Chapter Text
The traveler was finally going back to Mondstadt, keeping his previous promise of taking Thoma along with him. They had been courteous enough to give him a week’s notice— they had to finish some unfinished business in Watatsumi with the divine priestess.
This was of no issue to Thoma of course, he was patient, he could wait. What was an issue with Thoma, however, was being left alone to brew in his thoughts and anxieties. He had left Mondstadt when he was old enough to know what a goodbye was and how painful they could be, and that meant he had… forbade the pain and just left without so much as a warning or a sign. So here he was, no more than 3 days away from a trip sitting on the floor and on about 3 years worth of brooding about his childish response to leaving. His baggage halfway packed as the anxiety started to settle in his stomach. You never truly know how people would react, huh?
He had the thought to just thank the traveler for the invitation and politely decline, of course. He had that thought until he was settled on the Alcor. But if he was to become a helping hand to the Kamisato estate, he might as well take care of his own unfinished business before they started political affairs with the rest of the nations.
He sighed into his plate, a welcoming feast more for the traveler than himself for being aboard Beidou’s ship. Beidou chatted with the crew while the traveler smiled beside him, Paimon scarfing down food. He settled back into his chair, lost in thought trying to calm the knot in his stomach as he thought back into his past. He wasn’t nervous about them being upset at him leaving with no notice— Barbatos, no— he was more nervous about torturing himself all this time in Inazuma just for no one to remember him back home. Was it even home anymore?
The Crux fleet stationed in the Guyun Stone Forest, Beidou lamented not being able to accompany the traveler and Thoma any further, but business waited for no one and Ningguang had an alluring deal.
“So, Thoma…” Paimon’s shrill voice rang as they saw Beidou disappear into the busy streets of Liyue, “do you want to stay in Liyue for the night or head straight to Mondstadt? There’s tons of places to eat in Liyue, they’re known for their cuisine!”
“Hmm… I would hate to come all the way here from Inazuma and not try the world-renowned cuisine in Liyue.” Thoma started, not revealing that he wanted to stall the feelings he would get once he saw the stone bridge to Mondstadt. “I’ve also heard they’re known for its business! It would be a waste to not engage with the culture.”
They spent the evening first with Xiangling, trying dishes both traditional to Liyue and also originals from the chef herself. When Thoma stood to pay, Xiangling ushered them away reassuring them that a first-time Liyue meal cannot be ruined by paying for it. The traveler quietly questioned how Xiangling made any money since she gifted meals every other day. The rest of the evening was spent having a pleasant talk with Mr. Zhongli, a consultant to a funeral parlor and (according to the traveler) a fountain of knowledge about anything regarding Liyue, commerce, or the Archons.
After the pleasant evening, they separated to their respective hotel rooms (which Thoma now refused to let traveler pay) and now he was left alone with his thoughts once again.
——
They were worryingly close to Mondstadt. Probably no more than 30 minutes away from that bridge. They took longer than expected, the traveler was stopped every other hour to fix a broken cart, or find some medicinal herbs. After a while, the traveler started hurrying past the requests, apologetically remarking how they had company and it would be impolite to take up his time.
Exhausted, the traveler still tried to keep a pleasant conversation going with Thoma, calming his nerves as he focused more on being accommodating to the traveler than his own angst. Before he knew it, he was upon the bridge.
He stuttered and paused, then offered a small smile to the traveler when they wore a worried expression and started threading towards the entrance of Mondstadt. The traveler calmly walked, immediately seeming more relaxed as they saw the inside of the city. Mondstadt just seemed to have that effect. The traveler said hi to the guards by the entrance and headed straight in, beckoning Thoma to join them in the stall right by the entrance. They bought a lamp grass flower, waving goodbye to the little girl by the stall before heading to the fountain.
“Okay, Thoma where’d you want to go?” The traveler asked, sitting at the edge of the fountain and enjoying the breeze that carried a mist of water cooling them both off.
Before Thoma could get a word in, a voice boomed behind him, “Ah! The Honorary Knight has graced us with their presence, I must be in luck today.” The travelers face scrunched in playful distaste, “c’mon traveler, won’t you introduce me?”
Thoma turned around and was met with the sight he recognized as one half of the reason why he had tossed and turned the night before, Kaeya. Now, for Thoma to say he had no time to process the fact that he might’ve seen Kaeya would be a lie. He had thought about it, the stupid 16-year-old teen in his brain that had, to some degree, garnered a schoolboy crush for Kaeya did not allow him to ignore those thoughts. What he had not been prepared for, however, was to feel nothing but nostalgia at seeing Kaeya.
Let’s review.
Thoma had grown up to be 16 in Mondstadt. In that time he became closely acquainted with the Kaeya and, by association, Diluc. They were a close circle, so close that Thoma had begun to get butterflies in his stomach whenever Diluc laughed at his joke, swung his arm around his shoulders, or smiled at him. And, to a lesser degree, whenever Kaeya flirted to him (something he would later find out was the beginning of his current personality.) Unfortunately, he had no time to process the feelings for the pair as he was sailing to Inazuma before the butterflies even managed to settle and for the heat of Diluc’s arm managed to leave his shoulders.
Maybe it was dumb for him to think that because he wasn't head over heels for Kaeya, any feelings for Diluc would reflect that, too. But, he dropped his guard and assumed that he had moved on from both.
“This is Thoma! He was born in Mondstadt and he wanted to come back after living in Inazuma for 10 years” Paimon cheerfully supplied, unaware of the uncharacteristic stiffness of Kaeya when he finally looked at Thoma.
A quiet moment passed as Thoma and Kaeya just looked at each other.
“Well…” Kaeya cleared his throat, “Hello, stranger”
“Good to see you again, Kaeya” Thoma smiled at him, lost for words at what to say to a decade-old reconnection. You don’t really get many of those.
The traveler and Paimon looked between the pair surrounded in this weird atmosphere, before Paimon could interject again the traveler gave them a look and successfully shut them up.
Kaeya’s stiffness melted away seeing the lamp grass flower in his hand, “you know, you have both the best and worst timing ever. Diluc just left for Dawn Winery, but…” Kaeya slips back into his characteristic smirk “I was just given a small vacation, after almost a week straight of commissions. I swear they’re working me to death, Thoma”
Thoma smiled and stood up. “I hope you’re not opposed to some extra work as a tour guide”
“Hmm, I’d have to check my schedule” Kaeya brought Thoma into a hug, a genuine smile adorning his face, “I’m glad to see you back”
At that moment Thoma regretted thinking that being forgotten would be the worse fate, this was a thousand times worse than just simply having to reintroduce himself.
“Yeah… Haha… Sorry for disappearing without a goodbye-” Thomas's voice cracked, and Kaeya stopped him.
“Let’s not get into semantics, I am simply glad you’re back” Kaeya patted Thoma on the back and let go, clearing his throat again. “Well then, let’s go ahead with this tour, huh?”