#mitsu.writes

Cursing at the sky, you were weighing your options: book an outrageously overpriced uber, or let your wallet breathe and run home in the pouring rain. You were pulling out your phone to check the most sheltered route home when you heard footsteps behind you.

Alarmed, you whipped your head around, prepared to attack. "Woah, woah woah. I'm not here to hurt you." A tall figure said, raising both his hands up as a form of surrender. Your eyes widened as you took him in: broad shoulders which were accentuated by his jacket, cocoa brown hair parted at the side, slightly tousled from running over, and striking violet eyes crinkling at the sides due to the smirk curling at the corner of his lips. Damn -- he was absolutely stunning.

He seemed to take your shocked silence as a sign to continue. "I'm Caleb, a pilot in the DAA. I have an extra umbrella here with me, and I saw you stranded here, sooo, I figured you could use it." Caleb says, holding out a red umbrella to you. "Oh, thank you!" You said, fumbling to grab it. You profusely thanked him before opening the umbrella and walking towards your house, only to realise that Caleb was heading in the same direction.

"Looks like we're going the same way, hmm? How about I walk you home? Can't have a lovely lady like you walking home alone in the pitch black." He suggests, cocking his head to the side. The both of you stop in your tracks, and you eye him cautiously. Sure, he was astronomically good-looking, but that doesn't mean you should automatically trust him. You guys just met!

You must have been giving him a lethal stink-eye, because his eyes widened as he quickly stumbled over his words, "Wait- no, I just realised how weird that sounded. I promise I have no bad intentions, but if you don't want me to-" "No, it's okay, I'm fine with it." You cut him off, continuing to walk forward. As he was rambling, you noticed his genuine nature and he didn't seem to have any malicious intent, so you were willing to let this random guy - Caleb- walk you to your house. (You may or may not have chuckled slightly at the way his demeanor suddenly changed from suave to nervous at the drop of a hat.)

The trainee pilot rambled all the way to your house about various things, from his job to friends he had when he was younger. "Oh, there was this one friend I had when I was younger, MC." He said. His tone was different from earlier, more forlorn, but you didn't press. You noticed the faraway look in his eyes, and quickly changed the topic to your own occupation. Caleb's eyes seemed to light up again as he bombarded you with questions about your job and life, making you crack a small smile. Even though your socks were getting wet from the deep puddles in the ground, his inquisitive questions and genuine interest in your replies managed to brighten your surroundings just the slightest bit.

When you stopped in front of your apartment, you shook off the umbrella at the side and held it out to return it to him. "Thanks for walking me home, Caleb. Here's your umbrella." You thanked him politely, securing the strap wrapped around the umbrella. "Oh, no, you can just keep it." Caleb said casually, pushing the umbrella back into your hands. "Save it for the next rainy day. See you around!" He jovially continues, jogging away from your apartment while waving. You wave back with a genuine grin.

After that day, you kept coincidentally bumping into Caleb. You met him while buying pastries at a bakery a few days after the incident, his loud, cheerful voice startling you initially. "Well, if it isn't the umbrella girl! What'cha buying today?" He exclaimed. You hold out your tray to him, with a few of your select favourite confectioneries. "This one's my absolute favourite, the ratio of butter to flour is so perfect it basically melts in your mouth." You tell him, pointing to a specific pastry on your tray. Caleb's periwinkle eyes seem to sparkle at your recommendation, and he used a pair of tongs to plop another one on your tray.

You looked at him in confusion, before he took the tray from your grasp and walked towards the cashier. "Wait, Caleb-" You start, desperately reaching out towards his jacket to stop him from paying for your food. "It's fine, it's on me." He says, swiftly pressing his card onto the scanner before you could grab his arm to halt his movements. You thank him profusely for the second time, while he just shook his head and handed you your baked goods.

The both of you didn't even make it out of the door before half of the pastry Caleb was holding was gone, the tall man happily munching on it. "Woah, this tastes like heaven." He says, crumbs falling off his lips. You chuckle at the sight, reaching out with a tissue to brush them off. His gaze turns towards you, his ears the slightest shade of pink. "Thanks, __." Caleb mumbled, voice uncharacteristically timid.

The second time you met him, it was on a random Thursday evening, while you were taking a stroll through your neighbourhood. Rocks and leaves crunched under your feet, the soft breeze caressing your cheeks. It was always nice to have some alone time once in awhile, the world seeming to quiet down for those few hours.

"Hey, __!" A now familiar upbeat voice calls out from behind you, the force of his steps causing some stray leaves on the floor to drift upwards. You find a smile appearing on your face unconciously. "Fancy seeing you here, umbrella boy." You teased, pausing your walking for him to catch up with you. Caleb chuckles, and over the next few minutes, the two of you fell into easy conversation, the summer air seeping into your skin.

Suddenly, your foot comes into contact with a stray rock in your path, and you unceremoniously trip over it. Holding out your arms, you braced yourself for the grating impact of the concrete walkway. However, you never made contact with the grey path, and instead, strong arms wrapped around your torso, pulling you back up onto your feet. You looked up at Caleb, ready to thank him for what seemed like the thousandth time. But when your gaze finally raised to reach his, a tightening feeling grew in your chest at the sight of him.

The amber hues from the sunset painted his face artistically, every dip and curve of his face highlighted by shadows. You then noticed how his once solid violet eyes now had flecks of yellow and pink in them, sparkling in the evening radiance. He cocked his head at you, expecting you to say something. Once you realised this, you jumped, hastily stammering out a 'thank you' and continued walking at a pace far too fast to be comfortable. The rest of the walk was spent in a mostly comfortable silence, with just the slightest tinge of tension lingering in the air.

You can't exactly pinpoint the moment you started to fall for him. It was less of a 'tumbling headfirst' situation, and more of a 'not realising until you were in too deep' situation. The minor chance meet-ups and interactions you had made you realise how genuine Caleb was, how gentle he was while talking to others and how dedicated he was to his work. The gentle pats on your head, the brushing of your hands, the quiet moments, all of it was enough to make you fall in love with the pilot.

Over the next few months, the both of you only grew closer. You watched him get promoted to colonel, and watched him suffer through the impacts of the toring chip and mechanical arm. And you stood by his side through it all, as some sort of comforting anchor when things got too tough for him to handle alone.

Sometimes, you thought you could see a hint of blush in his cheeks when you leaned in closer than usual, and his eyes darting away nervously to think of a witty response when you sent a flirty comment his way. There were times when you thought that you had a shot, that he actually might reciprocate your feelings.

One fateful day, the both of you were sitting at a dock late at night, the weathered floorboards creaking with each movement you made. Caleb had been silent for an unusually long period of time, prompting you to look over to check up on him. But you were surprised to say the least when you saw him gazing intensely at you, the tips of his ears turning crimson . You leaned on his shoulder, unable to come up with a playful remark to throw at him. He had tilted your chin upwards with his hands that night, asking for your permission bashfully before kissing you. It was gentle and fervent all at once, built-up feelings and emotions crashing into each other like opposing waves.

From then on, you felt like the happiest girl in the world. Caleb was a spectacular lover, attentive and caring. Dates were often, him bringing you to new places and diners to try new things.

However, after a few months, you noticed he had started acting the slightest bit different. More distant, more consumed in his work. Documents piled up on his kitchen counter, and the lights in his office remained turned on even into the late hours of the night. Of course, you didn't immediately jump to the worst possible conclusion - Caleb never gave you a reason to, after all.

You just started paying more attention: silently leaving a cup of coffee on his desk when he got up for a short break, turning on the heater before he even steps foot into the shower to ensure the water is already warmed, picking up stray pieces of scrap paper strewn around his apartment. You never pushed, never demanded attention from him. You were just there, your presence a comforting warmth that Caleb would wordlessly accept with open arms.

Until one day, you came home to see something you wouldn't have expected. "Caleb, I'm home." You call out tiredly, your work being more draining than usual today, and the gloomy weather not helping in the slightest. The fatigue seeps into your bones, and your limbs feel like dead weight as you drag yourself into the living room.

To your surprise, you see an unfamiliar girl sitting down on the living room couch, with Caleb opposite her. The atmosphere is strangely tense, like a big fight had just happened. Honey brown eyes lock with your own, but the contact doesn't last as she hurriedly looks down at her feet. "Caleb, who's this?" She asks, arms still wrapped tightly around herself. Caleb huffs, seemingly annoyed. You notice he's still in his colonel uniform.

After a few beats of silence, you take it upon yourself to answer instead. "I'm __, Caleb's g-" you begin.

"She's __, my close friend. She's just staying here for the time being." Caleb cuts you off sternly, foot tapping against the floor with no rhythm. You're confused - close friend? Unless you were sorely mistaken, you are unequivocally sure that you are indeed Caleb Xia's significant other. You don't push - maybe this is a person involved in one of his missions? But why would she be in your home...

Glancing at your perplexed expression, Caleb's voice softens as he tries to fill the silence. "Ahem, this is pips-MC. I'm sure you've heard of her before." He says. You don't miss the way he almost calls her a nickname. MC looks up at him with a furious expression, fists clenching at her side. "Why did you bring me here, Xia Yizhou?" She mutters. Caleb replies, not missing a beat. "It's for your own safety."

What on earth was happening?

"Caleb, I thought you said you lost contact with MC? Why is she suddenly here in the house?" You inquire, head cocking to the side. He huffs yet again, briefly explaining how she was 'looking for danger' in the N109 zone, and how he had brought her here to keep her safe. "Caleb, I'm not a kid anymore!" MC growls, now standing up to her full height. Your boyfriend still towers over her, unfazed. "You'll always be a little kid to me." He replies solemnly, putting a hand on her head which she immediately smacks off.

After that incident, MC slowly started warming up to the environment around her, including you. She was quite abrasive at first, even trying to escape a few times. However, the two of you actually ended up growing quite close. On days where your work didn't require you to come to the office, the both of you would spend time chatting over a meal. And on days which you did have work at the office, you would shoot her a text asking if she wanted any tidbits or whether she was craving any food.

But you noticed something strange - the stronger your bond with MC grew, the weaker your bond with Caleb became. He started acting colder, more distant, having an expression on his face that signaled to not speak to him unless you were MC. The longer MC stayed in the apartment, the more Caleb acted like a stranger to you. However, it wasn't as if he was busy with work. It was more like he was growing increasingly busier fussing over the new resident in your shared home.

Caleb would constantly check up on MC, much to her annoyance. He would also take extra precautions to ensure she didn't escape, even going so far as to install locks on the handles of her windows. You tried to brush his absurd behaviour off, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt by assuming that he was just overly worried about his childhood best friend. I mean, they were separated for so long - who wouldn't be concerned? You tried to justify to yourself one night, rolling over to the other side of the empty bed.

Caleb's questionable behaviour only went from bad to worse in the span of a few weeks. From constant meddling to obsessive worrying, it became clear to you that this show of 'concern' was clearly not normal. You tried to bring up your frustrations to him sometimes, expressing that you were uncomfortable with the way he treated MC like a captive bird instead of a living human, only to get brushed off and ignored. Your boyfriend's cold demeanor only added on to your anger, and it wasn't long before your low, simmering annoyance boiled over into indescribable rage. He didn't even try to act like he wanted to be your boyfriend anymore, often choosing MC's company over yours.

