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i.
Their first meeting is so short and fleeting that it hardly even counts as one.
Heizou, dispatched in a hurry, walks quickly through the streets of Inazuma City. There’s shouting in the distance; loud, panicked. Find him, find him, and have you seen— and a criminal has escaped from the Raiden Shogun and out of the way! that mix together into jumbles of syllables upon syllables until the original cries are no longer distinguishable at all.
He brushes wet hair out of his eyes, sighing long and deep to himself.
The Vision Hunt Decree, he thinks, has done nothing but become a hassle in Inazuma. Of course, he’d never say this outright, lest Kujou Sara or any other dedicated follower of the Raiden Shogun accuse him of treason and steal his Vision away too. He just doesn’t see the point of it, does not understand how the Shogun’s desire for eternity is threatened by the existence of Visions.
So while he isn’t particularly interested in locating the fugitive that had apparently just escaped from the winding palace of Tenshukaku, a stolen Vision in hand and Kujou’s fury at his back, he is out here regardless. If only to keep up appearances before he inevitably assigns himself a case that takes him to the part of Inazuma furthest away from Narukami Island. He’d rather be anywhere else than running around like another one of Kujou’s grunts (though, he supposes that’s technically what he is), arresting people for the simple mistake of having an ambition grand enough to catch the eyes of the gods.
The rain pounds down even harder, air around him thick as if sensing the choking displeasure of an Archon. Heizou hardly even knows who he is looking for. Short stature, white hair with a red streak, and dressed like a samurai is all the description that they gave him. Not very much to go off of, though hair like that would undoubtedly stand out amongst that of the average citizen.
He mulls over the information as he walks, eyes darting lazily around his surroundings. Short. White hair, with a red streak. Dressed like a—
He stops.
Half hidden in the shadows of the alley, wide, red eyes lock onto his own. The samurai — he must be, judging by the sword hanging at his side and the maple patterned haori and the single shoulder pad he wears, stares at him with wide eyes. White hair sticks to a young face, flattened and dripping from the rain.
There’s a red streak in it, hardly noticeable in the darkness.
Clutched to his chest in one tightly curled hand, darkened with the burns of elemental power, is a Vision. Electro, by the looks of it, but dulling slowly. The remnants of its power is fading away, vibrant purple melting into boring gray. The stolen Vision. Then this must be…
“Kaedehara Kazuha,” Heizou says aloud, slowly.
Kaedehara Kazuha does not flinch, but stiffens instead. He adopts a fighting stance, subtle but noticeable to Heizou’s trained eyes.
He does not speak. Heizou sees it anyway.
Written onto his face, beneath the layers of careful neutrality and determination, is grief. Plain and simple. He is scared; desperate. Injured. The hand holding the stolen Vision is gripping the thing so tight it’s nearly white — a grand feat, considering the painful burns that mar the skin. It probably requires medical attention. Still, the grip does not loosen even the slightest bit.
There is a weird, heavy feeling that settles deep in his chest at every realization. He stares at this samurai, this Kaedehara Kazuha, injured and fleeing and grieving, holding a Vision that isn’t his like it is the most precious thing in the world.
Heizou stares at him and Heizou thinks: this does not look like a person who should be called a criminal.
This does not look like someone who has violated the law.
And here’s the thing. Shikanoin Heizou prides himself on being many things; a detective with a spotless track record, the Tenryou Commission's best Doushin, a pain in Kujou Sara’s ass, and a Vision wielder himself.
But first and foremost, he is a man that listens to his intuition.
It is this intuition that compels him to relax, to tuck his hands into his pockets nonchalantly. He observes the way that Kaedehara’s eyebrows furrow slightly in confusion, red eyes darting to and fro in search of some sort of trap.
“Rainy day, huh?” says Heizou. “I don’t really like the rain. You?”
Kaedehara stares at him. It takes a good, long moment before he replies, albeit tentatively. “It’s… pleasant.”
Heizou smiles, taking the information for later, storing it away carefully. Then, he nods at Kaedehara evenly, as one might do to a tentative friend or acquaintance when glimpsing them in passing, and strolls past the alley.
He does not see the response that Kaedehara has to this. He does not particularly care for it.
The downpour rages on, heavy and unrelenting.
Kaedehara Kazuha likes the rain.
ii.
He ends up back in Inazuma City no less than a month later, chasing a ghost of a lead that's been dragging him in circles upon circles.
Some place called Komore Teahouse is eventually where he ends up, not for work but instead to take a break, relax, and mull over some of the evidence. It’s a bit off of the main road, which makes it less crowded, the people here more scarce. Hopefully, the calmer and quieter setting will do him good. It’s a better alternative to Uyuu Restaurant, which is busy and loud at this time of night.
A Shiba Inu at the front desk — the boss, apparently, which is an amusing thought indeed — watches him with sharp eyes when he strolls inside after finally being allowed through the doors by a polite shop assistant who introduced herself as Kozue.
He’s not sure what all the fuss here is about. Perhaps this teahouse is only for the most wealthy of visitors, and though places like those aren’t exactly uncommon, it certainly would be odd. What right does a dog have to be picky about how much money its customers have anyway?
