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stormii-writes · 3 years ago

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not meant to be || farewell, love writing collab

【writing event by】: @versadies

【summary】: you were walking through the woods, completing one commission or another, when you come across the traveler and his companion. You quickly become close to the mysterious man, but there are still lots of things you do not know about him...

【character/ship】: gn!reader x dainsleif

【prompts】:

“kill them/him/her.”

“you don’t love me, do you?”

“i hate you! i hate you so much!”

【warnings】: angst, slight gore, spoilers for both dainsleif archon quests(chasm and we will be reunited)

【word count】: 8356 words

【author’s note】: this is my first time writing angst and reader-insert fics, so i’m not sure how well it turned out,,, but i hope you like it! i was really inspired by the prompts and immediatley thought of dainsleif lol

...it all starts at the beginning...

You two had met through the traveler.

You were walking through the woods, searching for Wolfhook berries for a commission you had accepted, when you stumbled across the two men. Aether smiled and gave you a quick hug, happy to have seen you again after so long. He'd been busy with saving the other nations, and you… well, you'd been occupied with running errands for people, getting your pay as an adventurer, and waiting for something interesting to happen.

So when you saw the man with your friend, dressed in unusual clothing, with an equally unusual demeanor, you instantly became curious.

Aether introduced you, and you shook the man's hand, albeit a bit awkwardly. Dainsleif… you thought as you each went your separate ways, after some small chatting. He came from a faraway place and used to be a sort of 'knight' for some royalty.

I don't think he likes me… you later complained to your friend, but Aether assured you that that was just how he behaved.

The second time you met, things were less awkward. You had been bargaining with Marjorie for a trinket or other when you heard someone call your name. "Diluc…?" you wondered, turning, only to notice Dainsleif approaching. Your eyes widened in surprise. He was the last person you were thinking would be here.

After exchanging formalities in front of a confused Marjorie, he asked what you were up to. You told him that you didn't have enough mora to pay for something you needed, so you were trying to convince the seller to lower the price, but to no avail. She wouldn't go lower than 10% off, no matter what arguments you brought.

Dainsleif put a hand to his chin, thinking, and then, a moment later, told Marjorie he'd buy 5 at the original price. You gaped, shocked, as he completed the transaction and handed you the items. The woman bid you goodbye, all smiles, probably happy with her pay, but all you could do was stare at the man who was now leaving.

You realized you'd soon lose him if you didn't run after him now, so you sprinted and caught up fairly easily, as he wasn't walking that fast.

"Why would you do that?!" you had asked.

"Hm? Do what?"

"Pay for my items..?" you had explained, a bit exasperated.

"Ah. That… I just wanted to help. I'm not in need of mora, and you're an… acquaintance of mine, so I saw no problem," he had replied, still walking.

You had grabbed his arm to stop him, and he turned towards you. "How can I pay you back?" you asked, all seriousness.

"…there's no need," he had simply said and went on his way again. You were not about to give up, though, so you followed him around the city, offering different ways to repay him, each crazier than the last. It had become a game: you, trying to convince him to accept something, and him, refusing everything. In the end, you hadn't managed to repay him, but he did crack a smile at one of your suggestions, which you considered a win since getting emotions out of him was rare. Your banter slowly turned into a normal conversation, and you were glad to say that you two clicked pretty well. Your awkwardness had faded, and you were able to discuss freely.

Something you were a bit embarrassed to admit was how you had stared at him for two long and had forgotten what you were talking about. He does have a pretty face and beautiful eyes… you thought, before snapping yourself out of it and trying to continue the conversation as if nothing had happened.

After that encounter, you met him much more, mostly around Mondstadt. He usually walked around with you, Aether, and Paimon, talking or just enjoying each other's company. You'd grab a drink or a snack and then they'd be on their way, going whoever knows where to do whoever knows what.

About two weeks later, you got a message from Aether. He had left it with Katheryne, and she handed it to you when you came to claim your rewards.

Come to the Chasm! We'll be waiting for you down. We've already explored a bit, but I remembered you said you were aching for an adventure!

- Love, Aether

You roll your eyes at the final words, but still think excitedly: Finally, an adventure! It had been a while since you had last tagged along on Aether's quest, and you were glad to have a reason to get out of Mond. This was how you arrived in front of The Chasm, looking for a miner to help you descend into the gaping hole.

"Are you sure it's safe?" you ask for the millionth time as the shabby elevator descends. The man rolls his eyes and assures you, once more, that the lift is safe enough, just as you reach the bottom. He ushers you and then goes back up, leaving you to look at the menacing cave system. What can you even call this? You wonder. 'Cave system' doesn't sound right…

As you walk deeper and deeper, you hear someone call your name. You round the corner and come across Aether, Paimon, and Dainsleif, who you hadn't expected to be here.

He's always where you expect him the least… you think with a small sigh, before smiling back at them, waving, and picking up the pace. Dainsleif raises a hand to greet you as well just as you reach the group.

"Hi guys, how are you…" your voice trails off as you notice the blood on Aether's chest. You gasp and run to your friend, inquiring about the wound. "Just how did you get this, Aether?!" you ask, your tone accusing and worried at the same time.

