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One year ago~

Take a fishing trip, Beidou said. It'll be fun! She said. So it would be fun right? WRONG. Inazuma has electric hilichurls that scare away almost all the fish and fry the ones that are too stupid to run. OH and another thing, they electrified all the water so if you fell in you would most definitely get electrocuted. And it would hurt. A lot. It might not kill you, per se, but it would still shock you- in a painful way- if you touched it unsuspectingly. Haha very funny. Shocking how funny that was.

You sighed, staring out at the expanse of ocean, other than the Inazuma Islands, there was no land for miles. You couldn't even see the blob of what would be Liyue from here. Although, the storm cutting Inazuma off from the rest of the world really didn't help.

The storm was something Inazuma's Archon, Baal (or better known as the Raiden Shogun to locals), had cooked up a few months ago. A new decree was announced as well, cutting Inazuma off from the rest of the world, as well as confiscating any visions they could get their hands on. It was crazy. Barely any people could go in, and no one was allowed out - at least not legally anyway. But that didn't stop some people.

The law was really more like guidelines anyway. Yanfei definitely disagreed with this.

You sighed again and turned your gaze to the reflection of the island in the water. It was such a clear image that you could see individual trees and people bustling about. Lots of people actually, more than normal...

You squinted at the water, it never clicked that you could just look at the island itself and see what was going on. There was shouting, rushed and orderly. Probably one of the commissions catching a criminal or something," You muttered to yourself.

Still, you were now very interested. What was this criminal being chased after for? Most of the time the commissions were swift enough to catch anyone almost instantly, so why was this one different? What made them special?

Your eyes were glued to the watery image. There- a person, they were backed up against the cliff. They could jump, but they have no boat, so it's not as if they could really get far. The person kept getting moved closer and closer to the edge, it was holding onto something for dear life, something small and grey- oh. You realized. It's a vision. The reflection person suddenly started getting bigger and bigger in the waterscape. You were puzzled by this, why were they getting bigger-

There was a splash, ripples ebbed away and rocked your little boat. You whirled around and saw the person underneath the water- their eyes closed and bubbles escaping their mouth. They're unconscious. I have to help them!

With that, you dove out of your boat and into the icy electric water. Sure it hurt, but it was worth it if this poor person didn't drown.

You breathed out and opened your eyes, immediately spotting the stranger. They- no he- kind of stuck out against the blue water wearing all that red. Even a streak of his hair is red. You observed.

You reached out and grabbed his arm, dragging him carefully back to your boat. You climbed in first, careful to keep his head above the water, and then dragged him up after you. He wasn't breathing.

As quickly as you could you rowed to a bit of shore, out of sight of the cliff from where he fell, and far enough that whatever commission was chasing him wouldn't get there for a while, you dragged him onto the beach and panicked. Like any sane person would do if a criminal fell into the water and it was up to you to save their life.

"Uh, um. Chest compressions should get the water out. Right??? Isn't that what Beidou said?" You spoke to yourself, attempting to organize your thoughts. And so chest compressions is what you did.

Hands laced together, placed over the centre of his chest, up and down in a repeated rhythm. Should all go well he'd be coughing up water and gasping for breath in like a minute- right?

Yeah, so that didn't work as well as you had hoped and he still wasn't breathing. Your mind raced, trying to zero in on the solution.

Only one thought came to mind, mouth to mouth. Your face turned red, this was to a stranger! Someone you didn't even know the name of! Sure, you'd be fine with doing it to Beidou or any other member of the Crux's crew, but to someone who you knew nothing about? And what if they really were evil? Should you actually save their life anyways?

You took a deep breath and plunged your lips into his. Forcing air into his lungs. Seconds later he started to cough and you jerked back and sighed in relief.

He gasped and his eyes flew open, his chest heaving as he took in breath after breath. You froze, staring into his eyes. They were beautiful. As was he- you mean whaatttttt. You weren't turning red- that was a trick of the light! But seriously, you could get lost staring into those eyes for hours.

"What-" He started to speak then paused, thinking. Oh god, even his voice is beautiful. "What happened? How long have I been out?" He queried.

"Oh, not long at all! Just like ten minutes... I think? I don't have the best sense of time but really, it can't have been more than ten minutes- I mean you weren't even breathing for the majority of it and ya know, you would have died if it was all that long? So really- I uh. As for what happened? I'm not sure. you fell off a cliff, started drowning and I just saved you?" You rushed. Oh archons, your heart was going a mile a minute.

"I see..." The red-eyed beauty trailed off. He looked at the sky. You looked at him, taking in every detail. The platinum blonde hair, the streak of red, the leafy pattern of his clothes, and the inscription on his katana sheath. You couldn't exactly read it, but it probably meant something deep or inspiring, or terrifying because, you know, it is a sword.

You blinked once, then twice. And idea dawning on you. "Hey..." you started slowly, "So I'm guessing you don't have any place to go now... especially with the law enforcement after you. So why don't you come back to the ship I work on? Beidou will definitely welcome you and the crew's nice- sure they can be a little rowdy at times, but still. We could take you to somewhere safe, like Liyue or maybe Fontaine.

He considered it for a moment and then smiled. Arrow straight to the heart. He nodded, "yes... I think that would be good. But only if your captain agrees."

You grinned. "Oh don't worry about that, I'll convince her easily."

Chapter Text

Present time~

Kazuha- the male with the red streak in his hair, the one you so amazingly saved from drowning- had ended up staying aboard the ship rather than leaving at Liyue like had been originally planned. Of course, not that you were complaining, you quite enjoyed the man's presence. It turned out he was your age, about 19. And still too gorgeous. Honestly, he was harder to look at without turning red than the sun was- but you'd never admit that out loud.

One of the best things about him was that he easily put up with your often annoying and crazy antics, even if you did something incredibly stupid he'd smile and laugh. It didn't take long to realize you were head over heels in love, again something you'd probably never admit. Maybe. Possibly. Kinda.

Ok, the truth was, you were very likely to admit it accidentally. Something that you had actually done before.

It had been a starry night, with barely a breeze and no clouds. The Cruz had been out at sea for three days and you were going to return soon. You had seen Kazuha standing by the railing and you stood with him for a while. Just watching the stars together.

You had brought your guard down and just enjoyed the rare peaceful moment where you two were alone. "You know, your eyes are really beautiful." You'd said without realizing ... And then immediately turned red and covered your face. "Ah! Sorry, that was a really random and weird thing to say, please think nothing of-" You stopped at the sound of his laughter. "Hey! What's so funny! Kazuhaaaaaaaa." You had whined, very very embarrassed.