Theoretically, Heizou should know more about places like these, since Inazuma City is the headquarters of the Tenryou Commission. But to be fair, it isn’t as if he actually spends that much time here other than to file paperwork after a case or look for evidence. He’s on the go more often than not, which might’ve been why the shop assistant fixed him with such a curious look when he initially showed up and asked for a table.
She escorts him inside, down the hall and towards a small room. The teahouse is rather small and quaint, mostly empty.
Except when she slides open a door and gestures for him to enter, Heizou steps into the room and sees none other than Kaedehara Kazuha, sitting at the table with a cup of tea placed in front of him.
He stops. The sound of the door being shut comes from behind him as the shop assistant leaves. He hardly notices it.
Kaedehara smiles at him, soft and slight. “Detective,” he greets. It kickstarts Heizou back into action, gets the gears in his mind churning again.
“Kaedehara,” Heizou returns, plastering on a big smile and striding towards the table. He plops himself down, crossing his legs and leaning forward with his chin propped up on the heel of his palm. “Didn’t think I’d see you here.”
Another even smile. “I asked them to allow you inside. And Kazuha works just fine.”
“Alright then,” he concedes easily, and grins. “Ah, so I was right after all! Only a certain kind of people are allowed in this particular teahouse. What are the qualifications? Fugitives of the Vision Hunt Decree? Any criminal? Or just pretty boys like you?”
Kazuha doesn’t even bat an eye, lifting the teacup to his lips and taking a small sip out of it. His right hand, the one that had been holding the Vision last time Heizou saw him, is bandaged. So it had scarred. Or has yet to heal — both options are equally plausible.
The corner of Kazuha’s eyes crinkle in the barest hint of amusement. “If that were the case, detective, then you wouldn’t have needed my permission to enter.”
“How flattering,” Heizou laughs, tapping his fingers against his cheek idly. “So isn’t this a little bit risky of you? I’m sure you already know that I’m of the Tenryou Commission.”
“I don’t believe you have any intention to arrest me,” Kazuha answers with a mild shrug. “Besides, I never got to thank you for last time.”
He smiles innocently. “Thank me? For what? I didn’t even do anything.”
“Which is precisely why I am grateful. Thank you, detective.”
“Heizou.”
“Heizou,” Kazuha repeats, slowly, as if tasting the flavors of the word on his tongue. He says it again, a bit louder, with a pretty smile this time. “Thank you, Heizou. So what brings you to this humble teahouse?”
“A case,” Heizou answers smoothly. “You?”
“Staying with a friend.” A pause, then, “I have been lying low here for the time being.”
“You’re quite bold to be giving up so much information to a doushin,” he says, cocking a brow. “How do you know I won’t come back with a dozen officers to facilitate your arrest, hm? Perhaps this was all a plot to root out the traitors that oppose the Vision Hunt Decree.”
Of course, it’s all bullshit. Heizou doesn’t particularly care for the decree if at all, but he watches carefully for the reaction that Kazuha has to this. In a calmer, more peaceful setting like this, he looks much more… soft. He’s young, undoubtedly around the same age as Heizou, and definitely pretty, though there is a sharpness to those red eyes of his that suggest years of hardships.
And yet Kazuha only shrugs, expression and tone even. “You aren’t exactly presenting yourself as someone who cares much for the decree. So call it my… intuition. But if it’s any consolation,” he adds, “if you did intend to go to the Tenryou Commission after this meeting, I highly doubt that you’d even make it to the station.”
Oh.
Heizou laughs despite himself. ‘Staying with a friend’ indeed; he sees what’s going on here.
In hindsight, he should’ve guessed it earlier. The Yashiro Commission has always been the one meddling in the people’s affairs — and the dog! Taroumaru is undoubtedly one of the rumored Shuumatsuban, or an ex member of it. How amusing.
“Duly noted,” he grins, leaning back to stretch out his arms. “But I didn’t come here to talk about that intolerable Vision Hunt Decree, I just wanted to drink tea and think about my case.”
“Oh?” Kazuha raises an eyebrow. “Are you having trouble? Perhaps I could help.”
Heizou cocks his head curiously. “And I thought I was the detective here.”
“My skills are not just limited to swordsmanship,” Kazuha says coolly. His smile is small and mysterious and entirely captivating. “So how may I be of service? It’s the least I could do.”
iii.
Kazuha proves to not only be a good detective but also a wonderful source of company. His assistance with the case is much appreciated, and makes a lot of things easier.
Heizou cannot remember the last time that he had clicked so easily with someone, and he finds it a bit ironic and hilarious that the one he has taken a liking to is a very infamous, very wanted fugitive of the Vision Hunt Decree.
It’s a shame, really, that Kazuha cannot stay longer, and that Heizou must say goodbye to the only partner he’s ever had after Sango so soon after their meeting. He laments the fact that he will no longer have Kazuha’s sharp senses and connection to the natural world to assist him with tracking criminals.
“I didn't take you for a pirate,” Heizou says with a raise of his eyebrows when Kazuha tells him that he will be departing from Inazuma with a ship called The Crux.
He’s heard of it, of course. The legend of Captain Beidou’s slaying of the great sea monster Haishan had been widespread in Inazuma — and all of Teyvat, for that matter — and resulted in the release of a rather popular light novel by the Yae Publishing House.
Kazuha smiles at him. “Seeing as I can no longer stay in Inazuma,” he says, voice lilting in a way that Heizou has learned to mean that he is joking, “I figured that I would broaden my horizons; perhaps slay a sea monster or two.”
