Work Text:
"[...] In this world of so many years, so many others
We are so lucky right?
Among so many passions
This meet, our two, this love."
Vanessa da mata - Ainda bem
The weather is perfect outside, the sun is shining, the sky is a clear blue and there is a light breeze, a little bit icy, blowing the leaves and snowflakes from the trees.
Today is the perfect day.
She has been avoiding Lisa for weeks, always making excuses for not having tea with her, blaming the work on her desk for not spending the night at the witch's house.
It hadn't been easy, the distance cemented how important and irreplaceable Lisa is.
Sleepless nights, unable to sleep with longing in the chest and a quiet, cold bed. Tasteless lunches, gray breakfast.
Lisa, the woman she loves and has been dating for a few years is what gives color and flavor to her mediocre life.
However, her distance was necessary because otherwise she would never be able to keep the secret.
The goldsmith in Liyue had given her a month to complete the order. And Jean, anxious and nervous, was forced to keep her distance from the woman she loves.
Lisa is always very observant, especially in relation to Jean. If Lisa had spent a few minutes in her presence, the blonde was sure that the witch would discover that she was hiding something.
Sometimes it is necessary to sacrifice something for the greater good, Jean thought to herself throughout the month of December.
Regardless, in her pocket is the box containing the jewel, finally finished, finally in her possession, just waiting for the perfect moment.
And today is the perfect time. She cannot wait another day.
The perfect day, The perfect weather, The perfect stone.
Yes, everything will be perfect, a symbology of her love.
*-*-*-*-*-*-
Some time ago she was sure, as sure as that day, 20 years ago, when her mother took her to the center of Mondstat and little Jean, only 3 years old, had for the first time seen a Knights of Favonius. She was sure she would grow up to be a knight.
And now she is sure that Lisa is the woman of her life. There wasn't a revelation, nor was it something that suddenly occurred, awakening her from a torpor and making her realize that Lisa was the woman she wanted to grow old with.
No, this is a process that the heart already knew. From the moment that their lips first touched, inside the Knights of Favonius’s library, amid books, to the silent sound of tomes, with only candles and chandeliers to them keep company.
From the moment that vibrant green eyes met hers, flooded with feelings, she knew.
It was as if her chest had then said: "oh, this...This is the woman we've been looking for all this time."
And yeah, this is sappy and extra romantic but Jean has always dreamed of it. Even if secretly.
Not to say that she is a chaste woman, in fact far from it.Although she dreamed of a romance that would make her chest race, her focus had always been in her career, to move forward and become a knight who could help the people.
And that is why relationships were never part of the plan, any intimacy exchanged with any woman was fleeting. Well, until Lisa appeared in her life and slipped into her routine.
Lisa is often associated as a rational and mysterious woman, somewhat lazy. And sometimes the witch is all that, yet Jean knows that she is a romantic too.
Even if there wasn’t enough evidence (and there is a lot and a lot of evidence. Collected over the years they are together, from the moments of love, of affection that the witch creates only to her, for her, always with her) Jean still remembers and will always remember, how precious the brunette had been and created a whole atmosphere to ask her to officially date.
Even today when she thinks about it her face blushes.
She touches the pocket on her pants, where the jewel is, and her chest accelerates in excitement. The stone, something precious and rare was a find from the gods, the blonde thinks. Beidou was passing through Mondstat when she showed Jean her find. The stone was found solitary on the seabed in Lihue.
When she put her eyes on the lilac diamond, Jean knew. Jean was sure, that would be the perfect jewel for her request, for her beloved.
-*-*-*-*--*
Her chest is a drum, a literal drum.
Her hands are sweating profusely, her mouth has a bitter taste that no sweets can replace.
She has been walking around for more than half an hour and is sure that the blouse she wears must already have a huge sweat point under her arms.
It is a disaster, everything is a disaster!
Her hair must be in disarray so many times that she had run her fingers through the strands.
I should give up, obviously nothing else is perfect.
Snow is falling heavier in Mondstat, a rare feat since when it snows in the city the flakes are few, rarely enough to whiten the ground.
The last time she saw the clock the time was 8 pm. She scheduled with Lisa at 8:30 pm in the Stormbearer Mountains and so far no sign of the brunette.
Of course, there is the fact that she wrote everything in a letter and had a soldier deliver it to Lisa and never received an answer, positive or negative.
Ugh, she won't come... I treated her so badly all month.
Well, not exactly bad. Jean just declined any and all invitations from the witch.
Yeah, I treated her badly.
