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Durin's fingers trembled nervously as he tried to stay still, his own fingers intertwining in a chaotic dance of impatience. He felt his fingers hot, slowly burning, throbbing like the strings of Lord Barbatos's lyre.
He couldn't stop; it was a strange sensation, a gaping hole in his stomach that grew larger and larger and…
A gentle hand on his shoulder stopped him, bringing him back to reality as he lifted his head, realizing he had been staring into space moments before.
"It's alright, Durin," Aether smiled calmly as she crouched down, sitting right beside him on the ground where the dragon sat. "Everything will be alright, don't worry."
"Yes…" The boy nodded gently, shifting his gaze from the traveler to the man before him. The indigo-haired boy still had his eyes closed, his face peaceful and expressionless, as was his body. It wasn't moving, it was just there, floating, untouched, like a hibernating snow fox—but... will it be alright? What if... something goes wrong?
The traveler smiled understandingly, recognizing the poor boy's emotions. Durin was still a soul learning to live, to feel, and to express himself. He was a child who thrilled to every new flower he discovered, to every new friend he made despite his shyness, who listened intently to the countless stories of Mr. Varka and his brother Albedo as if they were the brightest stars in all of Teyvat. He had a beating heart that felt intensely, but he didn't yet know how to process those emotions.
Right now, his poor heart must be feeling a sharp pain in his chest. Simmering, slowly but steadily, and he wouldn't know how to handle those nerves.
His hand rose to the boy's head, gently ruffling his hair in a friendly caress, the same gesture he made to Paimon when he didn't want to worry her.
"Everything will be alright, we'll manage to bring Columbina back and defeat Dottore," Aether's voice sounded confident, as if the future she was describing had already happened. "Then Sandrone will reconnect Hat Guy and be the same tough guy he always was."
Durin nodded, his fearful eyes still fixed on the puppet. His fingers gripped the blond boy's scarf, using it as an anchor for a moment, taking deep breaths to calm his racing heart.
"Albedo says there are always variables in hypotheses."
"Don't you remember what Albedo said? He can bring him back if something bad happens." Aether sat on the ground, right next to the boy. The dragon's tail wrapped nervously around the boy's waist, almost like a comforting embrace. "He's perfectly capable of it. He managed to create you, didn't he?"
"Yes, I know, my brother is amazing, it's just..."
Too many thoughts raced through his mind, constantly scratching the surface with a dark web of insecurities that slowly enveloped his thoughts.
What if it took them a long time to defeat Dottore? What if his core somehow shattered? What if he rebooted?
What if he never woke up?
So many things could go wrong…
“Durin,” Aether’s voice was calm and peaceful, as if instead of comforting a friend, he were whispering a sincere and true truth to the world, “he… he can be many things. Sometimes he’s rude, sometimes he’s sharp, sometimes he’s impatient… but he’s also strong, and I assure you, he’s more resilient than you can imagine.”
There was something in the traveler’s voice that calmed Durin’s pounding heart. It was a hint of something unknown to the young man, as if the braided one spoke with a vast wisdom on his shoulders, as if he were reading a passage from a book he had memorized long ago. There was no doubt, no trace of a white lie to soothe a child’s insecurities; it was…
It was pure truth.
Durin’s eyes shone, taking in Aether’s gentle smile before he smiled back. It was weak, small, and fragile, trembling on the verge of collapse, but a smile nonetheless. That made the blond man's eyes soften, like those of a proud older brother.
"Yes, you're... you're right," he agreed seriously, his dragon tail now moving more animatedly. "Hat Guy won't give up, and if he has any trouble... I'll help him, just like he always does for me. We're best friends, after all."
Durin's eyes, still gleaming with fear and uncertainty, now mingled with a gleam of determination. His brow furrowed into a confident, unwavering smile, his wings flapping with purpose.
Aether chuckled softly, ruffling his hair again before rising, still speaking to the dragon, reminding him that Albedo would be there to help him.
At the same time the blond hero was speaking, the alchemist stood behind the half-open door of the room, watching the small scene with a gentle smile on his lips, observing without interrupting.
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Durin's legs tingled strangely, his tail twitching intently behind his back as his eyes stared at Hat Guy. Both Aether and Sandrone had left long ago, leaving only Albedo and Durin in charge of the puppet.