“I’d like to see that,” Heizou laughs. “Kaedehara Kazuha, scourge of the seas. You should get an eyepatch; it'll add to the whole pirate effect!”
“I’m not sure if that will fit with my aesthetic,” Kazuha tells him honestly, and Heizou laughs again.
The conversation tapers off into silence. And that isn’t something that Heizou minds, not really. Usually, he finds that he is so often on-the-go, constantly needing things to talk or think about, always considering his next case or trying to piece together a current one. But with Kazuha, he feels oddly… relaxed. Kazuha has a presence that is soothing, one that detangles all the stress from his limbs and lets his thoughts calm into nothing.
“I’ll miss you when you’re gone,” he says suddenly, in a moment of uncharacteristic vulnerability.
Kazuha blinks and looks towards him, mild surprise on his face.
Heizou clears his throat and scrambles to clarify, plastering on an easygoing grin. “It’s going to be boring working on cases by myself again, you know? It’s been so long since there’s someone who can keep up with me, and I’m in no way attuned to the environment like you are. The Tenryou Commission is full of sticklers, it’s so stifling! And don’t even get me started on Kujou Sara.”
Luckily, it seems to work, because Kazuha laughs, the sound soft and light, like the gentle rustling of leaves in a warm breeze. “I hardly doubt that it’ll change anything,” he says. “My assistance was merely a stepping stone for you to spring off of.”
And Heizou knows this—really, he does. But the compliment warms him from the inside out anyway.
“Yeah, yeah.” He waves a hand dismissively. “Just don’t go off finding other crime-solving partners out there in the other lands of Teyvat, okay?”
“I doubt any of them could hold a candle to you,” Kazuha says, easy as breathing.
Heizou grins so hard his cheeks hurt.
iv.
Kazuha leaves Inazuma quietly, one cloudy morning without even a wisp of a goodbye.
He suspects, somewhat, that Kazuha’s neglecting to inform him of the date of his departure was more for Heizou rather than himself.
Perhaps he had known somehow that goodbyes are not something that Heizou is a big fan of. It’s not as if he minds either way—in some ways, he prefers it. Saying goodbye feels bittersweet in a way that he isn’t ready for, not yet.
He leaves the city in search of his next case the same day that Kazuha leaves Inazuma behind.
After all, he had completed his case days ago. The only thing keeping him tied down here had been Kazuha, who is long gone now.
And so, Heizou leaves.
v.
He’s in the middle of tracking a case of stolen goods when a letter drops from the sky, knocking lightly against his head and falling to the ground with a small rustle.
Heizou blinks. Looks towards the small, rolled up paper lying peacefully in the grass, then up towards the sky, where a large bird is circling in the air. It lands in a nearby tree and stares at him with wide green eyes.
The paper is wrinkled when he picks it up, tied securely with a thin piece of string, yellowed at some corners and crinkled in others by what must be salt water. It carries with it the smell of sea salt and damp wood, and Heizou needs nothing more than this to know who it’s from.
Beautiful lettering unfurls before his eyes when he unrolls the paper, smoothing it out beneath the warm rays of the warm afternoon sun.
Heizou,
I hope this makes it to you safely. It has been a while since we last spoke, and even if we had only known each other for less than a week before that, I still consider you a friend. So I hope that this letter doesn’t strike you as odd.
Traveling with The Crux is pleasant. Captain Beidou has been kinder to me than I could ever have asked for, and her crew has been welcoming as well.
We sailed to Liyue under the Tianquan’s request. It seems that there had been a recent uprising of a sealed god Osial, and though the Qixing had taken care of it, Lady Ningguang suspects that there will be more trouble to come. Beidou had offered her help, and so we are docked here for the time being.
The Traveler is here in Liyue too; have you heard of her? I suspect that Inazuma has not received much news of other nations with the Sakoku Decree still in effect. Her arrival in Teyvat was not long ago, too. But she is kind and as skilled at fighting as the rumors say. According to Beidou, she helped to stop the first crisis regarding Osial’s resurrection. Her pixie companion is quite peculiar. I think you’d get along well — you and the Traveler, not her flying friend.
Aside from reading the weather and writing poems, there is nothing much to do here. Finding a person to reawaken my friend’s Vision has proven to be a difficult task.
Sometimes I assist Beidou with matters regarding the fleet — recently, she held a competition in the Guyun Stone Forest. If you are as good at martial arts as the whispers from the Tenryou Commission’s martial arts tournament imply, I think you would’ve had fun participating. Maybe one year you could join in.
In any case, I find myself missing Inazuma more than I thought I would’ve, despite my love for traveling. It’s a shame that we did not have more time to get to know each other. Perhaps when the Sakoku and Vision Hunt Decrees are repealed, I could assist you on more of your cases.
I won’t try to keep your attention for any longer. I’m certain that you’ll be on a case when you receive this.
Just know that I am safe, and that I am still grateful for the assistance you had offered me all those months ago. Some day, I will repay my debt to you.
Best wishes,
K.K
He only finds that he is smiling once he reaches the end of the letter. There is a warm, fuzzy sort of feeling in his chest — it’s nice to know that Kazuha values their friendship as much as Heizou does, even if it hasn’t exactly been the most engaging one due to the ocean between them.