"We might or might not have run into some enemy knights while exploring…" he responds, chuckling lightly.

As you fuss over him, trying to make sure the wound is healing properly, you fail to notice Dainsleif's expression darkening. He starts feeling grumpy all of a sudden, even though he was happy at your arrival but quickly brushes it off.

"Didn't I tell you to keep healing potions on yourself at all times? You've gotten way too arrogant, mister!" you chide Aether while checking for infection.

"I've already taken care of everything," you hear Dainsleif say. "Come on, we've got places to be." With that, he turns and starts walking away. You exchange a glance with the traveler, rolling your eyes, but he just shrugs.

All four of you start walking in silence, the atmosphere awkward.

"So… what do you think about the Chasm?" Aether asks you.

"Creepy," you say simply. Dainsleif doesn't comment but continues walking in front. Aether and Paimon sigh and the traveler approaches you, touching your arm and asking, "Everything alright?"

You look at him and hesitate, before releasing an angry puff!

"What's his problem!?" you reply, throwing your hands up. "One second he's happy, the next he rushes his hurt friend along? UGH!"

"Well," Aether scratched the back of his head, thinking of the right words to calm you. "You know how he is… grumpy all the time. Plus, I'm ok now!" he smiled softly.

You cast him a glance before sighing in defeat. "Maybe it's just me… and I'm overthinking it…" you think out loud, just as you see Dainsleif stop in place before a ruined building. Aether nudges you along.

"This is the place we reached before I sent the message," he explained. "We've already gone up and cleaned the place of monsters, as well as learned some…" he sucked air through his teeth, "…weird stuff, to say the least."

You look at him curiously, wondering what he was talking about, but your attention is taken by the high building you can only guess used to be a tower, vines snaking up through holes and over walls. It's so high… You can barely see the top. Dainsleif comes next to you as you gape at the once-impressive structure. You can feel his gaze on you, so you turn.

"Whatchu' looking at?" you ask, trying to keep the earlier anger from your voice. He quickly averts his gaze.

"Nothing…" he replies, "…just wondering if you can keep up," he adds, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

You decide to take him up on the challenge. "Oh you bet, old man," you smirk and sprint through the building, on the stairs, and across the branch that connects it to the other structures, not even knowing if that was the right way.

Aether and Paimon watch you two racing to the top and they both sigh. Paimon crosses her arms.

"One moment they're mad at each other, the other they're racing like some school kids," she says, shaking her head. Aether chuckles and adds, "It's like they're already married…"

