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The Alcor was known among sailors for being a beauty, finer than even the luxurious decks of the Ocean Pearl—sleek and slim as the tip of a sword, ready to cut through the vast seas of Teyvat. It rode low in the water, heavy with food and supplies full of treasure and bounty. And this was only the flagship. Its fleet was a city of wood as tall as the trees they had been, a forest rolling through the blue sea.
As a traveling musician, you had taken it upon yourself to find creative ways to explore the world, and what better way to do so than tag along Captain Beidou and her crew? When you promised that you would be of use to her, she had allowed you to join the fleet, although your stay was only temporary. That was where you became acquainted with Kaedehara Kazuha.
When you met him, you had been strumming a song with your zither inside the cabin while the ship was docked in Ritou. Beidou had introduced Kazuha to you then, telling you to keep watch over him while he remained hidden. His face was gaunt, on his belt slung two Visions — one glowing with the symbol of Anemo, and one with the greyness from having no master.
His posture wordlessly told you a tale of grief. He remained sitting on the hammock, staring at the floor. Without much to say to him, you quietly hummed as you strummed your zither. Your fingers flew effortlessly off the strings, plucking them together in a soft harmony.
“What song is that?”
You abruptly stopped to look up and meet ruby red eyes that were surprisingly soft.
“Don’t stop playing,” said Kazuha. “I want to hear it.”
After a moment’s hesitation, you began to play again, this time facing the samurai, who was watching your movements with keen interest. A distraction from his woes, and the looming threat of the Electro Archon above his head.
“This is a song from Snezhnaya,” you explained. “I learned it on one of the ship’s travels.”
“Do you travel for music?” he asked.
You plucked a particularly low string as you chuckled. The low note vibrated in the air, piercing right through Kazuha’s body and soul, as all music did to one flowing with emotion.
“I travel to travel,” you replied.
He smiled. Like a freshwater stream, he had a gentle face, one that was different from the toothy grins of the gangly pirates that you usually played music for each day. Perhaps now, you would have someone to duet with, someone on the same tempo as you. Kazuha took out a leaf reed and began to play it, effortlessly harmonizing with your own song. He is talented, you noticed.
When your song ended, Kazuha took a deep breath, as though to clear his mind from what he had just run away from in Narukami Island.
“If that is the case, then I ask if we should travel together.”
The journey leaving Inazuma was more peaceful than the journey sneaking into it, but the world did not cease to storm even after the triumphs of revolution. The sky was downcast, rain pouring down like hail, the waves tossing around like the boiling wrath of a god. You were used to days like these, when the sea was angry, but as you sat at the cove by the window of Beidou’s office, legs stretching out on the plush couch, you could not help but flinch as thunder struck.
The other crew members milled around, talking amongst themselves about the storm, but only Kazuha chuckled as he took the spot next to you, pushing your legs back so he would have space.
“The rain is wonderful,” he proclaimed. “There is nothing like the sound of the droplets hitting the window.”
“Not when you’re at sea,” you said. “It’s raining an awful lot. This is one of the worst storms I’ve ever seen.”
The ship rocked back and forth. Although everyone on board was already used to it, you could not help but feel a dreadful pit in your stomach. You glanced at Beidou, who was talking to one of her first mates, planning the next course of action to take.
“Are you afraid of lightning?” he asked, sounding amused. “You do not think that the Raiden Shogun is after us again, no?”
You shook your head. The events of Inazuma had unfolded months ago; Kazuha was a free man. For a while you had feared that he would leave you to travel the world, but for some reason, he did not. When you asked why, he only gave you a mysterious smile and said not to think too much about it.
These days, you spend a lot of time wondering what his reasons may be.
“If that were the case, the Traveler and their little floating companion would be on it by now,” you countered. “They adore you, after all.”
Kazuha smiled slightly. “Now, now, my dear. You aren’t getting jealous, are you?”
“Jealous!” you said. “I’m afraid you should be the one fearing that, as I myself am quite attached to the blonde hero of Teyvat. And besides…”
He quirked up an eyebrow. “Besides what?”
“Who can’t love you?”
You looked away, rushing the words as though in a hurry to be rid of them. You were a musician, but at a loss as to how to understand what you felt. Especially towards Kazuha. You knew he was extremely perceptive, analyzing every last one of your actions in a quest to fully understand your emotions. You did not know how he would react if you told him, if he would accept your feelings if you did.
