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dqv-writes-stuff · 2 years

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My First Fic! It's a Kazuha x Reader

{ Smoke in my Lungs }

A Kazuha x GN!Reader Fic

TW: Angst, Smoking, Addiction

Summary: You are the owner of a local flower shop in Inazuma. You started your business under a fake name to evade the Shogun’s vision decree. Also, you have a Cryo vision.

A/N (Author’s Note): Hi. No, I don’t know if Glaze Lilies are for funerals, it just kinda made sense. Also, I worked as a florist and still do as a part-time job, so all the flower-related jargon should be pretty accurate. Also I really dislike the use of “y/n”so it won’t really be used in this story.

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Chapter One

You never imagined yourself becoming a florist, but since starting your business out of desperation and convenience, you’d grown to love your work. At first, it was a feat for you to keep even the heartiest of plants alive. You had even somehow managed to kill a succulent. You think it may have had something to do with your Cryo vision, which was inlaid in a necklace you never took off. It was always tucked under your shirt for fear of it being stolen.

However, now three years later you have made quite the progress. You’d grown into a relatively successful small business with a consistent clientele. Despite being a native Inazuman, you’d struck a deal with the ship captain who visited you every once in a while. You gave her Naku weed -a local delicacy which was banned in Liyue and Mondstat-in exchange for seeds of flowers you couldn’t get your hands on here because of the Shogun’s trade embargo.

This was how you found yourself handing Sweet Flowers and Dandelions to one of your regulars, on a typical Tuesday afternoon. He was an old man with a round face and wrinkles from a lifetime of smiles. He bought this exact bouquet for his wife every week.

What a lovely husband! You thought, wondering if his wife ever grew tired of the same gift.

This thought was quickly dismissed when you heard the little jingle of the doorbell. Your eyes flitted to the outline of the man standing before you, his body slender and agile. You took a double-take and suppressed a shy smile as he approached the counter top. You were surprised by how short he was, but his height was oddly endearing. His face was plastered with a somber expression and his presence brought a heavy weight into the shop that wasn’t there before, as if the air had suddenly become thicker.

This shift in mood immediately killed any flicker of interest you’d had in the man, well, mostly. You shuffled nervously, rubbing the sore spot on the back of your neck with your hand. He stood at the counter, patiently waiting for you to initiate the conversation.

Noticing your mistake, you cleared your throat and fumbled your words.

“Hello there, um, how can I help you today?”

The man’s eyes were a dull amber color, as if he were a mere shell of a person. He looked up, not quite meeting your gaise. He mumbled something you couldn’t make out, and reached to his hip for a sack of Mora.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t actually catch that, sir. Could you please repeat yourself?” You managed to get out in your best customer service voice.

“A dozen Glaze Lilies, please.” He said, his voice smooth like butter. He had the sort of voice you could picture telling stories around a fireplace, or soothing you to sleep after a nightmare.

Glaze Lilies, while beautiful, are reminders of tragedy. They can only grow where blood has been spilled, which you had learned to your dismay. Many small cuts and bandages later, you had grown your first Glaze Lily. Since then, people who ordered them usually arrived to pick them up in all black, since Glaze Lillies are a standard offering at funerals.

The man’s dismayed expression certainly matched his order, you mused. Jotting down his order in your store ledger, you habitually bit at the skin around your fingernails. It was a bad habit you had picked up as a child and had latched onto ever since. You had managed to tame it over the years, but whenever you were anxious you tended to fall back on your old habits.

You continued going through the usual motions of an order. “And your name sir?” You held eye contact with the man, noticing the bright red streak in his hair.

“Kaedehara Kazuha.” His tone was not snappy or ill-mannered, but rather short and to the point.

Your attention snapped away from your customer when you felt your cat, Juniper, brush against your leg. He let out a loud yowl, demanding for you to pay attention to him.

“What do you want?!” You let out impatiently, not looking up from your ledger. You heard a faint “mrrow” from Juniper in response. Sighing, you finished filling out the details of the form.

“Baby boy, not right now, okay?” You leaned down and picked up the creme colored menace, holding him gently in your arms. “Sorry, that’s Juniper. He’s quite needy.“ You apologized with a warm smile. Turning back to face Kazuha, you were surprised by the sudden flush that had crept onto the man’s cheeks and ears. Maybe he got second-hand embarrassment from the way I talked to my cat? You wondered.