When he glances up, the bird is still resting on the same tree, preening one of its wings idly. It seems to feel his gaze and looks towards him, head cocking to the side. He holds his arm out towards it and it flies over, settling on his forearm, talons careful not to prick through the leather of his black sleeves.
“Hey, you,” he says, and the bird blinks at him curiously. “You’re probably tired from the flight, hm? How about we finish this case, then I’ll see if I can find you some food? You eat meat, right?”
The bird just peers at him, adjusting its wings on its back. It’s not a disagreement, though, and so Heizou takes it along with him.
In any case, it makes a good distraction while apprehending the ronin that he’s chasing down. Heizou has never entertained the idea of pets before, but maybe now he’ll reconsider.
vi.
K,
Your letter arrived safe and sound. Though in the future, I’d prefer if your messenger didn’t drop it on my head. It didn’t hurt, but it certainly was a surprise, and it could’ve ended up falling into a puddle that I was walking by. That would’ve sucked.
Glad to hear that The Crux is as awesome as they say! Life here is mundane as always — ever since the Sakoku and Vision Hunt Decree took effect, everyone has been on their best behavior with the Tenryou Commission’s officers prowling the streets so often now. More often than not nowadays, I find myself chasing down lost pets rather than doing real detective work.
I hadn’t thought that you would’ve heard about the Tenryou Commission’s martial arts tournament. How flattering! But it was no big deal — I’m a detective, after all. I’m better at using my brains than my fists. So I’ll leave the fighting to you.
But if you truly wish for me to participate some time, I will. Only under the condition that you do too. And, of course, only once these pesky Sakoku Decrees are abolished — I liked those words you chose. ‘When’, not ‘if’.
We haven’t received much news, but I’ve heard whispers of the Traveler and her feats. If what they say is true, she’ll definitely come to Inazuma next. Perhaps she can solve our issues too, heh.
Your assistance with my cases is always appreciated. The natural connection you hold to the wind and the earth is incredible, something I could never hope to achieve despite us both wielding Anemo Visions.
On another note, this messenger of yours is a very picky bird. He only eats shrimp and boar meat. And he doesn’t have a name, so I’ve taken to simply calling him that. ‘Bird’. I feel a little rude for it, but I don’t have anything else to go off of.
You mentioned missing Inazuma, so I attached some sakura blooms as a reminder, since I visited Narukami Shrine recently. Kano Nana taught me how to preserve them; hopefully they survive the trip. If not, I’ll have to send something more durable next time. Perhaps an Onikabuto? Though I’m not sure how comfortable Bird would be with carrying a package like that such a long way. I’ll mull it over.
Heizou
(P.S: Your letters will always be welcomed. I’m glad to hear that you haven’t been wasting away in all the months you’ve been gone.
If you still insist on being in my debt, repay it by bringing over something from Liyue once it’s safe to return. I’ve heard that Liyuean fried dough is a tasty treat.)
vii.
The hustle and bustle of a post-festival Ritou is so different from the Ritou he had visited during the Sakoku Decree that Heizou finds himself entirely enamored with it as he strolls through the streets. Leaves from the maple tree in the Five Kasen plaza litter the floor, crunching beneath his feet as he walks.
The paintings, naturally, are what catch his eye first. Heizou vaguely recognizes the silver-blue hair of the famed Shirasagi Himegimi, who must’ve been the model for this particular piece. Most of the other paintings have models that he has never seen before.
The third painting, though — the third is what catches his eye. He’d recognize that white, red-streaked hair and those maple patterned robes anywhere.
“Avoiding your work again, detective?”
The voice that comes from behind doesn’t surprise him, not really. Heizou had already come to a conclusion the second he saw these paintings — it was just a matter of time until he was proved correct.
With an indignant huff, he turns and meets Kazuha’s soft, amused little smile.
“I’ll have you know that I am working,” he tuts. “Madam Kujou assigned me here to assist with a case concerning some missing goods.”
“Missing goods?” Kazuha raises an eyebrow. “I’m afraid you’re a bit late for that. That mystery has already been solved.”
He blinks. “... Oh?”
Kazuha laughs, his smile melting into something a bit more apologetic, but no less entertained. “Yes. A few guests from Liyue and Mondstadt — including the Traveler — and I solved the case a few days ago.”
“... Oh.”
Heizou can’t help but feel a little disappointed. After weeks upon weeks upon weeks of doing hardly anything but chasing down stray pets and solving the most mundane of cases, he had been excited to finally do something more meaningful, to be able to actually exercise his brain in a way that satisfied him.
“I assume that no one told you?”
“Ah — no, I suppose not.” He scratches at the back of his head, though he isn’t exactly angry about it. Ritou is a nice place, after all. Nicer now that the Sakoku and Vision Hunt Decrees have been repealed. He sighs anyway. “I can’t believe I traveled all this way for virtually nothing!”
Kazuha raises two eyebrows, this time.
“‘Nothing’?” he asks, sounding vaguely offended. “And here I was thinking that you had missed my company after all, detective.”
“What are you talking about?” Heizou rests his hands on the back of his head and looks around, feigning innocence. “I don’t associate with criminals.”
“Ex-criminals.”
“For now.”
