Chapter Text
“Why are you trying to make Paimon go to bed early? What is up with you?!”
You sighed at the familiar complaints of your floating companion, fists at her hips and a not so threatening stare directed your way.
It had already been a day since you last saw the Balladeer. Since the moment you departed that night, your mind kept wandering back to him and your little “meeting,” certain moments constantly repeating and throwing you off your fighting game. The memory of the Harbinger haunted you, resulting in one too many cuts, bruises, and burns. In the end, you could barely complete your daily commissions and sort your thoughts.
Paimon, the ever observant of you, was obviously worried. You kept assuring her that you were fine, just more tired than usual. It wasn’t far from the truth, you were up all night with Scaramouche. There was the option of telling Paimon the truth, but what could you even tell her? You’re hanging out with the Harbinger that wanted you dead? She didn’t exactly get along with Childe and hated Signora to the core. Scaramouche wouldn’t be any different. Either way, it was risky. You’d tell her one day. Not today though.
You shrugged at Paimon, putting on an exasperated face, “Why not? Don’t you always complain about waking up early everyday? I thought sleeping earlier could give us more time to sleep.” Paimon thought about your words before shaking her head, “Paimon will complain either way!”
You ignored her as you stood to stretch, pretending you were ready to sleep to convince her of how serious you were. When you weren’t sleeping in an inn, you resorted to taking empty hilichurl camps. This one was right outside the border of Wolvendom, wolfs faintly howling in the distance. You briefly wondered if Razor was with his lupical, keeping a mental note to pay him a visit him soon.
“Traveler! Don’t leave Paimon alone! Paimon’s hungry!”
“There’s sunsettias and apples in the bag to fill you up.” Paimon groaned as she realized she wouldn’t be able to postpone the sudden change in bedtime. She whined out loud once more, “You owe Paimon a Mushroom Pizza for breakfast for this!”
————
You didn’t know how long it had taken before you felt that you were in the clear. Paimon was next to you in the tent, sprawled out on the ground. It always reminded you of how a baby slept and you appreciated the quiet moments like this when you saw a calmer version of Paimon....that is, until she would suddenly slap your face in the middle of the night. Luckily for you, she was a heavy sleeper, so you didn’t waste much time carefully climbing out of the tent.
Paimon was right though, it was pretty early. You could see Mondstat City across the lake, the last lights turning off. You hoped you wouldn’t keep Scaramouche waiting for too long. At the same time, his warning from the night before played again in your memory. A blush warmed your face at the thought of everything he was capable of doing to you, your heart pounded faster and harder and you felt yourself starting to tremble with excitement.
The Harbinger didn’t give you an exact location, you remembered as you followed the path into the forest, trekking quietly.
Would he be following you? Was he watching you now? It would make sense considering how he found you so easily the night before.
Maybe this was the trap. His plan to lower your guard and strike you down before you could even breathe. Should you turn back? But what if he genuinely wanted to see you? There were too many possibilities, too many questions. Could you even trust him yet?
You had nothing except your weapon, hidden away. What if you did die here? You’d rather go down with a fight, you thought to yourself as you collected the magic in your hand, ready to summon your weapon at the sight of danger. Just a precaution.
Despite the darkness, your senses became familiar with the surroundings, recognizing everything from the lamp grass to recent burn marks from previously battles. You weren’t too far from the arena Boreas was located, you concluded. Perhaps you could wait there.
You barely took another step forward when something long wrapped around your waist, a hand covered your mouth to prevent your screams as it pulled you off the path, dragging you easily as if you were lighter than a feather. Was it a treasure hoarder? That’s unlikely, you’ve never seen one in here. Was it him?
Your suspicions were answered when a pair of hands pinned you to the tree and you recognized the familiar shadow of a large hat upon closer inspection. The dark figure chuckled. At that moment, the moon shined over the forest, sharing its light upon the world, revealing none other than the Balladeer himself. For some reason, you were glad that it was him.
“This would’ve been too easy if I wanted to kill you here. Are you really Mondstat’s hero? What a pathetic title for a sorry excuse like you. Did you save the city with your ‘kind’ and ‘encouraging’ words?” As he talked, his finger found the corner of your mouth, forcing it open with his thumb, “It would explain that mouth of yours, I’ll give you that.” With a huff, you shook his hand away.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t do that.”
