Harlequin Hearts // Arlecchino Genshin Impact x Female Reader One-Shots

The Silence Between Us

The Silence Between Us

The gentle scratching of your pen against paper was the only sound filling the office. The candles had long since burned low, casting the room in a dim, golden glow. Your desk was covered in various documents and ledgers, each a small piece of the work you needed to finish before the day came to a close. The responsibilities never seemed to end—work for the House of the Hearth, management of various affairs, and all the other duties that came with being the wife of Arlecchino, the Knave. It was tiring, but you didn't mind. If anything, the work kept you grounded, reminding you of the life you had built with her.

You glanced at the clock on the wall, noting that it was getting late. Arlecchino had been away for most of the day, dealing with important business as always. You had learned not to expect her at any specific time, but still, you found yourself waiting for her, hoping for the sound of the front door opening and her familiar presence filling the room.

As if on cue, you heard the faint creak of the door. Your heart lifted immediately, a small smile spreading across your face as you set down your pen and stood up. Arlecchino was home. You smoothed out your clothes and took a deep breath, eager to greet her.

Walking out of the office and into the main hall, you found her standing near the door, still dressed in her uniform. Her coat hung from her frame like a shadow, the dark fabric a stark contrast to her pale skin and silver hair. Her posture was stiff, her back straight as always, but something about her seemed off. Her face was slightly drawn, and there was a tenseness in her eyes that you recognized as exhaustion.

"Arle," you called softly, taking a few steps closer. "You're back."

She didn't respond immediately. Her gaze remained fixed ahead, her expression distant and unreadable. You hesitated for a moment, but then continued forward, smiling gently as you approached her.

"I've been waiting for you," you said warmly, reaching out to touch her arm. "How was your day?"

The moment your hand made contact with her, Arlecchino's head snapped toward you, her eyes narrowing slightly. Her voice, when she spoke, was sharper than you'd ever heard it before. "Not now," she snapped, pulling her arm away as if your touch had burned her.

You froze, your hand still hovering in the air where it had been a moment before. The words hit you like a slap across the face, the sharpness of her tone cutting deep into your heart. You blinked, taken aback, your chest tightening with a sudden ache you hadn't expected.

Arlecchino had never raised her voice at you before—not like this. You knew she was often cold to others, her reputation as the Knave preceding her wherever she went, but with you... she had always been different. She was reserved, yes, but there was a softness to her when she was with you, a gentleness that she never showed to the outside world. That gentleness was nowhere to be found now. Instead, there was only tension—frustration and exhaustion radiating off her in waves.

For a long moment, neither of you moved. The air between you was thick with an uncomfortable silence, and you couldn't shake the feeling that something fragile had just been broken.

You swallowed hard, your throat suddenly dry. "I..." you began, your voice faltering slightly. "I just wanted to check on you."

Arlecchino said nothing. Her gaze softened slightly, as if realizing the impact of her words, but she didn't apologize. Her shoulders remained tense, her jaw clenched as she looked away from you, her hands balling into fists at her sides.

You took a step back, the hurt settling deeper in your chest. You wanted to say something—to ask if she was alright, to offer her comfort—but the sharpness of her earlier words made you hesitate. A small part of you wanted to reach out to her again, to tell her that it was okay, that you understood she was tired, but another part of you felt too wounded to try.