The two companions follow after you, albeit at a slower pace.

~~~

You stop in place, face red and breathing shallow, trying to calm down your racing heart. Dainsleif catches up quickly, having stayed not far behind you.

"I… won…" you pant, putting a hand on the wall to support yourself. Dainsleif says nothing, and you raise your head to look at him. He doesn't look even the least winded, and you narrow your eyes at the knight.

"Hey! You let me win on purpose, didn’t you?!" you accuse him, putting a finger to his chest and pushing slightly. He raises his hands defensively and tries to hide his smile.

"I wouldn't dare~," he says as he looks away. You look at him again, eyes still narrowed, before sighing and straightening. "If you say so…" you comment.

Just then, Aether and Paimon rounded the corner and came into view. The traveler took one look at you and approached. "You look tired, do you need to rest?" he put a hand to your shoulder.

"I'm fine!" you reply cheerily, then run over to Dainsleif, who had already started walking away. He glances at you but stays silent. Your footsteps are the only sound in that old building. Then, you both say "sorry about earlier" at the same time, and you chuckle, then fall silent again.

"Soo… how've you been?" you say in an attempt to start a conversation.

"Not much… mostly fighting the Abyss Order."

"Oh." You're about to add something when you stumble across a group of unconscious hilichurls.

"Are they-" you turn to Dainsleif for confirmation. He nods gravely. "There were some other fighters here, but we took care of them."

You continued walking for a while, Dainsleif telling you about the curse of Khaenri'ah's people and the involvement of the traveler's sister in this grand scheme. You can't help but sympathize with the poor creatures. How will I ever complete commissions again while knowing this…? You think sadly.

You snap out of your thoughts to look at the chamber you're now in. It's a wide room with no holes in it except the one you came through. It is the same as the multiple other rooms you've seen today, but the structure in the middle attracts your attention. It looks like a fountain or a… well? You start approaching it, mesmerized, when you feel someone grab your wrist, bringing you to a halt. You turn to look at the person, and you see Dainsleif, frowning.

"Be careful. There might still be some Abyss Order monsters around…" he says. Aether nods as well. "Dain's right. I'll go check it," he adds as he starts for the center. He lifted a hand to touch it-

It lit up!

You hear a scream behind you and Dainsleif falls to his knees, grabbing his head in pain.

"Am I too late?" the knight says through gritted teeth.

You drop beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Dain, Dain! Are you ok? What's happening?!"

He raises his head and looks at you, eyes unfocused. "They're in agony…" He shuts his eyes closed, sweat gathering on his forehead. You look around, desperate for a way to stop his suffering, and see Aether sprinting back towards you, just as another man, a knight, stumbles towards the well, almost tripping on his way.

Dainsleif opens his eyes and tries to go after the man. "Halfdan!" Understanding suddenly blooms on his face. "No, don't do it…" tears well in his eyes as the knight throws himself on the beam jutting from the fountain, stopping whatever magic it was spouting. Dainsleif collapses, his breathing heavy, and you help him lean on the wall.

"I thought he would've turned to ashes in an instant… Halfdan's soul is extremely resilient," he says. You're about to ask if he's okay, when an Abyss Lector enters the room, startling you. Aether summons his sword.

"Meddling foul! Encumber us no more…" the creature says in a voice that sounds like a hundred beings talking.

"Don't you have a greater encumbrance to worry about?" Dainsleif chuckles. "Come on, this is your grand opportunity to get rid of me."

The Abyss Lector turns towards you and the knight, murder in his gaze. "…Dainsleif!"

The man beside you turns to Aether. "Take him out, and deactivate the device!" he shouts.

"I'll help him!" you offer, and Dainsleif makes a move to stop you. "No. I can take care of myself, Dain. I've fought beside Aether many times in the past!" you say and run towards the creature, not waiting for an answer.

The Abyss Lector looks at you and fires a ball of electro, and you dodge by rolling to the side.

Aether charges from behind, hitting the enemy with his sword and then dropping a boulder on top of him. The Lector angered, sends out a big explosion, and shards of electricity fly in all directions.

You get out of a shard’s way and look back, worried about Dainsleif being hit. Just then, a shard impales in your thigh, and you cry out in pain.

Aether looks at you, determined to help, but Dain shouts at him to take care of the Abyss creature. The shard dissipates into a puff of electro, leaving a trail of blood behind.

The knight calls to you to get out of the battle, but you wave him off, making another attack at the lector. Between your slashes and Aether's elemental hits, you manage to beat him into putting up a shield, which meant he was close to being defeated. Your strength was ebbing fast, and the wound wasn't helping. You almost fell a few times but decided to keep going, much to Dain's displeasure.

