*ೃ༄ ɢᴇɴsʜɪɴ ɪᴍᴘᴀᴄᴛ ᴏɴᴇsʜᴏᴛs || discontinued !!

- zhongli || love

ೃ⁀➷ zhongli x gender neutral reader

fluff !

song rec : what falling in love feels like by jake 25.17

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Zhongli inhaled the potent aroma of a herbal tea he had purchased. Taking a light sip of the hot liquid, he hummed in content. Though he feared the worst after handing over his gnosis, becoming an average human was a lifestyle he believed was worth the sacrifice. His worries about ruling over Liyue melted away as he watched its citizens come together to protect the land. There was a hint of regret in his heart, however he readily made the decision to live amongst his people for the sake of Liyue itself. With the identity of Zhongli, he had come to know more about mortal life. The concept of mora, a currency, the compassion of others, and most importantly, the concept of emotions. He was no stranger to it, of course, but as an archon who once did nothing but oversee his nation, interacting with others would clearly help him understand them more.

His confidence in the people of Liyue strengthened when two outlanders arrived. Namely Aether and (Y/N), both travelers from different worlds helping each other get home. They had battled Tartaglia, the 11th Fatui Harbinger and overthrew Osial with the help of the Qixing and Adepti. Their power together was unrivalled - thus Zhongli's trust in the two to help each nation with any conflict that would arise. (Y/N) was quite interesting to Zhongli. Your appearance was pleasing to the eye - their mannerisms polite and voice like music to his ears. He didn't fully understand the warm feeling that blossomed in his chest every time he saw you. It was familiar, however. He had once felt this way with Guizhong, but it was a long time ago. The concept had grown foreign and rather strange. Determined to get to the bottom of whatever emotion he was feeling, he grew closer to you.

You enjoyed his company. He was highly intelligent and well-versed in many fields. His way of speaking was alluring, and no sooner than 2 weeks into your entanglement with the gentleman, you had become the closest of friends. He knew a lot about you, and you were just starting to learn about him. Meeting for tea was your favorite past time. He showed you the most amazing places with the most luxurious foods and teas, and to your surprise, he made sure to pay for every meal and bring extra mora to buy you a little gift. You felt your heart melt from his gratitude. Truly, Zhongli was something else. He slowly put down his cup and looked around the area. The streets were bustling with people, purchasing items and others spending time together. A small smile formed on his face. "So this is Liyue." He chuckled. The community he had built from the ground up really grew - so much so that Zhongli was shocked with the change.

The sound of hurrying footsteps rang out. He turned to face the source of the sound. His smile faltered as his lips slightly parted, taking in the sight before him. You stood with a grin, holding a few glaze lilies. "I found these on the way here. You like them, right?" You hummed, handing him the flowers. His eyes widened at the gift. There was a sort of warm feeling that spread in his chest and stirred in his stomach. It was like he fell from a great height - maybe this was what people called 'butterflies'? Your genuine smile and personality he had grown to adore stunned him.

"Is this what mortals call love, (Y/N)?"

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ׂׂૢ word count : 589

part 2 for sure

gonna make a drabble book for really short fics :))

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