Chapter Text
Kazuha awoke to the pleasant sounds of nature. The chirping of birds, the gentle rustle of wind in trees, the familiar pattern of Scaramouche's breathing--
Wait, what? Who?
His eyes flew open.
The room was unfamiliar, and silent. Right at the foot of the bed, a poster of David Bowie was staring at him--
It all came flooding back quickly, and he turned to see Scara asleep in a chair beside him. The sight confused him for all of half a second - he felt the other boy’s hand in his and quickly, with no small amount of mortification, realised what must have happened. Heat erupted in his face.
"oh, fuck…''
The sound of the small curse was enough to cause Scara to stir, his eyes blinking open. He straightened up in his chair, squeezed Kazuha’s hand, and then glanced down in his direction.
"Ah. Morning, sleeping beauty." He muttered.
"...hi." Kazuha swallowed, slowly sitting up and shuffling back to lean against the headboard. "I… I am so sorry, you really could've woken me up, I should've warned you--"
"This has happened before then…?" Scara asked. His tone carried an odd note of relief, like the knowledge Kazuha hadn't developed this habit right now, specifically for his inconvenience, made it somehow better. Kazuha thought it made it worse. He could've warned him...
"Yes. I… have been known to… toss and turn, at night. And, occasionally, I…"
"Capture victims in a vice like grip until you wake up?" Scara snickered.
Kazuha felt his face grow impossibly hotter. This whole thing had been the weirdest first date he'd ever had! First he'd accused the guy of being a murderer - and followed him into the woods (alone!) anyway. Then, he'd had not one but two near-miss migraines that Scara had to talk him down from, and now he'd stopped the poor guy getting any sleep!
"I'm sorry…"
"It's okay," Scara dismissed, with a small shake of his head and another squeeze of Kazuha’s hand. "If I was really bothered, I could've gotten away. It seemed to calm you down though… you looked like you were having a nightmare or something, and it seemed to calm you down."
Kazuha nodded. Not the first time he'd heard words to that effect. Although, usually, the men were at least in the bed with him. Poor Scara had been sleeping in the chair all night!
"I am so sorry," he repeated, "You could've at least made yourself more comfortable, I wouldn't have minded sharing…” he said, before his brain caught up with the words. His face had only just began to cool down and now it was burning again--
"I thought you probably wouldn't,” Scara said, with a hint of a smirk he seemed unable to restrain, “but I didn't want to make assumptions."
“You must be exhausted, though.” Kazuha mumbled, looking down at their joined hands to avoid those pretty eyes. “Do you want to take a nap or something? I can get breakfast started…”
Scara snorted, “I would say make yourself at home, but you clearly already have.” Seeing Kazuha’s blush darkening with a force, Scara laughed. “Relax. I’m glad you’re so comfortable.”
Kazuha thought of all the strange feelings, that whispered argument the night before, the wisps of something so much deeper here - and he smiled.
“I’m unbelievably comfortable.” He whispered, feeling his blush fading and his lips curling up. He had never been one to deny the possibility of something... more. Something otherworldly… dared he call them soulmates? He wasn't sure, but it was certainly starting to feel that way. His hand was still in Scara’s, and he gave it another squeeze.
It was Scara’s turn to do a fabulous impression of a tomato now, heat climbing up his cheeks. “Yeah, well.” He mumbled, clearing his throat and looking away. “Good.”
Kazuha grinned, and before he knew it he was leaning across the space between them to plant a soft kiss to Scara’s cheek.
Scara’s eyes flicked abruptly back to him, his face burning hot and his lips parted in surprise.
“I- uh-” Scara fumbled. “I’m gonna make breakfast.” He declared, squeezing Kazuha’s hand again as he rose from his seat.
“I was serious about you taking a nap--”
“No need.” Scara said, with a shake of his head. “Help yourself to anything in the bathroom.”
Abruptly, he leant down to press a kiss to Kazuha’s forehead. He straightened up again just as quickly, releasing Kazuha’s hand and rushing out of the room.
Kazuha felt a grin splitting his face, finger pressing to that spot on his forehead.
Kazuha wandered downstairs, after a lovely shower with soaps that smelt like Scara, and into the kitchen.
Scara’s friend must’ve been out, because he was the only one downstairs. A bag of groceries sat on the table as he diligently worked on something at the stove. There was a lovely looking cake on the table, with a childish ‘happy birthday’ message decorating the top.
“Smells delicious.” Kazuha murmured, drifting into the room and towards Scara.
Scara glanced in his direction. He promptly dropped his tongs.
“Oh.”
“...what?” Kazuha asked, alarmed. He looked down at himself, patted his face--
“That’s, uh. That’s my shirt.” Scara mumbled.
Kazuha figured it probably was, given it was his size and emo-looking. Not to mention the faint smell of him, just detectable beneath the fresh detergent scent.
“Oh! I’m sorry, it was in the bathroom, I assumed--”
“It’s okay.” Scara assured him quickly. "I was gonna wear it yesterday but then I changed my-- it's okay." His face was growing hot again and oh. Kazuha pictured Scara in some of his own clothes and completely understood.
He grinned, sliding up beside the other man, “I assumed you left this out for me, but I could always change… you should pick something out maybe, whatever you want." He grinned, watching the blush climb higher, touching the tips of Scara's ears.
"That's-- you're-- are you messing with me?" He grumbled, pulling open a drawer to grab some clean tongs. He shut it with far more force than was necessary, but it was one of those slow-close ones and the air cushioned it before it could slam.
Kazuha laughed, "I think I'm allowed."
"And why do you think that?"
"Yunno." He shrugged, leaning gently against Scara's side. "Cause I am."
Scara didn't argue, shoving the eggs around the pan instead. Slowly, hesitantly, he slipped an arm around Kazuha's waist. Kazuha grinned, pressing closer to his side.
“Who’s birthday was it?” He asked, glancing back over his shoulder at the cake on the table.
“Oh.” Scara sighed, shaking his head. “Mine, I guess.”
“You guess?” Kazuha laughed.
“It’s more like a… re-birthday? And even then, it’s not an exact date, just a… random day Nahida decided to celebrate for me.”
“Your friend, the one who you’re staying with here?”
Scara nodded. “Yeah… she made the cake last night for me. Help yourself.”
Kazuha reluctantly pulled away from his side, curiosity about the cake narrowly beating his desire to remain attached to the other man. It had already been cut into slices, so he gently picked up a piece and took a bite--
“Ow--!” Kazuha gasped, quickly putting the slice down and nursing his mouth. “Oh my God--!"
Scara cackled, “Oh? Not to your taste?”
“You could’ve warned me it was rock solid!”
“Yeah, Nahida can’t bake.”
Kazuha groaned, staring down at the very pretty slice of cake. Scara was snickering.
“It’s alright, just throw it away. She knows it didn’t go well, she was planning on throwing it to the birds or something.”
“Poor birds…”
Scara laughed. Kazuha tossed the slice away before returning to his side, hugging his middle. Scara’s arm slipped around him easily, naturally, like they’d been by one another’s side for a lifetime--
Kazuha squinted against the beginnings of a headache and sighed, pressing his face firmly into Scara’s shoulder.
