Archive of Our Own ^beta

Inside a small apartment located somewhere in the busy area of Liyue Harbor, there sits Kazuha in front of his laptop having a video call with one of his boyfriend’s sisters.

Makoto gives him a smile, a small and gentle one. “How’s the packing going?”

Kazuha opens his mouth to reply only to be stopped by a thud followed by a loud “ shit!” coming from their shared room. He hears the purple haired woman chuckle before telling him to go check on her sibling. “I’ll be back, Makoto-san.” He says with a sheepish smile before rising from his seat.

Scaramouche slams the door open with a scowl, clutching his elbow in his hand. A fond look paints his face upon seeing his boyfriend. Even though there’s a scowl decorating his face, he still looks so cute in Kazuha’s eyes. “What happened?” He questions as he looks at the reddening skin.

“Hit my fucking elbow on the drawer, what else does it look like?” Scaramouche grumbles, plopping down on the sofa. He rolls his eyes at the response before he ruffles his hair.

“Alright, alright, no need to be so snappy.” He chuckles as he continues to rub Scaramouche’s head. The scowl on his face slowly disappears as he leans into his touch. “I’ll help you pack our things later. Makoto-san is calling.”

At the mention of his sister’s name, he snaps his head up, giving his attention to Kazuha from his elbow. “She is?” He nods as a reply and points at the laptop on the table. The purple haired male crawls towards the coffee table before sitting in front of the laptop with a grin. “Mako-nee!”

“Hey,” Makoto greets, waving her hand at her brother. “Are you okay?”

Kazuha sits beside his boyfriend, gently rubbing the sore spot with his fingers. He sees Scaramouche nod and gives her a thumbs up. “Yeah, I’m good. Just hit my elbow but I’m fine.”

Makoto lets out a fond sigh, shaking her head at her brother. “Be careful next time. You always hit your elbows when you’re moving around too much.”

Scaramouche makes a noise in his throat from her comment and crosses his arms in front of his chest, his lower lip jutting out in the slightest. “I do not.”

“Yes, you do.” The older sibling replies. 

“I don’t.”

“You do.”

Makoto huffs and looks at the white haired male. “Kazuha, tell him he always hits his elbows when he’s moving around too much.”

Kazuha stops rubbing his boyfriend’s elbow upon hearing his name. He didn’t even realize that he tunes out from their conversation. “What? Why am I suddenly involved?”

Scaramouche turns his body to him, his hands immediately holding his arm. A faint blush rises on his own cheeks at how close he leans his face. “What are you doing?” He hears his voice crack at the end of his question and grimacing afterwards. It makes the blush on his cheeks redden even more. “Your sister is looking.”

“I don’t care,” he replies, his eyes narrowing as he looks at his sister who’s laughing behind the screen. “Tell her I don’t always hit my elbow.”

Kazuha chuckles, his hand rising to pinch his cheeks. “Oh, you’re so cute.”

“That’s not what I’m asking!”

He hears Makoto laugh. “Tell him I’m right.” He nods with his eyes closed and a small smile. “She’s right.”

Scaramouche’s pout immediately greets him when he opens his eyes. A laugh bubbles from his throat and pinches his nose. “I’m sorry but that’s the truth.”

A yelp escapes from his lips when the purple haired male pinches his side making him jump slightly in his seat. “You’re supposed to take my side, dumbass.”

“I’m not taking any sides.”

“Whatever.”

They continue to talk after that; Makoto asking if they’re doing okay while packing their things. Scaramouche did most of the talking since it’s been a whole week since he talked with his sisters. They always call once a week if they’re not busy with their own schedules.

Kazuha listens as he folds their clothes and stuffs them inside their luggage while Scaramouche continues to talk to Makoto. He would reply if he’s being asked or would sometimes comment if his boyfriend would say something embarrassing.

“Oh, before I forgot,” Makoto says, clapping her hands excitedly. Kazuha looks at her this time, his hands still busy folding the shirt in his lap. Both he and Scaramouche look at her, waiting for her to continue. “Your apartment is all ready! Ei and I cleaned it last weekend with Miko.”

His eyes widen, his busy hands stopping completely before he rubs his neck. “Ah, Makoto-san, you didn’t have to do that.” He sees Scaramouche nod beside him. “Yeah. You could’ve left the cleaning to us. You already did so much.”

Makoto only rolls her eyes at them with a small laugh. “Oh shush, it was my previous apartment anyway. It’s the least we could do before you both arrive.” She replies. He sees her grab something behind the camera before she raises her hand and dangles two keys in front of her. “It’s your apartment keys.”

A smile curves on Kazuha’s lips, feeling grateful for what she did. “You really didn’t have to, Makoto-san but thank you.”

“Thanks, Mako-nee.” Scaramouche gives her a small smile. “I’ll treat you to good food once we arrive.”

She grins and claps her hands excitedly once again and nods her head at them. “Ooh, I’ll be waiting for that.”

Scaramouche mutters something under his breath, something about how Makoto would always say yes to food but when he looks at his face, there’s a small smile on his lips, eyes shining with fondness. Unbeknownst to him, there’s also a smile growing on his lips. 

If Makoto sees it, she doesn’t say anything.

A few minutes later after more banter from the siblings, Makoto bids her goodbye to them, saying that she’s excited to see them this weekend. Scaramouche shuts off the laptop and leans back on the couch with a sigh.

“Oh, my butt hurts.” He groans, his body sliding down on the couch. Kazuha chuckles, standing up as he sets aside the clothes and the luggage before looking at Scaramouche. “Your back's gonna hurt if you stay like that.”

“I’m hungry.” The purple haired male says, looking at him as he raises his arms. Kazuha helps him to stand up, laughing when the shorter male bumps his head on his chin. “Ow.”

“Wanna go to Chihu Rock? Third Round or Wan— whoa.” He lets out a gasp when Scaramouche suddenly wraps his arms around him, resting his cheek on his shoulder. He’s stunned for a moment before he wraps one of his arms around his waist and the other resting on his head.

It’s not the first time Scaramouche does the first move when it comes to physical touch but when he does, it always catches him off guard. He feels so warm in his arms, with his head buried on his shoulder like he perfectly fits there.

It always makes Kazuha warm.

When Kazuha peers down, he sees a faint blush on top of his cheeks, his periwinkle eyes not meeting his own crimson ones. The gentle smile returns on his lips before pecking his forehead. 

“Are you okay?” He feels Scaramouche nod, his purple locks tickling his chin when he does. “Are you still hungry?”

Scaramouche’s voice vibrates when he replies. “I am.” He doesn’t make any move in removing his arms any time soon, instead only tightening his hold on the white haired male’s middle. “You’re warm.”

Kazuha chuckles, “You’re warmer.”

“Shut up,” he mutters. They stay like that for a while; Kazuha runs his hand through those purple tresses, eliciting a soft sigh from his boyfriend as he snuggles in his hold.

“Kaz?”

“Hm?” He hums before continuing, “What is it?”

“I’m excited to meet your friends. And for you to finally meet my sisters in person.” Scaramouche says, finally lifting his head from his shoulder and looking at him. He looks at those shining periwinkle eyes under the warm lights of their apartment. 

Kazuha leans down and pecks him with a smile on his lips. “I can’t wait too. They’re gonna love you.”

Scaramouche snorts. “I sure hope they do. They’re gonna see me more in Inazuma.”

“Of course they will,” he reassures him, giving him a smile — a proud one. “You’ve talked to them already.”

“Yeah, but only on video calls.” He counters, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s gonna be different in person.”

He gives the shorter male a weird look, raising his eyebrow. “How’s it gonna be different?” He briefly recalls the first time he met Scaramouche’s own friends, remembering how he, Xingqiu, Hu Tao, and Yun Jin immediately got along because of their common interest in poetry and operas.

He’s sure that Scaramouche would also get along with his friends in Inazuma; he remembers how he and Kokomi talked for hours while talking about anatomy and how he and Yoimiya spent an hour talking about the latest fireworks display during a festival in Mondstadt. Scaramouche suddenly have an inkling in watching firework displays and how they are made. For what reason, Kazuha doesn’t want to know. 

“I dunno, Kaz. It just feels different once you meet people in person.” Scaramouche replies to his question with a shrug. 

Kazuha purses his lips into a thin line before bringing his hands to his cheeks and squishing them. He lets out a muffled “what the fuck” before shutting him up with a soft kiss. 

“Are you nervous?” His boyfriend averts his eyes, eyebrows furrowing because of his question. Kazuha laughs, “You’re nervous!”

“Of course, I am. Kinda.” He admits once he releases his cheeks. “I wanna get along with your friends too like how you get along with mine.”

A fond smile makes its way to his lips before engulfing him in a tight hug once again. “Believe me, you’re gonna get along just fine.”

He hears him sigh followed by a small chuckle.

“If you say so.”

—

“What time is your flight again?” Hu Tao asks as she sits down in front of the couple. She munches on her Vegetarian Abalone, cheeks puffing a bit. They end up going to Wanmin Restaurant after walking around the busy streets of Chihu Rock.

Scaramouche groans, picking the vegetables with his chopsticks from his own plate and placing them on Kazuha’s, who gives him an unimpressed look. “Eat the goddamn vegetables, Scara.”

The white haired male clicks his tongue when Scaramouche waves a dismissal hand at him. “No.”

He shakes his head, ending up eating the vegetables placed on his plate.

“Oi, stop ignoring me.” Hu Tao whines, tugging on the purple haired male’s sleeves. She knows it annoys Scaramouche and because she likes getting on his nerves, she continues on doing it until he snaps his head towards her. She cackles.

“Go ask Xiangling. She already asked.” Scaramouche replies and goes back to eating.

Hu Tao makes a noise in her throat. “Heeeh, why are you so pissy today?” She turns her head to Kazuha and raises an eyebrow, asking him. “Has he been like this since this morning or what?”

Kazuha shakes his head, giving his boyfriend a brief glance and turning back to the brunette. “Nope,” he replies. Definitely not. He recalls how Scaramouche hugs him before they leave their apartment. “He’s just probably going to miss you, that's why he’s like that.”

Hu Tao sends him a teasing grin, resting her chin on her hands as she wiggles her eyebrows at him. “Ohh, I see, I see.” She sings.

“That, or because he’s naturally pissy.” Kazuha adds, which makes her laugh. Scaramouche gives him a glare, his purple eyes narrowing. 

“Fuck you.”

“Before the two of you start flirting in front of me, which I do not want because my girlfriend isn’t here thank you very much,” Hu Tao interrupts when she sees Kazuha open his mouth to reply from the purple haired male’s crass comment. “Scara, you haven’t answered my question.”

He looks at her with his chopsticks between his lips as he replies, “I told you to ask Xiangling.”

“She’s busy cooking, you dumbass.”

“Why are you even asking?”

The brunette pauses, rubbing her cheek with her index finger as she looks at them sheepishly. “Because…”

Kazuha finds out the reason once his eyes meet hers, as if communicating mentally with her. “Ahh…” he smiles, nodding his head. Hu Tao only shrugs. His boyfriend turns to him, patting his thigh. “What? What is it?”

“I think they’re planning on driving us to the airport.” He says, watching their brunette friend smile at them. “Am I correct?”

“Correct!”

