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CHILDE [Sacrificing]

He missed your anniversary date, and always left you for his work. What was next? You were fed up with everything, and eventually confronted him about it.. But his response was something you were not expecting.

"Childe, I feel like-" you walked into the room with your eyes closed, immediately stopping on the spot when you get cut off.

"(Y/N), leave, I don't need distractions right now," Childe spat. "Can't you see I'm trying to work here?"

"Childe.."

"What did I say, (Y/N)!?" he growled. "Get out!"

That was the first time you tried.

"Childe, will you listen to me this time?" you whispered, while the two of you were in the embraces of each other.

"Of course, my love," he rested his chin on your head. "What is it that you want to tell me?"

"I feel like.. our relationship is on the line because of your work-"

You slept on opposite sides of the bed that day.

"Let me explain..?" you quietly pleaded. "I'm worried about us, really."

"I understand, (Y/N), it's just-" he sighed, running his hands down his face. "I've been really busy these days.."

But those "days" have been going on for months.

"Childe! What else will you do this time!?" you cried out, tears gathering in your eyes. "You missed our anniversary date, you skipped all the dates I had planned-"

"You're wasting our money," he seethed through his teeth. "What else do you plan to waste on?"

"I-"

"I want nothing else. Why did I ever agree to being in a relationship with you? We've talked about this topic many times, through our casual talks you always figure out a way to smuggle that damned topic into the conversation. It's almost as if you're trying to make this relationship fail."

And since then the two of you haven't talked. You always slept on the couch every single night, and no longer brought him breakfast, lunch, dinner, desert.. none of that. You only cooked for yourself, leaving him to do things for once. If he won't put any effort into the relationship, you won't either. Just like that, the two of you eventually just practically turned into platonic roommates with no interaction.

On one unfortunate day, he finally decided to confront you for once.

"When will you shut up?" you snap. "It's not like you even cared in the first place."

"I was the one putting all the effort into this goddamn relationship! Now look at you, not playing your role at all!" he yelled, anger blooming around his heart. "I knew this wouldn't work out the moment I agreed!"

"Then why did you agree!? Why did you agree if you knew that you were going to sacrifice me for everything else!?" you sobbed out, tears spilling.

"Well that's-"

"What else will you sacrifice me for!?" you screamed, "Your friends? Your ex? Food? Wealth? Popularity? Power? What else?"

"(Y/N)-" he finally realized, trying to trace his steps back to fix everything.

"We're done! If you're going to just toss me aside like some object that can be put second priority over anything, then I don't want to be with you! I never regret dating you, and here you are!"

That was the last conversation the two of you had.

Small glances exchanged between the two of you on walks in the harbor turned into lingering glances. Lingering glances turned into sudden gloominess whenever the two of you noticed that you were near each other.

Nothing would be the same again.

----

DILUC [Dedication]

You've just been doing your daily routine- cleaning around the mansion, organizing books, taking care of your lover, bringing him food and water each day, yada yada yada... But you don't quite understand. Was this not enough?

You carried a tray, which held the contents of a glass of grape juice and pancakes, up to Diluc's office where he sat working for hours. A sigh heaved from your lips as all that filled your mind was doubts, doubts if you were putting enough effort into this relationship. He was the one working to pay off the bills, he was the one getting you gifts all the time, he was the one who had dealt with all of your problems.. but what did you do?

Up the stairs you went, hesitantly opening the door to the rednette's office. The peaceful and calm skritch skritch of the pen against paper with the small flicker of fire the candles held gave you a warm, cozy feeling in your heart. Though it all goes tumbling down when you yourself tumbled over a carelessly laid book on the floor which Diluc hadn't put in the proper place. The skritch skritch skritch all stops and the man sighed deeply, setting the pen down. His scarlet eyes slowly flicker over to you, who had frozen in place with the drink and food spilled. A shaky breath left your lips as you immediately went to clean up what you could, before you were stopped by a stern voice.

"(Y/N), get out. Do you ever do anything useful other than make a mess wherever you go?" he spoke slowly, and painfully. It hit your heart in a certain way that made a flame of fear flicker to life in your eyes, one that went unnoticed by Diluc. "I do everything I can to keep us stable," he went on, "and look at you here." You slowly rose to your feet, keeping your head bowed.

"M-My apologies, I'll get out," you muttered, bowing before you fled out the door and down the stairs. You quickly went to let a maid know about the mess you had made, which she sighed and went to go grab the cleaning supplies. Even the maids were fed up with you. Perhaps they all didn't think you were doing enough? 'Maybe.. if I could work as well, he would feel like I'm more committed to this relationship, and that I'm more dedicated to this whole.. thing....'

And soon you had made your own office in the mansion, throwing yourself into stacks and stacks of paperwork- all to help Diluc with everything he had to do. When he went to sleep, you would take stacks of his paperwork into your own office and work away, pulling multiple all-nighters in a row. Of course, he didn't know and didn't suspect anything of you. Though each day the circles under your eyes had gotten more prominent, enough to have him question if you were sleeping well- to which you lied straight through, saying that you were getting plenty of rest. He only nodded and returned back to his work.

And as for those stacks mysteriously disappearing, he simply believed that he was doing more than he had anticipated. He was still a bit caring towards you, even through the words he had said.. Which is because those words had flown over his head, yet still affecting him to be less caring around you. Heck, some may even say he started to care more for Kaeya than you. And when you heard of such comments in the city, it hurt you. So much, but not as much as those words he had spat out at you.

When Diluc hears of such, he's confused. What had changed? Well, sure enough the most obvious changes was the exhaustion dripping in your voice, less work, dark circles under your eyes, your well-being.. Wait. Almost all of those changes quite literally revolve around you. Then, it clicked in his head.

-

No matter how hard you tried to stop him, he always found a way to apologize to you. After what he said, he believed that you could never forgive him, and he believed that he didn't deserve to be forgiven. Diluc never even realized that you had been feeling like you weren't doing anything, and had made sure to free up some of his own space and plans to let you create some of your own. This way, it's a win-win- he has less to worry on his schedule and gets to spend time with you, while you get to feel like you're doing enough and get to be with him as well.

----

ALBEDO [Rain]

You creased your eyebrows, focusing on keeping the energy you were manipulating under control. Though, it suddenly started to rain, surprising you. It caused you to flinch, slightly loosing control of the energy and releasing it.

Boom!

"Ah, I did it again...," you sighed, a crestfallen look upon your face. "Just how many times have I failed?" Crossing your arms, you peer closer to the papers you had gathered around the room. They seemed to be Albedo's notes that he had accidentally left here, at the City of Mondstadt, instead of taking them with him to Dragonspine. A chuckle left your throat and you carefully grabbed the papers, placing them in a satchel before setting off for a waypoint. You encountered some fatui soldiers and heard a bit of their conversation, wanting to eavesdrop some more. Apparently there was something going on in Dragonspine..?

That meant Albedo.

Albedo was in Dragonspine.

And he has told you countless times that he was dangerous; yet you persisted and here you are.

Here you are, you, who stood behind Albedo with his notes in your hands. Sighing, you sat them on the wooden table and waddle over to him, hugging him from the back. He jolted from the sudden contact, unaware of your presence in the lab. The alchemist's first instincts were to grab his sword and press it to the stranger's throat, but stopped when his body automatically relaxed into the hold. "(Y-Y/N)..?" he exhaled out, preparing himself if it wasn't you.

"Yes, that's me," you smiled, resting your face in the crook of his neck. He could feel your warm breath against his coat, seeping through and onto his skin. "You forgot some of your notes at the store today."

"I-It was raining," he explained. "An odd occurrence in Mondstadt."

"You stuttered, 'bedo." You released him, twirling around only to stand right in front him. "You're lying."

"..I, uh.."

"More evidence," you sighed. "What is it this time?"

"..."

"Spill it."

"........I didn't come here to do alchemy," he hesitantly responded. A long silence followed, and Albedo winced before turning his head away. "Okay. I'll tell you what's going on from the start," the blonde muttered, drawing out two chars for the both of you to rest on. "Promise me you don't get the Traveler or anyone else involved."

"I promise," you sat down, nodding. "And take your time."

"I figured it'd be about time, anyways." His face twisted in comfortableness, topic still hitting him with nervous emotions. "I guess we could start with the 'rainfall' in Mondstadt."

"Go on," you said after he paused. "Or do you want my thoughts about it?"

"No, no. About the rainfall; it was real. I would consider it a bit rare. Something flashed in my mind during such weather however- I can't recall all of it, but it was me and you, standing.. at some building. You were under the shade, me outside in the rain.... lost in thought."

"That's rather interesting. You can't remember this building?"

"It's none of the architecture the Traveler had seen in [his/her] travels."

"..I see." The two of you sat there in silence, thinking more of this image that had been shown in Albedo's mind.

Albedo wandered out of the lab, eyes droopy and tired. All he wanted to do was to head home, to get away from this hell- but he couldn't, not with you here as well.

In this world, it was just one person conquering and ruling all the other. It didn't matter if you were a noble or a acquaintance or a relative of the ruler; you wouldn't get any power unless you were the ruler.