To be honest, the dragon took it a little too literally.
"Your legs are going to fall asleep if you stay sitting there."
Albedo's voice was a mixture of amusement and scolding, as he sat near Hat Guy in one of the office chairs. His hands were sketching a small drawing of the room, though at the bottom of the paper were scribbles of the formula he had been discussing with Sandrone a few hours earlier. His eyes shone calmly, watching the determined boy like an eagle hunting a field mouse.
"I have to take care of him," the dragon replied, though he pouted slightly in discomfort. "Trust me."
"Do you remember our conversation with Miss Jean?" Albedo carefully rose from the armchair, placing his clipboard on the counter and calmly walking beside the purple-haired man, a hand gently resting on his shoulder. "It's rude to stare at someone."
"Oh..." Durin looked at him with pity, though tilting his head in confusion at the same time. "Even when the other person isn't looking at me?"
“Yes, even when the other person can’t see you,” the older man said with a smile, patting him. “I’ll stay with him; you need to stretch your legs. The human body needs to move, and to eat, too. Ashru will show you the food Lauma left for us in the reception area. Go eat something.”
Durin’s lips pressed tightly together, his eyes darting to the floor in doubt. It was clear he had his reservations about leaving the Wanderer, even if it was only a room away. He promised to protect him, didn’t he?
“But I…”
Albedo seemed to sense his inner hesitation, as his voice softened in the following sentences.
“I’ll let you know if anything happens, okay? You can’t take care of others if you neglect your own health.”
Durin pouted like Klee does when Jean takes away his beloved bouncy bomb, nodding ruefully as he got up from the floor. Her legs ached a little, but she felt her blood returning to its normal flow.
He walked with difficulty toward the exit, closing the door behind her. Albedo chuckled softly, glancing at the puppet's calm face.
"He worries about you a lot," his eyes gazed with clinical certainty at Hat Guy's physique, impressed by such fascinating technology from an ancient civilization. Someday he should ask about its internal workings. "I hope everything goes well when we recover your piece, just... try not to worry him too much."
As expected, the indigo-haired one didn't reply, still floating calmly in the middle of the room. The sky was beginning to darken outside, the sun set over the horizon of Nod Krai.
No more than five minutes had passed when the door opened, the young dragon still with a huge piece of bread in his mouth as he closed it again, immediately going to stand in front of his friend, legs crossed and a determined look on his face.
Albedo shook his head in amusement, giving him one last gentle squeeze on the shoulder before returning to his previous spot, turning on a lamp to continue drawing.
It was good that Durin was so determined, though Albedo wished he would think of him a little more.
But that was his little brother, kind-hearted.
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His eyes began to ache, his eyelids wanting to close as darkness filled the room. Outside, there was no sound, only the soft rustle of the boy's tail on the carpeted floor and the dragon's gentle breathing. Albedo had stepped away for a moment, making a quick reconnaissance of the surroundings to keep an eye on the place. And, of course, Durin was in charge of keeping watch from within.
But he was... so sleepy...
His head felt heavy, swaying slightly forward. His arms were tightly wrapped around his knees, pressed against his chest as he watched his still-unharmed friend, his fingers drumming vigorously against the sides of his legs.
He didn't know how long he'd been awake, but he did know he shouldn't fall asleep.
“Klee taught me how to catch fish, though I think I’m still doing it wrong, because Miss Jean keeps punishing us so we can reflect on how to improve,” Durin’s voice was low and deep, sleep seeping through his words. “She also took me frog hunting; they jump a lot and make funny noises. Kaeya said they scream because they love to jump so much.”
He liked to talk; it distracted him from sleep and entertained Hat Guy. When he wasn’t human yet and followed him around in his small form, he always talked, fascinated, about everything he learned and observed, and his friend just stayed quiet and listened—really listened. He remembered their chats, and even asked him questions when he was in a good mood, letting him lean on his shoulder when his wings ached from flying so much.
Now he was bigger, and too heavy for that.
But they still talked, and they still strolled together when Durin could visit him in Sumeru.
Well, Durin was pursuing him, but those were minor details.