Scaramouche blinks his eyes, once, twice, multiple times that Kazuha lost count, the scowl dropping from his face and is replaced by a shocked one. “Oh.”

Hu Tao snorts. “Yeah, oh.”

He doesn’t say anything after that, continuing on eating his Crystal Shrimp and dumplings. “We have to go to the airport after lunch. Probably one in the afternoon to avoid heavy traffic.” Scaramouche says after a while. 

The female looks up from her food and gives him a grin, taking out her phone and starts typing on it. “Okay, noted.” She chuckles. After a few moments, Kazuha feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. He sees Scaramouche’s phone light up on the table as he receives Hu Tao’s message on their chat.

“Oh,” she says, “I was supposed to send that on the other chat. But anyway.”

Scaramouche raises an eyebrow. “Are you implying that you have another chat without us?”

“Without you.” Hu Tao corrects him, giving him a smug smirk. He mutters a curse under his breath. “It was for your surprise birthday!” The surprise birthday that they planned a year ago. “Which failed, by the way.” Scaramouche retorts. 

Hu Tao makes a face, scrunching her nose at the comment. “Can we not talk about how you knew it all along?”

Kazuha laughs, remembering how Scaramouche confronts him the night he found out their surprise due to their blonde friend slipping up and made him promise not to tell his friends. The purple haired male lets out a dry laugh. “Yeah, Aether’s a shit liar.”

“Are you talking shit about me?”

The three of them turn their heads to the direction where the voice comes from and sees a blonde male walking towards their table. Scaramouche lets out an amused laugh as he looks at Aether’s messy hair; the blonde locks framing his hair going in different directions. 

“You look shit.” He immediately says with laughter once Aether sits down at their table. “Is it windy outside or is that your fashion statement?” The blonde rolls his eyes at him.

“Yes, thank you for your unnecessary comment.” He replies, voice dripping with sarcasm, giving him a saccharine smile.

Scaramouche sends him a smirk. “You’re always welcome, honey.”

Aether grimaces, “Fuck off.”

Kazuha and Hu Tao roll their eyes at them. “Here they go again.”

“Anyway, what time is your flight?” The question makes the purple haired male groan again. Kazuha can’t blame him, it’s the third time he’s been asked that same question. First it was Xiangling, then Hu Tao, then Aether. Kazuha’s gonna take a guess and say it’s either Yanfei or Xingqiu that’s gonna ask.

Aether’s expression turns exasperated. “What?”

“You’re the third person who asked that.” Kazuha replies after he drinks his tea. “Also, Hu Tao already sent a message in the chat.”

“Oh,” the blonde lets out a laugh and checks his phone. “No wonder Scara’s pissy.”

Yanfei and, surprisingly, Xiao joins them after a while once they finished ordering. And Kazuha’s guess is correct that Yanfei is the one who asked what time their flight is again , which turned out to be asked just to annoy the purple haired male sitting beside him.

They stay there for almost an hour or two — with Xiangling joining them with their other friends as they just got out from work — Kazuha loses track of time when they are with their circle of friends.

He keeps an eye on his boyfriend, noting how Scaramouche smiles a lot despite the sarcastic remarks and banters he’s having with his friends. He recalls the look on his face when he found out about their plans on driving them to the airport. Scaramouche wouldn’t say this in person, perhaps he would if he had alcohol in his system, but he’s going to miss his friends so much.

He feels Xiao nudge his arm, snapping him out of his train of thoughts. “What? Need anything?” He asks, looking at the black haired male.

“You’re smiling like an idiot in love.” He says, a small hint of smile playing on his lips. Besides Xingqiu, Hu Tao, and Yun Jin, Xiao is also one of Scaramouche’s friends that he surprisingly got along with. Given how the black haired male looks aloof and silent, their friendship comes unexpected for Kazuha. 

(“You two kind of have the same vibes. I kind of expected you to get along.” Scaramouche had told him once.

Kazuha gave him a confused look. Same vibes? As far as he knew, Xiao is silent unlike him who would speak about poetry for hours or something about his interests. Scaramouche didn’t elaborate when he asked again.)

He gives Xiao a light chuckle. “I am in love.”

This time, he actually smiled. “Why did I even bother,” he chuckles. “Anyway, you’re already done packing your things?”

He shakes his head. “Almost. A few more clothes and we’re all set.”

Xiao nods. “I see.”

Kazuha catches how Xiao looks at Scaramouche — who’s busy talking to Keqing and Xingqiu — for a brief moment. He gives him a smile. “You’re gonna miss him, aren’t you?”

The black haired male shrugs, his amber eyes not looking directly at him. “I guess… Well, he’s been my friend since college along with Childe, Aether, and Hu Tao.” He admits, looking down at his empty plate. He nods in understanding. “And I guess I’m gonna miss you too.”

“Oh really?”

Xiao scrunches his nose, looking away bashfully. “You’ve been my friend too. We’re all gonna miss you.” Kazuha laughs. “That’s nice. Of course, Scara and I will miss you too.”

He rolls his eyes at him but there’s a fond smile on his lips. He doesn’t say anything after that, letting their words drift into the wind.

—

Scaramouche nudges his arm as they walk back to their apartment, their stomachs full from eating and jaw hurting from laughing too much with their friends. The sky is turning into different hues as the sun sets, the street lamps around Liyue Harbor lighting up the streets.

“I saw you and Xiao talking earlier.” His boyfriend starts, inching a bit closer to him. He stays quiet for a bit, knowing that Scaramouche would continue what he’s saying. “What were you two talking about?”

He wraps his hand around Scaramouche’s own hand and puts them inside his pockets as they continue to walk, interlacing their fingers. Kazuha relishes the way his boyfriend flushes, looking away from him. 

“He was just telling me how he’ll miss you.” He replies.

Scaramouche chuckles, looking up at the pink skies looming above Liyue Harbor. “Why do they all say that already as if we’re not going to see each other anymore?”

“Well, you’ve been in their lives already for years. It’s only natural they’re gonna miss you.” Kazuha replies.

“It’s not only me that they’re going to miss.”

Kazuha turns to him. “Hm?”

Scaramouche stops in his tracks, taking out his hand from his grasp and looking at him. “Why do you say like I’m the only one they’re going to miss? They’re going to miss you too, you dumbass.” He chuckles, squishing Kazuha’s cheeks with both of his hands. “They are also your friends, okay? Does your thick head understand that?”

The white haired male nods with a smile. “Yes, my thick head understands.”

“Okay good.”

Kazuha offers his hands to him which Scaramouche gladly takes, interlacing their hands again.

They continue to walk to their apartment. 

—

Kazuha grumbles in front of his phone. Upon hearing that noise, Scaramouche turns his head towards where he’s standing. His arms are filled with their clothes that he’s going to leave in his sister’s house.

The white haired male sees Scaramouche walking to him and immediately gives him a small smile. He only raises an eyebrow at him. “That’s very unlikely of you to make that noise. What’s up?”

He points at his phone. In his screen, there’s Tomo, Kazuha’s childhood friend. Scaramouche raises an eyebrow at the blonde male. “What did you do?”

“Hello to you too, Scara-chan.” Tomo says, rolling his purple eyes at him.

“What did you do that he’s grumbling like a child?” He hears Scaramouche ask, a light laugh accompanying it. He hears Tomo whine behind the screen, telling the purple haired male he didn’t do anything.

Scaramouche snorts, “Yeah, right. You’re like the only person I know who gets on Kazuha’s nerves. Aside from me.”

“I am glad to know about that,” Tomo grins. “I was just asking him if he’s done preparing your things and he told me I’m acting like his older sister.” 

Kazuha sighs and puts down the folded clothes inside the duffel bag that he’s going to give his sister. “You’re actually worse than nee-san cause she only asked me once but you asked me almost every day.”

Scaramouche lets out a laugh when he sees the blonde pout, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Come on, I’m just excited to see you. It’s been, what, nine years since we’ve last seen each other.” He says. 

“Yeah, yeah. As if we don’t see each other during festivals.” Kazuha rolls his eyes at him although there’s a fond smile on his lips. He grabs the duffel bag on the floor and turns to Scaramouche. “Talk to him for a bit, please? I’m just gonna go down the lobby and meet nee-san.”

“Okay.”

“Thanks, Scara.” He grins and gives him a peck on the lips before going out of their room. He hears the sound of the door closing, signaling that he left. 

When Scaramouche looks back at the screen, Tomo’s giving him an unimpressed look. “Must you do that in front of me?”

He laughs, sitting down on the floor after he sets their luggage aside. “He probably did that to spite you.”

“Understandable. I’ve been annoying him for weeks now.”

“No wonder he did that.”

Tomo clutches his heart, giving Scaramouche a faux pitiful look. “He’s flexing on me. He’s flexing that he’s in a relationship and I am not.”

“Deserve.”

“You,” the blonde starts with a laugh, pointing at him. “Are down bad. You’re so in love with him.”

A blush creeps to his cheeks and ears, not denying what he’s been told. He promptly looks away when Tomo laughs loudly. “Shut up.”

“Anyway,” he says, leaning his head on his hand. “The others are really excited to meet you. You’ve met some of them in person, right?”

He nods. He did meet some of Kazuha’s friends, namely Kokomi and Yoimiya when they were visiting Liyue Harbor to deliver some supplies courtesy of Kazuha’s older sister (more like guardian), Beidou. They met up at the port but it was only for a brief moment because of their packed schedule. And it was nearly two years ago.

Scaramouche had met Tomo on multiple occasions already, especially when Liyue was having a festival. Tomo would always visit him and Kazuha for a few days before going back to Inazuma. 

“Why do you look like you want to take a shit?” The purple haired male gives him a glare. “I don’t.”

Tomo scoffs, “Yeah, you do. When I mentioned that the others are excited to meet you.” He lets out a gasp afterwards, wide eyes looking back at his own periwinkle ones. “Don’t tell me you don’t want to meet them?”

“What?! Where did you even get that, you ass!”

Tomo bursts out in laughter. “I was just messing with you.”

He gives him a dry laugh. “Yeah, no wonder Kazuha’s annoyed.”

“Okay, jokes aside,” he clears his throat, leaning forward and looking at him with all his attention. “What’s up?”

He huffs, crossing his arms in front of his chest and looking away from Tomo. “I am excited to meet them. It’s just that…”

“Are you nervous?”

“What if I am?”

The chuckle that escapes from the blonde makes Scaramouche look back in front, his eyebrows still furrowed. “You don’t have to. You’ve talked to them already, it’s not like you don’t know them.”

“It’s different in person.”

“That is if you show a different attitude, not like how you usually talk to them.” Scaramouche purses his lips. “They won’t like me.”

“I’m pretty sure they would have stopped talking to you if they didn't like you.” Tomo replies, smirking proudly at him, knowing that Scaramouche can’t deny that fact. “Plus, I literally just told you they are excited to meet you.”

“I am too.”

Scaramouche sees the blonde look at something behind him, his lips curving into a knowing smile before looking back at him. “Well, looks like your lover is back. I gotta go. See you soon!”

“Wait—” Tomo abruptly ends the call. 

Kazuha walks to him before sitting down. Scaramouche looks at him with raised eyebrows, “Did you hear what we talked about?”

“Only a few.” He replies, raising his hand to tuck a strand of purple hair behind his ear.

