Synopsis:
*character* become progressively worried about you not returning back - as the hours tick by, they notice a commotion has started and as they check it out find you in distress. Quickly they head to where you were and, well, their reaction to seeing you being accosted by someone in the middle of the city, let’s just say they took matters into their own hands.
Genre: violent* (reader gets cut), livid Zhongli*
ZHONGLI x GN reader
thank you everyone for reading these - I have such a fun time writing the guys so angry they can’t control themselves - and I LOVE Zhongli - take me Geo daddy*
Zhongli was a patient man. He had seen countless years drift by in a blur, so time didn’t mean much to him. So when the time passed the designated hour of your return, he continued to wait, the patient man he was. It wasn’t until he heard a commotion outside that he put down his work documents and looked out the window. Below, a Millelith guard rushed down the street and as he observed the passing citizens, a common pastime of his, he overheard one of the women share with their friend, “I can’t believe they’re trying to deal with that themselves. It’s so dangerous.” Zhongli pressed his hand to his chin before disappearing from the window.
Walking in the direction of the running guards, he could tell something was amiss just by the amount of people gathering around. Liyue housed many attractions, one of the many reasons travelers from all over would come to visit the city on the sea. As he neared the crowd he caught a glimpse of the guards pushing citizens back. It looked as if they were keeping people away from the Adventurers guild.
“Please stand back.” The man commanded of the prodding eyes.
“What seems to be the issue?” Zhongli inquired as he elegantly made his way through the crowd.
“Oh, Mr. Zhongli. There is a little situation just up ahead, but we have it under control.” he said as a loud crash echoed off the walls of the tightly packed streets.
“Okay! Okay!” a voice yelled immediately after, Zhongli knew it belonged to you. In an instant he pushed past the guard and made his way down the path.
“Wait, you aren’t allowed to go down there!” sounded the man from behind, unable to stop him.
As Zhongli made his way toward the commotion, he could easily see your outline standing next to the front desk of the Adventurers Guild. You looked exasperated, one hand resting on your sword, the other extended toward a man. His back was to Zhongli, but even unable to see his face, there was apparent anger about him. In his hands was a knife. Where were the other Millelith, he thought.
As he got closer he was able to hear the argument you were having.
“This isn’t what we agreed on,” the man shouted, his knife pointing back and forth between you, Tiantian, and Katherine. Zhongli saw the receptionist of the Adventurers Guild explain something, but couldn’t quite make out what she said. You were still positioning yourself between the women and the furious man. Your arm protectively shields Tiantian from his knife.
“Why don’t we all just take a moment to recollect, then we can figure out how to solve this without becoming violent,” your face is calm, and Zhongli can tell you are trying to be as non-threatening as possible.
“That one,” he began, pointing his knife at Tiantian, “told me I’d get great rewards from joining, and this is the shit I get.” He tossed a bag down at your feet. The contents spilling out on the ground, a food ration rolling over the ledge and falling with a plop into the water below.
“That’s just for simple commissions, if you want more there are harder …” Tiantian attempted to interject, her head peeking around your shoulder, her hands protectively held close to her chest.
“Screw that, what do you have behind the kiosk?” He stomped his way toward the desk which caused Katherine to reach for the items sprawled out in front of her.
Everything happened so quickly after that. The man, irate and adamant that there was something valuable behind the kiosk, lurched forward and attempted to snatch Katherine’s hands; your arm pushed Tiantian out of the way which caused her to stumble backwards, her hands desperately reaching for the ropes at the edge of the walkway.
Zhongli watched as the blade, which had been swinging wildly at the three of you, lifted above the man’s head. Without a second thought, you were in between the blade and Katherine; your body lunged over the desk, hand pulling Katherin’s head toward your chest, arm extended across her body as if you had an invisible shield. The knife came down and slit through the fabric covering your arm, digging itself through your flesh.
His usually calm persona shifted, and he lost himself.
—
“What … why did you …” the man stuttered, blood dripping off the blade and onto the stone below.
“Put the knife down,” your arm burned, the blood spilling from the wound was making your head dizzy, but you pushed the sensation away. The danger isn’t over yet.
“Y/N …” Katherine murmured, her body shaking underneath your hands. You were painfully aware of how many people were at risk if you didn’t get this under control.
“You … that was your fault! I didn’t …” instead of calming down the man seemed to become even more erratic. His arms jittery, his head on a constant swivel. You were about to try and speak to him again, when you felt much heavier than normal.
It was like you were being crushed under an unbelievable, invisible weight. Everyone around you could feel the intense pressure too. Katherine slipped out from below your protective hold and was attempting to keep herself upright. When you looked behind you, you saw Tiantian on the ground, her limbs trembling against the weight of the atmosphere.
As you turned to look back at the man who cut you, you noticed a figure standing at the top of the steps. It was Zhongli, except he looked … different. His eyes weren’t their normal calm shade of orange, instead they looked like burning fire along the horizon, his pupils turned from circles into elongated slits. His hair was glowing at the ends, and there seemed to be something strange about his skin, it looked almost reptilian.
The longer he stood there, the more oppressive the atmosphere became, it was starting to get harder and harder to breath.
“Zhongli …” you forced his name out of your throat, the pressure so intense you were sure the sound crashed onto the ground and shattered before it made it to his ears. You knew he was looking at you, his eyes were piercing, but he didn’t seem to see you.
Tracking his gaze, you see him turn his attention onto the man. He too was having a difficult time standing against the pull of gravity. The kiosk next to you creaked and groaned, you worried if the pressure got any worse the buildings around you would start to crumble.