“Jeez, did you bite it that hard? I’ll get you nice cake later, alright?” Scara snickered.
“I’ll hold you to that.” Kazuha grumbled, but with his voice still muffled in Scara’s shirt it came out more as ‘illholyutojhat’.
Scara pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head, and he decided the cake didn’t actually matter.
Breakfast was delightful. The groceries on the table, Kazuha discovered, were the product an early morning run Scara had done for herbal teas and other remedies that were meant to be good for migraines. Kazuha noticed the lack of drugs, and wondered briefly if the other man knew something he didn’t (that mindfulness trick was really something…) but the thought quickly disappeared behind a flood of warm fuzzy feelings at the caring gesture.
The perfect gentleman (despite all indications otherwise), Scara walked him back to his hotel. It was peaceful, and comfortable, and easy, just strolling through the small town with Scara by his side. When they passed through the little park, at the centre of the town, the sweet sounds of birds and the smell of flowers drifted through his senses.
“How wonderful…” He hummed.
“Something, something, enough to convince anyone to become a wanderer?” Scara murmured, his lips curled up playfully.
Kazuha grinned. “You read my mind.”
Something wistful crossed Scara’s eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. “Do you miss home often?” He asked instead.
Kazuha hummed. “Is this a question? Do I get one too?”
“I’m ninety-nine percent certain that is not what the deal was.” Scara mumbled, with an amused shake of his head. “Wasn’t it you’d get a question for everything I knew about you? That you didn’t tell me?”
“Well, yes, but a question for a question seems fair too.” Kazuha grinned.
Scara rolled his eyes. “Fine, yes, okay. But answer mine first, would you?”
Kazuha chuckled, nodding his head. “Okay… yes, I suppose I do miss home fairly often. But if I were to return, I’d simply miss travelling.” He shrugged. “The nostalgia, and the need to return, can be sated with the occasional trip back. It’s not unmanageable…”
“...but?”
Kazuha sighed. “But, I didn’t get the migraines quite as bad at home. So, sometimes, I wonder if the universe is telling me to go back.”
Scara nodded slowly. “I’m guessing it’s been particularly bad here…?”
He nodded. “Yes… but other places, too. China was dreadful…”
Scara mumbled something that sounded a little like ‘that makes sense’, but before Kazuha could quiz him on it he cleared his throat and asked, “Your turn, then. One question.”
Kazuha hummed thoughtfully, pretending he didn’t already know exactly what he wanted to know. “Last night…” He began, thinking of that argument he'd overheard, but he was cut short.
Scara grabbed his hand, yanking him closer. For a split second Kazuha was incredibly (delightfully) confused, but then he saw the stream of cyclists coming up the path. They zipped past the two of them, going far too fast to have avoided a collision.
“This is a pedestrian path, assholes!” Scara snapped at them, but they were already disappearing into the distance.
He sighed, looking back at Kazuha. “Are you okay?”
Kazuha nodded. He was suddenly struck by how lovely this man’s face was, his eyes, only centimetres from his own. His hand was warm...
Scara seemed to notice what had happened to Kazuha’s brain functions, snickering and squeezing his hand. “Oh, come on. You were a lot braver this morning.”
Kazuha laughed, breathless. He was right. Kazuha had no idea where the bravery to kiss this man’s cheek had come from, he could barely look at him right now.
Scara used the hand to tug him just a little bit closer, hovered closer to his face, his lips, then pulled away.
“Let’s get you back to that hotel.” He laughed, releasing Kazuha’s hand to wrap an arm around his waist instead.
Or let’s not. Let's go back to the woods, or skinny dipping in the lake. Kazuha desperately wanted to say. He bit his tongue though, knowing it wouldn’t be the smartest idea not to have at least a few hours apart before dinner this evening. He let them continue on to through the town, until the hotel arrived far too quickly. Scara accompanied him up to his door, and then pulled away. Kazuha immediately missed the warm press of his body against his side.
Scara snorted. “You look like a kicked puppy.”
“What?” Kazuha grumbled, pressing his hands to his face, trying to hide whatever expression he was making.
“We’ve got dinner tonight. You can go a few hours without seeing me.” He smirked, cocky and haughty and everything Kazuha usually hated, but--
He stepped forward, his hands landing on Scara’s hips as he pressed their lips together.
For a rather long and rather mortifying moment, Scara stood stock-still. Then, his arms came around Kazuha gently. Kazuha felt himself grinning into the kiss, pressing closer.
The flash of a camera down the hall went entirely unnoticed.
When Kazuha pulled away, it was with bright red cheeks and an even brighter smile.
“I think that’ll keep me going.” He mumbled, lifting a hand to Scara’s cheek.
Scara scowled, glanced down at Kazuha’s lips, and then back up into his eyes. “That makes one of us.” He grumbled, leaning down to steal another (significantly harder) kiss.
He pulled away, and it took Kazuha a solid few seconds to catch his breath. He wrapped his arms around Scara’s neck.
“Do you want to come in…?” He whispered.
Scara smirked, something bright and excited shining in his eyes, but before he could speak his phone buzzed.
“Ugh.” he mumbled, tugging the device from his pocket and scanning the message. “Trust me, I’d love to stay. But an old friend’s husband is still missing.”
Zhongli. Kazuha sighed. “You want to go help the search?”
Scara shook his head. “I really don’t. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t owe them at least that much.”
Kazuha chuckled, nodding his head. It was probably for the best. He’d been utterly swept up in this man, he could probably do with a few hours’ breather. “Pick me up for dinner?”
“Of course.” Scara muttered, leaning down to kiss him one more time. “I’ll text you.”
“You’d need my number for that.”
“I would, wouldn’t I?”
Kazuha laughed, pulling his phone from his pocket.
Kazuha had no idea what to do with himself.
He changed his outfit close to 8 times, before settling on keeping Scara’s t shirt on with a different pair of trousers and a fancy open-coat thing. He thought he looked good, but every time he looked in the mirror he liked it less and less. Scara’s bright eyes, his seemingly-effortless way of just looking good all the time, he would start to compare himself against all of that and he’d work himself into a nervous wreck. He’d hoped a few hours would break the spell, give him a chance to beat down his hopelessly romantic heart with a goddamn baseball bat, but nope. No cigar. He was just as dreadfully obsessed as he had been after the party.
He realised, somewhere between the 5th and 6th outfits, that he'd also been immediately distracted by Scara pulling him away from those cyclists and he was owed a question. The small, cynical part of him - the bit that kept trying to put the brakes on his romantic disaster of a heart - wondered if that wasn't intentional. There was a lot of secret and mystery around the guy, and he was very good at giving nothing away. Kazuha was far too swept up in him to be at all sensible right now. He pictured those TV shows, where old people sobbed about being scammed by online romance, and shuddered to think he was making the same mistakes.
So, he texted Scara to let him know he was going to head over to the florist’s early and help with prep. Tighnari was ill! It was the least he could do. And if it helped him distract himself, even better.
