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CHAPTER 1.

CHAPTER 2.

CHAPTER 3.

CHAPTER 4.

CHAPTER 5.

You were collecting your 12th and final stem of mint in front of an old stone structure. Some parts of it were completely dilapidated, but the central part appeared to be mostly intact. Being the adventurer you were, the contents of the abandoned building would have your full, undivided attention on a normal day, eager to explore every nook and cranny and pile of rocks you could find. Today was no normal day, however, as you had your mind set on the harmonious taste of mint and Brilliant Chrysanthemum blending together in a cross-cultural culinary masterpiece. Getting home to your kitchen was of the utmost priority.

But when you heard voices coming from behind those cracked stone walls, your curiosity compelled you to reconsider.

One hand on your weapon and the other holding your flower basket, you cautiously approached the entrance, following the sound of the voices. The immediate inside of the building was well-lit with torches, but an open gate led to a different, dimly-lit room deeper in the building. As you crept towards that open gate, you saw two figures arguing– the sources of the noise.

“I REFUSE TO BE REDUCED TO SOME PAPERWEIGHT!! The Great K’uhul Ajaw will not tolerate such mockery!”

“Fine then. A large rock should work anyway. I’ll look for one outside.”

You panicked for a moment. They would see you! The figures didn’t sound particularly dangerous or even malicious, but you braced yourself regardless.

“... Who are you?”

You were face to face with an unamused-looking man. He was lean, with tattoos peeking out on his arms and neck from underneath his black top. In his eyes, you saw hues of green, yellow, and orange that stared back at you with a piercing gaze. His hair was a bit messy, multicolored locks being held up with a patterned headband and barely veiling earrings on each ear. His appearance was overall reminiscent of the Scions of the Canopy, his baggy pants and compression top donning several square-based patterns. Frankly, he had a lot going on with his outfit. What interested you the most, however, was the Dendro vision attached to his pants. 

“Perhaps I shouldn’t mess with him,” you thought, eyes glued to the vision.

Not that it was even a concern. Did you look so utterly unthreatening that he had to ask that question in such an unbothered tone? Even so, you took your hand off your weapon as a designation of innocuous intent

“...Uh, I’m [name]. Who are you?” You asked, laughing nervously.

The man sighed, crossing his arms. A brief moment passed before he opened his mouth to speak.

“...’Malipo’ Kinich of the Scions of the Canopy. Do you have a moment?”

Malipo… you recognized his name. You were quite sure he was a Hero of Natlan, and this fact made you feel more at ease

“I suppose. For what, though?” At the very least, if your trust was misplaced, you knew you could fight your way out of a sticky situation.

“I just need you to stand on something for a moment.”

It sounded easy enough. He led you past the open gate, into the other room where two pressure plates lay on opposite sides. In the center, a floating, pixellated, Saurian-looking… thing floated about.

“Who is this?!” The thing shrieked in a tone not particularly easy on the ears.

“This is [name]. [Name], please stand on the plate over there. We’re just completing a commission,” Kinich spoke curtly. 

“Oh, okay. Just like the ones in Liyue,” you commented to yourself as you walked over to the plate on the right of the room. You stepped on it, and it began to light up. The batch of pixels continued to fuss, following Kinich as he went to stand on his respective pressure plate.

“So… uh, what is that thing?” You asked hesitantly. You had debated asking this question, but figured you might as well let your curiosity get the best of you since you likely wouldn’t see the two of them after you helped them solve the puzzle. After all, Kinich was now standing on the plate, so that moment couldn’t be too far away.

“WHAT?! How DARE you address the Almighty Dragonlord, K’uhul Ajaw with such insolence?? A lowly servant like yourself should be groveling at my feet with offerings of grapes and fruit juice!! This transgression will–”

The moment Kinich’s pressure plate lit up, every single torch in the room was blown out in an instant and the three of you were met with the resounding metallic sound of the gate closing behind you.

Looking around for an exit was futile in the pitch darkness. You immediately unsheathed your weapon, ready to fight Kinich and the… “Almighty Dragonlord K’uhul Ajaw” for deceiving you, but they seemed just as startled.

“Who’s there?” Kinich yelled. You saw his outline and tattoos illuminated in shades of green, yellow, and blue– presumably his Nightsoul state. He didn’t emit enough light to see what was going on, beyond him brandishing his claymore in a defensive stance.

You backed up, heart beating and eyes darting around as if it would help. You jumped when your back hit the wall, but felt relief knowing that you wouldn’t have to worry about an intruder attacking from behind if your back was to the wall. Surely if you flailed your weapon around in all directions in front of you, you would emerge unscathed…?

Well, sure. That is, if it really was a wall behind you.

