Fumei

"So, you think that hiding in that room of yours will help anything?"

You sigh, a slow throbbing headache coming along. Despite him saying he doesn't care what you do, it's a blatant lie of course.

"In case you forgot, you actually need sleep. You need rest - I can practically see your brain pouring over from here." Wanderer crosses his arms, now leaning back with an unimpressed face.

He's always been fussy about your human limits but it doesn't help when you truly just want to be done with this thesis. You've dedicated a year to it already and doubt has been creeping up slowly but surely.

And for archon's sake, he's a star student. Hat Guy. He's a walking celebrity with students kissing the ground he walks. You're maybe a bit dramatic but it certainly feels like it.

Maybe envy and doubt caused you to lose your temper with him more than once. Maybe-

He snaps his fingers in front of your face. "You see what I mean? Can't even focus on the conversation." He scoffs, pausing as someone brings the drinks.

"I'm not here to scold you like some motherbird but-" He watches, face mildly taken aback as the waiter returns and places a small tart next to you. The crust is firm and glowing with sweet honey as its filled with cream and then blueberry jam on top. But that's not the problem - no.

The jam was in the shape of a very obvious heart.

Wanderer grows quiet, eyes scanning the waiters intent. You're just as taken aback, blinking at the treat before awkwardly smiling. "Oh... Sorry, I didn't order anything."

"Oh that's fine miss. It's on the house." The waiter winks, cheeks flushed but eyes full of interest. You grow stiff as you feel Wanderers eyes dart from between you and the waiter. You already know what he's going to say.

You clear your throat before nodding. "Ah, I see thank you." You try to wave the waiter off but they linger for a moment before awkwardly walking off.

His face is unimpressed. His eyebrow raised and you swear you saw his tongue dragging against the inside of his cheek. "So?"

"... So?" You answer back, holding a back a grin. He was honestly being cute, not that he was likely trying. But you know of his past.

And you know, laughing at him might hurt him more than he'd admit. You reach out to gently grasp at his hands. "My eyes are only for you."

He scoffs again, rolling his eyes and looking away. "Whatever you say."

Your head tilts and you stare at him for a moment longer. The sudden sunlight and fresh air had done your brain some good and before you know it, you're lifting his hand to place a kiss on his knuckles.

"Thank you... For looking after me. Thank you for caring."

Oh, he looks back at you and he melts. His eyes catch more light than before and his cold finger twitch in your palm. His mouth opens and closes slowly before he stares down at his tea. "Whatever."

He clears his throat and almost hesitantly pulls away. And you smile. Because you know, behind that big hat he's hiding behind, he's flustered.

the drive to the gas station was a tricky one.

as well as you remembered your native nation, traffic will always be a bitch, especially in a very night-active place such as inazuma.

you slowly pulled into the gas station, parking near the third pump.

you lingered in the car as you turned the car off. you looked over in scaramouche's direction. the fuel filler inlet was on his side.

the bright-ass white lights of the gasoline station illuminated his botched indigo dye but you couldn't help but be fond of it.

you knew his hair was dyed because you let him stay at your apartment once and while you slept on the couch instead of your bed, scaramouche was dying his hair.

for some reason.

you turned off the car, taking the keys with you and locking it. you pulled down the backseat windows a bit, just in case.

the bell on top of the door rang as you entered the gasoline station.

the worker there didn't bother looking up from behind the counter, continuing to scroll through his phone. he muttered out a quiet "welcome" as if mandatory.

you thought about saying 'thank you' but a few seconds had already passed and it wouldn't have been natural if you did it so late.

you bite your tongue and look around, eyes darting through the aisles to see where the certain snacks you wanted were.

you really liked barbecue chips so that's what you got, as well as some sour candy and some small energy drinks for later.

walking through the aisles with everything in your hands, you set it down on the counter.

the guy behind the counter scrolled on his phone for a few more seconds before putting his phone down with a sigh. he reluctantly picked up a barcode scanner, scanning your things.

you looked around and saw the cigarettes behind the store clerk.

you used to smoke---it helped you with your anxiety sometimes---but you had to stop for the sake of your health.

apparently, lung cancer isn't good.

now done, the clerk read out your total with a bored expression. "that'll be twenty-four mora."