One last push and… your thoughts trail off as your vision clouds. You suddenly feel dizzy, close to fainting even. You look down at the wound in your thigh, which was throbbing slightly. Okay, I'm not stupid, this is enough fighting for now… You've lost way too much blood. Plus, Aether can finish the shield alone, as you can't summon elements to react with the electro shield.

You hopped to Dainsleif, who was currently glaring at you. Deciding to ignore him, you sit down and search for a strip of material you can use. Maybe I should rip it from my clothes…

You're about to try to get one from your shirt when you hear a ripping sound and feel someone wrap a piece of fabric around your thigh. You see Dainsleif, kneeling in front of you, tying the material to stop the blood still flowing from the wound. "You've lost way too much…" he mutters as he applies more pressure.

Having finished that, he raises his gaze toward you. "You look pale…" he put a hand to your cheek, then grabbed your hand in his. "And your skin's clammy," he frowned. You tried to ignore the blush rising to your face, but you're too dizzy to truly register anything.

"What do we do now? The Abyss Lector's gone, but the device won't stop…" Paimon says worriedly from near the well. "And Halfdan…" you hear her almost sob.

"Let me take his place. The cleansing won't have any effect on me," Aether says with determination. You weakly raise a hand to object, just as Dainsleif gets up and marches toward the traveler. "No," he says. "As long as the device is active, the cursed are rendered powerless. Only you can take on the Abyss." Dainsleif crossed his arms. "If you value his sacrifice, do not waste any more time here," he pointed to the portals that you haven't noticed until now. "See all these rays of light and portals? They must've installed several of these energy devices in various locations. Find them! Quickly!"

"What about… them?" Aether pointed to you. You pushed yourself up, almost tripped due to the rapid movement, but steadied yourself against the wall. "I'll be fine," you say. "Somebody has to stay and take care of poor Dain, no?" you smirk teasingly. Aether doesn't smile back. He just nods and starts for the portals.

"So we have to… go through these Abyss Portals?" Paimon asks before she realizes Aether has almost gone through the first one. "Hey! Wait for Paimon!"

Dainsleif steals a glance at you and walks over, sitting down and leaning his head on the wall, eyes shut. You follow suit, feeling a little awkward. You fidget a bit before sighing.

"Are you feeling better now?" Dainsleif says suddenly, looking over at you.

"Hm? Oh, uh, yeah…" you stammer a bit. "It's just that… I can't help but feel useless staying here while Aether and Paimon fight those… monsters," you add.

The knight sighs heavily. "You can't help others when you're hurt. Focus on healing yourself first, then assist others."

A few moments of silence follow… and then, "You're pretty good. At fighting, I mean," Dainsleif comments.

You whip your head to look at the man. Had he just… complimented you? And on your fighting, no less, something he looked to be against when it broke out. You smile in return and thank him. The rest of the time passes in silence, both of you trying to regain their strength.

About 20 minutes later, you hear voices.

"So, that's it, right?" Paimon says as she comes into view, Aether close behind her.

Dainsleif gets up and dusts off his clothes. "The burning sensation has indeed stopped…"

Paimon squeals excitedly, "So we managed to stop the Abyss Order's plan of reviving Khaenri'ah?!"

Aether glances at the corpse of Halfdan, sadness in his eyes. "But… Halfdan…" he whispers. "He seems to have breathed his last…"

Dainsleif slowly approaches the device. "Let me check…"

You get up and go to the two companions. Aether notices you and asks how you feel. "Way better," you respond. "But Dainsleif…" you sigh.

"…he must be really upset," Paimon says, completing your thoughts. "Of all the ways to be reunited with a former comrade after so long… This must be rough…"

Dainsleif approaches you three and shakes his head. "Let's go," he says simply. You feel the need to say something, anything to comfort him, but your mind goes blank. From the look on Aether's face, your friend feels the same.

Just as you thought it was all over and preparing to go, a light shines from behind you. You see Halfdan's soul, in the form of a simple human. All of you gasp, and Dainsleif approaches the man, who salutes.

"Apologies, Captain Dainsleif, Twilight Sword," he says, "back then, I failed you and I failed to protect our people."

"No," Dainsleif replies, "for 500 years, you have faithfully done your duty. To this day, I am proud of you all," he saluted back.

Halfdan hesitates, then adds, "Khaenri'ah didn't fall, did it? Since you're still here…" he smiles softly. Dainsleif nods as the knight's soul dissipate in a trail of light. "Correct…" he mutters.

You and Aether watch in reverence. Dainsleif joins you, and Aether puts a hand on his companion's arm. "I'm so sorry…" he says.

The knight shakes his head. "No. We must leave the past and move forward. Ensure that what happened before will not happen again." You notice his expression darkening and wonder what he's thinking about.

Aether turns to you. "I would like to go deeper. There might still be mysteries we have not yet uncovered, and I'd like to take the opportunity to do so while the Abyss Order is still recovering."

"I should go rest," says Dain, and you nod your approval. "As much as I'd like to come with you, Aether, I must recover as well," you add.

"Well," Aether thinks for a second, "I'll see you off then!"

