It was a late evening in Inazuma. The weather was calm, and nothing could be heard except the sea's waves and gusts of wind.
I was just about to go to bed, when the front door knocked.
I slowly opened it, and a figure stood in front of me. He was holding a small bag, and his face was painted with a light pink tint.
"Oh," I glanced up and made eye contact with the well known samurai. "Hey, Kazuha. How are you?"
Kazuha smiled and stepped closer towards me.
"I'm doing well, thanks. And you?"
"Not too bad... is there anything I can help you with? I wasn't expecting anyone to come over at this hour."
I didn't intend to sound rude in any way, but it had been a long day and I was not far from being fully exhausted.
"My apologies," He started. His soft, comforting tone would definitely put me to sleep. "Part of my usual clothing got cut up during a recent battle. My first thought was to come and visit my good friend, as well as the best seamstress in Teyvat. Would you be able to sew them back together?"
A flattered grin grew on my face and I agreed.
"Of course. Pass them to me."
Kazuha placed his torn clothes on the table next to me. They were completely sliced up - but luckily they were fixable.
"Oh, wow, you weren't lying when you said these have been in battle. What were you fighting?"
He took a seat next to me and watched as I smoothly sewed them back together.
"I ran into some Nobushi this evening, and it seems I wasn't prepared enough for a proper battle. It was troublesome, to say the least."
It was nice to have a conversation with him while I worked. He was a smooth talker, and always had something interesting to say.
"Ah, really? Did you get hurt?"
I asked, looking up at him from time to time. He nodded, which surprised me.
"Yes, only a scratch. Though it was my fault for not working hard enough."
"I doubt that is the case. Do you need me to get a bandaid or anything? I don't want you to get sick from an infected cut.
Kazuha smiled at me. It warmed my heart, but it seemed he was uninterested in my offer.
"No worries. You are already sewing my clothes back together, no need to overwork yourself."
"I'd gladly overwork myself if it meant your health was good, Kazuha. It's really no problem."
At that point, I was nearly finished sewing anyway.
Kazuha shook his head once again.
"I'll get it. Where is your first aid kit, if I may ask?"
I pointed towards a separate room.
"It's just there."
---
After Kazuha had left that evening, he started to show up every day at the exact same time. Not because he needed clothes to put back together - instead he just wanted to chat.
"Good evening, Y/N."
The same calming voice rung in my ears. The samurai walked in, a smile painted on his face - until he looked around.
"Hi, Kazuha..."
I visibly noticed how his smile dropped as he saw what was placed around the room.
"Can I... ask you a question?"
"Ask away."
"How have you managed to sew all these together in just a few weeks...?"
That was the question I was dreading.
"Uh... boredom."
I couldn't even make eye contact with him. It was obviously a lie, and just to my luck he saw right through it.
"And the truth?"
I sighed and gazed at him.
He was wearing the same clothes that I fixed for him, and that made me feel some sort of sorrow.
"For just over a week now, I've basically had no customers except you visiting me... I'm getting worried because I haven't made any mora, I haven't eaten or slept properly for the past few days and the time to pay rent is coming up..."
Kazuha's eyes widened and he instantly pulled me into a hug. I was taken by surprise but I didn't pull away - I hadn't felt the warmth in a long while.
"Oh, Y/N..." He whispered into my ear, putting me at ease. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I could've helped you then."
"I felt selfish. And I didn't want to be a burden." I mumbled in response. Kazuha pulled away from the hug and looked into my eyes.
"You'll never be a burden. Ever. Just.. next time, tell me. How about this - come and stay with me and Beidou on the Crux. We see many amazing sights, we fight, sometimes even drink until dawn, hehe... but we don't need to worry about mora."
"I'd love to, but... won't Captan Beidou be-"
Kazuha shook his head and took my chin into his hand.
"Captain Beidou will love to see you. All I need is a yes, and we can leave here tomorrow morning."
I smiled at him.
"Okay, yes."
"Great..."
I noticed his eyes weren't looking into mine, instead they were looking at my lips. My heart started to pound and Kazuha realized so with my heavier breathing.
He laughed under his breath.
"May I?"
Without hesitation, I nodded.
He proceeded to lovingly press his lips against mine. I felt butterflies, embarrassment, and even love... but I knew I felt safe with him.
I also knew I had fallen in love with the samurai.
