Evening, Watch Tower near the Stadium of Sacred Flame, Natlan, Teyvat.
Noah sat on the edge of the watchtower, letting the night breeze brush past him as he watched the starlit sky. The meeting earlier had wrapped up with a clear decision — aside from him and girls, Mavuika and the six heroes of Natlan would join them in the Night Kingdom to deal with Gosoythoth. Once they descended, the rest of Natlan's forces would remain on the surface to defend against the Abyss. They had two days to prepare before the dive, which meant tonight was a rare chance to breathe.
He let out a small chuckle as he leaned back, glancing at the lights of the stadium below. "Two days… feels both too short and too long."
The girls went out earlier after their meeting. Each have their own agendas to do.
Lumine and Miss A made a quick trip to Sumeru, wanting to update Nahida and Buer on everything that had happened so far and share their plan to enter the Night Kingdom.
"They're not going to like how dangerous it sounds," Miss A remarked
Lumine gave a small shrug. "Better they hear it from us than from rumors."
Meanwhile, Kiana and Elysia headed to Fontaine with a far lighter mission—letting Sirin sample some cakes.
"You're just using this as an excuse to eat three slices yourself," Elysia teased.
Kiana grinned. "Four, actually. Sirin needs variety."
"Hmm??" Sirin blinked.
Ever since that night in the springs when Sirin joined them, Kiana had let her hair flow freely, her mismatched eyes showing Sirin was always present with her now. Noah was happy for them both, but every time he saw that look—especially when she wore her Void Drifter: Radiant Blaze battle suit—something inside him ached. Sadness he couldn't shake.
One night, he dreamed. In it, a silhouette of Himeko Murata falling from the Hyperion into the depths of Imaginary Space. He saw a white-haired girl with red highlights—almost androgynous—wearing a white-and-red combat suit, calling for Kiana before fading away. Then came flashes: Kiana with golden eyes in a white-and-black suit, three lances and three light wings at her back; a worn-out Kiana pointing a gun at herself; and finally, that same Kiana wielding the void's power to send a bomb into space.
The images stayed even when he woke, leaving him unsettled enough that he found himself avoiding the topic when the girls were around.
Noah didn't say anything to the girls, but seeing Kiana and Sirin beside him, genuinely happy, was enough to make him content. In his heart, though, he made a vow: no matter what, he would never let those scenes from his dream become her reality.
He blinked as a familiar whisper in the Force brushed against him. Smiling faintly, he pulled his tea set from his storage space. With practiced ease, he began heating water over his portable flask, a simple heating spell doing the work. He measured the tea leaves into the pot, laid out a small mat, and set down the pot, a plate of cookies, and two cups. When the water reached the right temperature, he poured it over the leaves, letting the steam carry a rich, calming aroma through the air.
As the scent filled the tower, soft footsteps came from the entrance.
"That ability of yours is truly convenient… and infuriating," came the dry remark from the figure stepping into view.
Noah smiled faintly, pouring tea into both cups and gesturing for her to sit. "I'm not sure about the 'infuriating' part, but I'll admit—it's very convenient." He lifted his own cup and took a slow sip.
"Hmmp." She accepted her cup, taking a tentative sip before raising an eyebrow. "…It seems you've gone and ruined another one of my expectations." The faint pout on her lips betrayed her surprise at how good the tea was.
"Ahaha, I'll take that as a win. Can't have you losing interest in me, after all," Noah chuckled.
She didn't reply immediately, only sipping her tea again with a small sideways glance at him.
"So," he asked, watching her settle in, "you can walk now, Itztli? Is the discomfort gone?"
"I'm still sore thanks to you, but yeah, I've recovered enough to walk and stand. Also—my name is Citlali, not Itztli," she corrected him with a tired look, grabbing a cookie and taking a slow bite.
"Understood, Itztli~ Will do, Itztli~" Noah replied without missing a beat.
Her eyes narrowed as she chewed. "Haa… I'm starting to doubt the Lord of the Night's judgment in picking you to save Natlan."
