Okay, I know I had other requests, but-
I saw Titanic in 3D last night and it reminded me "Oh yeah, didn't Thoma end up in Inazuma through a shipwreck?"
So I had to write this- don't worry, this one has a happy ending!
A/N- I realized after writing this that Thoma sailed alone on a small boat to Inazuma and got his Vision afterwards. Just roll with this, okay?
Synopsis: You've made it to a boat to Inazuma in your attempt to escape the stuggles from your previous life. There, you meet Thoma and take an instant liking to him. But as Inazuma nears you, so do the storms . . .
Theme(s): Fluff, Angst(?)
Relationship: Strangers
Trigger Warnings: Vomiting, near drowning, mentions of abuse (not by Thoma of course)
Word Count: 4066
Enjoy! ;)
Shipwreck
You leaned over the rail and gazed out into the seemingly endless horizon. The view varied in shades of blue, the dancing waves providing the only real movement. The golden sun provided the perfect amount of light and warmth. The ocean sparkled underneath it. The ship had just enough rock in it to feel almost soothing.
You shut your eyes and sighed happily letting the gentle breeze run through your face and hair. You soaked up the sun's warmth, the soft scent of sea wafting through the air. The sound of the waves washed out all the worries you had originally brought with you on board.
So this was what freedom really felt like.
The boat suddenly rocked a little too far forwards. Your stomach rocked with it. Your cheeks bulged. You dropped your head over the railing just in time and released a mouthful of bile into the ocean.
Oops.
You spat out the last bit of acidic taste, silently apologizing for all the sea creatures down there. Had anyone seen you? You doubted it. The ship wasn't that big, there couldn't be that many passengers on it.
No, wait it looked like one passenger had seen you. And he was approaching you. Before you could stop it, you were forced to release a second load into the ocean.
"Whoa, are you okay?"
You nodded quickly and forcibly swallowed back the acidic taste- you weren't getting caught spitting. "I'm alright, thank you." You smiled meekly at the young man. Your eyes widened a little as you realized he was kind of cute!
"You sure?" he asked. "Would you like some tea or something?"
You lowered your eyebrows. "Tea?"
"Uh-huh! Ginger tea is really good for motion sickness," the man said pleasantly. "Though standing out here is also a good idea. The fresh air should help." He patted you on the shoulder. "If you still feel sick, you can try some deep breathing."
"Deep breathing . . ."
Your eyes were on his hand that was still on your shoulder. The man realized it and immediately pulled it back with a chuckle.
"Sorry. So, what brings you to Inazuma?"
Wow. He'd changed the topic so smoothly. But at the same time . . . You swallowed back another wave of nausea.
"I'm . . . just travelling." How could you tell him, a stranger, about the horrors the previous man in your life had brought you, how unsupportive and uncaring your family had been, how scared you had been to leave, how lucky you felt to be on this ship . . . Ironic, you thought, how you were escaping from Mondstadt, the City of Freedom . . .
"What about you?" you asked quickly. "Were you the one bringing all that Dandelion Wine?" You gave the man a teasing smirk.
"Aww, you saw that?" he laughed. His laugh was really cute. So cheery and uplifting.
"Trust me, I don't drink! I can't drink! The wine's actually for my father. I'm seeing him for the first time in years. He loves the stuff."
"Aww. That's kind of you."
"Thanks," the man smiled. He had such a nice smile. Maybe it was helped by the sun (which also highlighted his golden hair), but that smile made you feel so warm and fuzzy inside. It was the nicest you'd felt in years.
"Are you meeting anyone in Inazuma?"
Your blood immediately went cold. Your eyes widened a little. You tried not to shiver. The man must have noticed because his warm smile dropped a little.
"I- I'm sorry! Was that a personal question? You don't have to answer if you don't want to-"
"No, it's fine," you said quickly. "I- I'm not visiting anyone . . ."
"I see," the man said softly. "You need some alone time?"
"Alone time? N- no, you can stay!" You were enjoying his company. And he was keeping your mind off the seasickness.
"Oh, I meant alone time from home. Like a break."
Ah.