"Oh don't worry about it. Thank you, really." He had smiled softly and stared out to sea when his laughter subsided.

You'd both continued on the next day as if it had never happened, but it did, and you weren't going to be forgetting that anytime soon.

So, it was safe to say you were right to be worried and it was perfectly within reason to have a minor panic attack every time you saw him.

Seriously though, his ruby red eyes were something you could get lost in for hours on end.

A loud shout quickly brought you back to the present, and you looked up instantly. There was a big commotion on the deck below. You leaned out over the edge and craned your neck, trying to see what was going on.

Your heart lurched as you accidentally leaned too far forward and tipped over. Oh shit. I'm done for. You squeezed your eyes shut and braced yourself, but before you could actually fall something stopped you. Someone actually. You blinked gratefully at the person, who happened to be Beidou. Your captain let out a hearty laugh.

"Whoa! Be careful there!' She lowered her voice and stage whispered "Wouldn't want to lose one of my best crewmen." She then winked and let go of your shirt.

"Please don't hurt yourself," Kazuha spoke softly, concern etched onto his face.

Beidou laughed again and grinned. "I wouldn't worry too much. He's not that easy to knock down." She then ruffled your hair and turned towards the steps. "Alright, time to see the cause of this big disturbance."

She briskly walked by, with you and Kazuha following close behind. You tried your best to keep just a bit in front of him so you wouldn't look at him and turn as red as those pretty eyes you were obsessed with.

When you reached the spot of the scene, Beidou called out with that commanding voice of hers and everyone immediately came to attention. This- although you had seen it so many times- was always something that amazed you. Having a presence that commanded attention and obedience, yet also trust. A presence that was truly one of a leader.

As it turned out, it was nothing major, just some crew arguing over the last bit of some fruit cake that had been brought back from Sumeru. You had tried it, but it was a little too tangy for your liking.

You laughed softly, the crew was made up of mostly adults, and yet it still seemed like a group of overgrown toddlers sometimes. Still, though, they made a great family and could get a lot of work done easily and efficiently.

With the little scuffle being dealt with, you knew that you could go back to just watching the ocean. Today was your day off, so naturally, you were taking advantage of that. You may still be at sea but you could at least make the most of it by doing absolutely nothing. Well... I mean... nothing productive. Being a closet simp doesn't count as productive. Does it? No, not really.

The ocean was a lonely grey colour today, it went hand in hand with the equally lonely looking clouds hanging dismally over the ship. You knew it was going to rain at some point, but it didn't really seem like it was going to be a big storm. Or at least you really really hoped it wouldn't end up a storm.

Watching the ocean was always a great thing to do in your free time, if you watched for long enough you'd see a dolphin or a turtle or some sort of fish. It was especially fun whenever whales breached or a bird swooped down to catch a fish. Yes, pelicans and seagulls were some very interesting animals- especially the latter. On clear days you always had to fend them off to keep them away from the food. No flying-ocean-rats are allowed anywhere near ten feet from your meals or they'd get punched. You didn't care if it was hard to punch a bird- but it has happened multiple times and you would definitely do it again if it meant protecting your food.

Plop. Plop. Plop. Big fat raindrops began to fall, slowly turning the deck of the ship into a darker colour than normal.

You stood there for a moment, allowing yourself to get completely drenched in the falling water before taking a deep breath of salty ocean air and heading for your cabin.

The majority of the crew slept in hammocks on the floor below, but you had asked Beidou for your own cabin, it made you feel more comfortable that way. It would have felt weird sleeping in the same room as the rest of the crew without your homemade binder.

As you were changing an enormous boom of thunder shook the air and made you flinch. You crouched down on the floor and covered your ears, eyes squeezed shut.

The door creaked open and someone stepped inside, the person gently picked you up and set you on your bed, wrapping multiple blankets around you for warmth and extra comfort. You subconsciously leaned into them and before you realized it, you had drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Present time~

It was so warm, so calming, so quiet. his person made you feel safe. You could guess who it was, but you still weren't sure, and yet... you were too scared to pull the blanket off your head and look.

Of course, the fear was partially due to the fact that there was a thunderstorm raging outside. But it was also because you were too scared that it wasn't who you'd hoped. ANd you just wanted to imagine it was him, just living out your fantasy before it could be crushed. 

Before you knew it, your breath was slowing and your shoulders relaxed. Your mind slowly became calm and you drifted off into a comfortable sleep.

Your eyes opened, and all around you was water, you were floating, But this was someplace peaceful and calm. Definitely not the raging ocean that the ship rested on.

You inhaled deeply, trying to shake off the effects of the storm. It took you a few moments to realize that you shouldn't be able to breathe underwater. 

Oh. You were sure the look of realization had dawned on your face. This is a dream.

YOu looked around at the sparkling sea be. It looked just like the underwater seascapes depicted in famous paintings or described in science documentaries. Bright flashy fish darting all around, fine white sand piled everywhere, coral forming silly little shapes like houses. Some of the coral actually created a ring that surrounded you- perhaps a clearing in a forest of coral is a better way to describe it. 

You were sitting along the edge, resing up against a speckled and sparkly rock. In the centre of the dome lay a shiny thing. A piece of glass... or maybe a mirror? 

You walked forward to inspect said shiny object. You were delighted to find your guess had been correct, the shiny object was in fact a mirror. It was rather plain, with not much detail other than a few simple shells carved into the back. The mirror itself wasn't as dirty as you thought it would be. No cracks or scratches, no barnacles or algae. Actually, it was in perfect condition. 

You stared into the mirror and into your (eye-colour) eyes, and just admired them fr a few seconds. They were pretty, but didn't hold that same sense of wonder and knowledge as Kazuha's did. 

The second the male's name had entered your mind the mirror got cloudy. You squinted and then tried using your sleeve to rub away the cloudiness. It went away after a few seconds, but clearly that little attempt at rubbing it away was not the cause.

Your eyes widened and you were certain your face was turning a flushed pinkish colour. In the mirror, there was now a picture of you and Kazuha cuddling inside your cabin. It looked so peaceful... no disturbances just you two quietly basking in each other presence while being all couple-ey. Just as you wanted to be... with him...

This is just a really good dream right??? You thought frantically. Not some evil tease of what will never happen? Because that's just cruel. Oh god... I hope it comes true... Your mind circled in thoughts like that for a bit before you ever so slowly started floating (non voluntarily) upwards. the mirror dropped out of your hand and fell to the seafloor stirring up all kinds of shells and sand. 