Wondering down the quaint high street, he was unsurprised to receive a quick response from Scara.
Scara: cute
Scara: im sure he’ll appreciate that
Scara: don't talk about me for the love of god
Kazuha laughed aloud, drawing the surprised attention of some passersby. He bit his tongue, still grinning to himself when another message came in:
Scara: also let him know I’ll bring dessert, I think Nahida wanted to bake for them
He grimaced at that one, remembering the rock-solid ‘cake’ from that morning. As if reading his mind, Scara sent another message:
Scara: i know :p humour her
Kazuha sighed.
You: I look forward to her second attempt.
Scara: liar
Scara: also I want your word you aren't going to listen to anything cyno and tighnari have to say about me
Kazuha grinned, sending a quick winking gif before pocketing his phone. The florist was coming into view now, the sight of it filling him with a sense of peace. The little bell above the door gave its delightful chime as Kazuha entered.
“Oh, Kazuha!” Collei chirped, delighted to see him. “You’re early for dinner!”
Kazuha smiled, drifting towards her. Collei had the most beautiful, calming aura.
"I am indeed. I figured I'd help with setup, your father being unwell…"
Collei giggled, "That's very kind of you. He's been okay, but I'm sure he'll appreciate the help! Head on up." She waved him towards a door at the back. "I'll join you after the shop closes!"
"Wonderful." Kazuha beamed, slipping behind the counter and up the stairs.
Reaching the upstairs area, he was unsurprised by the veritable woodland that greeted him. The small living space was crowded with plants, green and homely and so very fitting. Just as he was about to announce his presence, he spotted Tighnari’s mop of black hair in the kitchen. The older man was napping at the table, a blanket draped over his shoulders. He smiled, and decided it was definitely a good thing he’d arrived early.
Quietly, he snuck into the kitchen and began to put himself to work. He wiped down surfaces, then began to dry dishes. With the kitchen being so minimalist, it was thankfully easy to figure out where to put things away, too. Unfortunately, some of the cabinets were a tiny bit too tall for him. Putting away a plate on a particularly tall shelf, he created a clatter that was a tad too loud.
Tighnari began to stir, groaning and shifting under the weight of the blanket.
“Oh, sorry,” Kazuha sighed. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Tighnari jumped, straightening up, and then Kazuha remembered he was a stranger in this man’s house. Turning quickly in his seat, Tighnari’s surprised eyes landed on Kazuha and his sheepsh smile.
He held up the teatowel and the plate he’d been about to dry. “Collei let me in.” He explained, “You mentioned having a cold, yesterday, so I came early to see if I could help with dinner.”
“Oh!” Tighnari croaked, voice hoarse from disuse. “I-- right. Sorry, I must’ve--”
“Fallen asleep.” Kazuha smiled, unable to hold back the inexplicable fondness he felt for these people. Perhaps it was their connection to Scara, the way they’d pushed for that date to happen yesterday? Regardless, he had really taken a liking to them. “Don’t worry, really.” Kazuha continued, “I’m more than happy to help, and I’m rather good in the kitchen if I may say so myself.”
Tighnari laughed, “Alright, you can help. Let me just clear the table.”
Kazuha nodded his head, “Of course, take your time. Oh, Scara said to let you know he’d bring desert?” He heard his voice raise just slightly at the end, and couldn’t stop his mouth turning just a little. Should he warn them? Scara hadn’t warned him and it had been pretty bad for his teeth…
“...Nahida is baking? I thought she baked yesterday…” Tighnari mumbled.
“Ah, yes, she did. Scara’s birthday, I’m led to believe? However… it, um. It was rather…” He chuckled nervously.
“Oh, she’s shit at baking, then?” Tighnari snorted.
Kazuha’s expression flooded with relief. “The worst. I-- I was trying to think of a more polite way to say it, but-- oh, it was like biting into a rock…”
Tighnari laughed. “Maybe we make desert just in case?”
“I think that sounds like a fantastic idea.” Kazuha grinned, before remembering-- “Have you ever made mochi?”
“I have not.” Tighnari grinned, “Are you going to teach me?”
“I was delighted to find glutinous rice in the store here…” He’d come across it on his first night, bought it before remembering his hotel wouldn’t have a kitchen. The small packet had been in his bag ever since, he kept forgetting to take it out-- “so if you’d indulge me?” He asked. “I haven’t had it in so long, what with all the travelling…”
Tighnari’s eyes softened, a clear recognition of what Kazuha must be feeling.
“Let’s do it.” He hopped to his feet, and a bright smile spread across Kazuha's face.
Making mochi was the perfect distraction, and Tighnari the perfect conversation partner. He was the first botanist Kazuha had ever met, and he listened attentively to all the delightful facts Tighnari taught him.
“So, the Sumeru rose… isn’t a rose?”
“Nope!” Tighnari laughed. “It’s stupid, but there’s a few misnomers like that.”
“You’ve left me with a deep desire to start a very large garden.”
“Do it!” Tighnari nudged him with his elbow. “What’s stopping you?”
“The whole travelling thing?” Kazuha chuckled. "It has its drawbacks."
"Ah, of course… I hear that's why you're still single, too." Tighnari broached, trying his best to look casual. He was clearly digging for info on the date.
Kazuha sighed, thinking of Scara's bright eyes and his penchant for 'wandering'. "Yes…" He mumbled, unable to stop his mind from latching onto the idea of he and Scara--
Damn it. This was meant to be de-Scara time!
"...something on your mind?" Tighnari asked, glancing over at him as he rolled a little ball of mochi.
He hesitated. He did have a whole evening here, though... this guy was going to get it out of him one way or another. “Yes.” He sighed. “I can’t-- listen, if I talk to you about this, will you promise not to mention it to Scara?”
“Absolutely.”
“Pinky promise?”
“Yes.”
“Throw me on the ice, or whatever?”
“...what?”
Tighnari must not have heard that rhyme. He sighed, shaking his head. “Never mind, okay, so.” He took a deep breath. “I am completely hopelessly obsessed with your brother-in-law, despite having been on one - one - date.”
Tighnari laughed. It was a delighted, belly-deep sound. “Oh, that’s great!” He grinned.
“Is it?!” Kazuha bemoaned, burying his face in his hands. “I’ve known him five minutes! I feel like a complete weirdo!”
Tighnari’s shit-eating grin slipped into a smaller, kinder smile. Something about it seemed… wise. Almost like he knew something Kazuha didn’t.
“Trust me. You’re not a weirdo. This kind of thing can happen sometimes, instant chemistry.” He winked.
Kazuha’s face flushed. “...that is basically what it was, yes.” He sighed. “And he calls himself a wanderer! Like…” Kazuha sighed, unable to finish his sentence with how ridiculous it would sound. He’d known the guy a matter of days! And the ‘s’ was a stretch!
“...like exactly what you need? Someone who’d be happy to travel with you?” Tighnari nudged, with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Why don’t you sound happier?”
