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To Kazuha, this is simply a dream. He’d always wanted to share his travels, a deeply cherished part of his heart in the whole world that he proclaimed his home, with someone else again. There’s something deeply intimate in the experience for him, personal, serious. And to share it all with Heizou – whom he loves so dearly, Kazuha can find no greater joy. Yes, indeed, the wind greets him gently and beckons him forward, a skip in his step as he leads Heizou into Mondstadt for the first time.
Initially, Kazuha had dragged Heizou all the way to Windrise, wanting him to see the statue there with his own two eyes – the Anemo Archon who has blessed them both so. Kazuha felt strangely familiar with the Archon, as though he’d been in close proximity with Barbatos many times without knowing, but he assumes the answer lies within the wind guiding him. Nevermind that if he feels as though he ventures slightly too close, he is led astray. His friend, Venti, had been deeply amused when he’d suggested that point when he’d spent time with him on the Alcor awhile back.
But now, they step into the main city. Kazuha gets ready to gently take Heizou’s hand to show him around, sneaking an arm towards him. However, Heizou is quicker, grabbing his arm and pulling Kazuha insistently to a corner.
“H-Heizou?” Kazuha yelps in surprise, suddenly crowded into a wall as his beloved puts a finger to his mouth and goes ‘shh!’.
“I almost forgot,” Heizou says, quietly. Kazuha prepares himself, not unfamiliar with the devilishly mischievous glimmer in his lover’s eyes. One that always said, we’re in for it now. “I have something I’d personally like to see while we’re here.”
“Was that worth the, erm…secrecy…?” Kazuha asks, voice low. He fears as though Heizou may be speaking of a serious investigation. He relaxes in Heizou’s hold when the detective shakes his head and then laughs lightheartedly.
“I just wanted to make sure…” He peers around and must be satisfied because he sighs. “...I wanted to make sure that nobody overheard, okay?”
Heizou lets go of Kazuha, who blinked owlishly. The ronin folds his arms, glancing around with a frown. “And what you didn’t want them to hear is…?”
“Have you ever heard of the Darknight Hero?” There it is again, that oh so terrifying mischief. Like a cyclone about to storm through the calm. It is simply dripping through the tone of his voice, excited and intrigue clear. It was typical of Heizou to only bother if it were something that truly interested him.
He seems even more thrilled when Kazuha nods. “I have. But apart from that name and the fact that he acts at night…I’m afraid that I don’t know a lot about him.”
“That's fine. Because that’s what I’m looking for.” Heizou grins and it widens. “I’ve heard looots of stories about him over the years. Due to the Vision Hunt Decree and the limitations of my job, I haven’t been able to travel here. But now that we have…I want to see his true identity.”
Kazuha’s cheeks warm at the mention of we. Yes, we…I can share this experience with you fully. We are wandering together. We will…
We will…uncover the identity of the Darknight Hero together?
Kazuha can’t help but bring a hand to his mouth, hiding an amused smile behind it. “Alright, I understand. I wasn’t expecting you to be interested in such tales, though. Nor did I think you’d be interested in inviting work into your wandering experience. But so be it, I truly love to see the great detective’s mind at work.”
Just like that, Kazuha has agreed to go along with it. It was quite simple, really. He wants nothing more than to go where the journey takes him, for the moment. It all has its meaning, he thinks. All of this journey will serve to have greater importance.
But this also means resigning himself to the storm himself.
“Excellent. Heh, as expected…I knew that my number one partner would never let me down!” Heizou exclaims, with a snap of his fingers. “As for the plan…”
“It should wait. After all, you wouldn’t want to expose your secrets to the open,” Kazuha says, stepping forward and cupping Heizou’s cheek gently. He runs a thumb over a mole, tucks his hair behind his ear, fondness so revealing in every touch. “For now, would it be alright for me to show you around?”
Heizou pauses, Kazuha able to feel the warmth of his cheek – and could see the redness too. The detective seems to realize that he’s getting ahead of himself and nods, almost shyly then. Cute, Kazuha thinks. That such a man that others would say is dangerous behaves so sweetly for me. It’s enough for him to lean forward for a chaste kiss.