“AAHHH! GET OFF OF ME!” You shrieked, instinctively flipping backwards towards the center of the dark room. You had felt hands on your side– the wall must have been a person, and it certainly was not Kinich or his egotistical companion. You stood firm and ready for battle, turning in different directions with your weapon at the ready. Kinich with his glowing outline rushed over to you, his back to yours as he assumed a similar stance. 

“GAH– WATCH WHERE YOU’RE WAVING THAT THING, LOWLY SERVANT!” You heard the same irritating voice from before as you felt your weapon hit something softly.

“We’ve got a bunch now boys, let’s run!” Suddenly, the three of you heard a hushed voice coming from above followed by quick and heavy footsteps fading into the distance. There was an opening in the ceiling that had not been there before– sunlight streamed through a wooden trapdoor that now hung open, swinging back and forth. 

Kinich wasted no time in pursuing the voices. You watched as he used a grappling hook of sorts to hoist himself out of the building and sprint away. The little pixelated dragon followed soon after, leaving you to collect yourself. 

You sighed, taking a thorough look around the room to ensure there were no more immediate threats. While you had no pyro vision or matches to relight the torches, the opening in the ceiling provided enough light for you to find your way around. 

Lowering your weapon at last, you looked around. On the floor, near the pressure plate you had stood on, your basket of flowers had toppled over in the commotion. You gathered the stems, dusting them off and placing them back. At this point, you noticed a lever beside the closed gate. 

Pulling the lever and watching the gate open made you feel a little less dejected. You decided to sit and wait for Kinich to return while your heart rate returned to resting.

Only a few minutes passed before your new acquaintance dropped in from the opening in the ceiling. He looked weary, panting as he dusted his hands off.

“I was unable to catch them. I’m sorry you had to experience that,” Kinich said, looking genuinely apologetic.

“...That’s alright. Neither of us are hurt, so it’s all good,” you said, offering him a half smile as you stood up.

“They didn’t take anything from you, did they?” He asked.

“Nope! I’ve got my flowers, my weapon, and my mora!” You exclaimed with relief, patting your side to ensure your bag of mora was still there. Your expression dropped. “My mora pouch…”

Kinich’s brows furrowed and the two of you looked around the room, as if you wouldn’t have already noticed a bag of mora just lying on the ground, defenseless.

“How much was in the pouch?”

You were starting to panic. You counted on your fingers as if those values meant anything, before throwing your head into your hands and groaning. You sat back down and brought your knees to your chest.

“4.2 million mora…”

“...What?”

You looked up at Kinich with a defeated look, biting the inside of your cheek to contain your tears and any other unsightly expression that threatened to appear.

“What business do you have carrying around that much mora…? Nevermind, uh,” Kinich knelt down awkwardly next to you. He was clearly unsure how to console you, especially considering you’d met less than an hour ago. 

“I’m truly sorry, [name]. I would have never dragged you into this if I knew it was going to end like this. I should have been more cautious.” Kinich placed his hand on his chest and bowed his head as a means of expressing his sincerity. “They’ve certainly gotten away by now, but I could try to find them again.”

It was tempting to say yes, but at the same time, it wasn’t really his fault. You didn’t feel good about sending a man you’d just met on a wild Qucusaur chase to find some thieves that probably had a contingency plan to protect such a large amount of stolen mora anyway.

“No, I’ll…just do some commissions…” The words came out sounding more demoralized than you intended.

“Let me help you, then. It’s my fault for involving you, so I’ll repay you by assisting in these commissions,” Kinich insisted. It was clear he felt quite guilty for the entire situation despite having no direct involvement in the thievery. Helping you gain back some of your riches would help absolve him of guilt– plus, having someone to help with commissions never hurt. Unless the commission was actually a trap to steal mora from adventurers, but the likelihood of that happening to you twice was pretty low.

“...That would be greatly appreciated,” you accepted his proposal, but questioned just how willing he was to help you regain the full 4.2 million. “But that would take weeks, if not months…”

Kinich stood up, offering you a hand. You placed yours in his, and he helped you up. He was stronger than he looked.

“I know. Better get started soon then, shouldn’t we? How about we head to the Adventurer’s Guild now? The Stadium of the Sacred Flame is pretty close, anyway,” He suggested.

“Sure. We should probably report the incident to the Guild as well, so this doesn’t happen again. It would be good to do that sooner rather than later.”

Abruptly, the little green pixel dragon popped out of nowhere with an angry expression.

“Little Kinich thinks he can just put me in time-out without any repercussions… Prepare to face the wrath of the Almighty Dragonlord, K’uhul Ajaw!!!” The Almighty Dragonlord, K’uhul Ajaw declared, flying around Kinich’s head.