From rejecting your offers to have a dinner date in favour of staying home to cook MC's favourites dishes, to standing you up at the movie theatre just because MC had a slight fever - these incidents gnawed at you constantly, making you feel insecure about yourself.

It all happened in a blur. One fateful night, you had just come back from a uneventful day at work, briefly greeting MC in her room before deciding you wanted to do some cleaning up around the house. MC immediately stood up when she saw you holding a duster and offered to help, but you politely turned down her offer, insisting you could handle it by yourself.

Humming, you reached for the top of the shelves in the living room, only to accidentally knock a book over. You sigh, bending down to pick it up, only to notice that a small chunk had been carved out of the spine. "What the hell..." You squint your eyes into the miniscule hole, and you were horrified to see a tiny camera blinking red back at you. "What the hell?!" You repeated loudly, causing MC to stumble out of her room.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" She asked, bending down to get a good look at the book you were holding. "The book... there's a camera in it..." You muttered, handing it over to her. MC's expression is complicated - she looked displeased, but definitely not surprised. She merely let out a sigh and shoved the book back into the shelf, making sure it's spine was facing inwards. "Stop spying on me, Caleb!" She huffs in frustration, walking back to her room like it was no big deal. You, however, were stunned - if there was a hidden camera in one of your books, who's to say there aren't many more scattered around the house?

Suddenly, the heavy wooden door creaked open, revealing Caleb Xia in his full colonel uniform. He glances at your shocked state kneeling on the floor, feather duster long forgotten by your side. "Doin' some spring cleaning?" He muses, peeling off his gloves. Caleb's casual tone only served to irritate you further, and that was when you reached your tipping point.

"Caleb, we need to talk." You said seriously, getting up from the floor. Your boyfriend sighs like every word spoken to you would take a decade off of his lifespan.

"I'm swamped, ___. I'm sure we can find another time-"

"I'm serious, Xia Yizhou."

Sensing that you were genuinely upset, he leans back onto the kitchen counter and folds his arms, waiting to hear what you had to say. "Your recent behaviour, Caleb - it's insane. First, you have to do routine checks on MC, then you lock up her windows and prevent any chance of escape, and look what I just found today!" You exclaim, yanking the book from the shelf and tossing it at him.

Caleb catches it swiftly, simply smirking when he realised what was lodged inside.

"These have been here forever, ___. Surprised you just noticed 'em."

"Them? Like, there's multiple?" You question incredulously.

Caleb's calm demeanor and casual tone sent you into a state of disbelief.

"Calm down, I'm just looking out for MC. I've known her forever."

"First, you invite a girl I've literally never met to live in OUR home, and refuse to introduce me as your girlfriend. Then you display this type of obsessive, downright freakish behaviour over her, and you expect me to just go about like it's a normal Tuesday?!" You spat, volume increasing with direct proportion to the amount of fury you felt in your heart.

Caleb looks personally offended, like you just cursed his whole bloodline with the black plague.

"She's not jus' some stranger I picked off the street, y'know. She's MC. My MC." He begins. "I've already lost her once. I won't let her slip out of my grasp again."

"What the fuck, Caleb. I understand that you're afraid of losing MC, but don't you think this is taking it too far?! Just- go to therapy or something!" You try to reason with him, trying your hardest into ignoring her that he called MC his. He hadn't called you a pet name since she moved in.

He pauses for a moment, the silence allowing the both of you to pick up on shuffling coming from the guest room- MC's room. It was clear she could hear the conversation between the two of you, but chose not to get involved.

"... I can only ensure her safety if I take every possible precaution. I'm her protector."

At this point, you just laugh. What the fuck? It's like he didn't even hear a word you said.

"You're a fucking joke is what you are, Caleb Xia." You spat, eyes brimming with tears. "Since her safety's such an important priority in your life that you barely even act like my boyfriend anymore, I'll leave so you can devote allll your time to making sure she's safe and sound."

Without thinking, you wrench open the half-open door with way too much force and angrily stomp out, rushing down flights of stairs clumsily. Only then did Caleb seem to realise the gravity of the situation and dashed to chase after you after a few seconds of standing frozen in place.

You ran, and ran, and ran. The twinkling stars and moon were the only things that illuminated your path, leading you away from that cursed apartment complex. What was once your safe space quickly turned into a hurtful reminder that you would never measure up to MC in Caleb's eyes.

You could feel him close behind, heavy leather boots slamming down onto concrete. Thump, thump, thump.

I can't let him catch up to me. You put all of your previous training and spontaneous workout sessions to good use, and pushed a little bit more. You could feel your legs burning, your lungs desperate for oxygen, your blood rushing to your muscles instead of your head - you couldn't even tell where you were going.

You ran until your ears recognised the familiar creaking of wood - you were on the dock where Caleb had confessed to you. It only made your heart ache even more, like your subconscious was drawing you towards him.

Now, even more disoriented and desperate to escape, you pushed yourself even harder to the brink of collapse, only to realise you were running straight for the ocean, and it was too late to stop.

"___!" Caleb calls out in a panic, and you can hear that he was only at the start of the dock, while you were fast approaching the edge.

With a heavy heart and a barely functioning brain at that point, you could only register water engulfing your form completely, and sinking, sinking, sinking... until the black expanse of the abyss claimed your consciousness.

"This is where it all ends for me, isn't it?"

You were putting away the plates when suddenly, your phone lit up. Zayne. “I won’t be coming home tonight. MC isn’t doing too well.” The message read. Short and simple, as straightforward as he usually was. However, these words still managed to pierce through your heart, leaving frosty icicles in their wake. It felt like he was never home. And on the days he actually was, you would only manage to exchange a few words with him before he ate and went to bed.  And whenever he was at the hospital, high chances he would be spotted with MC. You had tried to ignore the occasional whispers from some staff commenting on how cute Zayne and MC looked together, but it would secretly hurt your feelings deep down, no matter how deep you buried these comments in the back of your mind. You knew Zayne loved you, and you knew he loved you dearly, but you couldn’t help the way your gaze drifted enviously to images of him and MC together, no matter if it was recent or if it were photos from their childhood. 

It’s selfish for me to think this way. Anyways, MC has been his friend since he was a kid, I’m being irrational. You knew that dating one of the best doctors in Linkon wouldn’t always be sunshine and rainbows. Zayne wasn’t just any doctor, he was quite literally THE doctor – entered medical school at 15, and graduated with his certification for cardiology about half a decade later. You knew that someone with his skills and proficiency would be busy almost 24/7, but you couldn’t help but feel a little neglected. You were his girlfriend after all, shouldn’t he be paying some attention to you too? You had fallen for the way he was a quiet lover, how he would notice the smallest things about you – your unconscious habits, which foods you liked, which foods you disliked, your hobbies and interests. The way he would sit with you to eat lunch when you were admitted to the hospital, even though he had just finished a gruelling and tiring surgery. The way he would drop a few sweets into your hands before you left his office. “If  you feel fatigued throughout the day, a small amount of sugar can help with spiking your blood glucose levels for a short period of time.” 

The following few days merged together into a blur of time. Your routine was the same: Wake up to an empty bed, go to work, come back, and go to sleep alone. You tried to visit the hospital a few times, even waking up earlier to prepare a lunch box for Zayne, planning to deliver it around lunch. One of the days, you were successful in giving him the meal, but you only saw him for a fleeting moment when he thanked you with a kiss on the cheek and hurried off to Astra knows where. The kiss made your heart flutter, but you didn’t have time to say or do anything else before his back was already turned to you. You tried to chase after him, but stopped in your tracks after he turned the corner, only to be greeted by MC linking arms with him and skipping down the hallway while dragging him along. Sigh. Whatever, it’s nothing. You thought.

Feeling defeated, you decided to go to one of the more secluded areas of the hospital grounds to eat your lunch. Nevertheless, your spirits were lifted after a stray cat came near where you were seated and purred affectionately. How cute!

Your phone displays ‘2.09am’ when you finally hear the front door open with a creak, and leather shoes hitting the ground. “Zayne.” You called out gently, as if he was going to slip through your fingers if your voice was too stern. That was certainly what it felt like. “Yes, my love?” He responded, hanging his jacket by the door. The words felt like they were stuck in your throat before you spoke.  “We need to talk.” 

It didn’t go as bad as you expected. You had been prepared for a full-blown argument, coupled with furious accusation and blames, maybe one or two tears, but none of that happened. You conveyed your feelings clearly – you told Zayne that you felt slightly neglected, and that you would like him to spend more time with you when he wasn’t caught up in work. He acknowledged your frustration. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise I was making you feel like that. I’ll try my best to clear my schedule.” He said. “Speaking about spending time with you, your birthday is coming up soon, correct? I promise I’ll have dinner with you that day, okay?” Zayne holds out his pinky to you, and you wrap your pinky around his with a gleeful smile. You could feel your heart rate picking up at the tender contact before you spoke. “Thank you, Zayne.” 

You were glad you spoke to him that day. You had managed to clear up how you felt, and you felt relieved. “I’m glad I chose such an understanding man to love.” You sighed longingly. 

The following few days, you ardently anticipated your birthday, excited to finally get some time alone with your boyfriend. You had gotten your most precious outfit washed, dried and ironed. It was in your favourite colour, and your favourite style. However, the material was expensive, so you only wore it on special occasions, afraid the fabric might get snagged on something or acquire a stain. You spent the first half of the day hanging out with your friends from your job, going around Linkon, window shopping and just having a blast overall. And you may or may not have splurged on a few accessories to go with your outfit… you cursed your friends for being enablers as you looked at the charges on your card. Of course, it wasn’t that bad, as it was only a few accessories, but you felt like an over-consumer with the way you would only be wearing them for tonight and probably never after your birthday due to your job as a hunter. “You could always donate them to me, you know!” Tara exclaimed as you rolled your eyes and shoved her teasingly. “Don’t be ridiculous, Tara.” Simone said. But those few hundred dollars missing from your bank account was all worth it in the end! (totally…) 

In your home, you were styling yourself just a few hours before your scheduled dinner, with Tara and Simone by your side as your self-proclaimed  ‘advisors’. “Ooh, that pin would go great with your shoes!” Tara chattered. She was energetically bobbing all over the place, rummaging through the accessories that you had bought. Simone, on the other hand, was quieter, and nodded or shook her head based on how much she agreed with Tara’s suggestions. By 5p.m, your friends were swooning over your look, showering you with compliments. “You look so good! I’m head over heels.” Tara dramatically said, placing a hand over her heart and sighing dreamily. Simone laughed. “Agreed. You do look stunning, birthday girl.” She said with a smile. You smiled back at the both of them, and once they hung out at your house for a little longer, they scurried off, not wanting to disturb your final preparations for the date – not before giving you the presents they had prepared for you. Tara, a life-sized plushie of your favourite animal, and Simone, a special cloth to clean your hunter weapon with. 

