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“You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?” Ajax winces at how the bird breathes heavily. “Here, here, Cressida, let’s get that off of you.” He removes the snug leather harness, holding a rolled letter, from the bird’s back. Placing the letter to the side, for now, he sits down at his desk. At his clucking, the falcon hops in front of him, wobbling a bit.
Ajax zeroes in on the affected leg. The feathers are singed, and the skin is raw. He sighs. After he motions for the bird to spread its wings, she obliges. The underside of her wings are covered in soot, and a few secondary feathers are missing from each side. Luckily, the wings themselves seem to have little damage. Leaning over the bird, his heart sinks as he sees many of the tail feathers have been either fully lost, or burnt to the sheath.
He lifts a crooked finger in offering, and the bird rubs her cheek against it. Poor thing, he thinks.
The bird’s head follows him as he putters around his office, looking for the treats buried deep in a drawer. By the time she’s finished her third piece of fish jerky, Ajax has returned to his seat.
He huffs at the blank sheet of paper in front of him. Surely, that makes it more suspicious? He mentally thanks the Traveler once again for showing him how to use elemental sight. They had little need for any fancy code when only their associates knew the trick—imbuing invisible ink with elemental traces.
Ajax,
I hope you’ve been well. There have been no major crises happening in the past few weeks, thank Barbatos for that. Only the same dull business as always, but I won’t complain. If you were in my place, I’m sure you’d be itching for something to do by now.
I’ve missed you.
I’ve thought much about the passage of time (a very serious topic, I know). We’ve agreed to keep our relationship a secret, but I find myself thinking of you often. When I picture myself celebrating the endless festivals and holidays, you’re there beside me. I wish we could have a simple, relaxed time together without having to explain ourselves to everyone around.
You are free to say no, but I will offer this anyway. In a few weeks, Mondstadt will be celebrating the Windblume festival. Unfortunately, I will be mostly occupied—Charles has been given the whole festival off to spend with his wife and child. I will be filling in for him as a bartender for the duration of the festival. I will be free sparingly, but I’m willing to spend all of my extra time with you. When not in my company, you could enjoy yourself at the rest of the festival. As a foreign dignitary, you shouldn’t have any problems, so long as you stay on your best behavior.
If you find the festivities to your liking, perhaps next year, we could spend the festival together properly.
Love,
Diluc
Ajax brings the paper to his lips and presses a kiss over the man’s signature. He breathes in, and he smiles at the faint smoky, woody scent that had become Diluc’s secondary signature on these “blank” letters. He leans back in his chair.
Hmm, Windblume, he thinks. No overlap with any Snezhnayan holidays, and I’m not scheduled for anything that week. Or month. Heh, he laughs internally. I wonder how long I could stay before he gets mad at me.
It was an incredibly easy choice to make, so Ajax pens a simple response. Then, he thinks.
“You’re certainly not fit to fly.” He stares at Cressida, who has plopped herself down neatly at the corner of his desk. “Guess I’ll just have to deliver you myself.”
The bird lets out a little chirp. He gasps.
“You’re right, he’s gonna freak out if he doesn’t see you!” He whips out a fresh sheet of paper. “Hopefully he doesn’t get himself too worked up before he reads this…”
————
To send messages long-distance, one had to balance speed and endurance. For farther, less-important letters, Diluc used a pigeon from his regular flock. Not to say he didn’t care for the birds, quite the opposite, but sending them out into the unknown was less nerve-wracking. For more important letters requiring a more expedient response, Diluc opted to send his personal falcon. It was rare that she was used, and it was the first time he had used her for this recipient.
In the distant past, seeing one of the Fatui’s carrier ravens would have filled Diluc with fear. Typically, if his partner took the initiative, his letter would be delivered by an unmarked bird. They didn’t really need to be marked for those around them to know their origins, given how eye-catching the ravens are. Diluc often used these same birds to send a return message. He used to feel shame, rather than fear, at this. At this point he was no longer concerned about the frequent stream of ravens to and from the winery—if anyone noticed their origins, they simply ignored it.
He did feel fear now, though.
“Where is she?”
The bird caws, hopping onto one foot and pushing out the other, seemingly handing over the scroll attached to its leg.