“Allow me to lead the way, then.”
–
It was a wonderful day, Kazuha thinks. He’d gotten to show Heizou most of the sights of the city and had gotten to introduce him to a few friends that he’d made in Mondstadt. He’d told Heizou about Windblume, an event that Kazuha has always wished to attend, and Heizou had promised to drop everything to come to the next one with him.
Heizou had seemed to take everything in with great interest, which was of relief to Kazuha. This whole journey was akin to sharing his heart at its most vulnerable to Heizou, after all. It was terrifying to think about first, in a way, despite his own excitement. But the detective had made it so simple – so easy to share himself like this. And now, ready to rest, Kazuha leads him into a place he’s been several times now: the Angel’s Share.
“This is…?” Heizou blinks, looking around. “A tavern? Kazuha, no, we can’t drink tonight!”
Kazuha hums. “Why so…?”
His dear detective looks him in the eye and taps his pointer finger to his own forehead. “Alcohol dulls the senses. It’s a form of weakness that I cannot afford at the moment.”
Before Kazuha can respond, a third voice joins the conversation. “Well said.” The two turn towards the person speaking, greeted with a man with long red hair and a passive frown. “Welcome to the Angel’s Share. Let us know if there’s anything we can do for you.”
Kazuha knows this man. It’s Diluc Ragnvindr, the owner of this establishment. He’d hardly spoken to him but knows that this man regards him as a troublemaker to a quite similar degree to another poet, a bard gifted by the wind. Kazuha and Venti had on occasion performed some drunken music in the tavern, much to his annoyance. It’s clear in the way that he looks at Kazuha briefly, as if to say, ‘not again’, before nodding his head.
Unfortunately, Heizou catches on quickly. “Kazuha, just how much trouble have you caused here?” To that, Kazuha flushes red, and Diluc sighs rather dryly.
“It’s not so much him as it is the other one, but his encouragement has done wonders to help that bard with his troublemaking.”
Heizou knows ‘the other one’ as Venti from Kazuha’s own stories, so he only laughs. A beautiful sound, even at Kazuha’s expense. He looks away, feeling bashful at this sort of attention. Truly embarrassing.
“That doesn’t surprise me at all,” Heizou responds, failing to stifle another laugh. “Anyways, Kazuha, we really shouldn’t drink…after all, I have a certain plan to discuss with you, remember? We should–”
“If you’d like, we can serve the two of you something that isn’t alcoholic for the night.” Diluc looks towards Heizou. “As the owner, I would see to it that our customers are satisfied. It’s not often we get someone in here that isn’t looking to dive straight into trouble anymore.”
“Great!” Heizou says, nodding. He scans the room, seeming to notice the upper floor that is relatively empty for the moment. “That’ll work then. Shall we head up, Kazuha?”
The ronin can’t help but be a little disappointed. He was really hoping to have some dandelion wine tonight. Doing his best to not let it show; to spare himself the teasing, Kazuha agrees with a hum. “Alright. Sounds good to me.”
Kazuha allows Heizou to lead the way, disappointment fading as his detective seems so thrilled, all the way to the most secluded table that they could find on the top floor. After receiving their drinks, the two take a quiet look around.
“It seems like we will be able to talk about this uninterrupted,” Heizou says with a relieved sigh.
Kazuha’s eyes scan the room one more time. “Yes, indeed.”
“So,” Heizou begins, taking a drink. “The Darknight Hero.”
“The Darknight Hero,” Kazuha repeats, urging him to continue.
“Here’s what I know about him. He primarily does his work at nighttime. He fights for justice, defending the people from evil.”
“But from what I’ve seen, there appears to be a sort of mixed reaction for him,” Kazuha adds.
“Bingo. He does things his own way, apart from the Knights of Favonius. But I also doubt he works entirely alone. My guess is that the Darknight Hero must be wealthy and has secret connections that help him pull the strings.”
