Jurabi: Dear person who keeps leaving toxic guest reviews about the ships I write about. Your words do not provide any valid criticism nor any input on the story I spent my free time writing. If you do not like Genshin or any of the ships, that's fine, but keep those thoughts to yourself. If you continue writing toxic reviews bashing ships, I will continue deleting them and I will keep writing the stories I want. Keep that in mind.
For You: I Risk my Life
Cyno let out a weak grown. His vision became faint, and his left arm numbed. Looking down, he sees said arm leaking out blood, then his gaze turned to his abdomen which had a sword impaled into it. To his right was Nilou trying desperately to apply first aid to him. She looked panicked as she shuffled through the healing herbs she brought with her. Letting out a weak groan, the white haired boy whispered, "Nilou…? Where...what happened?"
"Don't talk, Cyno," Nilou quickly said, her attention still glued onto his wound, "Any unnecessary movement will cause your wounds to grow worse."
"But..." Cyno suddenly felt a surge of pain from his abdomen, causing him to cough out blood.
"I told you to stop talking, Cyno!" Nilou shouted, wiping away the blood from his mouth. She looked over his wounds and took out a packet of healing herbs. "This is going to hurt a lot. We don't have any spare painkillers." She held onto his hand and squeezed it tight, "Just hang in there!"
As Nilou started to apply the herbs to his wounds, Cyno began to remember how they ended up in this cave with him in this broken state. It was supposed to be a simple recon mission he wanted to handle by himself, but Nilou insisted to come with him. While Cyno worried for her safety, he didn't doubt her skills either. After careful consideration and enduring the dancer's persistence, he decided to let her join only if she promised to stay out of the heat of battle. Everything went smoothly with no conflict to be had, but just as they were about to finish, however, they were ambushed by a group of Emerites. For Cyno, Emerites are easy to take down. Similar to the many groups he has fought so far, this group proved to be no match for Cyno's strength combined with Nilou's unexpected agility in combat. However, the aftermath took a turn for the worse as one remaining Emerite targeted Nilou from behind. Before she could suffer a fatal strike, Cyno quickly pushed her out of the way to take the sword strike to his abdomen before dispatching the last Emerite with his remaining energy. Upon realizing what had happened in those quick moments, Nilou quickly takes Cyno to an isolated cave where they would be safe as she looks over his wound.
Cyno let out a hiss when he felt the sting of the herbs connecting with his wound. He didn't want to scream or yell as it might alert potential dangers to their position.
"Just a little longer, Cyno." Nilou began checking over the herbs she had left and let out a worried expression, "I might not have enough to fully treat that wound. Oh...if only Tighnari or Collie were here!"
"You don't need...to waste those on me...Nilou," Cyno whimpered, "I'll...be fine...as long as you're here..."
"You won't be fine if we don't remove this from you soon." Nilou pointed at the sword impaled into his abdomen, "I don't know if I can give you the treatment you need! I don't know the first thing about medicine!"
"I told you...I'll be fine...Just go and get help."
"I won't leave you behind!" Nilou protested, gathering her herbs together.
Cyno looked down at the sword impaled into him and placed a hand on the blade, "Will you have enough...to cover my wounds once I...remove this?"
"I might, but only enough for that wound," Nilou replied. Upon seeing what Cyno planned to do, she shook her head, "But I won't have any for your other wounds..."
"It's a risk we'll have to take," Cyno whispered as he grab hold of the talon, "Be ready. A lot of blood is...going...to…"
"Right." It pained Nilou to watch him pull out the sword. A stream of blood instantly poared from his wound once he completely removed the weapon. Reacting instantly, the red haired dancer applied as many bandages as she needed to the wound. It was enough to cover it all, but she ran out as a result. "Okay, as long as you don't move, I think this will keep the bleeding contained. For how long though..."
"It's better...than nothing..." Cyno whispered, feeling his energy drain away.
"Cyno? What's wrong?" Nilou took the white haired boy's cheeks into her hands. She notices that his body felt hot and sweat was pouring from his forehead.
"A little…lightheaded," Cyno whispered, "I think I'm…going to pass out?"
Nilou forced the boy to look into her eyes as she yelled out, "No! Stay with me, Cyno!"
But suddenly, they heard footsteps from outside the cave followed by deep voices shouting to 'Find them'.
Nilou's eyes widen, "More Emerites?"
"Those annoying rats…don't know when to give up." Cyno moved to pick up his weapon, but Nilou stopped him by holding his arm. The boy's golden irises shrunk upon realizing why the dancer stopped him. He looked up to Nilou with worry painted in his eyes, "N-Nilou…"
"If we both stay here, we'll have little room to make our escape," Nilou said, "I'm not going to let them hurt you, so I'll distract them while you rest here."
"Nilou!" Cyno shouted as he watched Nilou rush outside the cave before he completely blacked out. "Don't...go...please...If I lose you...I..."
##
"Nilou!" Cyno screamed as he woke up. However, this time he wasn't in the cave, but instead in an infirmary. His head felt like it was about to explode and his heartbeat began to rise for reasons unknown. Amidst the pain, it didn't take long for him to recognize the person standing in front of him, thanks to the familiar black ears.