And unfortunately, the ruler had chosen you and Albedo to serve under him. This would mean endless labor, endless torture, endless pain, endless suffering, and the list goes on. Albedo didn't know you at that time- but all he knew was that he was going to be in for a lo~ng ride.

As the two of you bonded, the ruler noticed. However the ruler wasn't just a ruler. There were two rulers; the twin travelers. One, the sister, took you. The other, the brother, took Albedo.

It was a painful event. Even if you had threatened to murder citizens of the nation, the rulers did not care and separated the two of you.

To see each other would be a dream for the two of you. You longed for each other's presence, but the gap between never succumbed to the want. It was only one day when you two had unbeknownst to each other worked overtime when the rulers had already left.

The normal spot you waited at, you went to of course. Before you knew it, clouds immediately gathered over head and started harshly raining down on the entire building and world. This must be a doing of the rulers, right? Sighing, you wandered under the overhang nearby. The wind directed the rain towards you, causing you to inch back into the corner.

You gripped the strap of the satchel you always brought to work, looking around anxiously. You couldn't quite leave unless the rain lightened up, leading you to slide down against the wall and only hope that it lets up soon. Something from the corner of your vision catches your eye.

Albedo, the blonde you had loved for years while behind bars of work, trudged into view right around the corner. The falling droplets plastered against his hair, causing it to stick to his face. Everything was soaked and drenched, yet he did not seem to care. What was the world without you, anyways? He was being put through endless torture, so there wouldn't be a point anyways, if you had already given in. He couldn't even remember your voice anymore.

You glanced at him, letting out a confused hum. Why wasn't he running over and capturing you in a tight hug? Albedo only stood outside instead, head tilting upwards and watching the rain fall into puddles, creating ripples. "Hey," you called out, loud enough for him to hear. He doesn't respond, but you kept going. "Do you want to come in, under here? There's space."

"..I don't want to invade your personal space," he muttered, looking away. The Albedo you knew wasn't afraid of going past your boundaries; for he knew all of them. But here he was, worrying about your own bubble.

"Hm, you're right.. People wouldn't really like tight spaces with ones they don't know," you frowned, pausing. "But I wouldn't mind." And at that, his head lifts up to your face, water running down his face. You can't even tell if it's tears or just the rain, but he threw his bag to the side and ran straight into you with his arms open. There it was. The familiar feeling of physical contact. His hold tightened, and you huffed slightly in response before wrapping him in your embrace.

"Let's get out of this hell together, yeah? We'll be the new rulers and change the way this world functions."

"A..And then....," he whispered out, "we'll meet again in another world..? After we destroy this one.....?"

"Yeah."

The blonde's head snapped up to your worried face, a soft tone breaking him out of his mini world. "'Bedo? What happened? Oh my goodness, y-you're crying!" you gasped, grabbing a tissue from somewhere and gently drying his cheeks. "Oh no, love, please tell me what's wrong. Did you see something bad? Goodness, I should've been there to help you from the start..."

"No, I..," he took a deep breath. "It came back. The.. The scene that came during Mondstadt's rainy weather."

"Tell me all about it, I'm here for you."

Who knew that it happened before, and would happen again?

But this time, you lost him.

The image was altered.

The Travelers had been waiting all their life to cause mischief again.

And they wanted to recreate one of their biggest accomplishments;

starting with getting rid of the two of you.

----

ZHONGLI [Immortality prompt]

He folded his arms, frowning. He's met you before, he knows that you're immortal, but..

He didn't know how you were immortal. Zhongli pondered about this all day, all night, and it absolutely beat the utter crap out of him. He got sleepless nights, all worrying about how your presence would affect Teyvat.

But he did forget about one god he barely kept in contact with;

the god of death.

You laughed, flicking your head slightly backwards. "You, a god, can't stand me? A mere mortal?" you breathed out, laughs dying down. "Pathetic."

"You're quite an annoying mortal," he glared. "So what if you became immortal? Would you value your life more, or less?"

"Oh, being immortal just means- ooh, hold on a sec," a grin spread on your face, and you looked away. "I mean, being immortal would mean seeing loved ones pass away, right?"

"It's suffering; just like suffering from you," the god seethed through his teeth.

When Zhongli confronted you about how you became immortal, you merely shrugged and left with a few words. "The death god." He froze in place, hands going rigid as the tea cup shattered in his hand. You immediately whirled yourself back around, hurrying to his side and making sure none of the glass pieces jabbed through the fabric he wore. You carefully moved the pieces of the cup to the side into a small pile, worry etched all over your face. "Love, what happened?"

"D-Death.. god...," he breathed out, eyebrows pulling together. "What did he do!?" Oh. So that was it. He was worried.

"What did he do to me? It should be the other way around, since the god is always so calm and collected." You paused, frowning. "And he never makes anyone immortal. So why don't you ask him yourself, darling?" The male sighed.

"But I want to hear it from your perspective," Zhongli looked away, "His side may be different."

"Well of course it will!" you giggled, "But what's it to you? I don't quite want to sound rude, but..."

"We've.. had some complicated situations regarding each other in the past," the man muttered. "I wouldn't like to talk to him right now. I just.."

"Could you explain your situation to me, if possible?" A soft smile danced on your lips as you took a seat next to him, placing your hand on his arm. "It's alright if you don't want to." He sighed and nodded.

Once upon a time, there were three immortals- one will be known as Life, one will be known as Death, and one will be known as Geo. They had all been good friends, yet did not know that there would be others that would be brought into the world as well. Geo, he had been long too childish to think that their friendship would be ruined.

But; he was wrong.

The other ones came in. The other immortal children that were destined to grow into gods; just like the main trio. Though Life did not believe such. She had believed that it was only her, Death, and Geo that were to be turned into the archons that would rule over their world. However, when the rest of the immortal children were born, she lost it. She tried to murder them, only to be stopped by her twin- Death. The two argued, yet it was pointless- because they were all supposed to rule together.

Life desired power. Death wanted peace, and quiet. Geo; he hadn't wanted anything for a while. Though in the situation right now, he wanted no wars, no fights, no murder.. Just the silence and gentle rain. But not everything comes true, correct?

Death ended up murdering Life.

It was terrifying. How he ripped her head off of her body, anger fuming off of him. Life's body was practically.. stripped of it's meaning. It no longer had life. It belonged to Death. After all of the gruel anger, all that was left was a limp, headless body- the head that belonged to it held in a man's soft grip. While the second man only stares in shock, and in fear. For once, the man of solid rock, the man with an unbreakable shell, crumbles. He longed to get away, he wanted to run away. This wasn't the Death he knew. It disturbed him much too much, resulting in him to sprint away while the murderer reached out a hand, calling the other man's name frantically.

Death dropped the woman's head, running after Geo with tears streaming down his cheeks. He couldn't lose Geo either; he had already lost Life due to anger and impatience. Oh, how much he desired to bring her back.. but that wasn't his strength. His strength was an insta-kill. And he hated that; he saw no use for himself. All he saw in himself was blood, and murder. He was the one to bring death upon living beings, it was fate and destiny. It was not will.

Geo knew, yet he still ran away. Because he was afraid. He was afraid that he'd die too soon, well.. That was until he noticed a mortal presence in front of him. She was gorgeous. Gave him the scent of glaze lilies, gave him the presence of safety. Never had he felt it before, but time flew as they spent time together. In that time, another god of life was chosen. Death was no where to be found; he would always lurk in the shadows. The glaze lily lady had passed due to time, resulting in Geo to be heartbroken. She had given herself the name; "Guizhong". Her name meant "lord of dust", yet she was the one who was left in the dust. But, she was all shiny and new again when she met Geo- only to be dying before him.

Geo despised mortality for a while, until he met the next following Guizhong's. They were never the same, but had one thing in common- they all welcomed him with a gentle, safe sense. Then, centuries later, the war came.

Geo stood still, a Guizhong next to him while his companion Azhdaha on the opposite side. "You will die," he told the Guizhong. Yet she did not care. She was ready to fight, to fight for her beloved.

She died immediately.

Geo.. The god felt loneliness right when she died- whether she died far away, whether she died nearby, he could feel it. He then fought from then on with sorrow and rage buried deep inside, nearly losing his calm composure.

He had survived the archon war, becoming the Geo archon.

Yet, there were no more Guizhong's that appeared in his life. Instead, it was you.

But he knew that his long lost "friend" would target you next; for he always saw glimpses of Death when each Guizhong slowly passed away.

"Zhongli..," you frowned, "you're the man named Geo in the story, if I'm not wrong?"

"I am."

"Well; Death may have targeted me, but I think he knows that I'm really, really different from the Guizhong's you've met," you nodded. A smile graced your lips, "but I won't leave you now, since I pissed him off so much that he made me immortal! So I can exist just like you, to see loved ones pass."

"..?" The man raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Though the thing is I won't be suffering, since I'll be immortal with you! You're my beloved, and not anyone else," you giggled. "There's absolutely no way Death can make me suffer."

-

The death god stood outside of the door, a frown put upon his face. Why did he make that decision? Why did he kill his twin sister; only to find a fake in place of her? Why did he make Geo scared of him? Why did he have to become... the bad guy?

And why was he thinking about killing you?

Why did he want to make Geo suffer?