“Oh, I felt like something was missing! It was you!” You exclaimed. “Uh, the Almighty lord… K’uhula… ”

“That’s the Almighty Dragonlord, K’uhul Ajaw to you, MORTAL! The audacity you must possess to pose TWO transgressions in one day will be duly punished, for the Almighty–”

The Almighty Dragonlord, K’uhul Ajaw was cut off by Kinich batting him away with his hand, out of sight. 

“I apologize for him. He can be quite crude. And you can just call him Ajaw,” Kinich said, starting towards the now-opened gate. “Ready to go?”

You grabbed your basket of flowers and set off to the Adventurer’s Guild with Kinich.

—

“Ad Astra Abyssosque! Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild,” Katheryne greeted.

“Hello, we’re looking for commissions that pay well in mora,” you said, feeling a bit embarrassed saying it out loud.

“Of course. Here’s a list of commissions that haven’t been accepted– the highest paying commissions will be in the back.”

You and Kinich flipped through the pages, secretly (and foolishly) hoping to find a commission that would pay exactly 4.2 million mora. Unfortunately for the two of you, most of the available commissions ranged from 80,000-200,000 mora. Even the highest paying commission only offered 400,000 mora. 

“These aren’t looking too great… I guess this is definitely going to become a multi-week affair,” you muttered before looking up at Katheryne. “Is this really all there is today? Should we come back tomorrow?”

Katheryne seemed to hesitate for a moment before answering. “Well, I do have a suggestion that may be rather far-fetched. But seeing as you are both well-renowned adventurers, I suppose I should mention it regardless.”

You and Kinich share a glance before looking back at Katheryne, egging her on to continue.

“... There is a commission from the Liyue branch of the Adventurer’s Guild that has not been accepted for about 3 months now. The commission involves defeating numerous Ruin Machines and retrieving family relics from an abandoned building located in Wuwang Hill,” Katheryne continued. “The commission was posted by a noble in Liyue who has gradually increased the reward over time, but locals refuse to take the commission due to fears regarding the spirits that reside in Wuwang Hill.”

“... And how much is the reward?”

“10 million mora.”

Your jaw dropped. You shared a knowing look with Kinich, but composed yourself quickly after remembering that you were in Natlan. Liyue wasn’t even the neighboring nation. In between the Stadium of the Sacred Flame and Wuwang Hill, there was the plateaus of Natlan, the entire Sumeran desert, the jungles of Sumeru, not to mention the plains in Liyue–

“So are you good with that? We could split the pay 50/50.” Kinich interrupted your thoughts. You stared at him for a moment, dumbfounded at his nonchalance. 

“Did you miss the part where she said it’s in Liyue?” You asked sarcastically.

“No. Is there a problem with that?”

“Have you looked at a map of Teyvat before??”

“If you don’t want to do it, I’ll just take the commission myself. 10 million mora to retrieve some relics is too good to pass up.” Kinich was serious.

You took a moment to think. He was right– 10 million mora for some relics was a great deal. Ruin monsters didn’t scare you, nor did Wuwang Hill. And you’d heard the sands of Sumeru were beautiful. 

“...Would you really be willing to?” You asked, searching his expression for any indication that the commitment he had expressed was simply in jest.

“Of course. It’s my job to help you get your mora back, and I would walk out of it with a sizable sum, too,” he said as if it was an obvious choice.

What were you getting yourself into? 

“Then…I guess we’re taking it,” You took a deep breath. Accepting this commission filled you with mixed emotions– excitement and anxiety being the most significant. On one hand, you admonished yourself for foolishly accepting such a lengthy commission with little to no forethought. But on the other hand, the novelty of a good adventure never failed to attract you. New regions, new enemies, new friend…and new friend’s peculiar dragon companion.

“Alright then. It’s settled. We should set off tomorrow. Where should I come find you?” Kinich asked, evidently ready to start the journey that lay ahead as soon as possible.

“I live within the Children of the Echoes,” you said. “Let’s meet there at 6 am?”

“Alright. I’ll be there,” Kinich said plainly. He turned and walked away without another word.

── .✦

[MASTERLIST] [PREVIOUS] [NEXT]

note: hello welcome to my long form kinich fic that i hope to update consistently! chapter 2 should be out within the next few days and i'm excited for a kinichful journey with you all

this idea is brought to you by @maggiforlifesstuff who left this wonderful suggestion in my comments. it was so inspiring i had to make a whole fic about it everybody say thank you maggiforlifesstuff!!

You looked up to see Mualani herself, offering her hand to you. You let her pull you out of your seat, trying to quickly think of a believable excuse for your forlorn expression, were she to ask.

“We’re about to play 7 minutes in heaven inside, you should join!!” She exclaimed, before her beaming smile softened with concern. “Hey, are you doing okay?”

