*ೃ༄ ɢᴇɴsʜɪɴ ɪᴍᴘᴀᴄᴛ ᴏɴᴇsʜᴏᴛs || discontinued !!

- zhongli || try again

ೃ⁀➷ zhongli x gender neutral reader

inspiration from try again by jaehyun and d.ear

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The room was cold. Rays of sunlight poured in through the gaps of the curtains that hid the Geo archon away from the outside. He had locked himself for days now, insisting it was punishment for his wrongdoings. Though you weren't completely gone, the lack of your company felt off to him.

He reflected deeply on his actions, cursing himself for his choice of words. The people working at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor were astonished when he came back, alone, fists clenched tightly. Hu Tao stared in awe, watching him wordlessly enter his shared room.

You and Zhongli were inseparable, ever since he offered to let you stay with him. He accompanied you everywhere, from domains to daily commissions, he never failed to remain at your side. These circumstances were very risky, which always had him on edge. He feared for your safety. There would be small banter over who would take the lead into battle, but one day, the exchange of angry words escalated. After encountering a large hilichurl camp, an abyss mage hurled a large geo body towards the both of you.

Zhongli quickly summoned a shield, and rushed to pull you close, but you had other plans. You dashed forwards, slicing the large rock in half. A small fragment sliced through your cheek. It was a deep wound. Zhongli's eyes narrowed at the abyss mage as he struck it, watching it disintegrate.

You panted heavily, wiping the crimson liquid dripping down your face. The tall male growled, seizing your stained hand. You looked up at him in surprise. "You were reckless." He said. You rolled your eyes and took your hand back. "I do my best to ensure you are not in harm's way and- this is how you act?" He replied angrily, following you away from the emptied camp. "I am not a child, Zhongli! I can do things on my own!" You exclaimed, rubbing your temples and glaring him down. "Do you think you're all that to me? You're some sort of god who I need to hide behind?"

Zhongli narrowed his eyes at you, slowly placing his hands behind his back. "I didn't waste my time wandering Teyvat to have a fallen god follow me around like I'm somebody who needs a babysitter." You mumbled harshly. He was livid, which was out of character for him, but his calm exterior didn't waver. "Perhaps you are correct."

You slowly turned around. "You are not somebody who requires supervision at all times. Especially from me." His tone was hostile, which surprised you as he turned around to leave. "You are nothing to me."

You scoffed bitterly, a stray tear rolling down your cheek. "You've made that pretty clear, Rex Lapis." You huffed, walking away, to nowhere in particular. He stared after you, wincing at the fact you had used his former name. Unbeknownst to him, you were deeply hurt by his words. You've had feelings for him for a while. Too shy too admit your feelings, you kept it a secret, with only Hu Tao being aware of it. Hu Tao, on the other hand, was also aware that Zhongli felt the same way. He'd explain to the girl in great detail his unwavering admiration for you - he'd start by commenting on your personality, and soon he'd be rambling about how attractive he found you, and how much fondness he held for you. 

"So? Are you going to keep all these lovely things you say about them to yourself?" Hu Tao cooed, leaning on her hand. Zhongli let out a low chuckle. "I'm afraid so. I doubt (Y/N) sees me in the same light." He replied, taking a sip from the small teacup you had gifted to him months ago. Hu Tao frowned at his response and wandered off.

Back to the present, Zhongli sulked in his room. His usual formal composure was nowhere to be seen. He looked distraught, with his hair disheveled and clothes thrown away in the corner. Hu Tao slowly opened the door with a tray in hand. "How do you feel?" She asked, pouring Zhongli a cup of tea.

"I can't stop thinking of (Y/N)."

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ׂׂૢ word count : 708

sorry for the slow updates :(( i've run out of ideas as i don't have any requests

part 2 soon !

thank you for reading ! please vote and comment if you'd like to see more ♥️