~~~

"I'll miss you! Please send me some letters of your progress," you say as you embrace Aether and move on to say goodbye to Dainsleif. "Will do," the traveler replies, letting go of you. "Hey, Paimon too!" the fairy shouts and flies over to you, giving you a quick but warm hug.

As you turn to Dainsleif, you notice that the knight has somewhat of a sour expression. "What happened? Brooding again?" you ask teasingly. He shakes his head with a small smile. "Just thinking about some events…”

"You should try being more cheerful," you reply. "Well, I'll see you around… I guess?" you say, unsure if you should hug him or not. "You too…" he replies and extends a hand. You shake it, a smile growing on your face. "Bye guys!" you wave as you walk away, ready to crash in bed.

Aether and Dainsleif wave back, and, once you're out of sight, the traveler turns towards his friend. The knight groans, already knowing what to expect as Aether waggles his eyebrows. "What was that about?" he asks teasingly.

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Oh, you definitely know what we mean!" Paimon all but squeaks. "You were panicking so much over them getting hurt," she laughs.

Dainsleif huffs and looks away. "I thought you had somewhere to be?" he asks pointedly. Aether shrugs and calls to Paimon. "You're no fun, Dain," he says, sighing, though he did notice the knight's ears had become a bright red. He chuckles under his breath as the traveler and Paimon go into the Chasm yet again.

~~~

A few weeks have passed, with no contact with Dainsleif. You've met with Aether and Paimon, but neither of them knew where the elusive knight was. You decided not to let it affect you.

Now, you are doing commissions, trying to get some more resources, as well as your daily pay. You finish off the towers and decide to go back. There was no need to fight the monsters as well.

Should I use the waypoint…? You wonder. Aether had taught you how to teleport, and, to your surprise, it worked. It seems that traveling with him had rubbed some elemental magic on you, or at least that was your reasoning, aside from the multiple other theories you had about the traveler's past.

Just as you're about to touch the waypoint, a hand grabs your shoulder. You yelp and turn back, ready to strike the monster you thought was waiting for you. "Dain…?" you ask, mouth agape. What's he doing here? You notice him trying to suppress a smile at your surprise. Just then, an arrow flies directly toward you, but Dainsleif raises his hand and destroys the arrow mid-air. You marvel at the colors that followed his power. Dark blue, swirling with purple and multiple other colors you couldn't quite place.

"Were you planning on destroying the towers and fleeing, just like that?" he raises an eyebrow in challenge. You scoff.

"Of course not. I was just resting a bit."

"Resting? I didn't know you got tired that easily…" he said in teasingly. He's in a really good mood today, isn't he? you think. It's very unusual, but I could get used to this.

"Let's see if you can do it better, old man!" you taunt.

"Not the 'old man' insult again…" he sighs. "Fine. Challenge accepted," he adds and quickly sprints over to the closest hilichurl, cutting it in half with a blade infused with power. I wonder what element that is…

You snap out of your thoughts as a berserk hilichurl charges you, and dodge to the side, hitting it from behind when it passed you. You run up to another one and slash at it with your sword. It doesn't manage to parry because of the crossbow in his hands and fires an arrow that was too hurried to actually hit you. The fight continues like this, you and Dainsleif fighting sometimes back to back, other times on different sides of the battleground. You finish off the last hilichurl, and you find yourself panting. The man approaches you.

"That was fun," you say to him.

"It was. I haven't fought like this in… well, it's been a while," he explains.

After a second of silence, you say, "You're much livelier than before… Did something good happen?" you inquire.

"I've been rested pretty a lot these past few weeks, and also finished taking care of some… loose ends, I guess you could say."

You fidget slightly. "Want to come with me to the adventurer's guild?" you ask. "I've got some commissions to claim."

Dainsleif nods and you two start for the waypoint. He touches it, and you instantly get teleported to Mondstadt. You two walk together to Kahteryne to request your daily rewards, catching up in the meantime. Apparently, Dainsleif hasn't done much in his 'vacation', but you have a few stories to tell him. It was awkward at first, seeing as you hadn't seen each other in more than two weeks, but you quickly warmed up to each other.

"Ad Astra Abyssosque! Thank you for completing your daily commissions!" Katheryne says cheerily with a smile, then asks, "Oh, who is that gentleman with you? Is he the man that you met with in the Chasm?"

You blush slightly and throw a frown Katheryne's way, but she just smiles back. "Katheryne, this is Dainsleif. Dainsleif, Katheryne," you gesture to the woman. "Now that I've claimed my stuff, we'll be going," you add.

"Have a nice day!" Katheryne sends another smile your way. You push Dainsleif along and go on your way, letting out a sigh.

After a few seconds of silence, Dainsleif asks, "You… told her about me?"

"W-well not about you specifically… I talk to her every day so I recounted our adventures in the Chasm," you stammer slightly. Dainsleif nods and mouths a small "ah", then you both stay quiet while walking towards the gate. You stop before exiting the city. "…want to go get a drink? It's been a while since I've gone to Angel's Share," you explain your sudden request. Dainsleif agrees and you start for the tavern. As you walk, you say hi to Donna and Flora, and stop when Quinn calls your name. You tell Dainsleif you'll come back soon and go see what the man needs.

Meanwhile, the knight approaches the little girl selling flowers. He scans the flowers and, having found the ones he wanted, told Flora his order and quickly paid. You come back to see him holding a Cecilia in one hand and your favorite flower in the other. He approaches and offers you the flowers, putting one behind your ear. Your breath hitches as his hand brushes your hair aside, and you blush slightly.

"You remembered," you mutter. You had told him your favorite flower when you were walking around the city a few weeks ago, before the Chasm adventure. You don't understand something, though. "Why Cecilia?" you ask, curious.

"It reminds me of Inteyvat, the flower from Khaenri'ah," he explains. "If you took it out of its territory, it would never wither, but if you brought it back, its life cycle would resume."

"Wow…" you marvel. "I bet it was beautiful."

"It was," Dainsleif says softly. "Ready to go?" he then asks. You nod and start towards the tavern again.

You enter and see a red-haired man at the counter, cleaning glasses. You cheerfully walk to him and he greets you. "Hello Master Diluc!" you say and wave, sitting down on the chair and beckoning Dain to come closer. "How is business?" you add.

"Fine as usual, thank you. How have you been? Any interesting adventures to recount?" he asks, curious.

"Well, there is one… Oh, by the way, I don't think you've met my friend, Dainsleif!" you say as you gesture to the knight who was sitting down.

Diluc looks him up and down. "Oh, I've seen him before. You were here to talk to the traveler, correct?"

Dainsleif nods curtly. You then request your order and chat a bit with him while waiting. Once it's done, you go upstairs, waving back to him. "I'll see you around, Master Diluc!" you smile and then choose a table. "Are you ok with sitting here?" you ask Dainsleif, who had been quiet all this time. He nods.

"Sorry for that… It's been a long time since I've last seen Diluc, and we had a lot to catch up on," you apologized.

"I don't mind it. He's your friend, after all," he replied, taking a sip of his drink. "You seem to know a lot of people in Mondstadt…" he continued.

"Well, I've spent my whole life here, in the City of Freedom, so I've definitely met most people who live here. Some like me, some don't…" you explain. "Have you ever been to Inazuma? Or Sumeru? Fontaine? Natlan maybe-" you ask, excited to talk about other countries.

Dainsleif chuckled. "I've visited all of those, though I can't say I've gotten to know them much. What do you want to know? I'm willing to tell you most of what I know, but I've got to say that my opinions might be biased…" he trails off at your excited nodding and clears his throat. "Well then, if you insist…"

~~~

You and Dainsleif are walking outside Angel's Share. You had been talking long into the evening, and it was nearing 10 PM. However, you don't want the day to end yet. It seems that he feels the same because you had only walked a little when Dainsleif turned towards you.

"Do you want to… go somewhere?" he asks, hesitating slightly.

"Sure!" you reply. "Got a place in mind?"