She sighs deeply and heads to the mountain peak, in the distance Mondstat’s center is visible. Some dense clouds float across the dark sky and Jean lowers her head, eyes focused on white boots.
The heart is still tight in the chest, fear, confusion, excitement and pain mix chaotically.
She sighs audibly, her air forming a small cloud of vapor in the night.
Today is December. December 25th.
Ludi Harpastum is happening, being today one of the most important days of the party. She should be in town, as the Grand Master, but…
Today is the perfect day, she thought. The most important day in Mondstat, the happiest day in the city, nothing more appropriate to ask…
Sigh
She won't come.
Lisa is probably enjoying the festival, having a glass of wine, talking to Barbara, laughing with Amber, watching people being drunk idiots.
She takes her watch out of the pocket and the pointer punches her stomach.
9 pm
The vision blurred and she breathed in for a long time, holding back the crying.
Jean puts her watch in the pocket and takes out the box containing the ring, a special box that the goldsmith packed the jewel.
That's it Jean ... Lisa probably doesn't want anything to do with you anymore. All because you are an idiot.
Her shoulders are shaking, her crying barely contained.
And then there are steps behind her, a scent of roses and Jean turns her face quickly.
Lisa is there, behind her, a frown and sparkling green eyes.
“Jean?”
The Grand Master gets up quickly, for an instant losing her balance and almost falling down the mountain.
Lisa takes a step toward her, hands outstretched, mouth open in alarm.
However Jean manages to gain balance again and closes her hand around the box.
"You came."
Lisa watches her silently and then lowers her hand, eyes averting from hers, mouth in a firm line.
"I shouldn’t have.”
Her chest shudders, hand sweating again. But she doesn't say anything, what could she say for such an answer?
"I didn't want to come, but ..."
The blonde stares and takes a step towards the witch, when Lisa doesn't retract she shortens the distance even more between them. Jean stops a few inches away from the woman she loves.
“...But?"
She watches as Lisa swallows, eyes staring for a few seconds and then dropping to her feet.
"But Barbara convinced me to come...Convinced me to come and hear what you had to say."
Okay…
"Thank you." Lisa lifts her head to look at her and Jean takes a deep breath. "Thanks for coming, Lisa."
“What do you have to say, Jean? Did you come to explain to me why you avoided me all this time? Did you come to break up with me? ”
"What!?
There is bitterness in the corner of Lisa's lips, a sharp curve that doesn't usually exist on her full lips.
"Well, why else would you call me here, in a deserted place like this?"
Jean shakes her head in denial, looking astonished, heart in her mouth.
"Of course, I'm not going to break up with you, Lisa."
Lisa scoffed and the Grand Master felt tears burning in her vision, because her girlfriend, so kind, so sweet, never scoffed at anyone, least of all her.
She takes another step forward and she holds a delicate hand in hers. Lisa seems to want to withdraw from contact but Jean speaks before the witch can move.
"I love you."
Lisa blinks once, twice, three times.
Jean wonders if the woman is breathing, she is standing like a statue, eyes on hers.
"I love you, Lisa."
She repeats and to her horror, tears form in the green eyes ahead.
"Jean, don't-"
"I love you, I love you so much, Lisa."
Her eyes start to moisten too and she doesn't know what Lisa is thinking, what is actually making her cry beyond misunderstanding. But she will clarify everything, she will say everything she feels and more.
She will not lose this woman because of a misunderstanding.
"You can't say that after all-"
And she cuts Lisa again, fuck education.
"I know, I know... I know that I was a terrible girlfriend, I know that I disappeared without saying anything, I know all that." She pauses to take a deep breath, eyes glued to a sea of sparkling green. “I'm sorry for making you suffer, for disappearing. But I would never, NEVER break up with you. Don't you see, Lisa? ”
A sea floods a green forest, dripping down pink cheeks.
"I wouldn't know how to live without you."
Lisa seems to weaken and she takes the last step, leaving the witch's hand to wrap her in her embrace.
For her part, Lisa wraps her arms around her shoulder and rests her face against her neck. Small hot drops slide down her skin and Jean turns her face, kissing brown hair.
She drinks from the smell that floods her nostrils, from the sensation of soft locks under her lips, from the heat that this body radiates, from the perfection that is as their bodies fit together.
A smile stretches the lips even though the eyes are watering.
"I would be an idiot, Lisa...I would be an idiot if I left you."
"You are already an idiot." The answer comes, hoarse, somewhat grouchy, but light. "You left me alone for a month."
"Yeah...I'm an idiot, I'm sorry."
