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Visions are gifts from the gods.
That’s what his father had told him and Ayaka when they were little. Back when Inazuma had only just closed its borders to foreigners and the seas were still relatively peaceful and free of the Shogun’s rage. Back before he met the love of his life and helped inspire a revolution against a corrupt ruler.
Before a vision had been thrust into his hands and his parent’s bodies into neatly dug graves.
He’d always remember that they were gifts from the gods and specifically what they said about a person. A hydro vision in particular, while fitting people with the same fluidity of its element, always found users user who had a great ambition to help people. Be that their family, a single person, or an entire country. For Ayato he’d gained his due to the ambition to stop the madness of the vision hunt decree, to save the visions users of Inazuma, and most importantly to ensure that his sister wouldn't be completely alone.
During the course of the vision hunt decree, he'd seen many people gain vision. Inspired by the heroics of both their peers and strangers. By the deaths of their close friends and family. By their ambition to help stop the madness overtaking their country.
Ayato finds it ironic the very thing designed to tear visions from their users created far more visions than it took.
Sometimes, when he’s in a more deluded state, drinking with his buddies or laying in bed besides Thoma, high off endorphins, he wonders if this is the intended effect by the Raiden Shogun.
In reality, Ayato’s buried too many bodies alongside burnt out visions to believe that falsehood.
Visions are gifts from the gods, but they had no right to murder to get them back.
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While the civil conflict in Inazuma is not the reason their borders were locked and Ritou deemed the only place for outlanders within the country, in fact, it had been instated many years before the rebellion kicked off, Ayato knows it contributed to the enforcement of the law. To stop any foreign aid from getting to the rebellion.
Thoma’s family got lucky, his parents had incidentally been on Narakumi island when the lockdown was suddenly announced by the almighty Shogun, and simply remained in the city.
"We both liked the atmosphere of the city more." Thoma's father had once explained when Ayato had asked about the decision to stay.
It’s scary how such a simple decision of two visionless young parents from Mondstadt changed Ayato’s entire existence.
However, it did make Thoma's constant travel between the different islands of Inazuma and Ritou easier, some loophole in his permit that allowed free travel much to the annoyance of many of the army soldiers. His travel was now commonplace to many. Ayato heard about it a lot, often from Thoma himself, cuddling up to him to discuss their day, but mainly because Thoma was the only foreigner who travelled. The rest remained either stuck on Ritou or stayed put in their homes on the mainland, not wanting to risk their comfortable lives by taking a trip to the small island.
If anyone did go to Ritou, it was most often with intentions to leave Inazuma. Ayato had seen so many people farewelled. Vision users and Non-Visions users alike.
Nobody came to Inazuma anymore.
So, the Traveller’s arrival to Inazuma was a big deal.
Ayaka had spoken to him about the traveller when news of the death of the Liyue archon came to Inazuma. When, for the first time in years, a myriad of information had entered Inazuma while the tragic tale of the demise of Rex Lapis forced its way to the Shogun. They had been close friends once, someone had told him. It's hard to imagine the Almighty Shogun being close friends with anyone.
“He slayed a Mondstadt dragon as well!” She’d excitedly told her brother over dinner late one night. “Ah, he’s even an honorary knight there too, which is very hard right Thoma?” And Thoma had nodded.
“Another Mondstadter that’ll change the Inazuman landscape.” Ayato had replied, smirking at Thoma who rolled his eyes.
“Oh, but he isn’t from Mondstadt!” Ayaka had exclaimed excitedly, before diving headfirst into reciting the boys entire history, complete with anecdotes and what sounded like tall tales.
For the next two months, it was practically all the rebellion could talk about. This 16-year-old boy, Aether, who slayed dragons, stopped draconian threats from the sea and most importantly, held no vision, yet possessed the power to use both Geo and Anemo at will. The idea was tempting to Ayato. This boy held the potential to bring peace to Inazuma.
It all sounded far too good to be true in Ayato’s opinion.
“You’re being cynical.” Thoma chided him lightly as he prepared to leave for Ritou to aid the Traveller’s entry to the country. “Everyone has said great things about him. Kazuha even waxed poetic.” Ayato had scoffed at that
“Kazuha loves to wax poetic.” Thoma nodded, a warm smile still on his face.
“He has a lot of faith in this boy.”
“We all had a lot of faith in Tomo,” Ayato adds bitterly. Thoma stops his preparations at that. Taking a moment to wipe the grief from his face at the mention of his late friend's name.
