Chapter Text
Ayato had forgotten how beautiful Inazuma's fireworks show was.
The lights and colors explosions lit up the sky with different intensities and shapes. There were koi-fish-shaped ones, flower-shaped, and heart-shaped as well. He still wondered how Yoimiya and her family managed to create such beautiful works with just gunpowder, but he knew that all clans had their specialties and secrets.
However, despite the beauty he saw in the colors in front of him, his mind was far, far away. Emily was right beside him, smiling delighted with the show, but Ayato couldn't hear what the girl was saying with his mind was filled with thoughts about him.
Ayato didn't want to hurt him again. Even knowing that meeting him at the festival was purely coincidental, he hadn't expected things to have happened that way. He couldn't wait to make things right with Thoma, but time seemed to pass too slowly for his liking.
Ayato sighed impatiently, and his gaze dropped to the floor.
Was Thoma okay? Was he at the mansion? Could they still talk today and avoid dragging out this whole situation any longer?
“Lord Kamisato?” Emily's hand touched his shoulder, uncertain, and it brought him out of his thoughts.
"Yea?" he asked, offering her a small smile. “Are you enjoying the fireworks show?”
"Ah yes! They're beautiful…” She took a quick look at the sky before turning back to him again. "Beautiful indeed, but something tells me that you are no longer here with me."
Ayato sighed with regret. She wasn't lying.
"I am really sorry." Ayato ran a hand through his hair. “I have to admit I have a lot on my mind right now.”
She laughed, awkwardly, but there aren’t any humor in her actions.
"Yeah, I noticed..." Emily tucked her hair behind her ear with one hand, a gesture that Ayato realized she did when she was nervous. “I think we’ve reached the end of the date, haven’t we?” Her speech caught Ayato's attention, who raised his eyebrows in surprise. “And that's okay, you know, no pressure. It was nice meeting you and exchanging letters, but I don't think we're on the same page. Everything was fine before, but then we met up with his friends and… Well, I guess I could tell there was something there and… Well.” Emily felt quite lost and embarrassed while talking about what happened a few moments ago. "Anyway, I think you understand what I mean."
"Being honest, when I invited you to the date through the letters, I really meant it. I wanted to get to know you better and spend more time with you, but…Some things changed along the way, and I realized that I have feelings for someone else.” Ayato made a small bow as a way of apologizing more cordially. “So I apologize for not saying this from the beginning. I wanted to at least offer you a nice date to make up for the last dinner we had together, but it's not fair to you not to clarify my feelings for you.”
"I see..." She stared at her feet. “It's a shame, but it's okay. Anyway, thanks for being honest with me.” Emily smiled, but Ayato could see that her expression was sad. “I had a great time so thank you for bringing me to the festival, Lord Kamisato.”
He smiled back. "It was my pleasure."
“And I also wish you happiness, you know, with that person you like…” Ayato felt that she knew exactly who he was talking about. "I'm sure it's someone very lucky."
"I'm not so sure about that." He chuckled and chose to change the subject before he ended up hurting her more than necessary. She was a great woman, sweet, smart, honest… And he didn't want to spoil this moment. She deserved better.
Emily kept her gaze fixed on the plush in her arms, despondent. If Ayaka saw Emily like this, she would call Ayato heartless.
“Do you want to stay a little longer?” he asked and Emily looked at him. “Or do you want me to accompany you to the inn you are staying at?” She denied it with one hand.
“No, no, you don't have to. I still want to see the fireworks and have a moment alone with my new little friend here.” She dangled the stuffed fox’s paw. "I'll leave later, but thank you anyway."
"I understood. I will ask one of the Yashiro Commission guards to come to escort you then.” She tried to deny it again, but Ayato insisted. “Please, I insist. I want to make sure you arrive safely at the inn.”
"Fine then." Emily nodded in agreement. “Thank you again for your time, Lord Kamisato.”
