Archons x male reader
Candle lights flicker, rain drops onto the ground.
7 souls captured in the heart of darkness.
The candle, extinguished.
Credit to the artist who drew the art in the story cover.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
As the afternoon sun filtered through the windows, the archons quietly packed Y/n’s belongings into neat little bundles. Mavuika and Raiden carefully folded clothes, while Nahida gathered small trinkets and books Y/n had collected over time. Zhongli, however, had other plans for Y/n.
Sitting across from him at the small wooden table, Zhongli watched with a stern but gentle gaze as Y/n picked at his lunch—a bowl of warm soup with slices of freshly baked bread. Y/n sighed and tried to resist, pushing the spoon around the bowl with little interest.
“You need to eat more, Y/n,” Zhongli insisted, his voice steady. “If you keep avoiding your meals, you’ll wither away.”
“I’m fine, really,” Y/n muttered, glancing away. “I’m not that hungry…”
Zhongli wasn’t having it. With a calm but firm hand, he reached across the table and gently but insistently cupped Y/n’s chin, tilting his face back towards the bowl. “You’ll eat,” he said, his amber eyes locking onto Y/n’s with a look that left no room for argument. “I won’t have you falling ill because you refuse to take care of yourself.”
Y/n blinked, wide-eyed and flustered at the sudden gesture. “Z-Zhongli, I—”
“No excuses,” Zhongli cut him off, pressing the spoon into Y/n’s hand. “Eat.”
Y/n hesitated for a moment before reluctantly taking a bite of the soup. Zhongli watched him closely, and after a few more spoonfuls, Y/n could feel the warmth of the soup settle in his stomach, easing his reluctance.
“There,” Zhongli said, releasing Y/n’s face but keeping his watchful eyes on him. “That wasn’t so difficult, was it?”
Y/n pouted slightly, embarrassed. “You didn’t have to be so forceful about it…”
Zhongli’s expression softened, and he chuckled. “Sometimes, a firm hand is necessary when one is being stubborn.”
After finishing the meal, the atmosphere lightened considerably. Y/n could feel a little more energy returning, and a thought crossed his mind. “You didn’t have to pack all my things during lunch. I could’ve helped…”
“Let us take care of you,” Zhongli said with a rare, warm smile. “It’s the least we can do after all you’ve done for us.”
Y/n nodded, feeling the sincerity in his words. He stood up from the table, but before he could say anything more, Venti bounced into the room, a wide grin on his face. “Hey, Y/n! I’ve got an idea!”
“What is it this time?” Y/n asked with a small laugh.
Venti reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, delicate flute. “Why don’t we play a game of music? You hum a tune, and I’ll try to match it on the flute.”
Y/n’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. “A game? That sounds fun!”
Zhongli raised an eyebrow, watching the two of them with mild amusement. “I suppose that could be… enjoyable.”