Nooooooo..... you thought wistfully as you caught your last glimpse of the adorable scene between you and the kindred samurai. The mirror got swallowed by the sand and you arose high above the ocean waves.

And then you woke up.

The dream had honestly the best sleep you'd had in a long while. TOTALLY not the only sleep.

Sunlight filtered through the crack of your door and the crew shouted and bustled about outside. You slowly blinked awake. This hazy sleepy fog was still settled over your mind.

The room- other than you- was empty. Whoever had come in last night was gone. You sighed, knowing that you would never be able to get anyone to confess to sneaking into your room without permission, even if it was to do something nice.

The dream scene replayed in your mind over and over again before you finally hauled yourself out of bed to go help out with the aftermath of the storm. 

You stepped out onto the deck and shielded your eyes from the blazing sun. 

"Well well! Look who finally decided to get their lazy ass up and help!" Beidou's voice said in a playful tone. "Just joking of course, did ya sleep well?"

"Actually.. pretty well." Cue cuddling scene repeat number nine-hundred and seventy-three. "Alright, what do you need me to do?"

"Nothing on deck is really available, but don't worry! You're first on my list for people who will be helping out on the next enormous manual labour project."

"Greeeaaaat." You responded with an eye roll.

"You could not have been more obvious with that sassy eye roll." Beidou stated playfully. "Anyways, since there's not much to do here I'll have you take care of Kazuha. He stayed up too late wearing wet clothes and now has a fever."  You blinked at her and then nodded, your mind racing and your heart beginning to pound.

"Hey! Captain! What are our new bearings?" A voice shouted from the Quater Deck.

"I'll be right there!" Beidou called back and then turned away giving you a quick thumbs-up before completely disappearing. off to get steer the ship into the next port, or something like that. The usual captain business. 

You headed towards the crew's cabins. Your heart was going a mile a minute and so many thoughts were piling up. When people were sick, they acted all loopy and blushy and sappy, right? Could this be the day you get to see clingy Kazuha?

Chapter Text

Present time

After Beidou had asked you to watch over Kazuha, you had gone to his little hammock immediately- and sure enough there he was. Very delirious from a fever. Bright red and with staggered breathing. "Buuuuuuut just to be sure I should still check his forehead right?" You whispered to yourself. Okay, okay, it was definitely an excuse but still. He was sick, soo...

You gently placed your hand on his forehead and then almost immediately yanked it right back. "Jeeze, you really are burning up." And so off you went. You grabbed a clean rag and a bucket, which you then filled with water, and you asked someone from the crew to make some soup, tea, or something.  Anything that would help with a fever really. 

You raced back as quickly as possible and found that the light-haired male had sat up, blinking and wobbly rubbing his eyes.

"Oi!!" You shouted at him, he flinched at the noise and you lowered your voice. "No no no, dear sir, you are resting today. You are sick and there is nothing you are allowed to do but sleep and get better." And maybe be adorable... but you always are... Your brain added very extremely unhelpfully. Man if you could glare at your own brain you would.

"(y/n)?" He asked softly. 

"That's my name- don't wear it out," you responded, dipping the rag in the bucket and squeezing out the excess water.

He smiled. Hecking. Smiled. In front of you. With no regard for your thundering heart.  So small. So sweet. Without a doubt, your face was as red as his, or a tomato, but the two looked fairly similar at the moment. "That's good." His voice was almost a whisper. He then looked up at you, his crimson eyes meeting your (e/c) ones. "Your eyes are pretty, (y/n)'

SMACK! Aaaand you hit him in the face with a rag. He blinked in surprise and then swayed slightly. "Oh my gosh!!! I'm super sorry- I was just startled. I really shouldn't do stuff like that, you're sick and I need to help you not hurt you." You rushed. Your ears and neck now matched the rest of your face. Lovely.

To your surprise, he started laughing. Well, it was more of giggling really- like a little girl being tickled. Oh. My. God. You were in love. Without a doubt.

"You're taking care of me?" He grinned, eyes shut and everything. "I'm very glad!" he reached both hands out and grabbed your shoulders, pulling you inwards in a hug. "I feel safe knowing you're there." He whispered into your ear.

This embrace, this warm, kind, protective embrace felt so similar to what you felt last night. You were certain now. Kazuha had been the person to sneak into your room and hug you. And he was gone by morning... so then he must have left in the night... during the storm.... and then got sick. Your heart sunk. He was sick because he had stayed with you instead of just going below deck like the rest of the crew.

You raised your head and then buried it in his neck, hugging him back. "I'm glad to hear it," you whispered back. "I hope I'll take care of you as well as you took care of me."

And with that perfect timing, Xu Liushi- a sailer in the crew- walked in. And gasped, then made an ooooooh~ sound. "Well, well, what do we have here." He teased "A young new love blossoming aboard our nightly ship?" You jumped back like a scared kitty cat. 

"He's delirious!" You shouted. "He pulled me into a hug first!" You pointed your finger at Kazuha like the childish little toddler you were. Kazuha blinked, his eyes wider than a cat's. 

"I just wanted a hug..." He said softly.

Xu Liushi laughed. "Please- this'll be hilarious. You two are definitely in for a lot of teasing." He grinned in a very older brother-ey kind of way. 

"Don't. You. f******. dare." You glowered at him and he grinned back.

"Whoah whoah whoah (y/n), we use KIND words aboard this ship. No bad words or you'll get thrown in the naughty corner." Man if looks could kill-

Xu Liushi rolled his eyes and then handed you a bowl. "Soup, as specifically requested by our very own (y/n)- the duke of love." 

Let's just say you were very tempted to throw the soup at his face. "WERE NOT DATING!!! HE DOESN'T LIKE ME!!!!" You whisper hissed, glare increases by the power of ten.

Kazuha tilted his head at this. He opened his mouth and asked, "I don't?

Chapter Text

"I don't"

"I don't...?"

"I don't."

I don't??" those two words repeated themself over and over again. He doesn't??? Or is he asking if he doesn't... if he's asking, then does that mean he does??

It was safe to say that those simpler words were going to kill your last few brain cells.

Kazuha blinked once, twice, three times, and then squeezed his eyes shut. He began to sway, and then he flopped over in his little hammock.

"Eh?" You may be busy simping but you still had to take care of him so he didn't get more sicker. Yes, more sicker. Good grammar you.

You stepped towards to small male and found him to be fast asleep. His face looked redder than it had been before and even without touching his skin you could feel the heat radiating it off.