“What is … happening…” The man croaked, his eyes meeting yours. Like you could do anything to help or explain what was going on. You could barely keep yourself up, could barely keep the blood spilling down your arm from creating an even bigger mess below you.
When the man noticed shoes appearing next to him he strains his neck to look upward, his head shaking, “Are you … doing this?” Zhongli doesn’t respond, he just kneels down to get closer to the man’s face. Fear takes over his expression as the man gets a good look at Zhongli, “what the fuck are you ….”
Even though it’s so hard to hear anything, Zhongli’s words are crystal clear, “This behavior is unacceptable.” In a second Zhongli’s hand is covering the man’s face, claws have appeared at the end of each finger and begin to dig into his scalp. You think the man is screaming, but you can’t hear. The awning above the Kiosk buckles.
You’ve never seen this man so infuriated before … you can understand now why he holds the title of “God of War,” if this was just a fraction of what he used to fight, you shivered at the thought of him going all out.
With wobbly steps you tried to make your way over to the two of them. You couldn’t help but watch as the man, engulfed by Zhongli, kicked and clawed at the hand around his face.
“Zhongli, stop …” you begged, using all your strength to reach out to him. “You’ve got to stop …” you had no idea if your words were reaching him. He looked further away from you than he ever had before.
When you finally got close enough he turned his head to look at you, his eyes dangerous.
“Stop, you’re hurting him.” You gasp, trying to keep your lungs from collapsing.
“And?” the indifference in his voice sent a cold chill through your heart. This was so different from his normal presence. You couldn’t stop the terror from building up in your chest. If you couldn’t reach him there was no telling what he’d do next.
He’d continued to look at you, his eyes barely registering that you were there.
“This isn’t like you …” you finally choke out, “please, this pressure … “ your lungs can barely take anymore, “you’re hurting me.”
Just like that, as soon as the pressure began, it was gone. You stumbled backward from the amount of effort you’d been using to keep yourself partially standing. A hand reached around your wrist and kept you from spinning out of control. You took so much air in your lungs that it sent you into a fit of coughing.
As you started to recover, you smelled the familiar fragrance of incense wafting around you.
“Y/N…” Zhongli spoke, his voice back to normal, and when you looked up to see his face you noticed his features had returned to normal as well.
“Thank the archons,” you exclaim before collapsing into his arms.
After a few minutes you heard rushing footsteps barreling toward you. You were about to explain what had happened when you’re suddenly lifted into the air by Zhongli.
“I must attend to this injury, please see to it things are cleared up here,” and with that he was off. You looked back as the confused Millelith attempted to deal with the rightfully terrified civilians.
—
When the two of you entered the empty office of the Wangshu Funeral Parlor he sat you down next to one the tables while he made his way over to the row of cupboards along the opposite wall.
“Sit,” he told you, and you were happy to do so. Your body still recovering from the whole ordeal.
When he came back to the table there was a heavy air about him. You definitely didn’t get the impression he wanted to have a conversation.
“Let me see your injury,” he reached forward and held onto the arm of your chair while you, painfully, shifted your arm out of the now ruined shirt. He scooted his chair closer to you as he took your arm in his hand.
“This may sting,” he warned before dabbing the cut with a cloth drenched in a cleaning solution. You winced at the contact, not only was it cold, but it did sting. Never moving too quickly or too suddenly, he diligently cleaned the wound.
After a long, uncomfortable silence he spoke. “You are reckless,” he stated while cleaning the dried blood from your arm.
“How so?”
“You put yourself directly in the path of danger - do not be so careless with your safety.”
“I figured it would be better for me to get hurt than Katherine, or Tiantian,” your eyes were locked onto your hands and you started to fidget with your nails.
“What would you have done if you were seriously injured?”
“But I wasn’t …”
“Yet there was nothing stopping you from becoming so…” his tone was angry, and you could tell he was frustrated by the whole situation. “This too, is no simple injury.”
“Well, what about you?” you bite back.
His hand continued to work over your wound, “What about me?”
“You could have hurt people … what even was that?” you turned to look at him but he didn’t meet your eyes. “Zhongli, I’ve never seen you like that before.”
“Don’t fret over it, and do hold still.” he held your arm as he spread some sort of healing ointment over the cut, it filled your nose with the scent of mint.
Dejected, you sink back into the chair. You hated this, it was one of the things that frustrated you about him. How he could be so closed off and yet constantly sharing himself with others.
“It’s not fair, you can be mad at me and I can do nothing …” you mumble into the opposite shoulder.
You let yourself get lost in your thoughts while he tugged at your arm, fitting the bandage securely around your injury.
He let out a sigh which warmed your skin, “I apologize, my anger is misdirected.” He reached up and tapped your chin signaling you to look at him. “I’m merely concerned about your safety.”
“I know … I just couldn’t let someone get hurt if I could do something about it, you know?”
“This is an admirable quality you have, and it’s one of the reasons I care for you so deeply. I only wish there was a way to keep harm from befalling you.” He kissed your exposed shoulder, his lips sending electricity through you.
“That’s not likely,” you respond with a sideways glance at the geo archon, “but I will promise to be more careful from now on.”
“Great idea, let me put together a contract,” he began, standing up to walk over to his writing desk.
“Zhongli …” you say in exasperation, your head dropping into your hands.
For weeks you hear the citizens mumbling with one another and spreading rumors about Zhongli having the rage of a dragon.
MASTER