With a pep in your step, you headed to the restaurant that Zayne had booked for the both of you. He hadn’t reached yet, but you were 15 minutes early, so it was fine. You shot him a quick text to let him know that you were here already. It took a few minutes, but your message eventually had a ‘read’ sign at the bottom, and the three dots that indicated Zayne was typing appeared not long after. Alright. Be there soon.  Short and concise, as usual.

You occupied yourself by reading the menu and ordering some appetisers that both you and your boyfriend would like. You were delighted to see some of your favourite foods on the menu. How sweet of Zayne to pick a place with all the foods I like to eat. You thought. 

5 minutes passed, and another 5, and another 5. And before you knew it, half an hour had passed. Now, you weren’t the one that was 15 minutes early – Zayne was the one that was 15 minutes late. Trying to pay it no mind, you brushed it off as him finishing up some final documents or just being stuck in a traffic jam on the way to the restaurant. But after another 30 minutes, you couldn’t ignore it anymore. Usually, he would send you a text if he was going to be late, no? You tried to text him, but was met with no response. Not even a ‘read’, or a simple 2 or 3 worded answer. Maybe his notifications were just silent? Frustrated at the pitiful stares you were getting from staff and customers alike, you huffed and decided to just scroll social media instead. That’s when you saw it. 

A post from MC, just 5 minutes ago. In the photo, she was in Zayne’s office, happily taking a selfie with him, holding up a peace sign, while a small grin could be seen on his face. The photo had been edited, with a few stickers around both their faces and their surroundings. It was captioned, “The best doctor in Linkon! Thanks for working overtime for me~” 

At first, the post itself pissed you off – you were sitting here in a restaurant alone and getting pitied by onlookers, with the food getting cold on your table,and your boyfriend had the gall to be with another woman? On your birthday, no less. Then, you looked harder, closer at the image. And then you felt downright furious. In the photo, Zayne’s phone could be spotted on his desk, lighting up with notifications from your messages. You gripped your phone harder, feeling the buttons dig into your skin. Overcome by fury and gloom, you couldn’t stop the stray tears that managed to escape your eyes. I shouldn’t be feeling like this. Trying to reason with yourself, you tried to convince yourself that MC needed that extra care, and that it was just a small matter. But was it really? You had every right to feel angry. Your own boyfriend stood you up! On your birthday! You bit your lip, trying to muffle any sobs that were threatening to spill over your lips.

“Hello there,  looks like you’re all alone. May I sit with you?” A silken smooth voice calls from above your lowered head. You look up to see a silver haired man with blood red eyes, dressed to the nines. A black leather jacket embroidered with red details, and matching black pants that made his legs look impossibly long. Wanting to save yourself from looking pitiful any longer, you quickly nodded and lowered your head again, not wanting him to see you in this state. You can feel his stare bore into your head, and he hesitantly speaks. “It’s okay, no need to hide your tears. What happened here? It’s impossible that a beauty like you was stood up.” 

The stranger’s comment only fueled the tears in your eyes as you looked up at him. “How did you manage to guess exactly what happened? You’re observant.” You said with a humourless laugh. His gaze softened. “It wasn’t hard to guess. I’ve seen that look many times before.” You were reluctant to speak any more, and instead put your phone, which was still displaying MC’s post, down on the table with a bit more force than necessary. The stranger curiously glances at it, but his eyes quickly dart away from the phone. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about it. By the way, I never got your name.” He says. 

“___” You reply curtly, now looking him straight in the eyes, trying to rub the tears from yours. “A beautiful name for a beautiful person.” The stranger replies without missing a  beat. That got a genuine chuckle out of you, and you found yourself asking for his name as well. Sylus, he told you. What a nice name. Suits him. You thought to yourself. That brought you to the question of – what made him sit with you anyway? From what you could tell, there were still a few vacant tables in the establishment. Maybe you just looked so pitiful he felt compelled to sit with you. “You know, you have a really nice laugh. You shouldn’t let someone’s careless actions dampen your mood.” Sylus comments suddenly. You smile genuinely at him, and thanked him for the compliment. 

The both of you talk for a little while, and you felt like conversation just flowed so easily with him, even though he was a stranger. You also eat the food that you had ordered beforehand, before you finally called it a day and called for the bill. But when it arrived, he snatched it from your hands in the politest way you could snatch something, and placed his card face down onto it. Surprised, you tried to replace it with your own card,  but you were stopped by him. “Don’t worry, it’s on me this time. I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.” He says, grinning. “This time? So there’s going to be more of these meetings?” You tease. He chuckles before answering immediately, “Maybe. Who knows?” 

It felt like the weight of the world was lifted off your shoulders after that meeting with Sylus. After exchanging contact information, he offered to drop you off at your house, but you politely declined, insisting that you could get home by yourself. He nodded, and drove off in that motorcycle of his. How cool. Your spirit was no longer dampened by being stood up as you walked into your shared home with Zayne, flopping down onto the couch. Although it was far from the ideal birthday, you were glad you got to spend valuable time with your dearest friends, and even potentially have made a new one. You took a quick shower before tucking yourself under the covers, watching whatever you wanted before bed. After a few minutes, the fatigue from spending most of the day outside caught up to you, and your eyes quickly closed shut as soon as you plugged in your phone and rolled on your side. 

However, your beauty sleep was short-lived. You were abruptly awoken by the opening of the front door and hurried footsteps inside the house. Irritated, you checked your phone. 11:39pm. Okay, it wasn’t an ungodly hour, but you were still irked at being so suddenly awoken. When your bedroom door opens, you are greeted by your boyfriend (did you even want to call him that anymore?) standing in the doorway, breathing unevenly and his tie half-loosened. “Well, are you going to come in?” You asked sarcastically. 

When his ragged breathing evened out, he started his apology speech. “I’m so sorry about forgetting our appointment, I truly am. I- MC just needed me at that moment, I couldn’t just-” Zayne stuttered out, his usually composed demeanor slowly crumbling to dirt. You let him ramble about MC’s needs being urgent and how your date just slipped his mind before cutting him off. “Zayne, I can see that you’re apologetic. But you clearly can’t make enough time for me, which is apparent from today, and the numerous other times you’ve cancelled on me at the last minute or just stood me up completely.” You begin. As if he could sense what was coming next, Zayne hurriedly scrambled for something to say. 

“Zayne, I think we should break up.” You continued, not letting him get a single word in. 

He seemed to understand that you wanted to speak, and he slowly backed off. “This isn’t the first time I’ve felt neglected by you, Zayne. I’ve tried to communicate this to you multiple times, and it felt like this time, something would finally change. I thought that we would finally be able to spend a nice dinner together without you having to leave halfway or being diabolically late.” Pausing to try to articulate your words, you went on, “I understand that MC’s condition is fragile, and that you are her personal doctor. But…” This felt incredibly selfish to say, but if you didn’t tell Zayne, it would linger on your mind forever. “...I can’t help but feel a little envious of the way the both of you interact. Your interactions with her seem so much more natural, and you get to spend more time with her on a regular basis. It’s…bad for my heart, to put it simply.” You laughed, feeling the slightest bit stupid. It seemed so trivial, now that you spoke about it. 

“You know I love you…” Zayne said, his voice trailing off. “I know you do, Zayne. But these words don’t mean a whole lot when your actions keep contradicting them. I know you love me, but…I don’t think it's the best course of action for us to remain together. Look at you, all dishevelled, Zayne. I hate to see you like this.” You tell him softly, eyes scanning over his distraught expression. His face seems to fall as he just accepts the reality of it all. He nods slowly, like he was in disbelief. “I… I respect your decision, ___. I’ll sleep on the couch tonight, then. Good night.” 

“Good night, Zayne.”

As lavish and glamorous as this event seemed, you felt overwhelmed. It had been hours, and your head was pounding. You couldn't even remember what the purpose of the event was at this point-- 'something about a King's birthday...?' You thought, trying to recall the details on the piece of parchment that your family had received.

"My lady, are you feeling alright?" A hushed voice snapped you out of your thoughts, and a lock of silvery hair brushed against your ear. Ah, Sylus, your knight. He had been your knight since the both of you were children, so he knew you from the inside out. Your parents tried suggesting a change of your personal knight in the past, or even having an additional knight by your side so you could get familiar with the other guards in the castle. However, you were always quick to shut down the idea, insisting that Sylus was doing his job perfectly. As for the additional knights that your parents tried to implement, they usually lasted a few weeks by your side before they seemed to get scared away by something...

"The air here is suffocating." You breathed, tapping your fingers impatiently on the glass you were holding. You gazed at the contents inside, wondering if you should take a sip, but the sickly sweet scent of the drink quickly demolished that idea. "I wish to leave, but alas, I have to keep up appearances."

Sylus smirks. "How unfortunate." His tone suggests that he has no intention of helping you find a way out, but you knew him better than that. Sylus scans across the room, searching for a way to exit discreetly. After a few beats of silence between the two of you, he spots a door at the corner of the crowded ballroom, and leads you to it wordlessly. He lets you step outside first, and before he exits himself, he looks around, making sure that no one saw you two.

The outdoor air felt deliciously refreshing on your skin. After hours of being cooped up in the ballroom, this was the best thing you could have asked for. The night sky, littered with glittering stars and constellations, was a pleasant change from the glaring and overstimulating crystal ceiling of the castle. You weren't familiar with the layout of the foreign castle, but you could recognize that the place that you were in was the royal gardens. Carefully trimmed bushes and flourishing roses lined the paths, leading to various places.

"Where shall we go, my darling knight?" You inquired, turning to face Sylus. He rolls his eyes at the nickname, but ultimately lists a few options. "There's a flower display with a fountain to our left, and a pond with a gazebo to our right. It's up to you, lady __." You ponder for a moment, and you ended up deciding on the gazebo.

It wasn't a long walk from the castle, but it put enough distance between you and the ballroom to ease your headache from the noise. The once overwhelmingly loud chatter from the ballroom dimmed into a faint hum in the background.

The garden was beautiful, breathtakingly so. A circular pond made up most of the section you had walked into, reflecting the twinkling stars, with a short bridge connecting to the gazebo. Even though there were railings along the bridge, your knight still gingerly took your hand as he guided you across.

Despite the darkness of the night, the warm lanterns hung around the gazebo emitted just enough light for you to see the various lily pads floating on the water and the koi fish swimming underneath. You reached over the railings from where you sat to skim your fingers along the surface of the water, admiring how the light seemed to dance and sway along with your movements.

When you turn around to face Sylus, you find that he is already looking at you.

"Come sit, what are you doing just standing there?" You laugh playfully, clasping his hands in yours to drag him to sit beside you. Smiling gleefully, you say, "Isn't this wonderful? The atmosphere here feels so different from just ten minutes ago. The lighting here also gives me less of a headache then that giant crystal ball they call a chandelier." Sylus nods in agreement, crimson eyes still fixed on you.

You tilt your head, curious about why he wasn't saying anything.

"The lighting from the lanterns makes you look even more beautiful, your grace." He mumbles it quietly, but you still catch it anyway. Sylus looks away, seemingly embarrassed, and you decide to tease him just a little. "What? I didn't quite catch that, my ears are still ringing from the music in the ballroom." You start, cupping your hands around your ears.