Beloved,
Calm down.
“Oh, shut up,” Diluc says, automatically.
Calm down, your bird is fine.
Diluc keeps his mouth shut.
Cressida was injured—not gravely, but enough to make travel difficult. I’ve taken it upon myself to nurse her back to health. As is my solemn duty to my stepdaughter.
He ignores how his heart flutters at that.
I’ll be sure to deliver her personally. I’m taking you up on your offer to celebrate Windblume with you. Hopefully you won’t get tired of me.
See you soon, my love.
The letter is signed with a messy lipstick mark, and…a set of scribbles. Vague annoyance, then fondness, dawns on him when he sees a small rip in the paper and realizes that Ajax gave the bird the pen.
He absentmindedly traces the shape of the kiss with his finger. Well, Ajax would be here in just a few weeks time. He would have to arrange somewhere for him to stay. If he’s officially acting as a foreign dignitary, he would have to speak with Jean about reserving him a room in Goth Grand Hotel. The easiest option, of course, was to house him at the winery, but this would betray the true nature of their relationship.
This was the first time, in the course of their relationship, that Ajax would be spending more than a few nights in Mondstadt, let alone being out and about in the city proper. He itches his wrist. Perhaps he needed some advice.
————
Ajax let out an audible sigh. He always preferred travelling alone, for the sheer fact that he could push himself to move faster than anyone else. For times he really needed to get someplace quickly, he’d use the little trick the Traveler had taught him. Who knew those ancient monuments in cities could transport those with a vision—and only those—across the map in a blink!
Alas, Cressida the bird was not smiled upon by the gods.
Having started in Snezhnaya, his options were horse or boat, and he always chose boat. The sea always granted him a surge of energy. No matter where in Teyvat he was, when he became homesick, all he needed was a large enough coastline. Even a pond would do in a pinch.
Luckily, the boat ride was marginally shorter than the land route. It only took a day of sailing to get to the outskirts of the Nation of the Winds, and a half day more to the city of Mondstadt. Ajax relished the feeling of the sea spray in his hair for as long as he could.
Cressida did not feel the same way. She hated when her feathers got wet, and spent most of the trip grooming herself and wrinkling her proverbial nose at the taste of salt.
—
Ajax wiped the sweat from his brow. No matter how many times he traveled, he never quite got used to the changes in temperature between the two nations. The admittedly short trek through the countryside to the winery was enough to drench him in all the worst places. Though the sun shone down on him, the chill breeze of early spring gave him some respite.
When the winery came into view, Cressida flapped her wings excitedly. This was enough to lift her off her perch on his shoulder, but forceful enough to tug on the leather strap connecting the two.
“Heh, I’ll bet you’re excited. I’m excited too! It’s been so long since I’ve seen your dad..” Ajax trailed off and leaned his head against the bird. She leaned away as much as she was able to.
One of the workers—he felt a twinge of guilt at not memorizing their names yet—saw him and waved. She turned and headed to the mansion.
Ajax was slightly bummed out. “I wanted to surprise him…”
Shaking his head to clear the thought, he unfastened the leash holding Cressida to him. When they had rounded the top of the stairs, the front door of the winery burst open.
A flutter of wings, and a splutter of surprise.
“Ohh, my baby.” An uncharacteristic whisper, and Ajax felt his heart melt.
Diluc had caught the bird as she barreled towards his chest, and she was now rubbing her little head into his chin. He held an arm forward for her to grasp, and pet a wing softly with his other hand.
The smile on his face grew not in size but in warmth when he finally laid eyes on Ajax. Diluc and Cressida shared a quick nod before the bird was tossed into the air, making her own way toward the aviary.
Arms now free, Diluc took advantage of this to nearly crush Ajax down to his chest. He dropped his belongings, feeling his multiple bags fall open at his feet.
Ajax craned his neck up at his lover, held down at an awkward angle as he was. Their height difference wasn’t extreme, but it was still noticeable in times like this.
“Hi.”
“Mmm.” Diluc somehow squeezed him tighter.
“You’re crushing me.”
“I am, aren’t I?” Diluc gave it a few more seconds before releasing the man.
Sucking in an exaggerated breath, Ajax peppered his face with kisses.
