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It wasn’t often that Wanderer and Sethos went out for dinner. Wanderer didn’t need food, and Sethos knew how to whip up meals quickly with whatever was in his house, so there never really was a big need to go out for food. Tonight, though, Sethos had been too lazy to cook, and Wanderer didn’t know what he’d be able to make with the very little ingredients that Sethos had in his cabinets, so for once, they decided to treat themselves to a dinner at Lambad’s. They had just paid the bill, and were getting up to leave.
“I don’t think it was necessary to order food for me,” Wanderer said as he waited for Sethos to take his hand, an action he does automatically, having gotten used to it when they started dating a couple of months ago.
“You can taste it, right?” Sethos asked in response, but didn’t wait for an answer. “So long as you enjoy it, it’s not a problem. It’s not like I lack money with all the odd jobs I do.” He slipped Wanderer’s hand in his, squeezing it gently before intertwining their fingers, walking them to the exit. They got there just in time to see Lambad himself lock the doors. “Huh? What’s up?” the green-eyed asked.
The man turned around, blinking with surprise when he nearly bumped into the two. He composed himself quickly. “Ah, sorry, youngsters,” he said, crossing his arms and shaking his head. “There’s a heavy storm going on out there-” he pointed to the outdoors with a thumb, the storm visible through the windows of the door. “No one’s leaving my tavern until the storm has ceased. Call me annoying, but I’m not endangering my customers.”
“Oh, seriously?” A voice nearby murmured.
“I told you that I could sense the storm.” Another, a gentler one, responded.
Sethos looked to his right to see two clearly foreign men looking outside. One had hair that was a color mix between red- and purple wine, shaped in a short mullet with some sort of rope-like hairband in it. He wore a white, sleeveless tunic with something black underneath it, orange knee-high hakama pants that had a, if Sethos had the term right, brown haori coat draped over it, and he too wore fancy black sleeves around his arms, something of the same fabric wrapped around his legs, and then wooden sandals below it all.
The man next to him had light blonde hair pulled back in a small ponytail that tilted to the side, and a thick, red streak combing through the right side of his hair. He wore a short-sleeved kimono, and like his companion, wore a haori, except he hadn’t removed it from his upper body. They also matched in wearing hamakas,but this guy also wore a pretty, flowy sleeve draped from his left arm. He also wore a scarf, and a belt that went under his right arm and over his left shoulder. He wore black sandals, red leggings and black plating above them.
They were very clearly Inazuman, if Sethos had to look at other nation’s fashion preferences, and at what his boyfriend wears.
“You could sense it?” Sethos asked the stranger, immediately attracting their attention. “This one was so sudden, I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a change in the air.”
The blonde smiled kindly at him. “The wind told me,” the response was vague, but somehow, also made sense.
Sethos responded in kind, enthusiastic and intrigued by the words, which got the blonde to continue speaking in return.
“Eh- how about we continue this conversation around a table with a drink, hm?” The blonde’s companion offered. “We’ll be here for a while, anyways.”
Sethos hummed and nodded. “Sounds great! What do you think, Wan?” He turned to look at his boyfriend, but his smile faltered slightly at what he was met with.
Wanderer was staring at the two Inazuman men, eyes just slightly widened, as if he’d come to a dreadful realization.
“You okay?” Sethos asked, but it took a moment for Wanderer to respond.
What are they doing here?!
He blinked, finally looking away from the two. “Uh, yeah, sure.” he murmured.
“You sure?” Sethos asked, just to be sure. “Do you need a moment?”
“No.” Wanderer responded flatly, already turning around to walk to the table they sat at previously. His mind was still going everywhere and nowhere.
What are the odds that he sees those two again? He knew them. Kaedehara Kazuha and Shikanoin Heizou. He had run-ins with them before. Kaedehara he’d met before the Vision Hunt Decree. It was brief, but no difference in time could make their run-in hurt less. The red streak in his hair had been a slap in his face back then, and while seeing it again now, it didn’t hurt as much, but something deep within him definitely ached. He was The Balladeer when they met, but they’d somehow gotten acquainted. Not that the past version of Wanderer had cared much about him, or found him relevant at all. Still, seeing him again stirred something in his core, and it did not feel nice. The same goes for Shikanoin. They met during the Vision Hunt Decree. He’d been chased by Shikanoin, even. Sure, the man is a detective, but he’s also on other cases he creates himself. Their meeting was simply The Balladeer being a Fatui Harbinger that looked too shady for Shikanoin’s likings, leading to an encounter and a chase before The Balladeer had hid well enough, and Shikanoin had gotten official cases on his plate that kept him away.
