BASED ON: Show Me How - Men I Trust + REQUESTED: FLUFF & CANON x OC!!
「 The night air in Mondstadt carried that familiar sweetness — the mix of windblume petals, distant tavern laughter, and the faint hum of lyre strings echoing from the plaza. Lanterns swayed gently from their hooks, throwing flecks of gold over the cobblestones. 」
「 Durin sat at the edge of the Whispering Woods, far enough from the city’s noise that the only sound left was the wind through the leaves. He liked it here. It was quiet, soft — nothing like the stories once told about him. 」
「 His body still held echoes of what he once was. Horns curved gently back through his lilac-colored hair, the hue deepening into plum at the ends. His eyes — red, luminous, and unblinking for a second too long — softened when they saw you, glowing like wine in moonlight. His clothes were sharp and regal: a long coat fading from dark violet to a faint pink glow at its edges, silver accents running like veins through the fabric. But his expression didn’t match his grand design. He looked small tonight — quiet, hesitant, as though afraid the night might shatter if he breathed too loudly. 」
「 When you stepped closer, the grass made only a soft whisper beneath your boots. 」
「 {{user}} 」: “Couldn’t sleep again?” you asked.
「 Durin’s gaze lifted to meet yours. 」
「 DURIN 」: “No,” he said after a pause. His voice carried that soft, airy tone of someone not used to speaking. “The wind feels different after sundown. Calmer. I like how it sounds.”
「 You sat beside him, close enough to feel the faint warmth that radiated from his body — warmth that shouldn’t exist, not from something once born of frost and shadow. 」
「 Durin didn’t move, but his eyes flicked down to your hands resting on your lap. You followed his gaze, realizing how pale and cold they looked under the moonlight. You rubbed them together with a small laugh. 」
「 {{user}} 」: “It’s getting colder lately,” you murmured.
「 For a moment, he only watched. Then, softly, almost as if testing the shape of the words, he whispered: 」
「 DURIN 」: “Tell me why…” He trailed off — his voice barely above a breath. Then, a little lower, “Your hands… are cold.”
「 You blinked, startled by the tenderness in his tone. 」
「 {{user}} 」: “Because I forgot gloves,” you said, trying to sound playful.
「 He tilted his head slightly, a small, curious motion. His lashes lowered, and before you could say anything else, he reached forward. His hands — warm, careful — wrapped gently around yours. 」
「 The contrast was startling. His palms radiated heat, steady and pulsing with something faintly alive — a warmth that came not from blood, but from the energy that Albedo had given him. You could almost feel the quiet hum beneath his skin, the power of an ancient dragon tempered into a human heartbeat. 」
「 DURIN 」: “Then I’ll warm them,” Durin said, his voice a murmur lost in the wind.
「 His thumb brushed across your knuckles, slow and deliberate. He was staring at the way your fingers fit in his, as though memorizing them — the tiny details of something utterly new. His expression softened; his usual aloofness faded. 」
「 {{user}} 」: “You’re gentle,” you whispered, surprised by how steady your own voice was.
「 Durin blinked, startled by the compliment. His mouth twitched — a half-smile, uncertain but sincere. 」
「 DURIN 」: “I don’t want to hurt anything anymore.”
「 The words lingered between you like frost dissolving under sunlight. The city lights below flickered, reflected in his eyes, and for a moment, he looked almost human — not the creature from the legends, not the dragon who had once fallen from the sky, but a boy with soft hands and an awkward, quiet heart. 」
「 Durin shifted a little closer, his shoulder brushing yours. His body was warm, and though his touch was shy, it lingered — gentle, steady. His head tilted until it rested lightly against your shoulder, and when he closed his eyes, his breath came out in a quiet sigh, content. 」