"There's a place I think you'd like… Right here in Mond."

You chuckle. "I don't think there's somewhere in Mondstadt I haven't been, Dain."

He smirks and starts walking. "Challenge accepted." You sprint a little to catch up and resume your previous conversation. You feel very free with him, being able to talk about whatever, and he'd never judge you.

Once, when you let your hands fall to your sides, they brushed against Dainsleif's and you quickly pulled away, hoping he wouldn't notice the blush rising to your cheeks. You didn't dare look at the man, though if you had, you would have noticed how his ears had become slightly redder than before.

Finally, you arrive at Starsnatch Cliff. You glance over at Dainsleif, chuckling lightly. "I've certainly been here before," you say.

"Wait until we get to the top," Dainsleif smiles softly and you start walking again, marveling at the beautiful Cecilia's growing there. Halfway to the top, Dainsleif stops you by grabbing your arms and covers your eyes with his hands. You jump slightly, taken by surprise at the gesture, and can't help but blush again. I've lost count of how many times I've blushed today… you think to yourself as the knight carefully guides you to the top of the cliff.

"Ready?" his breath is warm against your ear as he whispers to you. You only nod in response, and he removes his hands. You gasp at the beauty of the night sky and the stars glittering and reflecting in the water. "It's… beautiful…" you whisper, not wanting to disrupt the silence of nature. After taking it all in, you turn to Dainsleif.

"Thank you so much for bringing me here…" you say. "I don't come here often, especially not in the middle of the night…" you hesitate. "…with someone else…"

Dainsleif smiles warmly. You've never seen him like that, and you get butterflies in your stomach, realizing how much you care about this man. He comes next to you to watch the stars shimmer. You two sit down, and you take the opportunity to glance over at him, admiring him openly in the moonlight. Suddenly, you feel bold, so you move your hand to his and intertwine your fingers before you could change your mind. You hold your breath, afraid of his reaction, but when he doesn't pull away, you sigh contentedly and lean your head on his shoulder. You hear him chuckle. Such a beautiful sound…

Suddenly, you remember the two lovers who always stay here, guarded by that other person, and imagine yourself in their place, smiling at the sight. You look at the sky and think about how lucky you were to meet Dain and to have such an amazing friend as Aether. If something happened to any of them… you think, but stop yourself before it ruins your mood. I shouldn't think like that during such a pleasant moment.

You feel your lids closing on their own, the tiredness of the events of the day catching up to you. You mutter a small "I love you, Dain," before falling asleep. Your last thought was, oh, I forgot to ask him about Snezhnaya… and then the welcoming darkness of sleep overwhelmed you.

Dainsleif glances at you with an expression of wistfulness and places a small, quick kiss on your forehead. "I love you, too". He's afraid about what's to come and wonders how best to proceed but decides to focus on the moment. Who knows when I'll be able to enjoy this again..?

~~~

You wake up at your apartment and yawn. How did I get here… Oh. Dainsleif woke you up a while after you had fallen asleep on his shoulder and helped get you home, then went to his own. Happiness fills you up as you think of the knight you watched the stars with. I wonder where he is now? Come to think of it, you never asked him where he was staying…

You go through your daily routine and go out, planning to ask Katheryne if she had seen Dainsleif. Instead, you see the man in question talking to the receptionist. You approach, excited, but slow down once you get closer, feeling the urge to hug him, but not wanting to be too direct. You come up to him and greet Katheryne, then turn to Dainsleif, unsure of what to do. Perhaps sensing your hesitation, he opens his arms and you happily oblige. After the quick embrace, he asks you how you slept.

"I slept like the dead," you chuckle and feel Katheryne's gaze on your back. You turn to her, but she just smiles innocently. You decide to change the subject. "So… what were you guys talking about?" you ask.

"Oh, I was just inquiring about some recent Fatui operations in Mond. We wouldn't want them to get out of hand," Dainsleif explained.

"Are you sure it's nothing too serious? I could help out a bit…" you offer.

"No, everything is under control. As long as they behave, it should cause no problem," the knight shakes his head and motions to you to follow him. You wave goodbye to Katheryne and go after the man. "Did you want to… tell me something?" you can't help but feel a bit worried.

"Yes, I have to… go away for a bit," he says softly.

"But you just came back!"

"I know, I'm sorry… but duty calls," Dainsleif explains. You feel sad, but decide to let it go. You can't force him to stay if he has important things to do. "I'll miss you…" you mutter.

"Me too. I'll try to send you letters every once in a while, so you don't forget me," he chuckles.

You put your hand to your chest in mock offense. "How could you even think that!" you say, then laugh. "Of course I won't," you add, this time with a genuine expression. "Do you know when you'll come back?" you ask, hopeful.

He shakes his head. "No. It could be days, weeks, or months."

"Well then… Can I at least see you off at the border?"

Dainsleif nods and you two start on your way, defeating the occasional hilichurl or abyss mage. You pass Dawn Winery and stop at the lake. "So…" you start, "guess I'll see you another time?"

He scratches the back of his neck. "Yeah…" Neither of you knows what to say. You hesitate and then place a peck on his cheek. He freezes, and you push him softly as a blush rises to your face. "…you should go…"

That seems to wake him out of his shock, and he waves as he starts walking away. You stay there until he's out of sight, then head back home. I should do my commissions for the day… you think, trying to distract yourself from your longing.