Pinning down his wandering hands, Diluc coughed. “Let’s wait until we get inside for that.”
“You’re right. Plenty more of that to come this month.”
“...Ajax, the festival lasts for a week.”
“I know!” He smiled as he stooped to pick up his bags.
Diluc looked on, stone-faced. “Fine. I’ll have to let Adelinde know you’ll be staying for longer.”
“Wait, wait, really? I was expecting you to huff and push me and warn me about overstaying my welcome.”
“So, you wanted to see how much you could annoy me?”
“...yes.”
“I see.” Though he schooled his voice, Ajax saw the hint of a smile on his lips.
A comfortable silence descended as they made their way up the stairs.
————
After getting settled in for the night, when Ajax had laid his head on the other’s chest, they finally spoke about their plans for the rest of the week. The festival proper started tomorrow, Monday, and lasted all the way until Saturday night.
“I’m glad you decided to come after all, but now I’m worried you’ll end up being disappointed,” Diluc said.
“How so?”
“Well, you won’t be seeing too much of me. I’ll be manning the bar for the whole week. All the other workers get off, and this year I let Charles off for the week—his wife recently had their second child. Unfortunately, there’s no one else that can handle it for the whole week. Addie volunteered, but I know she’d end up killing someone by the end of it.”
“Sounds rough. What are the hours?”
“It comes in waves, it’s pretty nicely spread out. I kick the last ones out at three in the morning, and I’m done cleaning closer to four.”
Ajax winced in sympathy. He was no stranger to a late night, and sometimes even preferred them, but pulling basically an all-nighter for a week straight was no small feat.
“In total, it’ll be—” Diluc briefly counted on his fingers, “—ah , that is quite a long time. We open at noon.”
Ajax blinked. “You work for how long?”
“Heh.”
“Nuh-uh, I’m not gonna have you working fifteen hours every day. You’re working the entire week? Why can’t you have time off to celebrate?”
“I’ve actually been thinking about it quite a bit. The festival is really focused on romance, and this is the first time I’ve ever…” Diluc blushed, “had someone to celebrate it with.”
Ajax felt his heart squeeze at the words, so he mirrored it by crushing Diluc to his chest.
Diluc pulled back and touched their foreheads together. “But it’s not like I can keep you on a stool in front of me the whole week.” At his deep pout, Diluc continued, “Stop that. You know it’ll look suspicious to have a Harbinger sitting at the bar nonstop.”
“I brought casual clothes, don’t worry.”
“That’s not what I mean. You’re recognizable. Not to mention, I’m sure the Fatui stationed in the city will flock around you if they see you.”
After sitting in silence for a few moments, Ajax asked, “and you’re sure there’s no day that you can leave early?”
“We’ll see,” Diluc said, in that specific tone that meant they would not, in fact, see.
Ajax huffed. He pressed his head into the other’s chest. He’d just take advantage of all the time they did have. And the time after. Heh.
——————
The week passes, both painfully slow and frighteningly fast. Slow when Ajax is sitting around kicking his feet, because he’d already hit all the food stalls that day and wasn’t quite looking forward to repeating his meals, and all too fast when he saw his subordinates milling through the crowd, laughing amongst their small groups.
Though the Fatui hadn’t been heavily involved in Mondstadt in years, the organization maintained a small number of officials. Something about international unity, Ajax wasn’t exactly sure. Those officers that had remained in the city had chosen to stay, for the most part, so they had slotted themselves into the surrounding people with practiced ease. Whatever overt tension that had grown since The Fair Lady assaulted a man off the street had long since simmered down. Only the most conservative among the Mondstadters blinked at the Fatui logo.
An interesting development , Ajax thought. Is there really any need to hide anymore?
Time moved fastest when Ajax woke in the morning, realizing another day had passed and he’d spent barely an hour with his lover over the past twenty-four. Diluc slid into bed at four o’clock sharp every evening-morning. Of course, the bed varied by day. Every other night, Diluc chose to stay in the small room adjoining the tavern, saving himself the trek home. The two nights he did drag himself back to his own bed, he was held very snugly.