“That would make sense…” Kazuha agrees, unable to help himself but to stare as Heizou rambles on. He really likes to see him at work like this. Perhaps if Kazuha had felt differently towards his ambitious nature, he would’ve argued more about not allowing him to chase something so similar to his own line of work while they were supposed to be traveling together. But call him selfish, but Kazuha adores this side of him, more than anything.
“And from my understanding, he seems to be at odds with the Abyss, and not just the common criminal.”
“How do you know that?” Kazuha asks.
“Two things. First, a lot of research and digging into the Steambird articles about him and what the news has discussed about Mondstadt at the time. Secondly, my intuition.”
Of course.
“And why are you so interested in him?”
“My, ronin, is this an interrogation?” Heizou counters, resting his chin in his hand with a lopsided grin. “Is this what it feels like to be on the other end of the questioning?”
“Just curiosity,” Kazuha confirms, with the slightest huff of a laugh.
“Fair enough,” Heizou answers. Then he shrugs his shoulders absentmindedly. “Since it’s you, I guess I can relent. It’s a personal interest, more than anything. I’m sure this guy has had many opportunities to work with the knights, and yet he chooses to follow his own agenda. It’s not just about the truth or the law to him, but it’s his own morals, and to get the job done. I’m tired of all of the formalities that come with my line of work, and he seems to be tired of such a thing as well.”
“That is…?”
“Rather than the waiting game, he wants to act before it’s too late. I admire that about him.”
Kazuha chuckles, and Heizou frowns.
“What’s so funny?”
“It’s just…this intrigue you feel towards him feels almost like childlike wonder to me. Like…you view him as the kind of person you desire to be.”
“Heh, maybe so. More than anything, I just like his approach to fighting sin. Most people just don’t get it. It’s not just the truth or any one individual case. You have to dive right in, and sometimes you have to dip your feet into the darkness. He gets that, and I do too.”
Kazuha’s lips curve into a fond smile, unable to help himself. Not many people know just how silly this detective can be. He’s glad that he gets the honor to witness it for himself. But he also knows that this is now important to him, so Kazuha decides to invest himself fully into the conversation. “Alright, then. So, what exactly will we be doing, detective?”
“We have to be out at night. Rather than seeking out the Darknight Hero himself, we need to look for criminal activity. Or, preferably, Abyssal activity. I’m not sure if they’re still around within the city, as it seems rather unbelievable to begin with, but I just know that if the Abyss is around, he will show up. But if we look for him specifically, I highly doubt we’d ever find him.”
Kazuha understands what he means completely. After all, the Darknight Hero has kept his identity concealed for this entire time rather flawlessly. If there is anyone who has uncovered this secret, they haven’t exposed it. He must know how to keep himself out of sight of others.
“And, during the day,” Heizou continues. “We have to scout around and see if we can find any clues as to what will be happening at night.”
“What about rest?” Kazuha asks, resting his cheek in his palm.
This is where Heizou hesitates. The ronin sighs, knowing his Heizou well enough to know that he tends to overwork himself to exhaustion once he’s focused enough. This is where it’s his job to step in.
“There has to be a point in which we go to sleep, okay? Later in the night into late morning, does that sound good? I know you fear missing something, but it isn’t worth ruining your sleep over.”
“Fine.” Heizou sighs.
And like that, the plan agreed upon is set in motion.
–
It has been days, and neither of them have had much luck at all. Kazuha wonders if the Darknight Hero is even active anymore, and Heizou insists that they continue. It seems that this interest of his runs quite deep. Something about the way that his detective continues to ramble on about how much he admires the Darknight Hero – it’s, admittedly, starting to strike a certain feeling within Kazuha’s heart. Is it…uneasiness? Worry? Frustration? He isn’t so sure.
But there isn’t much time to dwell on it, because now it’s nighttime, and the serious part of their search begins again.
“Kazuha,” Heizou calls, breaking him from his thoughts. That is appreciated, since they were becoming…unpleasant. “I have an idea. I want to try something different this time. Let’s search from the rooftops.”
Kazuha looks up, then back down at Heizou. “You want to search…from the rooftops?”
