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The first time he met her, it was on a cold, wintery night.
Closed eyes, long red locks flowing free, caressing the body with exquisite contours as she leaned against the chilly wall. White fingers clasped around the cigarette, she expelled a thin puff of smoke into the air. When the sound of his footsteps stopped on the balcony, she opened her eyes. For a brief moment, amid the smoke, their gazes met.
They remained silent. She nodded to him. Then he sat in a chair at the far end of the balcony and sipped his wine. That's the rule here; a designated area in the tavern. Nobody said anything on this balcony. Unlike the lively ground level of the tavern, this was a calm spot for individuals to keep their secrets hidden and only give to the wind to take away.
"Kaeya, right?" She spoke up on a cold night.
He nodded in surprise. She had learned about him, just as he had known her name. Rosaria.
"We can't talk here." The corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
"There's no one but the two of us here."
A few curls fell to one shoulder as she bent her head. In comparison to the weather, she was clothed a bit thin. Yet, it was nothing since both of them were children of ice and snow.
"Honestly, who set such ridiculous rules?" She went on.
Kaeya laughed. "That would be my precious brother."
Maybe she was aware of that as well. She merely returned a grin and snarled a breath. Her face was shrouded by smoke, yet her gaze was locked on his still.
Their conversation did not end there. It persisted throughout the long nights. Quiet. Discreet. Only the two of them were aware. On the cold balcony. He had to admit that he preferred to get to know her this way rather than gather all of her information in the dark or secretly follow her through missions. Occasionally, he saw her at the Church. She lit a cigarette silently in a corner. She never acted like other sisters at the Church at all. But there was something so sacred about her that made him dive deeper and deeper; was it the smoke from the corners of her red lips unconsciously striking him, or the eyes that appeared to read into his thoughts as they came closer on that balcony each night? There were only the two of them.
She had a way of getting him drunk without alcohol. But he would willingly become drunk just to get closer to her. He'd never felt shy approaching ladies or flirting with them. Despite this, she appeared to capture his heart. She knew everything he was going to say, or did not dare to say.
"You look horrible. It's as if you've been pranked by the hilichurls," she added, half joking, half concerned.
"Pardon me, milady," he said as he sat down next to her.
"Quarrel with your brother?"
He did not respond, but implicitly confirmed what she had just said.
"Family always gives us headaches, doesn't it?" She grounded the cigarette into the ashtray. Her cheeks slightly reddened. Perhaps she was a little tipsy.
"You seem to be drinking more than normal."
He was curious as to what was bothering her so much.
"Oh, nothing..." She responded, bringing the cigarette to her mouth.
He said nothing else and instead drank from his glass. She had not told him much yet, but he hoped that one day she'd be willing to share everything with him the way he was comfortable confiding in her, drunk or awake.
"I'm going away." After a lengthy silence, she said. "I'm not sure when I'll be able to return. Maybe when the winter is over."
"For the Church's business?"
"Nope. Actually,... it's just personal affairs."
He had further questions. But she would never say anything she did not want to. She was constantly cloaked in mystery, arriving and dissipating like smoke. He could never hold the smoke in his palms.
"If you need help, I'm always here. For you."
"I know. Hey, I have a gift for you. Think of it as a forthcoming winter festival present."
What a delightful surprise. He replied with a smile:
"So what are you going to give me? Something unforgettable, would it be?"
Through the hazy smoke, he caught the smile on the corner of her lips. When the haze cleared, he saw her approach, and placed a kiss on his lips.
"Sure."
-The End-