vacation days.” she explained, watching as you sighed deeply. “Wonderful, she saw us.” you grumbled, causing her to laugh. “Anyways, you two ought to head to the city, the festival is about to start soon.” she advised, watching as you nodded. Alhaitham got up first and gently took your hand into his, helping you up from your seat and holding the door for you as you bid Adelinde farewell until that evening.

You walked to the city and greeted Swan and Lawrence at the gates, waving to the two of them and then walking alongside Alhaitham as you gave him a tour of the place you grew up in. He followed you to the cathedral, and looked around the place before his eyes landed on a Fatuus near the doors. He brushed it off and then followed you out the doors as he spoke. “Things here are very different from Sumeru City. For one, this city is much smaller in comparison, but there are no altars or cathedrals to celebrate our god as you do yours. Rani Kusanali has no statue save for her Statues of the Seven around Sumeru. Furthermore, the weather here is colder than it is in Sumeru, not that I’m complaining, we don’t have snow capped mountains like you do.” he said, pointing to Dragonspine. “Do you want to see it if we have the time? It’s very beautiful this time of year.” you offered, causing him to shake his head. “I’d rather stay down here where it’s warm, but if you insist, I suppose we could go for a little bit.” he replied, watching as your face lit up with joy. “Wonderful, we’ll go tomorrow then, since we’ll be spending today in the city, if that’s alright with you.” you said, causing him to nod his agreement.

Your next stop was the Knights of Favonius headquarters, and you immediately dragged him to the library. “She better be here.” you mumbled under your breath. You pushed open the door and were greeted by the sight of Lisa’s empty desk and several stacks of unorganized books, with a note sitting on the desk that read: out for afternoon tea, be back in an hour. -Lisa. You sighed before looking around the library, and then back at Alhaitham. “It would seem that Lisa learned of our arrival and planned to avoid us today.” you huffed, before smiling. “However, I might as well welcome you to the Knights of Favonius library. I know it’s not nearly as grand as the House of Daena, but it’s got plenty of good novels and linguistics books. If you’d like, we can read for a bit.” you proposed, causing him to shake his head. “It’s alright, I know you want to make sure that my social battery doesn’t run out before this evening, but I’m fine. Besides, it doesn’t run out as fast as you’d think.” Alhaitham said, causing you to nod. “Thank you.” you muttered, burying your face in your hands. “Now then, it’s almost lunch time, and you said that you knew about this place you liked that’s here in the city. You can tell me the rest of our plans for the day over something to eat.” he said, causing you to nod. “Ok, then next stop, Good Hunter.” you replied.

“Welcome to Good Hunter, what would you- Oh, (Y/N), it’s been a while. How have you been?” Sara asked. “Hey, Sara, I’ve been good. Um, could we get a table for two please?” you asked, causing her to nod. “Sure, I’ll have your menus out in a moment, you can choose any table to sit at if you’d like.” she replied, turning to get them. You took Alhaitham to a table and sat down in the chair across from him, before hearing someone clear their throat behind you. You turned around and saw Amber and Eula, the ladder slightly glaring at you. “(Y/N), it’s been forever since I last saw you. Me and Eula were just about to get some lunch from here, do you mind if we join you and whoever this is?” she asked, causing you to nod in response. Alhaitham watched as Eula sat down beside you, while Amber sat beside him. “So, how has your time in Sumeru been? Have you met Collei yet?” Amber asked, smiling brightly at you. “Well, I did briefly see her, but when I did, she talked almost nonstop about you when she found out I was a Mondstadter.” you replied, before listening to her ramble on about her time with Collei. “Ahem, if I may, who exactly is this?” Eula asked, gesturing to Alhaitham. “Ah, yes, this is Alhaitham, we’ve been dating for almost three years now.” you replied, causing Eula to sigh deeply. “Not telling us about your relationship, such a transgression shan’t go unnoticed. Mark my words, (Y/N), vengeance will be-” “Hold on a sec, I had reason not to tell the Knights of Favonius, just please hear me out before you swear to get back at me.” you tried, causing her to slouch back slightly in her chair and relax. “Go on then, plead your case.” she said. “You two work with Kaeya on a daily basis, I couldn’t risk a slip of the tongue to him or Diluc when neither of us were ready to tell them.” you explained, causing Amber to nod. “They do have a point, I mainly report to Captain Kaeya or Jean, both of whom are close to Diluc, and I often just talk about my day and what I’ve heard around the city when I’m not on patrol. You mainly go to the Angels’ Share during your break, which is where both Master Diluc and the Cavalry Captain usually are at that hour. We often talk to them, so I can see where you’re coming from.” Amber said, looking at you. You and Alhaitham kept talking and eating with the two Knights until lunch hour was over and they had to return to work.