“Yeah, and um. You know. We could climb, but I know that you…” Heizou trails off, brow furrowed. He’s embarrassed.
“Understood.” Kazuha steps forward, tugging the detective into his arms. He beckons the power of Anemo towards him and it shoots them up, leaving nothing but a trail of maple leaves in its wake. Heizou has the power of Anemo as well but is typically trained towards his punches and his kicks, whilst Kazuha’s will guide him to where he desires.
They land on the roof, Kazuha stumbling forward but keeping Heizou stable as he helps him stay on his feet. He lets go immediately, but not before noticing the beautiful flush of the detective’s cheeks.
“Ahem…thank you.”
“Anytime,” Kazuha says, smiling.
Immediately, the winds warn him of something.
“I sense something. That way.”
Heizou looks somewhat surprised, but nods. “Let's go.”
Kazuha moves instantly, navigating around the rooftops and making sure that Heizou is able to follow. He follows this ominous energy in the air, almost suffocating in its presence. The ronin wonders if it may be the Abyss. The detective seems to be scanning the area, looking around as they move.
“It’s over here somewhere,” Kazuha says, stopping in his tracks. The energy is overbearing. Heizou grabs his shoulder suddenly.
“Ah, you’re right. Right there!” He replies, trying to stay quiet but is somewhat unable to suppress his voice.
Kazuha’s eyes fly over to where Heizou is facing and sees what must be visitors from the Abyss. It is only for a second though, however, before a masked man charges in and strikes with his claymore. He does seem a bit familiar, but before Kazuha is able to get a better look, he’s already destroyed his foe in such a blur and looks straight up at the two of them.
“We’ve got to go!” Heizou hisses, dragging Kazuha with him.
“W-wait, aren’t we supposed to–”
“No! No, I just realized something! Let's just go for now.”
Utterly confused by this reaction, Kazuha lets Heizou drag him swiftly away.
–
“Isn’t the Darknight Hero so, so cool?!” Heizou asks later, sparkles clear in his eyes.
“Very…” Kazuha nods in agreement, though he isn’t sure his heart is in it. He had never realized that this Darknight Hero had taken up so much room in his heart. It may be silly, but Kazuha isn’t sure how to navigate this anymore. “Also, he looked a bit too familiar, did he not?”
It’s time to address the very large, very weighty topic that they both most certainly realized when they’d seen the Darknight Hero earlier.
They both knew exactly who it was.
–
Kazuha and Heizou stumble back into the Angel’s Share once more, though this time at Heizou’s request. The ronin questions why, why now? So that Heizou can march up to Diluc and tell him how amazing he finds him to be? So that Diluc can also suggest that their souls are alike?
He isn’t sure what’s gotten into him. Such thoughts were not like Kazuha at all. He wanted to order himself some dandelion wine as Heizou went to get them a seat. Just one wouldn’t hurt. No, it would, Heizou hasn’t called the investigation closed yet.
He doesn’t.
To his surprise, Heizou doesn’t immediately go and speak up. But Kazuha almost wishes he does, because the feeling of Diluc continuously glancing their way had felt suffocatingly awkward. He takes a drink, once again mourning the loss of wine.
“So…what should we do?” Kazuha asks. “He clearly knows that it was us.”
“Right…I was hoping he wouldn’t.” The detective sighs. “We didn’t get out of there quick enough.”
“Wasn’t the whole idea that you wanted to meet him, though?”
“Yes, but…” Heizou coughs. “It’s all a bit weird, don’t you think? Once I realized that we already knew the guy, I didn’t know how to approach the situation anymore.”
Kazuha fails to stifle a laugh, taking another long drink which causes Heizou to roll his eyes in what seemed to be an affectionate way. “I thought you were supposed to be a natural talker. What happened to your confidence, my dear detective?”
“Hmph. Listen, I don’t know, okay…”
At that Kazuha frowns, suddenly feeling light. Tired.
“That isn’t like you at all. What’s…so different this time?” Kazuha asks, unaware that he pouts. He rests his head on his elbow, down on the table.