The death god sighed, turning around and hesitantly raising a hand to the wooden door. But he stopped, feeling the presence of the new Life behind him. "'Death came knocking at everyone's door on an eerie night...' That is what an old man said to me in a story before. Let them live happily for once," she whispered, a sly smile written on her face. "If you disagree...

How about we battle it out, hm? I bet your sister would do the same~ It may start another archon war, but who cares!"

----

SCARAMOUCHE [Overload]

"Scara..," you mumbled, opening his door, "..mouche...?" You sleepily rubbed your eyes, looking around his work room. "Scara?" you stated again, walking in. "You there?"

A frown is placed on your face, and you ran out of the room before running into a tall ginger. "M- Ah, hey Tartaglia," you coughed, taking a few steps back.

"You seem like you're in a hurry, comrade," he huffed, "what's up?"

"Can't find Balladeer," you simply answered, "Not in his room."

"Ahaha, funny. I haven't seen him around either!" Childe folded his arms, "I had to do something with him today, but he isn't in the HQ at all- Hey! (Y/N), where are you going!?"

"Out to find him instead of lazing around in the headquarters, unlike you!" you growled, running out to the massive double doors and pushing past. 'He's not in danger, right?' you huffed, sprinting down the ice cold path as your feet crunched in the snow. 'No, no.. He should still be around, right?' Climbing endless mountains that belonged to Snezhnaya, scaling mountains full of frost and cold all over, yet only to have a result of no Scaramouche. You wheezed out a breath, trying to take in a breath out in the cold, high pressure climate. You should probably get down. Scara wouldn't want for you to be up here in danger. 'But he's the one who's missing! This dumbass..' you scowled, slowly sliding down against the wall.

There were a couple quick sparks in the distance, but they were barely noticeable. You had caught them, squinting in their direction again- only to see more and more and more. 'Hey, I recognize those.. They're overload sparks.' A blank stare from you is simply directed towards the scene, images of fireworks lighting up your mind until it hits you. 'Wait that could be- That could be Scaramouche!' You gasped before loosing foot on the edge of the mountain, slipping down. Your fingers only scratched against the layer of ice covering the mountain, resulting in a shriek leaving your mouth.

Scaramouche's head weakly looks up at the shrill scream that came from the mountains.

You frantically tried to grab onto anything that would save you; but only failed in the process. Even the attempt to dig your heels into the ice didn't work; it was too cold and hard.

He pushed the pyro abyss mage away with a groan, rolling out of the way from one of its pyro attacks.

The ground grew closer, and you could see a ledge- but it seemed so far away. Reaching out, your hand grasped onto the edge of the stuck-out rock formation, a smile of relief evident on your face. But it immediately falls when your hand slips, plummeting to the depths of danger.

Shallow breaths left his soft lips as the abyss mage loomed over his limp, bleeding form on the ground. His eyes were dimmed, nearly brushing hands with Death himself.

Your eyes focused on the location where there were overload sparks a few seconds ago, squeezing them shut when you can feel the ground grow near-

And then you felt a pair of arms catch your falling form. The one who caught you grunted, toppling to the ground as well. You had fallen with such force it even brought your savior to the ground. A small gasp left your mouth and you immediately rolled off the stranger, wide eyed. The blonde seemed to be alright, just holding his arms in pain. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" you yelped. You gulped, looking in the direction of the nonexistent sparks. "I'm also very sorry that I need to leave you here, I, uh, really need to hurry to somewhere- p-Please take this in return! It should help you heal up pretty quickly." After carefully placing the items down next to him, you quickly flashed the male a sheepish smile before rushing off.

Why wasn't the abyss mage hurrying up? It was about 12 minutes by now, and it still hadn't made a move. That was, until a seemingly young blonde female had walked into view. He knew this lady. "Hand over the gnosis," she ordered, showing no signs of sympathy. The abyss mage's shield had disintegrated, and the defenseless monster bowed down towards her. Scaramouche's chest heaved, coughing up blood.

"N....N..o...," he squeezed out, bracing himself for whatever was to come. She looked down at him, a frown now plastered on her face.

"Get the gnosis from him," she stated before turning away. "I gave you a chance, didn't I?" The shield regenerated as the abyss mage stood up straight, slowly floating towards the male. It only gazes down on him, a small and barely audible chuckle leaving from behind its mask.

Thud thud thud.

The repeated footsteps were what only Scaramouche could hear, but he simply chose to ignore them. He was too focused on figuring out a way to escape this abyss mage and get back to the HQ. The footsteps only draw closer as the abyss mage lifts its wand, preparing a spell. After all, after his body had burned to ashes, all that would be left would be the gnosis, right? Countless raspy whispers of "no"s left his lips, eyes sparking up with a slight desperation.

Thud thud thud thud thud. ...

Lumine's head turned to the source of the sound, that had quieted down as she did so. She frowned, looking back away. And just as the abyss mage was about to bring its wand down, you lept from the ledge of a rock platform that had jotted out from the cliff. The young blonde didn't hear your incoming leap and stayed turned around, while the abyss mage was too focused on murdering the indigonette in front of it. Your endless training of silent combat and hunting had finally paid off, hadn't it?

Plunging downwards, your sword jabbed into the abyss mage's shield and cracked right through. It struck the abyss mage right from the top, eliciting a shriek of pain from the.. thing. It tumbled backwards, and the blonde immediately turned around with her sword at ready. You dashed forwards towards her, ducking under her slash and using your blade to strike at her arm.

"Disarm your enemy and make sure they cannot lift their weapons again. That gives you a large advantage, if they use a weapon. If not, and if they go by melee, disable their arms and legs. You can do this by damaging them enough or cracking the bones of those limbs."

Signora's words echoed around in your head as you disabled the woman in front of you from lifting her arms again. She huffed in disbelief, eyes fluttering closed and opened over again. How could this be? How could she be jumped by someone like you? How could she not notice that there would obviously be an interference? You stood there and watched carefully, narrowing your eyes when you saw her straighten up.

Lumine laughs bitterly, and the next few words come into your mind.

"If they ever act like they're going insane, they're probably just faking it to make you get off-guard. If you haven't already, disable their legs. Then, corner them- If you're saving someone, be sure to keep them far away."

You ran forwards as she slowly backed away, sword right by your side and in position as Signora had taught you. Instead of attacking the upper area that she had thought you would, you dove down and starting cutting away at the flesh. She whimpered, struggling to get away but then staggered over her own feet. The blond gasped and cushioned her fall with her arms, and her gaze immediately lifted up to yours. A cold, bitter expression was plastered over it, and you only left her alone for a bit to set Scaramouche to the side. Right after, you slowly turned around before suddenly darting in her direction.

She shrieked, and the abyss mage also shrieked as well. It made a threatening motion towards Scaramouche, and you immediately threw your sword at it, making it fly much to fast to deflect. It stabbed the mage right in between the two eye holds in the mask, resulting in the monster to crumple to the ground and drift off into little blue and black particles. In the meantime, however, you proceeded to run towards the blonde who stared in horror. Your fists were balled and you only ran faster and faster every moment. But then, you stopped.

'Hey, this one kinda looks like a twin of.. that man that saved me's twin,' you frowned. "Hey," you spoke up, poison dripping off your voice. "Do you have a twin?" When she didn't respond, you raised a fist with a.. smile....

"I-I do..!" she immediately forced out, trying to back away.

"He's searching for you, isn't he?" you raised an eyebrow. You had learned this all from Scaramouche and Childe. They wouldn't lie to you.

"..He is..." She drifts off.

"He's trying so hard to reunite with you. Why won't you go to him instead?" you seethed through your teeth. "That's it; you're messed up. I'll spare you just this once, try hurting him again and I'll have your head." You watched her scramble away with a limp, a satisfied smile on your face. May Signora stay remembered in your soul forever. You turned back towards Scaramouche, rushing over to him and noticing the endless marks of overload tainting his flawless skin. 'So that was what the sparks were..' You observed the man's face, who had passed out right after you had arrived in the scene just in time to stop it all.

"Scaramouche?" you called, worry lacing your tone. "You alright?" When you got no response, you sighed before going to retrieve your sword. You grabbed the handle and stored it, golden particles littering the air. You then returned to the passed-out indigonette, carefully picking him up and looking around for a waypoint. Strangely enough, there was a portable waypoint.

-

You stumbled forwards, grip tightening on the harbinger. You had to find help fast. A long trip down the suffocating, empty hallways would take you to Childe; but what was closer was your own room. No, you couldn't take care of both you and Scaramouche, you'd pass out during it. A small headache begins to form, and you slowly trudge down the hallway to find the ginger.

Each step you took, your mind got foggier. Alas, you reached his door- a last attempt of asking for help. You squinted, realizing that your hands were full. And so, you hit your head on the door a couple times before staggering back, the world spinning all around you before the last thing you see is the ground that nears.

-

Tartaglia's breath hitched at the sight of the two fatui members, immediately bringing the two in. But when he saw Balladeer's state, he was shocked- what would be so powerful that he would be damaged this bad? Then, the gnosis slips out of the indigonette's hand. Tartaglia's eyes widened as he quickly took the gnosis into his own inventory wordlessly.