“Because it’s crazy. I’m not about to ask a guy I met two days ago if he wants to travel the goddamn world with me, and even if I did there is no way in hell he’d say yes.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Tighnari laughed, winking again. “He’s always been one to follow the wind. Asking him to travel with you isn’t really asking much, since, you know. He travels anyway. If it doesn’t work out, he just carries on the way he was. He’s not sacrificing anything.”
Kazuha hadn’t thought of it that way.
“Try him.” Tighnari smiled that gentle, knowing smile again. “You might be surprised. Nothing wrong with a bit of whirlwind romance, I say.”
Kazuha chewed his lip. The only other ‘whirlwind romance’ he could think of was that movie with Simon Baker and Stephen Merchant, where the main couple got a divorce within the year. Ugh. Where was his romantic heart now? Tired out, probably. It had been working overtime lately.
“I’ll think about it.” He mumbled, unreasonably apprehensive at the idea of actually asking Scara to-- ugh.
“...you’re scared, aren’t you?” Tighnari asked, his eyes narrowed just slightly, concerned.
“...you’re smart, aren’t you?” Kazuha laughed weakly.
“Yep!” Collei giggled, entering the room. Kazuha nearly dropped his mochi on the floor as she skipped towards them, Scara behind her. “He’s a professor of botany!”
“I’m not a professor, Collei.” Tighnari sighed, with a shake of his head. “I’m just a doctor.”
Collei grinned triumphantly. “He never confesses it unless I make up something even more impressive, and then he feels the need to correct me and he’ll suddenly…”
Collei continued to babble on, and delightful though her chatter was Kazuha found his gaze locked on Scara. He was shuffling a little awkwardly, gaze fixed on his feet. Kazuha felt his stomach fall through him, right to the floor. Could he have overheard?
“Well, desert is cooking!” Tighnari announced, glancing over at Scara and the box he was carrying. “Kazuha mentioned you were bringing Lesser Lo-- uh, Nahida’s attempt at cake, but he also mentioned the quality of the first one, so we…”
Kazuha zoned out again, his head turning back to Tighnari. That slip… that was the same kind of odd slip Scara kept making. Could it be…? Whatever Scara was tiptoeing around, hiding, could… everyone here be a part of it?
Kazuha shuddered.
“You okay?” Collei asked him, blinking owlishly. “You look… I dunno. Do you want to sit down?”
He nodded.
Dinner was pleasant, by all accounts. The conversation flowed freely, and whatever awkward air had followed Scara into the room was gone within minutes. Kazuha learnt more about plants - and running a business in a small town like Avidya - than he ever thought he would. He almost forgot all about the odd slips both men made. Almost.
He still had a question he could ask Scara, banked, since he’d had the chance robbed of him on that path with the cyclists. Oddly, Scara seemed reluctant to lie to him when he asked those questions. No matter how difficult the answer, it seemed he was one to honour agreements. So, he’d use that to his advantage after dinner.
Towards the end of the meal, they had one more guest. Amber - Collei’s friend, from the social media post that enabled all this - arrived, delighted to meet him.
“Sorry,” Collei had giggled, sheepish. “She missed out on the party I couldn’t not tell her you were having dinner with us!”
Kazuha hadn’t minded in the slightest, pleased to have the chance to meet her. After dinner, her and Collei went for a stroll.
“You should go too!” Tighnari insisted, giving him a not-so-subtle wink. “Maybe there’s some stuff you could talk about…”
There certainly was, though Kazuha thought it might not be the ‘stuff’ the older man expected.
Scara picked up a blanket on their way out.
“That spot from before? It’s actually really good for stargazing, if you feel like it.” He’d said.
Kazuha had agreed, finding that - despite everything - he did still have an instinctive trust for this man. His instincts had never let him down before…
The stroll through the forest was pleasant, Scara taking them a different (longer) route this time. He seemed restless, and it left Kazuha with the unmistakable feeling the other man had indeed overheard a certain conversation from before dinner. Kazuha was not about to bring it up though, butterflies wreaking having in his stomach at the mere thought. That being said, the tension between them right now wasn't much better.
Scara was the first to snap.
They had just arrived at the clearing, set up their blanket and settled down, when he broke the amicable silence with an almighty huff.
“Oh, fine, you know what, I’ll bring it up.” He grumbled, staring up at the stars unseeingly.
“Bring what up?” Kazuha hummed, though he knew exactly where this was going.
“What you were saying. To Tighnari.”
Yep.
“What was I saying, Scara?” He asked, those butterflies multiplying. The still churned in his stomach, but they rose up to fill his chest, his lungs.
“...do you want me to come with you? Travelling?”
Now wasn’t that the million dollar question.
Did he?
“Look, it doesn’t have to be some big commitment.” Scara huffed. “I’m travelling anyway. We can just… see if this works.”
His hopelessly romantic heart roared back to life, battling through the butterflies and begging him to say yes. His brain still had that baseball bat though.
“...I don’t know.” He said quietly. “Well, I do. I know I think that sounds fantastic and exciting, but I also happen to worry--”
Kazuha’s breath caught in his throat. He’d turned away from the sky, intending to cast his gaze in Scara’s direction, but instead he’d seen--
The bear appeared through the trees at the far end of the clearing, and was staring straight at Kazuha.
“Oh.” He breathed. He’d heard stories of bear attacks in Hokkaido, but he’d never been so unfortunate as to have experienced one. “Scara.” He whispered, petrified.
Scara looked away from the stars, raising an eyebrow at him. “Wha--”
“Sh!” Kazuha jerked his head urgently in the direction of the bear, propping himself up slowly on his elbows.
Scara sat halfway up, far too quickly for Kazuha’s liking, and sighed.
That was it. He just sighed, like the appearance of a rather deadly creature was a minor nuisance at best.
“Damn, they’re not usually around at this time of year…” He mumbled, entirely unconcerned.
“What are you-- aren’t you worried?” He hissed urgently. “We should get out of here.”
Scara snort-laughed, a smile curving his lips. “Oh, you’re very cute like this.” He mumbled.
Kazuha felt a blush burst on his cheeks and-- “Now is not the time to flirt with me!”
Scara hopped up to his feet, laughing. That haughty air was back around him as he smiled down at Kazuha, something sharp and powerful in his gaze. As if his eyes weren’t already too much, Kazuha really couldn’t look away when he was wearing an expression like that--
“You trust me, don’t you?” He said simply, turning around to face the bear but keeping his head turned to lock eyes with Kazuha.
Staring into those damn eyes, Kazuha felt himself speak before he’d really even thought about it. “With my life.”
Scara seemed to still for just a moment at his words, then his smile grew wider. “Then close your eyes.”
“...what?”
“Close them, Kazu.” His voice was soft, gentle-- once again, if Kazuha didn’t know any better, he’d call it loving. His head was starting to hurt. “And don’t open them ‘til I say, okay?”
Kazuha found himself nodding, lost for words for the umpteenth time in this man’s presence. Some poet he was. He shut his eyes, pressing his hands against them lest curiosity get the better of him, and he waited.