"Again, the pleasure was mine, Miss Emily," Ayato replied with a friendly smile. “If you don't mind, I'll be heading back now. All right?"
She nodded again and Ayato bowed as he left, saying goodbye to her.
Making his way back to the festival entrance, Ayato felt bad that he hadn't given her the best of dates, but he had to be honest with himself and Emily: he didn't have any romantic feelings for her.
For a moment, he felt some interest and curiosity in meeting her, but all the time spent with Thoma made him see the reality of his feelings: he was in love with him and didn't want to lose him.
Just as the blond had helped him have a great date, he wanted to be able to do the same for him. He wanted them to go out together, for Thoma to smile at his side and for them to be able to create happy memories together not only as Master and Servant but also as friends and… Boyfriends.
The thought made Ayato blush and cough.
He hoped, inwardly, that it wasn't too late.
As he passed the festival entrance, Ayato noticed a merchant selling some fireworks to children. That made an idea pop into his head with a 'click' .
He couldn't take Thoma to see the fireworks, but maybe he could still give him a little “show”.
“Hello,” Ayato said, approaching the vendor. “I would like to buy two of these, please.”
…
Thoma was alone on the balcony of the Kamisato Manor with a glass of wine in hand. The other servants who worked at the mansion had been given the night off because of the festival, so aside from him, only two other guards were at the Yashiro Commission's headquarters.
His body was leaning against the wall and his gaze was fixed on the sky, where a glimpse of the festival fireworks explosions could be seen in the distance. Thoma was imagining how beautiful the fireworks must be this year, which made him sigh sadly.
He wondered if his friends were still having fun; if he had spoiled the good mood with his sudden departure; if Ayato was having a good time with her...
Thoma leaned his head against the wooden wall, taking another sip of wine, and looking away from the small dots of lights in the sky.
The blond had decided to go to the festival keeping in mind that there were chances of meeting Ayato and Emily on the way, but he was trying to ignore that possibility so he could have fun with Ayaka, Lumine, and Paimon. With the company of the three of them, even if he ended up seeing them, he felt like he would have the courage to deal with the situation – and the possible rejection – with more courage. If he found them, Thoma would just say hello and focus on forgetting about it by having fun with his friends.
However, things were much easier in theory than in practice.
As soon as he saw Ayato and Emily side by side, smiling at each other, his heart sank. As the group approached them and everyone started talking, the task of remaining neutral in the situation became increasingly difficult. The only thing Thoma wanted was for everyone to end this conversation so they could see the festival in separate ways. After so much internal conflict the last few nights, all he wanted was to distract himself and meeting them there was just making it harder.
However, when the suggestion to walk through the festival together came up, he didn't want to be the one to break the group's spirits. He was upset, yes, but it wasn't fair to deprive everyone of their fun because of his own struggles.
That's why he'd decided to leave earlier and end his festival day with a glass of wine, which ironically had been given to him by the person he most wanted to get out of his thoughts right now.
If someone had told Thoma that he was going to end the week drinking alcohol because of a relationship gone wrong, he wouldn't have believed it himself. The world was indeed full of ironies.
The blond sighed, taking a small sip of the drink in his hand. The bitterness of the wine was a consolation amid all the confusion he'd been feeling, and even though his rational side reminded him that he would probably regret it the next day for drinking with his stomach half-empty, his emotional side just wanted a break so that all this anguish become just a bad memory.
"May I join you?" A familiar voice said and Thoma was startled, getting out f his thoughts and turning to face him.
“Y-Young Master?” Thoma didn't understand. The shock nearly knocked the cup out of his hands. Shouldn't Ayato be somewhere else…? "Why are you here?"
“I will take that as a yes.” The silver-haired man sat next to him and Thoma still had a confused expression on his face, not knowing what to say. Ayato kept a small smile on his lips, and his gaze dropped to the nearly empty cup in the housekeeper’s hands. “Someone told me it's kind of lonely drinking alone. Why don't you grab another glass so I can keep you company?”