You and Alhaitham spent the rest of the day walking around Mondstadt and seeing everything before the sun had finally started to set over the horizon. Just as you were about to enter the tavern, you realized something. “I forgot to get my bag at the Winery.” You said, before turning around and then looking at Alhaitham. “You can head in if you’d like. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” You called, running off to get to the winery. Alhaitham was about to follow you, but decided against it at the last minute, and turned the handle of the door to the Angels’ Share.

Diluc was cleaning a wine glass when someone sat at the bar, taking out a book as he started to read. Kaeya was in his usual spot at the bar, leaning against the counter when the man sat down. “Oh, a new face? What’s your name, good sir?” Kaeya asked, watching him closely. The stranger lowered the book and looked over at him. “Alhaitham.” He replied curtly. “Sounds like a Sumeru name? Is that where you’re from?” Kaeya asked. “Yes, I’m the Akademiya’s Scribe.” He replied, watching as Diluc set down the glass and started to listen. “Well now, what is someone from Sumeru doing all the way in Mondstadt?” He asked, watching as his facial expression softened slightly. “My significant other and I have been dating for almost three years now. They wanted to introduce me to their family during the Windblume Festival.” He explained, noting how Kaeya’s smirk grew wider. “If you’re anything like the rest of those sensitive scholars from the Akademiya, then there aren’t exactly that many people who want to meet you, Scribe Alhaitham.” Diluc commented. Alhaitham smirked at him. “Unlike them, you’ll find that I don’t particularly care what my superiors think of me, nor do I have such hopelessly little street smarts like they do. They may have a degree, but that means nothing if you’re getting mugged in the streets of Port Ormos by Eremites.” He said, before hearing Kaeya chuckle. “What about your significant other’s family? Do they also apply to your disregard for the opinions of others?” He asked. Alhaitham shook his head. “There are certain cases where that doesn’t apply, and to answer your question, yes and no. I would respect their family members to an extent. From what they’ve told me, their siblings didn’t exactly regard their feelings very much while they lived here after a tragedy that happened a few years ago. I am a bit torn on what to do as far as that goes. However, the only thing that I really wish I got to do was meet their father before he passed.” He said, startling them both. “What was their father’s name?” Diluc asked, both he and Kaeya waiting with baited breath.