"I thought..." And there is a sob cutting through her words and Jean feels her heart sink. "I thought you didn't love me anymore."
"Oh Lisa ..." She presses herself against her, tears streaming down her skin. "I don't think that is possible."
She takes a deep breath one last time, to drink that perfume, that smell that makes her head spin, her legs wobble and then she distances herself from the brunette.
Lisa looks at her, concern on her face and Jean, well..There goes perfection. There goes her speech, the rehearsal she had done all week.
She kneels in front of Lisa and Lisa… Well…
Lisa opens her mouth in surprise, hands reaching up to cover her mouth.
So typical. But oh...Jean doesn’t care, she wants them to be a typical couple from the romance books. She wants it all, an epic love.
The right hand that until then was closed holding and hiding the box opens and shows it. She confirms to the witch what awaits her.
With a racing heart, Jean opens the box and gives Lisa the fruit of her secret, of months of planning.
The ring shines in starlight, lilac and purple, complementing the colors of the woman she loves.
“Oh…”
Lisa says. She smiles, a smile that blinds her. A smile to rival the brightness of the moon and stars.
" ..." She laughs softly in nervousness and clears her throat, trying again. “I made so many plans...I wrote a script, Lisa. A script! ”
Lisa smiles and shakes her head affectionately.
“But it doesn't matter anymore. No...It doesn't matter. The things I had to say...They are still here with me, present all the time. ”
Her eyes water again and damn if her throat doesn't close momentarily, all those feelings!
"You..." She exhales audibly, words almost like a sigh full of adoration. “You are the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I want to share every moment of my life with you. I want to wake up with you and hug you as soon as your eyes open to the world. I want to be able to say to the world, to all of Teyvat that Lisa Minci...That Lisa Minci, extraordinary librarian, is my wife.”
“Jean”
Jean smiles and gets up from the floor, her hands still holding the ring.
“Please, Lisa. Please marry me.”
She watches Lisa swallow the tears that still run down her face.
"Because I think...I'm sure we are one of the lucky ones in this world who has found true love."
Jean can't say for sure how but suddenly Lisa's arms are around her, lips pressed against hers in a kiss that is full of tears but also full of love.
"Oh Jean...I love you."
Jean smiles inside the kiss and says, still against her wet lips.
"Is that a yes? Because I really need an answer, my heart will not be able to handle all this anticipation. ”
Lisa laughs and leans her forehead against Jean’s.
“Of course, this is a yes. How could I reject happiness knocking on my door? I would need to be an idiot, which I am not. ”
Jean squeezes her into her embrace, bodies swaying from side to side.
"No, idiot here is just me."
“Yes, my idiot. My future wife."
"Yeah, your future wife."
"My future wife!"
"Yeah ..."
They laugh, silly, idiots, completely in love with each other.
The tears are still there and Jean hasn't put the ring on Lisa's finger yet, but...They need that contact right now, to feel each other and cement that feeling, that emotion that has no size.
"Gods, you surprised me."
Jean smiles proudly.
"Do not smile! I for a moment thought you were going to end it all, that you got sick of me. ”
Jean doesn't know how Lisa noticed that she was smiling, since the brunette has her face against her neck now.
“Never, my dear. Never."
They stay in that embrace for a few moments, until Jean distances herself enough to present Lisa with the ring again.
"Would you do me the honor of letting me put that ring on your finger?"
The smile that Lisa gives her is huge and bright, so, so bright. Jean had never seen a more beautiful smile.
The witch extends her arm, showing her hand.
"Of course, my knight."
Jean bites her lips to contain her smile and slides the ring on an elegant finger. The fit is perfect.
Lisa looks fascinated at the jewel, her eyes fixed on how the stone shines.
"Gods." She says breathlessly. "It's beautiful, Jean."
Jean watches her, loves sailing like a ship on the high seas in her eyes.
"Yes, is beautiful."
Lisa looks at her and laughs.
Jean just takes Lisa in her arms and suspends her in the air, because if they are cliché...All that is missing is this.
“Jean!”
Lisa's little scream fills her with adoration.
"Thank you."
Lisa rests her hands on Jean’s strong shoulders, head tilted to look at her.
“Thank you for meeting me. Thank you for existing, Thank you for seeing something good enough to get interested in me. Thank you for loving me, Lisa. I’m so lucky. ”
And Lisa cascade into her arms, tears and kisses and smiles, and so much, so much love.
Jean is the luckiest woman in all of Teyvat.
PS: Lisa's ring:
