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"I'm sorry to intrude on your personal time, Alhaitham," Cyno said as he climbed right through Acting Grand Sage's window, "but this was urgent. I needed to report to you personally as soon as possible. I know it's past your work hours, but—"
"Cyno."
"Yes?"
Alhaitham stood up from his bed and stared down at Cyno. He crossed his arms as he scrutinized every little bit of Cyno's skin, eyes roaming down his body critically.
"You were injured in your mission?" He mused, though the answer was obvious.
"Oh, yes. I apologize for the bloodstains as well, I didn't have the time to do much other than cleaning the wound." He shuffled on his feet, belatedly realizing it only smeared the blood across the clean floor. Cyno winced. "This is partly the reason why it was imperative I come here—"
Alhaitham bodily put a stop to his rant—and it was one. He didn't quite realize how oozy he really was until the words escaped from him, his mind scattered somewhere along the tiring journey from the desert to Sumeru City. Alhaitham tracked his eyes (probably checking if his pupils dilated as they should), then huffed without sharing whatever conclusion he reached.
"Sit down," Alhaitham instructed, gesturing to a comfortable armchair by the window. "I'm going to dress your wounds."
"There's no need. As the Acting Grand Sage, you shouldn't concern yourself with such matters."
The words were stilted in his mouth. Cyno swallowed around them, felt their bitterness coat his tongue. Unaware of or indifferent to Cyno's plight, Alhaitham rolled his eyes and firmly dragged Cyno to the armchair. Cyno could resist, could kick up a fight and refuse to budge, but…
Alhaitham's focused expression culled his protests before they could even take form.
"I'm at home and off the clock, I'm not anyone's superior right now." He patted Cyno's shoulder, a suggestion more than an order, completely at odds with his words: "Sit down."
"There's no need," Cyno repeated like a broken record, out of habit more than any particular desire to really refuse medical care.
Alhaitham quirked an eyebrow like he knew exactly what Cyno was thinking.
"Stop being stubborn. You can tell me the details of what happened while I ensure you don't get blood on my expensive rug." He paused, lips parted as if the words refused to leave his mouth. Alhaitham shook his head, and his fingertips lingered at Cyno's pulse. "Let me do this for you at least once, Cyno."
It would be foolish to fight him further, no matter how much his body wanted to reject the careful touch of a man who currently held power over Cyno's very life. But this wasn't just about anyone—not a stranger, and certainly not the previous Grand Sage. It was Alhaitham talking to him, he reminded himself, and all at once he relaxed. Cyno slumped into the cushion and closed his eyes as Alhaitham briefly left the room to find medical supplies.
In those short minutes, Cyno dozed off without meaning to. The exhaustion had finally made itself known, sleeping deeply into his bones. He was comfortable, and his guard was down. When Alhaitham returned and touched the large gash on his torso, Cyno barely twitched.
"Stay with me, General," Alhaitham said, quiet as the breeze. "You have something to tell me, don't you?"
It took some rapid blinking and a pinch to the back of his hand for Cyno to be alert and coherent enough to make a concise report. It didn't take long to go over the details, the case was as straightforward as they come. The hard part had been tracking the origins of the illegal experiments without alerting the parties involved.
"We need to uproot the operation at its core, otherwise they'll just begin anew somewhere else. The quicker we get to the leader behind this, the better."
The uncomfortable pull of the needle as it went through his flesh seemed deliberate, though Alhaitham remained impassive through the whole thing. He analyzed his own stitches with an air of dissatisfaction.
"This could've waited until after you paid a visit to the healer," he concluded.
"I couldn't risk the information leaking in any way, or putting even more innocent people at risk."
Alhaitham started on the process of putting bandages wherever it was needed, his fingers stiff. It looked like it was taking every ounce of self control for Alhaitham to stop himself from clutching Cyno too tightly.
"Your life is more important than a leak of information," Alhaitham said.
"My duty is more important than anything else," Cyno quickly rebutted.
Silence fell, heavy and uncomfortable. It prickled at his skin. He watched Alhaitham and the uncomfortable set of his shoulders. For the first time, he seemed at odds with himself, not quite settled into his own skin. As he kept on dressing Cyno's wounds, Alhaitham never met his eyes once.
"You're concerned," Cyno accused.
"It's the logical course of action. If there's someone strong enough to incapacitate you, I doubt it would be within my abilities to protect you from further harm on my own."
"Downplaying your strength again?"
"No, I'm being realistic."
