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GENSHIN MEN courting you.

WARNING: This is a Filipino AU set in the Spanish Colonization period, so basically all of these are inspired by Filipino courting rituals.

Contains Diluc, Kaeya, Neuvilette, and Wriothesley (some of these men are hand picked because of the languages on the banner on top tehee.), fem!reader, age gap.

Diluc Ragnvindr (Manileño)

Being the son of a businessman, he was the highest regarded bachelor in all of Manila being that he was also rather good looking.

This man is not a big fan of romanticism and would often avoid it like the plague but his guilty pleasure was to read books in the romantic genre hidden away in the depths of his library, his trips to the book store was more often than usual and many thought that he's gone book crazy but that was not the case however.

You.

You were the reason that he's now the book shop's loyal patron, you were just a simple woman from another business oriented family. You were the typical Maria Clara to the spectators eyes, quiet and modest though that was not Diluc saw.

You were ambitious and rather messy at times but that's what he loved about you, your comfortability with someone like him made him feel that he actually was able to make friends of his own that his father had not told him to befriend for the sake of business.

That's when he started to grow feelings for you.

He was still stoic and expressionless at times but whenever he sees you, his ears visibly go red under his luscious red locks.

With the encouragement of his mother and the head maid of his estate, he mustered up the bravery in his entire blood line to go to your home with the intent of asking for your father's blessing to court you.

He was shocked to see that there were other men who were after you; from a Mestizo to a Sangley, they were all there waiting for your sweet yes.

But he had an advantage that didn't have; they didn't know you the way he did.

It started from flowers to love letters, he did everything that he learnt from the romance books he had read and basically copied every single gentleman in the books that women loved.

His very next move was to bring you by the lake that he had remembered that you used to go to as a little girl, it was a bit muddy though, ruining yours and his shoes but it didn't matter as he saw that you were obviously over the moon to see a childhood place again still intact.

He saw something that your other suitors weren't able to see nor willing to, they painted you as this innocent flower that needed corruption from them but to him— you were the most adventurous and the bravest girl he's ever seen.

"Yes." You laughed.

He raised a brow, "Yes what, binibini?" he asked.

"I want to be yours..."

Those very words made his heart race as if he just ran from his house to the nearest farm in the concrete city of Manila, he couldn't believe that his awkward attempts to act out the romanticism of men in books that women seem to love had worked.

"You're pulling on my leg..." He breathed out only to be wronged by her shaking her head.

And just like that, he ran to you and lifted you into the air. The adrenaline causing the two of you to fall into the mud, it was sticky and wet but it didn't matter to him even if his ivory white blouse that his maids spent hours on to perfect was ruined because his heart was now owned by the most perfect woman he could ever think of.

"So... what should we call each other?" He asked.

Kaeya Alberich (Español)

Ever since he has set foot in the Philippines with his father who governed the Philippines in the reign of the Spaniards he has never felt the sense of nervousness, back in Madrid, he had an image to uphold as a government official's son but now he can just let loose.

His move to the Philippines was the very start of his rebellion, he now probably felt like a normal boy like he dreamt of back in Spain but his father wasn't having it.

So to set him straight, he put Kaeya in the supervision of a prayle.

The first mass where he served as the priest's assistant he managed to oversee the entire service from the elevated stage where statues of saints and Jesus were all shown in the altar made of wood and gold. One of them was you, a really pretty Filipina who was praying religiously and singing alongside the child choir.

After the mass, he was about to gather his friend of rebellious teens until he was stopped and called upon the priest he's under.

He mustered up his most innocent boy smile until he saw you approaching, turns out that you were the goddaughter of the priest and he wanted Kaeya and her to be friends since she was the best candidate of friends that could place a good influence on him.

He was beyond bored, accompanying you and other nuns and worshippers as you all prayed to the virgin Mary. There he realized that convincing you to join him to the dark side was a hard task to do, you weren't that innocent but you were the most pure and truest girl he's ever met.

Sometimes you were sassy and very witty but he felt as if you really cared for him despite just being friends with Kaeya so that his father won't worry about him while he's away, with you he learned a lot of things, mainly that he didn't need to rebel to be free.

Most of the things he did was disobeying his father but it didn't do him any good at all, with his friends he learned to become a womanizer and to drink at a very young age. But it was weird to admit that you managed to fix him.