You felt your face flush red hot, getting a cheery non mocking chuckle out of him. You couldn't help laughing awkwardly with him.
"But if you want me to stay, I can stay."
You felt yourself blushing even hotter. Your eyes darted down. You couldn't look at the man now- you imagined your cheeks were as red as the glowing talisman on his belt.
Your eyes widened a little.
"You have a Vision?"
"Huh? Oh yeah!" He detached the talisman from his belt and handed it over for you to look yourself. "I got a Pyro Vision! Lucky me, huh? Do you have one too?"
You beamed and took out your own Vision for him to see. His face lit up at it.
"Aww that's a great one! It would make some great combos!" He raised an eyebrow at you. "We could team up! Maybe we should spar when we get off!"
You cocked your head. "Are you asking me out?"
He smirked. "Maybe."
The ship suddenly rocked. You stumbled, your breath hitching as your Vision nearly slipped from your hand.
"Whoa!" The man caught your hand before you could drop it into the sea. "Be careful with that! You don't wanna lose it."
"Yeah, you're right. Thanks," you muttered, quickly handing his Vision back to him before you could drop it overboard. You then realized that not only was the man still holding your hand, but you liked how soft and warm it felt.
Feeling yourself starting to blush again, you slid your hand out of his. "I think I'm gonna go down to my room."
"Sure thing," the man smiled. As you went to leave, he added "Mind yourself."
You paused and turned around. "S- sorry?"
"Just mind yourself in Inazuma," the man said. "It's kinda infamous for its thunderstorms. And there are a few bandits out there."
"Like Treasure Hoarders?"
"And Nobushi. They're like samurais, y'know? But if you have a Vision, I'm sure you can handle them," the man smiled.
"I'll be sure to be on the lookout. Thanks, uh . . ."
"Thoma." He stepped up to you and offered his hand for you to shake. "What's your name?" He gave you another warming smile when you told him. "That's a nice name."
You stiffened mid handshake, feeling yourself blushing again. You laughed shyly and slowly released your hand. He was still giving you that warm smile that made you feel things you had never felt before.
You tore your eyes away from him and waved goodbye, holding your Vision close to your chest. But you couldn't stop yourself peeping back as you headed back inside . . .
You couldn't stop thinking about him.
Not only was he super cute, but he seemed so genuinely nice as well.
But then again, that was what you used to think about the last man you dated . . . before he started treating you the way he did . . .
What was the point thinking about this Thoma guy anyway? You were gonna go your separate ways as soon as you left the ship. It was unlikely you'd ever see him after that.
You tried to tell yourself to stop daydreaming about him. Get some sleep. Read a book. Anything else to take your mind of the rocking motions on the boat that were growing more frequent.
You heard a rumble and peeped out your window. You could just make out a dark silhouette of a large island in the distance. An occasional flicker would give you a real glimpse of your destination.
Not long to go now. You could handle the seasickness for another while. Just think about something else.
Like Thoma.
NOT THOMA.
You mentally slapped yourself. You needed to think about something else. Like . . . where did that rain come from? And why was the thunder getting louder?
You braved another look out your window. You gulped at the streaks of lightning flashing down on the ocean. Thoma had warned you about the thunderstorms alright, but this was worse than you thought.
You took a deep breath and tried to remind yourself that these thunderstorms were all controlled by an Electro Archon. Surely she wouldn't strike the ship. She wouldn't let all these people die . . . right? You lay on your bed and gripped your stomach to try and to keep your nausea down. It was hard to do so when your room kept flashing white.
You squeezed your eyes shut. Everything was an assault on your senses. The booming thunder, flashing lightning, violent rocking and sour taste at the back of your throat.
You swallowed it back and tried to remind yourself you were fine.
How much farther could it be?
You staggered out of bed and tried to get another look. You could barely see through all the rocking but it didn't look far. It almost looked like you could swim there.
Like you were gonna do that in this weather. You flopped back onto bed.
You reminded yourself you didn't have far to go.
But deep down, you wished the whole thing would just end. End right here right now.
What happened next made you wish you remembered "be careful what you wish for."