Heizou’s eyes narrow. “Man alive, Kazuha…you know better than anyone else…” He does. He does know Heizou better than anyone else. That beneath a confident exterior is someone who overthinks his every move, making himself a pawn in his own game of mischief.
It gives him smug satisfaction to know that he knows Heizou better than anyone else, though it also doesn’t bring Kazuha joy to know that his mind causes him such turmoil.
He hears a heavy sigh from Heizou and a comforting pat to his head. Spoiled, like a cat. Perhaps too much so. “Heh…” Kazuha responds to the attention.
“We both know that you aren’t drunk,” Heizou states plainly, though he doesn’t stop. Kazuha leans back up, and folds his arms, attempting to hide the pink of his cheeks and failing if Heizou’s smirk is of any indicator.
“Alright,” Kazuha says. “So, you haven’t called the investigation off yet. Does that mean there is more for us to accomplish? Despite…the current state of things?”
“This is why you’re my partner,” responds Heizou with a nod, seemingly impressed. Kazuha tilts his head, urging him to continue. “Okay, so…ahem. Here’s the thing. I think he’s really cool. I’ve got to see his fighting style again. Did you see the way he’d taken out his enemies? Remarkable…”
Kazuha is nearly blinded by the sparkles in those eyes, and his heart nearly flips at the sight. I could do that too, Kazuha thinks, entirely unlike himself. He didn’t like the spotlight, nor did he find himself to be something amazing. But what he did like was Heizou’s spotlight, and he could only assume that it was a result of the detective spoiling him so much. Kazuha had grown accustomed to his attention, and with Heizou alone, he was satisfied. But that’s also why he allows Heizou to continue, unable to help himself from admiring the interest and wonder in his expression. It wasn’t often he showed such excitement. Heizou often hid serious thoughts behind a carefree smile, that only the ronin himself was aware of.
So, in a way, this was refreshing to see.
“Understood. So, we’re going out again. What’s the plan this time?”
“Well, I think he will be expecting us,” Heizou says, voice in a whisper. His eyes shifted towards Diluc, who was busy dealing with customers. “...for sure, this time. There’s no point in hiding from him now.”
Kazuha nods, waiting for him to continue.
“I have another plan this time. We attract the enemies to us.”
“What? But I thought that you were convinced that he wouldn’t show himself if we were just, um…right there. I understand that there’s no sense in hiding now, but…”
“Just trust me, Kazuha! I have the perfect plan.”
–
It was an interesting plan, Kazuha thinks. He takes Heizou’s hand in his eyes and they step into the calm, quiet streets of Mondstadt at nighttime. The ronin smiles, taking in the gentleness of the late-night breeze. It wasn’t too chilly tonight. It would be a pleasant evening for…this. With rosy cheeks, he intertwines their fingers. This is very nice.
“I know you’ve been wanting this,” Heizou says, voice soft. “I’m…sorry, that because of me we derailed from this trip the moment we got here.”
“It’s okay,” Kazuha whispers in response, attempting to bite back a smile. “I think you misunderstand. All I’ve wanted is to share a journey with you. This, too, is part of it.”
“But I…” Heizou pauses, uncertain. Kazuha waits patiently, squeezing the detective’s hand that fits so perfectly in his. The contact feels like the intertwining of their souls and minds, and not simply their bodies. The ronin would make the most out of this, while he could. “...Nevermind.”
Kazuha knows. He was able to sense the ronin’s feelings of jealousy earlier. He frowns. “I know, Heizou. I’m alright. I apologize for my unsightly behavior earlier, as well…I, um...the mind is rather peculiar, isn’t it?”
“Unsightly behavior? I’d say you hardly let it show at all,” Heizou laughs, almost as though he couldn’t believe it. “Regardless, I didn’t know that you had it in you, dear ronin.”
Kazuha flusters, coughing and looking away shamefully. He didn’t either. Heizou had truly been encouraging him to be far too selfish, more so than he’s ever been in his life. It makes him feel guilty. “I-I’m…”
“Don’t apologize,” Heizou says, waving his free hand around dramatically. “But just know we can talk about this kind of thing, okay?”