It was... sad talking to himself, but he'd read stories where talking to sleeping people helped. If he heard him, would he ask about his stories? Would he scold him for his boring stories?
He missed his comments, his teasing, his complaints...
He missed him.
"Also... I've improved my handwriting," he said sleepily, blinking more and more frequently. "Teacher Lisa says my handwriting is a little less shaky... and I write straighter..."
He was still the same, unchanged.
With a yawn, Durin reached out his right hand, timidly placing it on the other boy's. It was cold, but he felt a kind of pulse beneath it, like energy still flowing through his body. It wasn't static, not like the pieces of metal in his brother's lab; there was life... there was still life there.
The boy's eyes moistened slightly.
"I can... show you the forest when we can go home." Klee showed me the way to the Windlift, and... it's very beautiful, at night I can see the stars... - he closed his eyes for a second, suddenly feeling exhausted - I want you to meet Mr. Kaeya and Miss Jean... they're very kind, they helped me when I still didn't know how to control my body... and we could... eat together... with Albedo...
His voice faded slowly, his chest beginning to beat more slowly, curling up against his knees. The grip on his hand tightened, encircling the puppet's cold fingers against his warm, gloved hand. He felt like he was floating on clouds, his mind soaring alongside the stars of his mother's fairy tale, far from all trouble and worry.
He spread his wings, shielding himself and the boy from the night's chill. He tried to open his eyes, he really did try, but he was so comfortable, so tired...
"When you wake up... can we... go home together? No... I don't want to..."
His murmur died in the middle of the night, his hand tightly wrapped around another cold and rigid one, his tail protectively coiled around his side.
A small dragon, trapped in his own little bubble of worry and fear, didn't notice that at that very moment, the sky began to glow, unlike a certain alchemical creation. Before the front door, Albedo stared at the distant rays of light, his normally peaceful gaze gleaming with something akin to fear.
Perhaps it was instinct, or perhaps a hunch, but...
He felt that something was going to go terribly wrong.
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Durin awoke to nearby murmurs.
The boy blinked in confusion, trying to focus his vision. He saw green, and didn't understand why until he realized it was actually one of the green sofas in the Chamber of Secrets.
He realized he was lying on it, wrapped in a white coat, his position mimicking a nest. He blinked in confusion, slowly sitting up with a yawn.
Apparently, that silenced the voices.
He opened his eyes, his gaze lingering. In front of him stood Albedo and Varka, both seemingly talking in hushed tones. Ashru lay at his feet, apparently asleep beside the dragon on top of Albedo's white coat, which she used as a blanket for the boy. Light streamed brightly through the windows, indicating that it was already daytime.
"What...?" He brought his hands to his eyes, shaking off the last traces of sleep.
"Haha, good morning, boy. You slept quite a bit," the knight's deep voice rang out, smiling broadly as he approached the horned one, his large, calloused hand affectionately ruffling Durin's tangled hair. "You must have been exhausted, didn't you, boy?"
Durin looked at him, confused, tilting his head as he took off his coat. Albedo approached calmly, smiling as he took his garment back when the younger man stood up from the armchair.
"Good morning," the blond man's voice was slow and calm, somewhat amused by the fog of doubt that filled the young man's eyes. "It's going to be a long day. Would you like something to eat? Jahoda brought you some biscuits."
"No..." he looked around, confused by the empty room. However, a few seconds later, her sleeping brain recalled the day's recent events, opening her eyes in surprise before staring at the muscular man, trembling with both panic and anxiety—"M-Mr. Varka, what are you doing here?!"
"Woah, calm down, kid," the Anemo user smiled calmly as he ruffled the boy's hair again, his free hand resting securely on his waist. "Apparently, you fainted from exhaustion in the studio last night. I brought you to the sofa so you could rest better. You're still growing; you don't want to end up with a crooked back."
"B-but Dottore, and Miss Columbina, and..."
"We won," Albedo sounded animated, almost suspiciously happy. "While you were sleeping, with the help of Nicole and Arlechino, you all managed to defeat Dottore and recover the moons. Right now, you're all outside resting. It was a very long battle."
A sigh of relief escaped the dragon's lips, and a wide smile quickly spread across his face, tiny galaxies of happiness dancing joyfully in his irises as he excitedly flapped his wings.
