Work Text:
There was a gentle scraping sound as Tsuyu gently nudged the plate in front of her toward the Warrior of Light. Rivayn looked down at it briefly before raising his gaze to meet hers.
“Do you want to ask me about it?” Tsuyu wondered aloud when Rivayn remained motionless. He knew what she meant, of course, but she must have confused the look of concern on his face for one of confusion. “About… who I was, I mean.”
“Do you remember who you were?” he finally asked, leaning forward onto the table with his elbows.
The woman hesitated for a moment. “…no.”
“Then why would I ask you about it?” Rivayn asked with a warm smile. Tsuyu opened her mouth, but no response came. He looked back down at the plate. “You know, I’ve never had dango before.”
“It’s my favorite,” Tsuyu replied with a happy smile. “I can’t remember when I first had it, of course, but when I eat it, I feel… warm inside. Happy, even. Which feels strange…?”
Rivayn couldn’t hold back a chuckle as he pushed to plate back toward her. “I wouldn’t dream of depriving you of this.”
It seemed Tsuyu needed no further encouragement as she greedily picked up the last skewer and began to devour its sweetened dumplings. She blushed when Rivayn laughed again.
“I’m sorry,” he managed between laughs. “It’s just… it’s good to see you so enthusiastic.”
Tsuyu blinked twice, then continued to eat. Finally, once the skewer was bare, she spoke. “They told me that I hurt people,” she said to him, setting the bamboo skewer back down on the plate. “That I’ve hurt you.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Rivayn told her as he waved toward the nearby food stall. The proprietor quickly scuttled toward them. “Can we have a pot of green tea, please?”
The woman nodded and disappeared, leaving the two alone once again.
“Don’t worry?” Tsuyu repeated with a frown. “How can I not?”
“If you don’t remember it, you’ll just make yourself sick,” Rivayn answered with a shrug.
“What if I do remember?” she continued.
There was an almost imperceptible sigh. “Then we’ll deal with it when it happens.”
Both of them were silent for a moment. “Are you upset with me?”
“What?” Rivayn asked in surprise. “No, why would I be?”
“You sounded… annoyed.”
Rivayn sighed again, this time without hiding it. “It’s not you.”
“I did do those horrible things,” Tsuyu returned with a slight bow of her head, “didn’t I?”
Rivayn reached across the table and took her chin in his hand, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Trust me when I say that obsessing over things you did that you can’t even remember isn’t going help anyone.”
“But–”
Rivayn clamped a hand over her mouth, prompting a squeak of protest. “No.”
Her imminent rebuttal was interrupted by the arrival of the tea, which seemed distraction enough to end that particular conversation. Rivayn took the opportunity to pour them each a cup, and nudged hers forward.
“You’re very kind,” Tsuyu told him with a smile, reaching for the tea. “Pushy, but… kind.”
Rivayn laughed. “That’s as accurate a description as I could hope for.”
“Why did you ask me here today?” she asked suddenly.
The Warrior of Light considered her question for a moment. “I wanted to get to know you,” he told her. “The real you.”
Tsuyu frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s a bit selfish,” Rivayn admitted with a shrug, cradling the warm cup in both hands. “You and I had similar circumstances in our youth.”
“You wanted to see what you might have been like.” There was an edge in her voice that cut deeply.
Rivayn smiled weakly. “Still think I’m kind?”
There was an awkward moment between the two before Tsuyu smiled. “Nobody’s perfect.”
“I’m… not sure if that’s a yes or a no,” Rivayn admitted with a gentle laugh.
“Yes,” she confirmed with a smirk. “I still think you’re kind.”
“Kind of an arse,” a new voice added.
“Hey!” Rivayn objected as Alisaie sauntered toward the table. “I didn’t invite you.”
“I invited myself,” she replied, sitting down between them and reaching for the teapot. Rivayn knew better than to try and stop her, but he made his objection plain on face. “Oh, stop pouting.”
“You are… Alisaie?” Tsuyu asked after a brief hesitation. The elezen girl nodded as she poured herself a cup of tea.
“I was just kidding about the arse bit,” the girl explained for Tsuyu’s benefit. “Mostly.”
Rivayn’s face turned to a smile. “What would your brother say if he heard this language from you?”
“Sister, how dare you profane the Warrior of Light in this way!” Alisaie returned in a stone-faced impression of Alphinaud. Rivayn nearly spilled his tea, and even Tsuyu couldn’t help but laugh.
“You are all quite close, aren’t you?” Tsuyu asked, the smile not quite fading.
“I suppose we’ve become a bit like family,” Rivayn agreed.
Alisaie chuckled. “Perhaps a bit too much, I sometimes wonder?”
“No such thing,” Rivayn returned with a laugh. “Although next time you invite yourself, at least bring more dango.”
Alisaie’s smile faded immediately. “I missed dango?”
“Now who’s pouting?” Rivayn asked with a smirk, only deepening her frown. “You know, I can just order more…”
Alisaie leaned forward onto the table. “Do it.”
The two of them looked at Tsuyu, who paused mid-sip of her tea. “Well, I shan’t object,” she assured them as she finished.
“Fine, fine,” Rivayn surrendered, waving back toward the stall. “You’re paying with those legendary Leveilleur coffers, though, Alisaie.”
“Ugh, alright.” Both Alisaie and Tsuyu grinned widely as he ordered another plate of the Doman delicacy.
“So, Rivayn, tell me of your youth.”
Rivayn’s head snapped back so fast he nearly pulled a muscle. “What?”
“Tell me about you,” Tsuyu repeated. “’Tis only fair.”
“Ahhhh, well, I… uh…”
Alisaie again leaned forward on the table intently. “Indeed, do tell.”
Rivayn looked to Tsuyu, then to Alisaie, and finally back at Tsuyu. “I think we need some drinks.”
“We still have tea,” Tsuyu replied, clearly not realizing the implication.
Alisaie, however, picked right up on it. “Nice try, friend, but you won’t weasel your way out of this so easily.”
“I’d rather hear about Alisaie’s childhood,” Rivayn countered with a polite but impish smile. “The stories of you and Alphinaud never cease to entertain.”
“Oh, you and your brother?” Tsuyu asked, clearly sufficiently distracted much to Rivayn’s delight.
“What?” Alisaie returned with a frown. “No, it’s Rivayn’s turn!”
“Tell her about that time in Sharlayan when–”
“Okay fine no one will be talking about their childhood.” Alisaie’s face had turned a bright shade of red, although whether it was from embarrassment or anger Rivayn hoped not to discover.
Now even Tsuyu looked uncomfortable. “I’ll… go fetch the dango,” she offered before quickly excusing herself from the table.
“I can’t believe you were going to get me drunk to avoid talking about yourself,” Alisaie grumbled once Tsuyu had moved out of earshot.
Rivayn shrugged. “Needs must.”
“You’re a terrible influence, you realize.”
He laughed. “This is why I’m not a parent.”
“Fair enough,” she replied with a smirk. “I’ll get it out of you some day.”
“We’ll see.” He looked up to see Tsuyu returning. “That was quick.”
“You will try one this time,” she ordered, placing the platter in front of him. As Alisaie reached for one of the skewers, Tsuyu slapped her hand.
“Hey!”
Tsuyu pointed at Rivayn. “You.”
Rivayn chuckled nervously before reaching for one of the skewers. “Bon appetite.”