Balladeer would need to explain a lot.

And he should be worrying about you, as much as that explanation.

Because you were knocked out for longer than the overloaded man had been.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading! <3

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

How the two of you meet is purely by chance. You were helping out around Wangshu Inn since the owner, Verr Goldet, had helped you out in the past.

Seeing how the stars were out, you had decided to go up to the roof to take a brief break.

Xiao is on his way to wage the wars like he always does when he stops in surprise. It’s quiet. Around this time of night, it’s usually quiet, but this time even the voices inside his head seem to have quelled. Brows crinkling in confusion, he doubles back, and that’s when he sees you.

You’re leaning against the railing, enjoying the gentle evening breeze.

“Who are you? Why are you here?” A curt voice has your eyes snapping open in an instant.

Whirling around, you come face to face with a pair of amber eyes, glowing even in the dark. Verr Goldet had mentioned of him, the adeptus who leaves in the middle of the night to fight unimaginable battles. Xiao, the vigilant yaksha.

“Adeptus Xiao,” you bow in apology, “I’m sorry to have disturbed you.”

Xiao steps out from the shadows, lithe like a panther, and just as silent. “You know of me,” the scowl on his face is severe. You nod, “Then you should know not to hang around me. Leave. Now.”

“Wait-” But before you can plead your case, Xiao is already gone.

“You’ve already met Xiao?” Surprise crosses Verr Goldet’s face when you inquire about Xiao the next day, “That’s not bad. It’s not often he’s in a good enough mood to agree to see people.” She laughs softly, “But you mustn’t be too disheartened. Slaughtering the souls of so many spirits has racked up enormous amounts of karmic debt for the poor fellow. It’s not his fault he’s usually so brusque. He’s in an immense amount of pain.”

Your heart squeezes in sympathy at her words. The idea of anyone being in pain for thousands of years is not particularly appealing to you. “Is there any way to relieve that pain?”

Verr Goldet shakes her head sadly, “Human medication doesn’t work on the adepti. However, he might be in a better mood if you give him a bowl of almond tofu. It is one of the few human foods that Xiao likes.”

And so, with great care, you make a bowl of the silkiest almond tofu, and carry it up the stairs.

“Xiao? Adeptus Xiao?” You call it out softly. It’s only a matter of seconds before the leaves of the potted plant rustle next to you.

“You’re back,” displeasure is evident in the catlike eyes. Xiao glares at you. “I told you, mortal souls are not as robust as those of adepti, nor can your blood carry this level of adeptal energy.”

“Ah, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” you offer the bowl sheepishly, and notice the way Xiao’s nostrils flare. “I just made some almond tofu and was wondering if you’d like some?”

A muscle in his jaw twitches, “Are you trying to bribe me, mortal?”

Panic crosses your face, and for some reason, Xiao finds the action almost amusing. He presses his lips together. “No! It’s nothing like that! I just heard this is your favorite and I wanted to make it for you as an apology for disturbing you last night!” The explanation is rushed, words tumbling over one another.

Xiao crosses his arms, “Fine, I accept your offering and in return, I’m willing to protect you. But don’t think about getting close, and stay out of my way, or all that awaits you is regret.”

He leaves you that night with these words, an oath.

If you cannot bring yourself to kill – speak my name If you awake to a knife at your throat If monsters dig their claws into you If death comes knocking at your door Call my name, Adeptus Xiao I’ll be here when you call

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

Ever since that fateful night, the two of you do end up getting close, much to Xiao’s chagrin. You were curious to know about him, and keen to find a way to alleviate his pain. And for Xiao… Every time you came into his vicinity, the screams of agony would mysteriously quieten. He couldn’t understand it, nor could he figure out the mechanics. But he could not bring himself to part with you either. The silence was addictive, calming. And unknowingly, he begins to enjoy the moments that he spends with you, with your incessant chattering that should be an annoyance to him. Xiao would never admit it, but the sound of your voice soothes him, just like how the sound of the Dihua flute did many centuries ago.

The few people that Xiao had unwillingly let into his life began to notice these changes about him. Whenever Xiao was with you, or had just spent time with you, while still reserved, he appeared much more relaxed. They deduced that it was all due to you. Whatever your methods were, they were not interested. They were simply happy to see the adeptus no longer in pain.

Without voices screaming in constant pain inside his head, Xiao became less terse. But if you or anyone mention any of these changes, Xiao would instantly revert to the Xiao of before. So people would take great care in not teasing the adeptus, lest he unleashes his anger once again.

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

“Are you really not going to see the lanterns?” You trail helplessly behind Xiao as he makes his way up to Wangshu Inn’s balcony.

“No,” his answer is clipped, “I am not partial to crowded areas. Especially at this time of the year.”

“But…the people of Liyue are celebrating the adepti for saving their city. You’re one of the heroes,” you try to argue.

Xiao scoffs, annoyance thick in his voice, “The Lantern Rite is nothing but a time for humans to discard their glowing trash into the sea. I’d rather not witness it.”

You worry your bottom lip between your teeth, “What if…I want to go with you?” the confession is hushed as you flush.

There is a silence that follows after your words. Xiao finally stops to look at you, “Why would you want me there? I’m…nothing like those people. Too long have I spent slaughtering, accompanied by the burden of suffering that follows in its wake. Crossing paths with all those jubilant people will only make me…” He trails off, lips thinning when he realizes what he said. Xiao jerks his gaze away.

“…Xiao…” your voice is sad, and he immediately bristles.

“Don’t you dare pity me,” Xiao scowls.

You raise your hands in defeat, sighing. “Then can you at least keep me company on the way to Liyue?”

He eyes you suspiciously, and when he deems you honest, he nods. “Fine, but only to the city. That’s it.”

True to his word, Xiao wordlessly escorts you to the outskirts of the harbor, before leaving you with a gruff “Stay vigilant.”

Unbeknownst to you, after he sees you off, Xiao retreats to a distant hill. There, he sits with a weary sigh as he watches over the city.

Humans were such silly creatures, believing that writing down words on pieces of wood would make their dreams come true. Xiao could not fathom the way mortal minds worked. It’s tradition, he supposes. Humans like tradition.

With another sigh, he begins to wait for the sky to darken. Because come every Lantern Rite, there is always an abundance of evil spirits taking advantage of the joyous occasion to wreak havoc. And like always, it is up to Xiao to vanquish them.

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

“Hello old friend, this is a pleasant surprise,” a deep voice sounds behind him and Xiao stands up respectfully.

“Sir…” he greets the former Archon.

Zhongli waves a hand, “It’s nice to see you at the Lantern Rite Festival, however…it seems as though the young lady isn’t with you.”

The casual mention of your name causes Xiao to flush, and he makes to leave, a puff of annoyance escaping his mouth, “I only made sure she arrived in the city safely.” He squirms under Zhongli’s knowing gaze.

“Hold on,” the simple command bides Xiao pause, amber eyes widening slightly in question. The elegantly-clad man smiles, “It has been a while, surely you can spare me a bit of your time. Come, let us chat,” he invites warmly as he casts an arm over the city. Bright spots of orange begin to glimmer in the sky like fireflies in the night. The people of Liyue are beginning to set off their lanterns and it won’t be too long before the indigo sky will be lit ablaze. Quietly, Xiao waits patiently for Zhongli to speak.

Brief moments of peaceful silence passes while the God of Contracts observes the flowing, golden river of lanterns. “How long has it been since we’ve known each other?” He finally asks, eyes still trained on the very city he had built from nothing.

“A very long time,” Xiao responds with a soft sigh before begrudgingly crossing the short distance between them to stand by Zhongli’s side.

There is a rueful smile at Xiao’s answer. “Indeed. Over these prolonged years, you, my dear friend, have experienced much agony, caused by my own hand. That is one of my greatest regrets to date.”

Xiao frowns, “But I don’t mind it. You saved my life.”

“Ah,” the Geo Archon nods, “You and I have a contract, which you have performed your part outstandingly. But it appears that you have received the short end of the stick. Which is why, dear friend, I think our contract will come to an end.”

“Sir-”

“You have fulfilled your end of the contract, Xiao,” Zhongli cuts off Xiao’s protest, “Exceedingly well beyond my very expectations. It is time for this contract to end, and time for you to discover how to live for yourself instead of following the orders of others.”

A pregnant pause holds over the two men as Xiao processes Zhongli’s words. “And what about the people of Liyue?” He asks finally, “What will happen to them now that I will no longer be vanquishing all these evil spirits?”

There is a satisfied smile which spreads over Zhongli’s face, almost as if he had been expecting Xiao’s question. “Mortals are stronger than you have previously believed them to be,” he says, “They can withstand great calamities.”

“Mere mortals cannot defeat gods,” Xiao scoffs brusquely, “They are weak.”