“Um.. excuse me, would you mind if I pet your cat?” Kazuha asked, unsure if this favor was too much to ask for.

“Of course!” You replied, happily. “He’s quite the attention whore, help yourself.” You turned and walked to the backroom after sweeping aside the tapestry that hung as a curtain to separate the shop from the storage area.

Startled by your coarse language, Kazuha chuckled to himself. This was a much needed distraction from today, and he was grateful for that.

You returned a few minutes later, arms full with the bouquet. It was about average size, with a wrapping of clear film around the flowers, held together by a soft blue ribbon that you’d put extra care into making look beautiful.

Kazuha was sitting in one of the plush chairs you had in the waiting area, with Juniper snuggled up in his lap, a purring fluffy mess. He was softly stroking Juniper’s back, telling the cat what a good boy he is.

You chuckled at the sight and accidentally startled both the man and the cat. Kazuha’s ears reddened with embarrassment.

“Oh, excuse me. I didn’t think anyone was there.” He wouldn’t look you in the eyes, his face tinted with a light dusting of pink.

“It’s alright, I tend to love all over any animal I come across as-well.” You smiled at the man whose complexion was slowly returning to normal. “I have your order ready, sir.” You traded him the cat for his flowers, noticing Juniper had shed all over his nice robes. “Oh, sorry about that. Let me go get something to fix that with..um, are you okay?” Midway through your offer for help you noticed his somber mood had returned, as if a switch had been flipped in him.

“I know this is rather unprofessional of me, but what’s the occasion for these flowers.. or rather, did something bad happen?” You asked tentatively, not wanting to pry but for some strange reason you had the intense desire to comfort him.

Kazuha took a deep sigh and you saw that empty expression on his face again, so vacant but at the same time filled with so much regret and loneliness. He started to form a sentence then swallowed it down. “It’s the anniversary of my friend’s death.” He said, looking at the floor.

“Oh.” You felt awful now, instantly regretting your question. “I’m so sorry…is there anything I can do for you?” You weren’t good with grief or grieving people for that matter. Fiddling with the chain of your necklace, you set Juniper down on the floor with a soft thud.

Kazuha bit the inside of his cheek, as if in thought. “I know this is a lot to ask, especially of a stranger, but would you mind accompanying me to his grave? I just.. can’t be alone today. And you remind me so much of him, I think he’d love to meet you.”

You were taken aback at his sudden request, but more than happy to comply. “Oh, yeah, of course. I’d be more than willing to.” You smiled softly and walked across the room to flip your “Open” sign to now read “Closed”. It was getting pretty late anyways, and all of your pre-orders had been picked up that morning.

Five minutes later, you had locked up the shop, turned off the lights and were walking in silence together. Your hands were stuffed in your coat pockets, and his were gently carrying the bouquet.

A few more minutes passed and you two were there. A small monument lay in an alcove with a ray of moonlight beaming through. Kazuha laid the flowers beside the monument and sat down on the grass. You joined him, a concerned look framing your face. He sighed, his head between his knees. He started to quiver, the ground beneath him wetting with his tears.

You scooted closer and silently rubbed his back as he cried. When he looked up, his face was red and blotchy, his lips trembling.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t’ve dragged you here.” He apologized. This was your breaking point. You wrapped your arms around the weeping boy. Your act of kindness was well-received, and Kazuha returned your tight embrace. You felt your shoulder moisten with his tears but didn’t mind. Softly rubbing the crying man’s back, you felt at peace with the world, even if it was only for that one moment. The pitter-patter of rain was suddenly audible, and you felt that it fit the night’s somber mood.

And for the first time, in a long time, you finally let yourself cry.

In the rain, and the cold, and the night, two strangers sat huddled together, wrapped in each other’s arms, seeking comfort; all their troubles overflowing into the rain that poured from the sky in sheets. The air rumbled with the faint sound of distant thunder on the horizon.

The moon shone down on the pair, engulfing the two of you in a seraphic glow, as if the archons themselves were attempting to shroud you from the raging storm outside. You opened your eyes, and saw Kazuha looking back at you, a pained smile on his lips.

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