The sounds of the evening around them were barely disturbed. He heard a gust of wind, and a quiet groan, and then--
Hands were circling his wrists softly, “Alright,” Scara said, gently pulling Kazuha’s hands from his face. “You’re safe now.”
Kazuha’s eyes fluttered open.
Scara was scarcely a metre from him, crouched in front of him and smiling with a softness he would not expect from a man like Scara.
A… man like Scara?
No, he’d only known Scara a couple of days, he had no reason to believe he wouldn’t be soft and--
His head really hurt. He took a deep breath, pushing the confusing thoughts down.
“I… it’s gone?” He asked, his voice coming out as a breathless whisper in the quiet air.
Scara nodded, rubbing his wrists gently. “All gone.” He murmured, eyes growing hooded as his lips curved up farther, impish. “So damn cute.”
Kazuha felt the heat rush to his cheeks again.
How had this happened? How had they gone from a Scara who could barely meet his gaze and kept hiding in his goddamn turtleneck to- to-- this guy? Not to mention the fact they were supposed to be having a serious discussion about the future and the secrets and--
“I’m going to kiss you now.” Scara murmured, his eyes flicking down to Kazuha’s lips.
Kazuha felt himself nodding, didn’t trust himself to say or do anything else.
He curled up to Scara’s side, resting his head on the other man’s bare chest, an arm over his waist. Scara had an arm under him, the other thrown lazily on top of him, fingers tracing idle patterns into Kazuha’s skin.
“How did you… how did you…” Kazuha muttered breathlessly, still reeling from the rather dramatic end to his rather long dry spell.
Scara chuckled, gleeful triumph colouring his voice when he spoke. “That was good for you, then?”
Good was an understatement. Good was the quick nights he’d shared with that backpacker in Italy, or the long make-out sessions with the cute one in Provence. This was not good, this was a man who somehow knew every single thing that turned him on-- a guy who managed to find every button on and in his body and--
“Kazuha…?” Scara murmured, clearly having waited too long for a response. He squeezed him closer.
“Yeah--” He cleared his throat, pressing closer to Scara. “good. Really good.” He murmured, hoping the emphasis on the really was sufficient to express just how he felt right now. It probably wasn’t.
Scara laughed lightly, “Good.” He murmured against Kazuha’s hair, sending a shudder through him. Scara laughed again, “Are you cold or still horny?”
“...both?”
Scara snickered, “We should probably get you back to the hotel. Sleeping out here is a fucking stupid idea.”
“Right.” Kazuha could hear the disappointment in his own voice, reluctant to call an end to their night.
“You don’t have to sound so down about it, I can come with you.”
He looked up quickly. Scara was wearing the cockiest little smirk he’d ever seen, his eyes bright with victory; he was clearly delighted at having blown Kazuha’s world open so thoroughly. Kazuha thought he might’ve found such a smarmy attitude infuriating on anyone else, but once again, on Scara it was just kinda… hot.
He was so done for.
He leant across to kiss him, then murmured against his lips, “A very good suggestion.”
The walk back to the hotel wasn’t a long one, but it was taking them eons.
“You walk like an old lady.” Scara sighed.
“I walk like a young man enjoying a stroll with his date.” Kazuha corrected.
Kazuha was a) tired and b) really enjoying a night-time stroll plastered to Scara’s side, the other man having an arm looped around his waist. It was lovely. He was going to milk it.
“Maybe your date would rather be enjoying a night doing something else--” Scara began, leaning towards him.
Unfortunately, Kazuha’s phone chose that moment to buzz. He held up a finger to pause Scara, digging his phone from his pocket.
“Oh come on, ignore it.” Scara grumbled.
“It might be important…” He mumbled, squinting at the name lighting up his screen. Huh. That was weird. In fact, Kazuha had never received such a strange directive from his manager before.
“What’s wrong?” Scara asked.
“I don’t know…” Kazuha murmured. “My manager says I should stay at yours tonight?”
Scara blinked at him, an amused smirk tilting up his lips. “Oh? I didn’t even realise you had a manager, never mind such a good one.”
He laughed, shoving Scara playfully, “I don’t really. He’s more of a friend, he was a foreigner, helplessly lost in Japan back when I still lived there. I helped him out, and we stayed in touch.”
“Cute.” Scara snickered. He didn’t understand how anyone got lost in this day and age. They had access to entire maps of the world at their fingertips, for goodness sake. “Did he say why you have to stay at mine, or is he really just being an excellent wing man?”
Kazuha shoved him again, laughing. His phone pinged, with another message.
“Ah.” Kazuha muttered, reading it. “There is a real reason. Apparently, there’s a potential stalker risk at my hotel… ugh.” Kazuha chose to ignore the link to a tweet, which apparently had a photo in it. He would deal with that in the morning.
Scara walked in a semi circle around Kazuha, turning them around and walking in the opposite direction.
Kazuha laughed, nearly tripping over his feet as he struggled to follow the quick movement. “Scara!”
“I’m not walking you to your stalker’s hotel, we’ll go to mine, your manager’s right.”
“Mm. He normally is.” Kazuha sighed. “I guess you’ll just have to keep me company for even longer , what a shame.” He couldn’t leave early in the morning if it was his house! Not that Kazuha expected him to, but, well. You never know.
Scara snorted. “What a shame indeed.”
They backtracked, their route taking them past the florists as they returned to Nahida's place. Kazuha glanced up at the second floor, wondering if Tighnari was feeling any better-- oh?
"Ae!" He called, pausing as he saw what he could've sworn was his manager.
The familiar head of yellow hair disappeared down the alley though, gone in a moment.
"Everything okay?" Scara asked, squinting down the alley in the direction Ae had just gone.
"Yeah, I just thought I saw… never mind." He mumbled.
"No," Scara insisted, taking a step towards the alley. His curious squint had taken on a defensive edge, like he could see something dangerous in the darkness. "Tell me. What did you see?"
"I thought my manager was there, but… he's in the US, I'm probably wrong…" Kazuha said, watching Scara nervously. He reached for the other man's hand, gently lacing their fingers together. "What is it, Scara?"
Scara looked back at him, then down the alley, and back at him again.
"I dunno… but I'm not looking into it with you here." He said it almost to himself, muttering with his eyebrows pinched together. "Come on." He said suddenly, pulling Kazuha along behind him as he began striding with purpose back towards Nahida's.
Kazuha practically jogged to keep up, rushing along after him. "What? What is it?"
"Your manager. Is A his full name?"
"What? I don't-- no, probably not, but it's all any of us have ever called him. Why?"
Scara shook his head, chewing his lip. "I can't tell you. Not yet. I will, one day, but-- for now, I need you to trust me. Do you trust me?" He looked back at him, beautiful indigo eyes piercing in their intensity-
"Yes." Kazuha said, and this time he really wasn't surprised by how confident he felt in the answer. Something like deja vu washed over him, and he felt the beginnings of a headache.
Scara gave him a smug smile. "Right answer."
They arrived at Nahida's in record time, and Scara pushed the little green door open.