Thoma took a while to answer and Ayato arched an eyebrow, questioning.
“O-Of course, Young Master.” He set his glass on the floor and stood up, already mentally cursing himself for being a little dizzier than he'd expected. "Just one minute."
Thoma entered the mansion again and returned with another glass of wine, serving it to Ayato. After doing so, the blond returned to sit beside him, staring at his own almost empty glass.
The Commissioner sniffed the wine’s sweet scent and took a sip, savoring the bitter mixture of the alcohol and the sweet touch of the dandelion, and lifted his gaze to the sky where, slowly, the small bursts of firelights became each increasingly spaced, indicating the end of the show. “It's sad that you almost can’t see the fireworks from here.”
"Yea." Thoma's gaze followed his, feeling even more disheartened to realize that now the firework show was really at an end. "But it's okay, there's always next year." Despite trying to sound positive, Thoma's voice was sad.
Thoma took another sip of his wine, emptying the glass while Ayato looked at him sideways. He knew very well that he was a good part – if not all – of the reason behind that melancholy hanging in the air, making guilt weigh heavy in his chest.
With that in mind, Ayato took with his free hand the paper package he had kept in his blazer and held it out for his company. The blond's gaze went from the package to Ayato's face, trying to understand what it was.
"Get one." Thoma put one of his hands inside it, taking one of the sparkles from there, and when he took it out, his eyes recognized exactly what it was. “I know they're nothing compared to the fireworks we could be seeing, but…” Ayato set his glass on the floor and took one sparkle for himself as well. "At least we can have our little show."
Thoma didn't know what to say, but he agreed with Ayato's idea anyway. The Commissioner kept a small smile on his lips, hoping that it would mask his nervousness because of what he would need to say soon.
The two left the balcony and crouched on the garden floor, facing each other.
“Can you light it for us, Thoma?” The blond muttered in agreement and snapped his fingers to create a small spark of flame with the power of his vision, lighting both fireworks sparkles they were holding.
The flames on the sticks ignited and it was as if several small shooting stars were jumping from the tip of the wick. The garden of the Kamisato Estate was only lit with a few dim lanterns that night, so the lights coming from the fireworks became even more evident.
The two were delighted while admiring the small burst of sparkles in their hands as if they were the same children Ayato had seen at the festival earlier today. They exchanged glances and smiles, and even though the time the flames lit would probably be brief, it was enough to light up their nights.
"It's beautiful, Waka." For the first time since stepping onto the balcony, Ayato saw Thoma's sincere smile. That curl of lips was enough to warm his chest. "Thanks." The orange hue of the sparks was slightly liting up his face, complementing the rosy hue of his cheeks and lips.
If he didn't already have some – or many – things to tell Thoma, Ayato would say 'the fireworks are as beautiful as you are'.
Being motivated by Thoma's smile and also by his goal to finally put things in order, Ayato took a deep breath to gather courage, and started to speak:
"Thoma, I'm sorry," Ayato said in a tone only the employee could hear. At that moment, their eyes were fixed on the fireworks, which were already reaching their end. “I've made a series of selfish requests to you this past month without really considering how you feel. So I'm really sorry.”
Thoma's smile faded to a thin line.
“I know you always willingly helped me,” Ayato continued. "But I wasn't fair to you-"
“Young Master, it’s all right.” Thoma interrupted him but paused a moment before continuing. Speaking honestly about this situation also meant exposing his feelings to Ayato, and that also required an extra dose of courage. “As you said, I gladly helped you, I just failed to recognize my own limits…” The laugh that left his lips was humorless. “I'll be fine soon, Waka. I just need some time.”
The flames of the chopsticks were almost reaching their end and Ayato had no idea how to put into pretty words what he wanted to say. He had a straightforward personality, so he'd always been terrible with beautiful words when they weren't negotiation-oriented. He wasn’t used to talking about his feelings, being ever so used to maintaining an indecipherable facet of the challenges he faced in his position.