Keeping his earlier promise, Ajax didn’t spend much time at the bar over the week. He entered, enjoyed a modest drink, made eyes at the dashing bartender for twenty minutes, and left. He’d signed up for a poetry writing class he’d seen advertised, and spent a good two days thinking of a good enough poem.
Granted, writing was never his strong suit, but he still had the thirst for victory that pushed him to try. He wouldn’t tell Diluc how much paper he had wasted scratching out his ideas.
“A, B, A, B. How does it go… C, C, D, D.” Ajax mumbled. “E… F!”
A few blocks away, a bard smiles brightly. Ah , young love, Venti thought.
——————
It happens right at the start of the post-dinner rush.
Ajax liked to arrive a bit early, to beat the crowd and actually get his drink. But he figured that Diluc felt more comfortable with him in a crowded bar—easier to blend in in a larger crowd! Or, the little Diluc on his shoulder whispered, just more people there to notice you. Ajax sighed dreamily. Even in the abstract, Diluc was ever the contrarian.
Ajax looked up at the sound of a loud crash.
Those seated at the bar had stood up immediately, and shouting began.
Diluc had been preparing a rather large round of drinks, and had gathered all thirteen mugs in his arms. The second he leaned up from the counter and stood to his full height, he collapsed. No one could tell if he had hit his head, and there were gallons of alcohol on both him and the floor, but only one or two glasses had broken. Small victories.
It took only a few moments for Diluc to wake up, but much longer for him to come back to his senses.
Ajax, posing as a kind samaritan, allowed a stranger to help him haul Diluc up and place him in the most comfortable chair in the establishment—unfortunately, none were truly up to Ajax’s standards for the other. He would have to make do by holding up Diluc’s head so it didn’t flop forward or fall backwards.
Diluc looked at him out of the corner of his eye. He urged Ajax to come forward so he could rest his head on the other’s shoulder. Eh, sure. Diluc would have to wait until he was back to normal to feel embarrassed for being so obvious.
“I have some clothes in the spare room…” Diluc said. “They’re dirty, but at least they’re dry.” He spoke slowly, measured.
“Okay, let’s get you over there.” Ajax stood, and scooped Diluc into what amounted to a princess carry. He meets the eyes of one of his subordinates, who had rushed to get towels from the bar for the pair.
Ajax thought for a moment. “...Dasha, right?” When she nodded, he continued. “I’ll take one of those. Do you mind helping to clean up behind the bar?”
He was already walking away when Dasha gave a halting “Yes, sir..?”
“Thanks. I trust you to take care of the place.”
Then he disappeared into the side room, and Dasha stood. Well, orders are orders… she waved over her friends and fellow Fatui officers—no way she was dealing with this alone.
———
Diluc limped out wearing yesterday’s clothes and an arm slung around his waist. He let out faint protests when Ajax told him the plan.
“Yes, I’m ordering a carriage. I could carry you all the way back to the winery, but then I’d also be tired. Too tired to take care of you.”
Diluc grumbled something suspiciously close to “There’s no need to take care of me.”
Ajax had the sense to wait until they were outside to respond. “Diluc, I love you, of course I’ll be taking care of you. We’ll get you home, I’ll give you a bath, wash your hair… guess I’ll have to brush it, too. Get you dressed in your jammies, read you a bedtime story, tuck you in…” by the end of it, he was all but cooing the words.
“Really, all I need is to sit down for a bit. And I’ll be good to go,” Diluc said, still rather slowly. “If I leave now, what will I do with the bar?”
At this moment, as if she was waiting for the question, Dasha burst through the door. Giving a quick salute, she told them that the bar was as clean as it was this morning. Ajax smiled. Both Dasha and Diluc looked at him, then at each other. Diluc sighed.
“Just… this one time. Prices are on the menu. Don’t burn the place down. Close at midnight. Or ten. I don’t care.” He was once again fighting to keep his eyes open.
“I’m sacrificing my pride, here,” he whispered to Ajax. “I change my mind, you do need to pamper me.”
Dasha couldn’t hear what was said, but the Harbinger’s bright, smiling face turned back to her. He gave a thumbs up as they stepped into the newly-arrived carriage. She maintained the salute until the horses began to move. Taking a deep breath after reentering, she gathered her fellow Fatui in a huddle.
