Random Various Chars X Reader

Stonebound Devotion " Zhongli x Reader "

 "Stonebound Devotion" — Zhongli x Reader

Liyue's golden dusk bathed the harbor in amber light, casting long shadows across the cobbled streets. You stood quietly beneath the arch of the Wangshu Inn's balcony, watching the lanterns flicker to life one by one. The breeze carried the scent of osmanthus—familiar, comforting, and unmistakably him.

Zhongli approached with the grace of a man who had walked through centuries. His amber eyes held a quiet storm, ancient and tender. He stopped beside you, the silence between you rich with meaning.

"I have seen empires rise and fall," he began, voice low like distant thunder. "I have watched mortals chase love, lose it, and find it again. But never have I offered my heart—not until now."

You turned to him, breath caught in your throat. He reached into the folds of his coat and revealed a small, polished stone—warm to the touch, glowing faintly with geo energy.

"This," he said, placing it gently in your palm, "is a fragment of my core. A symbol of my contract, my devotion. I offer it not as a god, but as a man. Not as Rex Lapis, but as Zhongli."

Your fingers curled around the stone, its warmth seeping into your skin like a promise. He stepped closer, his voice softer now.

"If you accept it, you accept me. My eternity, my flaws, my love—unchanging as the stone, enduring as the earth."

Tears welled in your eyes, not from sorrow, but from the overwhelming weight of his sincerity. You nodded, unable to speak, and he smiled—a rare, gentle curve of his lips that made your heart ache.

Zhongli leaned in, forehead resting against yours, and whispered:

"Then let this be our contract. One written not in stone, but in soul."

You held the glowing stone close to your chest, feeling its pulse sync with your own heartbeat. The weight of his offering—his heart, his eternity—was unlike anything you'd ever known. And yet, it felt right. Like the final piece of a puzzle long waiting to be placed.

You looked up into his amber eyes, steady and unwavering, and spoke with quiet conviction.

"I accept you, Zhongli. Not for your legacy, nor your power—but for the man who stands before me. For the soul who listens, who protects, who loves."

His breath hitched, just slightly. A flicker of emotion passed through his gaze—relief, joy, something ancient and tender. He reached out, brushing a thumb across your cheek, reverent as if touching something sacred.

"You honor me," he murmured. "More than any contract ever forged."

You smiled, fingers intertwining with his. The stone between you glowed brighter, resonating with the bond now sealed—not by geo, but by love.

"I don't need eternity," you whispered. "Just you. As you are."

Zhongli leaned in, his lips brushing yours like a vow. The world around you faded, leaving only the warmth of his embrace and the quiet promise of forever—written not in stone, but in the hearts of two souls who chose each other.

The stone in your pocket pulsed like a heartbeat—his heartbeat. Ancient, steady, and now irrevocably tied to yours.

But love, when offered by a god, is never simple.

That night, beneath the moonlit arch of Mt. Tianheng, Zhongli stood with his back to you, his silhouette carved against the stars. The wind stirred his coat, and for a moment, he looked like the deity he once was—untouchable, eternal.