But perhaps, at the moment they were in now, the best decision would be to use his straightforward as an advantage, so that none of their words or actions would be misinterpreted.
"Thoma," Ayato called out to him and their eyes met. He felt his heart beating so fast in his chest that it was hard to concentrate on the words he wanted to say. "I have something to say, but please don't interrupt me." The blond nodded and Ayato moistened his lips before starting to speak. “These last few days I've been thinking a lot about us, in general...”
The word 'we' sent a shiver through Thoma's body.
“And I've realized that I can't think of a time in the last ten years when you weren't faithfully by my side, Thoma. Whether as my employee or as someone… Much more important than just being a friend . You supported me and my family through the most difficult times, and even in the darkest of times, you were the only one who was there to give me words of comfort or simply to keep me company. I can't even put into words how much everything you've done means to me and my family.” Ayato rubbed his hands together, feeling a cold sweat. It was amazing how even being in the middle of summer, his body was frozen with nervousness. "And also, what do you mean to me."
Ayato paused and took a deep breath. Thoma was still looking at him intently and even the Commissioner, always so perceptive in reading other people's expressions, couldn't interpret what could be going through the blond's head right now.
“And Thoma, when I say you are much more than a friend is not just as a right arm, as a confidant, or as one of the most influential representatives on the Yashiro Commission, but as… as the person I love.” The blond's green eyes widened. “I love you, Thoma. And when I apologized earlier it was because it took me longer than I should to realize that.”
The chopsticks' flames went out, but the half-light from the garden still lit them, keeping them in their little world, as if there was nothing but them there.
"I'm the worst with words, you know that." Ayato's voice was low. “But I really, really like you.” He placed the firestick – now unlit – on the floor and brought his hands to meet Thoma's. Her eyes were fixed on his and Thoma's face was so surprised by the rosy cheeks that Ayato could only think that he was adorable. “And the more time we spent together, the more I realized that. The more I learned about you, the more I wanted to know. And when we kissed…” Ayato released his breath at that moment and his gaze unconsciously went to Thoma's lips, traveling from his eyes to his mouth. "I didn't know how to say I wanted to do this all night."
"Waka- no, Ayato, I..." Their foreheads touched, and Thoma's voice came out in a whisper. It was almost impossible to form coherent sentences when his heart was beating so fast with happiness. "Please, can I kiss you?"
Ayato's answer to that question was to join their lips.
This lip seal was different from the first one they exchanged. This kiss now was calm, loving, and put into action everything they couldn't put into words. They felt that they could get lost in the affection, now with no doubt haunting their minds. With everything finally cleared up, they were completely surrendered to the moment.
They pulled away for a moment but kept their foreheads together. Their fingers were intertwined and the ear-to-ear smiles on their faces could only display part of the happiness they felt with it all.
"Hey," Ayato put a hand to Thoma's cheek. “Shall we go inside? Unlike that day…” Ayato gave him a peck on his lips. "Today I'm going to kiss you all night long."
Thoma laughed, embarrassed, and bit his lower lip to contain the big smile that insisted on taking over his face.
"Yes, let’s go." They exchanged another peck, a bit longer this time, and stood up, keeping their hands together. When they left the garden, they closed the door behind them, taking hurried steps to the Commissioner's room.
Just as he had promised, Ayato kissed him all night long.
His fingers intertwined with the blond strands, stroking them and sometimes even pulling them. Every sigh that Thoma took under his touch made him shiver with pleasure and happiness. His hands traveled over the blond's body with care and affection, just as Thoma's hands also traveled over his own, tracing the moles on his back as if they were small parts of constellations.
Clothes were left on the floor, and now only the sheets covered them. The open window let the soft night breeze into the room, as well as the moonlight, which illuminated the two of them in the dark of the room.
Ayato was a handsome man, Thoma never doubted that. But now, in the half-light of the night, he became an even more beautiful figure, almost ethereal.