Noah's grin widened. "Oh? You doubt picking me to save Natlan… but not being your husband?"
A pause. "…I'm doubting that now," she said flatly, reaching for another cookie.
"Ahahaha, you're too adorable, Itztli," Noah teased. "Still, I thought you'd go with Kiana to Fontaine and eat cakes?"
She gave him a side glance. "And leave you here unsupervised? With your track record?"
"...Ok, I brought that to myself." Noah slumped with a rueful sigh.
"I'm just kidding," Citlali said, rolling her eyes as she reached for another cookie. "With Natlan's current situation, I held back from going with them. Once we're outside, the Lord of the Night can't protect me anymore. So, I just asked Kiana to bring me back some cakes."
"Then I guess that's one more reason for us to win," Noah replied, glancing toward the stadium where the warriors were preparing for the final war. His voice softened, a small smile tugging at his lips. "We'll have a lot of places to take you… and things for you to experience."
Citlali almost choked at his words, coughing into her hand. Noah quickly passed her his cup. She drank in one go, glaring at him over the rim. "You! Why are you saying things like that so casually?!"
"I'm just being honest," Noah said innocently, tilting his head. "Is that a crime now?"
'It is! when it makes my heart race without warning,' she thought, cheeks faintly pink.
"Eh? Did I say something wrong?" Noah blinked, tilting his head with genuine confusion.
"…Seriously? Is this what Alice warned me about—the legendary Alden Obliviousness?" Citlali groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead.
Noah blinked again, clearly lost. Citlali sighed, only to notice the cup in her hand was his. Her cheeks flared pink as she shot him a quick glare, refilled it, and handed it back.
"…Thanks?" Noah ventured cautiously.
"Haa… I'm going to need endless patience and resilience if I'm going to survive you for the rest of our lives," Citlali muttered.
"…Am I really that hard to deal with?" Noah asked, a little troubled. The words were starting to sound familiar—Kiana and the others had said the same thing.
"No. But at the same time, yes," Citlali replied casually, waving her hand as she took another sip of tea. "You're easy to get along with… somehow, you made me like you in just a short time after we met. But—" she shot him a wry look, "—you're also a menace and a headache."
Noah's cheeks twitched at that, but Citlali wasn't done.
"You always say things that make my—our—hearts race. You treat us special, but still let us do things our own way. You don't demand anything from us, yet you shower us with affection. You make us feel loved, even in the most unexpected moments. You tease me, push my buttons… but you actually know when to stop." She paused, her lips quirking faintly. "I could list more, but the short version is… because of who you are—despite all the head and heart aches you give me and everyone else—we're still here. With you. And that's something we wouldn't trade for anything."
She glanced at him, smirking when she saw the faint pink creeping into his ears. "...And yes, you're allowed to feel embarrassed about that."
"...Why do you girls all say the same thing?" Noah asked, trying to keep a cool front, hiding his embarrassment, but the way Citlali smirked he knew he failed. "Did you all get together and plan this? Some grand conspiracy?!"
"Hmmp! Yeah, right. Because in my two whole days with you all, I've totally had time to do our secret meetings," Citlali replied, dripping with sarcasm.
"...You're adapting quickly, huh," Noah muttered, pouting.
"I have to, or else my hair will turn white before my time," she shot back, snatching another cookie.
"Tsk. Fine, you win this round, Itztli," Noah conceded with an exaggerated sigh.
Her cheeks twitched as she gave him a sidelong look. "...You really won't stop calling me that, will you?"
"Well, I call you girls by pet names after all," Noah said lightly, taking a slow sip of his tea. "You know—it's my way of showing affection."
"A pet name is fine... but could you call me something else for once?" Citlali sighed, giving him a pointed look.
Noah shook his head immediately, lips quirking. "Nope~. I know you secretly like it. But since you denied it before, you've locked yourself into pretending you still don't."
Citlali's cheeks warmed as she glared at him again—though the effect was far too cute to be intimidating. "Hmph! See? I just told you why you're insufferable, and you still keep doing it," she grumbled, crossing her arms.
