starlust - hsr and genshin oneshots

neuvillette - rain as cruel as words

A/N: written by ayano

I KNOW I DONT MAKE THEM SPEAK SO MUCH SOB and also i didnt write for 2 weeks haah sorry for missing valentiness! this is angsty sort of to fluff.. yeah

proofread, word count: 912

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    "i am going back to work. i do not understand why you think i do not spend enough time with you, ma cherie. i am swamped." neuvillette's words echoed through the room. recently, you have expressed how your beloved is ignoring you. with the traveler coming to fontaine, he has spent less and less time with you, and on most days, he is locked up in his office working. neuvillette has firmly denied it despite telling you he would be open to your words.

he returned to his office and closed the door, leaving you to your thoughts. the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. instead of opening the door to protest, you walked back to the living room and pondered on the couch. as you look outside, rain starts pouring down, beating heavily on fontaine. melusines start scattering to find shelter, surprised by the sudden downpour.

everyone in fontaine knew that whenever it rained, the hydro dragon wept. the dragon, being your lover. you can only imagine his lovely azure eyes spilling water as warm as summer rain. it hurt you, but of course, you still felt some contempt for what just happened. you needed to cool off, too, so instead of comforting him directly, you let him work.

every minute that ticked by felt like an eternity to neuvillette. he sat by his desk, pen unmoving, wondering if he was ignoring you. no, he told himself, but he couldn't shake the thought. had he been unconsciously pushing you away to make time for lumine?

of course not, he said. it was just helping her out with finding her sibling. but still, even he knew they weren't just acquaintances. friends, perhaps.

being born from never having to apologize, he didn't know how to, exactly. genuinely. he worried that you would not forgive him, and truth be told, he feared losing you over anything. the whole world could burn if it meant you continued to love him. but at this point, he had no choice with the hydro archon gone. neuvillette had to work.

meanwhile, you were gazing out the window; the soft pitter-patter of the rain hitting the windowsill felt strangely melancholic but bitter. it was a reminder of everything that happened.

later that night, you stayed up finishing up some of your work. you were a doctor; the clinic was busy and popular. now, there has been an increase in injured patients, which left you quite stressed. all you wanted was to return home to your lover's warm embrace, but fate was not kind. he was always out of the house, either in the court of fontaine or busy with travelers and the hydro archon. being one of your closest friends, furina's passing had hit hard. to neuvillette, too. the sky was grim and rainy all week after that.

you soon fell asleep on the couch. too tired to stay awake, you could not stand up and go to your shared bedroom. there would be more talking, and you needed the sleep right now. while you were half asleep, working, you heard neuvillette's office door open and then shut. then, the bathroom door, then the bedroom door. soon, the house fell into tense silence.

every morning, you woke up early, even though you didn't need to wake up at the crack of dawn, but you still did, just to bid neville goodbye. but he still wasn't up. he slept into the afternoon while i went to find work. this morning was no different; you did not want to talk to him, at least too much, after what happened.

you didn't get the chance to tell him what happened at your job at the clinic. you were planning to that night. recently, you witnessed a couple of deaths, which was indeed rare. a mother and a child. it affected you, and you doubted your ability to care for patients. people whispered and said you were an incompetent doctor. of course, nobody stopped coming, but their words did take a toll.

as you silently worked on the meal, you did not notice neuvillette walking to the living room. his eyes landed on your head, but he said nothing. it was still raining, but lightly now. did you realize he was there when he set down his briefcase?

you continued to stir the food in the pan without looking at him. but before you knew it, a familiar pair of arms encircled you. he rested his head on your shoulder, and you did not say anything nor push him away.

"im sorry. je suis tellement désolé (i am so sorry)." he mumbled against your ear. "i'll spend more time with you, i will." your eyes met, and you sighed. he looked at you, hopeful. "will you forgive me?"

"there is nothing to forgive," you say, tone soft. he looks at you and smiles. you put down the pan, then hugged him back. he reached down for your hand and pressed his lips onto it, and you swear your heart almost leaped out of your chest.

"i have to go now. i'm almost late, so i'll take breakfast to go. we can talk more at night, ill come home early." neuvillette dropped your hand, and you nodded, quickly putting the food into a small tupperware box and handing it to him; he put on his shoes and kissed your cheek before opening the door. "see you later, my love."