"Nahida, I--" He began, but he paused. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked immediately.
A stranger was perched delicately on the sofa, opposite the girl Kazuha assumed was Nahida. She looked far younger than he expected. The man’s face held the same kind of perfection that Scara’s did, though Kazuha didn’t find him nearly as mesmerising. His hair was a dusty blonde, and tied back in that kind of half-ponytail that Kazuha associated with the elves in Lord of The Rings . The man set down the cup of tea Nahida had made him, rising from the sofa.
“I said ,” Scara repeated, his eyes narrowing as he took another intimidating step forward. “What are you doing here?”
“You always did have good instincts.” The man muttered. “I’ve never caused you any harm, and yet my mere presence here has you on edge. Why?”
“Yes, Scara.” Nahida tilted her head with confusion. “Why…? He’s just dropped by to visit…”
“No… no, it can’t be a coincidence that he drops by tonight, when just a moment ago, we saw--” Scara began, but then--
The world was suddenly upside down.
Something had shoved Kazuha, from underneath him, somehow. He stumbled across the room, yelping and tumbling towards the new guy--
“Kazuha!” Scara jolted after him, but--
“Stay put.” Albedo said, voice as dully monotonous as ever. He had a sharp geo construct in his hand, pressed to Kazuha’s throat.
Albedo? Geo constructs? Why had those words--
“I-- what the-- what is happening .” Kazuha breathed, eyes locked onto the block of Geo that had spawned into existence to throw him across the room. “What is that ?” It was a block of geo. That description had popped right into his head, but-- he hunched over, a hand coming to clutch at his hair as his head tried to split itself open. “My head…” He heard himself groaning.
“That pain will abate soon.” Albedo promised. His voice sounded so distant.
“ Albedo !” Scara hissed, voice even further away than Albedo’s. Everything hurt so much. Kazuha squeezed his eyes shut against the pain.
“I’m sorry. I made a promise. We all made promises, to a pair of twins who saved us time and time again.” Albedo was saying.
“It was him then?” Scara was hissing, furious. “The man Kazuha saw-- his manager ?”
“Yes.” Albedo confirmed. “Aether.”
Aether was indeed his manager.
What the fuck some random American had to do with any of this, Kazuha had no idea. The guy was definitely getting a firm kick to the crotch if this pain was somehow his fault though.
“We all promised to help them reunite.” Albedo said, as if it was a simple, clear fact. Self-explanatory.
“Yes, and we will, if they come to us for help--” Nahida began.
“No… because Aether wanted to do this with your help. But you all denied him.” Albedo sighed, and then Kazuha heard something else materialising into existence right beside him. He squinted through the pain to catch a glimpse- another geo construct, except this time it was a shield-like object, holding some weird glowing green cubes.
“Memories?” Nahida whispered, “From Irminsul?”
“Aether can contact it freely.” Albedo explained dismissively. “He has trained his ability for hundreds of years, preparing for this day.”
Hundreds of years?!
“Every single incident… it’s been his doing, hasn’t it?” Nahida realised. “Every single Teyvat-related thing…”
“What are you doing with those…” Scara asked, and he sounded so distraught , Kazuha just wanted to make it better-- “They must be Kazuha’s. Right?”
“Right. I simply plan on returning them.”
“That’s it? That’s your grand fucking plan?” Scara hissed.
Albedo sounded far too calm when he spoke, “It is just one part of the plan.”
Slowly, Kazuha felt the cube entering his chest. His eyes snapped open, the sensation shocking his senses awake.
He caught the way Nahida’s eyes widened in shock as she seemed to realise something-- “No-- no, you wouldn’t---!” She cried.
Kazuha’s body spasmed, and Albedo jumped back as he fell to the floor.
Kazuha screamed, a blood-curdling sound, intense and dreadful as he grabbed and pulled at his hair.
This was the worst it had ever been. This was the worst it had ever, ever been. He needed it to stop. It needed to stop, stop, stop--!
Scara ran to his side, snatching his wrists before he could make his scalp bleed. “Kazuha, it’s okay--!” He yelled, but Nahida’s voice cut through.
“No, it isn’t.” She said, horror freezing her in place for a moment. She pulled herself together, rushing over and pressing a hand to Kazuha’s chest. She frantically began pulling shards of memory free. “I need to fix this, I need to--!”
“But you’ve done this before--” Scara began.
“For a single incarnation .” Nahida looked like she was on the verge of tears, her small hands working desperately. “Albedo just gave him memories of every incarnation he’s had since Teyvat . He won’t be able to handle that, no one could--!”
Scara turned to Albedo with a blazing fury-- “You did WHAT--!?”
“Come after me, or use your powers of Anemo to soothe him. Your choice.” Albedo shrugged. “He’ll be fine, with you two to save him. Unless, of course, you let your rage control you.”
Before Scara could even think through the chaos and Kazuha’s screams to formulate a response, Albedo had dashed through the open window behind him, disappearing into the night.
Kazuha screamed again, and Scara summoned Anemo to his aid, but he had no idea what soothing someone with anemo even meant . He’d only ever used his vision to harm, not heal.
“Venti-- Lord Barbados.” He whispered to the wind. “Fuck. If anyone can help him right now, you can. Please hear me. Please !”
Kazuha was floating.
He was drifting through another world. Giant shards, like broken glass, hovered in the space around him. Each one reflected… a memory?
He saw his own travels first, enjoying the playback of his most treasured experiences. Then came his early teens, and his childhood. He didn’t look quite so closely at those. His rather strict, rich, traditional family hadn’t been thrilled with his life choices… or his taste in partners… or even his taste in friends...
Past that, there was a long gap. He saw images being snatched, taken away from the shards. With each one that left, he felt lighter. He drifted through that portion of the space, enjoying the bright colours dying the shards in the absence of memories, until he reached a section that was once again full of moving pictures.
These ones were of another world… one he knew.
This was… Teyvat.
He drifted towards one particular memory, pressing his hand gently to the glass-like surface of the shard.
“My name is Scaramouche.” A very familiar man was saying. He wore the most obtuse hat, sashes streaming from it billowing in the wind. “And I’d like to give you the opportunity to kill me.”
Threads of silky white hair littered the floor.
Scara held Kazuha down, clammy pale wrists held firmly in one hand and pinned above his head while Scara pressed his head to the ground with the other. He was thrashing so violently, he was going to give himself a concussion - or snap his own neck - but holding him down like this felt so wrong-- and he was still screaming , crying . Scara was barely holding it together himself. This was not a sight he ever wanted to see.
Nahida was pulling shard after shard from Kazuha’s chest, glowing with stronger dendro than he’d seen in centuries. She was going to be exhausted. Had she still held the faith of the people, she’d have been able to do this so much more efficiently, but, well. It had been a long time since the archons held that kind of power.
Suddenly, her head whipped to the floor.
“Something’s wrong, in Irminsul--!” She cried, struggling to be heard over Kazuha’s wails. “That’s why they’ve done this-- to keep me here! I can’t-- I can’t save both!”
Scara grimaced. “Go.”
