Wriothesely's POV
He was clearly in pain.
He was in so much pain that he collapsed.
He, who no matter what, always stood upright through everything.
But even so, as soon as I spoke those words, instead of being in pain, he looked absolutely horrified.
It was as if he dreaded the idea so much that it pushed away the pain.
"No."
He blinked a few times, shaking his head.
"No, no, no, no, no..." He repeated over and over again.
"Neuvillette-"
"No, you can't. I can't-"
"Neuvillette, it's my choice, not yours-"
"It is as much my choice as it is yours! If I don't want you as my mate I-"
"So you don't love me?"
"What?"
~
Neuvillette's POV
I looked at Wriothsely in complete and utter shock.
That question caught me completely off guard.
"Tell me you don't love me and I'll leave. I'll leave and you won't have to see me again."
"I- I-"
Come on!
Just spit it out already!
It's just four words!
It's not for you, it's for him.
If I admit it-
If he stays he will surely convince me.
And if he does, he'll surely die.
"I don't- I don't-"
"Say it."
"I don't love- I don't-"
"Neuvillette-"
He didn't finish his sentence. He couldn't.
Not as time froze.
"You're going to hurt him again." An early familiar voice spoke.
"You- You brought him here! You told him! Why?!"
He chuckled, no longer a dragon, now his figure a carbon copy of mine.
"Wouldn't you like to know? Well, I want to know as well. Who knows. Maybe your guilty conscience got the better of you. I've never done a single thing you had not truly desired. I can't. In the end, I'm just you, after all."
He couched down, meeting my eyes.
"You want to do it. You ache to do it. Why not let him convince you? Let him convince you. Give into your instincts and end this miserable existence of mine."
"You-"
"You know I shouldn't exist. Wrio was right when he said that people's thoughts don't usually walk around. They don't. Not for humans and not for dragons either. The only reason I exist as an entity is because you've held back for so long that enough raw power has piled up to form me. And I've been here, locked up for centuries."
"I'm sorry..."
"You should be. I really don't understand why mortals cling to their lives so desperately. Not when just simply existing is such a bothersome thing."
"Hey!"
"What? Struck a nerve?"
Sigh...
If I didn't know that this one really was just a part of me, if someone told me that he was, I might have punched them for being disrespectful and insulting.
Just then, he snapped his finger.
"-you should either tell me how you feel or just give up already." Wrio finished his sentence.
"I love you."
"See, that wasn't- What?"
I glanced at the other guy's... mocking grin and repeated.
"I love you."
Apparently, he had caught my gaze leaving him.
He turned around and jumped back in shock.
"You- What the hell?! When did you get here?! Why are you here? Wait..."
He looked between the two of us, his eyes finally stopping on me as he asked:
"Did you say that to him or me?"
"Excuse me?"
"The 'I love you'. Was that for him or me?"
For a second, the two of us looked at each other both horrified and disgusted, then turned back to Wriothesely.
"We are the same person!" We shouted in unison.
"Clearly. Now spit it out. Why are you here? I thought you said you wouldn't be showing up anytime soon." Wrio frowned.
Did something happen between these two?
"Wrio, did he do something-"
"He's a teasing pervert!"
A- A- A teasing... pervert?
The corner of my mouth twitched as I looked at the one in question.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
"You'll see later. As for your question, I'm here to say goodbye." He grinned at Wrio.
"Goodbye?"
"Well, it probably won't take you long to convince this idiot to go through with that thing, and the second he gives in to his instincts I go poof and disappear. Hmm... Actually, disappear isn't the right way to put it, I will still be around yapping about in his head, it's just that you-"
"What?" This time it was my turn to question his words.
What do you mean you'll still be around yapping about?
"You can't seriously expect me to just suddenly leave you unattended with your instincts."
"Go die."
"Sure, sure. You first." He mocked.
...
I want to strangle this idiot, me or not.
Then suddenly, he leaned over and pulled Wrio by his collar into a kiss.
I snarled, and should he not have backed up, I might have broken a bone or two.
"Hey, hey. Still the same person."
"He's mine!"
"And I'm you!"
"I. Don't. Care!"
"Tsk! Posessive bastard."
"You're cursing yourself."
"Now you know that we're the same person?!"
He was fuming and somehow it was incredibly satisfying to see.
Suddenly, his expression changed, morphing from frustration into an ominous smirk.
"Hey, Wrio. Don't forget the shakes."
And then amidst his laughter, he disappeared.
"He's gone?" Wrio asked in a bit of a shock.
"No, not quite yet. He's still lurking around here somewhere."
"Tsk! That stupid pervert!"
"Just what on Teyvat did he do?"
As soon as he heard my question, a small blush spread across his face.
"N-Nothing."
Sure. Sure.
Very believable.
"Hey, Neuvillette-"
"No. It was a no before and it's still a no now."