You sighed and picked up the bucket you had placed by the hammock upon your first arrival, you pulled out the towel and wrung it out, letting the excess water drip back into the bucket. You took the towel and laid it gently down on his forehead. You also decided it would be best to add a blanket on top.

"Hey Xu Liushi, if you're not doing anything useful then run and grab me a blanket, please. And don't say a word about this, got it?" You made sure to pin him down with your deadliest glare possible.

Clearly, it wasn't all that terrifying because it just made him look as if he wanted to laugh even harder than he had been. "No promises~" He said in a sing-song voice and then slunk away, off to fetch the blanket you requested.

... Maybe I should work on my death glare... You thought as you watched Xu Liushi's form disappear above deck. You glanced over at Kazuha and jumped.

His eyes were wide open and he was staring directly in your (e/c) eyes with such an intense look. Like that of a toddler released into a clean room with buckets of paint. Mischievous. His eyes twinkled and he whispered, "Is he gone...?"

"You tricked us into thinking you were asleep." You stated plainly. He smirked. Oh archons, he really did resemble an evil toddler right now. An idea popped into your head and you smirked right back at him. Now it was Kazuha's turn to blink in surprise.

In an instant, you were almost nose to nose with the sick child. "How baby Kazuha feeling today~" You cooed in the most motherly voice you could muster. Did... he just get a little bit redder? 

His eyes were very wide for a second before pouting. "I'm not a baby." He insisted, determined to get his point across.

"Are you sure?" You dragged out the syllables.

"Yes!" He shouted.

"Well, if you're not a baby, then why don't you be a big boy and take a nap for me?" 

"If you nap with me." He said.

You froze, you cannot handle this. Your heart physically cannot handle this, it was going to burst. So much for countering his child-like energy. 

"W- with you?" You stuttered. 

He nodded enthusiastically and held out his arms. You just sat there and stared. "Kazu- I. Uh....."

"Kazuhaa, my man, you're sick. And we don't want you getting (y/n) sick too. As soon as you're all better, you're free to have as many gay cuddles as you please, but until then, he's off-limits." Xu Liushi's stern statement saved you from having to answer but in a great yet terrible way. 

"Hey! I said we weren't dating!!! Non-dating people don't cuddle!" You protested. 

"Ok, so maybe you're not dating... yet." He winked and then threw the blanket at you and ran.

"That son of a-" You felt the heat in your own face multiply. The whole crew would know soon, you could be certain of that. Xu Liushi is not the kind of guy to keep his mouth shut when there's an opportunity for teasing. You loved the whole crew, but they could get really damn annoying with all their bets and teases.

You grabbed onto the blanket and stood up. Bunching the blanket up in one hand you used the other to push Kazuha into a laying down position in the hammock, from there you proceeded to lay the blanket over him and tuck it in tight. He was wrapped up almost burrito style, no escape possible. From there you made sure he ate all the soup Xu Liushi brought earlier and also had him drink some water. You told him, very sternly, to go. to. sleep. "Rest is essential to getting better when you're sick." You stated. "Do you understand?" Kazuha nodded. "Good, now sleep." You then sat down next to the hammock and rested for a moment. 

You just sat there, staring at the ceiling, zoning in and zoning out. Through the window, you watched as slowly the sun rose higher and higher into the sky, and then slowly began to fall again. 

You checked in a few times to be sure Kazuha actually was resting, and he was, so that was good, and also expected considering he'd been expending the same amount of energy as two-year-olds use on a daily basis while having significantly less energy to expend he was bound to be exhausted. Other than that, mostly you spent the time processing the crazy events of today. 

Kazuha really acted strangely when he was sick. Fever delirium to the absolute max. It was unnatural, and while you hoped you wouldn't have to deal with it too much, you wouldn't mind if he acted like this every once in a while. It really was just plain adorable.

You turned your face towards the window again and watched the clouds. You smiled softly to yourself, knowing that even if this day was chaotic as all hell, you still loved it and would hold the memories dearly for the rest of your life.

Chapter Text

Present Time~

The next day Kazuha was still sick- but feeling better and way less clingy and delirious. You still stood by the statement that you wouldn't want him to stay clingy, but it was still adorable. He mostly slept, which was definitely a good thing. Rest and hydration are two of the best things to do to recover from a fever. Although hydration is always good. 

Soon the Crux would be pulling into Liyue Harbor, they would make port there and get supplies, probably stay for a few days and pick up a transport commission or something. But up until then, you'd have the time to relax. Although to be honest, you were probably going to be picking up some smaller commissions to do by yourself, maybe with a certain someone if you could convince him- and he felt better. Though that might distract you a bit.

As you didn't have a vision, you could only do easier fighting commissions or the simple stuff like helping to find a lost cat. Still, there was a certain thrill to tracking down hilichurls that you loved. The exhilaration of the hunt and then whacking them with a pool noodle or something. Of course, rewards were always good too. Money was especially nice, you could go out and buy yourself a nice fancy meal at Wanmin Restaurant. 

On a separate note, whenever the crew would pass by you would always get teasing looks or little whispers, so it was clear Xu Liushi had gone and blabbed. You were going to kill him. He better say his prayers and enjoy his last sunset, for he wouldn't live to see the morning.

Some of the nicer crew members gave you little tips on how to get a relationship started, which was sweet but unnecessary, considering Kazuha had only said those things from being on a fever high.  You did keep their tips in mind though, for later use. Just in case an opportunity arrived. 

Most of the females on board were swooning and fangirling over the possibility of a male x male relationship and the guys just used the idea to poke fun. It was annoying but also not the worst it could be.

Somehow the rumours had yet to reach the ears of a certain captain, You hoped they wouldn't- even though they most certainly would at some point- you just knew that Beidou would be ecstatic. She'd probably start planning a wedding and go shouting off the Ningguang that her sons were growing up. 

A commotion on deck snapped you out of your thoughts and you realized you were almost at the port. The crew was rushing around and Beidou shouting orders, not that she really needed to considering the whole crew had done this a thousand times over. They all could probably bring the hip into port with their eyes closed and still do it perfectly. 

You were never really given the big jobs that required a lot of muscle, mostly you did the cleaning, cooking, and other stuff, like taking care of sick sailors for example. Occasionally you go up to the crows next and swap out with Xu Liushi to take watches over the sea or you'd climb up and mend the sails when they got ripped. None of the rope pulling and anchor hauling for you. No sir that requires too much muscle for you. 

Once the boat was successfully tied into port, anchored and all, you got up and checked to see if Kazuha was awake. Sure enough, the red-eyed male was lying there blinking at the ceiling. 