you blink. "oh. yeah, right."

you awkwardly take some coins out, placing them on the counter.

you were here to get gas and you forgot to ask for it. how embarrassing.

you watched the man count out loud and use his fingers to calculate your change, giving you back a singular mora.

you just walked out, sulking about your loss.

the bell didn't ring behind you.

you unlocked the car, setting the snacks you got in the back.

scaramouche was still asleep thankfully as you slammed the car door shut and went over to his side to pay for gas.

you paid with your card, slipping it back in your wallet and grabbing the valve and putting it into the filler inlet.

you leaned on the car, finger tapping the roof of your car as you waited for a few minutes.

you felt odd.

looking around, you didn't see anyone but the feeling didn't go away.

you tried to brush it off as the pump stopped releasing petroleum and you put the pump back into the holder it was in.

you closed the tank's lid securely. you walked over to the driver's seat and got in.

you looked around once more, checking your mirrors for some sort of anomaly but you couldn't find anything.

with a lot of hesitance, you sigh. you buckled up, your seatbelt clicking into place, before turning on your car and pulling out of the gas station.

you arrived at the hotel with a full tank. looking back at it, you would've made it to the hotel but your car would've been out of commission unless you had a fuel canister around.

regardless of that, the soft background music and the warm atmosphere of the hotel managed to calm you down from whatever you thought you saw.

maybe just being in inazuma was triggering some forgotten memories...

you approached the front desk with a tired smile.

the receptionist looked up from her tablet, a tired smile matching yours. rip night shift workers. "is there anything i can do for you?"

you nod, "yes, are there any rooms with two beds?"

she nodded, glancing back down at her tablet and typing a few words. your finger was anxiously tapping on the counter, a soft 'tk, tk, tk' sound produced by the wood.

noticing the noise your habit was making, you lifted up your finger slightly---still moving, simply not tapping the wood. it wasn't a sign of anxiety on your part: you just had to be moving constantly or focused on something.

the receptionist noticed this but she didn't say anything. "that'll be 300 mora per night."

the price was a little steep but you figured it was due to the fact the place was right next to the police station, for security.

you hand her your card and the silence begins.

the only sound was the wind outside and the beeping of the card machine the woman had placed your card in.

she sat idly as the payment processed and you just looked around, hoping to not look suspicious.

you didn't catch her suspicious look before she turned around on her wheeled chair and grabbed two room keys. she slid back, placing them on top of the counter. "here you go," she chimed.

she also slides your credit card across the counter and you take it. "thanks."

"no problem," she replies, going back to her tablet.

you went back outside to where you had parked, the night breeze hitting you.

when you walked up to the car, you saw that your partner was still in the passenger seat, thankfully.

you lightly tapped on his window, opening his car door. "hey, scara... get up, we're here."

your partner didn't respond and you had no idea what to do.

you tapped his shoulder but that didn't wake him up. if you shook him, he'd beat the shit out of you and you'd rather not have that.

you frowned, sighing.

the things you do for this guy.

you leaned over him, reaching for the glove box to write down a note so when he does wake up, he'd know where to go.

" our hotel room is 303. the key's in the center console!! it's a 2 bed, don't worry lol --- y/n "

after writing down the note, you folded it and wrote down scaramouche's name in large lettering to get his attention.

you placed it on the driver's seat and closed the passenger door gently before going to the hotel room to settle down.

the room was beautiful but you didn't have much time to dwell on that beauty as your eyes grew heavy and you flopped down on one of the two beds.

you had a strange dream.

or, at least you hoped it was just a dream.

the place felt oddly familiar---the coldness and hollowness of the basement; the dizziness and nausea circulating through your head, and the sick feeling of being starved.

your hands were tied behind your back with duct tape, vision blurring as a trio of men sat you down on a cold concrete floor.

you couldn't even remember what day it was or how long you had been there.

if your mother was still worried.

you lost your train of thought as pain filled your senses once more. a sharp kick to the gut had you hurling. you would've thrown up if it weren't for the lack of food you had received.

you fell forward, already breathing heavy.

it's been a week---no, two---maybe, even three since you've gone missing.

y/n.

