I' ve got nine tails

He thumbs through the letters, eyes flicking past the scrawled handwriting of his name. He looks at the names of the senders, trying to find one of interest for him to look at for the rest of the night. Vendors, merchants, nobles—

To Kamisato Ayato

He recognizes your handwriting anywhere, can pick it out in a stack of letters as he imagines your shaky hands writing out his name. They wouldn’t be shaking if it was anyone else’s name, but he chooses to ignore that thought. Instead he runs his thumb over the parchment, dried ink brushed under his fingers, but he can still feel the indent of your pen pressing down on the paper. He’s careful to tear it open, his stare lingering on the imprinted wax seal of the Feiyun Commerce Guild. It stares up at him in mocking navy blue, a reminder of your departure just one year prior. The paper tucked within, clearly of Liyue origin, feels unnaturally smooth under his touch. Your handwriting starts neat at the top, his name, just his birth name, etched in pen so beautifully he wishes that you would write his name like that forever.

Ayato,

I hope this finds you in good health and that your sister and Thoma are free from your foolish antics. I am reaching out to you now to inform you that I will be returning to Inazuma in two months, just in time for the Irodori festival. I did receive your invitation and I apologize for such a late reply, but in a change of circumstances, I will be returning as an acquaintance of the author Zhenyu. As his friend, I will be taking it upon myself to see his smooth travels to Inazuma as well as ensure he is comfortable. I am hoping that you may be able to help with this.

I would also like to take this as an opportunity to reach out as an old acquaintance. I realize that this message may come at a time of stress and I sincerely hope that you will not be reading this in the middle of the night. Hopefully Thoma is keeping good on the promise he made when we were younger to ensure that you weren’t overworking yourself. All that aside, if you are not too busy, I hope to see you again at the festival when you will not be working. I trust that you will not be taking on the entirety of the planning by yourself, and perhaps this letter will encourage you to allow some others to take the burden off of your shoulders. 

There are some minor details I would like to discuss with you about the state of Inazuma, and my possible return. After all, my parents have been badgering me with responsibilities as the first daughter of the clan. Perhaps my time in Liyue will be coming to an end, or my sister will assume said responsibilities. Whatever it may be, I hope to speak with you before I come to make a decision.

I hope to see you soon.

Regards, (y/n)

Ayato allows himself to reread your words once more, suddenly aware of the exhaustion that has been creeping upon him. Yet he doesn’t want to put your letter down, as if he was afraid that it would burn up in front of his eyes, and the offer that you’ve made to him will be gone in an instant. One hand runs over his eyes, dragging down his face as he folds the paper back up and places it on the corner of his desk, opposite of the dying candle that’s begging to be blown out. He thinks of your words, thinks of the thoughtful expression that might’ve painted your face as you wrote the words in the middle of the night, just like him, accompanied with nothing but a dying candle, the moon, and a multitude of thoughts begging to be written down.

He shakes his head sharply, momentarily clearing his head of previous exhaustion and immediately sets to writing a response. He’ll be sly, of course, it’s in his nature to be, but sly enough to get his point across. That yes, he’d be delighted (moreso then he’ll let on in paper) to accompany you at the Irodori Festival. 

---------

“You look good.” Ayato gets whiplash at the words. Surprise momentarily flickers across his face as he’s suddenly brought back to the party he had hosted just a year prior, when he had approached you with high hopes, only to realize you had no intention to stay.

He clears his throat and offers you a charming smile, “How eloquent of you.” Your lips twitch at his words and he watches the way your eyes dim slightly. So you remember it too, the same night he had let himself be filled with hopes, only to realize that the time you had spent in Liyue was more fulfilling. You don’t let yourself become caught up in the memory, instead shaking your head and smiling at him. Formalities be damned, you think to yourself as you wrap your arms around him. Ayato stiffens for a moment, surprised by your sudden actions, but he finds that his body quickly melts into yours, arms finding solace wrapped around your frame. You’re wearing blue, the same blue of the Kamisato Clan, wrapped in a silky kimono that’s perfect for the occasion. He ignores the delicately embroidered crest of the Feiyun Commerce guild that decorates the silk, reminding himself that you’re not only here to visit him, but also on behalf of the young author, who he’s rather pleasantly surprised to find shares a sibling-like relationship with you.

“Liyue has been treating you well, no?” He pulls away first, hating that he’s always been the one to be putting distance between the two of you, after all, his stubbornness and unrelenting pride was the reason for you both to end up going separate ways, was it not? He ignores the thoughts, knowing if he brought it up you’d snap at him to stop and try to claim some responsibility.

You smile, bigger than he’s ever seen you smile and he hates that he feels butterflies erupt in his chest. “Oh it’s wonderful, it’s so beautiful and everyone is so nice!” He stays quiet as you ramble on about your adventures and the work you’ve been doing, trying to push away the thought you might really be leaving him for good.

“And what about you?” You tilt your head, casting a glance towards the crowd of people that have come to admire what the festival has to offer. “It looks as if Inazuma is slowly rebuilding herself, after a year of finally being open. I’m happy to see it again.” The Yashiro Commissioner takes a glance at the lively scene, but finds himself being drawn back to you. He can’t help but let his mind scream out that you’re different. Not in a bad way, but he’s afraid he doesn’t quite recognize you. You stand taller, shoulders pulled back and hands clasped over one another, as if you’d continued practicing such mannerisms of politeness all while in Liyue. And yet there’s an air to relaxation around you as you offer him such warm smiles and poke at his arm when he doesn’t answer.

“With collaboration from the Tri-Commission, everything, for the most part, has been going smoothly.” He nods, “Your family has been a great help, offering to help whenever they can.” You roll your eyes, a fond smile crossing your features as you turn to face him once more.

“You do know why they’re so eager to help, right?” Ayato wishes he could cockily say he does, but in all honesty, he hadn’t even batted an eye to your family’s offer to help. Your families had always been rather close, so it wasn’t unusual for one another to lend a hand, and yet you seemed to find the whole ordeal rather amusing.

He clears his throat, “I can’t say I do.”

You look at him with raised brows as if you’re surprised that he, Kamisato Ayato, can’t figure out someone’s scheming. He resists the urge to pinch your cheeks at your silly expression. “They hope that you’ll convince me to stay.” Reality hits him in the face. Right. You might be leaving. 

“Let me court you,” Ayato breathes out, heart pounding in his chest. You lean back slightly at his sudden words, blinking rapidly as if trying to process what he had said. “Let me court you, please. Give me one more chance to convince you to stay in Inazuma, to stay with me.” He doesn’t care how desperate he may sound at the moment, all he wants is for you to stay. 

You stare at him. And he feels his heart might break.

“Okay.” Such a small response, so simple and fragile that it might break in front of the two of you if you made any sudden movements. You’re not quite sure what to say, taken aback by his sudden confession as you watch his shoulders drop and his face fall into relief, even if he’ll cockily deny it in the future. You won’t tell him that you’ve already made the decision to stay, that when you first saw him again for the first time in a year, matured after more time away and having come to a better understanding of the storm that had brewed over his family that left him scrambling, that you’ve chosen to stay. Liyue might be beautiful, with towering mountains and melodies sung amongst flower fields, but to you, it’ll never compare to Inazuma. With her sakura scented breeze and childhood memories, first loves and plucked flower petals in blue hair, the midnight breeze and sweet peach tree that bloomed in late spring, along with the rebuilding of a first love between you and Kamisato Ayato.