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Ritou is a beautiful place.
It’s a simple fact. As fish swim in the ocean, as the cat is curious, Ritou is beautiful.
While the city was small, one could not help but admire it. From the smooth stone to the lanterns that shared comfort to the strangest of passerbys, Kazuha felt warm. However, this warmth was from aesthetic alone; the night was settling in quite nicely, and the last rays of sunset were beaming down on him. Chilly winds already whispered their unwelcome cries, and light rain sang its pitter-patter.
He took note of the buildings - which were all of the same style - and how that repetitive design had only helped to emphasise the grand tree at the centre of it all. It stood tall but humble, reminding Kazuha of those childhood tales of great giants that shared kindness with humans. The waterdrops that slipped past the tree’s leaves made themselves at home on the backs of fallen leaves.
The crunch of those leaves distracted him from his wonderings.
“Here,” the voice was warm, and Kazuha was sure the wind lost its chill for a few seconds, “rice cake soup. One for me, one for you.”
The voice belongs to Gorou, of course. Kazuha was quite sure no other voice has such great of an effect on him.
“Thank you,” Kazuha said, “shall we stay, or shall we move somewhere else?”
“Let’s stay,” Gorou answered, “it’s still raining, anyways.”
-----♥♥-----
They made themselves at home amongst the fallen leaves. Sitting cross-legged, Kazuha had the bowl of rice cake soup in his lap, leaning over to eat. On the other hand, Gorou leaned against Kazuha’s shoulder, holding the bowl against his bent legs to spread the warmth.
“Do you have any grand plans for Liyue?” Gorou asked.
His voice was usually so lively, however, it was dampened by something other than the rain. He was clearly trying his best to hide the note of sadness in his voice, and Kazuha wished he wasn’t so skilled at listening.
“I’ve heard many great things,” Kazuha replied, keeping his voice steady, “the gloom of Wuwang Hill, the culture of Liyue Harbour… Liyue is so vast, the scenery must be enviable.”
“Don’t stop talking,” Gorou implored.
He didn’t.
He wondered if Gorou was actually interested in Liyue’s geography. Every time he looked at him, he had the dreamiest smile. Every now and then, he would snuggle closer to him. Kazuha was a bit worried he might fall asleep on him.
By the time he finished recounting the history of Guyun Stone Forest, night had been ruling for what felt like days. The rain had long since stopped, only leaving the scent of wet stone prominent throughout the city. The chilly winds had calmed; it was just cold now, no help needed from the wind.
And Gorou still leaned on his shoulder, but his dreamy smile had disappeared.
“I understand what the Raiden Shogun means by eternity,” he said it so softly that Kazuha strained to hear him.
Gorou looked out towards the dark night. He shivered a bit.
“If only nights like these could last forever.”
Kazuha stared out into the night too. Though his mind begged to wander, his heart remained locked in Inazuma. There was a mutual and unspoken understanding between him and Gorou. They both knew Kazuha had the soul of a wanderer; he could not be chained to one place, even if that place was his birthplace. Gorou, however, was duty-bound to Inazuma. As Sangonomiya’s general, he was loyal to Inazuma. He couldn’t simply leave to pursue a life of wandering, no matter how much his heart desired it.
“When do you leave?” Gorou asked.
“Tomorrow, in the early hours.”
“Ah,” Gorou sighed, “so much for the land of eternity.”
Kazuha wondered which one of them fell asleep first. He struggled against sleep to keep the moment lasting as long as possible, and he had no doubts Gorou did the same.
-----♥♥-----
Tomorrow, in the early hours came too quickly.
Kazuha was awoken by quiet morning chatter. This chatter was birdsong and the humming of business owners as they opened up shop. The sun’s rays greeted him, painting the city in warmth.
“Already awake?”
Gorou yawned, stretching his arms.
“Do you want to leave me that badly?” he joked.
Kazuha rolled his eyes.
“Did you have a good sleep?”
“Yes, you make quite a good pillow.”
“I’m glad you were comfortable,” Kazuha said, “unfortunately, I was not.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll find you a nice, warm rock later.”
Later.
The word was so casual yet stung so deeply.
-----♥♥-----
The two had moved from under the tree to a table. Two plates of omelette rice sat before them, and Gorou immediately dug in. Kazuha almost laughed that his last meal before leaving Inazuma would be omelette rice, but he supposed that the food didn’t matter, it was who he ate it with that mattered more.
When Kazuha finally finished his meal (Gorou finished long before he did), he took the time to admire the atmosphere. No children were awake; it was much too early for them. Only adults roamed around, and they did so quietly; perhaps they were doing chores, going to work. It was a sight he had only seen now, but the grand tree had probably seen this sight a million times.
“Hey, Kazuha.”
Once again, Gorou had to snap him out of his thoughts.
“Write to me about the sights you see. I want to know if Liyue is worth a visit or not.”
“Any stranger could tell you Liyue is worth the visit,” Kazuha teased.
“You know what I meant,” Gorou grumbled, crossing his arms.
Kazuha laughed.
-----♥♥-----
The docks were uncharacteristically quiet. Walking hand in hand, the two headed towards the end of the docks where the Alcor was anchored. Kazuha could see Beidou and Yoimiya chatting, and he prayed Yoimiya would distract her for a while longer. He knew she was a very skilled conversationalist. She would manage to drag it out for as long as she possibly could.
“Gorou,” Kazuha said, stopping. The two had already been walking very slowly.
“Kazuha.”
“Do you fear that I will forget you?”
Gorou’s mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. He simply looked down and his ears drooped with his gaze.
“To say the thought hasn’t crossed my mind would be a lie.”
“Don’t look so down,” he assured him, “I’m not offended at all, and you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
He placed a hand on his sheath.
“Wherever I go, I carry my blade. It is my link to Inazuma,” Kazuha said, “you’ve treated me kindly ever since I joined the Resistance, and you’ve continued to do so ever since. This is the last act of kindness I ask of you.”
Kazuha unsheathed his sword, laying it in his hands before Gorou. He bowed his head.
“Kiss my blade,” Kazuha asked, “as my connection to Inazuma, it seems only fitting that you somehow are connected to it too.”
(Was he blushing? No, that wasn’t important. What was important was that if he was blushing, could Gorou see that?)
Calloused hands gently took the sword, and Kazuha glanced up to see Gorou place a kiss on the lower part of the blade, right next to the hilt.
“I thought you were going to ask for something bigger,” Gorou admitted, a slight blush peppering his cheeks.
“That’s the only favour I saw fit,” Kazuha said, “anything else felt imposing.”
They shared the smallest chuckle, but that was interrupted by Beidou and Yoimiya, who were both yelling Kazuha’s name.
“It’s time for us to separate,” Kazuha said, waving back at them.
“It seems so,” he didn’t even attempt to hide the sadness in his voice.
“Don’t be sad,” Kazuha assured, turning to hold both of his hands, “I am most certain we will see each other again. Fate is not so easily destroyed by individuals. Here, Liyue or in some far off corner of the world, we will return to each other.”
“Urgh,” Gorou mumbled, blinking away tears, “don’t be so flowery now, you’ll make me cry!”
Kazuha laughed, a smile painting his face. It contrasted Gorou’s, who was trying to fight every muscle in his face to stop tearing up. Kazuha placed a hand to Gorou’s cheek, wiping away a tear that escaped his futile attempts.
“As poetry is written in ink, I promise my return to you.”
-----♥-----♥-----