you know the statistics of missing persons' cases. if someone isn't found in the first 72 hours, their changes drop hard.

a full week? even further.

you felt sick just being here. stuck in a room only to be dragged into another to get interrogated and then rinse, cycle, repeat.

they wanted to switch things up today, you guess.

y/n.

it started with kicks and stomps. it continued with glass and rods.

your lungs felt stabbed, like a piece of bone just pierced it, making it hard to breathe. it didn't help that you were being ambushed with no means to protect yourself.

you only managed to grab a shard of glass, cutting yourself and stabbing the skin on your back in the process of untying your hands.

your hands clawed at the feet of the guys kicking you but they didn't do a thing to stop them.

y/n.

the pain, grudgingly, made tears run down your face. you had a higher tolerance, you thought.

you were a prideful person---you got that trait from your mother and your excessive amounts of achievements throughout life.

you could handle torture.

you could handle all the bullshit that life threw at you.

you couldn't handle being so weak.

y/n.

you covered your face, trying to maintain some form of security.

your mother would always say that passion exceeds strength---a professional fighter is weak against a determined man.

being determined was the only reason you had your dream job.

but you felt tired.

really, really tired.

you felt the kicks stop suddenly and then, someone reached for your hands. they gripped your wrists hard, pulling them away from you to uncover your face.

y/n.

you tug them back, hissing at the firm hold the person had on you. you struggled, feet kicking to try to get the person off.

"stop it.... stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it..!"

the tugs only got harsher as you cried.

"y/n."

you shook your head, trying to silence the voice.

"wake up."

you opened your eyes.

you expected what you originally saw after that moment: a bright hospital room with your mother at your side, holding your hand plus the smell of chloride and rubber gloves.

that was a few years ago.

nowadays, you wake up, drenched in sweat and tears in your lonely apartment, the cold fan doing nothing to your heated body and the three locks on your windows and doors doing nothing to bring your comfort.

but, you were back in the hotel room.

it wasn't dark anymore---instead, the sun shined through the windows' curtains and it was obviously day.

your partner was on top of you, his body weight pressing against you. scaramouche's legs pinned you by the waist to keep you from squirming. he had his hands around your wrists, holding them away from your tearful face.

he just stared at you with a distant expression.

he knew you had problems. shit, everyone in the station does---you're awkward, annoying as hell, and socially fucked---and yet nahida, the captain, tells them to coddle you like you're a patient on suicide watch.

his eyebrows furrowed the more he thought about it.

he didn't care in the slightest.

or, that's what he told himself.

"are you done?" he asked. he was still holding your wrists together albeit his grip weakened.

you stayed quiet. your tears were still rolling down your cheek from the straight absurdity of this situation.

you haven't had that nightmare in three years. was the sight of inazuma too much to bear already?

you muttered a small "yeah", looking away and trying to sit up.

scaramouche got off of you quickly. he let go of your wrists and slipped off of your bed like the moment hadn't just happened.

you didn't want to talk about it and you knew he didn't want to either.

you tried to quell the pain on your wrists, holding them and looking for bruises. there were already some forming.

great.

the silence was awkward as hell.

you wanted to say something, tell scaramouche 'thanks' for snapping you out of it but you figured it only make things even more awkward.

"what..." you clear your throat, looking at him. "what time is it?"

your partner looked at the bedside clock near his bed. "it's 8 in the morning. we should get going."

he moved to his bed, grabbing his jacket from the edge of it and slipping it on. he gave you a glance over before frowning to himself.

"are you coming?"

you stayed quiet for a few seconds. you wiped your eyes and cheeks, feeling the somewhat dry and somewhat wet tears smear on your thumb.

"y-yeah, just give me a second."

kuki shinobu was already having a terrible day.

her friend, itto, was behind bars and she wasn't going to spend a thousand mora to bail him out.

he cried and begged in the small holding cell. "shinobu!! please!! help a comparde out---i'll pay you back!"

"no can do, boss." she shrugged, fixing her mask. her allergies were acting up and she didn't want to get someone infected or be reported for being unsanitary.

the woman crossed her legs in her seat. "plus, it was your fault for messing with the shop owner. he had already told you to leave."

"he stole my beetle, 'obu! that's a big no-no!"

she sighed, closing the magazine she was reading while waiting for her partner.