He glances back at you, mouth pressed into a thin line. Of course he could tell you were joking, but his ears turned the slightest bit red anyway. Sylus hesitates for a moment before repeating himself louder. "I said, the lighting here enhances your beauty, princess ___." He says gruffly, clearing his throat.

Smiling, you lean on his shoulder and hook your arm around his. "That's good to hear. Thank you, Sylus." He simply nods.

The both of you sit like that in silence for a while, and you were starting to get bored. You didn't know when the party would end, but from the way the silhouettes of the orchestra were still fervently moving, you guessed it wasn't anytime soon. Your eyes darted around the surroundings, before you finally got an idea.

"Sylus, let's dance!" You propose, getting up and tugging him up with you. Your knight quirks an eyebrow at you. "Why the sudden burst of energy?" He asks.

"I'm bored to half-death, and it would be a waste of good music to let this moment slip by!"

"I thought you said that the music was giving you a splitting migraine just now?"

"...whatever. Just get up here and dance with me, please?"

You knew that he wouldn't refuse. He never did.

"Alright, at least let me ask you formally first. It would be rude of me not to." Sylus grins. "Lady ___, would you let me have this dance?"

You nodded enthusiastically, taking his hand in yours and letting him spin you around. The two of you danced for a good while, twirling and prancing around with uncoordinated steps. After all, there were no nobles or royals around to watch you, so all normal dancing etiquette was thrown out of the window. As a knight, Sylus wasn't even supposed to be dancing with you like this, a protective hand on your waist and fingers intertwined with yours.

After what felt like forever, the both of you finally stopped dancing, stamina drained from silly leaps in the air and overly exaggerated twirls. Out of breath, you looked up at Sylus and grinned. Obviously, he wasn't as exhausted as you, but his hair was the perfect balanced between tousled and neat. You threw your arms around his shoulders and smiled into his jacket, suddenly overcome with a wave of appreciation for him.

"Thank you, Sylus. For all of this. It really means a great deal to me." Your voice was muffled. As his arms snake around you, you hear his voice, "No need to thank me, I was only doing my duty as your knight, your gr-"

You cut him off, telling him that it was alright to use your name as it was just the two of you around. And you swore you could hear the proud smirk in his voice as he said, "Alright, ___. I'll do whatever you say." You could feel your face warm up due to Sylus' silky smooth voice, and you suddenly felt oddly flustered.

So you did the first thing that came to mind.

You slipped out of his arms and started running back to the palace, yelling out behind you. "People-- are going to get-- suspicious if we're gone for -- too long!" You shout between breaths, tripping on your precariously long skirt every few seconds.

Even though you could see him pinch his nose bridge and sigh in frustration, it was hard to miss the adoring glint in his eyes as he hurriedly ran to catch up with you.

--

“Hey, would I be a bother if I sit here?” You asked the blond. Albedo barely flicked his eyes over to you before he shook his head, laser-focused on the various equipment sitting on the table. Trying to make minimal noise in fear of distracting him, you sat on the spare chair normally meant for Sucrose to observe Albedo and take notes, watching how his brilliant teal eyes followed the reactions produced by the different chemicals mixing together in the flask, nimble hands jotting down notes on a piece of paper.

At this point, you were barely focused on how the acid dripped from the burette into the beaker. Instead, your eyes traced Albedo’s facial features;  the way his pupils would dilate when the experiment yielded results, the way he would bite on his lip while trying to get the exact measurements, the way his hair would barely move with how still he was when focused. The details of how everything went down that day was permanently etched into your mind, keeping you awake at night at times. Somedays, you begin to reminisce … 

“Albedo, can I tell you something?” He turns to you,  pen and clipboard still in hand, but eyes now focused on you.  The gesture which showed he was paying attention to you made your breath hitch. You turned your head to the side for a moment, trying to regain your composure. “It’s something I’ve been wanting to get off my chest for a while.” You began,  breath barely above a whisper. “I… I have feelings for you, Albedo. Not just platonic ones, but something more than that. I have romantic feelings for you, Albedo.” You still remember how he merely blinked at you a few times, causing you to fall into an awkward ramble. “But it’s fine if you don’t reciprocate! I won’t fault you for it, it’s perfectly fine-”

You still remember how he cut you off by grabbing your hands in his, stationery long forgotten. You still remember how he silently nodded his head, reassuring you that he indeed reciprocated your feelings. You still remember how he gently motioned for you to rest your head on his shoulder, and him trying his best not to move too much in fear of causing you discomfort. You still remember how that day, you drifted off to sleep on your new lover’s shoulder, and being tucked soundly into bed the next morning.

Ah, that feeling. You can’t put your finger on exactly how it felt. But if you were to try, you’d describe it as… heavy and weightless simultaneously.

Albedo’s way of loving wasn’t reckless  or the type that made you feel like you were soaring high up in the sky, it was the type of love that was like a subtle peek of the head from behind a wall; brewing a mug of whatever beverage you preferred when you came over, purchasing a chair with cushioning specifically for you to sit in, and going out of his way to run errands for you when you;’re occupied, regardless of how busy he was.

Maybe you weren’t there to witness him actually doing said things, but his actions spoke volumes about how much he loved you more than words could.

Love is such a funny thing, isn’t it? Everyone has their own unique experiences, some finding true love during their teenage years and some feeling like they’ll pass on before experiencing love. But that’s the beauty of it. You’ll never know what to expect when you enter a new relationship. Maybe it’ll end in a recital of vows, and maybe it’ll end with salty tears dripping onto floorboards. There’s really no way to tell how it’ll end from how it starts. 

That’s what you think when you lie on your bed, waiting for your lover to come home. This was becoming a common occurrence, you watching the hour hand spin from nine to twelve, with no sign of your lover coming back any time soon, until you hear the front door creak open. As soon as the sound reaches your ears, you walk out of the bedroom, almost immediately bombarding Albedo with a series of questions, “Where have you been? It’s already past midnight! Are you alright? Was work okay today?” 

He would always gently pat your shoulders and reassure you that he was just fine, and that it was expected that his occupation would force him to frequently work overtime, ending off with “Thank you for worrying about me, dear,” paired with a peck on the forehead.

But you should’ve known. Should’ve known that one day, this ‘routine’ would grow old, and he would grow tired of it. 

Again. Again you were home alone after dark, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the clock. You knew this feeling all too well. From reassuring you and answering your incessant questions, Albedo had started to simply nod and brush past you to walk straight to bed after coming home with no further interaction with you. You had a feeling this time was going to be no different as well.

Tears filled your eyes just thinking about it, the numbers and hands on the clock all merging together to form a puddle of colours. You absentmindedly locked your hands together as a way to make them stop shaking. What went wrong along the way? Have I not been good enough of a lover? Am I too overbearing? Clingy? These thoughts invaded your head as your gaze lowered to the floorboards, clenched fists trembling when you tried to lift them in a feeble attempt to wipe your tears. 

You’ve tried to communicate this to Albedo multiple times. You’ve tried to tell him you felt neglected at times, and that you would appreciate it if he could give you a tad bit more attention. However, this ‘communication’ was all for naught. Your lover would just give you promises that he would show you more affection, promises that you would soon find out were all empty. 

Love shouldn’t feel like this. Love shouldn’t feel like a fist gripping your heart so hard it hurts. Love shouldn’t feel like nails scratching on iron walls, trying to escape. Love shouldn’t feel like your throat is constricting, while you helplessly gasp for air.  

Something had to be done about this ‘love’.

The familiar sound of the front door opening had no effect on you anymore. Instead of jumping out of bed to greet Albedo like a puppy, you stayed put in bed, waiting for him to come to you instead. “Dear.” Your lover’s silky voice filled the silence as he walked into the bedroom. It was obvious that you had recently cried, with the way your eyes were slightly bloodshot and the way your breathing was still uneven. “Are you alright, __?” You almost let out a laugh at his question. What did it look like? You took a few moments to regulate your breathing and to regain your composure before finally speaking. 

“What does it look like to you, Albedo? No, I’m doing just fine.” You barked, voice laced with sarcasm. Perhaps you didn’t mean for it to come out like that, but maybe it was the weeks worth of pent up frustration finding a way to manifest.

Albedo looked taken aback at your tone, at a loss for words. 

Taking his silence as a queue to elaborate, you continued, “I’m sorry for speaking to you like that. However, I’ve been meaning to have a serious conversation with you for some time.” 

You could see how he tried to turn away, trying to find an excuse to leave the exchange, knowing full well what was coming next.

“Don’t try to run away from this, Albedo.” Your tone was harsh, freezing him in his place. 

After a few minutes of awkward silence and shuffling around, the both of you were situated at opposite ends of the bed, and you were clutching a pillow while trying to articulate what you truly felt to him.

At first, your relationship and the love Albedo gave you felt like a blooming rose, layers of wine red petals unfurling and flourishing within you. However, with each passing day, the red began to dull, and the thorns on the stem became more and more apparent, piercing straight through you. But your bleeding heart still desperately poured blood unto the rose, as if trying to paint the wilting petals with colour again with the red liquid.

“I just feel like you’ve been…busy. I know it’s not your fault, and I should’ve known you would be busy, but I don’t wish to be unhappy like this any longer. Every night, I wait for you to come home, only for you to disregard me and go to bed straight away. And if I try to talk to you in the mornings, I can’t, ‘cause you’re off to your laboratory even before I wake up.” You take a deep breath before continuing, “So I’ll say this now– I’m breaking up with you.”

The words hung heavy in the air, feeling like a rope around your neck.

Honestly, you didn’t know you expected Albedo to say in response to you, but it definitely wasn’t a simple ‘okay’. “Okay…?” You parroted back to him in disbelief. “You have nothing else to say?” He nodded. You were in shock, but the realisation gradually set in.

If he didn’t care about your feelings before, why would he care about them now?

How stupid you were; to believe that he would finally care, finally listen and not just hear you this time. You just thought that maybe he would try to salvage the relationship; plead for forgiveness, or maybe even get on his knees as a show of repentance. But there was none of that– there were only those turquoise eyes that you once found so magnificent staring back at you blankly, the blue-green hues seeming dull to you now.

“Well, we’re done then.” You state firmly. “I’ll pack up my things by tomorrow afternoon and leave.” 

You then turn and slam the door shut behind you.

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

The citizens in Inazuma didn’t have to leave that question to their imagination, as they were now experiencing it first hand. You could see those people who were stripped of their visions slowly lose that special spark that they always had, gradually turning into shells of their former selves.

You had witnessed one of your friends, a former vision wielder, have their vision forcefully taken from them in front of a sea of people, at the hands of the Raiden Shogun. The pure terror and hopelessness in their eyes and the way they pleaded for it back was enough to make your blood run cold. 

However, in the midst of all this horror and uncertainty, you found solace in a quiet, silver-haired poet called Kazuha.

You had met him on the shores of the city, sitting atop a tree near the waters. You had gone there for a bit of peace and quiet, further away from the city, leaving any worries you had far behind. Luckily for you, the soldiers usually patrolling the nation were not present, probably somewhere else harassing an innocent civilian for their vision. However, you had felt an unfamiliar presence near you.