You heard a loud BOOM way too close for comfort. Followed by a shattering sound that made you sit up in bed. And then a gargling creaking sound. The rocking eased a little, but when you heard the sound of rushing water, you immediately realized why. The screams from other rooms confirmed your fears.
"What was that?"
"We've been hit!"
"We're flooding!"
"We're gonna sink!"
"HELP!"
Another BOOM made you jump off the bed and grab for your life jacket. You had barely gotten it on before a hole was blasted into your wall and water gushed straight in. By the time you had secured your jacket and grabbed the little bits you had the time for (mainly some Mora and your Vision), the water had already reached your knees.
You hurried over to your door and tried to force your way out. But even if the water didn't shove the door shut, the panicking passengers running down the corridor certainly did.
"HEY!" you yelped as one of them practically slammed the door in your face. The ship rocked as it happened, making you fall back, your life jacket stopping you from going under. The furious water was not going to let you open your own door.
So you decided to fight right back.
One wave of your hands and your shattered the door with your Elemental Skill. The water was already up to your chest, and it was absolutely freezing.
You leapt over the broken door, aided by the water which had already filled up three quarters of the corridor. You checked either side and any oncoming passengers. You needed to get to the stairs before you-
A small red flicker at the far end of the corridor caught your eye.
Was it . . . ?
It was!
Thoma's Vision!
He must have dropped it while escaping!
You gritted your teeth. Your life jacket had you floating in a way that your head was touching the ceiling, and the water was up to your shoulders. You practically had your hand on the banister. And you barely knew the guy . . .
But he would be so upset if he lost it . . .
You threw off your life jacket, took a deep breath and set off for the Vision. You were a competent swimmer. You could swim pretty fast and had the stamina for it. But as soon as you reached the Vision, it floated away through a door into a bedroom.
Really? This was worse than trying to follow a Seelie up in Dragonspine.
The water was up to your chin. But for some reason, you persevered. You sucked in a deep breath and swam into the bedroom just as everything was submerged in water. At this rate, the ship would be gone in less than a minute. The stairs wouldn't be an option.
Holding your breath, you grabbed Thoma's Vision and tucked it safely in your pocket with yours, all while searching for a shortcut out.
Window.
The window.
You swam a strong breaststroke over to it, picking up a sunken spear in case you didn't have the energy for a Skill or a Burst. You reached the window, waved your hand and-
YES! Your Skill blasted a hole you could just about fit through. Though at the same time, the impact blasted you back. You bumped your head off the ceiling and struggled to stop yourself from spluttering. You couldn't afford to let out any air.
Air.
Your throat tightened.
You needed air. You needed it now.
You quickly set off for your escape route, pushing your feet off the ceiling for a boost. As you swam out the hole, your eyes widened at how far you had sank already.
You hoped everyone had made it.
You hoped Thoma had made it . . .
Your lungs screamed for air. You squeezed your lips shut, trying to preserve what little oxygen you had left. You went to swim up. But the suction of the ship fought back. For every stroke and kick you made, the ship dragged you down even more.
If you didn't act now . . .
With all the energy you had left, you aimed down at the ship and summoned your most powerful Element Burst. It was just what you needed. The Burst blasted you up to the surface like a rocket, out of the ship's range.
You gasped as you reached the surface, your lungs relishing in that breath of air. And then you coughed and spluttered as some seawater spilt in. It reminded you you weren't out of danger just yet.
You . . . you . . . where even were you?
You thrashed around, your body and mind spinning. All you could see was black ocean.
Where was everybody?
Were you the only one who had made it out?
You spluttered at the thought.
A flash of white gave you a quick reminder where you needed to go. You set off towards the island with the strongest strokes and kicks you could manage. You gasped for more breath- those Skills and Bursts had taken more out of you than you thought they would. Did the island look farther away than you last saw, or had the ship just drifted that far out?
You tried to refocus yourself on making your destination. You wish you had thought to bring your life jacket with you while you were chasing Thoma's Vision. Your muscles were beginning to ache and the water was so cold . . .