“Remember that time you told me that I should get along with your friends if you want me to be your lover?” Scaramouche nods. He can still clearly remember the time he told Kazuha that. Kazuha looked determined at that time, although subtle. It’s to no one’s surprise how he won his friends’ heart in no time.

If he won his own heart, then his friends would too.

“That applies to you, too.” Kazuha says softly, bringing him closer to his body. He suddenly feels warm, resting his cheek on his shoulder. “And you already did. You’re friends with my friends.”

What’s mine is yours. Kazuha told him that before.

He threads his fingers through his hair, and Scaramouche feels his eyes drooping slightly, a small sigh escaping his lips. “They are going to love you.”

He smiles. “I hope they do.”

He feels him pressing a soft kiss on his head. “They already do. Don’t worry about it too much.”

—

Sunlight passes through their windows making Kazuha open his eyes slightly, covering his eyes when the light hits his face.

He slowly sits up, yawning as he did. He’s about to stand up and prepare for the day only to be stopped when he feels an arm wrapped around his waist. A smile curves into his lips as he looks at Scaramouche’s sleeping face.

He brushes away a strand of purple hair away from his face, his fingers trailing across his face before cupping his cheeks with his palm. The purple haired male makes a small noise and Kazuha draws his hand away before standing up from their bed, putting his pillow in Scaramouche’s hold as a replacement.

As he ties his white locks in a low ponytail, he hears some rustling behind him. He turns around and sees his boyfriend now lying on his back, his eyes slightly open as he calls to him. “Kazuha?”

“Good morning,” Kazuha whispers. “Go back to sleep, I’ll wake you up once breakfast is ready.” He leans down and plants a soft kiss on his forehead. Scaramouche nods, mumbling a small ‘okay’ before burying his face in his blanket and pillow.

He makes his way to their kitchen only to realize that they had kept most of their things away. He contemplates whether he’ll take out their things again or he would just buy take out. 

He picks the first option, knowing that it’s early in the morning, seven am to be precise, and he knows that most of the delivery services aren’t open yet. He is sure that Scaramouche will nag him if he opens the boxes again but what can he do?

His head turns to their door when he hears their doorbell ring, raising an eyebrow when muffled voices are heard outside. The doorbell rings again and he immediately heads to the door, afraid that it will wake Scaramouche, and looks at the monitor to see who it is.

Beidou’s grinning face immediately greets him when he opens their door. Behind her are Hu Tao, Xiangling, Xiao, Aether, and Yanfei, who are holding paper bags in their hands.

“Good morning, sunshine!” Hu Tao sings cheerfully, waving her arms. 

Kazuha steps aside, letting them inside their now-bare apartment, save for the sofa and the tables. “Good morning to you too,” he greets, raising an eyebrow as he watches his friends put the paper bags on the counter. “What are you doing here early in the morning?”

Hu Tao plops down on one of the seats as she takes out different tupperwares filled with food. The others sit in their living room while Xiangling cries sadly about their empty kitchen. “Oh, how empty.” She cries, “This breaks my heart.”

Kazuha’s stomach rumbles slightly when the scent of Xiangling’s cooking hits his nose. “Your sister wanted to see you already. And we brought food since we know you kept all your things already.”

Said sister slings her arms around his shoulder, making him tumble forward due to the force. He feels her ruffling his already messy bed hair in affection. “Today’s your flight already,” she muses with a laugh. “I just wanna see you two earlier before you go.”

His eyes meet hers, giving her a small smile. “We’re always going to video call, you know.”

She flashes him a grin. “I know, kid.”

“Ah, ah,” Aether interrupts, patting Kazuha’s arm as he stands beside him. “Save the crying for later. For now, let’s eat breakfast, shall we?”

Kazuha laughs, breaking out of Beidou’s hold and helps Xiangling and Xiao prepare the dishes they brought. “Oh, I have to wake Scara—“

His words are interrupted when he hears a noise coming from their bedroom, most likely from Yanfei and Hu Tao — who he didn’t notice got out of her seat — and Scaramouche who’s cursing at them. 

He lets out a sigh, shaking his head as Scaramouche continues to curse, hearing the girlfriends’ laughter. Everyone knows how grumpy Scaramouche can get when he’s woken up abruptly. Nobody tries to wake him up after what happened in one of their sleepovers — which they do not bring up for their sanity’s sake.

Aether and Chongyun suffered the most from it.

Nobody really tries to wake him up after that. Well, except for those two.

Xiangling shakes her head, laughing slightly. “Those two never learn.”

Scaramouche comes out of their bedroom a little while later with Yanfei and Hu Tao following behind him. There’s an irritated look across his face, purple locks going in random directions as they make their way towards the dining table. There’s a grin on both of Hu Tao’s and Yanfei’s faces, snickering at the look on his face.

Beidou whacks them slightly on the back of their heads with a rolled magazine. They let out a yelp and rub their heads. “That’s so mean,” Hu Tao pouts.

Kazuha ignores the commotion between the three and walks up to Scaramouche who’s opening the tupperwares and picking a piece of meat from one of the dishes. He looks up to Kazuha when he sees him walking to his direction, smiling as he chews.

“Morning.” Scaramouche simply says before picking another piece. He makes a face at Xiao when the black haired male swats his hand away.

The white haired male leans down and presses a soft kiss on top of his head, inhaling the scent of his shampoo. He mumbles a “good morning” before pulling away. 

“Oh god, the display of affection,” he hears Yanfei comments behind him. “Tao, give me a kiss too.”

“Gladly,” Hu Tao giggles.

He feels Scaramouche tug on his shirt slightly, garnering his attention to him. He hums, looking down slightly at the shorter male. “What?”

Scaramouche taps his cheeks twice with his index finger, eyes not meeting his own. He doesn’t say anything but Kazuha knows what he means. A smile forms on his lips, slightly teasing, but he leans down and pecks his cheeks.

He hears some groans coming from his other friends, telling them to stop flirting early in the morning.

“Aren’t you affectionate today,” Kazuha chuckles when he pulls away. There’s a faint blush on the purple haired male’s cheeks, puffing them in the slightest. “What? Am I not allowed to?” He mutters, leaning his back on Kazuha’s chest when he hugs him. 

“I didn’t say that.” The white haired male replies, planting another peck on his cheeks before pulling away. Scaramouche tries to stop him from pulling away, quickly missing his body heat.

Xiangling gives them a flat look when he straightens his back, pulling out a chair beside his boyfriend. “Please stop flirting in front of me.” She says, earning snickers from Hu Tao and Scaramouche. “I get it, I am the only person who doesn’t have a significant other.”

“I don’t have my significant other.” Beidou states. The chef laughs, waving a hand at her in dismissal. “But you have a significant other, unlike me who’s really single.” Beidou laughs, a loud one as she pats Xiangling in the head.

“Let’s be single together!” She cheers.

They start eating after that, forgetting the whole single or taken topic, savoring each of the dishes they brought. They mostly eat their breakfast in silence, with occasional comments about how good the dishes are.

Scaramouche and Yanfei are the ones assigned to wash the plates and tupperwares while the others sit down around the living room; Kazuha and Beidou move the luggage from their room.

“You’re staying here until lunch?” Kazuha asks Beidou, who’s moving the other boxes outside their room. She heaves a breath for a moment, wiping the sweat running down on her forehead.

She shakes her head, grinning at him. “They are. But I’m gonna bring some of these boxes back to the house. I’ll be back before lunch time.” She says, patting his head until his hair becomes messy.

“Oh, Ningguang says she’s sorry she can’t see you at the airport.” She adds. There’s a small apologetic smile playing on her lips but Kazuha immediately shakes his head. “I understand. She’s a busy woman.” He says with a chuckle. 

She lets out a snort. “You bet she is. But don’t worry, she promised to call you after work.”

“You don’t have to,” Kazuha says. “But I appreciate it.”

Beidou only flashes him a grin.

Kazuha walks out of the room and sees Aether, Hu Tao, and Xiangling playing cards. Probably the Uno cards that Hu Tao brought with her. Beside Aether is Yanfei who’s busy texting on her phone, her eyebrows furrowed in focus.

In the space next to the group are Xiao and Scaramouche who are lying side by side with a laptop (it’s Hu Tao’s laptop based on the amount of ghost and butterfly stickers on it) propped on Xiao’s stomach.

“Oho, aren’t you kids comfortable,” Beidou muses upon seeing them. Hu Tao invites her to play with them as she puts down a plus four card, much to Aether’s annoyance. “Can’t. I have to bring these boxes back to the house. I’ll be back before lunch, yeah?” The others make a noise of agreement before she goes out of the door with the boxes. Kazuha tries to help her but she insists that he stay inside.

Which leads them here now.

They all stay like that for a few more hours; Kazuha joins Xiao and Scaramouche in watching the movie after he takes a bath while the other three, now with Yanfei joining them, go on another round of Uno.

It’s around eleven in the morning when Beidou comes back, now with Chongyun, Xingqiu, Xinyan, Keqing, Ganyu, and Yun Jin.

“Ohh, the whole gang's here!” Xiangling cheers upon seeing them, abandoning her cards. 

The whole apartment feels lively as they sit around the living room, trying to make space for one another. The dining table is filled with a variety of dishes brought by Ganyu and Xingqiu.

“What time is your flight again?” Xinyan asks in the midst of their eating. Scaramouche, who’s seated on Kazuha’s lap with a plate in his hand, groans at hearing that same question.

Kazuha bursts out in light laughter, patting his boyfriend’s back. He hears the others snicker. 

Xinyan laughs, beaming at the purple haired male. “I’m just teasing ya. I read Hu Tao’s message the other day. Don’t get so pissy now, Scara.”

Scaramouche could only sigh.

Everything after their lunch feels like a blur in Kazuha’s mind. It’s like one moment they were all sitting around the living room and the next thing is that they’re putting their luggage in Beidou’s pickup.

They arrive at the airport at exactly three in the afternoon.

“That was a shit traffic,” Yanfei complains, stretching her arms above her head once they are out of the car. Xinyan’s car is parked beside Beidou’s pickup, the others stepping out.

“Oh my god, did you bring your whole closet with you?” Keqing asks as she hands Scaramouche one of his bags with a frown. “Why is this so heavy?”

“Those are my work things.” Scaramouche simply says, slinging the bag on his shoulder easily.

They all head to the lounge where Beidou checks their things before they check in.

“Passport?”

“Ready.”

“Tickets?”

“Over here.”

“Bags and luggage?”

“I’m literally holding it.”

Beidou clicks her tongue and pinches Scaramouche’s cheek because of his reply. He lets out a whine.

“Okay, I guess that’s it.” She says as she looks at their things. Kazuha gives him a smile, wrapping his arms around her as thanks. He feels her hand on his head, patting it affectionately. He sees her open her arms to Scaramouche who immediately hugs her. “Thank you.” Kazuha hears him say, voice a bit muffled on her shoulder.

“Group hug!” Kazuha hears someone cheer, probably Xinyan, and he immediately feels their weight on his back. He lets out a surprise laugh, feeling the warmth of their friends behind him. They probably all look ridiculous, huddled in a hug. But he lets them do their thing, relishing in their embrace. 

“Isn’t this a bit embarrassing?” Scaramouche mutters.