Under normal circumstances, you probably wouldn’t join a game like 7 minutes in heaven. But seeing Mualani’s worried expression made you feel a little guilty. Seeing as she had taken good care of you and your fragile emotions during the past few weeks, you figured you at least owed her this.

“Yeah, I’m okay, just thinking. And… sure, I’ll join,” you said, mustering up a smile.

“If you say so!” Mualani said, leading you inside of the house. “Hey, maybe you’ll find someone special to replace that idiot,” She said suggestively, referencing your ex.

“Yeah, yeah…”

It had been what, 7 weeks since you’d broken up? The break up hadn’t been going very smoothly for you. The first week, you spent crying in bed– Mualani had to drag you to class most days. Today’s sorrows were a far cry from that, but you were still feeling down regardless. It wasn’t quite the loss of your ex themselves that you mourned, no, it was about time you ended it with them. You mourned something more akin to the loss of companionship. Sure, you had plenty of friends in university, including Mualani, but it didn’t change the fact that you were single now.

You recognized most of the people in the circle, many of them being your friends. One such friend, Ororon, waved you over to sit beside him.

“Hey! You showed up. It’s good to see you out,” He said, offering you a friendly smile. Before you had time to reply, he turned to look at the person sitting on his other side– another friend of yours, named Ifa.

“Oh, hey there, [name]. We’ve been missing you at the study group,” Ifa said. As you exchanged greetings with Ifa, you noticed Ororon glaring daggers at him. Ifa stiffened up in response, eyes widening.

“Uh, I’m gonna be back in a second,” He said, standing up and hurrying away into a different room. After he left, you narrowed your eyes at Ororon.

“What shenanigans are you two up to?” 

“Oh, Ifa just…had too much to drink, I…think…” It seemed he hadn’t come up with Ifa’s excuse before it escaped his lips. “But, um, how are you doing?”

You decided to entertain whatever Ororon and Ifa were doing and allowed yourself to become engrossed in a conversation about the best growing conditions for radishes. Not long after he had left, Ifa returned with someone else in tow– Kinich.

Kinich was another one of your good friends, but your friendship with him differed in that you could never seem to tell what he was thinking or feeling. While Ororon, Ifa, and Mualani were relatively straightforward, speaking their mind more often than not, Kinich was rather reserved– definitely more of a listener than a talker. It certainly didn’t help that the two of you seemed to be drifting apart in the past few months, either. Sure, he wasn’t actively avoiding you, but he used to make a greater effort in asking you to go out with him or hang in his dorm. Come to think of it, this change in behavior started around when you began dating your ex. 

Maybe Kinich just didn’t like your ex, or didn’t approve of your choice. Since he was so reserved, you figured he wouldn’t bring it up if he actually felt that way. In any case, he was there at the party, so you looked forward to interacting with him. After all, even though you weren’t as close as before, there was no way Kinich hated you.

As he talked to Kinich, you saw Ifa gesture to you from afar. Kinich rolled his eyes in response, making you doubt your thoughts from before. Maybe he did hate you. You tried not to think about it, you were already in the dumps about your ex.

So, you smiled at Kinich as the two men came over to the circle. “Hey Kinich, been a while,” you greeted.

“Hey [Na-”

“OHHHH!! Oh, oh, oh, uh… I gotta go! To the… I need to go!! Kinich you can sit here!” Ororon rambled frantically, gesturing to his spot beside you before stumbling away. You look to Ifa for answers, but he, too, has disappeared.

“What’s up with them?” You ask. Kinich shrugs in response and takes a seat where Ororon was previously. Before you can initiate further conversation, Mualani entered the center of the circle with a small bag, presumably of names written on paper.

“Everyone here is playing, right? I’ve got all your names down already! The rules are simple: you draw a name, then spend 7 minutes with them in the closet,” Mualani giggled. “Let’s see who’s going to go first…”

Her hand rustles around in the bag and pulls out a small sheet of paper. 

“Aww, none other than my wonderful roommate, [name]!” 

Just your luck. Who gets picked first in a game of 7 minutes in heaven? You try to maintain a calm and collected countenance, hiding your exasperation and nerves. Beside you, you hear Kinich let out a barely audible sigh.

“Here, pick a name. Let’s see who the lucky person is…” Mualani offers the bag to you, and you pick up the first paper you touch, eager to get this game over with.

“...Ororon.”

From the distance, you hear a muffled “I’m not here! I had to go!” followed by “Bro, shut up!!! They’re supposed to think we left!!”

“Uh… ” Mualani laughs awkwardly. “Wanna just select again?”

You set Ororon’s name aside and thrust your hand back into the bag, this time taking a little longer to select a paper. Your breath hitched when you read the single name written on it.

“...Kinich.”

You look at him instinctively, nervous to see how he would respond. Even Kinich, in all his nonchalance, was blushing ever-so-slightly. He cleared his throat and stood up.