Another flash of lightning struck more fear into you. But also a flicker of hope as you thought you saw some people ahead. Most of the passengers had made it onto little lifeboats and were rowing towards a sandy beach in the distance.
But they were too far away and too far to one side (understandable since they probably had to escape the suction). You knew there was no point wasting your breath chasing them or screaming after them.
Your own muscles were screaming . . .
Gasping and panting, you forced yourself to keep going. If you didn't, your body would give up on you and . . . and . . .
You tried to shake the thought from your mind.
Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted a small rocky beach that looked nearer. With a small boost of energy, you set off there.
It wasn't long.
Just a few strokes.
You could make it.
You tried to fight everything. The choppy water throwing you back. The sting in your arms with each stroke. Your legs screaming with each kick. The harder you kicked, the more they protested.
At this point, you were wheezing. But you had . . . to keep . . . going . . .
Your kicks were getting weaker, even with your best efforts . . . You reached out almost desperately for that little beach. It wasn't that far . . .
Wait.
Was there someone over there?
As more lightning flashed, you got a definite glimpse of a person.
Without a moment's hesitation, you raised a hand in the air and summoned an Elemental Skill. It shot up into the sky like a flare. As soon as you did so, your feet completely dropped on you. You thrashed around as your head went under. You kicked yourself back up, desperately gasping for air.
Had the person even seen you?
You thought you saw them looking your way.
You frantically reached down, raising your face to the sky, the rain like needles on on your skin. You pulled out your Vision, hoping its little light would be enough.
"Hel-" Even if the seawater didn't cut you off, the thunder boomed well over your voice. You coughed and tried to thrash on, but your kicks were getting weaker and weaker, to the point where they barely fluttered. You gasped one last time as your body sank under . . .
You tried to thrash up, but your feet had become your own anchor, refusing to move for you. Your eyes flashed white, and this time, you weren't sure it was the lightning.
You shut your eyes, trying preserve the remaining oxygen in your lungs. All sorts of thoughts began flooding your mind as your throat tightened.
'Oh Archons above. If you let me live, I'll never be this stupid again. I'll go back home. I'll never run away again. I won't take my family for granted . . . Just please . . . help me . . .'
You heard a plunging sound above you. You opened your eyes and thrashed up, trying to fight a gulping reflex. Two strong hands grabbed you under your arms and pulled you up to the surface.
You took in the biggest, most welcome breath of air in your entire life, nearly choking on your own gasps. You coughed and spluttered so desperately- you couldn't take in the air fast enough. You could barely see- darkness aside, you struggled to clear the water out of your eyes. But a glimpse of golden hair gave you all you needed.
"Thoma!"
He spun you around and slid a strong arm over your shoulder and across your chest, his hand gripping under your arm. He pulled your body into his and began making powerful strokes and kicks.
You continued to make rapid gasps to make up for all the air you had lost. Each breath of air gave you a little bit more energy. You grabbed onto Thoma's arm with one hand and made circular motions in the water with the other. You made the best kicks your body could muster.
"Good girl. Good girl!"
His praise gave you even more of a boost. You kicked and and stroked harder, matching the strong rhythm of your saviour. You could feel the progress you were making. The water was finally calming, allowing you to breathe a bit more. With every breath you took, you kicked even harder, grunting as you did so.
"Keep going! We're just there now!"
Thoma was panting, but he maintained his strong strides. As you continued to kick together, you felt him lunge and grab something. He dragged himself over, carrying you with him. You spotted the rock and slipped out of his grip so you could grab it yourself.
Before you could pull yourself up, the backwash suddenly dragged you back out, your hand slipping from the rock. The waves washed out your screams. As you thrashed around, terrified to slip back out to sea again, you felt Thoma's strong hand catch you by the wrist.
"I got you!"
He swiftly pulled you back to him. You got a better grip on the rock this time and heaved yourself over, Thoma pushing you from behind. As soon as your were on the rock, you grabbed Thoma by the collar and helped pull him out with your final ounce of strength. Once he was safely by your side, you collapsed down onto the rock, realizing how exhausted you were.