"Guess I still owe you some explanations, don't I?" Ayato commented, turning over on the bed to face the blond. The back of his hand went to Thoma’s face, giving it a light caress making him close his eyes to enjoy the touch, nodding in agreement. “Miss Emily and I had our date, but we both realize that we're not on the same page. Not to mention, well, I clearly like someone else…” They both laughed. “We went back to just being business colleagues.”
"Got it," Thoma said, opening his eyes to go back to admiring the figure of Ayato beside him. "I hope she's okay."
"I'm sure if she’s not, she will be okay soon." Ayato brushed away some blond strands that were falling down Thoma's face and then put his arm around his body, pulling him into a hug. "But let's talk less about that, and more about how I owe you a decent date."
Thoma laughed, snuggling into his master's arms.
"I can't wait for that, Young Master."
"No~" He muttered, sly, making a pout that Thoma had to hold back to not kiss him. "From today, when we're alone, I want you to call me by my name."
Thoma couldn't resist the urge to give those lips a soft kiss and then smiled, closing his eyes. He could already feel sleep taking over his body.
“So, correcting: I can't wait for this, Ayato.” The silver-haired man laughed too, hugging him a little tighter now.
"I can't wait either." Ayato also closed his eyes.
The two slept together between the sheets. They didn't know when Ayaka returned home or what time it was when they finally surrendered to sleep. They also didn't bother to wake up early the next day, since, after so many comings and goings, they deserved to enjoy this moment of rest in each other's arms, inside their own small world of happiness.
…
"I think he hates me, Thoma," Ayato grumbled with his arms crossed, staring annoyed at a tabby cat who was next to them. The cat didn't look too happy either, with all its white and gray fur puffed.
“Of course not, Young Master. He's just not very receptive to new people…” The blond only could laugh while seeing the scene.
Ayato had insisted to Thoma take him with him the next time he went to feed Inazuma's stray animals. The Commissioner had never been very close to animals, he didn't have much time to give them the proper treatment, and going by the idea that he couldn't even take care of himself properly, wouldn’t be fair to adopt a pet and let him alone around the house.
So when Thoma mentioned at dinner that he always came to feed the strays when he had time, talking so affectionately about them, made Ayato curious to meet the little guys.
And the cats and dogs are really lovely. They seemed to be so docile and meek, which made Ayato feel sad to see them alone, even more because after so many conflicts and deaths due to wars, many of the animals there had lost their homes. It was really a shame that his daily life was too busy to keep a pet.
Everyone seemed to enjoy a new company, sniffing and climbing on Ayato’s lap, except that damn cat. As soon as he saw him, he tried to scratch him at least three times, being all skittish.
"I just want to say hi..." Ayato tried once more, extending his hand to the cat, which still had its fur on end and was squeaking suspiciously. "I won't hurt you."
As Ayato's hand came closer, the cat squeaked louder and jumped behind a bush, hiding. The commissioner made an annoyed face.
"I told you he hates me..." The silver-haired man sighed.
"I'm sure he'll be more receptive next time, Young Master." Thoma got up, and Ayato followed. "Just feed him a few more times and he'll soon feel more confident in your presence."
“ Selfish. That's why I prefer dogs.” Ayato said, squinting at the bush where the cat was hiding. Thoma could only laugh. "But it's alright. I won't give up that easy!”
The two stayed with the animals for a while longer and then went to Komore's Tea House. It was late afternoon, and the plan for the day was for them to have dinner together. Ayato had reserved a private room so they could enjoy the meal alone, and everything they would eat had already been pre-ordered from the Kiminami restaurant. By the time, probably all the preparations were ready for them.
They had been in a relationship for about three weeks, almost a full month, and Thoma couldn't be happier. He knew that Ayato's time was limited, but in the last few weeks, the Commissioner had been doing his best to spend more time with him. And even when he wasn't there physically, Ayato was present with little notes and correspondence he left around the house.