Without saying a word further, Kazuha nods.
“You know, all you have to do is convince me to keep all of my focus on you,” Heizou teases, giving him a wink. He knows it’s in jest, but Kazuha looks at him – so beautiful in the lighting that the nighttime offers. Olive green eyes that glimmer under the lamplight, hair that has loosened since he’d done it way earlier in the morning, a teasing smile that Kazuha just adores to witness. It makes him want to prove his point.
Kazuha halts, and Heizou lets out a sound of surprise as his arm tugs backwards when he tries to step forward. The ronin carefully takes his other hand in his and tugs him out of the light, for privacy’s sake. It’s a shame, to steal him from the light that compliments him so well, but Kazuha’s affections for him cannot possibly be shared with the moon, not now. He leans in, kissing his detective sweetly. Heizou moves willingly, an infectious laugh being covered by Kazuha’s lips. The rumble of his chest is endearing, but Kazuha regrettably can hardly feel it over the pounding of his own heart. Never has it felt so furious; the cyclone having taken it by storm.
Kazuha leans back, and Heizou tears his hands from the ronin’s grip, moving both of them to the back of his head and shoving him back for another kiss. Kazuha is shocked for a moment, but only for a moment, recovering and resting his hands on the detective’s hips. “Always so unpredictable,” he teases against his lips, believing that it’s his turn.
“Haha, like…like I’d ever let you know my next move,” Heizou grins. Kazuha smiles too, amused. He kisses him again, and then again to get his attention. Another, just to make sure that mind of Heizou’s doesn’t derail elsewhere. Not when they were having a moment that is beyond poetry, beyond any words. When Kazuha ceases his kisses, he finds that he just wants to hold Heizou close. And so, he does. The ronin allows himself to fall into Heizou’s arms and they stand there, in each other’s embrace.
“Does that–”
They are cut off by the sound of a fiery strike in the distance, and Heizou gasps.
“We’re missing it, aren’t we?”
Kazuha blinks, trying to recollect himself from the moment of fondness that they’d just shared. Oh. He senses it again. “This way.”
The two make haste towards the direction of Abyssal activity, and where they’d heard the Darknight Hero strike. But when they stepped into the area where a battle had clearly taken place, they were clearly far too late.
They stood there, alarmed in their mildly disheveled appearances. They were…really, really too late.
Kazuha, hair loosened out of its ponytail from Heizou’s hands in it minutes prior, and scarf lopsided from their kisses, knows that it was his fault.
–
Afterwards, Kazuha had been incredibly apologetic. He is well aware that Heizou does not fail. And while this wasn’t an official case or anything, to the detective this may as well have been a tragic failure. They tried several more times, but the ronin could not control the romantic in him enough to make the plan work. To play the role of a helpless couple, but not actually get to sweep Heizou away – Kazuha simply could not bear it. There was once that they were so close, but Kazuha himself had dealt with the Abyssal foes that would get too close.
It was now that they’d merely decided to just give it up and go to Diluc.
This time, Kazuha is allowed his dandelion wine, and so he orders it. He sits in the usual spot and welcomes the comfort that every sip of his drink gives him. It doesn’t take long at all for him to feel warm, sluggish, resting his cheek in his palm sleepily. After waiting for quite a while for Heizou to talk to Diluc, he sees the top of Heizou’s head as he comes up the stairs. The ronin smiles. “Hehe…”
He feels it when Heizou sits next to him, touches his arm. The touch feels hot to Kazuha now, who hums. “Are you alright Kazuha?”
“Mhm…”
“Ohhh, so you’re drunk already. Got it.” Heizou moves his hand away from Kazuha’s arm, who mourns the touch immediately. He closes his eyes, feeling all too tired but also all too restless, leaning to the side to seek Heizou. He clings to his arm, giggling softly into his shoulder.
“There you are…” Kazuha says, clinging tightly. “Don’t go again…actually…actually, let’s go on an adventure.”
He feels Heizou sigh, and pouts. He wants to look at him, but he also prefers this right now. “Later, Kazuha. And I’m not going anywhere.” His voice sounds so fond, so sweet. Kazuha wants to compose a poem.