“Who cares?”

They all pull away after a while with huge smiles on their faces. Aether hugs him once again, wrapping his arms around him tightly. “I’m gonna miss you so much.” He says after he pulls away. “Oh and when you see my sister in Inazuma tell her I miss her too.”

He gives the blonde a nod, smiling at him. “I will.”

He turns to look for Scaramouche and sees him talking to Ganyu. The latter gives him a small paper bag, telling Scaramouche that it’s their farewell gift. 

He turns back to Beidou and gives her another hug. It slightly surprises her but she ends up hugging him tight. Kazuha is definitely gonna miss her. She’s been with him since he was in high school. “I’m really gonna miss you, kiddo. I’m gonna call you from time to time.”

They finally bid their farewell to them after a few more hugs, waving their hands as they make their way inside.

“Don’t forget to call us! Scara, don't be a stranger!”

“I won’t!”

He looks at his boyfriend’s face as they take their seats on the plane. There’s a small smile on his face, his eyes looking out the window. As if sensing his stares, Scaramouche turns his head to him, raising an eyebrow.

“Why are you staring at me?”

Kazuha holds his hand resting on top of the armrest, lacing their fingers together and bringing his hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles. He looks up to him, feeling proud when he sees a blush spreading on his boyfriend’s cheeks. 

“Stop that,” Scaramouche hisses, slapping his shoulder lightly. “We’re on a plane.”

“Are you okay?” He asks, his grip on his hand tightens and he presses a kiss on it again. 

The embarrassed look on Scaramouche’s face fades and he gives him a reassuring smile instead. “Yeah, I’m fine. It just kinda feels weird leaving Liyue but I’m excited to go back home.”

He looks like he’s going to say something more so Kazuha stays silent and waits, ready to listen.

“It’s also kind of weird going back to Inazuma, I guess.” He chuckles. “Because it’s the place I left and avoided when I was in high school.”

Kazuha lets go of his hand, surprising Scaramouche for a bit before he wraps his arms around his shoulder, bringing him close to his body. “I understand.”

He feels the shorter male chuckle before pulling away, a small smile on his lips. “I told you I’m fine. I’m the one who suggested going back to Inazuma anyway.”

“I’m gonna be here with you, okay?”

“I know.” Scaramouche nods. “Now go to sleep.”

Kazuha turns to him, tapping his cheeks with a pout. “Kiss me first, please?”

A blush spreads across his cheeks once again but he doesn't look away this time. “You’re so clingy.”

He taps his cheek again. “I said please.”

Scaramouche rolls his eyes at him, nodding his head. “Just on the cheek.”

“Just on the cheek.”

When Scaramouche starts to lean in, planning to plant a kiss on his cheek, he suddenly turns his head making the purple haired male kiss his lips instead.

He feels the heat radiating off his face, pushing him away with redder cheeks. “Kazuha!”

Kazuha only gives him a smug smile.

—

“Kazuha. Kazuha. Kaz, wake up, baby.”

He feels a hand tapping his cheek slightly, his eyes slowly opening from his sleep. Scaramouche’s pretty face is the first thing he immediately sees once he opens his eyes, the bright lights shining behind him.

Scaramouche looks like an angel that he almost thinks he’s going above instead of Inazuma.

“Are you finally awake?” Even his voice sounds heavenly, like a wind chime ringing softly in his ears, lulling him back to sleep.

Kazuha must have hit his head before he falls asleep because what the fuck are these thoughts.

The warm hand resting on his cheek doesn’t leave, patting it once again. He snaps his eyes open, he doesn’t even notice he closed them again. He gives Scaramouche a smile, sitting up straight.

“What’s going on? Are we landing soon?” He asks groggily, rubbing his eyes off of sleep. He covers his mouth when he yawns, turning away from Scaramouche. 

Scaramouche runs his hand on his hair as he combs it with his fingers. He lets out a soft hum, leaning into his touch. “You’re making me sleepy again.” He says, closing his eyes as he rests his head on his shoulder. 

The fingers brushing through his hair suddenly grips them tight, all the sleepiness in his system going out of his body, jolting him awake. He shoots Scaramouche a glare who only grins at him.

“I already told you to wake up.”

“You owe me a kiss.”

He receives an eye-roll from Scaramouche before he holds his hand and presses a kiss on his knuckles, just like what he did earlier.

Kazuha doesn’t comment on the blush on his cheeks.

They don’t say anything after that as they prepare to land.

A groan escapes between his lips as he stretches his arms above his head. It’s been a five hour flight, the joints in his knees feel tired and stiff from sitting that long. Scaramouche has his hands on the cart, stretching his back like a cat.

Kazuha hears a slight popping of joints as he stretches, letting out a satisfied sigh. “Ohh, that feels so good.”

The light haired male let out a soft snort. “This is why Hu Tao calls you an old man.”

He jumps away when Scaramouche tries to kick his legs.

“Can’t wait to sleep in our new apartment,” Scaramouche says with a small grin, looking at him. He nods his head, wrapping his arm around his waist as they make their way outside. “Me too. I feel like I’m gonna fall asleep really quick.”

As they make their way outside, they hear a voice calling out both of their names. He sees Scaramouche’s face brighten, recognizing the voice he just heard. He looks around the sea of people inside, excitedly tapping Kazuha’s arm.

“I think I just heard Mako-nee’s voice.”

“Is that them?”

He points to the three women running towards their direction, calling out their names with wide smiles on their faces. 

Scaramouche immediately lets go of their things and runs to them, meeting them halfway. He watches as the siblings reunite, holding each other tightly. There’s a fond smile on his lips while he looks at them as he ambles his way to the four people hugging each other, dragging their things with him. 

The purple haired male looks up from the hug once he’s near, stretching out his arm to him as if telling him to join their hug. Kazuha tries to decline, giving them the time they deserve but Scaramouche is stubborn, dragging him to their little group hug when he gets a hold of his hand.

The twins are the first one to pull away, greeting them with a smile. “Welcome home, Scara! You too, Kazuha!”

They almost look so identical that Kazuha can’t tell them apart, looking at them a bit awkwardly as he thanked them. As if sensing his confusion, Scaramouche lets out a laugh before he points out the difference between his older sisters.

“Mako-nee doesn’t have a beauty mark below her eyes while Ei-nee-san has one.” Scaramouche starts. Kazuha nods, looking at the twins’ faces as they point at their faces with a smile. “Oh, and you can also tell them apart by the hair accessories they wear, unless they’re trying to mess with you.”

Ei nudges her twin’s arm. “I told you we should have worn different hairstyles.”

The pink haired woman wraps her arm around Ei, resting her chin on her shoulder. Kazuha recognizes her as Miko, one of Gorou’s colleagues from the publishing house he worked before. “But where’s the fun in that?” She says, giving Kazuha a mischievous smile. Makoto laughs, agreeing with her.

The purple haired male sighs, “So it was your idea?”

“Come on, Scara-chan. It was just to test if your boyfriend can tell the twins apart.” Miko laughs. Scaramouche rolls his eyes at her. “They’ve only talked behind a screen with shitty quality. How would he know the difference?”

“Language.” Makoto clicks her tongue.

Kazuha watches silently with a fond smile on his face. It’s so nice to see Scaramouche talk with his sisters again. He looks so beautiful smiling so brightly that it makes his heart feel very warm.

“It’s nice to see them reunite, no?.” He turns his head to the side and sees Miko standing beside him. He gives her a bow as he greets her. “It is. They all look very happy and I’m glad they’re catching up with each other.”

Miko hums. There’s also a fond look on her face as she looks at the siblings talking to each other as if they are in their own little world. “They both missed him so much. Ei is always telling me the little things Scara-chan has shared with her. It’s kinda cute.” She lets out a chuckle.

Kazuha could only smile.

Scaramouche returns to his side, the smile on his lips doesn’t go away. Ei helps them in putting their things inside the compartment while Makoto and Miko enter the car. 

“What the? Since when did you learn how to drive?” Scaramouche asks when Ei enters the driver’s seat and when he sees Makoto sitting behind the car. His sister gives him a proud smile. “Since last year after I got my license.”

Kazuha and Scaramouche settle down beside the older twin, with the two of them looking outside the open window, air hitting both of their faces. Scaramouche looks around in awe since he’s been away from Inazuma almost all of his life.

He is also in awe of how much Inazuma has changed. But at the same time it’s like how he remembers before he left.

Scaramouche then makes a noise, catching all of their attention. “Hey, isn’t this the way to our house? I thought we’re going to our apartment.” He says, looking back at the other three.

Kazuha looks at him, also confused. “What do you mean?”

“This is the way to our natal house.” His boyfriend flatly says, plopping down back at his seat. His eyebrows raise in surprise, a small blush rising to his cheeks. “Wait, what?”

“I thought you said you already cleaned the apartment?” Scaramouche asks. 

“We did,” Ei answers, her eyes never leaving the road. “So that when you move your things, it’s not that dusty anymore.”

“I’ve been looking forward to sleeping in our new place. Kazuha too.” A smile curves on his lips, patting his head. He can imagine the pout on his lips and when he looks at Scaramouche’s face, there is indeed a small pout, his lower lip jutting out.

“You still don’t have a bed.” Miko suddenly says. 

The pout on Scaramouche’s face drops, a look of surprise replacing it. He blinks, “Oh.”

Oh.

“We thought that it would be nicer if both of you will pick a bed of your own,” Makoto says, smiling gently at both of them. The heat in Kazuha’s cheeks return as he looks away from her, trying to hide the blush which he fails. She giggles, covering her mouth with a delicate hand. “I also think that it would be a nice experience for Kazuha to see where you grew up.”

Their eyes meet, there’s a teasing glint in her eyes which makes his cheeks flush more. “Right, Kazuha?”

He nods stiffly. “R-Right, Makoto-san.”

“Did you just stutter?”

“I did not.”

—

Scaramouche’s natal home is very warm and cozy.

It’s bigger than what he had expected. There’s a garden in front of the house, different plants and trees decorating the front. There is also a small garden pond in the middle and a sōzu, surrounded by garden rocks and potted plants.

Kazuha stands in the entrance hallway after he takes off his shoes. Scaramouche looks back at him, stopping at the corner. He raises an eyebrow at him as he calls out for his attention. “Are you just gonna stand there or what?”

“What?” For a previous creative writing major, he’s definitely out of words of how he feels right now. Scaramouche frowns and walks up to him, his eyes showing a hint of concern. “Do you feel sick?”

He shakes his head, giving him a reassuring smile before engulfing him in a hug. “No, I just feel really really warm. Being in your natal house and meeting your sisters, it’s an honor.” He says softly, resting his chin on Scaramouche’s shoulder.

The latter stays silent and unmoving in his hold that he starts to panic, embarrassment flooding his brain.

Maybe I really should just shut up . Kazuha’s brain supplies unhelpfully.

He opens his mouth to speak however Scaramouche beats him to it, a small laugh escaping from his pink lips. Kazuha feels his cheeks flush deeper. The shorter male pulls away from their hug, flashing Kazuha a grin.

The redness of his cheeks doesn’t go unnoticed. 

“I thought you were getting sick from the flight. Stop making me worry like that,” he says with a chuckle, resting his hands on both of his shoulders and looking directly into his deep crimson eyes. “I am also glad that you’re here, you know.”

