I gazed into Cyno's dark red eyes. They were ethereal; otherworldly even. It didn't take long for me to get lost in them, and before I knew it he was staring back at me, perplexed.
"So, what are we going to do about the sandstorm creatures?" Candace asked as I broke eye contact. My heart felt as if it stopped working.
"Well... there won't be a lot that we can do, except clear them out." Paimon replied. She was covering her eyes from the sand, even though the storm had temporarily passed. "What do you think, traveler?"
Aether nodded and summoned his sword, ready to fight. We all did the same; (except Paimon, obviously.) Using my elemental skill, I killed two of the monsters and everyone else did the rest.
"Phew, that was tougher than I expected!" Dehya announced, wiping her forehead with her arm. "Let's head back to the Village Chief's house in case there's another sandstorm, yeah?"
"Sounds good."
I walked behind them, and once we were all in the house, I closed the door behind me.
For some unsettling reason, I could feel somebody's glare on me.
"I am pretty sure there will be more creatures in the middle of the night. We should probably rest for now, is everyone okay with that?" Candace stretched her arms, looking around at us for an answer.
Cyno and Alhaitham seemed unbothered, whereas the others were keen.
"That's fine by me, but if we all get some sleep now we will be asleep when they come back. Is anyone willing to stay awake until then?"
Aether asked.
"I will."
I turned my head and noticed Cyno volunteered. I wanted him to get some rest instead, though no words would come out of my mouth and I stayed quiet.
I found a comfortable spot in the room and shut my eyes, sighing. It had been a long day and I wished I could just sleep for as long as I wanted.
...
...
"Alhaitham."
I opened my eyes, everything was pitch black - I must've fallen asleep for a couple of hours.
Two familiar voices caught my attention.
"What is it?"
The second voice belonged to Alhaitham. It was raspy and slurred, he probably had just woken up.
"She keeps doing it. I don't know what to do about it."
Cyno mumbled, but loud enough so Alhaitham could hear it.
"Who? Y/N?"
My eyebrows furrowed. Me?
"Yes. She keeps... staring into my eyes, and when I look back at her, her face turns red and she looks away."
Alhaitham's chuckle made my heart drop for the second time. He knew what was going on.
"Are you mocking me?" Cyno asked with a slight tone of irritation.
"A bit." Alhaitham replied, clearing his throat. "You don't know why she's doing that? I think it is quite obvious."
"No, I don't understand that sort of thing. Either way, I don't have time for it."
That last sentence was enough to cause tears to well up in my eyes. I pulled my knees to my chest and tried not to make a sound.
"Why don't you ask her yourself? She's clearly awake."
"What?"
Before I knew it, I heard a switch and a lamp turned on. I winced as the light blared in my face.
"So, Y/N? Care to explain?" Alhaitham smiled sarcastically.
Ignoring him, I stood up and walked towards the door.
"Wait."
I turned around upon hearing Cyno's voice. I didn't want to, but... his voice made me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.
"You... love me, don't you...?"
My gaze averted to the floor.
"I'll try and get over it. You don't have time for it."
I opened the door and stepped outside. I felt the sand on my feet, and it wasn't as warm as usual.
"Wait, Y/N. Stop running from me."
"I'm... not running."
I replied, holding back the tears.
"Why do you love me? I don't understand.
"Cyno... you can't choose who you fall in love with. It just happens, and that's the case here. If you don't love me back, then... don't drag it along and just hit me with the cold truth."
I could barely see anything, though the glare I could sense he had sent chills down my spine.
"I don't always understand emotions, but... that does not mean I don't love you." He whispered back. "I always want to hold you, and your hand, and..."
I heard the sand move as he stepped forward. "...Move if you want."
I didn't, and shortly aftwrwards I felt Cyno's lips against mine. They were soft and warm, and it made me feel much more relaxed.
"I do love you, Y/N... I just have trouble showing and expressing that. Forgive me... but let's get back to the others and I can show my affection some other time when my courage has risen. The sand creatures will be arriving soon; get some rest. You need it."