“Weak compared to you and I, perhaps,” Zhongli nods, “But no matter the occasion, they are resilient creatures. If they get knocked down, they will stand back up, always ready to take on any hardships that come their way. Look at the aftermath of Osial. Tell me, does this appear to you, a city that has given up?” He gestures at the lively harbor, sounds of celebration can be heard even from where they are. There are delicious scents that permeate the air and Xiao could see the people of Liyue laughing as they enjoy their festivities. Merriment envelopes the city. The majority of the lanterns had been set off, bathing the night sky in a golden glow, which rivals that of the stars. “Have a look at this,” the god stretches out an arm, and miraculously, a paper lantern floats gently into his waiting hand. “Humans place their dreams on such a tiny thing,” he takes out the wooden slip hanging inside the lantern, “This mere piece of wood holds the wish of one such individual willing to believe. That is rather admirable, I say.”

“It’s pathetic,” Xiao scowls, face scrunching in distaste, “This wood cannot protect them in times of danger. It cannot grant them great wealth or longevity, nor can it give them happiness.”

Zhongli smiles knowingly as he agrees, “Of course, but they are willing to believe that it could. Such optimism is commendable, no? What’s wrong with the humans wishing on a piece of wood? It causes no harm, yet it is something that gives them hope. Something to live for. Even if this world does come to ruins, would it not be better having hope by your side?”

How you love the things I hate about myself That no one knows, but with you, I see hope again

Xiao is silent, but even he is unable to block the thought of you from his mind. You believed in these things, you believed that wishing on pieces of wood would grant your wishes. You were lively and full of hope, something Xiao could never imagine. You were the only one willing to disregard all the warnings he had given you, and somehow, whatever magic you possessed, had rid Xiao of the agony that raged relentlessly inside his head. And you were human, just like all of the people in the harbor that he can see right from where he is standing.

“Everyone deserves happiness,” the Geo God speaks up softly, “Including you, Xiao. Everyone deserves to have hope, to know what is it that keeps them going. Learn from the mistakes I have made. A world that you have fought hard to keep safe, but without the person who matters most in that world… Is that such a world worth living in?” He hands Xiao the wooden slip he had taken from the lantern. Xiao turns it over in his hand wordlessly to look at the wish that whoever it was had written.

I wish for Xiao to be happy

And darling, this is more than anything I felt before You're everything that I want, but I didn't think I'd find

All the air leaves Xiao’s chest as he stares down at the wish, at your wish. The handwriting is obviously yours; Xiao had seen it plenty of times when you would leave notes for him. He’d memorized every swoop, every line, every curl.

“Wh-what is this?” Xiao’s voice is shaky, and he swallows hard. There is a foreign feeling stuck in his throat, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remove it.

The former Archon turns to face him finally, “Go on, dear friend, find your happiness. Find your hope. Find something in this world worth living for. The light of these lanterns is supposed to bring the protectors of Liyue home, and so I hope it can do something for you as well. You have been in this world for so long, and yet all you have experienced is pain and suffering. It’s time to be free. You’re living, but are you truly alive?” The question makes Xiao pause, but the god continues. “From this day forward, I, Morax, declare the end of our long-held contract, due to both parties fulfilling all the stipulations. I’m setting you free, dear friend. You’re free. I sincerely hope that you can live for yourself from now on. You no longer have to complete the arduous task of vanquishing demons. Unfortunately, I cannot do anything about your karmic debt, but…” There is a pleased upturn of Zhongli’s mouth, “It appears that you have already found something to cure your ailments.”

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

You’re wandering the streets of Liyue, tasting all the delicacies being offered from the various food stalls. A smile dances absentmindedly on your face as you savor the festivities, but somehow you couldn’t bring yourself to enjoy everything wholeheartedly. There is a forlorn sigh as you perch on the edge of an empty boat, face turned upward to watch the lanterns float away. If only Xiao was here…

Immediately you berate yourself, knowing full well that the amber-eyed adeptus hated crowds. You sigh dejectedly again, dangling your legs underneath you as you take out the second wooden slip. Staring at it sadly, another sigh escapes you, knowing that Xiao didn’t believe in wishes. But you couldn’t entirely quash the longing feeling. It would’ve been wonderful to set off lanterns together with Xiao.

“Why would you waste a wish on me?” A gruff voice suddenly sounds behind you, and you easily startle. There is a resigned sigh before a hand grasps your arm. It pulls you up. You straighten to face the disgruntled man, but his previous words does not go unnoticed by you.

You’re unable to stop the grin from spreading across your face. “Waste a wish?” You repeat, taking great delight in the way Xiao averts his eyes. “It’s only wasted if it doesn’t work. And it’s wasted if it doesn’t hold any value. So you do believe in wishes then!” The glee in your voice is unmistakable.

Why do I get so nervous when I look into your eyes? And butterflies can't stop me falling for you

Xiao coughs, and you quickly note how the tips of his ears flush pink. “Pesky mortal,” he grumbles. There is a flick of his wrist and the wish you had sent up to the heavens earlier lands in your hand. “You’re supposed to wish for something for yourself. Is that not the tradition?”

“The wish is for myself,” you say defensively, fingers wrapping around the wood with care. Golden pupils narrow at you, but you continue. “You’re important to me, and therefore, this wish is completely and selfishly, for me and myself only.”

“You really-” Xiao cuts himself off. His arms cross and he aims a glare at the spot behind your shoulder. “Pathetic…” the usual comment is half-hearted.

His actions seem uncharacteristically tense. It makes you eye him curiously, “Is something the matter? I thought you said you wouldn’t come no matter what.”

Lips flatten in disapproval before Xiao sighs in defeat, “The contract…has ended…” The words are mumbled out, but you hear him clearly.

“Does that mean you no longer have to fight the evil spirits?” Surprise floods your voice, and Xiao jerks his neck stiffly, akin to a curt nod. “But what about…the karmic debt?”

“Well…” Xiao begins. He straightens and you swear that you can see something fierce shining within his amber pupils. “I think…I found a cure.”

“That’s…that’s great! What is the cure?” Xiao’s chest tightens at the genuine happiness in your voice and a ghost of Zhongli’s words whispers in his head. Find something in this world worth living for.

And he knew you were that something. That someone. The person who makes life worth living.

“You”

Someone who is worth the wait of all the years of my heartbreak But I know now I found the one I love

Your head tilts in confusion.

“I’m only going to say this once, so listen close,” Xiao’s low voice cuts you off before you can ask. With wide eyes, you nod and Xiao swallows. “I’ve lived…for thousands of years and battled countless monsters and demons. The karmic debt that has accumulated was my burden alone to carry. The first time I ever felt relief was centuries ago. The second time…was when I met you…”

His confession is startling, and it renders you mute. Me?

“I don’t know how you came to possess such powers…but every time I am with you, you somehow manage to remove all traces of pain. I tried to steer clear of you because I didn’t want my karmic debt to affect you, and yet, it seems it has no effect. So…I want to…know more about you. I want to get close to you. Because it seems that you…are my cure.”

“Xiao…” you whisper, feeling tears spring to your eyes, and you wipe at them hastily out of habit lest Xiao makes a remark about mortals being weak. However, he doesn’t and is content to gaze at you. The flush on his ears has traveled to his cheeks, but his amber eyes blaze with a fervor that you have never seen.

“In addition to knowing more about you, I would also like to learn about the humans, about life. Will you…be willing to teach me those things? In return…I will…stay by your side.” I will protect this mortal and slay any monsters that come her way, Xiao vows silently.

“Okay,” you nod as you sniffle. Xiao breathes a silent sigh of relief at your answer. “I’d like that.” You break out in a shaky grin. “We can start with this,” with that, you retrieve the wooden plaque that you had bought earlier. “Why don’t you make a wish? We can send it off together.” Xiao takes the blank wood from you hesitantly. “What do you want, Xiao? Whatever you want, that will be your wish.” You help him out.

I wish for her to be happy, healthy, and safe

The words form instantaneously in his mind at your question. Silently, he writes the words down on the wood and hands it back to you with it facedown. He watches as you light a candle with care before setting it gently in a metal cradle at the base of the lantern. A smile dances unconsciously across your lips, and you hang both wooden wishes inside the lantern. His and yours.

“Ready?” You ask, your face bathed in a golden glow. Xiao nods. His hand comes to cradle yours. The two of you watch as the lantern floats away from your hands.

Humans are silly creatures, Xiao supposes, but there is a certain kind of beauty attached to the image of the little lantern floating against the darkened sky.

A being such as Xiao, might be weary of a world that he had spent thousands of years slaying demons. But such weariness no longer exists for Xiao.

Because this world has you

Come close, let me be home I know it's worth it

Fin.

A/N II: Now I know what most of you are thinking. And it's probably along the lines of "Wow, Ela has been writing so much fluff lately, is she okay, whatever happened to angst, blah blah blah." I get it, I'm confused myself as well. Anyways, more fluff is coming and then I'll be unleashing my angst series *evil laugh* so enjoy this while it lasts. Also, Happy New Year! Thank you guys so much for all the love and support I have received this year. I honestly cannot thank you guys enough. Just know I love and appreciate every one of you ♡

TAGGING: @urujiako, @aph-disabledmusician

If you would like to be on the taglist for my future works, please send an ask or message my way! 💖

He wondered at their perception of him. He never tried to hide his personality or put on a mask for others, but his talkative and friendly nature during the day must seem strange juxtaposed with the contemplative silence he fell into at these hours. Did they see him as a fellow crewmate with his own past and personality? Or as a samurai from a distant land? Did they fear his abilities with nature as others he had encountered did? Did they consider him Beidou’s, if not theirs? Most likely, it was some combination of them all.

He did not begrudge them their feelings, whatever they were. Kaedehara Kazuha, having escaped the mantle of his ancestry, lived only for himself--though not in a selfish or conceited way. That is to say, he lived to experience and savored each one, treasuring them not for their potential to be a memory but for their inherent worth of being. Whether remembered or not, whether happy or sad, whether as tumultuous as the storms of Seirai or as calm as Watatsumi’s spirit pool, Kazuha strove to appreciate each one all the more for their impermanence.

Well mostly, anyway. A vision of bright eyes and a soft smile accompanied him the rest of the way to the top of the mast. As he sat beneath the sky, constant despite its many faces, he found himself praying for more. Praying for the guarantee of eternity with you.

To be truthful, he did not wander out so early to experience or to attempt poetry with quiet moments. He came to reconcile two conflicting parts of himself.

He knew according to his own philosophy that he should simply appreciate your presence. Wherever your paths may lead after this period, he should let each decision come naturally and be resolved without regret. There was worth in individuality, in the nature of a person. He, a wandering samurai whose only ambition was freedom and you, a sailor aboard the Alcor with your own past and your own dreams. Though fate bound all who meet in this life, neither of you had any special obligation toward the other. When one of you disembarked for the last time, there would be no continuation. Naturally. It was right, that transience. Sakura trees only bloom for a season.

The other part of him--the part that governed his rare indulgence in wine and preserved the red maple leaves of his homeland, the part that dreaded the farewells they seemed to bring--wished that every moment henceforth would be colored by your presence. He wanted to experience all the facets of you, in shining, smooth brilliance or dulled rough edges and he wanted to do it again and again and again regardless of novelty or repetition or obsession or the very limits that freedom required.

Kaedehara Kazuha wanted, in whatever capacity, and he didn’t know what to do with it. Hence the solitude.

Kazuha stared up at the stars and found a small comfort in their familiarity. He did not know the name of each one, but he knew their shapes, their patterns, their star-sounds.

He was not a stranger to self-reflection. He had long ago decided who he was and what he stood for. Never once had he deviated from his ideals. He was a member of the Crux Fleet. He stayed aboard not to repay Beidou and Gorou but to fight with them against the oppression of the Raiden Shogun. Her ways demanded a cession of ambition, the fuel to human progress. For Kazuha to exist in harmony with it is impossible.

How, then, could he exist in harmony with himself?

He breathed in and allowed the briny sea wind rush into him until his lungs could hold no more. It roiled inside of him, churned like the stormclounds that encased his homeland. He held it in like that, contained as he could not contain the real thing. The clouds sparked in anger as his lungs began to burn, so he let out the breath, controlling it bit by precious bit.

Somehow, that internal storm calmed him.

The unique sound of your footsteps on the deck reached him, and he blinked. The sky had only just begun to lighten. He looked down as you stopped below the mast, a shadow on the wooden deck. Honestly, he couldn’t claim to be upset at the interruption.

Without hesitation, you tilted your head up and called to him, “Kazuha! You aren’t going to leave me alone down here, are you? Come and join me!” With a smirk and a shake of his head he began his descent down the ropes. You were an absolute delight. He couldn’t trade you for the world.

As he dropped onto the deck, you greeted him with a hug and a peck on the cheek, to the laugh of another crewmate. Kazuha hummed and commented, “You’re up quite early today.”

“I left for bed just a bit after you did. I wanted to meet you alone this morning.” You waved to the men on duty. “Well, as alone as possible! Come on.”

With that, you took his hand and led him to the Alcor’s helm. You looked up at the dragon figurehead. “Boost me up?”

“Always, my love,” he teased and clasped his hands together, forming a step for your foot. You held his hand as he boosted you to the top of the dragon’s head. You perched on one of the horns and watched him use his vision to jump up next to you.

You dipped your head to him, a smirk playing about your lips. “Thank you my dear knight. Your services are always invaluable.”

He took your hand in both of his and caught your twinkling eyes. Your small movements stilled, and he drowned in your swirling depths. “Only for you,” he breathed.

He was frozen, trapped in this moment with you, and he never wanted it to end. The chill of the air turned to warmth in your presence, and his worries melted with it. The fading stars winked above him, but he couldn’t see them, not with such an entrancing sight before him. There was little point in resisting it. The very moon could disappear from the sky, the stars could fall, the deck crumble beneath him and he wouldn’t know, wouldn’t care except for your safety.

That thought snapped him out of it, and he looked away. Dangerous. This was dangerous. “Why are you here?” It came out… colder than he intended.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw you frown. “Are you alright?” He sighed; you sounded concerned.

“I apologize. My tone got away from me.” Was he alright? He didn’t know. His fear and confusion flooded back into him, the illusion broken. He should have been able to cope with the timer hanging above them, but even the thought of it made his heart beat hard and fast. Change was his element as much as the wind itself, so why couldn’t he take this change in stride? It hadn’t even happened yet.

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder. “This isn’t just a bout of melancholy. What’s wrong?”

He shook his head and squeezed your hand. “Nothing. Everything is as it should be. Waves meet the shore and recede, the maple leaves only stay for a season, and people are in a constant state of change. It is I who has forgotten how to change with it.” He smiled bitterly.

You pulled his head down to rest on your shoulder and smoothed his bangs away from his eyes. “That sounds almost as beautiful as your poetry.”

He was grateful for the change in subject, and led you down it further. “You love it more than it deserves. I am a mediocre poet.”

“But you are my poet, my love. Come, give me a poem to help me understand.”

He sat up in confusion. “What?”

“You are at your most expressive when you recite poetry, and I like yours the best. Please, help me understand what’s wrong.”

Ah. Not distracted after all. He should have known better. Once you had found a cause to pursue, you did not easily give it up. “Only for you,” he repeated. “Let me have a few minutes to think.”

“Take all the time you need. The sun will not rise for a while. I’ll hold you in the meantime.” And you did. Once again, you pulled him down and held his head against you. Like that, you breathed together for several minutes, your warm air ghosting across his hair.

Finally, Kazuha spoke.

“Maple leaves to fall

The deck bids our cage farewell

Temporary joy.”

It wasn’t perfect, but you never cared about that. The two of you sat in silence as you turned the words over in your mind. You liked to do that, to puzzle out his meaning slowly and carefully as if savoring a new dish. He could see you sifting through them then, a considering shadow over your face.

Finally, you brightened and tapped his forehead, making him blink. “You love red maple leaves, but you said that they don’t stay all year. There is temporary joy in that, but also in our time aboard the Alcor? The only thing I can’t quite get is that bit about the cage. It’s ours, meaning the two of us, I assume, but it can’t be the ship itself because that’s what’s bidding it farewell… Can I get some help, love?”

Childishly, he could find very little urge to provide that help. Surely, having seen so much of him already, you could discover the rest? Quietly, “The cage is us. This relationship we have.” Help, not the solution.

Of course that was more than enough information for you to figure the rest of it out. You nodded a few times before sitting him up and turning to face him fully. Ah, those eyes. He would really drown in those eyes.

“Kazuha, do I limit your freedom?”

The question took him aback, but he’d lost enough arguments with you to know this was a roundabout strategy you used to prove your point. He had no option but to answer you honestly. Still, it was not a simple question. Hesitantly, he said, “I do not believe so. When you are around me, the concept of freedom hardly matters.”

You hummed. “And yet, that is the code you live by.”

He closed his eyes. He had spent weeks considering that very thing, but hearing the calm statement pulled on the splinter dividing his heart. It hurt less undisturbed. “It is. But…” He hesitated. “It is not my freedom I am endangering.”

“Hm. Let me ask one more question then.” You waited for his confirmation, so he nodded.

“What is my greatest wish?”

His brow furrowed in thought. He… did not know. You must have told him, but he could only remember speaking about his own simple hopes--or part of them at least. To roam the world and experience all it has to offer (with you). To see Inazuma (and you) at peace once more. To protect the freedom of others (and bind you to him). What narcissism.

You interrupted his thoughts with a laugh. “Don’t look so glum! That was a trick question. I never told you any real plans for the future. I know I have a bad habit of going on and on about silly things.” You tilted your head up to the graying sky. “I actually came out here this morning to finally tell you.” You laughed softly. “I, uh, also made a poem. Please listen to it. I didn’t want to compete with your poetry, so it’s in a Fontaine style. I believe they call it cinquain, if I’m saying that right. Anyway, it's 2-4-6-8-2. Yeah.”

You sounded more than a little nervous, but you cleared your throat and recited,

“For you

I will traverse

Muddied paths, stormy plains

As long as I am yours and we

Are one.”

Kazuha blinked, stunned at the message. “That… is not very figurative.”

A sheepish look crossed your face. “Ah, no not really. It’s only my first! Besides, I didn’t want you to misunderstand.”

Well. He had already come to a conclusion, but surely you wouldn’t have… but you told him every day how much you loved him, and you had just stated, very clearly, that you were willing to share a future with him! He stared at you. “Did you… just propose to me with your poetry?”

Your face turned beet red, and you stared out at the ocean, mumbling something he couldn’t make out.