Thinking it could be one of the soldiers, you whipped your head around, scanning over the vicinity. Then, your eyes landed on a figure sitting in a tree, gazing into the distance.

His silver hair and the single red streak that ran through it enraptured you, unconsciously making you drawn to him. 

The man didn’t seem like he could cause you any harm,  so you decided to join him up on the tree, but not before making your decision known to him lest he got startled and started acting in self defence.

“Hey, you mind me coming up there?” You asked, waiting for his response. The stranger gave you a quick nod of approval, accompanied by a charming smile. Even though the corners of his lips merely turned upwards slightly, it was enough to stun you for a moment and make your heart skip a beat. Without hesitating further, you hoisted yourself up onto the branch that the man was sitting on. 

Numerous shades of red and hues of scattered orange painted the once cerulean afternoon sky, the sun disappearing into the horizon through the sea. It was strangely comforting, watching the sunset with some random stranger that you had only met minutes before.

The noise from the city slowly faded, the almost always present laughs and cries of the children growing fainter by the minute, everyone retiring to their homes before the sun set.

This change in atmosphere made you feel more at ease, and your body sank into the peaceful ambience. 

However, before the sun had fully set, the stranger had turned towards you and said, “The soldiers will be here to patrol soon, when the sun sets. Would you mind if I walked you home?” He jumped off the tree, then extended his hand out to you as an offer. It was safe to say you were thoroughly surprised by this, but nevertheless, you took his hand in yours and hopped off the tree as well.

You felt the bandages that wrapped around his hands graze yours, which had sparked your curiosity about him even further. Was he a swordsman? You wondered. Without another word being said, you started to walk back to your house. A nagging part at the back of your mind had told you it was dangerous to share your address with some stranger, buy you had felt comfortable around him, like his presence eased your nervousness about everything that was going on. 

The breeze that you had felt on the sea shores significantly lessened when you had reached your home.

“This is my house.” You told him, turning to go inside. That was when you had realised that your hand was still in his, and the texture of his bandages was still present on your hands.

“Ah! I’m so sorry, I didn’t notice…” You hastily apologised, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. He was just as quick to reassure you, “Don’t worry about it.” As you turned around to head inside again, you could have sworn that he wanted to say something else.

Your suspicions proved to be correct when he tapped you on the shoulder and whispered, “My name…is Kaedehara Kazuha. I enjoyed your company today, if you would like to accompany me on occasions like this again, you can find me at the same spot.”

And he was gone from your sight, as swift as the wind. 

What a strange man. You thought, but decided to consider his offer anyway. The evening with him had calmed your frayed nerves about the dire situation in Inazuma, anyways. Kaedehara Kazuha. “What a pretty name.”  You muttered, tucking yourself into bed.

That night, your dreams had contained a strange amount of vermillion red. 

As the sun rose the next day, you found yourself walking towards the very same place that you had been yesterday. And on that very same tree, sat the very same silver-haired young man, now with a pen and paper in his hands, gazing whimsically into the distance.

This time, you did not hesitate in climbing up the tree, sitting next to him, closer than the day before. Kazuha did not seem startled, even offering you a kind smile.

“I’ve been stuck on this poem for a while, do you mind helping me?” He asked, holding the piece of paper towards you.

It was slightly yellowed, with small tears forming at the corners of it. Your eyes then travelled to the words written on the paper, each one acting as a singular thread, weaving and intertwining with each other, creating a beautiful masterpiece. His choice of words was perfect, there was no way you could criticise  his existing work. The poem painted a picture, and you had to continue it like a movie scene. 

From then on, your meet-ups had gotten more frequent, and you started meeting up in other places than the tree. Sometimes, the both of you would stroll through the city in the evening, savouring the momentary bliss before the soldiers increased their alertness during nightfall. Other times, when the wind called out to Kazuha stronger than usual, you would pack a light lunch to carry along with you to eat. It consisted of a few slices of toasted bread, a stick of butter to compliment it, and lastly, one grilled fish.

The meal was simple, but filled both yours and Kazuha’s stomachs for the rest of the afternoon. After that, you would chat with him as the gentle breeze caressed your face, allowing you to shut your eyes and simply enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.

Through these chats, you learned that he had another friend once, named Tomo. 

Kazuha then told you the entire story, staring wistfully at the ground after he finished. The area around you seemed to quieten, the silence weighing heavy on your chest, and you then noticed the electro vision hanging next to his anemo one.

His experience was similar to your own, making you recall the look in your friend’s eyes after their vision was confiscated from them. You laid a hand on the man’s shoulder, the simple action speaking a thousand words all at once.

“I’m…sure he was an amazing person.” You said, still slightly unsure if that was the correct thing to tell Kazuha. After all, what was the best thing to say to a person in a situation like this? You’ve always felt like ‘I’m sorry’ wasn’t quite right, as it wouldn’t do anything to comfort the person. He nodded his head. “Indeed.”

That day, you felt like you grew significantly closer to him, and got to know him on a more personal level than most people, perhaps. It made you feel special, like he truly trusted you. Over time, you developed more…intense feelings towards him. It went beyond just friendship; you wanted to hold him in your arms, wanted his flowery poems to be written with you in mind, wanted him to stay with you, and not become a fleeting memory. 

And on one windy day, you had tried your hand at poetry earlier in the morning. It wasn’t anything as fancy or intricate as Kazuha’s. just a simple piece professing your love to him. 

From the brightest winter star, to the shimmer of an amethyst,

nothing could even hold a candle to you, Kaedehara Kazuha.

Similarly, no amount of existing words can proficiently explain

this feeling I feel towards you.

Far beyond mere friendship, perhaps dwindling on the line

of unrelenting adoration.

So, would you grant me this honour to be yours,

until the end of time?

And on that day, you climbed up the tree as usual, taking your regular spot next to Kazuha. “Here. I dabbled in poetry today, and I thought you would like to read it.” You spoke, placing the poem in his hands. Kazuha smiled, admitting, “I’ve always wondered what kind of poetry you would write should you have written some. I look forward to reading this.”

You planned to give him the piece of parchment and run all the way home, but now your panicked nerves wouldn’t allow your fight or flight reactions to activate, instead opting to freeze instead. Your eyes carefully scanned Kazuha, looking for any signs of disdain or a downturn of his lips that showcased his discomfort towards your confession.

However, his eyes widened as his eyes travelled down the parchment, his head resting on his fist. Kazuha’s cheeks turned red, and he stuttered out, “I am not usually at a loss for words…but…yes, I would be honoured for you to be mine, and I yours, until destiny do us apart.” 

And from that day on, the both of you would savour each peaceful moment with each other. Sometimes taking a stroll around Inazuma and picking up Sea Ganodermas in the shallow waters, sometimes just quietly sitting side by side.

On one of your dates walking through the city, a keychain in the shape of an orange maple leaf caught your eye, which reminded you of your lover. It was the last one hanging on the hook, and being worried that someone would snag it before you, you let go of Kazuha’s hand and hurriedly dashed towards the store. He was taken by surprise, and was not hesitant to chase after you. 

“Love, what did you run all the way here for-,” His sentence was cut short by you taking one of his hands in yours and dropping the keychain in it.

Smiling, you told him, “This keychain reminded me of you, and it was the last one available, so of course I had to buy it for you!” Kazuha gazed at you fondly while thanking you. His expression, full of sheer adoration, was burned in your memory up until one fateful day. 

The weather was considerably good, with the clouds partially obscuring the sun, allowing a few rays of sunlight to shine through onto the land of eternity. A brisk wind blew through the country, rustling the autumn leaves which fell onto the stony pathways like flakes of snow.

The day before, Kazuha had asked you to meet him at the docks in the early afternoon, just before the sun’s heat became more intense. You went about your day, and when the clock struck around midday, you wandered to the docks of Inazuma.

And sure enough, there was your silver-haired lover, his hand clutched tightly around something. But instead of the usual soft smile he had on his face, his expression was scarily monotone, borderline downcast. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but something about him was off.

Choosing to talk to him to find out what the cause of this was, you gingerly asked him, “Hey, Kazu. What did you ask me to come here for today? We don’t usually come here for dates.” This seemed to perplex Kazuha even further, his lips pressed into a thin line. 

“There is no easy way to say this, my dove, but…I have been hiding for far too long,” Kazuha breathed out, voice shaky. You were confused, his wording now doing the opposite of making you feel at peace.

“Kazuha, what do you mean? Now isn’t the time to use flowery language with me, love. Please tell me what’s happening.” You said, clutching at his arm.

Why did he ask you to come to the docks specifically? What was he hiding? Or hiding from? What was even happening?

Your head spun with the amount of questions you wanted to ask, but you waited for your lover to give you an answer. 

Kazuha couldn’t look you in the eye as he explained, “After Tomo…passed during battle, I stole his vision to have something to remember him by. But that made me a wanted man here, and I am afraid I cannot hide in this nation for any longer. And…” He paused, not sure how to continue.

“I feel…suffocated here. The rules and restrictions imposed here are taking a toll on me, for my heart yearns to travel the world. I long to see the sights and views of other nations, the great mountains of Liyue and the vast deserts of Sumeru. So, forgive me, my dove, but I cannot stay here any longer.” 

The silence after he finished his explanation weighed heavy on your shoulders, making your grip on his arm tighten while you took it all in. During this, Kazuha gently pried open your other clenched fist, and dropped something very familiar into your hands. It was the keychain that you had bought for him a few months back.

“It’s.. something to remember me by as well. I know that you gave it to me as a gift, but if it reminds you of me, then…I want you to keep it close.” Your fingers tightened around the keychain, the spiky edges of it digging into your skin as the full realisation of what was happening hit you like a ton of bricks. 

“So…you’re really leaving, huh? After everything, all the memories…you’re going to leave that all behind, Kazuha?” You whispered, as if afraid saying it too loud would make the impact of the entire thing hit even harder than it already did. Your eyes turned watery, and the tears that had been held back by a desire to not seem weak in front of your lover finally fell, one after the other until it turned into a steady stream of tears.

The clouds seemed to obstruct the sun even more than just now, the rays of light now mostly blocked, save for a faint glow of light shining through. 

Meanwhile, Kazuha was slightly taken aback by the use of his entire name. Usually, you would call him endearments like ‘love’ or a shortened form of his name, ‘Kazu’ being the one he was most fond of. However, there was none of that now.

“I’m sorry, dove. I know this isn’t easy for you, but this will not be our final goodbye, for I will return.” 

You finally mustered up the strength to look up, and you saw that Kazuha’s eyes were now glazing over as well. A feeling of despair washed over you, but what could you do? If he was a wanted man and had the desire to travel the world, then who were you to stop him? As his lover, you could only want the best for him. “I wish the best for you, Kazu. I’ll be just fine here.”

“Don’t wait for me, okay? Live your life, and run. Don’t throw away your freedom for me,” 

Even though you tried your best to sound happy, tears dripped down your face more intensely than before as you smiled sorrowfully at Kazuha, smile not quite reaching your eyes. His resolve seemed to tremble now, gritting his teeth together as he silently shook with sobs. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I promise I’ll come back, one day. Please don’t forget me, my beloved.”