The white haired male just nods, flashing him a smile.

“What are you both doing, standing there in the hallway?” Ei’s voice snaps them out of their own little bubble as she walks down the stairs. Her brother immediately turns around, flashing her a smile so wide that it reaches his ear.

“Nothing.” He grabs Kazuha’s hand and leads them to the living room.

They both sit in the middle, his eyes looking around the living room. There are few decorations and tables around, keeping the place clean and looking minimal. There are a few picture frames placed on top of a shelf, catching Kazuha’s interest. 

“Kazuha,” calls Makoto from the kitchen. “I’ll show you Scara’s baby picture after dinner, is that okay?”

At the mention of the baby pictures, Kazuha immediately agrees, sending Scaramouche a grin while he just gives him a scowl in return. He turns his head to the kitchen to look at Makoto. “Of course, Makoto-san.”

Scaramouche has his arms crossed in front of his chest, looking displeased. “Do you really have to show him my baby pictures?”

“Of course,” It is Ei who speaks this time as she sits on one of the small couches inside. “It’s Kazuha’s first time here so we have to show him.”

Kazuha chuckles at his significant other’s groan.

And as promised, Ei has taken out a pile of albums after finishing their dinner. They all thanked Miko for the wonderful dish and she just ushers them to move out of the kitchen for Kazuha to see the baby pictures.

There might be some complaints coming from the youngest sibling but he doesn’t do anything to stop his sister.

“I want to disappear.” He groans, burying his face in his hands as Kazuha’s been given one of the albums. 

He chuckles. “It’s not gonna be that bad. I’m sure you were adorable as a kid.”

“Oh, he was. A little grumpy but still adorable.” Miko comments from the kitchen.

“Miko, no, please.”

Kazuha flips the albums open, cooing at the pictures of Scaramouche from toddler to his high school years. He already lost count of how many pictures he had taken in his phone, giggling as he looked at the pictures. 

“That one is from when he was taking piano lessons.” Ei informs him, pointing at the pictures he’s currently looking at. A smile tugs on his lips, looking at a blushing Scaramouche who’s currently hugging a pillow with his face buried in it.

“You look so handsome in this picture,” he says cheerfully. “What a heartbreaker.”

He coos at a particular photo of the siblings. It looks like the twins are already six years old while their youngest sibling is only a toddler sitting on Makoto’s lap. Ei has her hand holding one of Scaramouche’s own. The twins had bright smiles on their faces.

“We should definitely recreate this photo.” Ei comments to which Makoto immediately agrees.

Scaramouche lets out a dreaded sigh.

They retire to Scaramouche’s childhood room after viewing the pictures. Kazuha sits in the middle of the bed, scrolling through his phone. He feels the bed dip from the added weight as Scaramouche sits in front of him, leaning his back to his chest.

“You took shit ton of pictures,” Scaramouche comments as he scrolls on his phone after he takes it from his grasp. 

Kazuha gives his cheek a kiss, wrapping his arms tightly around his small waist. “I told you, you were very adorable and handsome in those pictures.” Scaramouche turns his head to the side, raising an eyebrow as he asks. “What about now?”

“You still are adorable, handsome, beautiful, and very very lovely.” He replies, accompanied with a kiss in every compliment he gives. It leaves the smaller male blushing, looking away bashfully and in embarrassment. 

He looks at the purple beauty in his arms and notices something. A small smirk tugs on the corner of his lips as he realizes what Scaramouche is wearing. “Are you wearing my shirt?”

“Yeah.” He simply replies. “It was the easiest to grab from the bag. Plus, it smells good.”

“Mhm.”

They lie down on the bed as Kazuha wraps his arms around his waist, pulling him closer; their legs tangling with each other. After a while, he hears soft breaths from his partner, and he looks over to find him already asleep.

He brushes his hair out of his face and brings the blanket up to their shoulders.

He tightens his hold on to him, pressing a soft kiss on his temple before turning off the lamp.

—

They have been staying in Scaramouche’s childhood home for almost a week now.

For the past few days, Scaramouche insisted that they stay inside for a while to take a rest — which he said that they had enough rest already the day after their arrival but the shorter male was adamant in staying in the house because he was lazy to go out

Which he totally understands, by the way.

However, today is a different day.

He slips on his shoes and waits for Scaramouche to finish tying his shoelaces, hearing another honking of a car outside.

“I swear, could Sara not wait for another minute? So damn impatient.” Scaramouche grumbles, standing up and patting his clothes out of dust. He raises a hand and brushes away the hair that’s on his face. He chuckles as they prepare to go out. “I think she just wants to see you.”

Scaramouche calls out to his sisters that they’ll be going already. Sara  had messaged last night, inviting them for lunch with them to which Kazuha immediately agreed, alongside Scaramouche. Although the other male had grumbled and said, “Do we really have to?” He knows he also wants to see his friends again. Kazuha persuaded him saying they also need to go outside because they have to buy their bed for their new apartment.

“Fine.” Scaramouche had groaned, but relented when Kazuha gave him a look.

“What took you so long?” Sara immediately asks, in lieu of a greeting, when they step outside. She has her back leaning on the car door, trying to look annoyed but it immediately falls when she sees Scaramouche, her expression changes into a smiling one. “Welcome back, Scara, Kazuha.”

She gives them both a hug, while the two males thanked her.

“Let’s go, I’m hungry.” Scaramouche says, breaking away from the hug. He sees Sara roll her eyes before opening her car. She leans down, calling for another person inside the car. “Mimi, Kaz and Scara are here.”

Mimi?

“Is that your girlfriend?” Scaramouche asks as if he read Kazuha’s confusion inside his mind.

Kazuha turns to their female friend with a surprised look on his face, wide crimson eyes looking back at her yellow ones. “You have a girlfriend?”

She nods then looks at Scaramouche with a disappointed look. “What? You didn’t tell him?”

“I did!” He stares at him, trying to remember the time he told him their friend has a girlfriend. In the end, he couldn’t remember it. “He was half-awake when I told him that, he probably couldn’t remember.”

Sara sighs, burying her face on her palms. “Of course, he wouldn’t remember. Why did you even tell him while he’s half-awake in the first place?”

Their heads turn when the door opens from the passengers’ seat, a pink haired woman stepping out.

Ocean hued eyes lock with crimson.

He turns his head to Sara, feeling more surprised. “Kokomi is your girlfriend?!”

A blush rises to Sara’s cheeks when her partner stands beside her, looking at him as if she wants to bury him underground. She nods, looking away. “Yeah.” Kazuha laughs, crossing his arms. “I knew you two liked each other.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

Kokomi then gently grabs both of his and Scaramouche’s hands, pulling them both in a hug. “Welcome back, you two. I missed you both so much.” They smile at her when they pull away, telling her they did too.

As they make their way to the place they are going to have their lunch, Kokomi and Scaramouche are busy talking to each other, getting lost in their own topic about the medical field or something that Kazuha doesn’t have any idea about.

Sara is busy driving and would sometimes share bits of stories from what’s happening around Inazuma and their work while Kazuha would listen and would also share some about the things that happened in Liyue.

They arrive in Uyuu Restaurant in thirty minutes. A smile forms on his lips as he looks at the familiar restaurant once they step outside of the car. He can already smell the different food being cooked inside, making his stomach grumble a bit.

Blush rises on his cheeks when he hears Scaramouche laugh behind him. “Stop laughing,” he pouts, slapping his arm lightly. The purple haired male continues to laugh at him in spite.

He ushers them to find them a seat while he orders for their lunch. He briefly looks back at the three while he waits in line and a smile curves on his lips when he sees Scaramouche laughing at Sara’s annoyed face while Kokomi looks like she’s giggling with her hands covering her mouth.

“Kaz, Sara’s not telling me how she and Kokomi got together.” Scaramouche says in a whiny voice when he gets back holding a tray with their food and drinks. He sits beside him as he places the tray on the table, handing them out their food. He laughs lightly, looking at the couple in front of them. “Who asked who on a date?”

“Not you, too.”

He shrugs a shoulder, picking a piece of tofu from his plate. “Kokomi hasn't told me much about it. I also wanna know.”

“Would you believe me if I say I’m the one who asked her out on a date?” Kokomi asks, raising her eyebrows at them. He sees Scaramouche nodding beside him, flashing her a small smile as he drinks his bubble tea.

“I will. Because Sara wouldn’t make a first move on the person she likes.” He quips, making him and Kokomi laugh. He mentally agrees with him. 

Sara scoffs, rolling her eyes at his comment. “Fuck you, asshole.”

“So, Kokomi was the one who asked?” Sara, although hesitant, nods her head at his question.

Scaramouche turns to him, smirking smugly. “I am right. If she already made the first move, she and Kokomi would have been dating way earlier.”

“Would you shut up?”

—

“You’re heading to the mall after this, right?”

Kazuha nods, swallowing his drink. They’re going to look for a bedframe and a mattress for their new place, which slightly excites him. There's an excited feeling in his chest that he’s going to look at furniture with Scaramouche. The purple haired male apparently has a knack of finding nice things going to their house.

Ei had mentioned to him last night that most of the decorations and shelves inside their living room were picked by Scaramouche when he was still a child while they were shopping with their parents, albeit most of it were randomly picked. It still turned out to be aesthetically pleasing in his eyes. 

“Why?” Scaramouche inquires, an eyebrow raised as he chews on the pearls from his drink.

Kokomi answers, her eyes reading something on her phone. “Yoimiya and the others are in the mall. They said they wanted to see you.”

He tilts his head in question by the vague answer. “By others you mean?”

“The rest of the group.”

His mouth opens in surprise, before turning his head to the side to look at his boyfriend only to find him looking back at him already. He flashes him a grin, “Wanna go meet them?”

Scaramouche shrugs, averting his eyes from him. He sees a soft tint of pink resting on his cheeks when he replies. “Do you want to?”

He puts his hand on top of his that is resting on his thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Only if you want to. We can meet them next time if you like.” He says, voice gentle. Scaramouche shakes his head slightly, flashing him a smile - a small and shy one. “I don’t mind. Let’s go meet them.”

“Okay.” He flashes him a bright smile, leaning in to kiss his temple.

“Gross.” Sara comments when he pulls away. Scaramouche shoots her a glare, arms crossing in front of his chest. “Does Kokomi not kiss you enough or what?”

The pink haired woman interrupts them before they could even start bickering. The childhood friends could only give each other a glare - although with no real heat - before they prepare to leave. Sara drives them to the mall, apologizing when she informs them she and Kokomi can’t accompany them because of their work. 

Kazuha shakes his head. “It’s okay. I’m just glad we got to see each other again.

Sara nods, giving them both a hug before returning back inside the car. Kokomi waves at them from her seat with a bright smile, bidding her goodbye. He smiles fondly when he sees Scaramouche waves back at her. They don’t enter the mall until they see the car drive off. Kazuha looks at his significant other, offering his hand to him which he gladly takes.

He takes out his phone when it vibrates from his pocket and sees Tomo’s message on his screen. He lightly tugs on Scaramouche’s hand, grabbing his attention from looking around the mall. A light laugh bubbles from his throat when he sees the look on Scaramouche’s face. He looks like a child looking around the huge mall, eyes shining in interest and awe. 