You did not see how the corners of his lips turned up. “Speaking from experience?”
You coughed in an attempt to cover yourself up. “In your dreams, Kaedehara Kid.”
“I prefer it much more when you use that name for me, as compared to our other crewmates.”
You smiled, leaning your head against the glass of the window while you watched the dark ocean waves spray water against the panes. It was almost therapeutic. Kazuha noticed this, seeming to read your thoughts just by the way your breaths began to relax.
“This is how balance upholds in the world,” he said, closing his eyes and listening in. “Do you hear it? In storms, there is lightning, and wind, and rain against the earth. It is just and pure… as the elements should be.”
“It is the natural order of things,” you agreed.
Lightning flickered outside, causing you to glow in its momentary flash as Kazuha watched your face gaze at the waves outside the window. If the lightning allowed it, it would have made the interior of the ship seem deathly pale. But like a ghost, the eerie strike of lightning illuminated you to be hauntingly beautiful.
Kazuha told you this, causing heat to arise on your cheeks. He was so casual in the way he described you — poetic and specific, as though missing a single detail would be heinous to his honor and yours.
Before you could flinch from the next strike of lightning, Kazuha grabbed your hand, surprising you. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “I am here, after all.”
“Hey,” Beidou called, striding past with a glass of sherry in hand. “Change of plans. We’re heading Liyue Harbor tonight instead of tomorrow morning. Can’t see anything in this storm.”
You opened your mouth to say something, but Kazuha only smiled and brought your hand against his cheek as he cheekily grinned at the captain. “Roger that, Beidou.”
She smirked and folded her arms. “Hmph, for someone so lost in his own thoughts, you’ve got some style, Kazuha.”
As she walked away, you lightly slapped Kazuha’s cheek and berated him for plaguing you. He only laughed and told you that he enjoyed seeing the bemused look on your face, that it was as friends did. There was no shame in showing your friends your affections for them, and you should not be embarrassed when he did so.
You wondered if he understood you better than you did yourself. He was always in tune with the moon and the stars, was he only pretending not to see what you were thinking? You did not know, for he was always so mysterious, but not by choice.
When you arrived in Liyue Harbor, you left the crew to their own devices as you and Kazuha began to tour around the glowing city. The rain had not yet reached the coast. Streamers and decorations left up from the Moonchase Festival were still strung up, and you pointed at each one of them, Kazuha nodding, his glazed out face telling you that he was busy thinking of whatever inspiration had struck him.
The people walking upon the paved streets, eyes to the black heavens, seeing how it hugged the starlight, had such a playful aura in the eventide as the Moonchase Festival was slowly coming to a close. You were slightly disappointed to have missed the better part of it. You had received word on the Alcor that the Liyue Qixing had spared absolutely no expense and made it a festival to remember.
“Next year, I will take you to all the festivals,” promised Kazuha. “The Ludi Harpastum in Mondstadt, Liyue’s Lantern Rite at New Year — we shall go wherever you desire.”
“I see you’re enjoying your newfound freedom very well,” you said. Kazuha smiled, enough to convey his gratitude for having you as his traveling partner.
“Yes, I am. Especially with my dearest companion by my side.”
Kazuha’s eyes were bright in the lantern light, his face drawn sharply by the flickering shadows.
“What are you looking at?” you asked when you caught him glancing at you.
“Nothing,” he replied. “It’s just that looking at you in the remnants of this festival fills me with inspiration. Won’t you play me a song?”
“I am not a bard, Kazuha.”
“But,” he said, lips pressed together in a smile, “you are my muse.”
You sat at a bench and pulled out your zither. You strummed, eventually singing when he asked you to. Soon you were surrounded by people, standing as you plucked the strings. You played for the crowd, letting the music fly off your soul.
Kazuha watched you, playing and singing as you always did on the ship, admiring the way you had confidence in your tunes. For a second your eyes held, and you felt the feeling run through you again. The adoration, the yearning, and the shyness that came with unsure feelings. Neither you nor Kazuha were embarrassed of the way you looked at each other — you were one half of the other, and like he had said, it was better to let these emotions flow, unstoppable like rivers.