Despite his work requiring him to cause discomfort to others, Cyno took no pleasure in it—and certainly not in his personal life. The truth of the matter was that Alhaitham looked like a stack of blocks, just one well aimed hit away from coming apart. Cyno stretched closer as far as his wounds allowed him and knocked his cheek against Alhaitham's.
"I'm sorry for worrying you," he whispered.
"Don't apologize for things you can't and won't change, it doesn't suit you."
With a parting pat to the shoulder, Alhaitham declared his work done. For someone who didn't fight as often as Cyno did, Alhaitham's handiwork was surprisingly neat. He smiled down at his own wounded body.
"Keep in mind this is just basic first aid," Alhaitham warned, "you should still go to the infirmary straight away."
His tone was as standoffish as it always was, but Alhaitham was a person made of little details, grains of sand hard to grasp. It was in the way he heaved a deep sigh, it was the red indents left on his palm from clenching his fists too tight, it was the tiniest smile on his lips.
For an absurd moment, his mind went blank. Something in his chest snapped.
And he thought, if he were to hold Alhaitham for just a second, he would come to understand the very foundation of this world. He could make sense of every fairytale. His touch alone was divine knowledge beyond his comprehension. Cyno breathed out shakily and tugged Alhaitham closer.
Touching his lips would be a revelation.
"Thank you, Alhaitham."
All at once, the spell broke. His skin was too hot, and stitches pulled at his stomach. The candlelight burned into his eyes, and all breath left his lungs. Before him, Alhaitham stared at Cyno, eyes wide, mouth open. He was completely frozen.
He had just kissed Alhaitham, and it dawned on him far too late.
*
Cyno snaps out of his reverie when someone calls for him. The knight guarding the entrance to the headquarters of the Knights of Favonius gives him a strange look, though it doesn't seem like he's getting kicked out quite yet.
"You okay? You've been standing there for a while."
The knight's frown is more concerned than suspicious. Cyno wouldn't be surprised if the man recognizes him.
"Do you have business with the Knights of Favonius?" The knight continues, shifting on his feet.
"I'm supposed to meet with Lisa," he explains. After a pause, Cyno adds, "I didn't warn her I'd be visiting. Is she around?"
"Figured as much," The knight winces. "Sorry to disappoint, but she's actually out with the Acting Grandmaster. Not out on business, mind you. Miss Lisa convinced the Acting Grandmaster to take a day off. You can probably find her if you look around?"
On one hand, Cyno did just make a last minute trip from Sumeru to Mondstadt in hopes of talking to Lisa. On the other, he doesn't have the heart to interrupt what is most likely a date to discuss his own problems. He shakes his head.
"No, it's fine. I'll wait until her schedule is free. I would like to leave a message if possible."
"In that case, you should ask Captain Kaeya, they often meet up after work. I'm sure he'll be glad—"
"It's quite rude to talk about someone behind their backs."
Unlike the knight, Cyno doesn't jump, but it's a near thing. He tightens his fist under his cloak and glares in Kaeya's direction, who's grinning like the cat who got the cream. Cyno resigns himself to the fact that Kaeya won't let this moment go without at least some teasing.
"C-Captain!" The knight stares at Kaeya's hand on his shoulder like it's an explosive. He shakes his head furiously. "I-I wasn't badmouthing you, really. This man came looking for Miss Lisa, I was just telling him you'd be better suited to pass a message to her. That's all it was, nothing more."
"Hmmm." Kaeya leans closer, scrutinizing the knight with a perfectly serious frown. Then, in a split second, the expression melts away and Kaeya grins. He holds up his hand in innocence. "No need to look so serious, I was just teasing you. Besides, I would recognize Lisa's little brother anywhere."
That title isn't inaccurate, but something about the way Kaeya says it makes him feel like a lost child all of a sudden. Again, not too far from the truth, but not the impression Cyno wants others to have of him.
He pointedly clears his throat. "It's good to see you well, Kaeya."
"Please, we can pass on the formalities." Satisfied with his little stunt, Kaeya moves to wrap an arm around Cyno's shoulders instead. "What was this about a message, hm?"
He waves at the knight as he steers Cyno away from the headquarters (and away from prying ears). The knight sighs in relief, but there's an exasperated fondness to the way he returns Kaeya's gesture. It has always fascinated him, how Kaeya managed to both terrify his fellow knights while also capturing their hearts. Cyno has tried many times to gauge how to mimic that effect (in hopes his own subordinates would feel more at ease around him), but to no avail.
"Lost in thought again?"
Cyno looks sideways at Kaeya.