From table manners to memorising the entire prayers in the book in Latin, he learned it all from you. You were the only friend that his father approved of however, despite being a girl and potentially seeing his son in a romantic way not that he minded having you as a daughter in law.

Kaeya soon blossomed feelings for you, it started from helping around the church like you did and almost took your job from you.

He was still cheeky as ever, his teenager instincts causing him to want to create discord but you manage to dim it down with a simple glance.

Everyone loved your pairing, almost every single one encouraged you and Kaeya to start dating already and with the blessing of his father and your father, he began to do the cheesiest things.

You were confused if whether he was doing this to sway you or just flat out piss you off.

One night, you were sleeping peacefully until you heard something from the open window of your room. Groggily heading your way there you saw Kaeya and his goons of friends who some you recognized to be the sons of the farmers in your father's hacienda.

"This is for you, cariño..." Kaeya and his poor ability to sway women with his voice began to sing you a popular Spanish love song, he was hurting your ears but it amused you.

You stayed by the window sill and watched as he sang while his friends played a guitar or a drum made out of a bucket, they were all in tune with the original song but Kaeya seemed to have his own version.

"Oh my dearest... will you give this lonesome and poor little Spanish boy your sweetest yes?" He said so dramatically, maybe you should've banned him from reading Jane Austen or Shakespeare.

You laughed at his advances before giving him the shockest shock of his life, "Sure... why not?"

He looked like was about to faint when he heard those words come out of you, his friends celebrating behind him like a bunch of buffoons while he was still awestrucked.

"R-Really...?" He had to make sure.

"Yes, now come in and meet my mother before I change my mind." You've never seen this usually spoiled man who had everything handed to him with a snap of his fingers run so fast into your house and to your living room where he met your mother and your father, ready to welcome him as their son in law.

His father would actually faint if he found out about this though. Who would've thought that his son would be able to grab a girl like you?

Neuvilette (Mestizo)

Like Diluc, he was not one to meddle in with romance since he was very busy as a foreign law maker and businessman.

He only found himself in the ports of Manila due to a business pact with a bunch of Sangley's that offered a good proposal, he never thought of soulmates because to him it was just another myth for the hopeless romantics but it was quite ironic as he was in the territory of the romantics of the south eastern islands.

Soulmates were just plain bullshit until he saw you.

A young merchant who was heavily business minded, though it was the 1800s so no one took you that seriously and that's where your brother came in. He was the perfect bridge for Neuvilette to get to know you better, to get to know what fuels that fire that made you glowing like the blazing sun of the tropics.

Neuvilette manages to strike a deal with your brother however when he asks of you, his eyes widened— you were only twenty two while he was already in his late thirties.

A blossoming flower and a mature tree stump was not exactly the most ideal to some but just like nature, it works in different ways.

In one of his tours to the factory of your brother when he saw you show your amazing leadership and logical thinking skills, he admired every single bit of what you've presented to an oldie like him and you were really pretty on top of that.

You would look perfect together, two business driven minds and great skills in making connections— but you were too sweet for him.

You were still too young for his taste so he just waited for you to grow older, not that he expected some sort of miracle from the heavens that was until one day you yourself aroused the idea of secret feelings. You may have had caught up on how he longingly stares at you and how much he admired you so you wanted to know if he wanted an amazing advice for you.

The businessman was blushing hard, it didn't help that he was pale either.

Then he just pulled out a bouquet of flowers towards you, you accepted them of course due to how pretty they were but why did he give it to you?

"Can I... Can I court you, my lady?" Those very words started the long road to your sweet approval to finally call himself yours, he began to stop by the factory more and more to help around to make use of the time he had before he had to go back to France.

And when that dreaded day came, he didn't seem to forget you one bit. Every month your house was bombarded by boxes of love letters and other items that Neuvilette scoured the entirety of his motherland remembering that you liked them.

It took about three years before he finally got the time to go back to the Philippines to see how the joint business he had with your brother was going but mostly it was to see you of course, waiting by the dock was the familiar woman whose address he kept in his head like words engraved in stone.

Too much to his dismay he began to grow white hairs while you were just starting to greet wrinkles to your beautiful face. It made him insecure and made him think twice if he should greet you until you attacked him with a big hug when he was not looking, he took it as an opportunity to raise you up in the air to view that beauty he longed years for before hugging you back even tighter.