"Looks like you're coming to." Said the familiar stern voice, "Now, with me. 1…2…"
Cyno shook his head, forcing his mind to focus, before he shot Tighnari an annoyed expression, "You don't have to do that for me, Tighnari."
"I save you from crossing death's door and those are the first words you say to me?" Tighnari asked, placing a hand on his hips, "Perhaps you haven't come to yet."
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. There, you happy?" Cyno asked.
"Ecstatic. I'll have Collei come over to watch over you too while I gather more medical herbs, so don't go-"
"Me too? Wait!" Cyno's eyes widened upon hearing Nilou's name, "Where's Nilou?!"
In response to Cyno's sudden outburst, which hurt his delicate ears, Tighnari shot a stern look towards him.
Cyno only let out a small grunt as he asked again in a softer voice, "Where's Nilou?"
"Collei's keeping a close eye on her in the next hut," Tighnari answered. Seeing the look of concern of Cyno's face was all the forest ranger needed to know what he would ask next, "She's going to be okay, Cyno."
"The fact that you had to tell me that doesn't put my mind at ease. I need to see her."
"Not until I come back, Cyno," Tighnari pushed Cyno back into bed, "Both of you need time to rest before you can go running around. Nilou is in good hands. Trust me."
Cyno let out a low grumble as he relaxed his body into the bed and did as Tighnari told. For the next few hours, Cyno spent time recuperating his energy and taking the medicine Tighnari provided for him, all of them tasting awful.
"Not even a few hours after we found you and you're body's already in a stable condition…" Tighnari said as he removed Cyno's bandages, "You're something else, Cyno, that's for certain."
"Enough about me. Will you let me see her now?" Cyno asked impatiently.
Tighnari let out a chuckle, "Impatient, are we? Very well. Follow me."
Though it was clear that the pain from his wounds were still present, Cyno endured it as he followed Tighnari to the hut Nilou was said to be resting. The forest ranger stopped before turning to his friend, "Just to warn you…I…wasn't being honest with you before about Nilou. Not fully, anyways."
Cyno's eyes hardened, "What do you mean?"
Tighnari let out a sigh, "I said before that Nilou would be okay. When we found you two, Nilou was on the verge of death."
"SHE was what?!" Cyno's voice boomed for a split second before he tried to contain the volume for Tighnari's sake.
The slight boom did bother the forest ranger, but given the current circumstances, he decided not to scold but rather continue his explanation. "From the looks of it, it seems like Nilou fought a hard battle with several Emerites and somehow won. You were both lucky help came when it did, because if Nilou fell right there and then, neither of you would be alive."
Cyno's eyes moved to the ground, the guilt-ridden silence speaking volumes.
"Try to stay positive, okay?" Tighnari asked, "The last thing a patient wants to see when they wake up is a frown."
"R-right," Cyno said as he followed Tighnari into the hut. There, he saw Collei talking with Nilou, who was wrapped in bandages from shoulder to abdomen. Her hair was messy, likely due to having to rest in the hut after a hard fought battle.
The moment she saw Cyno, the dancer's eyes lit up, "Cyno! You're okay!"
"So I am," Cyno said, trying his hardest to mask his guilt, "You look a little…tied up." He heard Tighnari facepalm.
The green haired ranger shook her head, "Mr. Cyno…now's not the time for-"
Nilou's giggle interrupted Collei's attempt to scold Cyno. Despite being in immense pain, the girl still had the energy to be happy. She smiled at Cyno, "I don't get it."
"You don't? Well you see-"
Tighnari cleared his throat, interrupting the white haired boy's attempt to explain his 'joke', "While this display is lovely and all, don't think I'll let you both hook this time."
"Yeah, why were you fighting Emerites, Nilou?!" Collie asked, "I get Mr. Cyno since he's strong and all, but why you, Nilou?"
"I'm sorry, you two," Nilou said, "I insisted Cyno to take me with him because I was worried. I had this…gut feeling that he might not come back, so I was more persistent than I had any right to, but my being there only gave him more things to account for in his fight."
"I'm not going to let you take the blame, Nilou." Cyno cut it, "It was my disregard for your safety that should be condemned here. I overestimated my capabilities and assumed everything would go well even when I had you with me. You have my word, Tighnari, that this will not happen again."
"I hope it doesn't. Since you two were so honest about your mistakes, I'll…be nicer in my scolding." Tighnari said.
"Aw, you such a sweetie, Master Tighnari," Collei teased.
"Not in front of the patients, Collei," Tighnari said in a calm tone despite how embarrassed he was to be called that. He cleared his throat and turned to Cyno, ignoring the smug grin on the white haired boy's face, "Anyways, we'll give you five minutes. Nilou will need more time to rest."
"Thank you both," Nilou said as she watched both rangers leave the hut, "I'll make this up to you, I promise."
