Work Text:
[Set several decades after the current Genshin timeline.]
“Ah... It's so cold.”
Snow fell at Dvalin’s fingertips. White, small crystal snowflakes slowly drifted down from the sombre blue sky and it was a sign for him to head indoors. He looked around him, unsure of where to head. The surroundings were mostly white, snow donning the roof of many houses like a pure white coat. Maybe because the roads were filled with snow that he saw more people walking than driving. Sometimes he would see a car or two passing by but otherwise, it was pretty quiet and peaceful. This time, he had travelled to an unfamiliar and distant place.
Time as an immortal passed by like that of a floating bottle lost in an ocean, forever drifting restlessly with no end in mind. With all the time in the world, Dvalin had decided he would take on human form and travel to different places, letting the wind guide him. It was freedom at its finest and he loved it. Taking on human form allowed him to understand the struggles of the people he once fought so hard to protect and yet at the same time, see the small sparks of happiness that he could not appreciate as a dragon. He would travel to deserts with climates such as that of Sumeru and be shocked at the dreadfully hot weather and at other times, he would chance upon lands that never seemed to stop raining.
Although Dvalin was an especially fussy person, he was usually easygoing and would still go along with unreasonable requests and undesirable conditions. Perhaps that was a result of hanging around a particular anemo archon. However, winter was something he absolutely detested. The cold and unforgiving chill that ran down his back reminded him of the intense pain that drove him mad in the past. The pure white that painted his surroundings made him remember that one mountain back in Dragonspine, the blanket of white that rested over the body of a rather hateful enemy. Sighing, he tried to forget those unpleasant memories and fortunately, the snow was getting a lot heavier. Remembering those memories were something he could not help and sometimes he wished he could drink a potion to forget them. The snow proved to be a pretty good distraction though. He gave his shoulders a quick rub when he spotted a small coffee shop in the distance, packed between a few shophouses.
“I really don’t like the cold.” He grumbled as he made his way there.
. . . . . .
“Welcome! Please have a seat.”
Dvalin made his way into the coffee shop, dusting the snow off his coat and nestled himself cozily at a seat near the window. The coffee shop had a comfy ambience to it, lighted by warm lighting and its furniture was mostly wooden. Small potted plants stood casually on each table and he gazed at the photographs lining the walls. There was one that had a little boy standing proudly beside a tall robotic creature which he recognised as a ruin guard. A strange photograph indeed but Dvalin only gave it a slight glance. Just then, a waiter approached him, notepad in hand.
“Hello. May I take your order?” An unknown yet strangely familiar voice said.
Dvalin looked up and instantly, his pupils shrank. He felt his back ache again and his chest burn. He could not believe what he was seeing in front of him. There was a young man standing right in front of him and he was supposed to be just a random waiter but there he was, having the same eyes as that of a very hated dragon. The eyes were of bright red amber, burning like the flames that engulfed the kingdom he swore to protect. They are the same red eyes but why do they lack the hostility and crazed anger just like those he once remembered?
“Hello, sir?” The waiter arched his brows as he asked Dvalin.
Realising that he was probably glaring daggers at the clueless young man, he cleared his throat awkwardly and tried to regain his composure. He breezed through the menu the man handed him and ordered the first thing he saw hastily. As the young man repeated his order back to him, Dvalin could not help but stare at him from up-down, trying his hardest to be discreet. The young man had black short hair, his fringe just slightly below his eyebrows and he also had dark skin. He wore the neat waiter uniform with an apron slinging across his waist. There was nothing out of the ordinary regarding his appearance, other than his unusual red eyes and his especially tall build. Strangely though, Dvalin was certain that he was the same dragon he fought against in the past but right now, he could not sense any hostile energy or elemental prowess from the young man in the slightest. Perhaps he had just misunderstood and jumped to conclusions too fast. Letting out a small sigh in relief, he looked into the eyes of the young man just as he was about to go prepare his order.
“May I ask for your name, young man?” Dvalin queried genuinely.
The young man stood stunned for a few seconds and Dvalin wondered if he was too rude about it but he did not understand how humans think. But his thoughts were interrupted as the young man puffed out a laugh and smiled back.