Part of him was afraid that they’d remember his past self, somehow, someway. They’re both very intelligent, after all. More intelligent than most ordinary people Wanderer has met. But there’s no way, right? He wiped his past self from existence. The version of him that they met no longer exists, therefore they shouldn’t be able to remember the encounters.
“I’m Sethos, by the way,” Sethos’ voice pulled Wanderer out of his thoughts. His boyfriend had sat himself down right next to him, the “new” acquaintances sitting in front of them in the booth. “This is my boyfriend, Wanderer.”
“I’m Heizou, here with my partner, Kazuha.” Heizou introduced them, ignoring the Inazuman customs of calling acquaintances by their last names. While he was talking, he eyed Wanderer slyly, as if he was suspicious of him. He could definitely see the nervousness Wanderer was trying to keep to himself. “Are you perhaps antsy about the storm, Wanderer? I’m sure it’ll pass in no time.”
Wanderer momentarily closed his eyes. He breathed in, and out, before glaring back at Heizou, his core calmer, but still protective of itself. “I’m not,” He stated near sharply… No, this wasn’t working. He still felt on edge. “I’m going to order drinks.” He said, already scooting past Sethos before the brunette could even stand up to give him the space to get off the couch.
After giving their preferred drinks, Sethos watched Wanderer head to the bar with a concerned frown on his face.
“Is he socially awkward, perhaps?” Kazuha wondered out loud, looking at Wanderer’s back as he headed for the staircase to go back downstairs, as well.
Sethos let out a noise of hesitation. “Eh, he used to, but he’s improved a lot. I don’t get why it’s back so suddenly…”
Heizou hummed, leaning back against the couch. “Perhaps it’s odd for him to meet people from his homeland all the way out here,” he said as if it was a fact rather than a theory. Sethos was going to ask how he knew where Wanderer comes from, but he was quick to remember just exactly what his boyfriend wears on a daily basis. “It’s been a while since someone has left Inazuma without it being illegal, after all. It wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t know about the abolishment of the Vision Hunt Decree. He looks like he’s been here for a while.”
“Maybe it is that…” Sethos murmured, but wasn’t too convinced. Perhaps he should ask Wanderer about it later, when they’re alone again.
⤷ ゛💙 ⏳🌀💜 ˎˊ˗
About one and a half hours in, and the table was lively. The storm was still raging outside, but inside, it was as if the outside world didn’t even exist.
The four men had grown more comfortable around each other. They’d started off their evening with non-alcoholic drinks, but they were now well into a few rounds of wines, beers and special liquors.
“You- *hic* you got… you got…” Kazuha murmured from Heizou’s shoulders, tapping drunkenly at the playing card he got in his hand.
The other Inazuman placed a gentle hand on his mouth. “Shh, don’t say it out loud. I’d rather not lose another round because of you.”
Kazuha whined. “You don’t love me?”
“I never said that…”
Sethos smiled at the lightweight resting his head on Heizou’s shoulder, waiting for Heizou to play his card. He felt much more at ease now that they’ve opted to chat idly while playing a card game. Glancing at his boyfriend, he could tell that he too had gotten more comfortable, much better than before.
Wanderer kept the cup with his drink close to his mouth, balancing an elbow on a crossed arm, one of his legs folded over the other underneath the table. It was one of those positions that visibly showed someone’s ease. Feeling the gaze, Wanderer looked back at the brunette he called his boyfriend. “What?” He asked, his tone lacking bite.
“Nothing,” Sethos hummed happily, smiling as his partner, turning back to the game when Heizou finally played his card. He checked his own hand, and thought. “Hm… What do I play?” He asked himself below his breath.
“This one.” Wanderer leaned closer and pointed at one of his cards.
⤷ ゛💙 ⏳🌀💜 ˎˊ˗
It was around 1am when the storm had finally ceased. Thank god it was Saturday, and not too many people were upset about the fact that they were allowed to leave Lambad’s only at this hour.
“You sure you don’t need help closing up?” Sethos asked the owner, being helpful as always.
“It’s fine, go home. Thank you for the offer, though.” Lambad dismissed him with an appreciative smile and a weak wave of his hand.
Sethos said his goodbye to the tavern owner, and then led Wanderer outside, right behind Kazuha and Heizou.
“Well, this certainly made our trip to Sumeru more fun,” Heizou said, keeping an arm around Kazuha to keep him stable. “It was an honor to meet and spend the evening with you two.”
Sethos responded in kind, and after some final words, he and Wanderer finally went on their way back to Sethos’ abode.
Heizou watched them go until they rounded a corner and were no longer in sight, his smile slowly faltering the further away they got.
“...That Wanderer guy seemed so familiar, but from where?” He muttered to himself.
Kazuha stirred next to him, as if he thought Heizou was talking to him. He straightened himself enough to give Heizou a boop on his nose. “Very familiar.”