Thoma x Reader

Your mother must've seen it in your face as you approached, because you didn't even have to speak before she broke down in tears. You raced over and caught her as she fell forward from her seat, carrying her inside and placing her in her bed as she sobbed and clung to you.

After a while, you glanced around. "Where's Shoushou?"

She sniffled. "I didn't get the chance to tell you, but he got out earlier. I wasn't able to stop him."

You nodded, gently laying her back in bed before fetching a cup of water to place where she could reach it. "I'll look for him in the morning." You reached out as tears finally slipped from your eyes, grasping your mother's hand tightly. You didn't know what else to say. You'd never had to comfort someone before, so you just held her hand until grief exhausted her enough to sleep.

_____

You allowed yourself only a day or two before you went back to the Kamisato Estate, carrying a letter you had written, which was addressed to Kamisato Ayato. A backpack was also slung over your shoulders, one of your father's old ones. You walked past the guards and up to the first person you saw—a tall man with golden hair and vibrant green eyes, dressed in a mostly black and red sort of uniform. He turned to greet you as you approached.

"Are you employed here?" you asked.

The stranger crossed his arms. "That I am. What can I do for you?"

You pulled out your neatly folded letter and briefly looked down at it before meeting his eyes and handing it over. "Please make sure this gets to Kamisato Ayato. Thank you." With that, you simply left, and the man watched you go.

Everything was in order. Your mother was staying with some old friends of hers in Konda Village for a while, and as for you... You were going on a trip of unspecified length. You needed some time to yourself, out of that little house that was filled with painfully happy memories. So you planned to island hop across Inazuma, wherever the wind took you. Upon return, you would meet with Kazuaki again, and be initiated into the Shuumatsuban. You would never get another opportunity to travel freely like this once you are made an official member, and as easy as it would've been to throw yourself into work, there was a lot you still needed to figure out. So you left.

_____

10 months later

Thoma set aside his duster and pulled down the cloth partially covering his face, letting it hang around his neck instead. He took a moment to appreciate the sunset, admiring the way its light painted the underbellies of the clouds in fiery tones.

His attention was snatched away as the double doors to the main building opened, and out walked Kazuaki, the resident Shuumatsuban at the estate. He was closely followed by a girl that was immediately familiar, even though it had been quite some time since his last encounter with her.

"Ah, Thoma. Just who I was looking for." Kazuaki smiled amiably and approached with the girl in tow, her expression something between serene and neutral.

"Hey, Kazuaki. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you could introduce my friend here to Yasutake of the Tenryou Commission. You know him well, don't you?"

Thoma nodded. "Of course! Were you wanting to leave tomorrow for this?"

"At once," Kazuaki said, earning a sharp glance from the girl, and a quiet sigh from Thoma. However, neither objected.

"This way, then," Thoma complied, looking back to make sure the girl was following as he left the walls of the estate behind. Together they walked along the path that loosely hugged the mountain, with the sounds of cicadas and crickets heralding the onset of night. A breeze carrying the tang of ocean salt tugged playfully at their hair and clothes as they walked, but the girl didn't seem bothered. In fact, he caught a glimpse of her briefly closing her eyes and lifting her chin as if to revel in it.