“My name is Durin, nice to meet you beautiful.” Durin said and shortly blushed right after, as if just realising what he said.
He rushed off and Dvalin stared at him. Is this how humans flirt? Dvalin could not help but think to himself, compared to the dramatic and assertive courtship of dragons that his current impression of mortal flirting was quite docile.
“Ah. I got distracted…” Dvalin muttered, berating himself internally for focusing on the wrong point. He took out his travelling journal and jotted down a couple of notes. Now that the young man had confirmed his identity, Dvalin was determined to observe him and whether he posed any threats. But the young man’s warm demeanour and approachable nature was slowly making Dvalin lower his guard down.
. . . . . .
The snowstorm outside quietly settled down and the roaring of the wind was replaced with the hustle and bustle of humans. Street lamps lighted the streets as the sky darkened into a red amber hue. Dvalin gathered his items and was about to leave- planning to stay outside and follow Durin after he finished his shift, when he saw a little piece of paper placed below his receipt. Curious, he picked it and saw that there was a string of numbers written on it.
“Is this his phone number?” Dvalin wondered, having recognised it from mingling with humans for a while after the industrial revolution.
He wondered why the man himself would pass his number to him so easily but this would save Dvalin a lot of time and effort. The only problem was that this dragon of several centuries old, does not know how to operate a phone nor does he have one.
Just as he was stuck in deep thought, he heard the door open and turned around to see someone looking at him. Why does he always have such impeccable timing…
“Do you need something, erm…” Durin rubbed his neck awkwardly.
Dvalin could not help but stare at him again, analytically. He was wearing a maroon sweater with black sweatpants, a black bag slung over his right shoulder. His red eyes stood out even more, matching mysteriously with the evening dawn. In his casual sweater, his neck was slightly exposed and there were traces of a scar that looked like bite marks. He could not see much because his Durin’s sweater hid most of it. Dvalin tried to get a closer look but he did not notice that he was leaning uncomfortably close towards Durin but the latter obviously realised, his ears turning slightly flushed.
“Erm sir-”
“My name’s Dvalin.” Dvalin continued staring without even batting an eyelid.
“Erm Dvalin, could you move back? You’re a bit close.” Durin gently pushed Dvalin away.
The prideful Dvalin was slightly offended but then he noticed there were a few people looking at them, some with judgemental looks. Still, he needed to figure out if Durin really had no ill intentions.
“My apologies but can we talk?” Dvalin said.
Perhaps it was the fact that he was weak to humans, that he was a lot more gentle to the human Durin in front of him. It might also be because the Durin he knew was a whole lot different from the one right now. Having interacted with humans from different walks of life helped teach him how to be tactful in his approaches with others, a multitude different from his previous approach back in Mondstadt.
Before Durin could answer, it started snowing again, much heavier this time. Durin stared at the sky in disbelief as if the sky was also against him. If a snowstorm brewed, Durin could use it as a reason to rush home and avoid Dvalin completely but how could he simply leave someone who had such ethereal looks, just like those that appeared in multiple dreams of his? The same azure eyes, the same striking blue hair and the same majestic aura… It would be a lie to say that Durin was not as curious about the stranger as the latter, despite their first meeting.
Changing his gaze, his eyes unconsciously focused on Dvalin’s and he immediately realised any attempts to convince himself to turn down Dvalin was ultimately futile. Sighing, he reached into his bag and took out an umbrella, a handy item for a place with frequent snowstorms.
“My place is pretty near here. If you don’t mind, we could talk there.” Durin said, trying his best to not sound overly inviting.
Without hesitation, Dvalin agreed and they both made their way to Durin’s place. Durin opened his umbrella, slightly inching it towards Dvalin so that they could both share the umbrella. Oblivious, Dvalin kept his distance from Durin, not noticing the hints Durin was obviously and somewhat desperately throwing out. The snow was relentless, getting heavier and heavier. Durin felt so bad seeing Dvalin try to shield himself from the snow that he just passed Dvalin his umbrella and decided to walk under the snow instead. However, being a rather stubborn person, Dvalin rejected the umbrella and the both of them ended up walking the whole way drenched in snow, the now closed umbrella in hand.