“No!”
“You can’t leave the rest of the world to rot! Whatever they’re planning, if they’ve gone to these lengths, it can’t be good!” Scara protested.
“ Aether .” She lamented. “If only I’d known. If only I’d known it was him and not her !”
The wind chimed, the door blew open, and a bard landed before them. “You called?” He began chirpily, but--
His eyes widened on sight of the scene before him. He immediately materialised his lyre, playing the song he had played for a struggling Adeptus so many years ago.
“I assume he’s the one you called my help for.” Venti stated, crouching by Kazuha as he continued to play.
“I don’t know how to soothe--” Scara growled through grit teeth and the tears in his eyes. “And you--” He looked back at Nahida. “You need to go , before it’s too late!”
“If you’re talking about Irminsul…” Venti murmured, his mouth set in a hard line. “It might already be too late.”
“What?” Scara hissed.
“Time, she’s been warning me…” Venti whispered, his voice practically drowned by Kazuha’s screams. If the wind didn’t carry his words so effortlessly, they would never have heard him. His gaze drifted to the ground. “This was it… this was what she was afraid of. It’s happened.” He bit down on his lip. “A corridor to the past.”
At first, there was a single thought in Kazuha’s head -
this Scaramouche guy was completely insane.
“So.” Kazuha began slowly, glancing towards the naku weed littering the shore. Maybe Mr. Scaramouche here had been using it… recreationally. “You’re telling me that you’re a puppet designed to bear the Shogun’s worldly duties, who was discarded by her centuries ago?”
“Yes.” Scara said, nodding gravely. He had taken a seat on a rock, and Kazuha had sat down beside him.
“But…” Kazuha looked him up and down. “...you look nothing like her.”
Scara shot him a dirty glare. “Lowly human, you doubt me ?”
“Yes.” Kazuha deadpanned, taking a sip of water. He offered the bottle to Scaramouche. “You should… drink some water.”
“I do not need--! Agh! Why don’t you believe me!?” Scara growled. “I’m telling you I’m the reason your family fell from grace! I killed all those people, I destroyed your family, I practically orchestrated the vision hunt decree! I am The Balladeer! I am destruction!” He stormed to his feet, fists clenched by his sides. “So draw your blade and take your vengeance!”
“Hmm…” Kazuha took another sip of his drink, then slowly put the bottle aside. “No. I don’t think I will.”
Scara shot him another dirty glare, furious and frustrated but also…
Kazuha knew the desperate eyes of one with no home and no purpose.
“Why not?!” He roared.
Kazuha looked Scara dead in those eyes, hardened his own gaze, and spoke with all the gravitas he could muster.
“Because he who begs for death rarely deserves it.”
Scara did not speak again that day.
He didn’t speak much the following day, either.
Kazuha wasn’t sure how it happened, but given as they were both wanderers… well. It wouldn’t make sense for them to wander alone now, would it? Scara grumbled something about protecting him with his life, in lieu of dying by his sword, and Kazuha figured he’d let him believe whatever he wanted. Whatever it took, if it meant he had this chance. A chance to try and show this very lost young man what the world could offer him.
And, well… the company was certainly welcome.
Kazuha’s eyes fluttered open.
His head felt light, clear. He could hear the sound of birds, and for a moment he thought he could smell grilled tiger fish on the wind. But there was no wind, and he wasn’t in Liyue, was he?
Liyue…?
For the first time in his life, the thought didn’t cause pain. It just brought forth a memory; a harbour, with bright lights and lanterns and that grilled tiger fish. He smiled.
“Oh, wow…” he muttered to himself.
The mattress beneath him shifted.
“Kazuha…?” A shaky voice asked.
Not a mattress, then.
Kazuha glanced up, his head laying atop Scara’s chest. They were curled together on the sofa, in Nahida’s front room.
“You look like shit.” He said, but his voice came out croaky, hoarse.
“That makes two of us.” Scara grumbled.
It was probably true, if the state of Kazuha’s throat was anything to go by. Scara looked even paler than usual, his face gaunt and his eyes as haunted as the first day they met.
The first day they met… Kazuha smiled, delighted when the thought simply summoned the smell of the Inazuman sea and the sight of a very large hat. No headaches. No pain. Just the sounds and smells and sky of Teyvat.
“Scaramouche…” He whispered, smiling up at him. “I never look like shit.”
“No…” he smiled, soft and so very relieved. “You’re right. I’m so glad you’re awake, you… it was like you…”
He remembered Albedo, and that strange cube of memories. The pain, the sharp neverending pain in his head and screams .
“...I probably scared you quite a bit, hm? I’m sorry…”
“No… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have-- seeking you out like this, when you have a new life in a new time and you’re not-- you’re not the same person, not like I am, and you’re not-- I kept asking you to trust me even though I was lying --”
Do you trust me?
The memory of that old Scaramouche, with his big hat and his sad eyes, asking him the same question rose unbidden in his mind. Do you trust me, Kazuha ? He’d asked it before he’d saved both of their lives, back then. There was a crumbling domain, and a drop, and Kazuha clinging to a wall with no way of seeing what it would mean to let go. Do you trust me, he’d asked, ready to catch him, ready to get the both of them out of that nightmare. Kazuha had never regretted his answer. He’d given the same one ever since--
“I trust you with my life.” He whispered firmly. “I don’t know why you found me again, but I know you’d never do me harm. And I know I’ve loved every minute of our time together--”
“But the headaches--!” Scara protested.
“I got them before you, I’d have gotten them after you.” He paused. “Though, I am rather glad it seems I don’t have to think about after you .” He grinned.
“...what?”
“Unless you’d rather we didn’t wander together again, for another lifetime perhaps, my darling Scara?”
From Inazuma’s thunderous islands, to Avidya’s luscious forests… Kazuha had always appreciated the beauty of the world. But experiencing it through the eyes of someone like his darling Scara? A jaded old puppet with a loose grip on reality? Nothing had ever opened his eyes, tilted his perspective, the way Scaramouche had. He always thought he had an appreciation for the world, but the wonder their travels brought to someone like Scara was a whole new level.
"You… this isn't… we're not the same people. You can't be saying you want us to-- another lifetime--"
Kazuha laughed. "We're not the same people, and that's half the fun! We get to learn each other all over again…" He paused, remembering their little tumble in the woods. "Although I'm pretty pleased about the things I'm clearly not going to have to teach you. I won't pretend to remember your body quite as perfectly as you clearly remember mine…"
Scara's face lit up bright red, and he quickly pressed a hand to his mouth, glancing away. "I still can't believe you don't think its weird, me finding you after all these years and everything…."
"Oh, don't be silly. What are soulmates for if not to reconnect over lifetimes?" He hummed
Scara swallowed. "...it's hardly soulmates when I've orchestrated this whole thing-"
" It's soulmates, Scara." Kazuha repeated, in a tone that left no room for argument.
"...yes, dear."
"In fact, I believe I'm still owed a question."
Scara blinked at him, thrown. "What? That dumb game?"
