𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 || 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨!𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙭 𝙛!𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

[𝟏𝟏]. moonkissed

He's sleeping far away again. [Y/N] mused, standing up as soon as she placed a few sticks into the fire.

The fire she fueled barely managed to illuminate the boy's figure, his body far from the heat source and devoid of any blanket.

But perhaps, that was normal. Bennett strayed far from the group, oftentimes getting himself into more trouble while doing so. Perhaps—his actions were on his own accord, staying far as to hold everyone at arm's-length.

Or maybe, he's trying to 'protect' us all from his 'bad luck'. [E/C] eyes closed, a sigh escaping her lips as a quick gust of wind hurled through the camp, a noticeable shiver running down the adolescent boy's spine.

Getting up, the adeptus made her way over to the sleeping boy—draping a stray blanket over his shoulders in a small attempt to warm him up.

I suppose I should go patrol now. Craning her head in the direction of the rising moon, the girl sat up. [E/C] eyes tracing over the luminescent pond, a bright silver being reflected from its surface.

Walking away from the camp, sticks crumbled under a foot that wasn't her own, prompting the girl to swing around.

'. . .' No one.

The valley was—empty, there was nobody there but herself.

Once again, the supposedly empty ambiance rustled, the trees dancing in the windless abyss.

Materializing her sword, [Y/N] swung it to her side, her vision glowing as bright as the fire she had fueled back in the heart of the valley.

"Speak," She glared, an unusual venom dripping from her words as her blade was pressed against a shadow, the metallic point kissing the adam apple of some unusual male.

"A-Ack! I'm sorry, [Y/N]!" Shining a fire in the palm of her hand, she drew up the free limb, nearing it to the shadow's face as lime green eyes illuminated under the flames of pyro.

"Oh, it's just you..." Regret already beginning to form in the pit of her stomach, the adeptus retracted her blade, muttering mumbled apologies as Bennett merely shared a close-eyed smile.

"Um—so... what are you doing out here?" Bennett asked, trailing behind the [e/c]-eyed girl as if he were a lost puppy.

"Patrolling. You?" Piping up, [Y/N] turned around, locking eyes with the unlucky adolescent as he scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"I um... I want to... apologize..."

What?

"For what?" Observing Bennett's face, it was clear he was distraught. His usual optimistic emerald eyes were drooping, his head hanging low as his body seemed to tremble with every breath that left his figure.

An eerie silence enveloped the two. Under the starry night and unpolluted moon, [Y/N] waited. The tension—or rather, the suspense was thick enough to rival even the layers of eroded stones of Guyun Stone Forest.

And finally—after the boy mustered up the courage of a thousand-winds...

"F-For... For Rex Lapis' death! I'm so sorry... if you want me to go back to Mondstadt I can—"

"What?"

Bennett flinched.

Recoiling, [Y/N] winced at her tone. What she had meant to come off as was "Are you serious?"

"I..." Pinching the bridge of her nose, [e/c] eyes closed, the overwhelming presence of Bennett's nervousness and anxiety skyrocketed, filling the once-tense air with a thick and swampy panic.