He couldn’t keep the smile from his voice, “What was that my love?”

You turned fiery eyes on him. “Yes. No! Not to be married, necessarily, I mean now that you mention it that would be nice and I guess it’s not that different from my idea? Oh, stop looking at me like that!” You buried your head in his shoulder.

Honestly, it was difficult to process. Never had he dared to hope for more than you had already given him. He would not burden you with a wish you had no reason to grant, so he had let it sit in his chest and hoped it would be weathered by exposure to his internal storms.

Your warm breath on his neck grounded him, well and fully, and he couldn’t help but laugh. To think it had always been within his grasp. “Well, my love, would you mind sharing that idea?”

You turned your head and quietly spoke, “I just want to be with you. When this mess in Inazuma is sorted out and we leave the Alcor, I don’t want to have to leave you too. We could travel like you used to do or settle down in the freezing wastelands of Snezhnaya. Honestly I don’t care at all.”

Each word resonated in Kazuha’s soul, and he realized that his sentiments were much the same. It was like a fog had dispersed from a pathway he hadn’t known existed. He tried to gather his thoughts. “I think… I think freedom is embracing your dreams, whatever they may be. Forcing myself to part from you when we both wish to be together would be binding myself to the role of the solitary wanderer when there is something I want more. To marry you.”

“With how you keep mentioning it, should I go wake the captain up now and get it over with?” you laughed.

He blushed but retaliated, “If you so wish.”

“You!” You pushed him hard, and he felt a brief moment of exhilarating panic when he realized he wouldn’t be able to catch himself before you grabbed him by his scarf and yanked him back. You pitched your voice low and whispered in his ear, “Maybe I should wait a couple of weeks, keep you on your toes.”

He could tell you were holding back a smile, but your tone made him pause all the same. Still, he smirked and shot back in a similar tone, “So that’s a yes then, my love?”

You tried to glare at him, but after a moment the two of you started laughing and broke the tension. You were grinning when you replied, “Yes that’s a yes! My knight has grown bold to even think I would refuse his offer of marriage!”

“Oh my offer! I do not believe it was I who declared my undying love in so romantic a form as verse.”

“Undying! Impressive word choice from a man about to meet his maker at the end of my sword,” you threatened.

He dodged a smack aimed at his head and teased, “So you admit you proposed first?”

“Against all intent perhaps!”

“You wound me, my love.”

Kazuha bantered back and forth with you. He was genuinely himself around everyone, but with you he was freer. He allowed himself to make mistakes and express his thoughts, even the strangest ones, because he knew you were there for him. At the feeling of warmth on your backs, the two of you turned to admire the rising sun and savor the last few minutes of solitude.

“Hey Kazuha?” Your head was laying on his arm which cradled your shoulders.

“Yes?”

“I love you,” you whispered, face bathed in the morning light.

It was sightseeing. He had off today, as he decided this morning, and he dragged you along to Watatsumi Island to see the supposedly beautiful sights. You'd barely gone out of Ritou and Inazuma City throughout the course of the war, and while the war was over, there were still many tensions between the two sides.

He had come across the topic while trying to dig up certain information for a case, and he definitely got sidetracked on this island.

"Hnggggg, let's go there, I promise it'll be worth," he whined. "Come on, yer not gonna regret it, I promise ya..."

You sighed. You still had work to do, but it wasn't like there was a big rush to do it... perhaps you would go. It was always too easy for him to do this- not that you really minded, though.

"Okay, fine, give me a moment to get ready."

"Yay!" he cheered, putting his hands up ever so adorably.

The two of you took your time getting to the boat, not ever rushing your steps. He surely skipped and jumped and tried to walk backwards, sometimes trying to balance a pen while he was at it, but it certainly wasn't rushed at all. It was simply energetic- and it really did spread.

By the time you got on the boat that Heizou pouted for and eventually got after a good 5 minutes of annoying Kama, the sky had completely cleared up. The two of you let out a "YAY!" and told Kama to get on going. Of course, you two were going to pay him handsomely later when he came to get you two tonight. The Tenryou Commission paid the two of you quite handsomely, surprisingly. Well, good jobs have good pay.

The boat ride was a mess, as per usual. Running your hands through the water? Check. Standing up on the boat? Check. Yelling random things out to sea? Check. Heizou simply was contagious- though Kama was thoroughly unamused.

When you arrived, it was truly a sight to behold.

"Oh? Da grass... ITS PURPLE!" Heizou said, as soon as you arrived on the island. It... was actually purple. There was no place like this in Inazuma- probably Teyvat too, and it was breathtaking. There were absolutely no regrets going there.

Heizou was absolutely fascinated; there was nothing like this elsewhere, and this could possibly be part of a case he could solve... there was no apparent answer to any of this, and that got him absolutely excited. It had been a while since he had come across a challenging case, and this got his heart pumping with adrenaline just thinking about it. None of this would be new and he'd have to search for and through countless ancient texts, but at the end, it'd all be worth it. After all, life's all about the journey.

As you looked around, Heizou started taking things that didn't seem to be on private property. If he did, then his brother would surely be upset... but that was a problem for later, according to him. Well, there was no stopping Shikanoin Heizou. He took anything that interested him, from glass to water to bugs to flowers- he was especially curious about the pearls. It was something not found anywhere else, which made this so fascinating, as so little is known about it. It's particularly cases that excite him, but the process of finding something out is really what's at the core of his heart.

The water was crystal clear, and you weren't really surprised when he tried to drink a little of it out of curiosity.

"... ish salty," he spit it out. "Of course it is, what did you expect?" you brought him some fresh water to rinse out his mouth. "Nothin' really, but I was hopin' for somethin' interestin' ya know? Not that I didn't expect it ta be this salty though."

The two of you ate lunch on the island, when you were met by some Watatsumi officers asking what you were doing.

"Sightseeing," you said together. "Sightseeing? Officers from Tenryou Commission are sigtseeing?" they asked in disbelief. "Yah, we have today off, and da weather's nice, so we thought we'd take a look at the scenery here. It's really pretty!" Heizou smiled. "Uhm... okay," one of the officers looked at the two of you suspiciously. "I'm glad you like the island so far, however we'll be back in a few minutes. If you leave before we come back, we'll have to suspect you for being spies."

The two of you looked at them and each other, and waved when they went out to probably get their superior. You weren't surprised; since the war had just ended, people where still very loyal to their own sides. Being affiliated with the two opposing sides, it was natural they'd be suspicious of you. After all, what Tenryou Commission officers came to Watatsumi Island pretty much in uniform? The two of you, apparently.

You'd brought onigiri and chocolate chip cookies, and you started to eat them as you waited for the officers to come back.

"Heizou, why are you eating the cookies first?" "'m impatient." "but best for last." "Kay fine! 'll eat it last to end off sweet! Actually, dat sounds pretty good." "Exactly."

It wasn't long before the officers came back with their superior, a woman dressed in clothes you'd never seen before. It was magical; she looked just like a sea fairy.

"Hello, my name is Sangonomiya Kokomi. Your purpose today... is to sightsee, you said. May I ask why?" she asked, as you finished the cookie you were eating. "We're here ta sightsee, yah. Tha weather's nice, and this place is sooo pretty, so we figured it'd be a real nice time ta visit!" Heizou said, his mouth full of food. "Yes, we have off today, so we decided to come here today... and don't talk with your mouth full," you sighed at Heizou. That was cute, but there was a time for everything. Who knew they'd bring the priestess herself.

"Oh, I see. Is there any particular reason you're in uniform today, then?" "Oh, we were gonna go to work earlier, but decided to come here instead." "Yes, we were initially going to work today, but Heizou here decided that we were going to sightsee today. Our schedules are thankfully very flexible, so we are able to take this trip without repercussions. It's strange, yes, but it's allowed."

Kokomi nodded.

"Ah, I see, then. Then, please have a wonderful stay here in Watatsumi Island."

She left, and the officers returned to their posts. There wasn't much left to explore, and by the time sunset came, Kama came back for you.

"Thanks for coming back for us, Kama," you thanked him for the ride back home. "Ya, ya, here's yer pay, hehe," Heizou handed him the money you'd promised on the way there. He was happy with what he got, and the three of you took your time getting back. For once, you were happy with skipping work. While you may have to pull an all-nighter tomorrow, it was fine. After all, what's better than spending time with Shikanoin Heizou?

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : lili’s notes…

↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

➽ please rb if you liked this! it would make me so happy <3

➽ masterlist

➽ taglist; @paradise-creator @fuhuashandholder @kazuqha @aweebstuff @irethepotato

The Knights of Favonius had graciously allowed Amber to take a few days off for the holidays and as her partner, you were going to make the most out of it now that she was all yours

The first thing on your list was baking and decorating gingerbread cookies with her

After going out and managing to get all of the ingredients, you arrive back at the house before noon with a proud grin on your face and bags filled to the brim with baking supplies

Blearily wiping away the sleep from her eyes, the brunette shuffles into the kitchen only to find you unloading the bags

“Where were you this morning? I missed you,” she rasps out as she moves behind you, leaning against you as her arms slowly wrap around your waist

“I had to go out to the store to pick up some things,” you state apologetically, “I’m sorry, love.”