……
“I told you to use the umbrella!” Durin grumbled as he dusted the snow off his shoulders.
“I can’t just let you walk under the snow when it’s your umbrella.” Dvalin calmly replied, his long hair damp.
“That’s why we could have just shared the umbrella!”
Still nagging, Durin took off his shoes and promptly retrieved towels for both of them to dry themselves. Having escaped the rampaging merciless weather outside, the warmth of Durin’s small apartment was comforting. Their clothes and hair were dampened as the snow melted and they both desired to take a warm shower as soon as possible. As Durin passed a towel to Dvalin, who was standing in the foyer trying to wring his hair dry to no avail, he opened his mouth to say something but then paused for a while in hesitation.
“You could take a shower if you want, I have spare clothes.” Durin said, wondering if it was appropriate to let someone he just met take a shower in his house.
Dvalin did not reply immediately so Durin panicked. “It’s okay if you don’t want to!!”
“You can take one first.” Dvalin replied out of courtesy, drying his hair with the towel.
“No, it’s fine. Please take one first.”
“Why don’t we take one together?” Dvalin casually said, still preoccupied with his hair.
Durin stared at the long-haired man in disbelief. He must have heard him wrong.
“What?”
“Let’s just take a shower together.” Dvalin replied, finally putting down the towel. His hair was a little tousled now.
Still shocked, Durin put his hand to his head, wild thoughts running rampant in his mind. Sensing that he probably said something wrong, Dvalin quickly analysed what he said before and then he realised. Bath times are sacred and usually a private matter for mortals unlike that for dragons. He was so used to being naked in his dragon form that he did not care about showing his body to someone else, stranger or not. But it definitely was not the case for Durin, who was human now. Thinking back, he definitely sounded like a pervert and Dvalin instantly regretted not paying more attention to the personal habits of humans.
“Forget what I just said, I’ll go ahead!” Dvalin exclaimed, slightly embarrassed.
“Y-yes, go ahead,” Durin replied, even more embarrassed.
Dvalin passed his coat to Durin, both consciously avoiding eye contact. He then quickly closed the bathroom door as soon as Durin showed him the way, only staring at the floor. Durin went to put Dvalin’s belongings neatly in a corner of the room and then he went to take out a casual T-shirt and sweatpants. After folding them nicely, he placed them on the carpet outside the bathroom before sitting at the couch. Feeling uncomfortable in his damp sweater, he took it off and dried himself slightly with the towel.
With everything settled, Durin tried to regain his composure but it only had the opposite effect. One part of him was still in utter disbelief while the other part was just scolding himself for missing the opportunity of taking a shower with the gorgeous stranger. He was aghast that he was even capable of having such obscene thoughts.
Durin was never one to have strong emotional feelings for another person. Since young, he had been obsessed with dancing. He would learn as many dance moves as he could, unlimited to genre from ballet to contemporary and even hip hop. As a result, even after he became a teenager, he had no time to delve into many personal matters that would be common for others his age. Even though there were many girls who would approach him because of his dashing good looks and his attractive build, he never paid them any attention. He would rather rush to dance lessons than go clubbing with his friends in college. That dedication of his was also reflected in the interior of his apartment: walls lined with photos of different dancers, shelves packed fully with DVDs and performance records. There were also several pairs of dance shoes, weights and a yoga mat on the floor. Durin sighed and went to pick up a dumbbell, doing some bicep curls in an attempt to distract himself.
The door creaked and Durin’s body stiffened, his eyes fixated insistently on his dumbbell. Dvalin entered the room with a towel around his neck, dressed in the T-shirt and sweatpants that Durin had placed outside the bathroom.
“Thanks for the shower. Please take one for yourself too.” Dvalin’s voice rang in the quiet room and Durin flinched, still avoiding his eyes.
“Y-yeah, please make yourself comfortable in the meantime.” Durin stuttered as he stood up suddenly, rummaged through his closet and hurriedly strided into the bathroom.
