The night is cold and calm as you gaze up at the stars from the side of the ship. The sounds of the boat creaking and the water swishing are lulling your fellow crew members to sleep, but you can't seem to find enough peace for slumber. When you look back at the sea, you notice something floating atop the water. Or more accurately, someone.
You gasp and call out as quietly as possible. "Hello? Are you awake?"
He isn't conscious. You struggle to think of the safest option, so you decide to dive in the water, grabbing his arm and pulling him up onto the ship with all of your strength. The water is somewhat warm, but you still shiver from the sudden contact with it. You check for a pulse and sigh with relief at the fact that he's alive. However, he doesn't seem to be breathing normally. So, you lean down and give him rescue breaths, transferring your air to him. You just want to make sure he's okay. All of it distracts you from the fact that your clothes are clinging to your body now that they're soaked.
Once his breathing regulates, you sit up straight and exhale. You lose track of time, so you don't know how long it takes for him to wake up, but once he does, you immediately perk up. He begins coughing and you stare with concern. His eyes are closed, so he's not aware of the situation he's in. He's just confused because of the solid wood beneath him.
He sits up after finishing his coughing fit and he finally opens his eyes. You make eye contact with him and at the sight of his burning eyes, the dark skies of the night swirl into pink and purple, matching your feelings. Your eyes widen and you can feel your skin flare up. You fail to remember the fact that just a while ago, your mouth was on his.
"H-Hello! Are you feeling okay?" You stammer.
"Where... am I?" He asks. Your heart bursts because of his soft voice. He sounds so gentle.
"This is the Alcor...! The flagship for The Crux. I-I saw you drifting in the water so I... Yeah."
"I see... Thank you, for saving me," he says, though his eyes are solemn.
"It was no problem! I'm just glad you're alive! But... Do you remember what happened?" You query.
He's silent for a few moments. "...Yes. I was fleeing from Inazuma, and the storms destroyed my boat..."
"That's amazing... I can't believe you survived," you sit in awe, but you notice a certain familiar glint in his eyes that gives you an idea of why he might've fled Inazuma in the first place. You don't question him, since you know it's a difficult topic to talk about.
"I can't either," he sighs. "I wonder if one of the gods favors me."
"Hm," you hum. "If you want to get some rest, you can sleep in my bed. I can take you there now."
"I don't think I can sleep. That would cause unnecessary confusion, anyway."
You nod and look up at the stars, seeing the gorgeous purple swirls still stuck in the sky. This boy that you've rescued suddenly realizes you never introduced yourself, and he didn't tell you his name either.
"What's your name?" He questions.
Your gaze snaps back to meet his. "Sorry! I should've told you before. I'm Y/n L/n. And who are you?"
"Kaedehara Kazuha."
You almost squeak. His name suits him, as far as you can tell, and it sounds beautiful. This handsome stranger has the prettiest name you've ever heard.
"Can I call you... Kazuha?" You ask nervously.
"Of course," he smiles, causing your breath to hitch. How is everything about this boy so pretty?
"It's nice to meet you... Kazuha."
"It's nice to meet you, too, Y/n."
You lift your head up to stargaze once again, and Kazuha notices how the moonlight reflects in your eyes. This reminds him of the times when he used to observe the stars with his beloved friend.
"...Do you know what time it is?" He inquires.
"Uh..." You narrow your eyes at the sky. "By the looks of it, it's probably around... 3 in the morning."
"You can tell just by looking at the sky?"
You shrug. "I stay up late a lot, so I know what the sky looks like at certain times early in the morning."
"Do you have trouble sleeping?"
"Yeah, I get nightmares a lot."
It goes silent again. The sounds of the boat rocking and the water pressing up against its sides fills your ears. You close your eyes and feel exhaustion catching up to you at last. You lean your head against a wooden crate, which Kazuha takes notice of. He begins feeling his energy draining as well.
You open your eyes and glance at him. "You should sleep, Kazuha."
"...I'm certain that I'll have a nightmare tonight."
"You still need rest," you say, lifting your head away from the crate. "I don't think sleep deprivation is going to increase your odds of having a good dream."
He looks down at his wet clothes. "Yeah..."
You smile sadly at him. "You can sleep on my shoulder, if you want."
He turns his head to gaze at you. "Really?"
"Of course!"
"Won't that cause you some sort of discomfort?" He queries.
"Not at all, don't worry about it."
"Okay..."
He hesitates, so you take the step for him and reach over, putting one of your hands behind his head. You guide him to your shoulder and after a minute or two, he finally relaxes. You rest your head against the crate again and subconsciously take hold of his hand. His hand is cold, but yours is warm. He basks in your warmth and squeezes your hand, making you smile.
You close your eyes. "I'll let Captain Beidou know what happened in the morning. But for now, let's battle off each other's nightmares, shall we?"