“Okay! [Name] and Kinich, follow me!” Mualani said. You heard some whoops and cheers from the circle, and you didn’t know how you felt about that.

“It should be easy,” you thought to yourself. Kinich was your friend, after all. You would just sit in the room with him for 7 minutes, catch up a bit, and you’d be on your way! Hopefully Mualani would be satisfied with your participation in just one round of this racy party game.

“Alright, you two. See you in 7 minutes!” Mualani said. The last thing you saw was her bright smile before she shut the door behind you.

With your back to the wall, you slid down to sit on the floor, bringing your knees close to your chest. Kinich followed suit. It was dark, but you could make out his inquisitive expression.

“So,”

“So–”

You both spoke at the same time. If it was awkward before, this made it ten times worse. Sighing, you looked away. Maybe you could let these 7 minutes pass without conversation.

“I didn’t expect you to play this… game,” Kinich said, breaking the silence. 

“I’m just doing it for Mualani,” You chuckled. “It’s her big day, after all.”

“Oh. Uh, same, that’s why I’m playing.”

Another awkward moment passed.

“You’ve been quiet. Is something wrong?” Kinich inquires as if he hadn’t been doing the same. 

“Oh, um…” On one hand, you were still a little bit uneasy at how Kinich had rolled his eyes earlier. What could you have done? You didn’t want to irritate him more. But on the other hand, he was asking you what was wrong. Maybe it was a good opportunity to get some things off your chest. With such limited time, it was probably better to be straightforward.

“...Uh, nothing much, just… my breakup.”

Kinich seems surprised at first, then almost relieved. “I didn’t know. That’s good to hear though, they were nothing but trouble. Wait, hey– are you crying?” He moved closer to you, looking unsure how to comfort you. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

You wiped your eyes, embarrassed. “No, no…You’re right. A lot of people have been saying that lately.”

“I didn’t mean to overstep in any way, I just think that someone like you deserves so much better,” Kinich said with an unexpected vehemence. This response was quite uncharacteristic of him and piqued your curiosity.

“...What do you mean?” You asked, peeking out from the gaps between your fingers.

“... I just mean that you’re… a good person, and a great friend. You deserve to be with someone who appreciates those things about you… someone who will treat you right,” He said, looking away. These were very kind words from the usually nonchalant and passive Kinich. And they certainly didn’t sound like words that would come from someone who hated you.

“Thanks, Kinich. That makes me feel better. I think I just got caught up in my own head, thinking that I was unloveable or something.”

He stares at you with another unreadable expression. What was going on in that analytical brain of his?

“No, definitely not. It’s easy to love you.”

You freeze upon hearing his words. What was he implying? Maybe he wasn’t implying anything. Friends love friends, after all! 

But at the same time, Kinich barely spoke, even to your other friends. And when he did speak, it was usually accompanied with his trademark monotone voice and affinity for logic. Emotion and vulnerability scarcely found a place in Kinich’s actions. Furthermore, these increasingly heart-rending statements didn’t align with his behavior as of late.

You resolved to gather your courage and ask him what was up, but when you opened your mouth to speak, nothing came out. It was simple– Kinich, why have you been avoiding me lately? But only a squeak came out.

“Kinich, do you hate me?”

That was not what you planned to ask, but it was okay. You could work with that.

He gave you an incredulous look, stunlocked. “What? Of course not, that’s ridiculous.” He pauses. “Far from it… What makes you think that?”

“Well, for starters, you rolled your eyes earlier when Ifa pointed to me.”

Kinich immediately blushes and looks away with a sharp inhale. You’ve never seen him this flustered before. “I wasn’t… Ifa was just saying that I should join the game to…be with you. But him and Ororon have the wrong idea,” He cleared up, saying the last sentence quite frantically. He’d been making you raise an eyebrow ever since the door to the closet closed. This was not the Kinich you knew.

“I guess I misinterpreted it. But you’ve definitely been distancing yourself from me in the past few months, what’s up with that?” You were more frank this time, emboldened by his anomalous forthrightness and sincerity.

It seemed he had to think about this one, though. You’d almost forgotten that the two of you were on a seven-minute timer. Hopefully, you’d get the answers you wanted before time was up. He gazed at you, lips trembling ever so slightly as if some forbidden truth was threatening to spill out.

“... I was just busy,” Kinich said quietly. His answer could barely be heard over the muffled sounds of the rest of the party.

It was a bit disheartening to hear an answer that was so clearly a lie after all of those genuine and vulnerable responses he had been giving you. You took solace in the fact that at the very least, you were quite certain Kinich did not dislike you at all.

Another moment of silence fell over the two of you. Why did you feel like you wanted to hear more of Kinich’s sentiments, beyond basic curiosity? Were you just intrigued by this novel side of him?