“Their father’s name was Crepus. I heard that he was a very kind man.” He said, looking at the two of them. Diluc spoke first. “There’s no way you’re dating (Y/N). Someone as cold and stoic as you, dating them? That’s the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard. They’re so lively and bright and you’re… not.” Diluc said. “Are you implying that that’s the type of person someone as closed off and cold as yourself would like?” He challenged. Diluc leveled a glare on him as the two started an unspoken staring contest. Diluc looked away and grumbled to himself. However, before he could get another word in, the door to the Tavern swung open to reveal you. “Sorry, I got to the Winery and found my bag but Elzer stopped me to talk to me.” You admitted. “Ah, (Y/N), it’s wonderful to see you again. How have you been lately?” Kaeya asked. “I’ve been good, things in Sumeru are very different compared to Mondstadt, but it’s so beautiful, and it’s very warm there, too. Plus, from what I’ve heard,” you started, looking at Diluc, “there are very good spiced cocktails in Sumeru, and the food there is delicious. Plus, there’s a lot more old technology from Khaenri’ah in the desert that you don’t find in Mond. Here, hold on, I have photos.” You said, grabbing a photo album out of your bag. You handed it to Kaeya, who looked through the photos. After a minute or two, he smirked. “So, Collei lives in Sumeru then? You ought to show Amber these photos, she’s often worried about her, you know.” He said, handing the album to Diluc. “I didn’t know you had so many friends in Sumeru.” He remarked. “Ah, I forgot to introduce you to them, sorry.” You apologized, turning to Alhaitham and taking the barstool beside him. “This is Alhaitham, my boyfriend of three years. He’s the Akademiya’s Scribe.” You said, as Alhaitham took a mental note of the fact that you introduced him as your boyfriend first. “We know. May I ask how much he paid you to pretend to be his lover?” Diluc asked, narrowing his eyes at you. You leveled a glare at him as you spoke. “He didn’t pay me, and you have no right to judge something you yourself don’t have.” You mocked, causing him to give a confused look. “What are you implying?” He asked, a challenge of sorts hidden in his words. “I’m implying, you reckless recluse, that you yourself don’t have a lover, so you have no right to judge mine.” You replied, wrapping your arms around Alhaitham’s bicep as you spoke. “Besides, I’m happy with him, that’s much more important. I will not argue with you about this during the Windblume Festival or ever after about this, it would be a waste of both of our time.” You said. “Personally, if I may, you’re not that bad of a person. Yes, you do tend to be blunt, but I feel as though you genuinely care about how (Y/N) feels and about their opinion, so as far as things go for me, I have no qualms with you dating them.” Kaeya said, watching with a smirk on his face as Diluc scowled at him. He then looked back at you, who was still staring at him. “You seriously like him?” He asked, causing you to nod. “Is there any way I can convince you to leave him?” He asked, watching as you shook your head no. With a deep sigh, Diluc finally gave in and spoke. “Very well, I suppose I can tolerate hosting you at my place then.” He said, putting away the last glass of the evening and grabbing his coat from the coat rack.

After Diluc closed up the Angels’ Share for the night and said goodbye to Kaeya, he walked with you and Alhaitham to the Dawn Winery, looking over at you as you held Alhaitham’s hand. He was surprised when you’d said that you had a lover, let alone someone from Sumeru, but he started to see why you started dating him in the first place. The moment you shivered from the cold night air, Diluc watched as the man beside you took off his cape and gently draped it over your shoulders. “I’ll be fine.” Was all he said when you turned to look at him. The three of you walked in relative silence, with you talking to either Alhaitham or Diluc along the way.

The moment you got to the Dawn Winery, you pushed open the doors and stepped inside, looking around and fully taking in the look of the manor this time. “You’ve changed a few things.” You observed, taking Alhaitham’s cloak off and handing it back to him. He took it with a nod of thanks, hanging it on the coat rack by the door. He then looked around and saw that there was a meal on the table. “It’s still warm if you’d all like to take a seat.” Adelinde offered, looking over at them from the doorway. “Thank you, Adelinde.” Diluc said, taking his seat at the table as you took yours and Alhaitham took his next to you. He nodded to Adelinde as he spoke. “Thank you for the meal.” He said, watching Diluc with a slightly cautious look in his eyes as he ate. When the three of you were done eating, Adelinde took the dishes away and you all went upstairs to get ready for bed.

Once you and Alhaitham were alone, you turned around and gently cupped his face in your hands as you spoke. “Are you alright? I know that was a bit… tense.” You asked, watching as he nodded softly. “I’ll be fine, but what I really need is sleep, I’m exhausted.” He muttered, looking up at you as he sat down on the bed. You nodded softly and grabbed your nightclothes from your suitcase, changing into them quickly before getting in the bed next to him. You felt his arms around your waist and looked back at him, smiling softly. You rolled over to face him and pressed yourself closer to him, wrapping your arms around his neck. “I love you, Haitham.” You whispered, watching as he looked down at you and smiled. “I… I love you too.” He replied, hiding his face in your hair as he spoke. “Aww, are you getting all blushy on me now?” You teased, causing him to huff softly before pulling back and pressing his lips against yours. Your eyes widened before you closed them and melted into his touch, kissing him back. “Go to sleep.” He muttered, holding you close as he closed his eyes. You drifted off with him, enjoying the blissful quiet shared between the two of you in this moment.