"You asked one in the park, and I didn't get my turn."
Scara squinted at him. "I don't know where you're going with this, but fine. What's your question?"
"Will you marry me?"
Scara nearly threw him off the sofa.
" What ?" He practically bellowed, bolting up.
Kazuha reluctantly followed suit, shifting to sit up. "Is it really such a crazy idea?" He hummed, grinning over at Scara.
"Yes. It's insane. You don't-- we didn't-- we're not--"
"Not the same people, yes, yes. But even before I had these memories back I was practically ready to marry you, Scara. I just feel slightly less ridiculous about it now." He laughed.
Scara gaped at him. "That's not…"
"I'm telling you, Scara, the way I felt? Without even knowing a single thing about our shared past? We are soulmates. Whether you," he jabbed Scara in the chest, "like it or not. And you can't tell me they don't exist, not when we just met Cyno and Tighnari again, and wasn't Childe the name of that Harbinger? The one the esteemed Consultant was dating in Liyue?" Scara swallowed, glancing away. Kazuha smiled triumphantly. "Knew it. They're everywhere! We're hardly the only Teyvat pair around! Soulmates. Why don't you want to believe that could be us, too?"
"They all found each other by chance… they do it every cycle." Scara sighed, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "I… I don't think it was chance with us. I came to your party because it was your party . And this is the first time I've ever found you again."
Kazuha chewed his lip for a moment, watching Scara carefully. "Chance is a matter of perspective."
"What is that meant to mean?" He grumbled.
"It means that… you have never exactly been the most… open. To the world."
"What?"
"Scara, I'm willing to bet the universe gave us every opportunity to reunite and you were always too busy being sad and broody to see it."
Scara gaped at him. "That is--!"
"I bet if I called Nahida," Kazuha interrupted, "or Lord Barbatos, they'd be able to tell you about all the chances you missed." There was a Derren Brown documentary about this, about how 'luck' was really just about seeing opportunity. Scara was definitely the type of guy who'd ignore a £50 note left on the street through sheer oblivious broody emo energy. "There are probably tonnes of things they just-- just assumed you didn't follow for your own reasons. This party? Me hosting it in Avidya of all places? Me finding your eyes across a crowded room when you refused to come anywhere near me, and then bumping into you at some random florists the next day? That is chance, too!" He could feel himself getting worked up now, but he couldn't stop. "And even if it wasn't? I don't care!" He huffed. "I could not care less. We make our own fortunes, my darling, and we are fortunate enough to have met again." He puffed out a breath, deflating. Gently, he took Scara's hands in his own. "I will spend another lifetime with you if you'll have me."
Scara didn't say a word. He looked to be on the verge of tears, a sight even Kazuha hadn't seen very often.
"...you'll leave again." He finally said. "You'll only leave again."
Kazuha felt his breath catch in his throat. He swallowed, his head bowing just slightly as he hid behind his hair.
"...I can't help that." He murmured at last. "I wish I could match your lifespan, dear, but… I can't." He looked back up, catching Scara's gaze again. "I'm not telling you to just keep finding me though… you're free to enjoy the time we have while I'm here, and move on when I'm not."
Scara laughed, quiet and bitter. "I'm not good at that second part."
"...better to have loved and lost though, right?" He tried, squeezing Scara's hands.
Scara frowned at their intertwined fingers, then looked up at Kazuha again. "Yeah… definitely." The tears had left his eyes, a new kind of determination there instead.
"...I'll let you think, my dear." He said. "This is all so clear to me but… well, I haven't had to deal with the millennia in between our lives, the way you have." He laughed weakly.
Scara shook his head. "No… I don't need to think." He said it firmly, and Kazuha could see that determination burning brighter. "I want to be with you again. It would be stupid not to be happy right now just because it's gonna be hard later." He reached across to push a strand of hair behind Kazuha's ear. "Just lemme think about the whole marriage thing... I don't even know how it would work. I'd have to become a legal citizen of… somewhere, first."
"...you're not a legal citizen?"
"I've never needed documents." Kazuha groaned. Scara grinned, sheepish. "I have like… twenty passports, with a wild range of birthdays on. I don't know if I'm a citizen anywhere though…"
Kazuha snorted. "Jeez…"
"Oh, speaking of our future or whatever, you should check your socials."
"...what?"
"Here…" Scara grabbed his own phone from the table, then opened something and passed it over to Kazuha. Kazuha squinted at it--
Oh, yeah. This was probably the post his manager had sent him last night…
It was a picture from his hotel corridor, with the caption: 'I KNEW KAEDEHARA KAZUHA WOULDNT HOST AN EVENT IN A TINY PLACE LIKE AVIDYA WITHOUT A REALLY GOOD REASON!! HERES THE REASON MAPLES!!!"
The picture was of the kiss they'd shared that morning, but Kazuha was very clearly in one of Scara's shirts. His hair wasn't done. He looked like he had not spent the night alone. That night had actually been totally innocent but, well.
The thing had tonnes of likes and retweets. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened, but it was the first time he hadn't warned his PR friends that they might need to keep an eye on socials. Normally, he'd make sure to limit the damage he could do to his image on his nights out...
He sighed.
"Well… we are together now, right?" Kazuha asked.
"...yes?" Scara did not sound as sure as Kazuha would've liked. He raised an eyebrow at the other man, who sighed before repeating more firmly - "Yes. We're together."
"Good. Okay. So, you don't want your face on the internet, right? Immortality stuff, I imagine?"
Scara nodded. "Yeah, more trouble than it's worth. Not that Instagram influencer Venti Barbatos seems to have realised that…"
Kazuha snorted, amused. "I'm sure he'll have his ways of fixing it… anyway, here." He grabbed Scara's hand, and laced their fingers together on top of his knee. He paused, then threw a leg over Scara's to make the whole thing look just that little bit more intimate, and grinned. He took the picture and showed Scara.
"Just our hands, and terrible jeans. That's fine, right?"
"...are you posting that?"
"I would like my maples to stop hounding me about my singledom, yes."
Scara laughed, shaking his head. "Whatever you want."
Kazuha grinned, adding a quick caption and hitting post.
"Oh." He paused, looking at his follower numbers and realising something that definitely should have occurred to him earlier. "Should I post about Childe being missing?"
Scara grimaced, shaking his head. "We found him… get some rest now, and then I'll fill you in."
Kazuha raised an eyebrow, but nodded slowly. "Yes, actually… I'd like to know what Albedo was doing attempting to murder me or whatever all that was."
Scara nodded, his grimace only deepening.
Well, they had time. The rest of their lives, in fact. Kazuha flopped back over, curling up against Scara's chest once more. Scara pulled a blanket over them both. Curled up to Scara, and thinking of all the world they had to see together, Kazuha knew - he was never going to tire of this.
'A certain image has been circling on the Internet. Given as the photographer committed a rather obtuse invasion of our privacy, I'd appreciate it if my maples weren't so quick to share it… I would have released the news when I was ready regardless. Yes - I am no longer single 🌟 watch this space (and not random stalker pages) for more ❤️'