"Ayo, you feeling better now?" You asked. 

He thought about this for a second before responding with, "I believe so."

A calm, normal, natural Kazuha answer. Not some crazy answer like the fever would have made him give. And in thinking about that, you wondered if he even remembered what had happened when he was sick. Does being that sick make you forget your memory like when you're drunk? Or... does he remember every single word... what if he says something? What if he remembers how red I got?!?! Questions like these began plaguing your mind and you suffered internally as you helped Kazuha out of the hammock

He wobbled and grabbed onto your sleeve for support. Aaand, now you're red again. God, you were so terribly in love with him.

"Ah, my apologies." He spoke softly as he let go of your arm.

"No, you're fine!" You squeaked. He glanced at you and the look in his eyes was undecipherable. You couldn't read it at all. He smiled at your response and then looked up towards the stairs. "Shall we go ashore?" He asked. 

You merely nodded in response, not sure you could actually speak right now.

"Would you like to go to a restaurant with me? I'm quite famished at the moment. Apparently sleeping for a day leaves you starving." He stated.

"O- oh sure. Wanmins?" He dipped his head in agreement and you led him above deck. As he left the boat you felt your arm grabbed. You turned to look at none other than Xu Liushi. "What do you want?" You sighed.

"Just to wish you luck on your date~ Go get that boy!" And then he ran, ran for his life. AS he should.

It took a few seconds for what he actually said to sink in. Going on a date... You and Kazuha eating together at a restaurant alone. A date. ALone, together. A date.

Oh archons, did he just ask you on a date???

Chapter Text

It's completely normal, this isn't a real date. It's just a meeting between friends. He didn't see you as anything more than a friend so of course, this wasn't a date. You told yourself over and over. Of course, that funny lil' simping brain of yours wouldn't let you forget it.

As you followed Kazuha to Wanmin's you kept worrying about your appearance (not to mention how you might smell) considering you hadn't actually had much time to watch up these past few days. You made sure to take a quick glance at your reflection in the pond right by the alchemy station. Which coincidentally was right by the restaurant so you didn't have much time to fix yourself up.

The biggest problem was how tangled your hair was. Three days of merely combing through it with your fingers from time to time clearly wasn't as good as an actual hair brush. It wasn't horrible at least??? Just to be sure you quickly ran your fingers through it once more. It's not as if the action could make it worse. 

The head chef, Chef Mao, had become quite familiar with you and Kazuha (plus the rest of the crew, but let's face it how important are they really when you and your crush are on a "date"), he always knew your orders and could get it whipped up in a jiffy, of course, if you had anything else you wanted to add for a special occasion he'd make it after attending the other customers. He is a busy man, singlehandedly running a restaurant while his daughter runs amuck off in Mondstadt or somewhere with foreign cuisine. His daughter was sweet and very enthusiastic and actually not much younger than you. You had always gotten along with her quite nicely partially because she would make you free food.

"Chef Mao!" You called and waved. He waved back and turned towards the kitchen. "Hmm... there aren't many customers today." You noticed.

Kazuha hummed in agreement.

The two of you sat down and Chef Mao set down two plates. One with rice buns and one with grilled tiger fish. Simple but delicious meals. "Thanks for the food!" Kazuha exclaimed.

"Mhm. Enjoy." Chef Mao responded before turning away.

You both dug in and sat in a comfortable silence as you ate. The meals were beyond amazing, thanks to Chef Mao's cooking, and of course, they looked appetizing as well. Man if this were some alternate dimension where you could take pictures and share them with people without actually talking to them or seeing them in person you totally would.

As you were finishing your food, Kazuha finally spoke, "When I was sick... I didn't say anything odd to you, did I?" He asked. You blinked at him. "You seem uncomfortable today and I wonder if it was something I said."

oh kazuha baby no 

"Eh?" You were frozen for a whole ten seconds before you burst out laughing, "BIWDKJEDLOJEDUBOQJDQ Kazuha no-"

Cue the confused child look.

"Xu Liushi has just found a terrible new way to torment me through teasing." You said with an eye roll. "He thinks he's funny."

"Teasing? What for?" Now he's curious.

"EM! Nothing!! Nothing of interest to you!!!! Eheheh...." You laughed nervously. For the love of Rex Lapis do not let it slip that he's teasing me about you. You mentally warned yourself.

"Are you sure?" The look in his gorgeous crimson eyes was a look of pure concern. "If you're not okay with it I can always ask him to stop."

Heart struck through with an arrow. "Oh archon's no- that'd only make it worse." You muttered.

"How so?" His gaze met yours, his lovely questioning eyes.

And so you did the logical thing and averted your eyes like the awkward simp you were. "Ehm, uh, no reason particularly... just maybe don't?" You batted your eyes at him in the most innocent way possible.

The male blinked and then nodded. You hoped he would just forget about it, but you sincerely doubted that. The question of why would brew around in his mind like a storm, and he's smart enough that he'll figure it out eventually.

Seriously, you should just confess. 

After you both finished your meals you decided to take a walk down to the docks.

The sun was setting, the breeze was cool, and the sky was clear. Perfect sunset, perfect weather, perfectly romantic. Perfect for a confession. 

Maybe you really should just tell him...

Chapter Text

You and Kazuha walked together in a semi-comfortable silence for a bit. You had suggested earlier, right after leaving the restaurant, that the two of you should walk towards the overlook along the path leading into the city to try and catch the sunset. Kazuha thought it would be a lovely idea and agreed. And thus the two of you began to walk. Nothing but the sounds of your footsteps and bits of overheard civilian conversations.

"But mama! Min said eating rocks was healthy for you!"

"Hey, brooooo, pass me sum more of dem alcoholsey bottles."

"Oh dear, that damned cat ate my plants again..."

"I'm a big scary dinosaur, RAWR RAWR RAWR! I eat people! Why? Because they have good nutrients! DUH! I don't eat the icky violet grass! And why is that? BAD NUTRIENTS!!!"

You chuckled to yourself at that last one and Kazuha smiled softly. 

As you passed through the gates the voices of the citizens slowly faded away and it was just the two of you. 

The walk was serene and calm at this time of day, and the overlook even more so. Something about the ocean made the whole feeling more intensely placid. 

You smiled and Kazuha smiled back. You both sat down and watched the sun slowly creep below the horizon. The lights in the sky began to fade and soon the stars leapt up to greet you. The moon took its place and the fireflies crept out of their hiding places and began to dance. Truly a romantic setting.

And yet something kept you from saying the words you really wanted to say. And something else made your eyelids extremely heavy. Your head nodded slightly and Kazuha took note of this.