“Are you ordering me? I don’t think you have a say, Traveler. I warned you, did I not?”
“You weren’t very specific with your directions.” As soon as the words escaped your lips, the familiar electro shock crept up your arm like static. Scaramouche’s hand squeezed the same spot before rubbing over it.
Is he marking you with his element?
“I don’t like the way you’re talking to me. Put that mouth to good use.” The Harbinger squeezed your face in between his fingers, pulling your face to his.
There was that feeling you had again. Your heart pounded faster and your stomach churned from excitement. He dominated your mouth, feeling yourself getting weaker and sinking into submission. He leaned closer, his body weight trapping you in place. His hands started to wander down your body, gripping your waist. The Balladeer repeatedly sunk his nails through your clothes with every intake of breath and recaptured kiss.
As much you would’ve continued to share the rest of the night like this, you pulled away from the kiss, already missing his touch on your face. There’s something that’s been bugging you and it couldn’t wait any longer.
He noticed. The Balladeer didn’t make a move to let you go, waiting to see what was the hold up. “What? You want to stop?” You shook your head, taking a moment to collect your thoughts.
“Why are you doing this? Don’t you want to get rid of me?”
“You’re a threat. Of course I want to get rid of you,” You already knew that...yet the words still shocked you. What else did you expect? Your face must’ve given away your disappointment because he placed one hand on his hip and another pinching your chin to look at him between his fore finger and thumb, “Don’t get so sensitive. You should be honored that you’ve catched my interest. It’d be a pity if I had killed you at any other given chance without knowing what you were capable of outside of the battlefield.” You blushed and you swore you heard a hint of hesitance as he explained.
Were you that interesting to him? Did you occupy his mind like how he did yours, hence these secret meetings? You were practically a celebrity, anyone would reasonably be curious about you, you shouldn’t get your hopes up. But you can’t help it.
He was delaying the inevitable, you reminded yourself.
“How do I know that you’re not lying to me? That you won’t destroy me right now while I speak?”
This will have to stop eventually. One of you may be covered in the other’s blood one day.
“I’m not here to make you trust me. That’s on you.”
Eventually. For now...
Your lips reconnected with his, the Harbinger wasting no time to get back into the action as if you never stopped. Your thoughts frantically scrambled as you repeated his words in his mind, more questions arising in your head than answers.
You were Mondstat’s hero. Honorary Knight. The one who helped defeat Osial in Liyue. The one who knew between right and wrong.
This felt so wrong...but at the same time, so right.
——
“Did you fight a Hilichurl in your sleep or something?! Why are your lips bruised? And your skin is full of marks too! It doesn’t make sense!”
You leaned against a log, slightly zoning out from Paimon’s interrogation, trying to think of a reasonable answer to her questions. You hadn’t noticed them until morning came around where Paimon immediately pointed your “injuries” out.
In reality, Scaramouche had kept his word, getting rougher with each passing minute of your meeting the more you stayed in his presence. Whenever you tried to switch the control over to you, he zapped you into submission....again....and again.
You were confused. The conversation from last night implied that he was keeping your meet-ups a secret yet here he was showing his mastery over you in broad daylight like a pet.
It had only been two days. He was doing a real good job at being a Harbinger; bossy, ruthless, and shameless.
“Hilichurls came back for the camp and I had to fight them off, that’s all.” Paimon glared at you and looked around.
“There should be damage here but there’s not! Are you sure?”
“I kept them away from the camp so that they couldn’t hurt you.”
“Paimon would’ve woken up the moment she heard hilichurls.”
“You sleep like a rock.” Paimon huffed, stuffing her face in a Mushroom Pizza. That seemed to be the end of the conversation luckily. You brought your hand to your lips, remembering the Harbinger’s own on yours. You smiled to yourself, standing to stretch for another day of adventuring.
The letter in your pocket softly crinkled in the back of your pocket, safely out of view.
———
Meet me at Stormbearer Mountains in two days.
-S