“My… schedule is cleared up now. Do you wanna go out for dinner tomorrow? My treat.” Kinich interrupted your thoughts. Maybe all was not lost– and maybe this particularly sincere version of Kinich was here to stay.

“I’d enjoy that,” you said simply. The prospect of a fun night out with Kinich sparked a sense of warmth within you that you couldn’t remember when you last felt. As you began to put the pieces together, you heard a familiar, cheerful voice from the other side of the door.

“Knock knock guys! Hope you’re decent, because your time is up!” Mualani joked, swinging the door open.

Kinich stood up first, offering you his hand. He pulled you up with ease. 

“6 pm work with you?” He asked, hand lingering beside yours before quickly pulling away.

“Yep.”

“Cool. It’s a date then,” He said before walking away, gradually quickening his pace as he turned the corner.

You were shocked, but perhaps not as flabbergasted as Mualani, whose jaw was glued to the floor after watching the events that just unfolded.

In the distance, you hear Ifa’s concerned voice. “Hey, hold up Kinich! You look as red as one of Ororon’s tomatoes, do you want me to take a look? Kinich!” 

From around the same corner, Ifa and Ororon emerge. The moment they catch a glimpse of you, they share a knowing smile. The two dap each other up while you continue struggling to process Kinich’s words.

Ifa slings his arm around Ororon’s shoulder and the two walk away. 

“... Luckily, we returned to Piramida in time. It was a close one!

Varka

P.S. Can you send over 3 crates of Dandelion Wine? I ran out.

P.P.S. I’m sure you could sweet talk Diluc into throwing in a complimentary extra crate…just food for thought…

P.P.P.S. Illuga has been eating dinner alone lately and being very aggressive towards the Wild Hunt on the frontlines. I mean, he’s killing it out there, but he’s had an intense vibe ever since you left!”

“...In any case, things ended well, so I’m not too worried.

Varka

P.S. Thanks for the Dandelion Wine last time. They loved it! I kept a few bottles for myself though.

P.P.S. I saw Illuga laying on the grass last night looking up at the moon. He still eats alone most of the time, too. Someone misses you…”

“...Big victory. We celebrated in Piramida after, especially since everybody returned safely!

Varka

P.S. Can you send more Dandelion Wine?

P.P.S. You should pay us a visit soon, even if just to say hi. The Lightkeepers miss you.

P.P.P.S. I mostly mean Illuga.”

The latest letter was different. Varka typically sent you a letter each month, but this particular letter arrived only days after the last. It was shorter, and got straight to the point– that being, Illuga.

“Hey [name],

It’s only been a few days since my last letter, but I wanted this to reach you as soon as possible. Illuga got pretty badly injured on the battlefield yesterday, so he’s recovering back at his house in Piramida right now. A Wilderness Exile got into one of the camps at night and left a pretty nasty gash on his leg and one across his chest. He sprained his wrist during that fight as well. He insisted that he could recover at the camp and take care of cooking and documents but I ordered him to return home. Nikita backed me up.

Before we forced him to go back, though, he asked if I could send you a message in my next letter to you. I guess his bad injuries got him thinking about what he really wants in life. But he can’t write with his wrist injury, so he gave me a rundown of what he wanted me to write on his behalf. 

I think you should go visit Illuga in Piramida and talk to him. Cook him soup and stuff, whatever he does when we get injured or sick. It’s definitely a conversation better had in person rather than paraphrased by me in a letter, and I’m sure the captain wouldn’t mind having you take care of him either. 

If you do, it’d be great if you can stop by Cliffwatch Camp to say hi and pick up some of the clothes he left. Hope to see you soon.

Varka

P.S. Please bring Dandelion Wine.”

So, you were back at Cliffwatch Camp in the early morning, with one crate of Dandelion Wine in tow. How could you not return, knowing that Illuga had things to say, feelings to resolve? Granted, Varka hadn’t specified what Illuga wanted to say– for that would defeat the purpose of visiting him– but your conversations with the Lightkeepers at Cliffwatch Camp confirmed your suspicions.

When you first walked into the camp, you were greeted by Anleifr. 

“Oh, hey, been a while! Varka said you might come by to pick up Illuga’s clothes.” He said, giving you a firm pat on the back. “Come with me, let’s go get them.”

You followed Anleifr towards the main building. 

“Woah, it’s [name]! And more Dandelion Wine!” One of the Lightkeepers exclaimed, rushing over to take the crate off of your hands. 

“Illuga’s stuff is over here… If that’s what you came for,” another said. You turned towards the source of the voice to see Egle. She pulled you in for a brief embrace before walking over to a crate and retrieving the items in question.

“A few clothes, his journal, some books… This should be everything,” Egle handed you Illuga’s belongings. “I’m glad things will finally be cleared up between you two.”