Wrinkling the water out of his hair, Dvalin stared at the broad back of Durin as he disappeared into the bathroom. He noticed the bite marks again but this time, he realised the bite marks were much bigger than he thought. It was as if he got bitten by a huge monstrous creature and Dvalin knew deeply what those marks meant. Just before he could dwell in solemn reminiscence, his brain decided to focus on other parts of Durin’s shirtless body.
He could not help but think to himself that Durin had a great body. His eyes had wandered unconsciously, staring at Durin who was shirtless on the bed as soon as he stepped out of the bathroom. The muscles on his upper body were well-built and he had finely defined abs, his dark skin glistening. Although Dvalin already noticed that he was quite well-built when he was in his nicely-fitted waiter outfit, seeing him shirtless was a different experience.
“How indecent of me…” Dvalin berated himself yet again.
Remembering his motive for following Durin, Dvalin looked all over the room in an attempt to find any clues relating the current Durin to the one in the past. He noticed the dancing shoes, the weights lying on the floor and the stash of dance related books but none of these items seem even remotely to be owned by the black dragon he once knew. These mundane items showing some wear and tear from prolonged use exuded a sense of warmth unlike the cold-blooded and hostile black form that terrorised the sky of Mondstadt back in the days of gods and dragons. Apart from him bearing the same red amber eyes and the same name, they were practically like different people.
But there was that mark on Durin’s neck that looked like a neck bite. A bite that would have poisoned the loyal beautiful blue dragon and sent him into everlasting slumber. Dvalin shuddered at that thought and despite any obvious evidence or proof, he was confident that his gut feeling was right. After all, it was a neck bite he deeply and regretfully, still remembers even after thousands of years.
Then, there was only one reason behind Durin’s current appearance. This form was probably his reincarnation. Reincarnations in this world could be spurred by an immense emotion, something that pushed him to abandon dragonhood- a festering desire of some sort that he wanted to fulfill even after death. Although rare, it was not something Dvalin had not seen before. Reincarnated beings usually sacrifice something important to them and it would be a pity if they could not fulfill that wish of theirs. Still, Dvalin found it strange. What desire was Durin trying to fulfill in a snowy city town like this? Looking around the room gave him some hints but was dancing a strong enough passion for him to sacrifice his life, especially since he died, pinned unforgivingly under a mountain? Dvalin just hoped he did not come back for revenge.
As he was deep in thought, he did not notice that Durin had finished bathing. Seeing that Dvalin was deep in thought over something, he figured he would go make two cups of hot tea for both of them. He took the two cups and sat in front of Dvalin who was seated on the floor in front of the small coffee table. Seeing the figure suddenly appear in front of him surprised Dvalin a little that he flinched and Durin could not help but think he was cute.
“Here have a cup of tea.” Durin said warmly as he placed a cup in front of Dvalin.
“I’m surprised you trust a stranger like me so much or are you just this friendly to anyone?” Dvalin said curiously as he picked up the cup.
“I’m usually not this open but something tells me that you’re not a bad person. Also, this might be strange but… I have a feeling we met before.” Durin mumbled, feeling a little awkward.
“Really?” Dvalin arched a brow as believed that this was the first time they met after Durin’s death.
“This is embarrassing but I think I’ve seen someone like you in my dreams before.” Durin shrugged, trying to not cringe at everything that was coming out of his mouth. He was definitely charmed by this blue eyed stranger in front of him.
“What am I like in your dreams?” Dvalin queried.
“Erm…Beautiful.”
Dvalin stared at Durin sipping away at his drink awkwardly and although it was not an informative answer at all, he could not help but feel flattered. It felt good and even though many had called him beautiful before, it did not make him feel like this. His face felt a little warm but he just brushed it off.
“This might be a weird question but do you remember being a dragon?”
“What?”
“I’m serious.” Dvalin urged.
Feeling the air around him change, Durin put his cup down. Stuff like dragons and magic are all folklore and legends so he was a little unsure whether to take Dvalin seriously, even if was awestruck by the gorgeous blue-eyed stranger. The seriousness in his eyes though, felt genuine and suddenly all doubt disappeared.
“No. I haven’t but I do remember having dreams about being to a mountain called Dragonspine and those dreams… always felt painful.”