"That means Hat Guy is okay!" With a burst of energy, the boy leaped aside and ran toward the door where his friend stood, his wings flapping slightly to propel him toward it. "Hat Guy!"
"Durin, wait—"
He didn't hear Albedo's worried cry; he was too happy at the thought of seeing the indigo-haired boy. He flung open the door, his tail wagging happily as his eyes scanned the room, finally seeing...
His friend was in the same position as yesterday, motionless.
His smile vanished. His tail, once lively and waving, stopped abruptly, slowly lowering in a sign of disappointment.
"Huh? Why is he...?"
He heard footsteps, someone approaching him.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Albedo's voice was cautious, trying to maintain a neutral tone as his hand rested gently on his shoulder blade. "You see, there were problems in the battle against Dottore. Sandrone died at the Doctor's hands."
That news hit the boy like a ton of bricks, his hands slowly falling from the doors until they hung uselessly at his sides. He turned to look at his brother, his eyes wide with surprise and, above all, disbelief.
"She... died?"
"Yes," Albedo said, nodding, direct and honest as always. "But he managed to protect Hat Guy's core in Pulonia; it's intact." When it was all over and they went back to rest, I took the opportunity to do some research. I managed to replace the core a few hours ago, but I don't know how long it needs to rest before it's operational again; all we can do is wait.
Durin nodded stiffly, his face turning back to look at the puppet. His friend was still the same, with that white, serene expression on his face, his chest static and motionless, faint energy signals coursing through his body.
Varka approached the two boys with concern, suddenly feeling the boy's extinguished spark within him. He saw the horned one nod again, his feet moving slightly toward the inert, floating robot. He tried to take a step, wanting to cheer the boy up a little in his state of disappointment, but Albedo stopped him, shaking his head as he watched the boy.
Durin knelt before Hat Guy, his knees hitting the ground with a dull thud. He blinked in confusion, his right hand rising to fearfully touch the older man's cheek.
He expected that, upon touching him with his fingertips, the man would awaken, glare at him angrily, and back away while berating him for making such a dramatic and pointless scene, huffing in annoyance as he repeated that, in fact, he was right, and that Durin had worried for nothing because he was perfectly fine. However, his cheek was cold, and his fingertips remained still, touching the robot's pale skin, its eyes still closed and lifeless.
Durin's breathing became ragged.
Why wasn't he waking up?
His eyes hurt.
Why wasn't he waking up if he already had his core?
His chest hurt.
Did something go wrong? Had his brother Albedo failed to position the object correctly?
He realized too late that he was crying.
"Hat Guy..." His voice came out broken, weak, and vulnerable, his head shaking slightly as his hand fell again. "Why... are you still asleep...?"
He didn't answer.
Durin's heart ached.
The boy sobbed, hugging the sleeping boy tightly. His face buried itself in the taller boy's shoulder, his sobs muffled as he clutched his clothes with his fingers.
Outside, he could hear the sounds of the villagers returning to their homes, children laughing as they ran about, adults helping others to their feet.
And his best friend remained silent in the middle of the room.
He clung to him, tears welling in his eyes, fear overflowing from his body. Everything was supposed to be alright, this was when the story reached its conclusion and all the characters would celebrate their happy ending by defeating the villain, but it wasn't like that. He clung to him like a lifeline, his shoulders trembling with fear at the mere thought that, perhaps, it was too late.
That perhaps they won too late.
They won, and he was asleep, when his best friend needed him most, when finally his key to life was present… he was on the sofa, sleeping soundly like a small child.
He failed as a watchman, he failed as a guard, and above all, he failed as a friend.
He failed, he truly failed.
He felt Albedo's warm hand against the back of his neck, gently stroking his hair between his fingers, slowly and softly, without saying a word. It was what he did when Klee hurt herself playing and ran to her older brother for treatment; it was his way of soothing the innocent sobs of a sad and hurt child. Right now, Durin wasn't far from that description.
"It's okay, kid, breathe," Varka crouched down to his level, her hand resting on his back as she stroked him gently. "It was only a couple of hours ago; it's still too soon to give up on your friend."
