☆*:.｡Genshin Playlist Oneshots

Hot and Cold | Thoma & Ayato

Playlist by GreatDain:

Thoma furrows his brows, thick dark lashes partially obscuring his viridescent eyes painted the colour of grass after an autumn rain shower. His hands, the scent of the honey hand cream he packs in your purse, encircle around your wrist. The grip is barely tight, careful of bruising you, but it serves the purpose of keeping you at his side all the same.

"Sir, with all due respect, this is too far." The blond's voice is lower, all perkiness in his tone is washed away by Ayato's amused expression. The beauty spot by his chin moves upwards with the bemused smile that contorts his usually passive face.

"I'm making a deal, Thoma, you do not need to interfere, understand?" His voice is honeyed, but Ayato speaks in such a condescending manner that if he told Thoma to sit like a dog instead, it would make no difference. "This is between the CEOs only."

"Mr. Kamisato, you're making this deal extremely difficult for me." You remain calm, your chin up to prove that although he physically looks down on you, he'll be kissing your feet by the time you're through with him. "Your new race track in Mondstadt is by a tourist honeypot, think of the conflict you'll cause. Photographers from all over the world visit all year." As the manager of Kamisato Autos, Ayato manages the racers and the construction of the new track given to the pro racers after a generous donation from a mysterious donor. But you, the manager of the nature reserve near the supposed track, cannot allow such loud activities near the rare animals.

"How often will your track be used to gain profit, Sir? Every time you hold a winning match? Inazuma is hardly known for their racers." Ayato sucks in a breath, before regaining his composure and flashing you a saccharine grin. You suppose that the way he tilts his head very slightly and the cute crinkle of his eyes is the main culprit for getting the rest of the business managers wrapped around his finger. Two can play at that game. You smile sweetly, your eyes blowing wide to show how innocent your face is, "Oh my, I apologise for my inconsiderate words."

"Oh it's quite alright, Ma'am. Sometimes we slip up when our mouth moves faster than our brain. Racing is a very fast sport, I don't expect you to keep up." Thoma tugs at your sleeve, your best friend from childhood, who previously warned you about Ayato after becoming a racer for him. "Surely, you know a thing or two about racing, hmm? Why not have a match with me? If you lose, you and I will have to talk about this subject further. I am a busy man, lots of people wait for this opportunity, Ma'am, but all you have to do is drive slowly and forfeit a bit of your pride." You blink, the view of the open windowed office of Inazuma's Kamisato Autos, the path of the fluttering of sakura that descends in the summer breeze outside interrupted by your eyes shuttering.

"Darling, you think I race? If I'm going against you, I'm playing to win. Quite an uneven playing field for such a powerful man." You laugh, monopolising the cadence of your giggles to make it sound especially demeaning. Ayato smirks, but the violet of his eyes rumble with thunderous fury at your bravado and polite sass. Thoma squeezes your wrist, a warning not to mess with his boss, judging by the deer in headlights expression on his face.

"No, darling, but seeing how you have one of my racers curled around you like a puppy, I'm sure he can race on your behalf, right Thoma?" His words are dripping with a teasing lilt of condescension for Thoma. All the silent fury piled up for you bursting out like a tsunami towards him, the careful look towards you, confirming your hypothesis: Ayato is using your relationship with Thoma as a weapon.

You look at Thoma, "Are you okay with that?" Your voice sheds all sense of business-like stoicism, the comforting warmth of summer heat soothing the ice cold streams of Ayato's calculating words. His eyes blaze with furious competition, the usual cheery, boyish boisterous nature of his game face simmering to ashes under the pressure of the turbulent tension in the room.

"I'm perfectly fine with it," His voice is an octave lower, a blazing defence that covers for the trembling in his hands, "You're going in my car." Thoma demands, but he hesitates, realising he hasn't asked for your opinion. He has never done such a thing before, ordering you. Thoma has always been a very giving person: cooking for you, accompanying you to your lessons when you were in school together, helping you with homework and playfully telling you off for the mess in your room and then assisting you with cleaning it. Thoma has always been a man who asks for nothing, yet here he is, wanting your presence.

No doubt about it, you answer without hesitation, "Let's go."

Ayato grins, the Cheshire cat snarl that curls on his face somehow managing to look devilishly handsome: "Let's see how one of Mondstadt's best ex-racers can cope with the previous Inazuman champion." He chucks a pair of keys at you and Thoma catches it with a leather gloved hand, the other placed on your lower back, guiding you to the race track.

"Good luck, sir." He snarls, an uncharacteristic glint in his gaze sending balls of lava exploding in your stomach from adrenaline, and shots of electricity down your spine...