To the spectators, it was rather weird to see an unmarried duo be this intimate but it did not matter. Neuvilette didn't suffer two grueling years of courting her without even getting to see her in person just to be ashamed of showing his love for her.

"Sinasagot na kita..." trans: "I'm going to answer your question."

And just like the first time he showed his love for you, he grew pink and became more bashful by the minute.

He tucked your stray hair behind your ear before he leaned down to admire your beautiful eyes that he'd be lucky to see every single morning when he wakes up and night when he goes to sleep, he wanted you to be his and wanted his entire being to be in your hands, that was how much he loved you.

"And I'm not too young anymore..." Your witty comment making both of you chuckle before his laugh died down as he continued to look into your eyes.

"And I won't get tired of loving you everyday of the rest of my mortal life." He was about to continue his very sappy and sweet dialogue when your brother butted in with an all too familiar smile on his face, "So can I have my business partner now?"

Right, as much as you wanted to greet your suitor and now nobyo, your brother also was here to greet his business partner. Maybe you two will talk this out later on when you two have the time but for now, you were here for business.

Wriothesley (Probinsyano)

Being the eldest of his family, Wriothesley was sent to work at the Hacienda of a rich businessman near the city.

He didn't mind the work at all as he himself wanted to do something to help around the house in many ways possible, being family oriented and too busy raising his younger siblings, love wasn't exactly his first priority in mind until he saw you.

Your father was touring him and other new workers around the farm when he saw you passing by and conversing with your friends, so this was what all the craze was about city girls.

Every time you visited the farm while he tended to the horse stable he made sure to use that as a chance to converse with you, as you were in one of the shaded benches and reading he suddenly decided to approach you.

"Hi, ma'am... that's umm... a cool looking book" he started but he was a bit nervous, you seemed to be a smart collegiala while he can't even admit his illiteracy.

You couldn't fault him that he couldn't even read or write, after all, he came from a different life than you so you offered to teach him the basics and have him full access to your library.

He was a rather fast learner and you liked that as an impatient woman, that tutoring however slowly turned to a flirting session. You had to admit that Wriothesley was a sweet guy but he just wasn't your type though he was keen on changing that.

From a bag of apples he gathered from the apple orchard to a wheel of cheese that he and his fellow workers managed to create from the left over cow milk they harvested, he did everything he can and did what he knew to sway a woman just to change your mind.

You loved his attitude and insistent nature, you were starting to like him but you just wanted to play with him and pretended to not be so impressed until you surprised him with a surprise visit to your father.

The man was shaking like crazy when he met his boss in a more relaxed setting, it was just him and your father all alone.

"So you like my daughter?" Your father started.

"I- uh...—" Before he could even answer, your father cut him off.

"And I want you to be my son in law."

Wriothesley had to check twice if he heard his boss right, he had been working under him for about a couple years now and your father saw his hardwork around the farm and trying to woo you to accept his offer of love.

"But... you need to make that cheese you made again last time, it was delicious..." Now, with your father's blessing, he gathered his friends to create the same wheel of cheese for your father to further prove that he was serious with you but he did most of the hardwork as he was motivated by you.

While he was busy molding the cheese into shape, you decided to pay a visit and stopped by his friends who were watching him from afar after helping him gather excess milk from the cows.

"That man's head over heels for you, ma'am" one of them said.

You laughed, "I know... the feelings are mutual."

"Creativity comes from those who have a lot of responsibilities but refuses to do them" — Veritas Ratio, the philosopher, probably.

A/N: I am not swaying my feet while writing this, never. And I'm running out of ideas so I may make more Filipino AUs of characters I like to make fanfics of and will probably make text AUs because I'm getting obsessed with the ones on Tiktok.

Trans: Good morning, my love. Go and eat breakfast mwah!!!

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new octatrio artwork ✨

This month's volume of GFantasy features Jade, Floyd, and Azul in their Platinum Jacket outfits!

Speaking of GFantasy, reminder that this month comes with a B3 sized poster of Crowley's Raven Jacket card's initial artwork. This month's volume will also include the new Twisted Wonderland 4koma manga.

#AAAAAA IM SO GLAG I CAME BACK TO THIS

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new octatrio artwork ✨

This month's volume of GFantasy features Jade, Floyd, and Azul in their Platinum Jacket outfits!