Durin nodded, still sobbing as he clung to the student's lifeless body. He let himself be embraced by the warmth of the adults' comfort, their words and gentle touches enveloping him like the loving warmth of a protective blanket. His body twitched and ached like frogs underwater, his fingers gripping the soft fabric of the boy in the hat. It was like the nights he thought about his mother; it was painful and cold.
He spent a long time crying, whispering forgotten apologies to the wind about his failure, hoping that Lord Barbatos could forgive his mistakes.
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Fourteen hours and twenty-one minutes had passed since Wandered had acquired his core again. He was still the same.
Night had fallen outside, the starlight shining on the newly restored Nod Krai. Varka had left several hours ago to help Nefer with the placement of the inhabitants, while Albedo accompanied La Sota to visit the old center of the deceased Sandrone.
Durin remained by the inert puppet's side, refusing to leave its side for a second.
His hands, smaller and thinner, clung tightly to the cold, pulseless hand, his sad, guilty eyes staring at their clasped hands. Jahoda appeared several times in the room with different plates of food to cheer him up, telling him that humans needed to eat well to have strength, but the boy refused to eat a single bite.
Lauma appeared several times throughout the day, sitting quietly beside him as she told him about the progress with Columbina. He told her that the goddess had managed to rest and regain much of her strength, though she was still tired and sore. Nicole had managed to clean up and repair the damage from the battle, and how they had recovered Pulonia and Sandrone's bodies almost intact.
Although Durin didn't react to anything, he was grateful, especially when Lauma simply stroked his horns tenderly and said a simple "she will wake up soon" before leaving for the last time.
Aether and Paimon also came to see him, Paimon trying to cheer him up with, "Do you think that grumpy fellow would want to see you faded like a withered flower?" but he gave up when Durin didn't even look up to ask what it was. The traveler, on the other hand, simply told him a story, the story of a little fox who spent a hundred years sleeping in a small cave, and who finally managed to awaken from the slumber caused by a curse on his home. It had no effect either.
Now he was alone, Albedo in the other room finishing tidying up Sandrone's scattered documents. Still clinging to the man, his mouth dry, his stomach growling, and his mind blank. He was beginning to drift off, his mind whirring aimlessly, without clear thoughts; he simply… existed, existing in a cloud of uncertainty and confusion.
When it was already midnight, Durin succumbed to sleep, his head resting in Wandered's lap, still clutching his hand, remnants of unshed tears clinging to his eyelashes.
Silence filled the room, at least for a few minutes, until suddenly, a small buzzing sound broke the deafening silence.
And the puppet, at that moment, opened his eyes with a start.
His eyes adjusted easily to his awakening, a clear and sharp image of the room where he had left his body. For him, it was a mere blink, barely a few seconds apart.
If he had woken up, it meant they had won, and Dottore was dead.
He smiled smugly, moving his hands to help himself up. However, it was then that he noticed a strange weight on his left hand. He blinked in confusion, looking down.
He saw two gloved hands clasped in his, arms hanging down at his side, and…
Oh…
A sleeping Durin lay across his lap.
He blinked in confusion, frowning at the scene.
What on earth was that insufferable child doing using him as a pillow?
He clicked his tongue in annoyance, already raising his hands to push the boy away, but… something deep down made him stop. Even though he was asleep and tired, his hands refused to let go of his, his cheek resting on the older man's knee without a care in the world. His tail was wrapped around them both, his wings curled around the child as he had done since Simulanka.
Why… did he look like he was crying?
Why did that very thought make him feel a strange knot in his chest?
He stared at Durin's face, his free hand slowly reaching out to brush aside small purple strands of hair from across his face, his fingertips gently caressing the soft skin. He grimaced, annoyed at the faint, still-damp trace on his cheek that made it clear he'd been crying for a while.
He didn't like that thought.
"Oh, you're awake," Albedo's voice jolted the man from his reverie, making him look up at the door. The alchemist was looking at him curiously, his worried eyes fixed on the sleeping dragon beside him. "He's been by your side for over a whole day. He was so worried about you that he didn't even move from that spot."
Hat Guy stared at him, a practiced, clear expression of emptiness in response. He nodded slightly, his head lowering back to the boy.
"...I'm going to assume the plan worked," he murmured softly, his free hand slowly stroking the boy's silky head, almost as if he were afraid of such a display of affection. "A summary?"