“I’ve liked you for so long, ___. It took me years to gather the courage to say this, so won’t you accept my confession?” 

Light rain drizzled all around you in the early hours of the morning, the sun beginning to paint the midnight sky with brilliant hues of orange and red. The atmosphere was quiet, with nothing but a few birds chirping in the distance. Kaeya held a single cecelia held in his hand towards you, a symbol of the true heart of his unbound soul. 

Both of you had been friends for years, starting when he first arrived in Mondstat as a small child. You would occasionally see him in the marketplace, wandering around with Diluc. Having not seen him around before, you decided to go up to him and start a conversation. “Hello, boy I haven’t seen before! Where are you from?” You guessed he was slightly caught off guard, as he gripped on to Dluc’s arm with widned eyes.

 “I don’t know where he’s from, but he’s my brother, and his name is Kaeya!” Diluc replied, beaming at you. The three of you spent the next few minutes talking about anything and everything, mostly getting to know Kaeya better. He told you about the eyepatch he had in his pocket, explaining to you that tt was a gift from his grandfather, and he wore it when playing pretend pirates with his brother. 

“That’s so cool! We should all play pirates one day!” You exclaimed, fumbling with the eyepatch that Kaeya had let you hold. Diluc suggested that you should come over to the manor and play with them, which you vehemently agreed to. “Sure! I’ll go ask my father, I’m sure he’ll let me go.” And with that, you parted ways with them and headed back home, the afternoon sun still shining brightly in the sky.

As soon as you opened the door to your home, you ran towards your father at an incredible speed, jumping into his open arms. “Father! I’ve been invited to a playdate!” He smiled in amusement, eyes crinkling. “Is that so? Who invited you?” Without hesitation, you told him about your encounter with the Ragnvindr brothers that afternoon, emphasising on Kaeya and his very intriguing eyepatch. However, your fathers face twisted into a frown, much to your confusion. Was he displeased with this information? It couldn’t be. After all, he’s the one who suggeste you go out into the town and make new friends. “As much as I would like you to socalise with other kids from Mondstat, I’m not quite keen on this.”

You tilted your head in confusion, prompting him to elaborate, Your father cleared his throat awkwardly, continuing, “There’s no polite way to say this, my dear child, but I’m afraid that the kid named Kaeya is…bad news.” Not believing your ears, you demanded evidence to support his claim. “No way! He’s a mice person! He even lent me his eyepatch today because I wanted to play with it…” Your father averted his eyes, telling you about how there were rumours circulating about how he might be a child from Khaenri’ah, and that he had been found by the Ragnvindersin the ruins of the fallen nation. “He might be dangerous, and I don’t want you to get hurt/ I only want the best for you, so please trust my decision to keep you safe.” 

A sulky expression made its way onto your face, but you decided to heed your father’s warning, breaking the news to Kaeya and Diluc with tears in your eyes. You left out the information about your father’s opinions towards Kaeya, not wanting to scare away the new friends you made. Kaeya gently patted your shoulder, albeit with slight hesitation. “Awh. Maybe another time then.” 

As years passed, you still regularly met up with the brothers under the guise of going into town to buy groceries. 

But after Crepus’ death, things just weren’t the same anymore. When you attended his funeral, you could feel the tension in the air between the both of them, thick enough that you could cut it with a knife. Getting the feeling that it was a personal dispute, you payed your respects and left after it was over. You just hoped the matter between Diluc and Kaeya would be resolved soon. 

Your prayers were not answered, as the distance between them only seemed to grow whenever you saw them. News spread around about how Diluc left the knights and took over his father’s wine business. Growing worried for them, you decided to pay a visit to the Dawn Winery to check up on them. 

“Hello, Ms/Mr.Mx ____. It’s good to see you again.” The woman you knew as Adeline stood before you, beckoning you inside the house.”Is DIluc or Kaeya home at the moment?” You asked. Her usually vague smile slowly transformed into an unreadable expression, not quite a smile but not a frown either. And on that day, right outside of the place you had so often snuck out of your own home to visit, you learned about Kaeya’s confession of being a spy for his fallen nation and the rift that had been created between the brothers. 

You did not hear from either of them since that day. 

Only after  the next few years, when things had eventually calmed down slightly, did you start getting glimpses of them again. Diluc had secluded himself somewhere in Mondstat, only seen when he’s on bartender duty,  but Kaeya roamed the city much more, appearing in the Angel’s Share almost every night. So you gathered up the courage and finally went to talk to him again. 

The sound of you pushing the heavy wooden door open was drowned out by all the ruckus that the drunkards were making. It was only nine in the evening, but a few of them already had flushed cheeks and spoke in slurs. You guessed that maybe some of them had a  particularly rough day at work. After a quick scan of the tavern, you spotted a head of blue hair sat right in front of the counter. You inhaled and exhaled quickly, making your way to Kaeya before you could chicken out. Your heart was pounding in your heart like you were gong to be put in a cage surrounded by bloodthirsty hounds, and not just going to talk to your childhood friend. 

“Hey.” You nervously tapped his shoulder. What if he didn’t recognise you after you had been apart for so long? You don’t know why, but that thought invoked some unknown feeling in you, like your stomach was being twisted into knots. He turned his head around, and you were met with striking blue eyes. You took in his appearance, noting that he now donned the eyepatch that you had so often played with as children. Kaeya’s eyes blew wide, voice barely above a whisper as he murmured, “___? Is that really you?” That almost made you chuckle. “Who else could it be?” 

Something about the subtle relief in his eyes brought a smile to your face. You sat down on the vacant bar stool beside him and ordered yourself something that you liked. You felt like that day was counted as a special occasion, after all. 

“What brings you here? I’ve never seen you here before.” Although Kaeya’s face was dusted with red, his speech had not been affected by the alcohol yet. You were glad for that, so you could at have a meaningful conversation with him while he was in the right headspace. “So, why’ve you been ignoring me for so long? I feel like its been years since we last talked.” You tried to make your statement sound lighthearted, but it could do nothing to soften the hurt tone lying underneath it. Kaeya seemed to be deep in thought before coming up with a response. 

“I…I thought you would’ve hated me, y’know, with everything that happened. I assume Adeline would have told you if you asked.” Kaeya muttered, clutching the glass in his hand tighter. 

“So you decided the best course of action was to ignore me?” You said, looking up for a moment to receive your drink from Charles with a small ‘thank you’. Kaeya shrugged his shoulders, taking a sip from his glass as if saying, “What else was I supposed to do?” 

You sighed. “Maybe you could tell me the whole story. Why did you do it? I wouldn’t immediately pin you as the villain, you know.” He glanced at you. “Well, I didn’t know whether you would’ve wanted to hear me out…but now I guess that you’ve said that…” You sensed that he wasn’t quite comfortable with discussing such personal matters in public, so the both of you sat there and chatted for awhile, finished your drinks and headed out of the door. 

Kaeya offered his hand out to you with a smirk. “Shall I escort you home?” You shook your head, replying,” Maybe another time. We still have a lot to talk about, after all.” He dropped his smirk and led you to a nearby bench. The atmosphere was quite silent for the city of freedom, the only sounds being the faint cheering that could be heard from the bar and the sound of leaves jostling against each other.

And after that, it took a few minutes of comfortable silence for Kaeya to open up to you about everything, just like that. He told you his side of the story, from start to finish, the remorse that he felt now, and how he wished that he could turn back time. When his voice started to shake, you gently intertwined your hands to ground him. 

After that encounter, the both of you started meeting up increasingly often, having drinks at the tavern or finishing commissions together for some extra mora. Over time, you could feel the wide gap that has been built between you and Kaeya close, bit by bit. You found your gaze lingering on the Calvary Captain for slightly too long sometimes, happening when you were at the Angel’s share, and he was slightly tipsy and spilling drama at work to you, or when his steel sword deflected an attack aimed at your blind spots. Kaeya’s hand lightly brushing  against yours when he was grabbing his drink also occasionally  triggered a light blush on your face. 

Surely, you shouldn’t be thinking about your best friend this way. Was it due to the fact that you haven’t seen him in such a long time, that every small interaction could manage to fill you with such indescribable emotion?

After a few days of coming back from work only to lie in bed and ponder, you have come to the conclusion that you liked Kaeya. You actually liked Kaeya Alberich, your friend since forever. Oh archons, how were you going to work this out? There was no possible way he could like you back, and although it had been years, your father still had not changed his opinion on the Calvary Captain. “I told you he was dangerous.” he would say, 

You carried these personal feelings with you for months, behaviours changing ever so slightly to not make them known to anyone else. Unconsciously drawing your hand back whenever Kaeya’s got too close, and being hyperaware of where the enemies’ attacks were aimed at so he couldn’t get too close to you. You even took up a few more commissions per week than you would usually take so there would be lesser chances of running into Kaeya. Okay, maybe you weren’t that subtle. But who could blame you? Whenever you saw him, it felt like a swarm of butterflies hatched in your stomach and your brain started to reboot. Maybe if you just ignored your feelings, they would eventually go away. 

After a few successful months trying your best to cut down interactions with Kaeya, you were met with quite the surprise.

Right outside your door at an ungodly hour, was Kaeya Alberich. 

“Good morning, ___. I take it you just woke up?”

You nodded.

The two of you conversed for a bit, before the conversation took a slight turn, leading to Kaeya pulling out a bouquet of flowers and shyly confessing, 

“This may a bit sudden to you, but I’ve liked you for so long, ___. It took me years to gather the courage to say this, so won’t you accept my confession?” 

Light rain drizzled all around you in the early hours of the morning, the sun beginning to paint the midnight sky with brilliant hues of orange and red. The atmosphere was quiet, with nothing but a few birds chirping in the distance. Kaeya held a single cecelia held in his hand towards you, a symbol of the true heart of his unbound soul. 

“Kaeya? What are you doing here? It’s five in the morning…” You mumbled, barely registering the words that came out of his mouth. He stayed silent as your brain processed what he said. “Wait- what?” You couldn’t believe your ears. Were you hallucinating? A side effect of being abruptly woken up?

But it didn’t make sense. Haven’t you been interacting with him less the past few months? WHat had prompted this sudden confession out of nowhere. “But…this is way too sudden. We haven’t even talked that much in the past few months.Why are you suddenly confessing to me?”

Of course, natural you were thrilled that the person you liked was right outside your door, professing their feelings to you, wich was a far-fetched dream for others. But you also wanted to know the reasons behind it. What if this was just a spur of he moment thing?

“I-” “___, who’re you talking to?” Before Kaeya could finish speaking, your father’s voice could be heard from behind you. You froze up, knowing his disapproval towards Kaeya. “Oh- it’s just one of my friends-” You sputtered, hurriedly trying to shut the door, but it was too late. Your father had already caught a glimpse of him.

The sleepiness seemed to dissipate from his expression and it quickly turned into one of irritation. “What business do you have here, Mr.Alberich?” Your father asked, his voice adopting a biting tone. 

