#lightkeeper

Ref :

Flins' ragebaiting goes too far

WC: 1k

a/n: their ship is too angsty not to be written about adgjnasog CW: drinking, anger, ragebaiting

Nod-Krai's premiere tavern was, of course, ordinarily filled with alcohol enthusiasts. However, the patrons rarely formed a united front until one night when a typically strait-laced man finally tried his hand at binge drinking

"Illuga! Illuga!" The crowd in the tavern cheered the young, grey-haired man on as he chugged a pint of whiskey.

"I'm not going to be surprised if you outdrink someone from Mondstadt," Varka teased when he put his hand on Illuga's shoulder, lightly shaking the young man.

"Thank you, Grand Master." Illuga managed to say, despite his declining posture and vision.

Illuga finished the pint before he finished his turn in a drinking game that he and the crowd forgot the name of.

"If I win this round." Illuga slurred; every word in the phrase was interrupted by hiccups. The bartender promptly filled his cup

"I'm all ears, young master." Flins raised an eyebrow before he took a swig of whiskey.

Illuga inaudibly grumbled under his breath. Despite the young man's indistinct string of words, Flins still knew what Illuga said.

Flins couldn't help but laugh. The blush on Illuga's cheek intensified. If one were to ask the grey-haired man about the reason for this heightened color. The young man would simply blame the alcohol.

"I digress." Illuga's head bobbed to the side. Flins immediately straightened the man's head.

"If I win this round, you need to tell me what you really are." Illuga narrowed his eyes at the fae, hoping to scare the information out of him.

"Ok!" Varka clapped his hands. Illuga and Flins snapped their attention to the Grand Master.

"Surely you can come up with a better prize!" Varka put an arm around Illuga, making the lightkeeper duck his head. The knight's other hand held a pint of beer; he unconsciously tightened his grip on the cup's handle.

The Grand Master shot a worried look at the fae. Flins simply winked at Varka, and the latter shook his head.

"Thousands and thousands of years old and he's still playing tricks." Varka released Illuga from his arm. "He and Barbatos would get along so well." The knight sighed.

"That is, if you could even play this round properly." Flins smirked, and his eyes taunted back. The fae's smile widened when he saw Illuga's face fill with uncharacteristic fury.

Much to Varka's and Flins' surprise, Illuga managed to win the round.

"Alright!" Illuga yelled, swinging his cup towards Flins. "Where's my prize?" The young man awkwardly smiled.

"Right here." Flins chuckled as he slowly raised his arm. He beckoned Illuga to lean the young man's ear towards his lips. "I'm yours, young master." the fae whispered.

Illuga huffed when he got stood up from his seat. "You know." He clenched his fists, his back to Flins.

Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was his aging vision. But Varka swore that he saw Flins' playful facade crumble for a moment. Who knows? The Grand Master knew that the fae would never give him the right answer.

"If you're not going to play fair," Illuga said through gritted teeth. "Then don't play at all." He turned his head to face Flins. The young man huffed before he walked out of the tavern.

Flins tried to reach for Illuga's hands, but it was too late. It seems that he pushed the young man over his limit. The fae's eyes promised to form tears.

"What are you waiting for?" Varka's voice boomed.

The tears Flins' eyes had promised became an empty threat when he turned his head towards the Grand Master.

"Go to him!" Varka cheered as he laughed.

Flins didn't need to be told twice; he ran out of the tavern at the speed of light.

"Young love, am I right?" the man next to Varka joked.

"You don't know the half of it." Varka laughed.

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"Illuga!" Flins chased after the young man. He stumbled amongst the crowd.

Illuga tried his best to hide in the crowd. Unfortunately for him, Flins' eyes were always focused on the young man.

"Please!" The fae pleaded once he managed to grab Illuga's hand. Flins cornered the young man beside Nasha town's produce store.

"Don't touch me." Illuga glared at Flins. "I should've known. You've never given a straight answer in your life." The man ranted.

Flins bit his bottom lip, swallowing a joke. "Come on, Illuga. I was just joking." The fae justified.

"That's the problem." Illuga's anger melted into melancholy. "You're always joking." His voice broke mid-sentence. "You never take me seriously." Tears gradually populated Illuga's cheeks.

"I just want to make you laugh as much as possible." The volume of Flins' voice was a bit lower than his average sound.

Illuga's melancholy was replaced by anger once again. "Why can't you respect me?" His tears flowed through his angry eyes. "Why can't you respect me and make me laugh?" He scolded the immortal.

Flins never imagined that he would be scolded by a mortal. He never imagined that a mortal could make him regret his jokes.

"I… I don't know." Flins whispered. "It's just… my nature, I guess." He quietly said, like a child doing his best to lower the intensity of his punishment.

"That means you can't change, huh?" Illuga sighed, and he eased his clenched fists. He couldn't manage to face Flins anymore.

Flins' eyes widened before he desperately grasped Illuga's hands. "But I can change." The fae's widened eyes drooped into pleading eyes. "I will change for you." The immortal promised as he lightly squeezed Illuga's hands.

Illuga maintained his gaze away from Flins.

"I'll tell you what I really am." Flins said with unusual conviction. This conviction ignited a spark of hope in Illuga. But he resisted the urge to develop that spark into an all-consuming fire.

"I'm an immortal fae." Flins leaned into Illuga's ear. The fae summoned the power of his lamp to transfer his memories onto the young man.

Flins' memories flowed through Illuga's veins. The grey-haired man's eyes rolled to the back of his head. The fae cut off the lamp's power once the young man started gagging.

Illuga's body stumbled forward. But Flins was able to catch him. The latter grasped his own neck; his body took a moment to recover.

"Are you alright, Illuga?" Flins worried. "I'm sorry. I haven't performed that spell in a while." He explained.

"I'm fine." Illuga's voice was strained. "I just didn't know that your respect was that captivating." The young man said, straightening.

Flins' eyes formed into happy crescents as he laughed. Illuga lovingly looked at the immortal.

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KYRYLL CHUDOMIROVICH FLINS. WOULD YOU LIKE TO KISS ME. WOULD YOU LIKE TO DATE ME. WHAT SHOULD I DO TO MAKE YOU NOTICE ME???