"you still haven't paid me back for last time."

"but--"

"or the time before. or the other time. you have to start being responsible for your actions, boss." she scolded.

arataki itto just stayed quiet. his hold on the cell bars weakened as he realized that his friend had a point.

he was just about to apologize before the front door of the station suddenly slammed open.

shinobu groaned.

she can feel the headache coming in.

"ya-hoo, kuki!~" the pink-haired detective, heizou, yelled. he spun his car keys on his index finger, smiling at the irritation of his partner.

"don't call me that, heizou." she sighed. she stood up from her seat and put her magazine down.

she ignored the cries of her friend behind her, walking with the other detective, further into the station.

"so, did you get the raiden kid?" she asked, curious.

heizou's smile turned into a sweet grin. "c'mon, don't be so loud! yes, yes, they should be here soon."

kuki shinobu raised an eyebrow. "they? i didn't know raiden had a partner."

the prodigy stayed quiet.

his mouth was moving but no sound came out of it. shinobu saw this spectacle and frowned.

"what are you muttering on about?" she put her hands on her hips.

heizou pressed his finger against his lips, urging her to quiet down. "three, two, one..."

the detective turned to the front of the station with a welcoming smile. he had his arms wide open, chiming, "hello, our dear guests!"

both you and scaramouche stayed quiet.

you two shared a look before your partner cleared his throat. "hi. we're here for the, uh, tsuyuko case."

the pink-haired man just smiled at you two. "that's great! i'm shikanoin heizou," he points towards shinobu, "this is my partner, kuki shinobu."

scaramouche just nods. "hey."

shinobu frowns at the fact her cousin set her up but plays along either way. "it's a pleasure to meet you both officially. i've heard good things about both of you." she extends her hand for the two of you to shake.

your partner doesn't, just staring at it, but you took her hand in yours, giving her a firm shake.

scaramouche raises an eyebrow at your behavior but doesn't say anything just yet.

heizou freezes for a singular second before nodding along to kuki's words. "yes, yes, i've been wanting to meet the infamous raiden and l/n duo."

you notice scaramouche scowl out of the corner of your eye but he maintains his composure.

"yeah," he smiles, trying not to grit his teeth. "that's us, alright."

heizou smiled back.

kuki shinobu sighs, crossing her arms. "i can show you two around. you'll be here for a while if we can't crack this case."

you two both nod, already planning to follow the female detective but something stops you.

there was a tug on your sleeve by the prodigy himself.

"you're l/n?"

you blank out. "h-huh? oh. oh! y-yeah---or, actually, it's y/n, but l/n's fine too..!"

you felt scaramouche frown at your stuttery response but the detective in front of you only laughed.

"y/n, huh?" he looked you up and down before nodding to himself.

"nice name---just a question," he started. he let go of your sleeve, now grabbing your arm and pulling up your sleeves.

"what're these bruises from?"

you fell silent.

beside the guy, kuki shinobu gasped. scaramouche frowned, grabbing heizou's arm in return.

"hey, watch it. you can't just go around grabbing people."

heizou smiled. "oh? can i be let go then?"

scaramouche furrowed his eyebrows, gritting his teeth. "i'm serious."

the pink-haired detective only laughed. "i'm serious too! i'm curious, actually." he turned to look at you, ignoring scaramouche and shinobu.

notes: lmk if y'all'd want to know what the alternative routes would do!! 😊 heizou is a little ooc but that's intentional! watch out for whoever was watching you in the gas station, by the way! taglist: @breathlessasphyxia, @akiyodesu, @fireriyu, @lalalaloveallmydays, etc.

𓂃𓂃₊˚┊≋

You met him near Lambad's Tavern, just as the sun was dipping below the horizon, painting the Sumeru sky in shades of bruised purple and gold. He was already waiting, leaning against a stone railing with his arms crossed, watching the bustling crowds below with an air of detached annoyance.

His signature hat was tilted slightly forward, shadowing his eyes, but the moment he caught sight of you walking down the ramp, his entire posture relaxed—just a fraction.

"You're late," he remarked as you approached, though there was no real bite to his voice. He straightened up, adjusting the brim of his hat. "I was about to conclude you'd been cornered by a persistent researcher looking for someone to dump their thesis revisions onto."