Those seconds, half seconds, where your gaze would connect like that, were when you would feel it the most. The deep swoop of his stomach, the coursing thrill in your veins. It was like a boar eyeing the trap.
You ended your song, and the crowd around you clapped before the send-off. You graciously bowed before leaving with Kazuha at your side, a small smile on your face as you let your zither disappear. He hummed the song you had played.
“What a beautiful song,” he complimented. “So fitting for the Moonchase Festival.”
“If they knew about the tunes you play for me in private, they would think I pale in comparison.”
Kazuha stopped walking, causing you to pause as well in the middle of the busy street. The reds and whites in his hair flickered against the light of Liyue’s festival lanterns like a candle without wax.
“I do not think so. As long as I am alive, I would like to indulge in all things that make this world beautiful. There is only so much beauty that my poems can offer alone. Thankfully, I indulge most of it every day because I’m with you.”
You were dumbstruck, unable to say a word. Thunder rumbled in the sky as a gentle rain began to fall. Kazuha took you by the arm.
“Come, the rain has caught up to us. The crew might be already inside Liyue’s inn.”
Dragging you by the hand, he ran with you in the rain, his speed enhanced by his Anemo abilities, in a hurry to get you to the dry inn. When you arrived, you both were slightly soaked, but Kazuha did not seem to mind. He was too attuned to nature to be bothered by rain.
A few members of the fleet crew were sitting around the lobby, Captain Beidou drinking a bottle of alcohol. When you entered with Kazuha, faces flushed, she sent you a knowing wink. Kazuha shook off the water like a cat before confidently striding over to the reception to fill out the form.
You milled behind him, as though hiding behind his back. He hummed as he did the paperwork. Beidou appeared beside you, saying, “Got everything settled yet? The crew brought your luggage already. How was your date?”
“Date?” you repeated. “Oh, we—”
“—had fun,” Kazuha interrupted without looking behind him. “They played such beautiful music, I’m surprised that they don’t just work as an idol here in Liyue Harbor.”
“You flatter me. But I would much rather play music in the woods with you.” You ignored the rising tinge on your face from how he did not deny anything earlier.
Beidou laughed heartily. She peered over Kazuha’s shoulder and raised an eyebrow, “Interesting room choice.”
“I would have separate rooms for us for the sake of privacy, but sadly the prices rose after all the crew’s demands,” he answered. “I am taking the two-bed one for convenience.”
“Two-bed?” Beidou asked. Kazuha was momentarily confused but carried on. “I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you.”
“What in Celestia is she going on about…” you muttered, baffled as she walked off, murmuring something about romance making people oblivious. “Eh, maybe she had a little too much to drink, I suppose.”
You found your overnight bag where you kept your belongings among the luggage of the crew. Kazuha insisted on carrying it for you despite your protests.
You clicked your tongue. “No bags? You wear the same clothes almost every day — they’re going to get tattered. We should get you some new ones tomorrow.”
“Ever so concerned,” he teased lightly.
“If I weren’t concerned, I wouldn’t be with you, no?” you replied. “Really Kazuha, I wish you’d be more aware of some of your basic needs sometimes.” You poked the softer parts of his stomach, causing a chuckle to erupt from the depths of his throat.
“Hm? Why would I think of that when you’re all I need?”
You scoffed, but it was a scoff without malice to hide your smile. You wondered if it was normal to feel this way about your traveling companion, if it was just expected to be constantly mesmerized by his words, his piercingly red eyes, and his humble strength. It was not unheard of to be interested in Kaedehara Kazuha — he was unique, being a Samurai from Inazuma, following nothing but the direction of the wind in its wake.
Kazuha opened the door for you and peered into the room. His eyes caught something, and he froze. “Archons.”
“What’s wrong?” you asked, stepping into the room. When you saw it, you stood agape as well. “Oh.”
In the middle of the cozy, wood-brimmed room was only one bed. A faint blush arose on Kazuha’s cheeks. “I think I read the paper wrong,” he said awkwardly. “I swear I asked for one room, not one bed…”
"So this is what Beidou meant earlier," you mused. “Well, I can sleep on the fl—”
Remembering himself, he quickly added, “You take it, please.”
“No!” you exclaimed, slightly distraught. “Don’t be ridiculous. I can’t do that!”