Durin grew solemn but Dvalin on the other hand was ecstatic. He was right that Durin was reincarnated. One obvious trait of most reincarnated individuals are vague memories of the past. Those memories carry little to no details yet have very intense emotions attached to it. There was also one more reason why Dvalin was so happy with Durin’s answer. The emotion he associated his dreams with was pain and not anger or any other vengeful feelings. It also seemed like Durin was not very obsessed with trying to unravel the meaning behind those dreams. He probably still feels burdened by them and Dvalin was relieved that he could finally help Durin.
“I’m not good at consoling others but I think I can help you with those dreams of yours.”
Surprised at the confidence of this stranger he just opened up to, he felt weirdly comforted and he felt like he could trust him. So Durin opened up more, telling Dvalin a little more about himself and also stuff that has been troubling him. They talked for a long while, going from small little personal hobbies and likes to more heavy topics.
It has been a long time since Durin was able to open up to someone so sincerely and share his genuine problems. His apprehension and hesitation towards this stranger completely disappeared as if they had met before. Whenever Dvalin gave his opinions and insights, it was as if they had known each for a long time. This strange mysterious man in front of him looked nowhere above thirty yet had wisdom that seemed out of this world. He was already intrigued by Dvalin when he had seen him in his dreams. Even though they were vague and incomplete, somehow Dvalin’s face was always prominent. At the first meeting, he was instantly charmed and had hoped to get to know this familiar looking customer that entered the coffee shop on a usual snowy day. He passed him his phone number in hopes he’ll contact him back. That was why he was surprised to see that this composed young man was the one to approach him, and was even anxious about Durin’s response.
It has also been a long time since Dvalin was able to have such an enjoyable conversation after taking on human form. Many of the humans he met, he could not understand them. Some were boastful about their ignorance, and others were illogical in their approaches, many driven by emotions. After being with Durin for only a few hours, he could sense the kindness that emanated from him, unlike the Durin he knew in the past that rampaged with jealousy. He was caring and was very thoughtful to Dvalin even though he was a stranger, his little kind acts comforting. Durin was also quite interesting. He was currently a college student, majoring in history but he took dance lessons outside. His part-time job at the coffee shop was also to help pay for his dance lessons. He went on about what dance genre he was currently having difficulty with and upcoming competitions that he wanted to participate in. Dvalin just listened to Durin affectionately. Listening to Durin ramble on about his passion was actually entertaining and Davlin grew curious.
“What made you like dancing so much?” Dvalin asked casually.
At Dvalin’s question, Durin rubbed his neck and grew silent. After awhile, Dvalin noticed that Durin rubs his neck whenever he was shy or nervous so he wondered if his casual question was uncomfortable for Durin. Dvalin was about to break the silence when Durin locked eyes with him.
“It’s because I want to dance with the one I love.”
The two continued to lock eyes with each other and Dvalin felt his heart thump. The warmth he felt before slowly enveloped him, his face flushed with red. Durin was the first to break eye contact, and stood up suddenly.
“I-I’ll go put the c-cups away!” He stuttered and then walked hastily to the kitchen.
Although Durin did not mention having any one he loved now, Dvalin felt extremely flustered by his answer. He almost slammed his head on the table as he melted into his arms, his face heating up. It was as if Durin was referring to him.
“Wait… How does he know I like to dance too?”
Dvain thought for a while and went to search through his belongings. Pulling a pair of shiny black dance shoes out, he smiled to himself and glanced at the kitchen. As Durin stepped out of the kitchen, Dvalin stood up excitedly.
Holding the pair of shoes, he said with a very sincere tone, “Wanna dance together one day?”
A simple invitation, a simple sentence was all it took for Durin to fall completely in love with this blue haired man.
“Of course!” Durin exclaimed without hesitation.
… … ... ... ... ... ... ...
On days where there was no rain or snow, Durin likes to head to bed early. He would tuck himself in bed after rushing through his school work and after some light stretches. It was because on days with good weather, there was a small chance that he would see the same blue-haired stranger that appeared in his nightmares but this time, he would be dancing gracefully, basking in the sunlight. His hair would flow freely in the wind and there was always the scent of fresh grass.
Oh, how wonderful it must be. How free it must be, to be able to dance in his company.