Kazuha laughs. “We’ll see,” he says with a cryptic smile, and Heizou laughs too, giving him a curious once-over. His skin is as sunkissed as ever, no doubt due to the long days of traveling at sea — and apparently solving mysteries, without him no less!
But other than that, not much about Kazuha has changed. His hair is a bit longer, the look in his eyes a bit more calm. Kazuha’s always been a calm person, but clearly whatever had occurred during the battle against the Raiden Shogun had changed something. That grief that had raged for so long within his eyes is gone now, replaced with something like… acceptance, perhaps. Or maybe peace. Whatever it is, he’s finally come to terms with it; Heizou can tell that much.
(He could make a guess as to what it was about. If someone were to ask, he would probably say that whatever happened had something to do with Kazuha’s late friend, and he would probably be right.
But in the end that’s none of his business. Kazuha is happier now, and that is what matters. If he wants to talk about it, he will. And of course, Heizou will gladly listen.
He understands, after all. What it’s like to lose a friend.)
“Well,” Heizou says eventually, after a stretch of silence where the two of them simply observe each other, “I suppose that I might as well stay for a day or two since I’m already here. It’s a shame that the festival is already over, though.”
Kazuha hums. “There are still a few stalls set up,” he offers. “I could… take you around, if you’d like?”
“Keep talking like that and I’ll start to think that you missed my company, Kaedehara.”
“Hm. What does your intuition tell you?”
Heizou smirks. “That you did, of course.”
“Well.” Kazuha pauses, and something twinkles in the ruby red of his irises that takes Heizou off guard for the briefest of moments. “Then your intuition would be correct as always, detective.”
Heizou quiets. His brain, for the first time in, well, ever, goes entirely blank.
But before he can fully process the statement and formulate a response, Kazuha smiles again as if nothing had ever been said in the first place, and begins to turn away. “Now let us set off before the rest of the stalls close up, hm?”
viii.
They end up leaving Ritou together. Idle conversation flows between them as they walk the path back to Inazuma City. Kazuha tells him about Liyue and The Crux and the battle with the Raiden Shogun, and Heizou dutifully listens. He also, after much prodding, tells him of the people who had solved the case that Heizou had originally been sent to take care of.
Xingqiu and Venti and Albedo are all foreign names to him, but he files them away to mull over for another day. This Albedo character seems especially interesting — Captain of the Investigation Team of the Knights of Favonius? Perhaps they could exchange tips sometime, if they ever do meet. Though the chances of that are slim, the information may be useful to have nonetheless.
As they near the edges of Inazuma City, Kazuha suddenly stops. Heizou stops with him.
“What is it?”
“There’s something…” Kazuha looks around and Heizou goes quiet, allowing him to think. Personally, he doesn’t hear or see anything above the quiet whistling of the breeze as it flows by, the soft crashing of the distant ocean, and the rustling of grass blades.
But he won’t delude himself with the idea that this actually means anything. Kazuha will always have a connection to the natural world that Heizou could never even dream of having. For Heizou, the wind is a tool, a stepping stone to spring off of the rare times he needs to use it. For Kazuha, it is more than that — a friend, perhaps.
This ‘something’ ends up being a small, white cat that pops out of a nearby bush.
Kazuha locks on to it, and immediately breaks out into the biggest smile that Heizou has ever seen. His entire face lights up as he immediately drops to the ground and holds his hands out.
“Yuki,” he calls, and the cat comes running up, tail waving behind it. It rubs its head against Kazuha’s outstretched hands and meows, a loud purr rumbling through its chest. Kazuha chuckles softly and runs his hands through its fur — it arches its back into his touch — and Heizou is… a bit perplexed, to say the least.
“Should I add cat whispering to your list of talents now?” he asks as Kazuha picks up the cat and stands. It — Yuki — blinks at him curiously, meowing again.
“Perhaps you should,” Kazuha jokes with a grin. He looks towards the feline in his arms again, grin softening into a small smile. “This is Yuki. She was my friend’s cat. I lost track of her after I was forced to flee Tenshukaku. I’m glad to know that she's alright, though.”
“She’s rather smart to have survived this long,” Heizou remarks.
“She’s always been very intelligent,” Kazuha agrees. He loosens his hold and the cat clambers onto his shoulders almost immediately, like it’s something that she has done many times before.
Heizou watches it with a raised eyebrow. It looks back at him with wide blue eyes.
He is not going to be jealous of a cat.
ix.
“You’re not staying, are you,” he says one quiet afternoon.
It’s phrased more like a statement than a question. Heizou knows what the answer will be before he even asks it, and Kazuha must know this too, because he looks towards him with something a bit melancholic to his smile.
At his feet, Yuki rolls around in the grass, batting idly at a sweet flower pinched between Kazuha’s fingers.
“I’m not,” Kazuha says, truthfully. “The Crux returns to Inazuma next week. I’ll be leaving with them.”
There is a cry of a bird in the distance, and Heizou looks off towards the side, watching a hawk land in a tree and begin to preen itself.
“I figured,” is all he says.
Kazuha does not apologize. Heizou did not expect him to in the first place.
“Inazuma will always be my home country,” Kazuha says eventually. “But I want to see more of the world. There is nothing left for me to discover here.”
“So why did you stay this long?” Heizou asks, eyebrows knitting together. It’s been two weeks now since the festival. He has a feeling that he knows the answer to this one, too, but he doesn’t want to say it for fear of being wrong.