Kazuha quickly strode over and placed your things on the bed. “No, I insist. I can sleep on… this rough and hard floor.” As if to make a point, he tapped the hollow floor with the tip of his boot, the planks creaking underneath.
You crossed your arms. “You actually thought that would convince me?”
Kazuha folded his arms, adamant. “Come on, I’m already used to sleeping on rocks, how can this be any different? I do not wish to make you uncomfortable.”
“You won’t,” you reassured him. “I would feel far worse if you had to be in discomfort for my sake.”
Kazuha ran a hand through his hair, combing it back. “Alright, I suppose we are at a stalemate. If so, then surely you don’t mind if we share the bed.”
He said it with an air of finality and you just shrugged; there is no point in arguing. Kazuha had an answer for everything. After all, you were traveling companions and spent nearly every last hour together, sleeping under trees and weaving hammocks with one another, surely this was no different. But that had been done in an innocent public, not somewhere so intimate and private.
“No,” you said. “I don’t mind.”
You made Kazuha take a bath, otherwise his soaked clothes would give him a fever. When he emerged from the bathroom, devoid of his usual get-up and wrapped in sleeping robes, you blinked a few times to get the image right. His white hair was tousled in such a way that made you want to ruffle it.
He smiled at you when he saw you staring, causing you to flush with embarrassment.
When he climbed into bed, he raised his brows when he saw you fluffing two pillows to put between you.
“Just for precautionary measures,” you said casually. He hummed, whether in approval or dissent, you were not sure. He flopped onto the mattress, burying his face in pillows and slightly curling up, like a hatchling in his nest.
You pulled up the covers to your face, trying to hide how embarrassed you were at being so close to him in this way. “Goodnight, Kazuha.”
“Goodnight,” he said, voice muffled in the pillow.
You turned out the oil lamp at the bedside table and settled yourself in, shutting your eyes and trying to welcome sleep. For a few minutes you stayed still, fearful of bothering your companion with your turning about. He was as still as a rock. If he could hear your worrywart thoughts, you'd like nothing more than to sink into the ground you wished he let you sleep on.
After a while, you couldn’t take it anymore. You would sleep on the floor, never mind what he said. You would bother him too much. But to your surprise, when you sat up to leave the bed, he had done the same as well, at the same time. You looked at each other with confusion, only to realize that you had both thought of doing the same thing.
With a silver tongue as quick as his Vision, he said, almost teasingly, “Sure you still want to sleep with me?” The flush in your cheeks only worsened, how could he say such things so easily?
You cleared your throat. “It’s fine, Kazuha. It’s just you.” Blood rushed to your face. “And I feel comfortable around you. Especially after all our adventures together.”
“I would think it would make this predicament all the more daunting, my dear.”
You tilted your head at his balking tone. It was your turn to fluster him. “How so?”
He patted your pillow. Reluctantly, you laid back down, Kazuha following. Now you were both laying on your sides, facing each other. He pushed the pillows away so he could look you in the eye, his gaze thoughtful.
The rain outside grew stronger; thunder rolled in the sky. The air was getting cold. When lightning flashed, you habitually flinched again. Kazuha’s fingers were quick to grip your hand, squeezing in consolation. They were slightly calloused, from the days of sailing at sea and wielding a sword.
“Because…” he said, lips turning up, “I want you to feel safe with me.”
You let out a laugh, merely an exhale at the irony.
“Do you want to know why I flinch at lightning?”
He raised his eyebrows.
“Enlighten me.”
You leaned in, enough so that your chin was on his shoulder and your lips were by his ear. In the silvery moonlight you could see Kazuha’s cheeks turn pink, and your stomach flipped. You could admit to yourself that you took great pleasure in making the Kaedehara Kazuha blush.
“It reminds me of how mortal we are,” you said, eyes shining. “When the Raiden Shogun nearly struck you down on that day, it was as though time stopped. I was afraid that I would never have you again.”
Kazuha softened. He placed your intertwined hands to rest on his chest. Within you could feel his heartbeat, strong and steady, reminding you that he was indeed there. In his eyes, his very presence even, you could feel the energy of the swaying trees, and flowers in spring, or streams after winter. Kazuha was the embodiment of everything beautiful the world had to offer its travelers.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I had to."
You shook your head. "No, I understand," you said. "It's just… don't scare me like that again. Please."
“You will always have me,” Kazuha promised. “We are sworn companions. I cannot be without you.”
