Chapter Text
A joint mission between the Yashiro commission and the Akademiya was in it's early stages. The Dendro Archon wanted to investigate the strange happenings in the Chasm and had asked well-connected forces in other countries for support.
Looking to better international relations after the abolishment of the vision hunt decree, the Yashiro commission had readily responded to that call.
And that's how the Kamisato Clan's very own housekeeper, Thoma, capable as he was, found himself sent out to hold a preliminary investigation. He was currently at the first checkpoint within the Chasm, underground, waiting to join up with his investigation partner.
They were apparently someone the Dendro Archon had picked out herself, so he could expect them to be competent, at least.
"Oi. Are you the one I'm supposed to work with?"
Slightly startled by the voice that had sounded right by his ear, Thoma turned around to face a young man wearing a blue ornamental hat. And matching blue Inazuman clothing. Huh.
Thoma smiled at his temporary partner amiably. "That would be me, yes! I'm Thoma. Looking forward to working together!" He held out his hand for a handshake. The shorter man seemed to scoff at his gesture, but shook it anyways. "Let's get going," he said as he walked past him, further into the depths of the chasm.
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His investigation partner didn't talk much. He didn't seem fond of small talk, and even when asked for his name only replied with "Just call me as you please."
So they had been trekking through the Chasm in relative silence, apart from the occasional skirmish with treasure hoarders and Fatui, who seemed to be in just about every nook and cranny Teyvat had to offer. "Useless trash as always," the blue-clad man had said while finishing off yet another Fatui agent.
Thoma didn't really mind. While he did enjoy chatting with various people, he also knew how to appreciate the silence, especially with the steady progress they were making. His company would also rather get this over with quickly, if his brusque "Walk faster, slowpoke" was anything to go by.
While he was slightly taken aback by his tone, he didn't read into it. It just seemed to be the way the other was used to speaking.
Thoma was pulled out of his thoughts by a simple "Wait here."
Puzzled, he stopped walking as his companion started hovering where he stood and shot forward and out of sight with incredible speed.
After a good few seconds had passed, Thoma heard the sound of fighting from up ahead. Going by the noises, the opponent wasn't human, and also possibly the target of their inspection.
Deciding to follow after the other man, he ran towards the slowly weaker growing sounds. Were they getting further away?
The blonde realized his misinterpretation when he arrived at the scene. The noises hadn't grown fainter because they were moving away during their fight, but rather because his investigation partner had already finished off the opponent.
Thoma stepped closer without caution. While he didn't know what the mushy blob on the floor had once been, it was clear it wouldn't be able to do any further harm.
He let out a whistle. "You're strong."
The bluenette scoffed. "Something like this isn't a worthy opponent for me."
He released his hovering state and the second his feet touched the ground proceeded to hiss as he almost toppled over.
Thoma was by his side in an instant, easing the other into a seated position before he even realized what was happening. Thoma hadn't been able to tell from afar in the nearly nonexistent lighting, but now he could easily make out the gash on the other's porcelain white leg. The monster must have grabbed him, trying to tear him down from his position in the air.
It was only when Thoma gently came into contact with his leg to inspect the wound that the nameless man snapped out of his momentary stupor, roughly shoving the blonde away.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
"I'm trying to treat you. That looks like a pretty bad injury to me. I'm used to treating people, don't worry," he said as he unfastened his water flask from his belt. While there was a river right next to them, he didn't trust the water with all the contamination they had seen on their way here.
"No thanks. I don't need help," his unwilling patient said while attempting to get up.
Thoma grabbed his arm, trying to pull him back down. His companion was more unstable on his feet than anticipated, because he easily came crashing down, pulling the blonde, who was crouching, with him - right into the water.
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They were lost. They had been sucked underwater by a current, and by the time his investigation partner had managed to haul them both out of the water with his anemo powers, they were in a completely unfamiliar area.
After catching his breath, Thoma slowly sat up and turned his head to the other man, who was surprisingly - or rather unsurprisingly - quiet. They were both completely drenched, and his clothes clung to his body uncomfortably. The bluenette didn't seem to really mind, if his apathetic expression was anything to go by. Thoma noticed how lithe his body was, even more so than he would have thought.
"What."
Apparently he had stared for too long, the other's - blue? purple? - eyes on him in an intangible gaze. He was finally seeing them properly now that the hat obstructing his view was gone, probably forever lost in the underground waterways .
The taller man coughed. "I apologize."
The gaze lasted for a few seconds longer before he closed his eyes with a sigh. "Look at what happened just because you wouldn't leave me alone."
Thoma blinked. Somehow...
"Why are you laughing?" his companion asked, sounding both curious and slightly offended.
The blonde stifled his laughter and collected himself. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have forced you."
Something in the other's gaze changed.
"It's fine," he huffed, averting his eyes.
The ensuing silence was somewhat comfortable; until a shiver wrecked Thoma's body and reminded him of the fact that they were completely and utterly soaked.
A quick look around told him there was nothing he could use to make a fire. Sighing, he decided to peel off his wet upper garments at least, before settling down close to the bluenette who was eyeing him owlishly.
With a small flick of his wrist he procured a flame in his palm, answering any questions the other might have had. His indigo eyes reflected the deep orange flame as he stared into it.
Thoma studied his face. He had thought the other man to be on the pretty side already, but in the flickering light he looked positively ethereal. The Kamisato housekeeper was rather used to pretty faces, considering the two people he worked for, but the person in front of him gave the word "beautiful" a whole different meaning.
While letting his eyes drift over the bluenette's delicate features, he realized his eyebrows were scrunched together, a complicated expression on his face.
Thoma blinked. Was the other... embarrassed? He couldn't really read him, but for some reason he felt that he was right in his assumption. He decided to have mercy on his obviously inundated companion and cleared his throat.
"I still don't know what to call you. Is there a reason you don't want to tell me your name?"
The bluenette seemed to think for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.
"I used to have many names, but none of them matter anymore." Thoma met his gaze to indicate that he was listening. His nameless partner held eye contact for a few moments and then abruptly looked away.
"I did receive a new name, but... It doesn't hold any meaning to me at present. So you may call me as you wish."
Thoma stared into the flame in his hand as he pondered over what to call the other. While they had only known each other for a few hours, it didn't seem right to just arbitrarily decide on a nickname.
He let his thoughts wander, his observations of the other mixing with familiar sights from the Inazuman landscape he was used to seeing daily. He thought of his lithe body, porcelain skin, deep eyes. Fragile things, fleeting things, pretty things. Whisked away with the wind; the vision the other held.
"... Sakura," he mumbled, the name rolling off his tongue with a contemplative lilt.
"... Hah?"
His companion stared at him, bewilderment and slight offense mixing in his gaze and masking the subdued curiosity behind them.
"Sakura," Thoma repeated, with certainty in his voice. "I think it suits you very well." He had to suppress a smile at the indignation in the other's eyes.
"Last time I checked, that was a girl's name. Not that I care about that particularly, but why would you choose... that, of all things?"
The bluenette's unwillingness to say the name the blonde had chosen for him almost made him snicker for some reason, and he had to quickly mask it by clearing his throat.
"Saku, for short. I think it's a very pretty name," he coughed again, slightly embarrassed at what he was about to say, "just like you."
The other man - Saku - gaped, evidently at a loss for words.
He then furrowed his brows, staring back into the flame in Thoma's hand. "I don't understand you," he mumbled. The blonde, who was now very sure that this expression signified embarrassment, didn't miss the slight reddening of the other's cheeks even in the flickering shadows the flame cast.
Thoma felt his heartbeat accelerate at the sight. He was distinctly aware of the sound of his own breathing in the quiet surroundings. An unknown, but not unpleasant feeling crept into his heart, making him unwillingly focus his gaze back on Saku.
He was met with the eyes he was now sure were the prettiest he had ever seen, making his heart stutter in his chest. He quickly glanced away, guilty like a kid caught with it's hand in the cookie jar.
Thoma felt a strange attraction to the other man. He hadn't noticed it before. Or maybe he had? It might have been the light, the atmosphere it created in the dark of the stone surroundings. He couldn't help but want to stare at the bluenette, marvelling at his appearance. He had never found a man to be pretty, but maybe Saku was an exception.
He looked towards the other man - only to find him to be observing Thoma intently. Having being caught, Saku's cheeks flushed an even deeper pink than before. It was still subtle, but the blonde could tell. Was he also embarrassed to have been caught staring?
Thoma slowly reached out his other hand. Maybe...
Saku didn't flinch when the blonde's hand gently touched his cheek. Those indigo eyes gazed straight into his, inexplicably grounding him.
Thoma knew he could still pull back. Play it off as a silly joke. But he didn't want to. He felt like he would definitely regret it.
Ever so softly, he brushed his thumb against the other's cheekbone. "May I?"
Saku's gaze flicked to the blonde's hand, then back to his face. "What is it... that you're trying to do?" Thoma could feel the blue haired man's cheek growing hotter under his touch.
Thoma leaned towards him slightly, trying to swallow his fraying nerves. "I want to kiss you."
He almost stumbled over his words, but didn't waver even under Saku's carefully blank stare.
One second passed. Two. Three...
Thoma let out a breath, trying to ignore the disappointed feeling crawling up his throat. "I'm sorry. I don't usually do this. I probably got caught up in the moment-"
He started to pull back his fingers from the other's cheek but stopped dead in his tracks as two hands suddenly grabbed his face and pulled him forward.
It was over before he even had time to realize that the other's lips were pressed against his, the blonde's heart left thundering in his chest.
Saku averted his eyes as he pulled away. "Was this all you wanted? You really are strange."
They continued to sit around the fire, the only sound Thoma could hear being the erratic beat of his own heart. Despite that, it was a comfortable silence. If their bodies were a little closer than before, neither of them mentioned it.
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Back in Inazuma, Thoma stared up at the sakura petals slowly spiraling to the ground. He smiled, an official notice from the Akademiya in the name of the Dendro Archon held firmly in his hand. They would meet again soon.