Kazuha dangles the sweet flower above Yuki’s face, watching her bat at it and drawing it away once she gets too close to grabbing it. “It’s a silly reason.”
“It’s not silly.”
“I haven’t even told you yet,” he says with a smile.
“I don’t need to hear it to know,” Heizou tells him. He draws his knees up to his chest and tilts his face up towards the sun. Kannazuka is peaceful today. “It’s you, after all.”
Kazuha goes quiet. Heizou waits. Patience isn’t a thing that he’s ever been known for, but this is Kazuha — sweet, kind, pretty, beautifully intelligent Kazuha. And so he has no issue with trying.
So he waits and waits and waits as Kazuha gathers his thoughts and likely musters up some courage, and it proves to be a good idea, because the silence breaks not too long later when Kazuha looks away. “I wanted to spend time with you.”
Ah. There it is.
Something warm and fuzzy unfurls in Heizou’s chest, blooming like a flower beneath the sun. This is a feeling he’s already become accustomed to. Whenever Kazuha’s with him, he’s never felt anything but warm, even on the coldest of days.
“See?” he manages. “That’s not silly.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No.” A pause and a light frown. “Unless you think I’m stupid, of course.”
Kazuha laughs, and Heizou has never been one for poetics but it is melodic, his laugh. It is soft and low and curls around him like a snake, sinks into his skin until he’s left with the visceral urge to draw more of that sound from his lips.
“Of course not,” Kazuha says, soft as a feather. “You’re the smartest person I know.”
x.
“Say, Kazuha,” says Heizou once, on a slow morning that finds them sitting beneath a lonely little tree somewhere in the Byakko Plains. “How long did it take? For you to become as attuned to nature as you are, I mean.”
Kazuha hums. “I’m… not sure,” he admits thoughtfully. “It’s simply a skill I developed over time. Why?”
“Just wondering,” Heizou says with a curious smile.
Kazuha hums again. “Would you like to learn?”
That piques his interest. “Learn?” he asks with a laugh. “Is this something that can be taught?”
“I don’t know. Maybe,” Kazuha smiles mysteriously. “You can be my first student, how about that?”
“Hm. Alright!” Heizou doesn’t really need to think about it. It’s been a slow couple of days in Inazuma, after all, and work has been light. “So what do I do?”
He seems to think about it for a moment. “Start with lying down,” he decides eventually.
Heizou flops back into the grass. Kazuha laughs at him, shifting a little closer from where he sits, thigh almost close enough to brush. Almost.
“Relax. Close your eyes,” he says softly. He places a hand on Heizou’s shoulder lightly, warm fingers ghosting over his skin. “Breathe slowly.”
After a moment, he closes his eyes, relaxing into the earth. He breathes in slowly as he has been directed, breathes out and feels something in his chest loosen.
“Good.” Kazuha’s voice is quiet, low. It washes over him like a warm breeze, seeps into his skin and settles deep in his stomach. “Now, concentrate. What do you see, hear, taste? What do you feel?”
Heizou concentrates, breathing in steadily. He feels the light, almost unnoticeable breeze. He hears the gentle rustle of the leaves overhead. He smells the ocean that’s not far off, the scent of sea salt and sand carried along in the air. He feels sunlight blanketing over him like a warm hug, soft grass tickling his skin.
But most prominently: he hears Kazuha’s steady, calm breathing from beside him. Feels his hand on his shoulder. Tastes, faintly, the dango they had shared just a little while ago.
“What do you feel?” Kazuha asks again, so quiet it could almost be a whisper.
This time, he answers without hesitation. “You.”
A long pause.
Then, softly, “Be serious, Heizou.”
I am being serious, he wants to say, already beginning to form the words on his tongue. But Kazuha’s hand draws away after that, so he morphs the syllables into a forced chuckle in hopes that it’ll ease the tension in the air.
“Okay, okay,” he snickers. “What do I do again?”
“Focus.”
“I’m focusing!”
They fall quiet. Heizou concentrates and finds… not really anything, to be honest. He knows from listening to Kazuha whenever they’re exploring a lead that smell is a big part of it — hearing, too. But other than what he had already noted, he does not pick out anything in particular.
“It’s going to rain soon,” Kazuha says eventually, breaking the silence. “Can you smell it?”
Heizou cracks an eye open and looks over. Kazuha isn’t looking at him — his gaze is fixed on the distance, watching the sky with gentle red eyes. Soft white hair frames his face. A stray lock has fallen out of his ponytail, and Heizou is overcome with the sudden urge to tuck it behind his ear.
He’s only snapped out of his daze when Kazuha turns to him with a raise of his eyebrows.
“Were you even trying?” he asks, exasperation seeping into his words. Accompanying that is that pretty smile of his, fond and amused. And it makes Heizou think.
“Not really,” he ends up admitting truthfully.
Kazuha flicks a leaf in his face.
xi.
“You didn’t have to come,” Kazuha tells him as they stand in Ritou Harbor. Sailors mill around them, making last minute preparations for The Crux’s departure from Inazuma.
Heizou looks to him, then the sea, then him again, as if it’ll make saying goodbye any easier. He shrugs. “I wanted to.”
Kazuha fixes him with a sharp, ruby red gaze. There’s a slight furrow to his brow, now.