Kaeya, unaware of just how much your father disliked him, told him the honest truth. This only seemed to make things worse, as your father started to chase him away from the house.

“Someone like you, trying to court my child? How preposterous!” He yelled, trying to get past you to confront Kaeya. The latter was slightly taken aback by his hostility, saying, “I don’t understand, sir-” This only agitated your father even more, compelling him to spill out all the nasty rumors about Kaeya and his past. “I don’t want such a person to even be near my child. Leave now.” 

Kaeya’s eyes widened, mouth twisting into a frown. Were those tears brimming on the edge of his eyes, or just a trick being played by the rising sun? “I…I see. Well, I’ll see you next time, __” He said, and promptly left.

“There won’t be any next time.” Your father grumbled as Kaeya’s figure became smaller and smaller in the distance. “What a troublesome man.” Your father said, and went upstairs with heavy footsteps. The blue hair slowly fading into the sunrise somehow made your heart ache, like Kaeya was a piece of you that was drifting away. 

You stood at your doorstep for a few more minutes, then headed back inside your home to get ready for the day. It’s okay. You reassured yourself. I can talk it out with him today. 

But you didn’t see him that day. Nor the next day. Nor the next. Or the next. Where could he have possibly gone? You’ve tried asking around, but got no actual lead to where he might be.

It was only when you went to the Knights Of Favonuis headquarters, was when Jean told you that he had taken up a more difficult mission just a few days ago. “Is there any particular reason you’re asking me this?” You shook your head, thanking her before rushing out of the office. What had your father done? Maybe if he had just put his prejudices aside for a moment and saw Kaeya for who he actually was, things would have turned out better.

You carried this regret with you for what felt like an eternity. Days blurred into weeks and months, until you realised that nearly two years had passed since that fateful day. Your father saw your heart-rending state and tried to apologise and change his ways, but it did little to mend your broken heart.

When people describe heartbreak, they say it’s like their heart has been split into two, and they had to get up to fix it by themselves or with the help of other people. But for you, it felt like a big chunk of your heart had been torn from you, and you were left to wander the endless universe to find it again. What a sad fate. 

Another few years passed, and you slowly began to live life again. You started going out with your friends more often, sitting in the library for hours poring over storybooks, and going to the marketplace everyday to try new food. Although you still weren’t completely over what happened a few years back, it definitely felt more refreshing to not focus so much on it and start focusing more on what was happening in life. Until one day, while you were out on a commission out on Galesong Hill, you saw a familiar figure out of the corner of your eye.

No. Focus. It couldn’t possibly be him. You ignored it until you heard a silky voice come from behind you. “Did you miss me?” Reluctantly, you turned around and was met face to face with the one and only, Kaeya Alberich. The sun was beginning to set, and it reminded you all to well of the scene that unfolded last time. But this time, it was just the two of you, with nothing but flora surrounding you, and no possible interferences. The poorly stitched together part of your heart that you had tried to replace with other things began to fall apart and bleed, but you nonchalantly accepted it, and ran into Kaeya’s open arms. 

Then you cried. All the built up emotions that you had tried to mask came crashing down, shattering like glass. You tried your hardest to silently sob into his shirt by biting on your lips, but to no avail. But Kaeya didn’t let go. Instead, he rubbed soothing circles on the back of your neck and held you close to him–close enough to feel his heartbeat. It was a comforting feeling, slowly but surely relieving you of any emotional pain you felt. So when you felt a few tears stain the back of your clothes, you didn’t say anything. 

When your tears finally halted and you let go of him, you shouted,, “Of course I missed you! Where have you been all these years?” “I…thought you wouldn’t have wanted to see me after that encounter with your father.” He explained, eyes downcast. This made you demand a proper explanation even more.

“There you go with your self-depreciating attitude again! When will you ever learn that you can just talk to me about any issues you have instead of running away…” You said with gritted teeth, intertwining your hands with hs. Kaeya looked shocked by your sudden outburst, but squeezed your hands and reassured you that he would. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again next time, I promise. I regret ever making you cry like this. When I see you like this and know it’s because of me…it doesn’t invoke nice feelings in me.” 

You sighed. “I’ll accept your apology for now, but later on, you’ll have to give me a better explanation.” Kaeya nodded. 

So why were his legs unable to move an inch while you were in blatant danger?

Jean had called you in the previous day, assigning you a mission that required going up to Dragonspine and clearing some hilichurl camps the next day. They were causing minor disruption, but she didn’t want to risk a possibility of them causing an avalanche. “I suggest departing during the early hours of the morning tomorrow. It’ll make your journey easier as the sun will be at it’s highest point when you reach your destination.” she had said. You nodded in understanding. It was just going into a mountain and eliminating some creatures, how difficult could it be? You heeded her advice, donning multiple layers of thick cotton on yourself when the sun had barely risen and leaving the house, but not before kissing your sleeping lover on the forehead. Even though Kaeya’s eyes were still closed shut, he somehow managed to get ahold of your hand and interlocking your fingers with his. You smiled, now reluctant to leave. “I’ll be back soon, love.” You mumbled softly, afraid of being too loud and disturbing the peaceful silence. He hummed in acknowledgement. 

Trekking up the mountain, you checked the reference sheet that Jean gave you and saw that you were nearly at your destination. You heaved a sigh of relief. Judging by the position of the sun, it was going to be noon soon. Just in time. The low growls and grumbles of the hilichurls made you summon your weapon into your hand, ready to strike at any given time. “Twang!” Swiftly deflecting the arrow that was shot by an archer hilichurl, you noticed that they were now very aware of your presence. The smaller hilichurls immediately charged at you, while the Mitachurl got ready to launch a slime at you. You quickly got rid of the smaller ones, now preparing to strike the Mitachurl in the back, where it was not protected by a shield. It didn’t matter whether you had a pyro vision or not, the risk of you catching yourself on fire due to the burning shield was one you were not willing to take. It was fairly simple, hilichurls weren’t known for their intelligence anyways. 

After getting rid of the next few camps rather quickly, you moved on to the final one that Jean had marked down on the sheet of paper. What you didn’t expect was that there was two abyss mages, one hydro and one cryo to be floating around the vicinity, with a massive lawachurl prowling about as well. This wasn’t what Jean told you. All she said there would be were normal hilichurls, elemental archer hilichurls and a few mitachurls. You were sure you could handle a lawachurl or an abyss mage by itself, but both of them and even more hilichurls combined, you were beginning to doubt your rates of success. Still, you had to try. “Maybe Jean thought I was capable of taking all of them down, and that’s why she sent me.” you thought to yourself, strategising an ambush attack. The cryo and hydro abyss amages would be hell together, but you could lure them to the fire in the middle of the camp to take care of them. As for the lawachurl, you weren’t very sure. Its  strength could surpass yours, and to make matters worse, it had a shield of cryo as well. As there were no mitachurls in sight, the smaller hilichurls woud be a piece of cake to eliminate. Not sure how to get rid of the massive lawachurl, you decided to just cross that bridge when you got there.

Fiddling with a rock in your hand, you shot it at the cryo abyss mage and immediately ran to the fire. All of the enemies were instantly aware of your presence, and charging towards you. With a few rapid swings of your weapon, the normal hilichurls were now no more than dust on the ground, being swept away by the harsh winds. The two abyss mages teleported to where you were standing, their shields being visibly depleted by the heat. They didn’t seem to care, focusing on relentlessly raining sharp icicles and thick water prisons on you istead. If you got hit by both of them, it would sure be a pain in the ass. The ‘frozen’ reaction was not something to be taken lightly; a few moments of paralysis could determine the difference between life and death. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see the lawachurl awaken, unleashing an earth shaking growl and sprinting towards you, each heavy step causing the ground beneath you to vibrate. Anxiety coursed through your brain, suddenly in doubt of your own strength. Could you really take all of them down at once? You shook those thoughts away, now was hardly the time to be faltering. The abyss mages let out a cry of dismay upon the absence of their shields, giving you an opening to attack. You only had time to get them to about half health before there was no possible way you could ignore the lawachurl. It towered over you, with glacial blue icicles protruding from its snow covered form. It would look quite majestic, with the way the icicles reflected the sunlight and how the snow seemed to sparkle in the sun, if your life didn’t depend on whether you could kill this creature. It slammed its fists down on the ground, sharp pieces of ice sprouting from it. You managed to dodge most of them, but one smaller icicle that you didn’t notice got snagged on your pants, ripping a chunk of fabric off. Luckily, you were wearing multiple layers of clothes, so you avoided getting your skin penetrated by it. 

With bated breath, you infused your weapon with pyro from the bonfire (I don’t know if that would actually work) and rammed it into the lawachurl as hard as you could. It worked, it’s cryo shield growing thinner and thinner with each thrust of your weapon. Caught up in the one on one fight with this monster, you forgot about the abyss mages that were limply moving around by the fire. Despite the damage done to them, they could still regenerate their protective shields. You didn’t notice their new shields until you heard the screechy sound of the abyss mages, ready to attack you. The hydro bubble got to you first, trapping you in its suffocating vice grip. Instinctively knowing what was about to happen next, you tried to press yourself into a corner in hopes of avoiding the abyss mage’s icicle. It was to no avail, as the cryo icicle hit the bubble, effectively piercing the bubble and freezing you into a statue. 

The biting cold hit spread all throughout your body as soon as the bubble popped, and you were now immobilised. The lawachurl growled once more, now preparing to attack again. Icicles erupted from the ground a second time, but this time the shaking was more violent, the ice now sharper and longer. They pierced your skin, breaking the surface, rivulets of crimson blood pouring from your limbs. In that moment, only one thought recurringly raced through your mind.

I’m going to die. 

Back in the breezy city of freedom, the acting Grandmaster suddenly had a feeling of doom wash over her. Jean couldn’t place her finger on what was off, but she didn’t just brush it off. It was already an hour past noon, but you hadn’t returned yet. Ah. That was what she was missing. Maybe something had happened to you on the way up or down. An unexpected avalanche? Surely not, Albedo would have reported it to her already, and adventures would have come running down from the mountain to the city. No matter the cause, something was severely wrong. She called the Calvary Captain into her office, explaining the situation to him. “I don’t mean to call you in so suddenly, it’s just that it’s been an hour since their expected return time.” she sighed, massaging her temples to relieve the tension. Kaeya’s usual smirk twisted into a worried frown. 

“Understood. I’ll go look for them immediately.” He replied. Jean gave him a copy of the same sheet she gave you, and wished him the best of luck. 

The hike up the mountain was unbearable for Kaeya. He swore he would never get attached to anyone again after losing his father and his brother, but look at him now. You were his anchor, the only thing stopping him from spiralling into the dark expanse of his mind. Oh, how he cherished you. Anxious thoughts flooded through his head, the possibility of you being missing or even worse, dead, crossed his mind. This made him clench the cool steel in his hand even tighter, desperate to quickly find you and head home. You kissed him this morning, didn’t you? You were supposed to have dinner with him this evening, and now nobody even knew where you were. Tears threatened to fall from his eye (s), what if he never saw you again? He couldn’t bear losing another loved one. 

