Priorities, Thoma x Ayato | Genshin Impact

lost, chapter 21

media - stan & wendy, south park (yes i added a photo because it has been bothering that there has been no photo added to this EXACT chapter)

"Thoma!" Ayato cries out.

"God, where could he be..." Ayato bites his thumbnail, stressed.

Ayato runs to where he last saw him wander off to, searching desperately for at least any traces such as foot prints or remnants left by him. But to no avail did he find anything. He feels his throat and eyes start to swell up in anxiety, he was about to cry. He couldn't bear to lose another person that was dear to him again.

"Grow up, Ayato. You seriously cannot be crying over such a matter like this—he said he would be back. Maybe he's just..."

He knew he couldn't fool himself. He knew very well that what he was experiencing was totally fair. Thoma hasn't came back for at least an hour now, and the wedding is starting soon. He said he'd come back as fast as he possibly could. Ayato has been helplessly searching for at least 30 minutes by now. At this rate, they're already late for the wedding.

"Ah, I know! That tracker that Ayaka gave us to help find each other in moment like these!"

Ayato checked desperately in his pockets for it, but couldn't find it anywhere. He wasn't wearing it that was for sure, and he knew Thoma wasn't wearing it either since they left it in the box that Ayaka gave to them.

"Damnit, I am so stupid. I must've left it on the table back in Inazuma...what will I do now..."

Ayato slump at the tree by the river and takes a big deep breath. It felt like he was losing his mind. Ayato holds his head in paranoia, feeling his mental state taking a big deep dive downwards. His eyes start to water as his world turns woozy and almost dream-like but instead it felt like a nightmare.

As he was about to breakdown, he heard a familiar voice call from beside him.

"My lord! There you are!"

Ayato slightly tilts his head upwards in surprise as Thoma ran towards him. Thoma kneeled down beside him and looked at him with soft eyes—making it clear that he was just as worried as Ayato was.

"I was looking all over for you, my lord. When I got back from picking some Dawn Winery land specialities, you were gone. I was incredibly worried."

Thoma takes a deep breath. "But, I'm glad to know that you're safe."

Thoma looks at him in concern. Ayato won't lift his head up fully. His head was still buried in his legs, looking like a child who was throwing a tantrum. Thoma slightly smiled, finding it interesting that even that all high and mighty, sly, commissioner himself had a cute side to him. Thoma lifted Ayato's head by cupping his cheek and leveling his face to at least meet his eyes.

"Come on now, let me see your face at lea–"

Ayato looks at him with his face full of tears with his eyes drowning in tears. His eyes growing to become red and sore from all the crying he had been presumably doing. Thoma eyes widened. He has never seen Ayato in such an emotional state before. Thoma soon settles down from the shock and sighs.

"Come here." Thoma pulls Ayato in for a hug while holding the top of his head with his palm and the other hand wrapped around Ayatos waist.

Ayato heads is buried into Thomas shoulder, his tears still on his cheeks staining his jacket. Ayato soon gives into the hug and takes a big deep breath to calm himself down. He hasn't been this emotional ever since his parents first passed away. Usually the closest thing to being this emotional would be having to take on the weight of all the work at the commission.