"Nothing so exciting it warrants that much interest." He shrugs. "I just wanted to discuss a personal topic with Lisa, and I was hoping to at least let her know that I'm in town."
"Oho? I'm afraid she won't be returning until tomorrow, though if you'd like, I'm sure there are other people willing to listen to your tale."
Kaeya leaned away so he could make a gesture that not at all subtly pointed to himself. Cyno raised an eyebrow.
"Kaeya," he warns. He doesn't like the hint of mischief on the upturn of Kaeya's mouth.
"What? All I'm saying is, let's go for a couple drinks. I'm not half bad company myself." He pauses, then reaches for a pouch on his belt. Kaeya proudly presents a case Cyno knows all too well. "Even better, I've heard you enjoy Genius Invocation TCG just as much as I do."
He doesn't have the time to think of exactly what Lisa has been telling her friends, distracted by the deck case he recognizes as one of the Mondstadt tournament exclusive rewards. Cyno has tried many times to snatch one of those for himself, though no one had been willing to trade or sell it. He's walking to the Cat's Tail before Kaeya can direct him, already thinking of what deck to use for their match. Kaeya falls into step with him without missing a beat.
It's only when they have found a secluded table at the tavern, ordered a round of drinks and started on the match preparations that Cyno reminds himself TCG isn't the reason why he came to Mondstadt (though it's a close thing). He observes Kaeya for a moment. Although volunteered to listen to Cyno's problems, Kaeya didn't say a thing about the subject for the past twenty minutes. He looks more than satisfied just having someone to play with.
The only real disadvantage he can see in taking up Kaeya on his offer is this conversation making it to Lisa's ears, although that's barely an issue. She had been the one he planned to confide in to begin with. Besides, Kaeya is as much of a neutral party he'll be able to find without resorting to a complete stranger.
"Well, this might be within your realm of expertise," Cyno mutters to himself. "What do you know of romantic relationships?"
"A thing or two." Kaeya's head snaps up. "Don't tell me—"
Cyno holds up a hand to stop him. "I'm not having this conversation before the wine arrives."
"Now we're talking."
As soon as the waitress hands them their glasses, Cyno downs one third of his drink in one big gulp. Kaeya whistles in admiration.
"Did you break their heart or did they break yours?" He asks without warning. Cyno gives him a look. "Hey, just wondering what would make someone as busy as you drop everything to visit Mondstadt to have a love talk."
"No hearts have been broken. I kissed him."
"And then?"
"And then nothing." Cyno recalls Alhaitham's blank face with a wince. "He didn't react, and I left through the window."
The table shakes precariously when Kaeya makes too sudden a movement and slaps the side of it. He's choking on his wine while staring at Cyno with equal parts amusement and horror.
"You freaked out?" He wheezes.
"I didn't—"
"You freaked out."
Cyno grits his teeth. Yes, his heart had been beating so loud, he couldn't discern what Alhaitham had said when he bolted. Yes, his hands were clammy with sweat and trembling due to adrenaline. And yes , he had left Sumeru City before the sun was up with barely a warning.
He did not freak out.
"I hope you understand I'm obligated to tell Lisa this afterwards." Kaeya gestures an apology without looking apologetic at all. "She'd kill me if I didn't."
"I already figured you would," he sighs.
The teasing leaves Kaeya's face as quick as it came. He seems to be contemplating something as he rolls his dice.
"What are you planning on doing now?" He asks.
"That's the issue, I'm not sure. We haven't ever talked about romance, so it's a mystery whether or not he would want any involvement to begin with."
Which is the understatement of the century. On most days, Alhaitham shows no interest in having acquaintances, much less a romantic partner. With the way the man is so intent on taking life his own way, it's difficult to convince himself that Alhaitham would ever willingly let anyone disrupt that flow.
"And you're considering running away again," Kaeya accuses lightly. "Well, this time less literally, of course. Pretend it never happened, go back to normal, happily ever after."
"...I've thought about it."
"You don't strike me as the kind of guy who would fall for someone lacking a backbone. I doubt ignoring him will put an end to the issue. It'll only add another layer of complications. Am I wrong?"
"Alhaitham is curious by nature. If nothing else, he would want to understand why I kissed him." Cyno sighs. He knows Kaeya is right. "He wouldn't leave it alone."
Kaeya looks up from his deck and tilts his head, analyzing, as if trying to pry the thoughts from inside Cyno's skull.
"Did it feel right?"
"What did?"
"When you kissed him."