They had decided not to make their relationship public yet. Only Ayaka knew the news and she seemed even more excited than the two of them because of it. When they told her, she also apologized several times to Thoma for having proposed the date classes when the blond already liked her brother, but he insisted that everything was fine. In the end, as much as there were some problems along the way, the two were only able to get it right because of that.
Ayato sat at the table and Thoma sat in front of him. All the food was already served, including the unique mushroom pizza from the Kiminami restaurant (a special request from the Commissioner, who had been insisting more and more on tasting foreign foods since he began his relationship with the blond). Some candles were also on the table, and the lights in the room were dimmed to make the atmosphere more romantic.
"Wow!" Thoma said, surprised at what was on the table. “Everything looks great, Young Master.”
"I already told you to call me Ayato when we're alone." Ayato scored, but he had a smile on his face. “I'm glad you liked it, Thoma.”
“Sorry, Ayato.” Thoma offered to take a piece of pizza and serve it to Ayato and then took his own. "It's just a habit"
"It’s okay, I think it's cute." He picked up a pair of silverware and started to cut off the slice. Even though he knew that some people preferred to eat this food by hand, Ayato didn't want to risk getting grease on his white robes and giving the blond more trouble later on. "It's even sexy."
Thoma - who was holding the piece of pizza in his hands and had already bitten it - almost choked with embarrassment, coughing, with his face flushed.
“Ayato!” He said after he had recovered form his shame, putting the pizza slice under his plate again. "Don't say such things like that out of the blue."
“Why, honey ? There’s no need to be ashamed of all the times you call me 'master' when we have-” Thoma knelt and covered Ayato's mouth with one hand, feeling his face burn like a tomato.
“ Please stop.” The blond sighed in frustration, returning to his seat. As his hand left Ayato's face, the commissioner's mischievous grin appeared. “Let's eat, otherwise the pizza will get cold.”
“Of course, of course. Sorry, baby. ” Ayato laughed, cutting some more of his pizza and taking a piece to his mouth. "I always forget how shy you are."
Thoma rolled his eyes, still blushing, but he also took his slice from the table and went back to eating it.
Now that they were together, it was amazing how Ayato seemed to enjoy embarrassing him even more, especially with the unique nicknames. Thoma hadn't even gotten used to calling him by his first name, not even by nicknames like that.
"But teasing aside..." Ayato spoke again. "It's really nice to spare some time with you, Thoma." The blond smiled, "I miss those moments with you when I'm away."
"Ayato..." He said, softly and smiling. "For someone who pretended to vomit when Ayaka talked about romance novels, you've turned into someone just as corny."
“I'd like to stress that this is all your fault, sweetheart.” Thoma rolled his eyes again, embarrassed. “Sorry, sorry, I promise I will stop. It's just that it's really fun to see you like this.”
"I see..." He huffed and Ayato was still smiling, victorious.
The slices of pizza they were eating were almost gone, and they each helped themselves to another portion. Thoma still didn't know how this crazy combination of mushrooms and cheese had worked, but the important thing was that it tasted good.
"But seriously now, after dinner, I want to take you somewhere." Thoma made a sound of curiosity, still with his mouth full of pizza. “You can eat calmly. I just prepared a surprise for you.”
They spent some more time in the teahouse enjoying dinner, which included dessert. Strawberry ice cream was one of Thoma's favorites, and Ayato also took advantage of the fact that they were alone to steal some sweet kisses from the blond (who, despite being embarrassed at first, didn't complain at all).
Dinner time being done, they went on their way to the place Ayato wanted to take him. The Commissioner kept it a secret the entire way, but Thoma knew this route very well. They were heading to the coastal region of Konda Village, the same place where the blond had met the ninja dog.
But he still had no idea why Ayato was taking him there. As far as he knew, there weren't many things to do in the place besides watching the sea. It was already close to nine at night and there were almost no people on the streets, most of them already at home getting ready to rest.
