Chapter Text
The territory of Wolvendom is quiet as the leaves rustle, revealing a youth that emerges from its shadowy depths. His shoulders are hunched, bearing old scars that turn silvery in the moonlight as he makes his way to a small clearing upon a rocky outcropping overlooking the lake.
The city glows warmly in its center, reflected upon its glassy surface. It is your home, and he is sure of your presence, nestled within it, likely asleep at this hour. But it is not his, and suddenly its lights are blinding. He looks away.
Razor sits, gazing up at the night sky sprawled out above him, and finds his place among the countless stars. He closes his eyes quietly, exhaling stardust in a relieved sigh. Here, he belongs. He is not a wolf, nor is he a human; he is celestial dust and insignificant chaos, and he is free.
He wants to show this place to you, to share in the solace that it provides him. That he might see your smile, to be illuminated in your light like how the moon glows in the sun's radiance.
Tomorrow, the boy thinks as he rises to his feet resolutely, before turning to cast another glance at the city, at you.
”Good night,“ he adds aloud, voice rough with mild disuse, before heading back into the forest.
. . .
”This is a first,“ you comment idly as you walk beside him, picking through the basket you’d thrown together that morning in your arms. He makes a confused noise as he hands you a wolfhook to add to the pile inside the basket.
“Inviting me to stay for the night,” you explain, face reddening slightly. “You usually insist on me returning to Mondstadt before nightfall.”
”I...” He pauses, fingers reaching upwards to curling around the phantom, familiar grip of a greatsword before dropping it in favor of grasping your hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. ”Can protect you. Not worried.“
You hum thoughtfully. ”I see.“ You stop, laughter bleeding into your tone as you lift a hand to tug something from his hair. It sticks stubbornly, and your eyes sparkle with amusement as you shake your head incredulously. “Is that what I think it is...?”
Another tug, harsher this time, and you pull away abruptly when he winces on your third attempt.
“Sorry! That must've hurt.” You rush to apologize, wringing your hands nervously as he reaches up gingerly to pat the spot you’d just pulled. “I think there's a wolfhook stuck there.” Razor nods in understanding, before summoning his claymore to his hands, deftly aligning the blade’s edge to a lock of unkempt hair.
”Whoa, hold on!“ You throw your hands out as he pauses, confusion reflected in his eyes as he awaits your next words. “Were you trying to cut that out of your hair?”
”Yes...?“ The boy replies haltingly with no small amount of confusion, lowering the heavy greatsword as he gives you a blank look. “Is there... a problem?”
”Celestia above,“ you shake your hand, before settling down on a log and patting the space beside you. “There are better ways to go about this, you know... Here, sit down and let me see if I can't get it out.”
He hesitates, but sits anyway, slipping his hood off as he does so, and you immediately set to work sorting out the knotty mess. Slowly, you weave your fingers through each and every tangle and snarl until you’re able to very, very gently extricate the wolfhook and restore some semblance of order to his unkempt hair.
“Success!” You say over your shoulder as you drop the prickly fruit into the basket giddily.
Behind you, the wolf boy rises to his feet, running a gloved hand through your handiwork as the breeze ruffles his now-untangled hair, teasing the loosened strands this way and that.
It feels nice, he decides.
. . .
The sun has already begun sinking below the horizon, the scarlet sky quickly giving way to darkening night when you finally stand up, dusting your clothes off as you lift a basket heavy with the violet fruit. Razor walks towards you as you look around, at a loss for where to go next. You brighten when you notice him.
“Perfect timing!” You motion for him to lean down. He does, albeit with some confusion, and you tug his hood down to drop a handful of wolfhooks into it before and giving him a playful smile. ”Alright, we‘re all set to go now.”
“Follow me,” Razor tilts his head carefully, keenly aware of the additional weight. His lips twitch upwards unconsciously when he hears your footsteps crunching behind him, and something tense and uncertain loosens in his chest when you slip your free hand into his.
Carefully, the boy guides you on the familiar path through the woods and past the pond, before slipping through the underbrush into familiar territory. Even in the dimming light, he doesn‘t miss the way you light up, a small gasp of awe escaping your lips as you tumble out of the bushes.
The stars, he thinks (but does not dare say aloud), look much better reflected in your eyes.
At your suggestion, he helps you set up the campfire, gathering armfuls of branches while you strike a match and toss it onto some kindling — a crude pile of small twigs and dry leaves — and it flickers to life. Razor watches curiously as you feed it some branches, the blaze steadying under your careful tending. He does not need the heat it brings, being accustomed to the frigid nights, and he has little use for its meager light with his honed senses. Still, he sits when you prompt him eagerly, your face tinged red by the firelight and something else he can’t quite identify.
The fire crackles pleasantly, and Razor relishes the warmth that emanates from it, banishing the chill that seeps into Wolvendom during the night. He watches as you speak excitably, following your pointed finger towards the vast expanse above.
Your words are lost to him, carried away by the nighttime breeze as you settle comfortably beside the fire.
The stars of Teyvat are mesmerizing, handfuls of luminous shards scattered haphazardly across a sky by some careless god. Framed against the cliffs, the city of Mondstadt shines like a brilliant jewel against the surface of the lake.
But it is not the sky, nor the lake, nor the city with its countless lights that he’s drawn to tonight. Instead, he meets your eyes as you turn towards him, wearing your smile like a gentle crown; a star from heaven, befallen on earth.