"Neuv, come now, at least-"
"You dying is one thing, killing you with my own hands is another!"
I snapped.
I finally snapped.
That was it.
The line I was not willing to even approach.
"Neuv-"
"No."
"I love you."
"You-"
He looked at me, eyes brimming with tears.
"I love you with all I have, Neuv. Won't you let me stay with you forever?"
Instantly, my instincts flared. They screamed to mark, to claim, but-
"You- You will die!"
I just couldn't do it.
"I won't. I could. But I won't. Look, I even brought us both one of Sigewinne's miracle milkshakes to be sure."
He waved the two bottles around and I suppressed a laugh.
"If I'm dying because of anything, it's gonna be this milkshake." He grinned.
As if to prove his determination, he opened one of the bottles and chugged its contents down in one go.
I had never seen so much disgust fill someone's face so fast.
"Archons! This is even worse than before! Good god! What the hell did Sigewinne put in here?!"
He grumbled as he tossed the empty bottle as far away as he could, looking at it as if it was his arch-enemy.
Then, he handed me the other.
"Here, this is yours."
"M-Mine, you say?"
Can I not?
In the end, under his insistent gaze, I opened the other bottle.
The smell of its contents hit me and-
Oh?
It took all I had not to smile.
Slowly, under his watchful eyes, I gulped down the liquid.
"So?"
"It was quite delicious."
Wrio looked at me as if he had seen a ghost.
"So this is the true power of the hydro dragon..." He murmured.
Pfft!
I hugged him closer.
Not willing to let go of this moment.
Not willing to let go of him.
Even as he seemed to be slipping out of my grasp.
"You could die." I started.
You could die.
Suffering and in pain.
I could kill you.
"But I won't."
"You can't say that for sure-"
"Aren't I plenty strong, Neuv? Don't you trust me?"
Trust him.
Of course.
"Of course I do."
How could I not?
"So let me do it."
Let him...
"You might hate it. Eternal life. Many have come to hate it."
"Well, my eternal life will have you in it, so it can't be that bad- Wait. did you say eternal?"
"Yes? A Sovereign's life is eternal."
From how easily he had been following along with the conversation, I thought that that annoyance had already told him. That's why I was incredibly surprised when he suddenly jumped out of my arms and started waving his arms around threateningly, shouting into the void.
"You- You deceitful bastard! Come back here you no good idiot! You had me worried for nothing!"
Of course, nothing came of his shouts and eventually, he climbed back into my arms with a pout.
"He only told me that your life would be halved, not that it was infinite." He mumbled.
Ah...
"Were you worried about me?"
"Of course I was! What idiot would- Ugh! You're both so incredibly frustrating!"
Well, we are the same person.
"Now get on with it."
"Wrio... I don't want to lose you."
"Something you very nearly successfully achieved by hiding in here. Objection overruled."
"Wrio, please..."
Don't make me take your life with my own two hands.
"I will kill you if I do this."
"I won't die, as such, your objection has once again been overruled. Anything else."
Sigh...
"Do you even know what it is you're asking for?"
Not expecting an answer, I leaned forward, nuzzling into his shoulder as I scraped my fangs against the crook of his neck
"I would bite you right here. My elemental energy would then rush into your body, flooding it. You were not made for it, it would hurt terribly, like-"
"Burning flames and getting ripped apart? Yeah, I heard." He chuckled.
"And yet you're still asking for it."
Humans are indeed mysterious creatures.
"I'm asking for you, Neuvillette." Wrio muttered.
For a second, I saw red and the urge to bite down right that instant became almost irresistable.
But no.
Not yet.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
"You won't regret it?"
Suddenly, he pulled back, looking deeply into my eyes.
"I won't regret it. Ever. I want to be with you, Neuvillette. Forever till this world allows it. I- Argh!"
~
Wriothesely's POV
I felt myself getting yanked forward as his teeth sank into my neck.
It hurt so much I thought he might end up ripping my troath out.
But then the pain suddenly ceased and he pulled back,
That can't be it, right?
No, it definitely wasn't.
If it was, he wouldn't be...
"Hey, don't cry."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
He held me tightly, tears streaming freely down his face.
"I shouldn't have. Oh, what have I done? Wriothesely... My dear Wrio..."
If possible, he pulled me even closer.
"I'm sorry. Wrio... My Wrio... It's going to be fine. Everything is gonna be okay."
Every apology, every reassurance, each call of my name...
They were all followed by soft pecks, small kisses wherever he could reach.
I was just about to tell him that if he's going to kiss he should do so properly when it hit me.
A rush of hydro followed by a burning pain.
"Argh!"
It hurt. It burned.
It was pain like none before.
"Shh... It's okay... It's going to be okay..."
It's not.
It was not okay.
It was anything but okay!
I struggled in his arms, trying to escape the burning pain that was slowly spreading through my body, but his arms around me only tightened even more.