The question alone is enough to make his blood rush. It was brief, but Cyno remembers: the hint of Alhaitham's cologne, spicy and subtle. The lingering heat of his skin. The fluttering, butterfly kiss of his breath meeting Cyno's cheek.
He remembers thinking, in that one second, he could sink into Alhaitham. He could burrow into his bones and never leave, he could be home.
"Yes, yes it did," he whispers.
Kaeya's expression softens.
"You're not scared of loving him, you're scared he doesn't feel the same," he explains. "It's a little cliche, but I won't hold it against you. It's kinda cute when I think about it."
"You sound exactly like Lisa when you say things like that."
"We rub off on each other." Kaeya shrugs. "So, let me ask you again: what are you going to do, lover boy?"
"To start off, I'll talk to him. I'll figure it out from there. It was foolish to get this worked up over things that have happened yet."
"Oh, haven't you heard? Love makes us do stupid things, not even you are immune to that." He raises his glass in a toast, his smile open and warm.
"You're enjoying this," Cyno admonishes, but raises his own glass to meet Kaeya's.
"Of course I am," Kaeya puts down an action card, "I'm about to win after all."
"What? It can't—"
He watches as Kaeya unleashes a devastating attack that takes down his remaining card in one swift move. It's too late to stop it. What he thought was an even match ends without much of a fight from him. Cyno blinks.
"Exclusive advice just between the two of us, but try not to have this sort of conversation while doing something actually important. You might be in actual danger."
Really, it's far too late for Cyno to remember that Kaeya's specialty is lowering his opponent's guard to take them out before they can react. For some reason, he foolishly thought that wouldn't extend to TCG. It's no use being a sore loser, however; he was the one to let himself be distracted.
(Intimately, the part of him that refuses to admit he lost at TCG decides this is all Alhaitham's fault.)
"Thank you for the generous advice, Captain."
"It's an honor to help you, General."
Before Cyno can call for a best of three and recover his honor, one of the Knights finds their little corner. She salutes briefly to both of them.
"Captain!" She eyes Cyno before focusing back on Kaeya. "Sorry to interrupt you when you're in the middle of a conversation, but we have a caravan of merchants coming in and we need someone to check if everything is in order." She pauses, then says with more emphasis, "Someone of higher rank."
"...And no one else is available at the moment. Right. This is what I get for conspiring with Lisa to get most of the staff to rest once in their lives." Kaeya sighs far too dramatically and holds a hand to his chest. "The price I pay for being kind."
They both organize their cards, fast but careful. Kaeya quickly drinks the rest of his wine in a movement so quick, Cyno is surprised he doesn't lose his balance afterwards. In a minute, the table is clear and Kaeya is following the knight out of the tavern.
"Come along, if you wish," he invites over his shoulder.
Cyno shrugs. "I don't have any other plans."
Before, he was too lost in his own head to notice it, but it's a beautiful day in Mondstadt. The breeze here is always gentle and it carries the scent of flowers. Dandelion fluff dances in the air, and there's not a single cloud in the sky. Cyno breathes, finally able to relax a little.
It's only fitting that he ended up here, he thinks. They do say Mondstadt is the city of love.
"I forgot to ask you about one important detail," Kaeya muses out loud.
"What is it?"
"What is your beloved like? You can't go through all that talk and not even give me the details." He leans closer to Cyno, joking at being secretive. "Don't you know incomplete gossip kills thousands every year?"
"I would rather you don't gossip at all, but I doubt I can deter you from it," he replies tiredly. "If you really must know, you actually remind me of him in some ways."
Cyno can see the casual glint of interest cover up the tense set of Kaeya's shoulders.
"Is it for the charm, or maybe the handsome looks?”
And he knows this is petty revenge for all the teasing, but Cyno says it all the same: “You both hide your emotions in every conversation.”
He can't make sense of Kaeya's expression then. The silence isn't tense, but it's not welcoming either. Kaeya is quick to angle his body so Cyno can no longer see his face, and when suddenly he can't keep up with Kaeya's long strides, Cyno makes no attempt to catch up with him.
It only makes sense that Kaeya so easily understood his feelings, when he's so prone to running away as well.
Although their jobs aren't quite the same, he's quite familiar with the procedures of checking caravans for any signs of illicit activities. For the most part, it's tedious work. Cyno is glad to hang back by the opposite wall and let his mind wander as the voices of the Knights of Favonius become white noise.
Later, Cyno will scold himself for being so distracted a second time in the same day. For now, he's watching a bird hop around the upper level of the city wall when he catches his name from someone in the merchant caravan.
".....General Mahamatra Cyno?"
"Right over there."
He has no time to prepare himself. One second, he's wondering if there's an emergency back in Sumeru; the next, he's watching Alhaitham stride in his direction without a hint of hesitation.
"Alhaitham," he breathes out. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same," Alhaitham replies, sharper than usual. Rather than his unintended bluntness, this is a carefully wielded weapon. "I would love to know what could possibly prompt an injured man to travel to another nation in the middle of the night."
"There's no injury." He touches his midriff, where the recently healed skin is sensitive and itchy. "I went to the healers like you told me. Just before leaving."
"You didn't think to tell me in person that you'd be going on a trip?"
"Why would I need to? I thought you made it very clear that the Matra now operate on their own authority without interference from the Grand Sage."
Alhaitham's eyelid twitches. His words are slow, calculated: "I'm asking for my own personal interest."
Cyno doesn't know what to tell him. Back then, seeing Alhaitham's reaction, the sudden sting of rejection prickled at his skin, burning with shame. The fear came next, and then… nothing. His mind was empty as he ran from Alhaitham's side. How could he bare that truth to Alhaitham? How could he admit to his own childish emotions?
How could he explain that losing Alhaitham struck him with horror far worse than any threats to his life?
So he doesn't explain. Cyno falls back to the only clear thought in his mind, the always present call of responsibility.
"You shouldn't be here," Cyno tells him. As the feared General of the Akademiya, it's so much easier to keep his voice from wavering. "Without the General Mahamatra or the Acting Grand Sage—"
"Do I look like I'm here to talk about work?" Alhaitham cuts off, quiet and frustrated. There's a silent fury boiling under his tongue. "Even if you say that now, I'm here. You can't change that."
"That's impulsive, not to mention irresponsible! I can't have you making decisions like that without a care for consequences, Alhaitham. The two of us, we need to remain steady."
"Then what about you, Cyno? You come into my house bleeding out without a single care for your own safety, and then you disappear into the night with barely any information as to where you are going. Is that not impulsive, is that not irresponsible ?"
It hits him, then, how similar this is to their first meeting. That encounter he was so sure was washed away by the desert sand, buried under the pillar of trust they so carefully built. Cyno didn't think they'd be here again, speaking without ever saying what they mean.
The situation is not in his control anymore. The thought alone sends chills down his spine.
"If you really want me to leave, then just tell me so," Alhaitham pleads tiredly. "If you tell me to go, to return to Sumeru, I'll do so right now."
When he hesitates, Cyno realizes this is not cowardice, but caution. There are too many ways this could go wrong, so many ways love could undo them.
Cyno couldn't break. He isn't allowed to break.
"I haven't decided what I want yet," he admits.
Alhaitham closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Then, without any regard to the bustle of people coming and going, he corners Cyno into the wall and looms over him.
"Kiss me," he orders.
"What?" Cyno furtively glances at Kaeya, who has his back to the two of them while he converses with the merchants. The action is so deliberate, Cyno's face burns with embarrassment. "Alhaitham, we're in public—"
"Look at me, Cyno."
Alhaitham grabs him by the chin. This close, in this little bubble where only the two of them exist, Cyno recognizes it: Alhaitham is distressed. It's such a strange look on him, if Cyno is afraid Alhaitham would come apart if he were to touch him.
"I came here to find you, and I'm telling you to kiss me," Alhaitham whispers. "What are you afraid of?"
He hangs on Cyno's lips, a breath away. So close, so tangible. His heart clenches.
What is he afraid of?
"you're scared he doesn't feel the same"
Alhaitham is right here. What is he afraid of?
Holding Alhaitham would make sense of this world, it would be divine knowledge beyond his comprehension. He's afraid to find out what that would feel like, he's afraid of how it would ruin him.
"I'll catch you," Alhaitham promises, like he knows everything there is to know about Cyno. "If you fall, I'll catch you."
Cyno clings to him, arms clenched around his neck and chests tightly wound together. Alhaitham's mouth is warm, it's welcoming, it's sweet—it's everything Cyno didn't dare claim as his own.
He searches the crowd out of habit, as if checking for unexpected threats. Kaeya's eyes meet his own, and the Calvary Captain raises a red rose in his direction. I'll keep your secret safe.
Cyno laughs, a little hysterical. He buries his face into Alhaitham's shoulders and wills the world to melt away, at least for a second. That's all he needs: the most ephemeral eternity.
"And what if I shatter on the way down?" He whispers back.
"I'll spend a lifetime gathering the pieces."