~~~

3 months later…

You finish your 4 daily commissions and speed back to Mondstadt. You approach Katheryne and request your rewards.

"Ad Astra Abyssosque!" she says with a smile. "Thank you for completing your daily commissions!"

"Thanks, Katheryne," you reply, returning the grin.

"What's gotten you so excited?" she asks before you can go on your way.

"Dainsleif is coming back today! I got a letter yesterday saying he'll be back today afternoon, at the place we separated last time," you explain happily.

Katheryne's mouth forms an 'O' and she nods. "I won't keep you then. Best of luck to you too!" she waves and you return the gesture.

You check the time. You'd rushed through your commissions and daily routine, and it was still around 11 AM. I've got more than an hour or so to burn… you think impatiently. You think about where you could go to spend the remaining time. Aether isn't in Mondstadt right now, if I remember correctly…

After thinking for a while, you settle on going to the Dawn Winery. Diluc might be there, and it's also close to the meeting place. I should check Angel's Share first, though.

With this plan in mind, you go to the tavern. When you enter, you see only Charles serving a few customers, but no sign of Diluc. He must be staying home today, then. The road to the winery will be a bit long, but you have lots of time to spare. You go on your way immediately, though.

Half an hour later, you're almost at your destination. You slowly and carefully glide down from the hill and reach the manor. You raise a hand to knock when the door opens to reveal a frowning Diluc. You smile sheepishly and his expression softens once he realizes who's standing in the doorway. "Welcome, what brings you here?" he greets you.

You explain the situation to him. "Well then," Diluc says after you're finished, "what would you like to do?"

You go through some suggestions with him and decide on a few. A bit of training, coupled with some grape gathering and helping around the manor. It was a nice way of spending your remaining hour, but you can't wait to go meet your… friend? …boyfriend? You blush slightly at the notion. I don't even know what we are… you think and chuckle. We'll discuss things like this when he comes.

You say goodbye to Diluc and go down to the lake. You slow down as you reach the canyon with the stone arch, suddenly feeling anxious and afraid. What if he… doesn't love me anymore? I feel like I'm being stupid for thinking this, but I can't help but worry… 3 months is a very long time…

You try to snap yourself out of those thoughts. The letters he sent should be enough confirmation, but it was also easier to lie through written words. You sit on a nearby rock and wait…

and wait…

Half an hour has passed. You think about going back, that he wouldn't come. There's still some time before evening, though… your rational side says, but your heart thinks only about the fact that he'd abandoned you.

Suddenly, you hear some noise. The sound of boots on soil and clothes swishing. You look up, expecting to see a hilichurl, but instead, see a person standing in the archway. You gasp, not believing your eyes. Dain…! Your heart skips a beat as you gaze at the beautiful man that's just a few paces away.

Dainsleif, who had been looking somewhere behind him until then, turned towards you, and he smiled. You suddenly get emotional and run towards him, barreling into the knight and hugging him tightly. At first, he was taken aback by your reactions, but he soon wraps his arms around you.

"I missed you so much…!" you say through tears. "I-I thought you wouldn't come and I was-" you stop short when he raises your head, wiping a tear from your cheek.

"Shh," he whispers softly. "I'm here now."