"You can lean on my shoulder if you'd like." He softly spoke. 

Your heart fluttered and you happily obliged. Scooting closer you rested your head down and he brought his arm up around you.

"Kazu..." You mumbled. "What are your thoughts on love...?" Your words sounded off. This sort of stuff wasn't supposed to escape your lips.

He inhaled slightly. "I believe that should you ever find yourself falling, then you should let them know. Lest someone else may steal them away before you get the chance." His smile looked almost sad. "Not that I can talk."

"What's that supposed to mean?" You questioned him. Was he in love with someone? Who?

Kazuha wouldn't look at you. "It means... I have some regrets."

Wait- what now -?

Even if that wasn't what he had intended to sound like, it certainly came off like he was trying to see he was in love with someone who got taken from him.

Your heart dropped when you remembered the fact that he had once mentioned that he had left a friend behind in Inazuma, a friend he seemed too sad to talk about.

"If you could let them know now... would you tell them?" You sat up and tried to force him to look you directly in the eye. 

He paused for a long minute. "No... he seems happy as it is. I wouldn't want to disturb that." His eyes met yours. A message hidden deep within.

A message he wanted you to translate, but your mind was too distressed to even think.

Chapter Text

It didn't hit you until late that night that Kazuha had explicitly said "he" 

You were lying awake in bed- stressing out because that whole night had gone to hell. Do you know that little thing in your brain that forces you to repeat scenes of your life that you hate? Yeah, that's what was happening. Well, around repeat 217 you finally realised that Kazuha had specified someone male. Meaning all hope was not lost...

Maybe- just maybe- you could convince him to fall out of love with that person and in love with you? Phycological mind tricks? No? Hmmm... just be really attractive and alluring without employing the use of any snake-like little tips n' tricks.

Just be the natural beauty you are and charm him. It should be easy as eating a pie where instead of using flour it had rocks, and instead of using butter it had rocks, and instead of eggs, it had rocks, and instead of filling it had rocks. Okay so easy to eat as a pie made of rocks... with a flower on top to make it more aesthetically pleasing. Easy as a rock formation in pie shape with a flower on top.

Now, i n g e s t.

SOMEONE CALL A DOCTOR THIS CHILD IS EATING ROCKS, HELP.

In summary, very easy.

The rest of the night was spent overthinking every single detail of the entire conversation.

"Wow," Beidou said in a nonchalant way, "You look like shit."

You rolled your eyes. "Thanks, you too," You replied with an underlying tone of sarcasm. 

"Of course!" Beidou grinned. After a little bit more back and forth the two of you went your separate ways.

Almost instantly Xu Liushi jumped you. Like literally. You walked through the doorway and BAM big muscle man sitting on top of you.

"I sWeAr-" You hissed right before he stood up and pulled you to your feet. 

"Okay, okay, so how was your date~"

You deadpanned making your voice as innocent as possible, "What date?"

"Awwe cute-" He smirked, "you're attempting to play dumb. Don't even try. Now spill the tea."

Conveniently, sitting there on the table next to you was a cup of black tea that had probably been sitting there for a while. You looked at the cup, and then at Xu Liushi, and promptly knocked it over. 

You looked at him with a shit-eating grin "Tea. Spilt."

"... I'm not cleaning that up for you." Cue the mop being thrown at his head. "Seriously though, how'd it go? I got bored waiting to ambush you last night so I went to bed. Why were you out so late anyways? Surely you couldn't have-"

"NO! NOPE NOPE NOPE. NO. Get your mind out of the freaking gutter!" You seethed in a low, menacing tone. 

Xu Liushi threw his hands up defensively, "Alright, alright, alright, mind pulled out of the gutter. But I do wanna know what happened. So tell meeeee, pretty pretty please." He clasped his hands together and gave you the most ridiculous-looking puppy dog eyes you had ever seen.

"..."

"Pleeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssseeeeee"

"Nothing."

He blinked in surprise. "Wha-?"

"Nothing happened. We had dinner and look at the star for a bit. Nothing else. It's not a relationship, so just shut up and don't bother me about it." You huffed and took off. 

Tears pricked the corners of your eyes as you searched for someplace you could hide away. Ironically, that place was a closet. 

You sat in the dark corner of the closet taking deep breaths, trying to calm yourself down so you don't cry. To spare you from reading a paragraph about trying not to cry I shall just say this, it didn't work.

The tears stung your cheeks hot and heavy. Somehow you managed to bite back a full-on sob and just kept it at sniffles.

It wasn't very long before you heard steps coming towards your secret little closet. 

You sucked in a breath and forced yourself to fall silent. 

The door slid open painfully slow. You buried your face in your knees.

A voice spoke, "Are you alright?"

Chapter Text

Warm arms enveloped you in a hug. You felt so safe. You were already crying but the hug made the waterworks burst through. Like you were taking the phrase "cry me a river" a little too literal.

He didn't care though, and that was one of the beautiful things about him; you could cry forever and he'd always be there to hold you. How romantic.  

You sat there, being held. Just silence, your breathing, and his breathing - oh and sobs but who cares about that really?

Eventually, your cries calmed down and became little sniffles. You just squeezed your eyes just and gripped onto his shirt with your face buried into his chest. He became your grounding element. Blocked the outside world away so you could have a safe space to be free. And it helped, it really did. 

Soon enough the sniffles died down too so it was just your breathing, combined with his, and the beat of his heart.

You slowly returned from the haze and realized how you were actually sitting.

Noticeable thing one; you were on the floor.

Noticeable thing two; you were half out of a closet.

Noticeable thing three; you had been pulled into a hug so you were sort of half sitting in his lap.

Noticeable thing five; anyone could walk in at any moment and get the entirely wrong idea. 

Noticeable thing six; one of his hands was placed gently atop your head, the other wound around your back, holding you tightly in place.

Noticeable thing seven - the final thing; his scarlet eyes were watching you with concern.

Kazuha smiled at you, as warm as the goddamn sun, melting away all of your anger and sadness- peeling back the fear. With that, he slowly brought his lips to the top of your head and gave you a comforting kiss.

Your heart nearly exploded as you peeked back up and noticed the little blush Kazuha had on his cheeks.

A million thoughts swirled in your mind but only one was able to form into words. 

"Archons, you're perfect in every imaginable way."

Chapter Text

His smile. His fucking smile.

It lit up the room and outshined the sun, yet didn't burn. It was soft and gentle like the breeze, and cool like the ocean. You may not be a hero but that smile, that smile, is something you would kill to protect.

