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The crystals of the cavern system glowed faintly around the two men as they walked through side by side, their hands occasionally brushing against one another, each waiting for the other to be the one brave enough to actually take his hand. It'd been a usual night with them planning to meet at the tavern, but after arriving and finding it too busy for both of their likings, they'd decided to simply wander around until they found something interesting, which is what had led them to here and now, wandering a crystal lined cavern system.
Dainsleif looked over at the brunette man beside him, giving his own smile when he saw Rerir's own. “I never knew these were here..” He said quietly, as if any sound more than a whisper would send the cavern tumbling down and the dream collapsing.
Rerir was about to tell the truth that he hadn't known of them either, but really, when faced with Dainsleif’s wide eyed awe and excitement, what could he do other than tease the man? “Our illustrious Twilight Sword, not knowing something about his nation?” He teased, a larger smile than before playing on his lips. “I'm scandalized.”
“Hey!” The blonde huffed even as he bit back a laugh of his own. “Just because I'm dedicated to my work doesn't mean I know everything the kingdom has to offer!” He stopped at the raised eyebrow he got from Rerir, tacking on quickly at the end “... Just most things..”
He watched Rerir laugh, eyes tracking the way his head tilted back and his eyes crinkled as they always did when the man found something particularly amusing.
“I'll make sure not to invite you to any trivia nights about the kingdom then.” Rerir couldn't just drop the chance to keep teasing him now. No, now he had to commit, and maybe he'd get to see the way Dain's ears burned red when embarrassed for his effort. “Everyone will think I'm cheating when in reality you only know “most things.” He sighed heavily, resting a hand over his heart.
The blonde huffed once more in indignation, and sure enough his ears were burning red. “You're insufferable, you know that right?” He muttered, swiping at the man lightly enough he could easily step out of the way or stop his hand.
“Insufferable, and yet you willingly choose to spend your time with me.” Rerir cooed at him, letting out another laugh as he caught the blondes wrist.
It wouldn't be until centuries later that he truly understood just how much nights like those meant to him. Nights when it was just Rerir and him free from the trappings of their respective duties for a few precious hours. Time when they got to share bickering words like the young men they were, tinged with the ache of soft looks and even softer brushes of touch. A chasm neither of them could ever quite work up the courage to cross back in those days. He wished he had, had told Rerir how he felt back then, or kissed him, or something, anything that might have stopped this ache in his chest like his heart was being torn out as he stood in the Nod-Krai wilderness.
“-sleif! Teyvat to Dainsleif!” The fairy's high voice cut through the shroud around him. He blinked, then shook his head slightly. Before him stood the blonde traveler, Aether, and his fairy companion, both looking far too worried about him for his liking.
“... Are you alright, Dainsleif?” The traveler asked quietly when he saw the older man was back with them in the present, and not wherever he'd wandered off to in his memories. “.. You looked like you saw a ghost.”
“I-..” He bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from saying anything more, anything incriminating or that would require an explanation he didn't want to give right now. Not when red eyes and white hair haunted his dreams. Not when he'd seen him in the distance, watching. Waiting. Like a phantom from a past once could never outrun. “I'm fine, Traveler.” He lied, biting back the bile that rose as the memory of a teasing voice echoed in his head, simultaneously reminding him that it was really not nice to lie and scoffing that if it had been him, he'd have known Dain was lying.
He pressed his eyes shut momentarily after the pair had turned away from to continue their walk, satisfied by his answer. He felt sick. He wanted both to run far away from Nod-Krai, to leave its ghosts for the people of this land to deal with and to run towards Rerir, mad as the man was now and cling to him until his nails bled, to keep the last part of the past he wanted to remember safe and with him. He hated this feeling, this bitter conflicted feeling of knowing soon Aether would ask his help in dealing with the Sinner of it all and wanting to just keep Rerir, his Rerir, safe, even if he was corrupted by the abyss.