“Damn, when did this mall get this big?” He comments, looking this time at Kazuha. “What?”

“The others are on the second floor. You wanna head there or go somewhere else first?”

He feels the grip on his hand tighten, watching as Scaramouche gives him a nod. “I’m excited to see them. Is Aether’s twin also with them?” 

“Probably.”

They walk to the second floor, arms linked to each other as they try to keep each other close from the crowd. Scaramouche would often get a hold of his shirt before they got separated because of the crowd, walking on the other ends of the way and finding themselves back at each other’s side once there’s a space in the crowd.

Kazuha sees them occupying the whole seat in front of the ice cream stall as they walk closer to them. It’s a good thing they haven’t seen him and Scaramouche yet, taking his time to appreciate how the whole circle of friends, aside from Kokomi and Sara, are there. 

“Your friends are very loud,” Scaramouche whispers with a small smile as he looks at them. He can hear the loud laugh coming from them from where they stand. “But then again, our friends in Liyue are also this loud.” He adds with a snicker.

“Oh, Kazuha and Scara are here!”

The loud voice that calls out their name, probably Tomo’s voice,  makes him snap his head towards where their friends are seated. He breaks into a grin upon hearing the loud chorus of their names as they run towards where they are standing. 

“Scara!” calls Itto loudly as he runs with his arms open. 

In a split second, Scaramouche’s hold on his arm vanishes as Itto wraps his buff arms around his boyfriend, hugging him so tight that he lifts him off the ground. Scaramouche yelps, his face morphing into a panicked look as he frantically holds onto Itto’s shoulders tightly. 

Kazuha laughs, watching his friends gather around him and Scaramouche, giving them a hug as a welcome greeting. 

“Kazu!” He turns his head away from Itto and Scaramouche and sees Gorou and Tomo running to him before they bring him into a hug. He almost loses his balance, stumbling backwards due to the force.

“I missed you so much!”

“How are you still so short?”

Tomo’s comment makes him scowl, lightly punching him in his stomach. The taller male only laughs before hugging him again. He tries to look for his boyfriend and almost laughs when he sees him having a staring contest with Yoimiya.

They even look more ridiculous with the others looking at them while they are standing in a circle. He hears some snickering, trying their best to stop their laughter. Which is futile as Thoma bursts out laughing, turning away from the two and burying his face on Ayato’s shoulder. 

“They look ridiculous.” He wheezes.

He makes his way to the two of them, standing beside Scaramouche, resting his hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

He calls out both of their names, however it falls on deaf ears. He heaves a sigh. 

Kazuha looks at the blonde female standing in front of them with a flat look on his face with his arms crossed. “Stop scaring my boyfriend.”

He’s pretty sure Yoimiya hears him but chooses to ignore him; her eyes darting back and forth between him and the purple haired male standing beside him. She blinks twice before looking back at him with her eyes wide and says, “He’s scaring me.”

He presses his lips into a thin line to stop a sigh from escaping. “But you two know each other already.”

The blank look on her face suddenly drops, replacing it with her bright smile. “I’m just kidding!”

Numerous question marks can be seen floating on top of his head, if it’s possible, with how confused he is right now. And once again, Scaramouche is stolen from his side as Yoimiya clings on to his boyfriend and starts chattering with him. 

The blonde gets a hold of Ayaka, who grabs Lumine with her as they make their way back to their seats. 

“What is going on?” He exhales. He feels like a balloon deflating when his shoulders slump. 

“Yoimiya’s been planning on doing that ever since you two came home.” Thoma explains, who seems to have calmed down already, and puts his arms around his shoulder. The blonde flashes him a grin, “It’s good to see you back, buddy.”

“Your boyfriend is really pretty,” Itto comments, which makes him smile proudly. “He really is.”

“Sounds like he’s super in love.” Ayato muses, voice dripping in a teasing tone. His friends lead him to their seats. Scaramouche is busy talking with Yoimiya, Ayaka, and Lumine, making him smile.

Itto, Thoma, and Ayato then join them, seemingly interested in seeing Scaramouche finally in person.

He feels the familiar warmth back in his chest as he looks at his friends. He knows that Scaramouche would get along with his friends easily. They slip into a familiar chatter, easily replying to their friends’ questions.

He feels someone nudge his shoulder, looking up to Gorou from his ice cream. His voice is muffled when he speaks, “What?”

His friend gives him a teasing smile, his blue-green eyes looking at Scaramouche for a brief second. “I’m really happy you two are back. We actually couldn’t wait to meet your boyfriend,” he says, making him smile slightly. 

“He’s… actually nervous about meeting you guys.” Gorou’s eyebrows raise in surprise. Kazuha continues. “He’d been worried that you wouldn’t like him if you met him in person. But I told him that you would like him.”

“And you’re right.” Gorou laughs brightly, “I’ve been talking to him online, we even play video games sometimes, and he’s really fun. Very sarcastic, but we all like him.”

He feels his heart warm, smiling at Gorou gratefully upon hearing his words.

“I think he already knows that,” his brown haired friend points at a laughing Scaramouche; eyes crinkling at the sides as he listens to whatever Lumine and Thoma are saying.

Scaramouche really didn’t have to worry.

He and Gorou catch up with each other; Kazuha nods when his friend asks if he has already met Scaramouche’s family. He blushes when he teases him, swatting his hands away from his sides.

“Oh, hey, do you two have other plans today?” Ayato asks after a while, catching both his and Scaramouce’s attention. 

“Yeah, we’re actually here to look for a bed.” Scaramouche answers and proceeds to roll his eyes when he sees the teasing look from Itto and Lumine.

Kazuha also rolls his eyes. “Get your head out of the gutter.” He says flatly, “Our new place doesn’t have a bed, that's why we’re looking for one.”

“We didn’t even say anything, right?” She chuckles, looking at Itto who nods at her. He sighs, “I know those looks, Lumine.”

“What else are you planning to buy?”

He looks at Ayato, a little confused, but he answers him anyway. “Just a bed frame and a mattress.”

At least, that’s what they have planned.

Kazuha finds himself seated inside Ayato’s car with Scaramouche beside him. Itto is seated in the front seat, plugging his phone to the AUX cord as he plays some bubbly and pop songs from some girl groups he’s listened to before. He recognizes some as Hu Tao sometimes plays it inside their apartment when she’s visiting. 

Beside Scaramouche are Ayaka and Lumine and the three look like they are in their own little world.

Thoma is driving the other car (which is Gorou’s) and drives to the furniture center. Lumine has told them that the mall doesn’t sell good bed frames and recommends them to just go to the furniture center.

“O h, fresh air!” Itto jumps out of the car once they arrive, dragging him and Scaramouche towards the entrance.

—

Their plan is to look for a bed frame and a mattress.

Kazuha raises his eyebrows as he looks at the things inside their carts, courtesy of Scaramouche. The purple haired male dumps different colors of curtains, pillowcases, blankets and bedsheets on the cart while he’s left on the task of pushing the cart as he follows his boyfriend around.

The others, just like them, have their carts of their own; looking around the huge store with their own groups. At one point, he swears he sees Itto sitting down on one of the sofas, with Yoimiya and Gorou telling him to get off before the store clerks sees them.

He follows Scaramouche as he turns a corner, almost bumping his cart when the latter abruptly stops. “Why’d you stop?” He asks when his boyfriend turns to him with a frown. “Is something the matter?”

“Do we need a carpet in our living room?” What? He stares back at him with the same blank look on his face, blinking his eyes. “For what?”

Scaramouche hums, “I just remembered we had a carpet in Liyue and I thought it would be nice if we also had one here.”

“Okay,” he smiles, before holding his hand. “Let’s go get your carpet.”

Scaramouche leads them to where the carpets are located. He lets the other male choose what he likes, giving him comments if his boyfriend asks. He scrunches his nose when Scaramouche takes out a bright orange carpet, making him laugh.

“Oh, there you are!” 

They turn their heads to the side upon hearing Lumine’s voice. Ayaka waves at them as she pushes their cart which is almost full of curtains, bedsheets and pillowcases. And other things that Kazuha can’t make out. 

He sees Lumine eyes their cart with an amused smile, letting out a small laugh.

“I thought you guys were going to find a bed?”

Kazuha watches his boyfriend turn his head to him quickly, eyes wide as if he just realizes something. “Shit, I nearly forgot about that.” He laughs, dumping the rolled carpet in their cart. Scaramouche asks the assistant where the bed frames and mattresses are located, nodding his head with a grateful smile when she points out the direction. 

The white haired male shakes his head fondly as Scaramouche leads him to the bed frames. Much to his surprise, the others are already there waiting for them, their faces brightening up more when they see them approach. 

“Where have you been?” Itto asks. “I could’ve fallen asleep in one of these beds waiting for you.”

Gorou and Thoma slightly smack his arm.

Kazuha gives their cart to Thoma for a while as they start to look for the bed frame they would like. Scaramouche taps his chin in thought as he looks around the different frames around the place. He thinks he looks so adorable, totally focused.

He faintly hears Yoimiya shouting in a hushed voice a “You’re so whipped!” behind him.

He shrugs; it’s true. He is whipped.

Turning back to his partner who’s still looking around, he asks him. “What should we even get? Wood or steel?” Scaramouche hums, tapping his chin repeatedly before he flashes him a smirk.

“I don’t care as long as it’s sturdy and durable,” he winks. Kazuha shoots him a scowl, cheeks flushed as he understands what he means. He bumps his hips with him, making him stumble to the side.

He immediately catches him, wrapping his arm around his waist and pulling him close to his body.

He chuckles sheepishly. “Sorry.”

Scaramouche pinches his nose making him whine. “That hurts.”

After all the teasing, they continue to look around for a bed frame until they find one that they like. He ignores the teasing looks Scaramouche is giving him and instead talks to the assistant. Apparently the frame that they like is out of stock right now so they have to wait for another week for it to be delivered.

They both agreed on it as they’re not on a rush, reserving the bed frame.

Scaramouche immediately sees the mattress that he likes, pointing it to him. The white haired male agrees in purchasing it once he feels it under his hands; it feels so soft and bouncy. He could find himself sleeping until noon with this mattress. 

“You’ll finally be able to have a good sleep, right, sensei?” The purple haired male grins teasingly. He turns his head away from embarrassment upon hearing what his boyfriend just calls him, covering his face with his hand. 

“Just swipe your damn credit card.”

—

The couple retires to their room after dinner, resting their tired bones in bed. A sigh escapes from Kazuha’s lips as sleepiness starts to kick in, eyes drooping slowly. However, it snaps open when he feels Scaramouche climb in the bed, before resting his head on top of his chest.

Kazuha brushes his fingers through those purple locks, enjoying the silence between them. He really loves spending time with Scaramouche, just being with one another comforts him; he loves having to hold him close like this; he loves having to kiss every inch of his face until his partner becomes a giggling mess. He loves him.

He also loves how bright Scaramouche can smile, almost blinding him with how bright it is. Especially today. Kazuha loves that he smiled a lot today because of his friends. And perhaps because of him too.

“What’re you smiling at?” That sweet and soft voice that he loves so much snaps him out of his reverie, his eyes looking down at those beautiful pairs of periwinkle eyes. Scaramouche has one of his eyebrows raised, looking up at him with his chin resting on his chest.