Speaking of GFantasy, reminder that this month comes with a B3 sized poster of Crowley's Raven Jacket card's initial artwork. This month's volume will also include the new Twisted Wonderland 4koma manga.

#AAAAAA IM SO GLAG I CAME BACK TO THIS

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SWITCH ⚡💙 💛❤️

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hbd pro koneko chan da silva 🎉

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Octatrio, done 🐚🫧

Obviously the land of contracts for the shady contracts man

Liyue needs more shady people in it~

Next: The Scarabia Duo

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I drew chubby azul likeeeee a years ago I DONT KNOW WHEN ACTUALLY probably like a year

Looking at it it looks so bad I'm sorry guys i can do better

I think I drew this when everyone else was doing it like @/aaaaamouyadaaaaa did it

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Nyomnyom 🥐

Ive been kinda obsessed with croissants lately because of this ^q^

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🐙❤️

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Forever?

summary: wriothesley takes care of you when you're sick and realises the depth of his devotion to you. word count: 1488 a/n: wrio's story quest quickly became one of my favourites <3 also, thank you for the support on my past works from all the likes, replies and reblogs ! your reactions brighten my day, giving big hugs right now :')

“And you’re absolutely sure you don’t need me to do anything?” Wriothesley said, pacing around the infirmary room. 

For the Duke who deftly ran the Fortress of Meropide, this was the first time you had seen him so on edge. And it was because of you. During your daily duties as an assistant nurse with Sigewinne, you began to feel an itchiness in your throat. By the end of your shift, you needed to lie down to stop everything in your vision from spinning.  

Sigewinne looked up at him. “Your Grace, this is the third time you’ve asked me,” she replied, her voice raising in frustration, “and as a fully qualified nurse, I assure you I have this under control!” 

Turning back to you lying on the bed, she brought out a thermometer. You opened your mouth, hearing her mutter the seconds under her breath as your temperature was being measured. Your throat began to feel ticklish again. You tried to stifle your coughing, but they erupted from you causing a fit. Wriothesley rushed to your side. In all honesty, it was interesting to see such a novel, panicked expression on his face. You wished you were in better condition so you could poke a little fun at it.

“I’m okay.” You reached out to pat his arm. “This is probably just a common flu.” 

“Y/N’s right. Coughing, dizziness, and-”  she wiggled the thermometer in the air “a high temperature. These are all clear and direct signs of a flu.” 

Wriothesley sighed. He caught your hand and caressed the back of it with his thumb. “Sigewinne told me you were unwell and I might have automatically thought of the worst.”

Your laugh came out more of a croak. “That I contracted some deadly, incurable illness that would leave me with only 24 hours to live?”

He let out a breath. “Something like that...” Moving to sit at the edge of the bed, he continued, “pretty ironic though, isn’t it? A nurse like you getting sick?”

You rolled your eyes. “Oh, I’m sure all of Celestia is rolling with laughter at me right now.” 

Wriothesley smiled. It gladdened him that you could maintain a good sense of humour, even if it was for his sake to lessen his worries. The clinking of jars pulled your attention back to Sigewinne as she packed her tools into her kit. Slinging it over her, she hopped off her chair and walked across the room to store the medical kit away. 

“I’m sorry Y/N, but I have some other check-ups I need to attend to. Are you alright to be alone for a bit of time?”

Being stuck in an infirmary was one thing, but without company? It was hardly how you wanted to spend your time. You always endeavoured to provide company for your patients. Giving them someone to converse helped divert their attention away from their ailments. However, you understood that Sigewinne had duties to fulfil.

Before you could reply, Wriothesley spoke. “Alone? I have no pressing work matters at the moment so I’d be more than happy to provide my care.”

Sigewinne squinted her eyes. “If I’m judging your capabilities to tend to someone by the way you treat your own injuries…” 

She trailed off as she examined her boss sceptically. 

Wriothesley carefully brushed aside loose hair strands from your face. A calloused hand gently caressed your cheek before it travelled to your forehead. Palm facing up, he checked how bad your fever was. The Duke whispered something to you that Sigewinne couldn’t quite make out, causing you to playfully slap his arm. 

Watching you two together was a rare study of human life for her. She saw a relationship bloom first-hand, growing from strangers, friends, and now partners. She knew Wriothesley had a tender side to him, but you had been the one to unlock the affection he had tightly secured behind iron bars.

