More Or Less | ayato & thoma

Chapter Eighteen

I'm out tomorrow (later this morning) so here's an update. bye

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Chapter Eighteen

The walls he had spent time building crumbled upon him so unceasingly the moment their eyes met once again. His hair reminded him of the color of the sea that seemed to be eternal, only that it was dark and gloomy — and his light shined on him.

It had been a sunset. Thoma bid his farewell to Itto for the day. It was getting dusk and he didn't want to stroll back to the Estate in the lone darkness. When he walked to the road of Ritou, he spotted the young Master over again. He was by a Mondstadter who passed Ritou to sell specialties, he was enjoying the lingering scent of a flower and their eyes repelled each other.

They both got a message in just one dense look; Come here. He couldn't bear it, the feeling of obnoxiously leaving, so he slowly walked towards Ayato with rapid heartbeats. The young Master puts the flower down and meets him.

"Thoma."

"Sir Ayato, why are you still here?" He asks.

Ayato clicks his tongue and looks around before answering, "I was waiting for you. What about you?"

"I planned to take a relaxing stroll around here and check if anyone needed help," Thoma answers and he reaches for his silver dog tags almost unconsciously, this happens whenever he is nervous or simply around Ayato.

The young Master narrows his eyes at him, "So the Oni needed help? You were with him.''

Thoma's blonde eyebrows furrow from complexity, "Ah, no, my Lord... we just seemed to be crossing paths these days."

"And we're not?" Ayato's lips were tight and he avoided eye contact the moment he let go of his words.

Thoma stares at his eyes that were trained somewhere else. He clears his throat and puts his hands on his side, "I'm just occupied these days, sir."

"My duty has been strenuous as well, Thoma. But you know that I will still find time for you, no?" Ayato turned to him, his eyes filled with worry. "I'm not expecting you to do the same; I know that you want to fulfill your role in the clan, but seeing you with someone else out here..." He trails off, and Ayato looks down and then back to his green eyes. "Is there a problem between us?"

Thoma frowns, he doesn't know how to answer him. The young Master had looked at him as if he didn't do anything wrong, any lies, or deception. While it's true that he's been avoiding him all this time, he had his reason — and Ayato was the reason, but these words just now tell him something else, that he's telling the truth.