His hand continues to brush the purple locks as he speaks. “I was just thinking about what happened today. You really looked like you had fun. Did you?”

“Of course, I did.” Scaramouche answers, bringing his arms up to wrap it around his neck, attempting to hug him despite their position. He then turns his head to the side, listening to the steady rhythm of Kazuha’s heart. “I really had fun. Although, I’m a bit tired.”

The white haired male chuckles, patting his head in comfort. “I can tell. Those guys really had too much energy.” His partner hums in agreement. “Especially Itto.”

“Especially Itto.” Kazuha repeats with a laugh.

He recalls how many times Scaramouche had been dragged by Itto around the furniture center. The taller male had been really nice to his boyfriend; glad that they still get along in person just like how they are when they talk online. There’s been a fond look on his eyes the whole time he speaks with Scaramouche.

Everybody does and it just makes Kazuha really glad that he can burst.

Scaramouche traces random patterns on his chest absentmindedly. “I’m really glad that I got to meet your friends.” He mumbles, voice hushed. 

“See, they all like you. You really didn’t have to worry so much but I understand why you would feel like that.” He feels the other press a soft and brief kiss on his chest as a thanks.

“Yeah. Gorou made sure to tell me that.”

He flashes him a smug smile when they make eye contact. “Is this the part where I tell you ‘I told you so.’”

He lets out a yelp when Scaramouche smacks his chest. “Way to ruin the moment.”

—

“Are you still awake?”

Kazuha mumbles something, probably along the lines of “yes I am awake” but he’s so sleepy that it results in something sounding like a grunt.

Scaramouche shifts on top of him, minding his weight as he tries not to crush the male underneath him. He lets out a fond sigh, brushing the strands of hair away from his boyfriend’s sleepy face. 

He slightly taps Kazuha’s cheeks, crimson eyes meeting him when he slowly opens his eyes. He smiles apologetically and pecks him on the lips. “I’m sorry. I promise I’ll let you sleep after this.”

“What’s it?” The other male mumbles.

“Ayato’s inviting us to go to their house next Friday if you want. I just wanna tell you before I forget.” He smiles sheepishly, pressing another kiss on those pairs of pink lips. He feels Kazuha smile in between, his arms wrapping around his waist.

“Okay, we’ll go.” He says after he pulls away. “Also do you really have to tell me important things when I’m already half asleep?”

He squishes his cheeks between his hands. “I’m sorry. You know I’ll probably forget shit the next morning.”

“You’re old.” The white haired male whines when he squishes his cheeks even more. “I’m just kidding, I’m just kidding. I’m sorry.”

“Look who’s talking. You’re literally older than me.”

“By a few months.”

Scaramouche huffs, releasing his now-red cheeks. He thinks that Kazuha looks very lovely. Unable to stop himself, he leans down again and presses another kiss on his lips. The other male mumbles something but it eventually gets lost in their shared kiss.

When he pulls away, Kazuha has a smile on his lips as he looks at him with half-lidded eyes. “I’m sleepy.”

He snorts and turns off the lamp. “Go to sleep.”

“Scara?” Kazuha whispers. He shifts in his hold, leaning impossibly closer to the taller male. I thought he’s already sleeping?

“Hm?”

It takes a few seconds for Kazuha to speak, his hand that rests on his head pats it. When he speaks, his voice is hushed, as if the three words he uttered is a secret between them even if it’s not. It sends tingly feelings through his body, hearing Kazuha’s soft and deep voice whispering in his ear. 

“I love you.”

He’s thankful that it’s already dark and that Kazuha can’t see how he’s blushing furiously. It’s not the first time his boyfriend told him that, but when he does, he can’t help the tingles in his body and the blush that rises on his cheeks.

The hold he has on Kazuha’s waist tightens, burying his face on his shoulder as he mumbles a reply.

“Love you, too.”

—

It’s a known fact in their circle of friends that Thoma likes taking care of his friends and likes feeding them with his dishes. It kind of reminds Kazuha how Xiangling would cook for them once a week when they were still in Liyue. 

And since Thoma likes feeding his friends, it comes to no one’s surprise that most of the dishes neatly placed in the middle of the table are cooked by him.

He sees Ayato handing Scaramouche a bowl filled with Thoma’s miso soup, looking at him expectantly as if he was the one who cooked it. Beside him is Thoma who’s watching the purple haired male swallow the soup.

Kazuha, who’s been munching on a plate of sakura shrimp crackers, just watches the scene unfold in front of him. 

Scaramouche gives him a nod, smiling after he takes another sip of the soup directly from the bowl. “It’s really good,” he says, giving him thumbs up in approval. Thoma grins, and Kazuha knows that grin too well. It’s the same grin he received when he also tried that miso soup ages ago. The blonde has decided to cook for him. 

Ayato breaks into a grin, smiling proudly at his partner, patting his back. “It’s so good isn’t it? He calls it ‘Warmth.’ Which is totally fitting because Thoma’s food will always make you feel warm.” There’s a blush dusting on the blonde’s cheeks from the words of the head of the Kamisato Clan.

“Oh my god,” he buries his face in his hands in a futile attempt to hide his blush. 

And if it’s not enough, Ayato continues, much to Kazuha’s amusement. Scaramouche listens, never taking his eyes off from the male. “Also, Thoma cooked most of the food here.”

Scaramouche makes an amused sound and turns to the table filled with the different dishes. Thoma, who seemed to have already calmed down, gives him a proud smile. “So, did I impress you or what?” He asks, planting both of his hands on his hips, waiting for his answer. The purple haired male nods, his eyes sparkling in excitement. 

Kazuha hides his laughter behind his cracker.

“I was already impressed when you showed me the dish you cooked when we’re still talking online,” Scaramouche starts, his eyes never taking off the table, particularly looking at the Okonomiyaki. “But you impressed me even more today.”

Thoma’s proud laugh reaches his ears.

He laughs out loud when he hears Scaramouche ask Ayato what he did; the latter’s face flushing at the question only to laugh even more when Ayato answers.

“Moral support and payment for the ingredients.” He replies, giving Scaramouche a thumbs up.

They’ve known all the mishaps that happened before every time Ayato steps in a kitchen, much to Thoma’s and Ayaka’s dismay. It’s not that Ayato doesn’t know how to cook, because he does (from Kazuha’s knowledge), but whenever he tries to cook it’s always when he’s half-awake. Or half-asleep.

“He’s a busy man.” Thoma had once reasoned, shrugging his shoulders sheepishly.

Scaramouche then crawls to his side, resting his head on his shoulder as he steals the piece of cracker he’s about to eat. The surprise look on his face goes unnoticed when the other male eats it. “What’s this?” He asks, taking a closer look at the pink cracker in his hand. “It tastes really good.”

“It’s Sakura Shrimp Crackers.” He simply replies. His boyfriend hums before looking at Thoma who’s currently has his back on Ayato as the latter unties his apron. He waves the piece of cracker in his hand as he asks for the recipe to which the blonde male promises to send it to him later.

“Sorry for the wait!” Ayaka and Lumine come out from the main house and head towards where they are seated in the veranda. He hears Scaramouche humming in interest when the two females place the plates filled with pink mochi on the table in the middle. Ayaka turns to them with a smile as she hands Scaramouche a separate plate with mochi.

“It’s my turn to impress your boyfriend.” She giggles, sitting in front of them. Lumine’s busy taking pictures of the food placed on the table, probably going to send it to Aether. 

“Prepare your taste buds to be impressed, Scara!”

“Oh my god, nii-san!”

Scaramouche starts asking how she made it and they fall into their own chatter. Kazuha smiles, listening to their conversation on the side. His boyfriend has a habit of trying out new recipes although he doesn’t look like it. That’s why their refrigerator is always full of whatever they tried to cook. 

Yoimiya and Gorou arrive after an hour, holding Taroumarou in his arms. The dog barks happily once he sees his owner, running around the open space. They also have brought their own share of food, trying to impress Scaramouche. When he asks why they are trying to impress him, Yoimiya only reasons that “a way to a man’s heart, in this case your boyfriend’s heart, is through his stomach.”

It reminds Kazuha of the first time he met Scaramouche’s own friends after they started dating. Xiangling had also tried to impress him with her dishes while the others nod at the sides, giving their blue haired friend a thumbs up in support.

It’s kind of funny how his own friends would try to brag about what he has done to them - mostly good things and embarrassing things from high school as they try to impress his boyfriend. It’s like they are trying to show him his good points.

“You know we’ve been dating for three years already, right?” He muses.

Gorou waves a dismissive hand at him. “Keep quiet and eat your mochi. We’re trying to impress your boyfriend now because we haven’t done that before.”

Kazuha sighs, a fond one while Scaramouche just laughs.

“We’re here!” Itto announces with his loud voice, catching all of their attention. Sara, Kokomi, and Tomo follow behind him while carrying bottles of sake and wine. He knows it’s going to be a long night just from the bottles they’ve brought.

Kazuha sees Itto hand Scaramouche some hydrangeas which makes the latter smile gratefully. It’s his favorite, after all. “Hydrangeas for you, Scara-chan.” He winks.

“Thanks, Itto.” Scaramouche smiles, “Is this your way of impressing me, too?”

The taller male nods with a grin.

“He literally picked it outside.” Sara comments. He sees Kokomi cover her mouth with her hand to stop herself from laughing.

“You what?!” The Kamisato siblings cry out. Itto shoots the purple haired female a glare to which she only responds with a laugh. “What lies! I did not!”

He totally did.

Kazuha jolts in his place in surprise when something jumps out of Tomo’s shirt, only to realize it’s a cat with beautiful snow white fur and blue eyes. “Ah, Yuki!” Tomo exclaims, catching the cat in his hands.

He hears someone groan from his side. “How many times do we have to tell you not to put your cat inside your shirt?”

The tall blonde l male pats his cat’s head, giving his friend a grin. “She likes it here.” The cat catches Scaramouche’s attention, and Tomo gives her to him which he takes with gentle hands, petting her fur.

He lets out a laugh when the cat purrs in his hold. Scaramouche raises his head and looks at him, his periwinkle eyes shining as he beckons him to sit beside him. “Kaz, come here let’s take a picture.”

He laughs when Taroumarou suddenly jumps in his arms before he takes a photo.

The purple haired male gives him a teasing smile when he catches him making one of his pictures — the one with Yuki and Taroumarou — as his home screen.

They dig into their food now that everyone is around; numerous plates and utensils were passed around for everyone. It’s in the midst of their dinner when Tomo takes out the bottles of sake.

Everyone’s faces are red by the next hour that passes. So far, they have emptied at least three bottles - two sake and one bottle of wine. At least that’s what Kazuha has remembered.

Scaramouche has his back leaning on his arms, laughing at whatever Gorou and Ayato are saying. His face is flushed from the sake he drank, hair sticking to his forehead due to sweat. Even his words are slurring a bit.

His boyfriend is tipsy.

Kazuha finds him adorable whenever he’s tipsy. He’s always adorable, tipsy or not. He, on the other hand, is a clingy and sleepy drunk, always has his arms wrapped around his boyfriend’s waist or burying his face on the crook of Scaramouche’s neck.