“Yeah, right? Our captain will finally start sleeping at night instead of brooding in the cold,” Anleif let out a slight chuckle.

“Sorry, what?” You asked, startled by their comments. How much did they know? “Uh, I mean, what’s been up with Illuga?”

Egle and Anleif shared an unamused look.

“Come on, [name]. If it wasn’t obvious that something was going on between you two before, it became super obvious once you left,” Egle said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Illuga’s been off ever since.”

“Oh, yeah. I remember during dinners, he would always rest his chin on his hand all daydream-like and stare at you with a little smile,” Anleifr chimed in. “And he would wake up early to style his hair before expeditions. Expeditions!” 

“And don’t forget how he tried to transfer [name] to kitchen staff,” Egle groaned.

“...When did that happen?” You asked, dumbfounded.

“The time you twisted your ankle in Kipumaki. He got spooked and tried to convince Nikita the kitchen was so short staffed, we needed to make one of our strongest fighters a line cook,” Anleifr sighed.

This new knowledge made Illuga’s romantic feelings towards you so obvious in retrospect. Simultaneously, you became even more confused about why he had insisted the two of you shouldn’t be together.

“I didn’t know all this happened.”

“Well, yeah. He tried to keep a pretty strong front around you. We all thought you must have rejected him, with the way he was acting,” Egle shook her head. “But then he got drunk one night– which he never does in the first place– and started rambling about how he regrets, um… ” she paused, looking at Anleifr. “Maybe you should just hear it from Illuga himself.”

After some light banter with the two of them and others, you bade the Lightkeepers at Cliffwatch Camp goodbye, and made your way to Illuga’s house in Piramida.

As soon as you stepped foot into the settlement, a familiar nightingale illuminated in golden hues swooped down to perch on your shoulder.

“Hey Aedon,” you felt a smile creeping onto your face, knowing that Illuga was near. Aedon remained on your shoulder as you continued your walk. 

Once you reached Illuga’s house, you stopped to look around. The last time you were here, he had told you he loved you. You had no idea what the near future held for the two of you, but closure was imminent. 

His mailbox was, for once, not stuffed to the brim with unread content. A book lay open on the side table, with a bookmark delicately placed on the pages. Some of the clothes hanging on the clothesline had faint blood stains, presumably from his recent wounds.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the door swinging open. 

“Aedon! Where are–”

Illuga’s eyes met your gaze as you took a good look at him for the first time in months. He had a wrist brace on– his dominant hand, you noticed. One of his pant legs was rolled up, exposing the innumerable bandages wrapped around his shin that were starting to be bled through. He wore a button-up shirt with the buttons mismatched and offset by one– you imagined he wasn’t expecting guests. It was unbuttoned towards the top, leaving his bandaged chest, collarbones, and scars from previous battles exposed.

You had never seen him in such a state, and the sight of him so disheveled and wounded left you unsure of what to say, mouth agape.

It seemed that Illuga was at a loss for words as well. Your eyes darted from his eyes to his multiple injuries until he finally spoke

“[Name]... What are you doing here?”

“Varka told me I should come see you…How are you doing?” You asked, heart racing and voice faltering. 

 “... Come inside,” he said, opening up the door for you. He looked exhausted up close. 

Aedon flew from your shoulder towards Illuga’s lantern, which was gingerly placed on a shelf beside some dusty books. Once Illuga shut the door behind you two, the words started falling out of your mouth before you could think about them.

“So are you okay? Do you need help changing your bandages? You’re bleeding through a little, has it still not stopped? Oh! I have your clothes, your books, and–”

“I made a mistake when I said that we-” Illuga cut you off. “...when I said we shouldn’t be together.”

You were expecting to talk about how things ended, but certainly not straight away. He must have been holding onto that for a long time, judging by how readily he confessed his supposed mistake.

You blinked a few times, unsure how to respond.

“If you don’t feel the same anymore, that’s fine, I just…” he took a deep breath and maintained eye contact. “It doesn’t feel right to leave it at that. I want to tell you how I truly felt.”

Your silence urged him to proceed.

“It took you returning to Mondstadt for me to realize that you are,” Illuga took another breath and broke eye contact, looking at the metal-paneled floor. “Inextricably entwined into my heart. I tried not to love you– I just– I’ve lost so much, the thought of losing more… losing someone as special as you… it petrified me.” 

“And…knowing that you feel– or felt– the same way made it so much harder.” His eyes met yours once more, as if they implored you for an answer– some semblance of requited feelings.

“I still feel the same way, Illuga,” you said, hoping it would encourage him to continue opening up. 

He let out a big sigh this time, presumably one of relief, before continuing.

“So, I was too scared to pursue anything. But when you left, I felt as if a part of me had gone with you.”