That smile had saved you, and you wanted to return the favour. You would return it, you just needed a way how.

Your world had slowed down the second after the kiss. Everything seemed to be in slow motion in your tiny little bubble. Slow motion and automatic; you hadn't even realized what you were saying until after it had been verbalized. "Archons, you're perfect in every imaginable way."

And that's when he smiled.

Oddly enough, your heart didn't start beating at the speed of light. Instead, it quieted in a way you hadn't thought was possible. At least not around Kazuha that's for sure. 

He chuckled, "I wouldn't say perfect. That title belongs only to you I'm afraid- and I refuse to let you give it away any time soon." He kept right on smiling.

Honestly, at this point, you weren't sure if he had no idea what effect this had on you or if he knew exactly and decided to pull at your heartstrings just to see you blush. You weren't quite sure which option would be better.

"I- I- I-" You stammered, not sure how to respond. 

Kazuha laughed again, "You don't need to respond," He said. "It's a simple truth so no response is needed. What you have to say about it doesn't change how true it is."

Ok, now your heart was speeding up.

You were at an utter loss for words. This man, the frEAKING MAN WAS MAKING YOU FALL EVEN HARDER THAN YOU ALREADY WERE! Seriously did not think that was possible for a simp like you.

Also,  I'd visit the very real possibility that you have a heart condition because speeding up that much isn't really normal

You locked eyes for a long minute. Just staring into each other's souls. His beautiful scarlet matched with your brilliant (e/c). 

Slowly, you sat up so he wasn't supporting your entire weight. You still kept eye contact of course, but still, your back was arched in an odd way and you needed to stretch a little. His steady gaze took your breath away so well that you had to manually remind yourself to breathe. Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale... Breathing's good for you so go do it.

All of a sudden Kazuha broke the contact and his head swivelled around towards the door. There is something sounding like... footsteps coming your way.

Footsteps???

Footsteps.

Maybe it's a fat cat? Or like a really big rat?

Not human...?

OK NOPE DEFINITELY HUMAN FOR THE LOVE OF REX LAPIS GO THIS INNOCENT CUDDLE HUG COULD APPEAR TO BE VERY VERY SCANDALOUS IN SOME PEOPLE'S EYES.

Without warning, Kazuha stood up and pulled you with him. His eyes darted around the room searching for a place to hide. Of course, there was only one logical place that you COULD hide in here. The uh, the closet. Man closeting yourself really sucks.

You grabbed his arm and stared pointedly at the closet. Following your gaze, the male quickly got the message and pulled you in with him without a second thought.

And just in time too, because right then the door slid open. "Hey, (y/n)? Are you in here man? Sorry about earlier didn't mean to upset you-" Xu Liushis's voice filled your ears.

Kazuha looked at you and then back at the closet door. "You should respond" he mouthed. He was about to open the door when he noticed the look of near-terror in your eyes and pulled his hand back. Instead, he wrapped you in a big hug and allowed you to bury your face into his chest. 

Tears pricked the corners of your eyes again as Xu Liushis's voice faded away.

The two of you closet buddies stayed silent for a long time after his footsteps faded away.

You lifted your face up to look the wandering samurai directly in the eyes. "Hey, Kazuha, what are we?"

Chapter Text

The morning dew settled cleanly on the grass, fog rolled over the hills, and the bird sang a peaceful tune. Two hearts synched up, beating perfectly together as the sun slowly crept into the sky.

Your head rested comfortably on his shoulder, your fingers perfectly intertwined. A small smile settled calmly on your faces. 

Finally, finally, you had gotten real. No more miscommunications or misunderstandings. The two of you had a discussion that brought it all into light, and goddammit you were so glad you did. After all the pining and simpery, you can finally just be two young fools in love.

Archons, Beidou was going to become a nightmare, and you didn't even want to think about Xu Liushi. It was going to be hell. Literal, actual hell. Hahahahahahahhahahahahahahhaahaha. But you know what? That's okay! Because now you have a (sort of) boyfriend who can beat up the teasers... maybe. Ok, he's probably too sweet to do anything like that, but it's nice to dream, you know?

The talk in The Closet™ really calmed your nerves and put you in a place of understanding. Kazuha liked you- more than just a friend- but wasn't sure if he was entirely ready for a relationship yet. But! He would always be willing to cuddle and hug- no. not Netflix and chill why would think that 

You understood where he was coming from and of course, were willing to wait, because if you really love someone you're understanding and make a compromise :)

And thus, sunrise cuddles were going to become a regular thing, whether it is on the overlook of Liyue city or the tip top of the Crux, you always had time for cuddles. 

---

Today was a 'lift-off day'. Basically, ship go see the sea... again. For the most part, all the supplies had been lifted into boxes and placed carefully into the ship's storage. Now, you weren't certain but you were about 99% sure half of said "supplies" was rum. But of course, you can never have too much rum on a pirate ship. Especially not one of Beidou's pirate ships. 

Speaking of Beidou, she had yet to find out about the whole maybe kinda sorta we're-in-a-bit-of-a-grey-area-here relationship between you and Kazuha- Xu Liushi had his suspicions, but wasn't entirely sure. As of right now, you're in the clear. No promises for how long that holds out though.

The last few boxes are just being brought aboard when one of Ningguang's secretaries (I can't tell them apart so now you can't either) races up to the ship. "Hey! Where's Beidou? I- uh- I have an urgent message from Lady Ningguang!" She announced, and then nearly doubled over while gasping for breath. 

You shared a mildly concerned glance with Kazuha before setting your box down and walking over to the secretary. "Captain Beidou's out at the moment, but I can get a message to her if you'd like." You offered sympathetically.

She smiled. "Yes please do," She reached into her pocket and pulled out a fancy envelope. "It's crucial that she reads this message before setting sail." 

"Oh- okay. I'll get it to her right away!" Man, this kinda feels like you're being sent away on a quest- ya know like you're the main character for a video game or something. It starts small then slowly evolves into some enormous problem that you have to save the day! Ha.

You nod determinedly and take the letter. "Beidou said she was going to Master Zhang's to pick up something... or something... I'm not entirely sure of the details, but she was going with the Traveller and Yun Jin. For like the contest going on or something I'd guess." You said to no one in particular. 

"There's a contest going on?" Kazuha asked.

"Mhm! Lady Ningguang is hosting it, the winner gets to ask her one special piece of information!"

"Oh."

You turned towards the direction of the blacksmith shop, "I'll be back soon!" You shouted as you ran off.