“I’ll write,” Kazuha offers eventually, tentatively. “If you’re okay with it.”
“Of course I’m okay with it,” he says quickly; too quickly. Heizou snaps his mouth shut and glances away again, resisting the urge to fidget. Everything feels like it’s moving too slow here, despite the hustle and bustle around them. The air between them feels tense in a way that it previously hadn’t been.
Really, there was no reason for him to come.
If he were any other person, perhaps he would’ve asked Kazuha to stay. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t considered it. Because he had thought about it on the way here, had mulled over the idea but inevitably waved it away. Kazuha is like the wind; wild, free, and unable to be tamed. To even attempt to do so would be foolish.
Besides — he doubts that Kazuha would stay no matter if he wanted him to or not.
Heizou doesn’t like goodbyes.
A hand on his shoulder draws him out of his thoughts. The hand is warm and light and familiar, and when Heizou turns he meets gentle red eyes that are looking at him with vague concern.
“Heizou,” Kazuha says, eyebrows knitting together. Something that might be understanding paints itself in his gaze. “It’s not a goodbye.”
Heizou almost chokes on his tongue. “What?”
“It’s not a goodbye,” Kazuha repeats, softly, like he understands. Maybe he does, in his own way, but Heizou is so caught up in his own surprise that he hardly even thinks about that. “It’s more like a… see you later.”
“No, that’s—” That’s not right. Heizou cuts himself off with an inhale and looks out towards the sea again, watching the waves crash against each other.
When he turns back, Kazuha has yet to look away. His hand is still on his shoulder, and it’s warm.
“You don’t need to come back,” Heizou tells him firmly. “You don’t need to come back just because I — or anyone, for that matter — wants you to. You know that, right?”
But Kazuha only shakes his head and smiles softly. “I want to.”
Heizou hesitates. “You do?”
“Of course. I want to come back,” he repeats. “I told you; Inazuma is my home country. The wind may take me to other places, to nations far from here, but this will always be home. And, besides…”
“... ‘Besides’?”
“You’re here,” Kazuha says, as easy as breathing. His hand leaves Heizou’s shoulder. The warmth is missed for the briefest of seconds, until it settles on him again, this time on his head. He is met with another smile. “You’re here, so of course I’d want to come back.”
Oh, Heizou thinks.
Oh.
xii.
Heizou,
You mentioned in your last letter that you had come across a particularly interesting case in Watatsumi Island. How has that gone? I do hope that you haven’t been causing too much of a headache for Her Excellency while chasing your leads; she has enough on her plate already.
After the summer ended, I split up with Xinyan and headed off with Lumine towards Sumeru, the nation of the Dendro Archon. The environment here is vastly different to all other nations — the rainforests are thick, wet, and hot, and the wildlife here is dangerous, but we have been safe. If anything, the vegetation is beautiful, even if most of it is probably poisonous in some way.
We planned on traveling to the desert next, but Lumine seemed strangely exhausted. After the Sabzeruz festival, something happened. While she explained it to me, it is still a bit difficult to wrap my head around, and there are details that I feel she left out.
But that doesn’t matter much. I’m more worried about the fact that whatever it was took a toll on her. So I suggested we travel back to Gandharva Ville to see the Forest Watcher Tighnari and his apprentice, Collei. She thankfully agreed.
After careful inspection, Tighnari concluded that her mental state had taken a turn for the worse, so he insisted that she rest in the village for at least three weeks until she’s healed. Lumine seemed to want to protest, but after Paimon and I prodded her, she eventually agreed. She insists I come visit you while she heals instead of ‘wasting away in the village’ with her. I agreed eventually — not with the ‘wasting away’ part, of course — so I’ll be returning to Inazuma promptly, though I’ll only be able to stay for a short while.
I hope that you have been taking good care of yourself and Yuki while I’ve been gone. I know that you insist she doesn’t like you, but she does. She thinks that your hair is soft (it is), so she likes batting at it. It’s not because she's trying to scratch your face.
Oh, and Lumine sends her well wishes. Beidou sends her greetings — she hasn’t yet, technically, but I am sure she will once I return to Liyue Harbor to board The Crux. You haven’t met her, but she knows about you nonetheless, since I have told her about you. Sorry.
I look forward to seeing you soon.
Yours,
Kazuha
xiii.
Kazuha,
That case has long since been solved! Although I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting the esteemed priestess herself, I did once again meet her reliable general. I get the feeling that he doesn’t exactly like me, though, despite my help in uncovering a secret plot among some of his soldiers.
Sounds like you’ve been up to a lot of stuff lately. I’d be jealous if I wasn’t swamped with cases! Honestly, it’s like the Vision Hunt Decree ends and everyone suddenly decides that it’s okay to start breaking the law.
Sumeru sounds like a tedious place. It relieves me that you’ve been careful.
And yes, I have been taking care of Yuki while you’ve been gone. She likes eating cooked fish the most, and also making a mess of my bedsheets. Sometimes she follows me to the police station. All the doushin are very fond of her — even Madam Kujou, despite her efforts to hide it. I’ve seen the bag of cat treats poking out of her desk drawer.
Regardless, I’d appreciate it if she did stop putting those dangerous claws so close to my face. How am I supposed to do detective work if she accidentally takes out an eye?! Or both?! I might need some more of your lessons to gain a sensitivity to nature, just in case.