Illuga’s normally composed demeanor cracked as he opened his heart to you.

“I waited to feel better, but I thought about you more every day, about what we could have been. I tried convincing myself that I was okay with loving you from afar, but I… knew that I wanted more.”

Even in his room all those months ago, you never could have imagined such vulnerable declarations coming from the ever-calm-and-collected Captain of the Nightmare Orioles. The Illuga you knew was certainly kind and caring, but equally guarded and repressed. While you were in Mondstadt, you had assumed that Varka’s anecdotes about Illuga were portraying a dramatized and embellished version of events. Now, as he poured his heart out to you, those anecdotes started to seem more and more authentic.

“And everyone started asking what happened between us, and I just… didn’t know what to say other than it being my fault.”

His breathing calmed, and he finally gestured for you to take a seat on the sofa as he led the two of you over. You sat across from him, words still stuck in your throat.

“So then… what do you want?” You asked quietly. In retrospect, it was a blunt question that you could have phrased with more decorum, but he seemed to pay your forthrightness no mind.

“...To be completely honest, part of me still wants to lie and pretend that I don’t know what I want,” Illuga said, leaning back into the sofa as he looked up at the ceiling. “I’m still scared, that much is still true. But I also know that what I feel for you is worth… braving the unknown for.”

And at long last, he said it– the words that had gone unrealized months ago in the very house you were sitting in. Confidence and a little more than just a hint of yearning were present in his eyes as he sat up to meet your gaze.

“I want to be with you.”

His confidence faltered as he rushed to clarify his statement, but a smile had already crept onto your lips nonetheless.

“G-given that you feel the same way, that is. And of course, you don’t have to give me an answer now, I’ll wait”

Months of trying to ascertain why Illuga did not initially want to be with you led you to have your own reservations, however. Although Illuga may have overvalued his fears of committing to a relationship with you, these fears had validity regardless. There were countless unknowns that could threaten your relationship.

At the same time, it was certain that you wanted to be with Illuga. Even the tests of time and distance had not diminished your feelings. It was just a matter of what you deemed worth your efforts, worth your vulnerability, worth even perhaps your pain.

“... I want to try together, Illuga.”

Illuga’s normally polite smile shifted to a joyous grin he failed to fight back against. He let out a shaky chuckle.

“That’s a relief.” He ran a bandaged hand through his hair before regaining his composure. “I won’t let you down. I truly want this to work out, and I’ll do everything in my power to ensure it does.”

“Relax, Illuga. We’re in this together,” you assured him. 

“I know, I know. There’s just… a lot to figure out. Like the fact that you live in Mondstadt. I suppose the Wild Hunt hasn’t been as destructive as of late… I could spare a week or two to visit you soon, if you wish,” Illuga mused.

“I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself. You should probably fully recover before you think about travelling… or the Wild Hunt,” you said, gesturing to his bandaged chest.

He nodded, looking away. “...Yeah. I just want to be able to see you while I can, in case things on the front lines get… worse.”

You understood now. 

“Illuga, I’m not going anywhere until your injuries are healed,” you said, standing up to move over to his side of the sofa. “Besides, if things with the Wild Hunt got worse, I’d just come to Nod-Krai to help again.”

Illuga looked relieved. “You’re going to stay?”

“Of course. That’s what Varka told me to come here for, anyway. To take care of you.”

“I guess that’s another thing I need to figure out– how to let myself be taken care of. Wait, Mr. Varka told you to come here?”

“Uh… yeah, he told me you got hurt…among other things.”

The two of you talk about the few months you had spent in each other's absence as you help clean his wounds and change his bandages. Before long, the sun is beginning to set, and you are in Illuga’s kitchen, cooking him Radish Veggie Soup while he sits at the dining table. His head rests on his hand– the one not in a wrist brace– as he observes you, bearing a fond smile. You’re engrossed in your culinary craft when he interrupts you with a thought.

“I feel like a fool.”

You pause your stirring, turning towards him and prompting him to continue.

Illuga chuckles. “I just can’t believe it took me this long to figure out that I … need to be with you.”

Your heart flutters at his choice of words.

“I feel as if I’ve completed a puzzle I’ve been unable to solve for ages,” he sighs. “And there’s still a lot for us to figure out, but right now, I’m just happy to have gotten that off my chest.”

“From what I’ve heard, it was weighing on you a lot,” you teased lightly.

“About that, what exactly did Varka tell you?”

“...Don’t worry about it.”

Illuga had always operated under the pretense that loss was just around the corner. Prior to meeting you, he had always defined loss in terms of life and death. Only when you left Nod-Krai had he realized that loss was neither as binary nor absolute as he had liked to believe. Loss wasn’t solely defined by losing you, but also by losing the opportunities he yearned for with you.