“We managed to defeat Dottore and prevent him from creating his own moon,” the blond man’s voice was calm and collected, as if he were reading a name from a letter. “Columbina is safe; it was almost two days ago. Unfortunately, we lost Sandrone in that same battle. He sacrificed himself so that Dottore wouldn’t kill Aether.”
The Wanderer nodded, his jaw clenched as he nodded rigidly. He looked away, trying to contain the simmering tension in his chest and stomach.
“I understand.”
“He was by your side the whole time.” Albedo smiled gently, his eyes shifting to the sleeping dragon on the ground. “He took his role as guardian very seriously.”
“Heh, obviously he would.” A soft smile appeared on the man’s face as he continued to stroke his hair, distracting him. “Is that why he was crying? I knew he was a sentimental soul.”
"Well… In a way, yes, but it was really more for your sake." Albedo looked away, observing the sliver of light streaming through the window. "He got scared when he saw you weren't responding to your new core; he was afraid you wouldn't wake up. He absolutely refused to leave you alone until you decided to wake up."
A part of the old Fatui felt insulted, a very small, ancient part of him screamed with rage at how insulting it was that he thought he was so weak as to need constant care.
Another part of him, newer, larger, and stranger, felt grateful.
His eyes settled on the child, feeling his hand tremble tightly against his own. That damned microbe…
Apparently, he squeezed his hands too hard, because Durin, with a small pout, began to open his eyes. At first he looked confused, his sleepy, slow eyes staring at his hands, before slowly raising his head to look at Hat Guy, his eyes wide open in an angry grimace.
"Are you going to keep using me as a pillow, or are you planning on getting up?"
It took him a few seconds to process it, but when his mind finally understood what was happening, his little eyes widened, and he let go of the boy's hand to sit stiffly on the floor, staring intently into his eyes. He was awake, finally awake.
He felt his heart swell with joy and warmth, tears of happiness welling in his eyes.
"Hat Guy!" he shouted, overflowing with happiness, hugging him tightly. He buried his face in the older man's chest, his body trembling with both joy and the fear finally expelled. "You're awake!"
"Hey, why are you clinging to me like a leech?" the indigo-haired man frowned, his hands now resting on the boy's shoulders, though he didn't make a move to push him away. "Come on, personal space, go away."
A sob escaped the boy's lips, making both adults tense up. Durin's body trembled against Wanderer's, clinging to him again, with the clear intention of never letting go.
"Y-you're awake... you're alright..."
His voice was so small, so... fragile...
He didn't like that tone of voice coming from someone as brilliant as Durin, not from someone as bright and sweet as this boy. That thread of a voice, so broken and defeated, didn't suit him, as if every piece of his heart had been shattered into tiny, fleeting sparks.
He sighed, his hands clasping him lightly.
"Yes, I'm fine, you see? When I say something, I mean it." Durin looked up at him, sobbing, large tears streaming frantically down his cheeks like a waterfall, both eyelids trembling wearily. "Come on, stop crying, it's pointless."
"I'm trying... I'm just... I'm so glad you're okay... I thought I was going to lose my best friend..."
Wandered sighed, spending the next few minutes comforting the nervous, sobbing ball in his arms. Albedo simply chuckled, moving closer to sit beside him and gently stroking the boy's back.
Durin was so relieved… his fingers gripped the warm, living body beneath him, clinging as if his life depended on it. Every part of him could feel the older boy's artificial breathing, every pulse of energy flowing under his skin, the pleasant sensation of his warm, soft fingers stroking him through his clothes.
The anemo boy's nose gently brushed against the top of his head, so briefly and shyly that even the boy thought, for a moment, that he imagined it.
"Of course nothing happened to me, you silly boy. I couldn't leave you alone without you getting into trouble, could I?" His voice was calm, as tranquil and serene as the archon's voice within, tenderly caressing the dragon's white soul. "Someone must be there to help you when you inevitably fail."
They both smiled, one more broadly and with relief than the other, Albedo witnessing the delicate moment. The smaller dragon's tail swung happily behind him, brushing the ground as he passed.
Hat Guy was home safe and sound, remembering him.
Durin smiled contentedly, savoring the brief moment of happiness.