Both of you fall quiet. You look into his eyes, the ones you missed so much. They look sad as he stares back, and you wonder what he'd gone through during his absence. All of a sudden, Dainsleif dips his head slowly and places a kiss on your lips. You kiss back, trying to make up for all of the months he'd been gone. Around you, birds fly as the sun moves low, and some time passes before you both pull back.

~~~

Dain has been acting weird these past few days… you think, a week later, as you pass by Katheryne. He seemed more nervous and serious, though you couldn't imagine why. Nevertheless, he behaved well with you, and you were happy to be able to spend as much time with him as possible. He'd been going on 'errands' much more lately, but at least he'd always come back by evening.

Katheryne waves to you and you approach her. "Are you looking for Dainsleif?" she asks and you nod. "He looked lost in thought when he left Mondstadt," she explained. You're taken aback, but thank Katheryne for the information, and go on your way.

He left Mond? You wonder. He said he had something to do In the city, but then he goes out?

You look at the list of commissions you'd grabbed from the Adventurer's Guild receptionist. Maybe completing them would help clear your thoughts? I might also see Dain somewhere…

It's decided, then. You choose to grab Flora's flowers from Dragonspine first. A bit of chill might help, you chuckle and go on your way.

You collect two of the three plants and arrive at the three when you hear voices. You hide behind a mound of snow tall enough to conceal you and listen closely.

"…you think the traveler found out about our mission?" a male voice asks. "He always seems to get wind of our plans."

Are they talking about… Aether?

Another person, a man with a deeper voice talks next. "Could it be that… the so-called 'knight' is leaking information?"

Knight? You wonder. Dainsleif calls himself a knight… But there are many people out there who are 'knights' as well… What are the chances they were talking about him? You almost scoff, but stop yourself before the two hear you.

"…don't trust him…" one mutters, and you lean closer to get a better look and hear what they were saying. "Anyway, the traveler won't be able to interfere anymore once we're through with this," the other snickered.

I must warn Aether! You think and get up slowly, when a small fox runs between your legs, making you trip and throw snow around. The two fatui soldiers turn abruptly. "Who's there!?" one of them shouts and they both close in on you. You quickly get up and draw your sword. One of the fatui growls and takes out his gun, while the other one gets a hammer. He swings it at you, infused with electro, and you roll to the side while grabbing a bunch of snow. You slash at him and throw it in his face, momentarily blinding him. A bullet grazes your shoulder and you hiss in pain, drops of blood dropping onto the pure white snow. You glare at the fatui who had shot you and charge him, managing to get a hit and draw blood. The other one, already recovered, kicks your leg from under and makes you fall face-first on the cold snow. You turn over to see the two hovering over you. You grab some more snow and hurl it into both of the fatui's faces. They shout and turn, but slowly enough to give you time to sprint away. You pant slightly and think about what to do. Should I run back to Mond? That seems like the best choice. However, there's one problem. The only way to get away from here is to go through the two fatui or jump from very high up. Gliding might help, but you don't want to risk getting lost in the blizzard that is sure to come. Taking the path is the best option. You turn to the two who are now in position, ready to fight again. You sigh and make a run for it, managing to dodge a bullet that had come your way. You almost pass the two with success, when you hear a very familiar voice follow a pair of footsteps. You stop in shock.

"What's with all the noise?" the voice says in a cold tone.

The two fatui take advantage of your surprise and the one with the hammer hits you straight in the stomach. You cough and drop to the ground.

"I thought I had told you to keep a low profile-" the person growls before gasping lightly. Your eyes meet and you gasp as well. You didn't want to believe it, but now that you've seen him…

"Dain!" you shout desperately. "What… do you mean?"

His expression becomes neutral, even annoyed. You look at him, shocked. How could he have put that façade on so quickly? You wonder. Maybe this was just a ploy to get the fatui to reveal information…? You hope against hope.

He walks around you, saying nothing, and approaches the soldiers. "We caught this one snooping in on our conversation, my lord," the one with the gun salutes. My lord…?

"Is that so…" Dainsleif says coldly, no waver in his voice. You feel tears start to form, but keep them back.

"Dainsleif!" you shout in a strong voice. "What are you doing?" you try to keep your voice steady, but it doesn't seem to work. "Are you really going to betray the traveler like this?" Has he been giving Aether's information to the Fatui?

Dainsleif remains silent, his back to you.

"My lord… shall we silence them?" one of the soldiers asks. Dainsleif says nothing but turns towards you, a glare in his eyes. Where is the warmth he used to greet me with…?

You struggle to your feet, but fall back down and cough blood. "Why aren't you saying anything?!" you shout. He continues to approach silently and puts a hand to his chin.

"I didn't think you'd intervene in my plan…" he mumbles, more to himself than anyone else. You feel a surge of anger. "I was only thinking of keeping you around as a safety measure in case Aether realized something," he explains.

You glare at him, feeling adrenaline and anger course through you, and manage to get up and look him in the eye. "I loved you!" you shout. "I still do…" you wipe away tears. "And you betray us? Me? To the fatui?! Were all those moments we shared together… fake?!" You cough again and stain the snow, then fall to your knees. I'm losing way too much blood to keep going for long…

"You don't love me, do you?" you ask, not ready to give up. Dainsleif bends over and grabs your chin, bringing your faces close as if to give you a kiss. Is he-

He pulls away. "So naïve…" he says. "The fatui have given me the opportunity to make sure no god ever destroys another nation… I wouldn't give up my life's work for a nobody," he walks back a bit.

Your tears start spilling freely, and you feel them hot against your cheeks. "I hate you, I hate you so much!" you scream with rage and grab your sword, which was lying close by. "You'll pay for deceiving me and Aether!" you try to attack him, and the fatui get close, ready to defend their master. "My lord…?"

Dainsleif raises a hand to stop them. "No. I'll deal with them," he says and comes closer to you.

"Don't come any closer!" you scream and wince at the wound. Dainsleif glares at the two fatui who were ready to intervene again. You fall from the effort and look into his cold eyes. "You… are a monster," you say through gritted teeth and stare defiantly, ignoring the ice spreading through your body. Come on, I dare you to kill me. "I wish…" you add, coughing, "I wish I never met you." Dainsleif merely stares at you, unyielding, and turns to the fatui. "Kill them." he simply says.

Your eyes widen and you shout again, but to no avail. The last thing you see before your world goes black is Dainsleif, the man you gave your heart to, walking away without looking back.

~~~

Dainsleif walks away from the scene and takes a flower from his belt. Your favorite flower. He inhales its perfume and then throws it on the ground, walking over it.

"Farewell, love," he whispers without so much as a glance back.

The End.

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