You gave him a look so earnest and full of pure affection that he knew he had to take the chance. He could not bear to see your smile every day, to hear your voice and your songs and the poems you help him write, if you were not his to love. Suddenly the what if thoughts plaguef his mind. What if he had been struck down? Would you have found another traveler to sail with? The very thought filled him with a surprisingly jealous feeling in his heart.
"And I, you," you replied, smiling.
You shuffled around the bed again, looking for a better position while your hand was still casually with his. It continued to rain outside, making the air chilly. “I’m cold,” you said.
Instantly, Kazuha pulled you into his arms and fell back on the bed. Your shocked face was under his chin as he held you in place, securing you within his warmth and pulling the covers over you.
“Is it warm now?” he asked tenderly.
You shyly buried your face in his neck. You felt his body vibrate as he chuckled. “Yes, but… why do you tease me like this?”
His thumb stroked your cheek, nestling you in.
“Is it not obvious?” he whispered softly. “I thought I made my feelings for you quite clear already.”
“Kazuha…”
“Look at me.”
His hand came under your chin to lift your gaze unto his. Soft. That was the first thing that came to mind. His face was benevolent, and full of care. His rich voice, the one that recited poems as fast as his sword swung true, dropped to a gentle whisper.
“I’m in love with you,” he said. “I cannot pretend I do not see what is between us. I am in love with you dearly, and I hope that you feel the same way for me.”
Kazuha has looked at you a thousand times, but there was something different in this gaze, one you were all too familiar with. Your mouth was dry, and you could hear the pounding in your head as you swallowed. He watched you, waiting.
You shifted, an infinitesimal movement, towards him. It was like leaping off a cliff, into the deep sea. You did not know exactly what you were going to do. You leaned forward and your lips clumsily met each other. Again, he was soft still. You could taste him — hot and sweet and lingering with the faintest trace of dandelion leaves that sometimes coated his lips.
You felt him tremble, a warmness spreading between you. The surprise of your own actions shocked you, and you startled away. In a miniscule moment you saw his face framed in the moonlight, his lips half-forming the kiss.
You began to stammer out an apology, but he shushed you. “Hush,” he said. “It was wonderful. Even more so than the wind.”
He pulled you back into him, arms wrapped around your middle as he held you close. You sensed the pleasure in the way he hummed against your skin, the happiness. His thumbs rubbed comforting circles, reminding you that he was there, living in the sweet circle of his hold.
“Rest well, my dearest,” he whispered, and they were the last words you heard before you closed your eyes to slumber. When you woke, you found that your heart burned in warm content when it was Kazuha's tiny smile that greeted you first.
The ships glided from the harbour into the bonny sea waters as if they had spent the starlit hours dreaming of little else. You sat at the edge of the boardwalk, taking in the morning breeze as the rising sun’s light began to wallow on your skin.
You watched the waves swallow themselves as you plucked and played your zither. The wind carried its sweet tunes to the horizon, to the person that you hoped would hear them.
“I was wondering where you had gone,” said a voice behind you. You turned to see Kazuha, striding over with a small smile on his face. “Were you waiting for me?”
“Of course,” you replied, resting your head on his shoulder when he sat beside you, his feet dangling off the plank. “Where would I be without my traveling partner?”
The sea was calm, an infinite blue in infinite weather patterns, as opposed to its rough waters last night. You heard the crews’ shouts as they hurriedly prepared to board back on the ship, eager to sail back into the unknown.
“Wish we could stay in Liyue a bit longer,” you said. Kazuha absentmindedly wrapped an arm around your waist.
“We can, if you’d like,” he said. “We are bound to nothing. Somewhere quiet. Where we can write songs together.”
“The sea does take a toll on people after a while,” you agreed. “And there is much to explore here. But I still want to see the rest of Teyvat.”
“That, we shall.”
Kazuha closed his eyes, whispering a haiku of romance in your ear.
In the distance, you heard Beidou call out your names, saying to save the lovey-dovey things for later because it was time to go back to sea. You placed a hand on Kazuha’s cheek in appreciation, and replied to the captain that you would be there, just let you two have a moment first before returning to the deck of the Alcor.
Kazuha stood, bringing you up with him, and took your hand, as he always did.
“Let’s go,” he said. “There is much to sing about.”