Chapter Text
Sweat dripped down his body, the glare of the headlights and the heat of a thousand eyes on him made him shiver. Grinning, Wriothesley swept his gaze over the crowd. Fans dressed in glamorous outfits, holding signs and singing along to the lyrics. Meropide was one of the most famous bands Teyvat currently had, breaking their own records with every album newly released. Here in Fontaine, their home town and stronghold of their renown, the venue was filled to the brim. Tickets had sold out in minutes and the energy of the audience was infectious.
Wriothesley noticed a couple of familiar faces. Furina was here, front and center of course, and she probably had a backstage pass as well. The famous internet personality seemed arrogant and spoiled at first but she was the first to give their little band a chance. Appearing on her podcast „Tea Party“ greatly contributed to their success.
He could hear Clorinde announcing the next song and his fingers immediately went into position, no input from his brain required. Wriothesley knew these songs by heart, had contributed to writing them and played them until his fingers threatened to bleed. It was the only reason he could keep playing when he saw him.
There, in the middle of the venue stood a man. Wriothesley couldn’t tell what initially drew his eyes to him. He blended in with the crowd, not wearing anything flashy and not screaming for his attention like almost everyone around him. He wasn’t even looking at him. The man had his eyes closed, swaying to the sound, his long, white hair flowing with every move, elegant features completely relaxed. The one word running through Wriothesleys mind was „beautiful“.
He must be around his own age, early 30s or perhaps even a bit younger, but something about him made him seem a lot older, a lot sadder than he should be. The stories he must be able to tell, the memories he could share. What would his voice sound like? Wriothesley found himself longing to hear it. His thoughts continued to spiral, imagining vivid scenarios starring this man he had never met. Yet it felt like he should know him, like he already did. Like there was a tiny speck of a memory, far away, covered by an ocean of feelings.
Wriothesley forcefully tore his gaze away, realising he couldn’t spent his time only looking at one person when he had a fully booked concert venue to entertain. Slipping back into the part of his personality reserved for the stage, Wriothesley continued his performance. This part of the song was right before the guitar solo, the moment where all the attention was on him, his opportunity to show off, to impress.
He found himself looking at the man again, for approval this time. A quick pang of disappointment rushed through his heart when the man still wouldn’t look at him. One of the few things in life Wriothesley was absolutely sure of was his ability to make music, but if this beautiful man didn’t like it then he would smash his guitar and never play again. He would lock himself in a cottage somewhere deep within the Erinnyes Forest and never step foot into the public eye again.
The thoughts of ending his career early were thankfully entirely unfounded. To Wriothesleys great relief he noticed that, while the mans face had been relaxed but blank for the entirety of the concert, now that it was only him playing, he was smiling. Soft, delicate and without a doubt rare. Wriothesleys retirement was averted for now.
He made it through the next song, another and another after that without anyone noticing that his mind was completely preoccupied. Wriothesley kept glancing over to the beautiful man and when he wasn’t looking at him, his mind was filled with him anyways. He didn’t even notice the passage of time and only became aware again when Navia began playing the beat of the last song on their set list.
Startled out of his thoughts, Wriothesley looked over the crowd again. This song was slower than their usual style, causing their fans to quiet down and share an emotional moment with each other. A few people were crying and he knew that if he turned around right now, Navia would have tears in her eyes as well. The song was dedicated to her farther but many people related to it, thinking of their own loved ones. This really got to Navia, being the compassionate woman she was. Wriothesley couldn’t help himself and looked to the man once more, discovering that this time his eyes were open.
Staring directly at him.
A shudder ran down Wriothesleys back. The man had pale, serious eyes that seemed to see directly into his soul. The skilfully applied eyeliner around them gave them even more depth, like glancing into an ancient sea. For the first time in years of preforming on the grandest stages of the world, Wriothesley hit the wrong chord, the same moment he knew his heart was lost.