"Just caught up in the evening rush," you smiled, stepping up beside him and falling into step as he turned to walk. "Rough day?"

Wanderer let out a soft, dismissive huff, turning his gaze toward the twinkling streetlights. "The usual. Sages debating theories they lack the practical capacity to comprehend, and students crying over spilled ink. It’s exhausting watching people try so hard to look clever when they're utterly clueless."

He glanced at you from under the brim of his hat, his expression softening into something genuinely fond. "But it doesn't matter now. I've left them to their misery. Let's just find somewhere quiet."

After settling into a cozy corner booth that offered a bit of privacy from the occasional passerby, you looked over the menu. You ordered a warm, fragrant plate of Lambad Fish Roll topped with almonds and a cup of spiced tea. True to his word, Wanderer ordered nothing but a simple cup of bitter green tea.

"You're really not going to eat anything?" you asked, leaning your chin on your hands and looking across the table at him.

"I have no biological need for sustenance, as you well know," he replied smoothly, tracing the rim of his porcelain cup with a pale finger. "And Sumeru's cuisine relies far too heavily on spices that irritate my senses. I am perfectly content just sitting here."

He paused, his striking indigo eyes locking onto yours across the table, the ambient lantern light reflecting in them like stars.

"Besides... I didn't come here for the food. I came here to clear my head. And you happen to be the only person in this entire nation who doesn't give me a headache."

You grin, "you love me. Don't even deny it."

Wanderer scoffs, but the small smile creeping up his lips is a telltale sign that your words weren't entirely wrong.

𓂃𓂃₊˚┊≋

As you ate, the tension completely melted from his shoulders. Wanderer wasn't much for loud, boisterous affection, but in the quiet spaces between conversation, his care showed itself in the smallest, most deliberate gestures.

He listened intently as you talked about your day, nodding along and offering dry, witty commentary that had you laughing into your tea. He seemed to absorb every small detail of your day, genuinely invested in your mundane human complaints.

As the remaining customers dwindle and the moon and stars hung in the sky, you both knew it was time to leave.

​"I still say I could have covered my half," you teased softly, the warmth of his hand in yours keeping the evening chill at bay as you walked down the winding stone pathways.

​Wanderer let out a quiet, amused huff, his gaze fixed on the cobblestones ahead. "And I already told you to drop it. If I let you pay, I’d have to listen to you complain about your dwindling mora reserves all the way back to your quarters. I merely chose the option that guaranteed my peace and quiet."

​"Right. Purely self-serving, as always," you smiled, leaning your shoulder lightly against his arm as you walked.

​"Exactly. Don't go forgetting it," he murmured. But the way his fingers squeezed yours, solid and unwavering, told an entirely different story. For someone who claimed to lack a human heart, the steady warmth of his presence was more grounding than anything else in Teyvat.

​When you finally reached your doorstep, the quiet hum of the city seemed to fade into the background, leaving just the sound of the wind through the trees and the soft glow of a nearby streetlamp illuminating his face.

"Thank you for coming out with me," you said softly, squeezing his hand as you approached your door. "I know you hate crowds."

Wanderer looked away, a faint, barely-there flush dusting the tips of his ears, though his grip on your hand tightened just a fraction. "Don't make a big deal out of it. It was... an acceptable waste of time. Better than listening to the Akademiya’s elite, at least."

He stopped near your doorstep, turning to face you fully. The moonlight caught the deep blue of his eyes, making them look impossibly soft. "Get some rest tonight. And don't let anyone corner you tomorrow—because I'll be looking for you the moment my lectures are over."

​"I'll hold you to that," you replied, stepping up onto the threshold. "Goodnight, Wanderer."

​He lingered for a beat longer, his hand hovering near his hat as if tempted to pull it down and hide his face, but he stopped himself. Instead, he gave you one last, lingering look, a remarkably tender smile touching the corners of his lips.

​"Goodnight. Don't stay up late reading," he commanded softly, before turning and stepping back into the shadow of the Sumeru night, his silhouette quickly melting into the starlight—though you knew he wouldn't actually leave until he heard your door safely click shut.