Honkai Star: Rail x Reader Oneshots

Love, But At What Cost? | Sunday x Reader

The night was quiet, save for the faint hum of music drifting from the Charmony Festival below. Sunday stood at the edge of the terrace, halo faintly aglow, a testament to his divine heritage. His golden eyes-so often calm and resolute-burned with an emotion he rarely allowed to surface.

You approached cautiously, the soft crunch of your footsteps against the stone floor breaking the silence. He didn't turn, but you could feel his awareness of your presence, a tension in the air that hadn't been there before.

"I thought you'd be inside," you said, your voice barely more than a whisper.

He exhaled, his breath visible in the cool night air. "I needed space," he replied, his voice laced with something unfamiliar. Regret?

You stepped closer, your hand brushing the edge of his coat. "Sunday, what's wrong?"

For a moment, he didn't answer. Instead, he tilted his head back, gazing at the stars above, their distant light reflected in his golden irises. "It's cruel, isn't it?" he finally murmured. "This world, this life... it's cruel to ask people to endure so much pain for the promise of some distant reward. Why shouldn't they have peace now? Why shouldn't they rest?"

Your chest tightened at his words. You knew his philosophy, the twisted logic behind the Sweetdream Paradise he offered. A world of eternal, painless slumber. A world you could never fully accept.

"Because it's not living," you said, your voice trembling with emotion.

His lips curved into a faint, bittersweet smile. "And yet, living has brought you nothing but suffering." He turned to face you, his golden eyes meeting yours, piercing through every wall you'd ever built. "You came to me broken, yearning for escape. Was I wrong to think I could give you peace?"

Your breath hitched. "I didn't come to you for peace, Sunday. I came to you because I dared to want something more. Something real. I wanted you."

For the first time, his composure cracked. His gloved hand reached out, trembling as it cupped your cheek. The warmth of his touch was at odds with the cold resolve in his eyes. "You shouldn't have done that," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm not something you can have. I don't belong to this world. I don't belong to you."

Tears welled in your eyes as you covered his hand with yours. "Why not? Why can't you let yourself want this, too?"

His halo flickered, dimming as he lowered his gaze. "Because if I allow myself to want... I'll lose everything I've built. I'll lose the Sweetdream Paradise. I'll lose my purpose. And worst of all... I'll lose you."

Your heart shattered at his words, the weight of his internal conflict pressing against your chest. You wanted to scream at him, shake him, tell him that you didn't care about his purpose or his paradise. But you didn't. Instead, you leaned into his touch, letting your tears fall freely.

"I don't need a paradise," you said softly. "I just need you."

For a fleeting moment, he looked as if he might believe you. But then, the faint glow of his halo brightened, and he stepped back, severing the connection between you.

"I can't," he said, his voice cold and distant once more. "I can't be the reason you suffer more."

You reached out to him, but he turned away, his coat sweeping behind him like a curtain closing on a tragic play. And as he disappeared into the shadows, you were left standing alone, your heart aching with the weight of a love that dared to dream-and the pain of a man too afraid to embrace it.