Ayato hadn’t known Tomo for long, both he and Kazuha had been more involved with the priestess of Watatsumi Island than Ayato could afford to be from his position, but Thoma had been good friends with both and what Ayato had heard of the young man and his partner he’d liked. In the short time they had known each other personally, as Tomo had been preparing to fight (and win) against the Shogunate he’d even come to like the idea of Tomo as their new archon. He held an electro vision and an easy charm that coaxed in both men and women. He was a commoner with no noble background and had been born and raised in Inazuma. His ideas of eternity were free-flowing agreeable.
He would be liked by the people.
And now Tomo had been still in a grave for over a year, and Kazuha absent from the country for just as long.
Ayato was allowed to be cynical of another young man who people claimed could solve the current crisis.
He hadn’t stopped Thoma from going, however, and kissed him before going to spend the next month sleeping in his lonely bed every night. Something Thoma had laughed at when Ayato complained, but also something Ayato could see Thoma would miss very much
“He might not be able to fix our country, but I think he can do some much needed good.” Thoma had said as a parting comforting words to Ayato "And besides, we won't let him fight the shogun."
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The first time Ayato meets the traveller is immediately after he's fought the Raiden Shogun.
He doesn’t get to meet Aether once he arrives officially onto Narakumi island. Between aiding the rebellion, the Shuumatsuban, organising festivals, and assisting desperate vision users in the retrieval of vision replicas, he leaves the care of the Traveller to Ayaka and Thoma. He's still a little wary of the man anyway, and would like to keep his own hope alive for as long as possible.
Ayato must admit he’s impressed by the man already. Simply getting onto Narakumi island is a challenging feat, one Thoma had purposely left to the traveller and his flying companion, a test, as Thoma had put it. It was a task Aether had accomplished by unknown means, but Ayato had seen Kujou Kamaji in far better spirits than usual, and he suspects Aether aided in his and Miss Hiragi’s love affair.
The young man had also aided Yoimiya and provided Ayaka with some of the companionship she was desperate for, even if he (thankfully in Ayato’s opinion) was uninterested in romance with his sister, and had let her down gently.
He finally meets the Traveller after Thoma is executed by The Almighty Raiden Shogun. After he's challenged the Almighty Raiden Shogun and come out not victorious but alive.
The news rips Ayato’s breath away when he hears. He grips his chest feeling it contract painfully, and cries out falling to the floor. He should be thrilled that it's possible to fight the shogun, that there's a possibility to strike her down and bring change to the land, but all he can focus on is the reality that Thoma is dead.
The informants had quickly come to his side, but all Ayato could do was curl up in a ball and start to shake violently.
After his outburst was finally done, the guard had clarified once they had taken him to the infirmary, highly concerned about Ayato's visceral reaction.
“Almost execute, sir, almost,” and then Ayato had almost started crying again. He'd been too relieved to feel embarrassed.
He never truly understood Kazuha’s decision to abandon the rebellion, something he had put so much time, effort and passion into, over the death of one. Yes, one man he cared dearly for and, yes, one he'd known for a long time, but still, one man. At that moment Ayato did.
The first thing he does (after weeping in a more private space, and, really, after he begins to organise a boat and resistant smugglers to ensure Thoma's safe passage to Watatsumi island) is rush to the Komore teahouse. Clothing rumpled, armour discarded, and hair a mess. He’s sure his face is red from both exertion and tears, and he still seems frantic. His guards seem worried as they follow him, but Ayato could care less if he seems erratic, desperate or a far cry from the refined, elegant man they know, because he becomes all of those things on the way there.
All he can think is that he hasn’t seen Thoma in almost two months because they’ve both been so busy.
That he almost let the last time they saw one another be so unimportant.
At the teahouse, Ayato's led to one of their sparsely used back rooms, the door closed. He can hear people talking behind the door, and takes in a sharp breath when he hears Thoma’s voice, shoving open the doors and practically jumping Thoma when he sees him again.
“I thought you were dead,” he whispers, burying his head in the others neck. Thoma grips him back just as tightly.
“I almost was.” His voice is so watery even as he tries to be jovial about the situation.
He wants to say, "you should have just given it to them!" but the rational part of Ayato’s brain understands that his partner would never do such a thing. That his partner shouldn’t. Ayato himself knows that he would rather fight than lose his own.
They’ve both seen what the loss of a vision does to a person.
He stands back a little and pulls Thoma in for a passionate kiss when the other person in the room finally pipes up with an alarmed, slightly embarrassed “Um!”
Ayato looks then and jumps when he sees a tiny blonde-haired teenager and a chubby floating toddler.
“This is Aether and Paimon,” Thoma says and Ayato’s head is spinning and he pulls away from Thoma, turning fully to the traveller.