After the recent departure, the hut went silent for a few seconds. Cyno sat down on the bed next to Cyno's. While he could barely walk, he still needed help moving from point A to point B. Every time Cyno looked over to Nilou's bandages, his heart would ache. He would desperately want to hug her, but he is afraid to even that would break her body further. More than anything, his mind felt like it was on fire because he remembered how Nilou stood up to protect him.
"Cyno...are you...mad at me?" Nilou asked.
Cyno looked into Nilou's eyes. His gaze turned to the floor. Biting his lip, he let out an answer, "No...I'm just...mad at myself."
"What for?"
"If I didn't get injured...if I was able to intercept that attack properly, I would have had the strength to keep fighting with you." Cyno clenched his fists, "But you had to fight those Emerites...all by yourself!"
Nilou let out a smile as she placed her hand on Cyno's head, "Don't blame yourself, Cyno. I was alone, but I would do it all over again if it meant protecting you."
"I'd rather that not ever happen again!" Cyno shouted, holding Nilou's hand tightly.
The dancer's blue irises shrank, her mind processing the boy's sudden outburst, "Cyno..."
"When I heard you fough of the Emerites by yourself, I wondered what would have happened had we not been found," Cyno said, "You would have died...and it would be my fault for now saving you. There's nothing that hurts more than losing someone and being powerless to stop it!"
"..."
Cyno let out a deep breath to calm himself down. He turned to Nilou, a small tear forming in his eye, "I'm sorry, Nilou...I don't know what came over me. You risked your life for me, so I shouldn't be saying all of that like some spoiled child."
Nilou did not say a word and instead chose to wrap the saddened boy in a warm hug, "I understand, Cyno."
"Nilou..."
"It's true that I could have died when I chose to protect you, but I couldn't live with myself if I ever let any harm come to you!" Nilou shouted, tears beginning to form in her eyes, "You needed help. You were about to die! I gave up all the healing herbs I couldn't have used for myself to save you! If you died...I would not be able to live with myself, Cyno!"
"Wh-what are you saying...?" Cyno asked, "You could..."
"No I couldn't...because I...I..." Nilou bit her lip as her tears streamed down her cheeks. She looked up into Cyno's eyes and smiled, "I love you, Cyno."
At that moment, Cyno felt his heart beat at least once per millisecond. All he could do was stare into her purple eyes. His tears finally broke through as he felt his mind begin to heat up.
"Nilou...you...you really do? You really love me?" Cyno asked. The red-haired girl's nod was just the response he needed, for his heart could finally be at ease.
It didn't take long until both of them held each other in an embrace. Cyno pulled Nilou closer in, and their lips connected. In an instant, both of their hearts skipped a beat as they opened their mouths wider to allow for a more heartfelt connection. Cyno wrapped his arms around Nilou's chest to pull her body up against his. He felt her beautiful red hair brush up against his arm, making his cheeks turn a shade of red. Upon being pulled close, Nilou closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around Cyno's neck before sliding her left up to his soft, white hair. Her chest filled up with butterflies, causing her body to heat up. Even so, she wanted this moment to last for as long as she is able to keep it up. Actually, she wanted it to last forever, but her breath was about to run out so she pulled away. She was shocked that he still wanted to keep going.
"Sorry, Cyno...I...I didn't expect it would be like that," She said.
"It's okay..." Cyno whispered, feeling his heart beat again, "I didn't know how much I need you in my life, until today."
"C-Cyno...!" Nilou's irises shrunk when she saw something unexpected.
A smile on Cyno's face. He happily caressed Nilou's red hair, "Thank you, Nilou, for saving my life."
Nilou let out a giggle, "It was no problem at all."
"No, you managed to save the life of a skilled fighter like me. I don't think you should undervalue this accomplishment," Cyno said before letting out a chuckle, "You need a suitable reward for, and I intend to give it all to you."
"All?" Nilou asked.
"All of it. Besides, I want to keep going!" Cyno shouted excitedly.
"Was he...always like this...?" Nilou thought to herself before smiling, "Just as long as we don't break anything."
"Definitely. Tighnari would never let us hear the end of it."
The red-haired dancer and the white haired scholar continued with the lovely kissing session with each session becoming more tender by the minute. Eventually, they had to stop and wait until they recovered. The moment they were let go, the two lovers were always seen in Sumeru together whether it be in the city, the forest, or even the desert-from clear morning till the still night.
Jurabi: Hello~! Been a while, hasn't it? Since I wrote a fic about Genshin with a romance plot that definitely isn't the same over and over again. When will I get to the real stuff? The...angst? Maybe one day? Maybe.
Anyways, I made this fic to celebrate my winning the Cyno 50/50. I want to write more about them, I swear I do! And I will, I have another Cylou fic planned, but first I got to finish this Noelle fic I already wrote. The next cylou fic will bless my Nilou pulls! I'm so excited you wouldn't believe it.
Anywho, if you all enjoyed this short fic, please leave a comment and a kudos. We're almost there, folks! 4 moure days until they unite the two! I look forward to seeing your 50/50 wins while I stay here with my soon-to-be C5 Jean.