“Perhaps I’m willing to give you a chance.”

She looked over at you with a warm smile. “Please get all the rest you need! I expect to see a full recovery in the coming days.”

You thanked Sigewinne for her kindness as she pulled Wriothesley aside and gave him some firm instructions on how to treat you. Until he was able to recite these back to her did she finally leave the infirmary. It was shocking and delightful to see how assertive she sometimes was. An exasperated Wriothesley looked over at you. He offered to carry you back to your shared private quarters since you were too dizzy to get up on your own. 

“I’m giving you a free ride right now! This is probably the best deal you’re going to get around here.”

You protested at the idea. Your embarrassment was not abated even when he mentioned that the residents of the Fortress would be retired to their quarters by now since it was evening. Under his assurance that he would deal with any unwarranted gossip about the Duke and his partner, he gingerly lifted you up from the bed, an arm wrapped beneath your legs and another around your back. You turned your face into his chest, the rhythmic thumping of his heart lulling you. If you had looked up even once, you would have noticed the blush creeping onto his ears. 

He entered your bedroom holding a cup with steam rising from it.

“It’s honey tea,” he said, settling the cup between your hands. Your eyes shifted between the cup and his face.

“You added-”

He interrupted you, raising both hands up in innocence.

“I know, I know what you’re going to say 'Isn’t it sacrilegious for me to add anything to tea to sully it’s flavour?' but adding honey makes for a far better remedy than just regular tea.” At your bewilderment he added, “Sigewinne can back me up on this.” 

You took a sip, the warm liquid soothing your throat instantly. Putting it on the side table to cool, you sunk further into your soft bedding.

Wriothesely shifted on his feet. Seeing you laying in bed, brows slightly furrowed, breath raspy, gave him pause. 

People always had their own perceptions of the Duke. Cold, calculating, unapproachable. It was just a persona he had to uphold to set the tone for how things were handled at the Fortress of Meropide. He folded his arms, a feeling of guardedness overwhelming him. However, he also wanted people to know that they could rely on him. He wanted you to know you could rely on him. But, here he was, never having been taught how to properly look after someone, let alone himself and his own injuries. He shook his head.

It would’ve been better to leave you in Sigewinne’s care. He thought. After all, what can I do that a head nurse can’t? 

“You stayed with me,” you said under your breath, bringing him away from his thoughts. “I... didn't want to be alone so, thank you.”

His head whipped up to look at you. Though your features showed signs of fatigue, your smile was still bright. Scrunched nose, creases at the corners of your eyes. You were the one who was sick and yet you were unknowingly tending to him and his worries. Wriothesley pulled a chair over and sat by your side. 

“Don’t stay too close to me, you might get sick too,” you warned. In retaliation, he inched closer, putting the chair flush against the side of the bed frame.

“A bit too late for that. Besides, I have a strong constitution.” He took note of your falling eyelids. “I’ll stay with you as long as you need me.” 

Your voice was drowsy as you responded. “As long as I need?” You turned on your side facing him, nuzzling into your pillow. “So," you extended the syllable, "does that mean forever then?”

Forever...? 

There were very few people in Teyvat who could leave the sharp-witted Duke without an immediate reply. His thoughts were a jumbled mess. His previous feelings of self-pity battled with the very real evidence of your appreciation. 

Yes, even after my ashes are scattered among the Fontainian waters.

Maybe that would be too grand of a reply. He put his face in his hands, steadying his nerves. He imagined what your face looked like right now, your eyebrows probably raised with a teasing smile. When he felt his mouth was capable of speaking properly, he looked up, ready to answer. 

However, you were asleep.

Your fatigue had caught up with you.

Wriothesley snorted. Here he was desperately trying to come up with some semblance of a creative answer in the span of seconds, and you had passed out before he could reply. A peaceful quiet fell, backgrounded by your deep breathing. He would tell you his answer in the morning, but he decided to rehearse it now, whispering it into the open air.

“Yes, forever.”

