Death of Me [Tartaglia]

chapter 29

"What did she want?" Ajax asks. 

I'd left the library after sending Diluc my final bird. Now I find myself with my resting on Ajax, my head laying on his chest, as he runs fingers through my hair. My mind runs through possibilities of what could happen to the people of Mondstadt if Number 8 manages to steal Barbados' gnosis flash through my mind. 

"She just wanted me to work under her again now that I'm clear," I say distractedly. 

"I guess you said no?" he questions. 

"Mhm." 

There's a moment of silence, "Yn, are you alright?" 

I sigh, propping up on his chest so I can look at him, "What's gonna happen to Mondstadt when she takes their gnosis?" 

"Huh?" he utters a little surprised, then he smirks, "You really are sneaky, you're not supposed to know about that until I leave. You're lucky I like you or you'd be dead meat." 

I flush at his words, burying my face in his chest again so I don't have to look at him, "Just answer the question."

He laughs, "I don't know. Harbingers aren't supposed to ask too many questions." 

"Aren't you worried it'll mess up the balance of things?" 

"Our archon may be a phyco, but she's not an idiot. She wouldn't do anything that would fuck up Teyvat too much." 

I relax a little, feeling my muscles loosen at the thought of Diluc's likely safety. Ajax's strong arms wrap around me. He rubs small circles into my back as we lay in silence for a while. 

"Ajax?" I ask. 

"Hm?" 

"Can I come with you, to Liyue? I can't stay here, with these people anymore." 

I feel his arms tighten around me, "Of course, I don't want you trapped here anymore either. I'll get you a huge house in the harbor and visit you as much as I can." 

Despite the promise of escape, the notion that he wasn't going to stay with me was slightly disheartening. Still, he said he'd visit. 

"I never told you how much I hated seeing those bastards hickies on your neck," he mutters. "I want you as far away from them as you can get. And I don't want anyone to ever touch you like that, except me, again. I'm so sorry for putting you through that, Yn, but I swear I'll be by your side from now on." 

"Ajax..." I sigh, his words sending pleasure through my body and blush to my face. 

"I swear," he mutters, again. 

I smile against his chest. Light slowly creeps out of the room as night falls. I sleep. I sleep on his warm chest instead of stone, and breath in his scent instead of old blood for the first night in what feels like years. Sleep comes easy, inviting me into her arms as Ajax's chests rises and falls.