It took about 5 minutes to reach the shop. Lo and behold there stood the Crux's mighty captain (plus star opera singer and saviour of liyue but they're less important right now [we still love them though <3])

"Beidou! Urgent message from Ningguang!" You called. The brunette's head snapped up, she turned to you and wordlessly held out her hand. After passing her the letter you took a step back. Glancing over, you noticed the traveller and her flying companion were watching you with curious expressions. You smiled and waved at them before turning back to Beidou. Her brow was furrowed and she seemed dislpeased.

The captain let out a heavy sigh and muttered two words. "Well shit."

Chapter Text

Beidou muttered angrily all the way back to the Crux. It was so quiet you were barely able to catch anything she said. There were a few things here and there that you understood, but most of it was impossible to understand. "it's too soon" "not built yet" and "dangerous" were the three things you actually got.

"What's dangerous?" You asked. If there was something wrong that was stressing even Beidou out then it was a huge problem.

Beidou paused for a second and considered her answer. "Well... you remember when the Jade Chamber was sacrificed?"

"Yes...?" You said slowly. You could already tell you would not like where this went.

"Mhm, well, you remember that giant ocean god we sort of killed?"

"Yeah- wait. He didn't come back to life now did he?"

"Oh no, no that's not possible. What's actually happening is that we pissed off his wife and she wants to kill us." Beidou grinned at you.

You blinked. "If that's your way of being reassuring then you should never have kids." You told her. Beidou threw back her head and laughed.

"Oh (y/n) I practically already have kids." She patted your shoulder and continued to speed-walk to the Crux.

You just stood there, confused, for a long moment. What is that supposed to mean? Does she already have kids?? Then it dawned on you. "Oh." You said aloud. You were "the kids". Well one of them at least. Kazuha was probably another, and you wouldn't be surprised if those two kids, Chongyun and Xinqui, were "her kids" as well. Your face lifted into a small smile. You felt affectioned :).

At this point, Beidou was far ahead of you. You had to run to catch up.

"So, what's the plan then?" You wanted to be as prepared as possible for this.

"Our job is frontline defence. We're calling all ships and sailing out to greet the damned beast." Beidou always spoke so confidently. She always seemed to know exactly what she was doing and how she was going to do it. A true inspiration. "We'll have to hold it off for a while so Ningguang can prepare our secret weapon!"

You nodded. That's about all you needed to know.

"Alright, rally the crew on the Crux, I'll send out a warning to the other ships," Beidou commanded and all of a sudden she was gone.

Determined to do this right you headed directly on board and call the crew to attention. Quickly, you explained the situation and Beidous orders to everyone. The deck was in an uproar in about 2 seconds. Everyone was rushing around, preparing weapons for battles and getting the ship ready to sail.

You searched the crowd, hoping to find a certain someone in particular. Of course that someone had to be hidden away out of sight. An aggravated sigh escaped your lip and you shook your head, trying to clear all thoughts of him out. A near-impossible feat.

With all the commotion you didn't notice as someone stepped out onto the deck behind you. You felt an arm snake around your waist and the other around your shoulders. A head full of platinum blonde hair and a red streak now rested in the crook of your neck.

To say that your face was as red as a tomato right now was a severe understatement.

Kazuha didn't say anything for a second. Just stood there completely relaxed. After a minute he opened his mouth up and spoke in a whisper. "Stay safe for me." 

Chapter Text

The next hour was rushed and chaotic. Anxiety spilt over everyone on board, making the situation even tenser. You were scared and could tell everyone else was too, but you knew it was more important to take care of this. "Deal with it now and be terrified later." as Beidou might say.

Speaking of Beidou, she seemed to be the only one who was relatively calm. The thought of this helped relax your nerves. You were grateful for her strong presence and used it as an anchor as you went about the ship.

Currently, your job was to run gunpowder and extra cannonballs to wherever it was needed- and they were needed in a lot of places. The crew were shooting again and again- not even leaving enough time to cover your ears in between. The whole deck shook with the force of each shot. Combine that feeling with being tossed around in enormous waves and even you were starting to feel a little seasick.

You tried your best not to look up at the giant snake made of ocean screaming angrily above you but every now and then your gaze shifted up and your breath caught in your throat. It roared and screamed, trashed around like a toddler throwing a fit and threw around waves big enough to overtake even some of the bigger ships in port.

The cold air tore at your face as you rushed to bring another round of gunpowder to one of the far cannons. Your leg caught on a discarded broom and you came crashing to the ground. Pushing yourself onto your knees you took a deep shaky breath and stood yourself up. Pain shot through your ankle and you would have collapsed right onto the ground if you hadn't been grabbed by a very familiar pair of arms.

"Hey," His voice said softly. "I thought I told you to stay safe." Kazuha's eyes were filled with such warmth and concern, you smiled and held back the tears pooling in the corners of your eyes.

"I'm- I'm fine." You told him. You repeated it in your head, hoping it was true. You pushed yourself away from him and managed to stand on your own. "See?" You said with a smile. "The pain's already gone. I can walk."

"Are you su-"

"Yes, I'm sure! Now I'm also sure that your job isn't to be helping me stand on my own two feet so you should get back to whatever you're supposed to be doing. The sooner this is over the sooner we can go out for dinner and relax on your very first date!" In all honesty, you didn't really know what you were saying, and internally winced at the fact that it started off sounding so harsh. You hoped the ending made it seem softer- but it also made your face burn.

Kazuha blinked in shock for a second before grinning at you. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Be careful." And with that, he disappeared back into the mess of people, off to do his job.

A sharp breath left your lungs when it finally registered he was gone. You picked up your fallen gunpowder and began the rush all over again. Something felt different this time though, now your mind was plagued with pictures of Kazuha- normally that would be a lovely thing- but now it was scary. You didn't know what his job was, what he was doing, or if he was safe. It made the anxiety ten times worse to realize he could easily be hurt.

The shouting got louder so quickly that you dropped your gunpowder out of shock and covered your ears. It was weird for there to be such a sharp spike in noise- you turned around and easily saw why. A giant wave. A giant fucking wave was heading at top speed right towards the silly little boat in the silly little ocean.

Your voice quickly joined the screaming panic of all the others on board, but unlike the others, you didn't just freeze. You whipped around, your eyes searching the deck, looking for Kazuha. You spotted him at the far end of the ship looking around wildly and manage to lock your eyes together. He started pushing through the crowd towards you and you decided to follow suit and meet him halfway.

The wave got closer and closer, just like you and him. He pulled you into a tight hug and you squeezed back. If you drowned here and now then at least you'd be with him.