She nuzzles further into your neck, “You’ll just have to make up for missing morning cuddles after this then.”

A breathy laugh escapes your lips, “Deal.”

As you continue to organize the dry and the wet ingredients for the cookies, a soft voice fills the kitchen once more

“So, what exactly is this all for?”

Turning around in her arms, you come face to face with a slightly sleepy Amber and exclaim, “We’re going to decorate gingerbread cookies!”

Her eyes widen with excitement as a large smile grows on her face, “Really?”

The moment you nod, she squeals and begins peppering your face in kisses, whispering I love you’s in between each one

You fall into a fit of giggles as Amber continues to cover your face in kisses

After a few minutes, she calms down and looks at you lovingly with a dopey grin on her face, “Let’s start making the cookies!! I can’t wait to decorate them!”

Soon after, the two of you begin to mix together the ingredients and cut out the cookies, placing them into the oven to bake

While waiting for them to finish baking, you migrated to the couch and ended up having a short 10 minutes cuddling session, exchanging quiet promises of love between each other

The moment the timer went off, Amber immediately slid out of your arms and rushed to the kitchen in, nearly slipping on the hardwood floors

You burst out laughing at the scene as she pulls the tray proudly and places it out the counter

Getting up from the couch, you re-enter the kitchen with a lovesick grin as you peck Amber’s cheek

As you wait for the cookies to cool down, you move them to a different plate and begin to create the frosting

Once they’ve cooled down, the both of you finally begin to decorate the cookies!!

The two of you attempt to make some that resemble the other Knights of Favonius

There’s a blonde one with a bit of teal on it, a very purple cookie with silver sprinkles on it, a few light blue ones, and even one that seemed to resemble a certain maid

By the end of the day, the table becomes an absolute mess with globs of frosting and bits of sprinkles scattered all over it

Looking at Amber, you can’t help but think about how cute she is despite the strips of frosting on her nose, cheeks, and even forehead

You’re so lost in thought, you don’t even notice the outrider turning towards you and meeting your eyes filled with love and adoration

The longer you stared at her, the more she blushed and shied away under your gaze

You mumble softly, “I love you, Amber.”

“Awww, I love you too!!,” she quickly replies, trying to hide her flustered state

Glancing down at the table, you notice one last cookie that you decorated

Gently picking it up, you hold it out towards your girlfriend and exclaim, “Look! It’s you!! It even has bunny ears!”

Your adorable smile paired with the cute cookie makes Amber’s heart absolutely melt as she softly smiles at you

“Thank you, Y/N. I bet it’s as sweet as you.”

tag list (all): @mayple @yeetmeoffjueyunkarst @bookuya @liyuesbian @shitposts-by-spookii @solaaresque @chichikoi @under-a-starry-night @bumbleklee​ @cloudisyelling​

If you asked Kazuha's friends who he was, they'd all say the same thing: he was a wallflower.

He was unassuming, often hiding behind a polite smile and a gentle demeanour.

He peeks out among the slats of the trellises, straining for sunlight but still content with where he was. After all, he had a comfortable part time job at a cafe, he was currently pursuing a career in writing, and he had a group of close friends.

To ask for more was to tempt the fates.

But plants always strained to touch the sun, did they not? They were all inherently Icarus, straining and straining until their feathers started smoking and the wax started to bubble.

He sees you in the queue one day. It was a Monday, he remembers, because he was on cashier duty.

And instantly, he is captivated. He doesn't know why. But there is a feeling, and as a literature student, he is... rather curious to figure out what this means.

You walked up to him and smiled apologetically, taking out a piece of paper. Oh no. The dreaded big order. But he just smiles at you and starts ringing the drinks up, telling you the amount of money needed and beating a hasty retreat to the kitchen.

"Tomo!" He calls out. "We've got a big order."

"Oh, gods, not again." Tomo groans, plucking the order slip from Kazuha's hands and heading off to find Yoimiya, Thoma and Ayaka to help him out.

Left with nothing to do and nothing to say, he returns to manning the cashier and catches a glimpse of you sitting by the window, watching life go by.

Your drinks would take a while, and since you looked a little lonely, Kazuha reaches out.

"Can I sit here?" Kazuha motions to the chair opposite you, and you started before nodding.

"Oh-- oh, yeah, sure!"

"I brought you a drink," Kazuha said softly, setting the hot chocolate onto the table. He noticed a book bag by your chair, and sighed internally. Thank god he could talk about something he knew.

"Is that literature?"

You glance down at your bag, and an exasperated smile makes it way onto your face.

"Oh... well, technically, that's the reason I'm here, you know? I'm buying coffee for my teammates, since we're rushing a project that I really don't know--"

Here it was. The chance of a lifetime to talk to you more.

"I know literature." Kazuha blurted out. "I mean, I take literature too, so if you asked your teammates to come over here, I could... teach you?"

He trails off uncertainly, but he knew he'd done the right thing when your face broke into a large smile.

"You'd do that for me? Oh my god, you're a lifesaver!"

Kazuha offered you his hand, and you took it with a bemused smile.

"My name is Kaedehara Kazuha, a pleasure to meet you."

"My name is Y/N L/N, and it's my pleasure to meet you."

Your hand fit like a puzzle piece in his.

-

"You don't understand, Tomo, I was talking to Y/N all night, and we actually have a lot in common!"

Kazuha turned around, and he was met with the amused faces of the cafe team.

"What?"

It was Tomo who steps forward. "Kazu, you were talking on the phone for five hours, and in school, you couldn't stop yawning. That's not like you."

Kazuha frowns. "So you're telling me... that's a bad thing?"

Tomo slings an arm around Kazuha's shoulders. "Look, we're not telling you to stop. Hell, this is the first time you've reached out, so go off, Kazuha. I'm just saying that maybe you should take care of yourself first."

"Alright."

-

"So the characterisation is really important here, but you can use the setting too."

"Oh, because it's a metaphor?"

"Exactly." Kazuha leans back in his chair, looking at the project. It was shaping up nicely, and it was a diorama of an underground living space that was the main focus of the story that they had chosen.

He watched as you scribbled down a line on a sticky note, passing it to their teammates and flashing Kazuha a quick smile.

That smile was so bright.

If he had to describe his relationship with you, it would be like the sun and a wallflower.

Forever out of reach, but always there, in the sticky notes you left him, to the notebook that you sometimes left and had to rush back for.

(Your notes were so neat.)

Kazuha was content. He was. The sun was shining, and there wasn't a dark cloud in sight. But... he kept leaning into your brilliance.

So maybe it was his fault.

"I'm sorry, Zuha, I really am."

That pet name. The one that he had said you could use, in a foolish moment of weakness.

He blinks back tears, and the bouquet in his hand suddenly weighs a thousand tons. "It's alright. I understand."

You looked so anguished, and Kazuha fought the urge to comfort you, understanding that you needed space. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I know." I love you.

That was the day his throat started to itch.

Two days after, he coughed up his first flower. A small, yellow flower, gleaming like burnished gold under the sun.

Daffodils symbolised rebirth, new beginnings, and eternal life. It also happened to represent unrequited love.

What a tragic twist of irony.

The fates were cruel.

A new beginning without you. A painful, tortured rebirth, with every breath pressing against soft green vines, and every word forced out through clear lake water and young flower buds.

He was Icarus, soaring towards the sun, straining to reach the light with his fingertips, and he had paid dearly for it.

But there was a sweetness to the pain, the faintest hint of nectar coating his tongue when the flowers were blooming heavy in his mouth.

Pink and red carnations this time.

I miss you.

And Kazuha did miss you. He would find himself turning to that spot by the window, hoping to see your silhouette there.

The vines curled around his lungs, his throat, and leaves papered his mouth. He coughed up three incomplete tulips in the breakroom, and Tomo caught him.

They knew. They knew of this beautiful, wretched disease, knew of unreturned love that turned into nature's declarations.

They knew enough to convince Kazuha to go for the surgery, to forget. But he argues, with a thorn-scratched throat, that is it not better to have loved and lived than to forget?

He would carve a space for you in the tangled brambles of his heart, and he wouldn't let anyone take you away.

That was until he started to cough up whole flowers, the carnations unfurling in his palm, bloodied and coated in saliva.

He went for the surgery.

His love for you had festered, turning into an overgrown garden, and they cut it out of his chest, his heart, his lungs.

They cut you out of his life.

And for the first time in a long time, Kazuha felt like his chest was... hollow. Yearning for something intangible to fill the cold, frozen space. He was... incomplete. Broken.

Icarus's tale wasn't one of death and warning. It was one of desperate, hopeless yearning, and Kazuha flies again, heading for the object of his love, the very thing that will send him spiraling into the ocean again.

"Hello, I'd like a frappuccino. Large, please." You looked so nervous, so Kazuha smiles at you.

"What's your name?" He asks, and out of the corner of his eyes, he sees Tomo gaping.

"Y/N." You took a deep breath, something unreadable flickering in your eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Kazuha smiles, and in the back of his mind, something stirs in the long abandoned garden of his heart.

A single daffodil, blooming again.

For what was love, but an endless cycle of love and rebirth?