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NANALEO!!! THE SILLIES!!! ❤️💛🧡

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A mermaid fem!kanata design I made for nat's witch!natsume and sea creature!mugi AU last year 🐟🐟🐟

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(delusions ny azul)

#PRETTY BOY #azul ashengrotto

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thinkibg ab racer!wriothesley like those boxing aus except u wear his racing jackets n ur constantly hang out in his car after races… racer!wrio whos always looking for u in the stands; who, after crossing that checkered line, gets out of his car and takes his helmet off, shaking his hair damp with sweat and mussing the dark strands with one hand. who’s always nicking the sleeve of the glove with his teeth to pull it off instead of using his hands like he’s been told to before, just because he knows u like it.

racer!wrio who's bombarded w/ questions as soon as he steps off the track; flashing lights and mics to his lips— all demanding to know what it’s like to be a racing champion and who you are. and all he does is hook an arm around your shoulder, pulling you into his side and call you ‘his girl’. you’re usually not public with it, but his cologne smells more intoxicating than usual today, so who’s complaining? plus, his habit of rubbing the dip in your shoulder just above your collarbone has a way of distracting u from all else.

and whenever he can afford it, he’ll always be taking u out— a drinking night on his tab, or a fresh bouquet of flowers in his hand with your name on a tag, or a pretty bottle of perfume that’s a little too expensive for your comfort. but everytime u approach him ab it, he just brushes you off with a slow, distracting kiss on your skin and smoothly changing the topic. he’ll be the one to wear the stress lines, not you.

racer!wrio, who gets injured from a dirty play during the race; who lets you undress him and tend to his wounds, giving you a sharp smile when you run your fingers over the scar on his collar. he’d never tell you, but the rush he gets from the race is nothing compared to the cold thrill of your touch. you’ve got him hook, line, and sinker, and the adrenaline junkie’s perfectly content to be a sitting duck. racer!wrio, who forces u to read the fanmail he receives and laughs when you accuse him of torturing you when, in reality, he thinks you’re the cutest when you’re jealous, and he just loves to hear the romantic gush in your pretty voice. he's absolutely whipped

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Fem!Shu Sketches ❤️❤️❤️

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fem shu in this outfit I'm too lazy to draw further

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++ 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐘

[summary] wrio missed his wife, and she missed him just as much. two simps in love.

[cws] fluff. fem reader -> wriothesley’s wife. reader is a mondstadt native. kissing.

Wriothesley’s cup of tea pauses halfway to his mouth as there’s a knock at his office door. His fingers tighten unconsciously around the handle, that incessant throbbing at his temples that had been dying out suddenly tapping into its nth life.

He contemplates ignoring it; pretending he didn’t hear it and indulging in his fresh brew, but he’s never been one to shirk off his work, no matter how inconsequential the task.

He sets the cup down rougher than necessary, and the legs of his chair scrape loudly against the floor as he pushes it back from his desk and stands to his feet. Someone better be dead or on the verge.

It was an unspoken rule that Wriothesley wasn’t to be bothered at this time -a quarter after five until six- because it was official tea time, a very, very important time in his day that let the inhabitants in Meropide see his most agreeable side… although he had heard talk from a few gossipy guards and prisoners that his ‘pissy attitude’ this past month had nothing to do with his interrupted tea times, but rather that his wife had gone back to Mondstadt to visit family.

“You know how he gets when he doesn’t see her after a while—downright scary. I’ve never seen a man look so enraged and distraught at the same time.”

“He put me on pipe restoration duty —don’t laugh, it isn’t funny! Worst job in the whole place, I swear— for the next six months all because my wife dropped by with a bento on my break. Apparently no one can be happy when his missus is away.”

“I caught him staring at her picture the other day, y’know the one he keeps in that chain around his neck, and sighing like some schoolgirl. I nearly thought my daughter had somehow gotten herself arrested and thrown down here when I heard all those lovesick sighs.”

It was all hearsay and speculation, of course. Wriothesley could manage just fine with you away - he was a grown man, a weathered man, a man who could function fully without the company of his wife.

That’s right, he thinks to himself. He’s been doing just fine in your absence, a bit quicker to anger than usual, but with the looming threat of being turned into a big, sopping puddle right below his feet, could you really blame him?

The door is wrenched open, strands of black and gray flying back from where they rested against his forehead due to the strong gust of wind he created.

“What is it now?” He nearly hisses out, but he manages to get a reign on it last minute, the words coming out a bit strained instead. He eyes the guard standing in front of him, their eyes flitting between the crease between his brows and the floor. “Spit it out before I—”

He stops abruptly when he hears a voice that he knows intimately well, and had he possessed any shame when it came publicly displaying the love he harbored for you, he would have been a touch embarrassed at the speed of which his frown smoothed out and the throbbing in his head disappeared, a sparkle in his eyes as his shoulders lose a bit of their tension.