It’s an honor for the esteemed Captain Beidou to know my name! I hope to meet her the next time The Crux comes to Ritou Harbor with you in tow.
I’ll make sure to arrange for official leave once you return. I’ve never done that before, oddly enough. Madam Kujou might lose her mind, heh.
Stay safe.
Heizou
xiv.
Ritou Harbor is bright today.
It’s always busy now that the Vision Hunt Decree has ended and Inazuma has opened up its borders fully. Heizou lingers near the edges of the dock, observing as people unload ships and rush by, shouting to each other.
He glances down at the worn paper in his hand, traces his finger over the elegant signature at the bottom.
Glances up, searching, and finds nothing.
The Crux’s flag is hardly visible against the sun. Heizou squints up at it, then lowers his gaze towards the ship. He can see Beidou, directing her men as they haul boxes off the deck. There’s no flash of white hair that he can see, not yet, but Kazuha had said…
“Heizou!”
He whips his head left. Kazuha raises his hand from the other side of a rather large group of people blocking the way off the pier. After a moment of attempting to struggle his way through, he seems to give up and simply uses a burst of anemo to launch himself into the air, flying over their heads and landing on the other side. He hits the ground running, nearly stumbling over his own feet.
Heizou splays his arms wide almost immediately, just fast enough to catch Kazuha in a hug when he launches himself at him.
He smells like the ocean and spices and warmth. Heizou stumbles back from the force of their collision, letting out a little ‘oof!’ that melts into laughter as strong arms wind around his shoulders and squeeze him close.
“Heizou,” Kazuha says again, almost more to himself than anyone else. “Heizou.”
“That’s me,” he chirps, grinning and burying his face in the soft fabric of Kazuha’s haori. Kazuha squeezes him tighter for a brief moment before pulling back slightly to observe him.
“Your hair is longer,” is the first thing he says, raising a hand to carefully brush a strand of velvet hair out of his face.
Heizou watches him with a fond smile, and only when their eyes meet again, ruby red against light green, does the expression on his face morph into something else.
“Heizou,” Kazuha breathes, so close, so quiet that no one can hear it but them. “Is it okay if I…?”
“Of course it’s okay,” he says quickly; too quickly. It makes both of them laugh.
And so Kazuha leans forward, pressing their lips together softly.
Melting into the kiss comes as easily as breathing.
xv.
“I apologize for the crew,” Kazuha tells him later, when they’ve settled somewhere quieter, more secluded, away from the busy port and instead in the wilderness on the outskirts of Ritou.
Yuki is curled up on his lap sleeping, while Heizou busies himself with watching the clouds drift by. He looks over to Kazuha, grinning at the uncharacteristically embarrassed look on his face.
“They were excited to meet you. I talked about you a lot,” he continues, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. “They always asked, so…”
“You’re flattering me,” Heizou laughs, bumping their shoulders together. “Don’t apologize! I found it quite entertaining. So when are you going to show me those poems that were supposedly written about me?”
Kazuha’s face flares up an adorable red. “Never, if I can help it. That’s — forget about that, please. I can’t believe that Beidou…”
“Nope! It’s all stored safely up here now.” Heizou taps the side of his head for emphasis, and laughs some more when a leaf is flicked his way. Taking pity, he changes the subject. “Captain Beidou is as friendly as they say, though. Her handshake nearly took me off my feet!”
“They tend to do that.” Kazuha says with a smile. “Did you wait long?”
“Not very long, no.”
A lie. Heizou had made it to Ritou just after the sun had risen over the horizon and was there until afternoon came and brought The Crux along with it.
But that’s fine — he would have waited all day if he had to. It’s not like he has much else to do, anyway. He’d filed for official leave just yesterday. Sara had looked at him like he spontaneously grew three heads.
“Good.” Kazuha pauses, just for a moment, then says, “I have something for you.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. I picked it up on my travels.”
There is some rustling as he pats himself down. Heizou watches with a curious eyebrow raise. Eventually, a small paper emerges from his sleeve and Kazuha presents it to him with a small, almost shy smile.
“I mentioned it to Xiangling,” he says, “so she gave me a recipe. I thought we could try it together.”
Without saying anything, Heizou takes the paper and unfolds it. Various notes in Kazuha’s familiar scrawl have been scribbled in the margins, accompanying the neat writing that details needed ingredients and directions. The paper is titled ‘Liyue Fried Dough’ with various exclamation points added on after.
Heizou grins, scanning over the list quickly before looking up. His chest tingles with warmth. “You remembered this?”
“Of course,” Kazuha says. “I keep all your letters.”
“Flatterer,” Heizou snorts. He smooths the paper over once, letting his smile melt into something more fond. “Thank you, but…”
“‘But’?”
“I’m terrible at cooking,” he admits with a laugh. “I don’t know how well this’ll work out.”
Kazuha laughs too, leaning over to press their shoulders together. Calloused fingers brush over his own, and Heizou turns his hand outwards instinctively to let Kazuha press their palms together, fingers interlocking.
“That’s fine,” Kazuha says, giving his hand a small squeeze. His smile is soft. “We’ll figure it out together. Partners, right?”
Heizou grins, so wide that it could hurt. “Partners.”