But when they got to the beach, to Thoma's surprise, there were already some things prepared.
A cloth with a package under it was lying on the floor, there was also a golden cylinder with decorations that resembled a dragon trapped in the sand. Thoma had never seen this before, and before he could ask, Ayato was ready to explain:
“I heard about something interesting they created in Liyue, and I ordered one.” He pointed to the golden cylinder. “This is a fireworks preparer. In conjunction with the recipes coming from the Naganohara Fireworks, we can safely put on a fireworks show of our own.”
Thoma was gaping.
"But why...?" The blond asked and Ayato smiled, opening the package and taking the small packages of fireworks in his hands.
“That day I told you I wouldn't forget what you said. You said your favorite part of the festivals was the fireworks, and at the last summer festival, unfortunately, we couldn't see them together." Ayato approached the fireworks device and placed the packages inside. I didn't know how something so simple could set off so many fires, but Liyue is a place full of the most diverse creations.”
The preparations being made, Ayato returned to his partner's side, who was still surprised even with all the explanation.
"And also, Thoma..." The Commissioner took the blond's hands. “I wanted to give you the perfect date. Luckily, I had the best teacher in that regard.”
Thoma smiled, embarrassed. He was speechless. No way had he expected a surprise like this one coming from him. Well, seems like Ayato was never tired of surprising him.
“Ayato, I… I don't even know what to say.” He could only laugh with happiness. “But really, every date is going to be perfect.” Thoma leaned his forehead against his. “You just have to be present.”
"For someone who complains about my romanticism, you're also pretty touchy-feely, you know," Ayato said and the two brushed their noses in a soft, gentle caress.
"It's your fault, sweetheart." This time Ayato was taken by surprise by the nickname, which make him move his head away from the blond, embarrassed. Now it was Thoma's turn to laugh at his partner's shyness.
“This was below the belt, stop using my tricks against me.” Ayato got closer to the fireworks device while complaining to check it one last time. His cheeks still had a light red flush. “Well, shall we start our little fireworks show?”
The housekeeper nodded, smiling. “Yes!”
Thoma approached the device too and used his pyro Vision to light the fuse. After that, the two returned to the sheet spread out on the sand and sat side by side, waiting for the fireworks to go up in the sky.
A few seconds later, the first ray of light rose and lit up the dark sky with several purple dots, bursting in the shape of stars. The next ones also went up, taking the shape of flowers, hearts, and even dogs and cats, in the most diverse colors.
Ayato and Thoma had their shoulders together and their hands were resting on the sheet, with their fingers so close that they could intertwine. Their heads rested against each other and they both admired the sky in silence, their attention focused on all the lights that exploded beautifully, pairing with the small stars.
“Thank you, Ayato,” Thoma said softly. “This is much more perfect than I could have imagined.”
"You deserve it." He leaned his head on Thoma's shoulder, joining the hand that wasn't resting on the floor with his. “I think we deserve it.”
Looking at his fingers intertwined with his made Thoma's heart warm, no matter how many times they did it. It was a simple and common gesture for most couples, but for him it meant the world.
Their joined hands showed that they were together, but it also reminded him that he was not alone and that he could count on Ayato for whatever he needed. That even when he lacked courage, his master – and now partner – would be there to support him. Even if he felt homesick, Ayato would always remember that he could visit Mondstadt whenever he wanted, as long as he promised to return to Inazuma.
And the last thing would never happen, even if he traveled all over Teyvat, Thoma would always come back to him .
"Thoma, there's something I want to ask you-"
“I love you, Ayato.” He said without even realizing it, interrupting Ayato. The truth is that Thoma hadn't even noticed that the Commissioner had started talking, lost in his own thoughts.
Their eyes met and the only thing Thoma saw in the silver irises was surprise.
And then... Silence.
And even more silence.
"I-" The blond started to speak, but couldn't continue. His head was racing and Ayato's expression, who seemed to be still processing what had happened, wasn’t helping at all.