“Oh? He has? Thank you for telling me, Sigewinne. I’ll get right on that.” You come rounding the corner with the small doctor at your side, a knapsack in your hands, and had Wriothesley been any less sane, he would have swore that he could feel the rays of the sunshine beaming down on his skin and fresh air filtering into his lungs when you turned your gaze to him, scornful as it was.

You’re fitted in a dress that’s customary for the women in your homeland to wear, and flowers are weaved into your hair, and the ring on your finger seems to shine a bit brighter.

“Wriothesley.” You march up to him, eyebrows knitted together, and push your finger against his chest. “What is this I hear about you acting like a tyrant?”

“You look beautiful.” He breathes out.

“And going to the Pankration ring? You know those poor people don’t stand a chance against you. That’s just bullying.”

“Let me take your bag, it looks heavy.”

“And you haven’t been eating right, either! Look at your face — you’ve lost weight!” He transfers the bag from your hands to his, and when his fingers brush against yours, he finally lets a smile bloom on his face, being met with a huff. “Don’t smile at me. I’m mad at you.”

“Can’t help it, happy to see you.” You falter a bit, corners of your lips twitching, but you hold strong, choosing to save face in front of the onlookers—always put up a good fight, especially when others are looking, is what he had told you once upon a time. “I’ve missed you so much.” It comes out in a low murmur, eyes locked onto yours and refusing to stray, even when you decide that his gaze is a bit too heavy for the setting and avert your own.

“I-well-you…just get inside your office.”

He’s nice enough to hold back a chuckle, instead stepping to the side so that you can shuffle past him and inside. Before he shuts the door, his gaze turns icy and his smile thins out as he lets his eyes sweep over everyone present. A resounding groan is heard, the unspoken promise loud and clear, and then he’s pushing the door shut and turning on his heel.

You’re on him in a second, arms wrapped around his waist as you bury your face into his chest. He returns the hug just as quick, thick, burly arms circling around your shoulders as his head dips down so he can stuff his nose into your hair and breathe your scent in.

Your voice comes out muffled as you try to speak, and he loosens his hold on you a bit, allowing you to pop your head up so you can look up at him. There’s a halfhearted pout on your lips, and his response is a reflex as he leans down to give you a peck once, twice, three times before moving on to place one on the tip of your nose.

“You were supposed to let me scold you out there, birdie. Now everyone’s gonna know that I let you off easy.”

“Let me off easy? I’d say this is the meanest you’ve ever been to me,” he gives an exaggerated expression of hurt. “You haven’t even told me you missed me, or that you’re happy to see me, or that you’ll never leave again because you couldn’t stand being away from me.”

“You’re so dramatic.” You smile despite yourself, and he kisses you again, scarred hands moving to cradle your cheeks. You part with a gasp for air, and its his turn to smile when you stretch up to reconnect your lips, the lack of air not deterring you in the slightest.

“Breathe, sweetheart…” He rasps against your lips, and you suck in a breath, eyes slowly blinking as you tug at the material of his shirt. There’s a rush of emotions that washes over him at the unspoken confirmation that you missed him just as much as he had missed you, and he lets his hands wander down to settle on your waist, fingers flexing as they squeeze at the flesh there through the material of your dress.

“Well, well, well,” he starts, and you blink out of your stupor to don a guilty expression. “Looks like you haven’t been eating right, either, hypocrite.” He lightly pinches at your side, and you squeal out a laugh as you lightly bat at his hand.

“Have I told you that I missed you, and that I’m sooo happy to see you, and that I’ll never, ever leave again because I can’t stand being away from you?” You flutter your lashes up at him, direct that heart-stopping smile up at him, and for a split second he thinks that the primordial sea has broken the seal and reduced him to nothing but a puddle at your feet.

“Careful now, words like that are liable to kill a man, and this place isn’t fitting for a sweet girl like you.”

“Oh? Then maybe I should leave earlier than I intended t—” He quiets you with a kiss, and you laugh into it, earning a gentle nip on your bottom lip. Your teasing smile settles into something sweeter, tender, vulnerable, and it mirrors him perfectly.

You both speak your next words in unison.

“I missed you.”