"Guilty as charged," Noah laughed, feeling some of the earlier tension ease from her. "But you make it too fun to resist."
She rolled her eyes, snatching a cookie and munching on it. "So, now that you've gotten to relax a bit..." she said between bites, "are you going to tell me what's bothering you, or do I have to keep poking until you do?"
Noah actually flinched at that, a faint, awkward laugh slipping out. "...Ahahaha—what do you mean by that, I wonder?"
"Tsk… you're really infuriating, you know that?" Citlali grumbled, leaning back with her cup. "Don't even try to dodge it. On the outside, you're still that 'fun-loving' self when you're with us… but when you think we are not watching, your guard drops, and there's this sad, determined glint in your eyes."
Noah blinked at her, keeping his cool facade even as his heart pounded. "…Just curious—how did you notice?"
"I could feel it," Citlali replied matter-of-factly. "And I saw it—the way your eyes change when you look at us versus when you think you're alone." She set her cup down with a small click, adding with a pointed look, "Oh, and for the record, if I, who've only been with your group for two days, can spot it… imagine how much more obvious it is to the ones who've known you the longest."
Noah winced at that. Kiana and Elysia, who'd known him the longest, would definitely have noticed something—especially Elysia, being a Pathstrider of Remembrance. Lumine, too, was sensitive to emotions, and Miss A (Alice) had the perspective of knowing him from a different timeline.
Is that why Kiana's been clingier lately? Noah wondered.
He glanced at Citlali, opening his mouth to speak, but the glare she shot him made him freeze. That look said, Think carefully about what you're about to say. Don't you dare say something stupid, or else.
Noah swallowed hard, then gave a small nod, letting out a sigh. "...Itztli, I need a hug."
"…Such a needy man you are." Citlali stood, walked around, and without hesitation settled herself on his lap. "Also—it's Citlali."
Noah chuckled at her correction and wrapped his arms around her, resting his face against her chest.
"Don't casually 'feel' me up," Citlali scolded, giving his head a light chop.
"Hey, it's called a comfort hold," Noah replied with a grin, earning himself another glare.
Citlali sighed, shaking her head as her expression softened. She began to gently pat his head. "Alright… talk."
"...I just dreamed about some people—some faces I've known all my life, and others I've never met—but all of them felt important. And in the dream, they were disappearing." Noah's voice dropped slightly. Citlali kept patting his head, her fingers brushing through his eternally messy hair. Each pass of her hand seemed to unknot a little of the tension in his chest.
"Even with the Force, I can't tell if it was a glimpse of the future… or something else entirely," he went on, adjusting himself to a more comfortable position. "Seeing those scenes, and not knowing what they meant, just made me anxious."
His arms tightened around her. "And maybe… After that match against my siblings and friends, I realized I'm not as invincible as I liked to think."
"Hmmp! Of course you're not," Citlali cut in without hesitation, a playful smirk tugging at her lips as she reached out and pinched Noah's cheeks. "You're absolutely not invincible—you're just someone strong because your god decided to bless you directly."
Noah lifted his head from her chest, meeting her gaze squarely. She responded by gently cupping his face with both hands, her touch warm and comfortable.
"It's fine to be afraid. It's fine to be anxious, or to feel uncertain about the future," she said softly. "That's why we're here with you—to face it all together. To walk beside you and support you, no matter how great or unknown that future is."
Noah felt a warm swell in his chest at her words. The knot of unease he'd been carrying loosened, fading as he realized she was right—he wasn't alone. He had them: Kiana, Elysia, Lumine, Alice, Sirin, Masha, Sylvie… and her. With them in his life, he could face anything—even the Aeons themselves.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he leaned forward, stealing a quick peck from her. "Thank you, Itztli."
Her eyes widened for a heartbeat before she ducked them, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. "...You're welcome," she murmured, voice softer than before.
Noah chuckled under his breath, then leaned in again. This time she didn't hesitate, meeting him halfway, their lips brushing in a slower, warmer kiss.