starlust - hsr and genshin oneshots

jing yuan: co parenting

A/N: written by ayano

(not proofread. word count: 858)

 you pulled up in the driveway, exhausted. today, you had a double shift at the hospital. you switched on your phone, and the brightly illuminated screen half-blinded you. 11 pm.

your colleague asked you to help them do their shift because they had things to do, and you, being you, said yes. you regret it now.

it has been 37 hours of treating sickly patients, bright hospital lights, and charting at your desk for hours. seeing that many sick people in one shift took a toll on your fatigue level. your sure you had probably 2 gallons of caffeine in your system at this point.

as you were getting your things, you let your mind wander. it had been almost two full days, and your ex, jing yuan, was taking care of your daughter. of course you trust him- but it's your motherly instinct to be worried. it had been more than a day, after all.

you unlocked your door, walking into the apartment. the second you took off your shoes, you were stared at by intense golden eyes. you walked to the table and put your bags on the table.

you let a sigh escape your lips, your shoulders slumping as you checked the missed calls, texts, etc on your phone. soon, you set it down and walked over to jy, who was sitting on the couch.

you sat next to him and leaned back, closing your eyes.

"did you put her to bed?" you asked. he nodded.

"did you eat dinner?" he said it calmly.

"no, im not hungry right now. and anyways, im too tired to cook anyways..." you smiled.

a few minutes of silence later, soft news playing in the background, you spoke.

"hey, thanks for taking care of her. im just busy haha, sorry for not responding to your texts.." you said, and he looked at you. but his look wasnt unsettling anymore, it was rather kind.

"no worries. i know how busy you are, so i try what i can." he smiles, and you look away. you didn't want to fall for him again, at least not right now, you told yourself. "anyway, how about i cook you some food? you need to eat, you know."

you looked at him, a bit puzzled. he just stared at you thoughtfully. finally, you softly sighed. "thanks."
he got up and walked into the kitchen, and started making some noodles. you just scrolled mindlessly on your phone. at this point, you were like a walking zombie.

while the soft sizzling was like a tape recorder playing over and over, you stared out the window and thought.

"honestly, i still like jing yuan, just not that much. he's kind and caring when he needs it... but sometimes not to me. i dont know, hes weird. sometimes hes sweet and tender but the next second hes as cold as ice."

jing yuan soon came out with the plate of food and set it on the table. you got up and stumbled over, with him carefully examining you. you sat down and gestured for him to sit next to you.

the dim light illuminated only the table, him, and you. he just softly stared at you while you ate.

when you finished, you got up, and he got up too. walking back to the couch, you both sat down again. you scrolled on your phone while he peacefully read a book.

a few minutes of silence later, you couldn't help but stare at his fluffy white hair. remembering that you used to run your fingers through his hair made you break your gaze. he noticed you looking at him and put down his book.

"you want to touch my hair." he said it not as a question, but as a statement. you didn't say anything but nervously pretended to do stuff with your phone. he just gently smiled at you and reached for your hand, taking it in his.

jing yuan lifted your hand to his hair, and then let go. you hesitated, but decided to touch his hair anyway. running your fingers through it, a nostalgic feeling washed over you.

while you were busy daydreaming about your old memories, jing yuan was humming in comfort. he seemed to quite be enjoying it, reading the book. you focused on your thoughts right then and there.

that moment seemed so pure, so serene. just silent, peaceful calm. no talking, no bright lights, no hostility, no tension. just... calm. it made you sleepy. but nothing could make you stop touching his hair, it was just pleasing to you.

those snapshots may have only lasted half an hour or so, but it felt like hours. the ties that tied you two together that had been severed and snapped slowly repaired. it was just like a ethereal feeling just engulfed you both: like something overtook him (and you) to do this.

maybe it was because you were tired; maybe its because he was in a good mood; but it didn't matter to either of you. in that little period of time, it was only him and you, and you and him.