A loud growl made Kaeya’s hairs stand on end, tears dissipating from his eyes– that might have been a hint to your location. Jean said you were going to Dragonspine to clear hilichurl camps, right? The growl sounded like one of a hilichurl’s, but much deeper and powerful. Maybe you were nearby. He turned the corner, and there he finally found you, just not in the state he had hoped. Instead of being unscathed and well, he found you barely conscious on the ground, ice flakes on every inch of your body, with blood stained clothes. In the time he had taken to come up the mountain, you managed to break free from the ice and eliminate the two abyss mages. 

It was all done at a price. The lawachurl still continued attacking, almost crushing you to death if not for you rolling away, its foot missing you by an inch. It missed your vital organs, like your heart and lungs, but your shoulder was not so lucky. The sickening crush of bones being shattered had made you wince. 

“Kaeya? Is that you?” You mumbled in a haze of pain, vision blurred by the cold. He didn’t know what to do. The logical thing to do was to charge and kill the lawachurl, but the sight of you so bruised and battered rendered him useless for a few beats. What if he couldn’t save you? What if he was already too late? A sudden agonised yelp snapped him out from his stupor. He needed to at least try. If he couldn’t at least try to save his beloved, his one and only, then what could he do? 

Adrenaline coursed through Kaeya as he ran towards the creature, repeatedly slashing its abdomen. He couldn’t lose you. The next few moments felt like a blur– all that could be heard were the sounds of metal slicing flesh, the squelches of skin being sliced open, and the lawachurl’s pained grumbles. It all happened so fast, Kaeya still held his weapon at the ready after the creature had already been reduced to nothing. 

His attention was now turned towards you, littered with bruises and the rising and falling of your chest uneven. “___, are you alright?” He asked, trembling hands reaching out to you. He was afraid one touch from him was enough to shatter you– after all, the things he  loved and held dear always seemed to slip from his grasp, fading right before his eyes. Kaeya’s heart had been twisted painfully out of his hands twice, when his adopted father passed and him and his brother’s ever-growing distance between each other. All this, and he felt like the one thing he couldn’t lose was you. So pray tell, why weren’t you opening your eyes?

You smiled as you tucked the letter into a box that was specifically for all the letters that you received from him. It was almost filled to the brim with various coloured envelopes, each sealed with a bittersweet shimmer red wax seal. Gently putting a cover on the box, you then headed down to the docks of Liyue. It had become a part of your daily routine, to go down to see the ships, each time hoping that you would see your grey-haired lover standing there with open arms.

Oh, how your heart pined for him, each rise and set of the scarlet sun a biting reminder of another day that the spot on the other side of your bed was empty. You couldn’t fault him though; if he wished to travel the entirety of Teyvat, who were you to hold him back from his passions? “Although I wished he was home a bit more…” You tried to stop this selfish thought from entering your mind. If wandering and traveling was his ambition, then you were more than happy to let him pursue it. 

The wooden boards beneath your feet creaked at the pressure you put on them as you speedwalked to the port. In the distance, you spotted someone wearing red robes, claymore in hand. Beidou! This means the Crux has arrived in Liyue, and maybe bringing Kazuha with it. The Captain already knew your daily routine, and her smile slowly thinned into a line. “Sorry, no luck today, ___” Ah. You haven’t even asked her, but she knew.

The expression on your face morphed into one of disappointment, but you still managed to hurriedly smile and say, “No worries, Captain Beidou. I’ll come back again tomorrow then.” She waved you goodbye and continued chatting with some other Liyue citizens before calling to her crew to start preparing the ship for departure. Being filled with hope then being let down was not uncommon. You stood at the docks until the glorious Crux became nothing more than a tiny dot in the horizon. 

Oh well. Guess you’ll have to wait a bit longer, is what you tell yourself each time. This time, you just decided to wander around, letting your legs carry you wherever they wished. After a while, your feet started to ache, and you noticed that the sun was stretching into the west, the sky changing from a soft blue to blazing red. As you looked around, you noticed you were near Wangshuu Inn, but didn’t feel like going inside. The cool weather and quiet atmosphere made you feel a bit sentimental.

A wine coloured leaf drifted into your hand, just like how it made your mind drift back to Kazuha. When he finally arrived back in Liyue, he would definitely enjoy this environment, no loud noises and surrounded by nature. This just made you miss him even more, his eyes which looked like the finest of rubies, his heaven-sent smile, and the way he would recite love poems he made for you, the sweet words making you feel flustered. 

The next few days were just a blur to you. The weather had gotten a few degrees colder, and you now had to wear an extra layer if you wanted to go out for long periods of time. You still stuck to your routine, going down to the ships every day, keeping an eye out for your silver-haired wandering samurai, all to no avail. Although, a letter did arrive at your house, 

“Dearest ____,

   I hope this letter reaches you in good spirits.  Every day we are apart, my soul yearns for you even more. I am currently waiting for the boat that takes me back to Liyue to arrive. Apologies for this rather short letter, but I hope that I get to see you soon.  Captain Beidou  says I should arrive by tomorrow evening, and I could not anticipate that time any more. Rest well, my dove.”

I can’t wait to hold you in my arms again, Kazuha.” 

Holding the letter close to your heart, you slid it into the box of letters. It was always comforting to receive a letter to him, each curved stroke on the parchment felt like a comforting embrace from your lover. You couldn’t wait for him to come home tomorrow, ready to enjoy this brisk weather, thinking of all the fun activities you could do. Pointing out white, fluffy clouds which resembled certain things, and counting the infinite stars in the sky as the cerulean landscape drained into a brilliant midnight blue. Sighing in a lovesick daze, you decided to quickly head to bed, determined to pass the time faster. 

That night, the reddening Cercis canadensis outside your window seemed to be more vibrant than usual. 

Sleepiness still crusted your eyes shut in the morning, even with the bright sun shining through. The weather was cold, but your bed was so warm, making you reluctant to get up. It was far too comfortable to get out of bed and be productive. Then you realised that today was the day that your partner was arriving home. He usually isn’t away for very long, but this time was an exception. So when he got home, should you prepare a special meal for the both of you to eat? Or should you book a reservation at a restaurant for tonight? You thought he would prefer some alone time between you and him, so you finally decided to buy ingredients for a picnic basket. After all, having snacks under the starry sky was the best way to welcome your lover back home. 

Stifling a yawn, you took your time to change into comfortable clothes and threw an extra layer on yourself. Then you took a bag off the table and headed out to the markets of Liyue. It was quite therapeutic to stroll through the streets, meeting a few friends on your way to the market. “What should I get? Kazuha likes grilled fish, right? Maybe I should buy some of that.” Browsing through the stores, you finally found the store that sold seafood. You pointed at the fish that you wanted to purchase and handed the storeowner the money with a polite smile. They smiled kindly back at you, returning your change with the standard ‘Have a nice day!’ You then bought a few food items for yourself, and hummed as you headed home, excited for the plans that you had made for tonight. 

Little did you know that Kazuha’s plans had changed. After he sent the letter informing you about his arrival time to Liyue, the captain had told the passengers that the ship would be leaving and arriving to Liyue early. He was a bit frustrated as he had just sent the letter, but it wasn’t that big of a bother. After all, this would make for a good surprise, right? Maybe he should purchase a bouquet of flowers for you before the ship left. That was exactly what he did, picking up a small bouquet of white roses for you. “Come on, Loverboy. We’re going to depart soon.” Beidou smirked as she noticed the flowers that Kazuha was clutching in his hand. He flushed, giving a nod and rushing onto the ship instead of his usual smile and laugh. “What a strange boy.” 

Meanwhile in Liyue, you were packing all the food that you had bought and made into a picnic basket. Fish that was grilled exactly to Kazuha’s liking, a few sticks of Dango, and 2 bowls of rice that were covered with aluminium foil. You weren’t finished putting them inside when you heard the door unlock. Swiftly turning behind, you materialised your weapon and prepared to attack. Only two people had the key to your house: You and Kazuha. And he wouldn’t be back until tonight, so who on earth was outside–or now inside, your home? You peeked your head out of the kitchen, only to be met with your lover. 

Heaving s sigh of relief, you forgot to even dematerialise your weapon before excitement took over you and you jumped straight for Kazuha. “It’s so nice to see you again, love.” His vermillion eyes gazing at you with the utmost affection. None of you wanted to let go, so you stayed in his arms for a good while longer, basking in the warmth that he brought to you. His bandaged hands moved from your waist to intertwine your hands together, burying his face in your neck. 

Once you had finally let go, only then you realised the bouquet of flowers in his idle hand. “Are these for me?” You asked, gently grazing over them with your fingers. “Who else would they be for, silly?” Kazuha chuckled, placing the bouquet in your hand. “Ah, and your weapon, dove. It’s getting a bit too close for comfort.”  Your eyes widened slightly, forgetting that you had not yet dematerialised your weapon. You hastily apologised, turning away quickly to put the flowers in an empty vase. 

“I thought you were coming back later, Kazu. That’s why I started making dinner at this time. If I had known you were going to arrive early, I would have starting preparing lunch for us instead!” He made an apology, explaining to you how the news that the ship was leaving early was only announced to him after he had sent the letter. After hearing his explanation, you decided to ask him to help you to finish packing the food. The both of you then headed to the kitchen, where the grilled fish was still on the table. “You know me so well, dove.” Kazuha said, putting the aluminium wrapped food into the picnic basket with a soft smile on his face. 

“Shall we head out now?” You asked, taking the basket in your arms, keys in hand. “Sure, I think that going out to see the scenery in Liyue while eating would be lovely.” 

The sky was already turning into stunning shades of pink and orange when you had reached your destination, the outskirts of Qingce village. The journey was marginally tiring, but the view from the point you were at was breathtaking. The sunset blended perfectly into the sprawling flower field packed with vibrant flora, contrasting perfectly  against the bright blue water, now turning a darker blue due to the fading sunlight. You looked over at your silver-haired lover, whose hair was flowing freely in the gentle breeze. The evening hues complimented his face delightfully, making him seem like an angel sent from Celestia itself, and you couldn’t help but stare for a while longer, admiring how his lips formed a tender smile while he gazed at the setting sun.

“Are you staring at me, dove?” Ah, you got caught. But you didn’t mind–where did the wrong lie in admiring your beautiful lover?

“With a face like yours, how could I not?” You replied, with an mischievous smirk on your face. Kazuha’s face flushed, although it was a bit hard to see with the lighting. But the way his eyes widened and his expression was one of surprise was a dead giveaway to his flustered state. How cute, you thought. You picked up the picnic basket and set out all the food nicely, and Kazuha picked up one bowl of rice as well, cutting the grilled fish into small pieces before mixing them in his rice. He looked so calm and at peace while eating, you didn’t have the heart to interrupt him by loudly talking about your day, instead opting to eat your share of food as well. 

As you were eating, you hadn’t noticed that Kazuha had leaned over. You only knew of his presence when his smooth voice whispered in your ear, “I love you. Thank you for going out of your way to prepare all this for me. I’m truly grateful for you, my dove.” Now it was your turn to be flustered. “It’s no problem, I’m glad you’re back.” You smiled at him, linking your pinkies together.