I swear I could feel his tail wrap around me as well, but I couldn't be sure.
It was too much.
Neuv...
Neuvillette...
I wanted to call out to him, to say something.
But I was just too weak.
I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to-
I caught sight of the figure oh so similar to the one trembling as he held me.
"Hi." He called out.
He was smiling, but his eyes looked so lifeless.
"It's too much, isn't it?"
I wanted to tell him to just f*ck off, to yell at him for clearly downplaying all of this.
Rather than a flame spreading through me, it was more like I was tossed into a volcano.
But I couldn't.
I could barely keep my eyes on him.
"This isn't even the worst of it you know. That is still yet to come."
Right, so just go away.
"I'm going to tell you a small little detail that I might have failed to mention."
What now?
"Whether or not you live through this, the bond will be formed. Now, you should still remember what happens to a dragon that has lost their mate, right?"
"When dragons love, they love forever. Even if they didn't die, the pain a dragon would experience without their partner would be worse than death. It would render them nothing but an empty shell full of nothing more than pain both mental and physical.
A dragon's bond is both a blessing and a curse that way. It allows them to better protect their partner, but it also makes them far too reliant on their wellbeing."
Wait.
That means-
No!
No! You clearly said-
"I told you he'd be fine, right? You see, becoming an empty shell and feeling nothing but pain is one clever way of not having to think of anything else. Essentially, the only way of suicide allowed for a dragon of his standing. So, et voila! Backup plan acquired! He doesn't know of it, but I'm sure he won't mind all that much should you die in his arms like that."
You-
You lied to me!
You lied to him!
How could you do this?!
"If you don't want that to happen, then survive. Survive for him, for yourself. Survive for those still waiting for you to return from handling some problems with the gardemeks. Survive for the people who still want their beloved Iudex back. Survive, Wrio. Live."
It was as his words dropped that the burning faded and infinitely more pain set in.
"Argh!"
For a few more moments I still trashed around in his arms before my whole body went limp.
"Hey, Wrio. Wrio? Wriothesely? Hey, look at me."
I could hear Neuvillette's frantic words, but...
I couldn't.
I just couldn't.
I had no more strength left.
I had nothing in me.
Nothing but pain.
I wanted to call his name. To tell him that I love him.
I wanted so badly to say it.
Over and over again till he's tired of hearing it.
I love you.
I love you.
Neuv.
My Neuvillette.
My dear dragon.
I love you.
I love you so much.
With all my heart.
With my whole being.
That's why...
That's why...
I can't die like this.
I can't.
I just can't.
I can't leave you behind with nothing but pain to look forward to.
"Neuv..." I managed to call out.
"Yes. Yes... I'm here."
Ugh...
Just a bit more...
"Kiss me..."
Let me feel you.
And kiss he did.
It was deep, passionate, so full of longing.
I could feel his tears against my cheek, though, some of those were most likely my own.
His everything seemed to be in this one kiss.
Hi love, his pain...
His hope.
Amidst the kiss, amidst the pain, I found the world fading away, my strength leaving me completely.
No...
No, not yet.
Please...
Not yet...
But still, the world continued to darken.
Darker and darker till nothing remained.
I tried opening my eyes, I tried to see something, and for a second, I thought it had worked.
But instead of Neuvillette's arms, I found myself floating in an endless dark sea.
Did I die?
Am I dead?
Is this what they call becoming one with the waters?
It was so peaceful, so warm.
So safe...
I felt my consciousness fade once more when I suddenly heard a loud roar.
A roar full of anger, full of pain.
The water's shifted and a long, scaly creature surrounded me.
A dragon.
A dragon with deep blue eyes.
'Leave here. Go back.' Those eyes seemed to say.
Go back?
Go back where?
Was there somewhere I needed to be?
I'm fairly certain I finished all my work so why won't you let me sleep?
Just let me...
Another roar sounded and then it hit me.
Neuvillette!
I had to go back to Neuvillette!
With that thought, the dragon disappeared along with the waves, along with the endless dark sea.
Instead, I opened my eyes to see Neuvillette a sobbing mess.
Though...
I had never seen anyone's eyes light up more beautifully than when his met mine.
"Wrio... Wrio... My Wrio..."
He kept repeating that over and over again till I found the strength to return the tight hug and speak.
"My stupid dragon is crying once more. What would the people of Fontaine think if they knew their Iudex was such a crybaby?"
There was a chuckle somewhere between the sobs and tears.
"Say, Neuv. What are your instincts telling you now?"
A look of surprise surfaced on his face, only to be replaced with his usual small gentle smile.
"That I should kiss you. Kiss you till neither of us can think of anything else."
"Well then, what are you- Mph!"
And once more I was drawn into an all-consuming kiss.
Only this time, I could react.
Just like he did for me, I could give him my all.
My heart.
My soul.
Neuv...
Neuvillette...
My Neuvillette...
Now, forever mine.