Thoma swallowed dry, feeling his face burn with shame. All he wanted was to bury himself in the sand on the beach right there and scream. The 'I love you' had slipped away without him noticing. He didn't even plan on saying it now, but-
"Young Master, I-" His green eyes stared at the floor. “Sorry, I didn't mean to- Electro Archon, please hit me with a bolt of lightning. You can pretend I never said anything, I-”
Thoma was interrupted by Ayato's hands on his face, pulling him in for a kiss. The fireworks were still exploding in the sky, and Thoma hoped the noises made by the explosions would mask the rapid beating of his heart.
He closed his eyes and allowed himself to calm down with the caress made by Ayato's hands and lips, sighing in the middle of the kiss. Their mouths moved synchronously, slowly, and each movement made butterflies dance inside Thoma's stomach, as if this was the first time they had exchanged this kind of affection.
When their lips parted, they kept their foreheads together and their eyes closed.
Little did Thoma know, but Ayato's heart was beating just as fast as his.
“This time you took me by surprise, Thoma.” The silver-haired sighed and heard Thoma swallow, fearfully.
"I couldn't help it, Young Master, but... It's the truth." His voice was equally low, but fearful. "I love you and I'm just more sure of that now that we're-"
“ Dating. ” Ayato interrupted him, holding Thoma's hands between his. They turned their heads away and could see their faces better. Even during the darkness, Thoma could see the blush on Ayato's cheeks that complemented his smile, which became bigger and bigger just seeing the surprised expression on the blond's face. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to be my boyfriend, but your words went way beyond a 'yes'."
Thoma still didn't know what to say, which made Ayato laugh.
“I love you too, Thoma.” One of his hands went to the housekeeper’s face, pushing the blond strands away and placing them behind his ear. “And as soon as we can, I want to tell this to everyone in Inazuma, Teyvat all over if possible. I want everyone to know how much I love you and how happy I am with you.”
“Young Master…” Thoma whimpered, his eyes filled with tears. "So you're going to make me cry-" Ayato's hand that was on Thoma's face pinched his cheek, making him stop talking. "Hey! That hurts!"
Ayato released him a few moments later, and Thoma started to stare at him with a pout on his lips, caressing his sore cheek.
“I already told you to call me Ayato. ” He huffed and crossed his arms, pretending to be irritated. “Otherwise I will revoke the dating request-”
"No, no! Sorry, Ayato!” Thoma hugged him, whimpering again, and Ayato turned away, sulking. “Ayato, Ayato, Ayato, a thousand times Kamisato Ayato!”
“I don't think it's enough…” He kept his pout on his face, trying to contain the smile that kept coming after hearing his name being called so many times. “I’m still not convinced….”
"So..." Thoma leaned his head against the crook of Ayato's neck. “I love you, Ayato.” He said it once and continued, “I love you, Ayato. I love you, and I love you-”
"Ok, it’s enough." The Commissioner's face was red as a tomato, and it was Thoma's turn to have a mischievous smile on his face. “The fireworks even stopped because of your boldness.”
“But you asked for it~” He hummed, and Ayato rolled his eyes, still embarrassed.
"Very funny." The silver-haired man uncrossed his arms when Thoma released him from the embrace. It was hard to embarrass him, and often the blond ended up making him annoyed and not embarrassed, but it was worth every second if it meant seeing that adorable expression on his master's face.
And now, boyfriend.
“Looks like we still have some fireworks, Ayato.” The blond commented, pointing to the box with his chin. “What do you think about preparing one more round?”
The embarrassment disappeared from Ayato's face and was replaced by a big smile, who was already ready to take the packages from Thoma's hands and place them in the fireworks device. After all, now they had even more reason to celebrate with the fireworks.
"Of course." Ayato sat down beside him again and they returned to the position they were in before, waiting for the explosions to start erupting in the sky. “With you, I want to see all of them.”