"Y/N . . ."
Thoma was gently prodding your back. You moaned in protest. You just wanted to lay here and block out everything- the crashing waves, booming thunder, flashing lightning . . . and the cold . . . But Thoma took your arm and wrapped it around his shoulders.
"Come on." He wrapped his other hand around your waist and rose to his feet, bringing you up with him. "Just walk with me a few steps."
He held you tight as he trudged down the beach. Your feet barely brushed off the rock underneath you. Were you that tired? Or was Thoma that tall? Your head dropped on his shoulder. Through heavy blinks, you could just make out a cave in the distance. It made you step with just a little bit more urgency.
"Atta girl. Almost there . . ."
As soon as you were both inside, Thoma dropped down to his knees and went to gently lower you. You collapsed down yourself, panting and wheezing. You were so tired, so dizzy, so sore, so cold . . . Every now and then, your breath hitched from all your shivering. You didn't notice Thoma laying down beside you until he pulled your body into his.
"Wh- what are you d- doing?"
"We need to keep each other warm." He slid his arms around you and pulled you in closer. Though he was as wet as you, you felt a warmth from his body that immediately soothed your shivering.
"Is that okay?"
You nodded shakily. "Yeah, that's nice." You shut your eyes, rubbing your head off his warm chest. He was also panting, but was making attempts to take deeper breaths to tone it down. You found yourself relaxing into his arms, trying to mimic his deep breathing.
"Thank you . . ."
"You're welcome." You heard that warm chuckle from him. "Welcome to Inazuma."
You spluttered with laughter, making Thoma pat your back.
"You okay? Just stay on your side in case any water comes up."
You nodded in understanding, sliding your heavy arms around his body. He was so warm and cuddly. And you were so thankful for him saving you. If only you could pay him back . . .
Your eyes widened as you remembered what had brought you here in the first place. You dug your hand into your pocket and began searching around.
Please . . .
Please let it be there . . .
YES!
You breathed a sigh of relief and pulled the Pyro Vision out of your pocket. Raising it to Thoma's face felt like raising a brick. He sat up at the sight of it, his eyes widening, his pupils flicking between you and your hand.
"Is that-?"
You nodded.
"Oh my gosh! Y/N!" He grabbed the Vision and hugged you with so much gratitude and affection. "Thank you! Thank you so much . . ."
As tired as you were, you still managed a sassy smirk. "Be careful with it you said . . ."
"Aww, I know," he said happily. "I'll do my best to keep a better hold of it. Thank you."
"You're welcome." Your smirk grew a little. "Sorry I couldn't save the Dandelion Wine."
You said it as more of a joke, but Thoma squeezed you a little tighter.
"Don't worry about that," he whispered, gazing into your eyes. He reached up to brush some of the hair from your face. "You're more important."
"Huh? More important?" You blinked at him, processing his words. You didn't think you had ever heard a guy say something like that to you before . . .
Another teasing smirk slowly spread across your face. "Would you have given me the kiss of life if I'd passed out?"
Thoma laughed his warm laugh, giving you another squeeze as you snuggled up to him.
"Maybe."
"Maybe?" you repeated, giving him a playful little dig in the chest. He laughed again, patting you on your shoulder.
"Let's lay here until the storm clears, hm?"
"Alright," you murmured with a yawn. Though the cave floor was cold and solid, you felt so warm and comfortable in Thoma's arms.
"I can show you around Inazuma City when this is over. Would you like that?"
You beamed and snuggled up even more to him. "That would be nice."
"Good."
This wasn't quite the welcome to Inazuma City you had hoped for. You had taken the trip here with little and landed with even less. But the one thing you had brought with you was a glimmer of hope that the skies would clear and things would get better.
You had hope.
And you had Thoma.
And that, you decided, was the best you could ever ask for.
And there you go! Time to go on to write things that people actually asked for!
Please Read and Review and check out my other stories! If you're enjoying this series, be sure to check out my other Thoma X Reader story, "Feelings of Warmth!" Also, if you have any ideas, feel free to share them with me! I'd love to see what you think!
See you! ;D