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She's happy. She's smiling, ear to ear, and giggling like a fool as she pulls up the ears of her bunny hoodie.
It's a beautiful dark red, and it fits her like a glove. Lumine made it for her, as a gift, after the Stormterror ordeal.
Although she only gave it to her now.
"It's so soft! What did you use to make it?" Amber asks nose nuzzling into the fabric, a look of contentment on her face that makes her chest constrict.
She gives a gentle smile, and slowly breathes through her nose, "Silk flower threads. We got some flowers from Liyue, and Zhongli helped me make them. Since I knew how to make perfume, I also got some glaze lilies." She inhales, and her lungs breathe in the fragrance of the rare blossoms.
"Woah... That must've taken a lot of time!"
"Yeah. It wasn't that hard though-"
"Wait Lumine look!" Amber bobs her head from side to side, the ears of the hoodie bouncing on her head. She lets out a high-pitched sound and her face flushes with happiness. "I love it so much..."
And Lumine just...
Looks.
Looks at her dark hair, the golden shine from the sun rippling across soft strands; looks at her eyes, the twinkling happiness in those molten pools of mora as she runs her hands over the fabric of the clothing; and she looks at her red cheeks, and how wonderful red looked on her, and how much she wants to trace them with her fingertips.
Amber let out a surprised squeak. "L- Lumine?"
She blinks.
Oh.
She had gotten closer, entering the other girl's personal space. Her hand was softly cupping her cheek, and more crimson seemed to bloom at her very touch.
It reminds her of Jueyun Chillis, and she lets out a light laugh at the thought.
Amber looked nervous though, and Lumine thinks she most likely made the girl uncomfortable. She moves to pull away, but the outrider's gloved hand stops her. It curls around her waist and it forbids her from leaving.
"Wait, don't-" she whispers, closing her eyes and hiding her face in Lumine's palm. "Don't go yet."
The muffled words reach her ears, and she almost cries with how much her heart tightens with affection for this girl. She takes many shaky inhales, but her heart rate doesn't come back to normal. It keeps beating, rapidly, and her hand trembles as her thumb traces Amber's cheek.
"Amber."
There's a small "yeah?".
"Look at me." She swallows, and she feels the lump in her throat get bigger. "Please."
She does.
She gazes at her, and Lumine gazes back. She sees moisture forming in her eyes, and Lumine thumbs them away as Amber laughs.
"I love you," she says, smile big and eyes teary. "I really, really do."
Her vision is getting blurry, but Lumine knows she's grinning as well.
"I love you too." Then she smirks, parroting the other girl. "I really really do!"
Amber laughs, and lightly punches her shoulder. "Meanie!"
"But I'm your meanie though?"
Amber flushes. Lumine leans forward to press her forehead against hers, and she feels the shaky exhale the outsider lets out.
"Yeah." She says, kissing her. "Yeah, you are."