“In this evening light…my heart…um, I forgot what I wanted to say next,” Kazuha giggles again, and yawns.
“Hey! Don’t drool on me, Kazuha. Man alive.”
“Ah, sorry.” Was he? He doesn’t know anymore. Kazuha falls asleep to the top of his head being pet once again. Just like the other day he’s so, so spoiled. Just like a cat, undeniably.
…
“Are you sure he’s going to be okay?”
“Yeah, he gets like this every time. Just needs some good rest and some water…oh, and I always take care of him! So don’t worry.”
“I wouldn’t really say that I’m worried…”
Kazuha stirs sometime later, hearing the voice of Heizou and…someone else?
“Well, anyways, remember what we discussed. Do not disclose my identity to anyone.”
“Understood. Thank you for answering all of my questions though. I now understand how you work much better now. I’ve always admired your approach.”
“I just do what needs to be done, without hesitation.”
“That’s exactly the point.”
Kazuha realizes that the other voice is Diluc’s. Oh…so the cold surface under his cheek must be a table at the tavern. He opens one eye, still sleepy. “Mm…”
“Oh, Kazuha…you’re awake,” Heizou greets him, still next to him.
“Good morning, dearest,” Kazuha answers. Diluc clicks his tongue.
“It is not morning. Alright. You really ought to get him to your inn.”
“We don’t…”
“Yeah, we do. I got one for us earlier. Let’s go,” Heizou says, doing his best to help Kazuha get up, who is simply being stubborn at this point.
“Thank you, sir. Bye!” Heizou says, and Kazuha feels the need to repeat the words too, for some reason.
“Thank you,” he mutters.
Heizou leads Kazuha into a small inn and they both get ready for bed. Kazuha feels loved and cherished the whole time, astonished to be taken care of with such attentive care. He wasn’t used to not sleeping in nature anymore, or Heizou’s home, but he realizes that he doesn’t mind as long as he can huddle as close to the detective’s body warmth as possible, which he allows. He succumbs to sleep once more.
–
When Kazuha opens his eyes again, it is with much more clarity that he is greeted with Heizou’s face in the morning sunlight. He smiles, heart so full of an aching fondness. His eyes are closed, breathing slow and calm, as if asleep.
“Good morning, my love,” he murmurs quietly.
“Don’t you mean evening?” Heizou teases, prying an eye open. So, he wasn’t still asleep after all. Of course. Always full of surprises. Always good at playing a role. “You did say good morning not too long ago. Sure you aren’t getting your times mixed up?”
“Um…”
“Just kidding. Good morning, dear,” he says, leaning forward for a chaste kiss, which is happily reciprocated. Kazuha chases his lips for more, but Heizou stops him with his hands. “Waaait hold on, Kazuha…”
Kazuha ceases his attempts, listening to Heizou. “Oh, wait…how did things go with the Darknight Hero, or…rather, Diluc?” The man smiles at him.
“Fine. He did say it was kind of annoying that we were so persistent, but I talked about my views on crime, and I think we came to a mutual understanding. You know, he’s a really nice guy! His words just come off pretty stern.”
“I can see that…” Kazuha nods, staring at him. “And…?”
“All he asks of us is to keep his identity a secret. And I promised we wouldn’t tell a soul.”
“That’s good…I’m glad. It’s a relief to know that he isn’t too upset with us.”
“Mhm…” Heizou says, agreeing. “Well, anyways, now our schedule is totally free. Now you can actually show me the sights of Mondstadt, like I know you wanted.”
Kazuha’s heart sings, much like the birds chattering outside the window. Under the covers, he grabs Heizou’s hands in his and leans close to him. “I hope you’re not still thinking that I wanted no part in these previous few weeks here. Heizou, it was just as precious to me as any other days. All that matters to me is that we share our worlds together.”
“I…I know that! You don’t have to…”
Kazuha kisses him this time.
“But I am still very excited. Let us set off, immediately.”
He’s already far too excited for their next chapter. He cannot wait for a second longer.