“Are you drunk?” He hears Scaramouche ask, turning his head slightly to look at him. He shakes his head. “Not drunk”

Scaramouche clicks his tongue. “Yeah, you are definitely drunk.”

He feels the other male shiver when a cold breeze of air passes through them. He shifts for a bit until he has his arms around his waist and face buried in his shoulder. “So noisy,” he comments when Itto loudly complains how cold it is.

Everything is a blur after that. Although he remembers Scaramouche’s arms wrapped tightly around his waist as they balanced themselves. He hears Ei’s and Miko’s voice saying something albeit it’s unclear. 

He remembers Scaramouche dropping him on their bed unceremoniously when they got back home and his boyfriend cuddling on his side before he falls asleep.

He wakes up to the sound of rustling inside the room, groggily opening his eyes from his sleep. He scrunches his nose when he sees him in his yesterday’s clothes.

No wonder he felt hot while sleeping, he’s wearing layers of clothes. 

The other side of the bed is empty which only means that Scaramouche is awake and the rustling noise comes from him.

“Oh, you’re awake.” He nods, although he immediately regrets it when his head pounds slightly. He groans, scrunching his eyes shut and throwing his arms on his eyes. Hangovers are shit. 

He feels something touch his forehead and he opens his eyes, he’s greeted by Scaramouche’s face close to his own. “Morning. Change your clothes, Mako-nee is almost done with breakfast.” He says, patting his cheek with a smile. 

He pouts his lips, asking for a kiss to which he’s immediately rejected, a hand covering his mouth. “Later. Your breath stinks.”

They make their way downstairs to the kitchen after washing and changing his clothes to a comfier one and after he steals a quick kiss from Scaramouche.

Miko is the first one who greets them once they enter the kitchen, sending the couple a smile. “Good morning, lovebirds. Aren’t you two lively today?”

The couple smiles as thanks when Makoto places a bowl in front of them. Ei joins them after a while. He blinks in confusion when she looks at him funnily. They continue to eat in comfortable silence until Miko speaks, voice laced with teasing.

“Say, Kazuha,” she calls. “Yes?”

“Do you remember anything last night?” She asks. He looks at Scaramouche in surprise when he suddenly starts coughing, jolting in his seat. There’s a blush settling on his face as he shoots her a look. The pink haired female only laughs as she sips on her tea. “Miko, I thought we agreed we won’t tell Kazuha?”

What? What the fuck did he do? “What did I do? Did I do something embarrassing?”

Scaramouche immediately shakes his head before Miko can say something. “No. Nothing.” He answers stiffly. “You were just being your usual drunk self.”

He pouts slightly, not convinced with what he said. When Scaramouche beams at him, he leaves it alone.

He’ll suffer whatever it is later.

(He instantly regrets it when he asks Miko what he did last night.)

—

“A delivery guy called yesterday,” Ei starts. Scaramouche hums as he continues to wash the plates. He looks up to her, waiting for her to continue. “Your bed is going to be delivered tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

A beat of silence passes between them, continuing to finish their tasks. 

“Do you need help in moving your things?” She asks. He doesn’t answer right away, thinking about how to say no to her idea. It’s not because he didn’t want them to help. But he wanted that he and Kazuha were the first ones to see how it started and its result.

He shakes his head and tells his reason when she asks. 

Blood creeps up to his cheeks when she hugs him, patting his head affectionately. “Alright, I understand.”

He smiles gratefully at her. “You guys can visit the next day since it’s a holiday. It’s not like we have many things to move anyway.”

“Okay. But how will you bring your bed if it’s going to be delivered here?”

He pauses. Shit. She laughs at the look on his face. “How about we drive you there? Then we’ll leave afterwards.”

He purses his lips and relents on her idea, nodding his head. “Fine.”

—

“Thank you for letting us stay.” Kazuha bows at the three women in front of him. He stands up straight when Makoto tells him he doesn’t need to do that but he smiles at her gratefully. 

Scaramouche has gotten inside already after they settled in the bed frame and mattress. Their bags and some boxes are still on the doorway waiting to be pushed inside. 

Miko claps her hand together, smiling at him. “Well then, as promised,” she starts, holding both of the sisters’ wrists. “We’re gonna go. We’ll visit you tomorrow, okay? Tell Scara we’re leaving.”

“Yes. Thanks again, Ei-san, Makoto-san, and Miko-san. Drive safely.” He smiles, waving at them.

Makoto beams, waving her hand. “We’ll see you tomorrow!”

He makes his way inside their new place, dragging their bags and boxes inside when they leave. Scaramouche greets him as he tears down the box that’s covering the bed frame. His eyes don't leave his work when he speaks. “They left already?"

“Mm. They said they’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

They started to assemble the bed frame first, although with a lot of complaints as they didn’t understand how to attach some of the parts and lost the screwdriver in the midst of it. 

“That hurt!” He cries, ignoring the laughter that erupts from the purple haired male when he hits his head after grabbing the screwdriver under one of the cardboard lying around. 

Scaramouche is still laughing as he walks near him, checking if he had a bump. “You want a kiss? Want me to kiss it better?” He breathes in heavily as his head throbs in pain, leaning down a bit for his boyfriend to kiss his head.

“Be careful.” He says. 

They continue to assemble the bed and place the mattress in the middle once it’s done. Kazuha has moved some of the boxes with their things inside the room while Scaramouche dumps the bedsheets and the other things they’ve bought last week in the middle of the bed.

They split the tasks after that, leaving the arrangement of their bedroom for last. Kazuha sets up their office in the adjacent room, placing Scaramouche’s thick medical books on the shelves beside his own books. He hums a tune under his breath as he arranges the table where he would work.

Scaramouche is playing soft and calming music on the speakers when he steps to their living room. Makoto has left the television already mounted on the wall as it’s her previous apartment. It’s honestly full of furniture already from the sofas, dining tables and chairs and other things.

Except for the bed.

When they asked why there’s no bed, she reasoned that she really liked her own bed and had to take it to her new apartment located in the heart of Inazuma City.

“Don’t you think there’s something nice and domestic about looking for your bed with your partner?” Makoto had asked, smiling sweetly at them. 

Kazuha had just smiled while Scaramouche rolled his eyes.

“Not playing your idol group songs today?” He asks, catching Scaramouche’s attention away from the mess of wires of their game console. The other male looks up to him for a brief moment before returning his focus on his work.

“Nah. I feel really in the mood to listen to lofi today. And I figured you won’t get distracted because of it.” 

He looks at him in mild surprise before crouching beside him and hugging him. “Thanks for your consideration.”

He snorts, “It’s nothing. I know how you easily get distracted by loud sounds because of your sensitive ears.”

Around noon, Kazuha is sweating buckets from moving back and forth from the living room and their office, carrying the last boxes filled with books. He’s thankful when Scaramouche pushes the windows open, letting the crisp air inside their apartment.

There’s a knock on their door, making him look in its direction; his eyes widening upon seeing the figure outside.

“Hi,” Thoma waves from the door, raising his hand to show them the paper bags he brought.

Scaramouche makes it first to the door. “Sup. What are you doing here?” It’s kind of funny how he looks awkward trying to block Thoma’s view of their currently messy apartment, and failing due to his height. 

As if he’s gonna make any difference.

They’re almost the same height, although he's a few inches taller than his boyfriend while Thoma on the other hand is, like, almost a half a head taller than both of them.

Thoma definitely notices their attempt at hiding their apartment, flashing him a wide smile. He takes his green eyes away from the mess behind them and looks at their faces instead. 

He smiles, handing them the paper bag with the dishes Miko gave him earlier. “Lunch delivery.” He answers. “Ei-san had told Miko-san who told me to deliver you lunch since you still haven’t probably finished arranging your place.”

“Ohh, thanks for bringing it here.” Scaramouche looks into the dishes inside, eyes sparkling when he sees Thoma’s specialty miso soup.

The blonde doesn’t stay for too long as he also has to go to Ritou to fetch something for Ayato’s work. He bids them goodbye, and he’ll see them soon once their apartment is finished.

They continued arranging their place after lunch, filling the living room with the decorative plants Scaramouche had brought along with the mattress; they also covered the floor with the carpet, giving Kazuha a smug smile at his good choice. 

They fill in their kitchen with the things they bought, working together around as if they are in sync. The lofi Scaramouche has been playing for almost the whole day in the background continues, filling the atmosphere with comfort and serenity.

It’s around five in the afternoon when they finished, including their bedroom. Kazuha stands up from his position in front of the counter after tightening the handles of the drawers; his back and knees aching from staying in that position for so long.

“Oh my back hurts,” he groans, placing his hands on his hips and stretches. He hears Scaramouche snicker, standing beside him with a teasing smile. 

“Is this the part where I call you an old man?” He cackles, throwing his head back when he scowls at him. “Don’t worry, you’re still handsome.” 

“Is that so?” The purple haired male yelps, stepping away from him when he inches closer. He just finished taking a bath, a towel draped around his neck as he dries his hair. While he, on the other hand, is still drowning in sweat. 

“Don’t hug me, oh my god, Kaz, I just took a bath!” He stops, laughing at the look on his face. Scaramouche tries to kick him and fails as he jumps away from him. “I’m just kidding.”

“Shut up and go take a shower. You stink.”

He drapes his towel on his head as he steps out of their bathroom, feeling fresh at the change of his clothes.

The door leading to the small balcony is open, giving him a full view of the sunset in Inazuma. Scaramouche is nowhere to be seen when he steps into the living room, assuming that he’s inside their bedroom or office.

He rests his arms on the railings, allowing the breeze that passes by to brush his hair from his face, sighing contently. 

He’s hit by the feeling of satisfaction and contentment when he looks at their finished living room. It’s different when he moved in with Scaramouche when they were in Liyue. He mostly just brought his things with him, the things needed for their small apartment fully prepared.

This time, however, is almost different. He got to buy things with Scaramouche, looking around the furniture center to buy their own bed and decorate their new home. It just makes him feel warm.

“Damn, you really cleaned the office, didn’t you, Kaz?” Scaramouche muses, stepping out from a corner with a delighted chuckle only to stop when he sees his boyfriend leaning his back on the railings, facing him.

He steps outside and joins him, looking at the view of the setting sun. “You okay?”

He nods. “Yeah. Perfect.”

Scaramouche smiles, his purple locks brushing his face in the slightest because of the breeze. “The place looks nice, no?”

“It is.” He says, “It just looks like home. It’s very warm.”

The other male hums in agreement. “Yeah. Yeah, it does.”

He didn’t expect that he would call Inazuma home once again. But with Scaramouche beside him, including his friends, he would probably start calling it home once again.

Scaramouche tugs on his sleeves. “What should we have for dinner? I’m hungry.”

“You’re gonna cook?” He raises an eyebrow at him. His boyfriend returns the look. “Yeah?”

“But we don’t have food in the fridge yet.”

He stares at him for a moment, blinking his eyes before realization dawns into him, mouth open and closing like a fish. “What the fuck. Why’d you just remind me now? We gotta go to the grocery.”

He grabs his wrist, throwing their towels into the sofa and grabbing his wallet.

“Are we not going to change?”

Scaramouche snorts. “Nah. Let’s be those disgusting couples that go grocery shopping in their pajamas.”

He just laughs, until his cheeks hurt.