“Thank you.” Ayato says “You have done me a great service and saved the love of my life. You will forever have both my eternal loyalty and the Yashiro commissions.”
The Traveller smiles bashfully rubbing the back of his neck while his companion starts squeaking out a reply Ayato doesn’t listen to as he takes this moment to relax and realise how tired he is.
Ayato doubts he’ll get more rest anytime soon.
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The next six months of Ayato’s life are filled with three things: hearing news of the traveller's deeds, almost constant squabbling between the commissions and finally, desperately missing Thoma.
He hears of the travellers good deeds almost daily, recited back to him by excited, hopeful people. Invigorated for the first time in years. He hears all about Swordfish 2, the many battles won, the travellers close relationship and respect of the customs of both Inazuma and Watasumi island, and many more inconsequential events in the lives of Aether and his companion.
Ayato learns of it all through discreetly sent notes from Kokomi and Gorou, from the local gossip both between unaware members of the Yashiro commission and general public and people belonging to the resistance, and Ayaka who keeps him constantly informed.
In contrast, he now only has sparring letters to inform him of Thoma’s actions.
“This is hell.” He tells Ayaka one night in a moment of weakness as he sits down on one of the stools in their estates. The ones that serve predominantly as decoration and are rarely used for their intended purpose. He’d just spent his day sitting down listening to two men argue over what they should do about the rebellion and finances and everything in between, only to come out with no conclusion. Then he had arrived back to a message informing him that the resistance had issues with delusions supplied to some by agents of the Fatui.
Ayaka had found him sitting there and joined him. Sensing something wrong with her usually active and stoic older brother
“What's making you so upset?" She asks him in a calm, comforting voice, worry seeping into her tone.
everything, he thinks to himself.
“That I can’t see him.” is what spills out of Ayato’s mouth and Ayaka looks slightly taken aback before her expression shifts to one of profound sympathy. “That isn’t the only reason.” he rushes out, he puts his head in his hands, embarrassed. Ayato feels like some privileged love-struck schoolboy, where his object of affection is the only concern in his life.
A hand rests on his shoulder.
“I miss him as well.” They sit there for a long time. Together, heads bowed in silence. Both contemplating their current situations.
It’s the most relief he gets in those six months.
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The day the vision hunt decree is over Ayato writes a letter for Thoma to Watatsumi sharing the good news. Excited that there is an end in sight and excited to see him again.
Ayato's sitting in the Komore tea house with Kazuha, catching up after so long apart. The man writes poetry as he listens to Ayato explain all the drama of the tri-commissions.
Kazuha laughs when he hears about this immediate reaction, sitting across from him in the tea house one afternoon. Two visions clinking on his belt. Ayato truly wishes he could've been there to witness Kazuha relight the electro vision.
“Can I expect a wedding invitation soon?” Ayato huffs, then considers it.
“Possibly.” He mutters and Kazuha simply chuckles again.
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Things have mostly calmed down by the time Thoma makes it back to Narukami island, Kazuha has gone back to being a crew member of the Crux Fleet (“it provides new material for my writings”), Gorou and Kokomi remain on Watatsumi island to help get the island community back on its feet after so many years at war with the rest of their country, and the traveller is off doing some commissions for the Adventurer's Guild on Serai island last he heard. Ayato suspects that even once the young man leaves their country, he'll still be hearing about his deeds.
Ayato eagerly finds himself waiting at the Komore tea house with Taroumaru on the day Thoma is set to arrive. Guests give him odd looks as he sits with Taroumaru, the establishment's owner, surprised that he’s sitting there out in the middle of the teahouse and not in the usual private room.
He doesn’t even see Thoma again within the tea house, no, because as soon as he hears Thoma’s bright laugh outside the teahouse Ayato rushes to see the owner of that bright, happy, sunny laugh.
Ayato’s heart swells when he does see Thoma, looking just as he imagined. Smiling, talking with some resistance soldier clearly sent to escort him. One he probably charmed in his casual, incredible way on the long journey back to Narukami island.
The other man stops when he sees Ayato.
They both stare at one another for a moment, taking in their lover.
Ayato is the first one to move, and once that first step is taken he rushes towards his partner and brings him in for a tight embrace and a kiss. One which he hopes communicates all his sadness and loneliness. One that tells Thoma just how much he was missed.
As stupid as it sounds the war ends for Ayato the day Thoma comes back. The vision hunt decree was abolished two weeks ago, the war has been settled, things are returning to a peace that Ayato hasn’t known for a good time, and everything clicks back into place when he holds Thoma in his arms.