“Harbinger’s orders. We are responsible for this place tonight.” She chose at random. “Ivan, you’re making the drinks. Irina, cleaning duty. Everyone else will be waiters. I’ll handle the money.”
Ivan grinned. He fished out a bottle of firewater from his jacket. How it fit in there was a wonder in itself. “This will go quickly, but I’ve always wanted to show Mondstadters how to party.”
The usual lively but calm atmosphere of Angel’s Share became much rowdier, just for the night.
————
Diluc woke to a slice of bacon held to his nose. He stretched his way up into a sitting position, and the tray of breakfast was placed on his lap.
“How’s my sleeping beauty?”
“Fine.” Diluc took a bite of the bacon first. “Definitely less tired, but it’s still there. I’m sore, too. I think I did hit my head last night.”
Ajax pressed a kiss to his forehead and handed him a glass of water. “So, what’s the plan for today?”
Frankly, Diluc felt he could go right back to sleep. Even in his soft bed, he felt dull pain rolling through his rear just from the pressure of sitting. He couldn’t bear the thought of working another long shift like this. Even a half day would be torture.
Luckily, the last day was the least busy—at least for the taverns. The ceremony to choose the year’s Windblume marked the soft closing of businesses. Most of the pop-up stalls closed then, with only some food stalls remaining open. The last day of the festival was to be spent with family and loved ones, so very few stayed holed up in the bar.
“The tavern will remain closed today,” Diluc decided.
Ajax gave a happy wiggle of his shoulders.
“As long as I’m feeling up to it, we can go out and enjoy the festival.”
“You’re not worried about people seeing us together and getting the wrong—er, right idea?”
“I think we caused enough of a scene last night that that’s no longer a concern.” Diluc sighed. If it was up to him, they’d have kept their relationship under wraps for a bit longer, mainly because he had yet to tell his friends outside the winery about it. He’s sure to get an earful from two certain someones later. Maybe even today.
“I’m just happy we can spend the day together at all. We’ll have to go back to my favorite stalls.. It’ll be nice to play a fair game for once!” Ajax gently grabbed his forearm and placed a kiss on his wrist. “You didn’t injure your hands when you fell, right?”
“No, they’re fine.”
“Mm, good.” Ajax suddenly looked up. “After the Windblume ceremony thingie, I can read you my poem!”
“Your… poem?”
“Yep! I took a little class on it! You’re supposed to offer a poem to your lover if it’s a special occasion. This certainly counts as one. My teacher also wanted to see it when I was done.”
Diluc’s eye twitched. “I would prefer to not make another scene.” Before Ajax could hit him with the exaggerated frown he knew was coming, he added, “How about you read it to me now, while I eat?”
At this, Ajax’s face burst into a smile. He all but ran to the side table to grab the sheet of paper containing the shakily calligraphied poem. He came back to the bed, and sat cross-legged next to Diluc.
“Technically, a traditional Snezhnayan poem is supposed to be multiple stanzas long, but this took me three days to write, so it’s all you get.”
Diluc nodded, then closed his eyes as he took his first bite.
“Many a year, I travel far
Each nation an island
Not one I find subpar
Each culture I find enlightened
A festival not my own
The point of it though, is known
The meaning is love
As shown through a bud
One claims it a rose
Another cries “lamp grass!”
The group came to impasse
But each knows what they chose
This I know to be true
This year my Windblume is you.”
At the extended silence, Ajax looked up. Diluc had kept his eyes closed, and was trying to keep himself from laughing.
“Are you laughing at me? At my heartfelt love letter to you?” Ajax asked in mock anger.
“It’s just, really, really cute.” Diluc was holding a hand over his eyes, unable to stop smiling. “You had no way of knowing, but that last line is a bit of a stereotype. It’s something that teenagers who think themselves very dramatic would write to their first love.”
“Is that… bad?”
“No, like I said, it’s very cute.” Diluc brought up a hand to cup his cheek. “It’s more like, the first time you say ‘I love you’ in a relationship. Usually, it’s a good indicator of the future. Many of the older couples have a story like this.”
Ajax laughs. “That will be us, one day.”
“I hope so.”
Neither had to say more. They both silently agreed to make the most of all the time they were given, both now, and whatever they received in the future.