Work Text:
"She units everything
How could I explain it?
A sweet river mystery
With the transparency of the sea.
She units everything
How many elements are there?
A deep water feeling
With all the lightness of the air.
Maybe she knows by heart
Everything I need to feel
Precious gem to look at,
She only needs to exist
To complete me.
She units the four seasons
unites two roads in one
Every time I find myself lost
She reunits friends around me
She unites my life
With her life
She only needs to exist
To complete me" Jorge Vercillo - Ela une todas as coisas
Today should be an ordinary day, a day like any other, just another sunday in the month. Today she should wake up a little later than usual and make breakfast for her wife, kiss her as a good morning and spend the whole day between her physical exercises, have conversations on the couch and read the accumulated readings on the shelf.
However, instead of it she wakes up to an empty bed and a deserted house. Just a paper taped to the fridge with a magnet, informing her that her wife had to go to the city, something about a scheduled appointment with Barbara.
Jean scratches the back of her neck, messy hair, strands everywhere and a yawn in her mouth.
Oh well....It looks like my Sunday will be alone.
Although Lisa has not specified how long her appointment with Barbara will take, the blonde knows how her wife is like, especially when she sits down to talk to the deaconess.
The Grand Master goes to the kitchen and starts cooking, better start her cherished day off soon.
*-*-*-*-*
Jean didn’t go out all day, lying on the sofa reading the book her wife indicated to her, about a woman who lives in a world where people of her race are enslaved, fighting tooth and nail for her freedom, for her life and falling in love in the middle of the way with another woman; discovering about something called colorism and femininity, breaking barriers and stereotypes.
It is with a sense of completeness and longing she finishes the book to realize the time on the live room clock.
6pm
She frowns, glances around the room and realizes her wife isn’t back yet.
She could as well have warned it would take time.
Jean gets up from the couch, intent on taking a shower when the doorbell rings around the house.
Who can it be on a Sunday?
They rarely receive a visit on sundays, as the city practically stops and everyone recognizes the Grand Master deserves a day of rest.
With a frown, she fixes her hair and opens the door for two soldiers with shy smiles.
Oh Barbatos.
Something must have happened in the city for them to be at her doorstep, which means goodbye to her free sunday.
"What happened, Samuel?"
The man scratches his beard and smiles.
"Grand Master, your presence is required in the town square."
"What?"
She frowns. From the calm way he speaks, it doesn't look like an emergency is happening.
"I received the order from Mrs. Minci to escort you to the square."
“Lisa? She sent you here? ”
They nod.
“Is she okay? Something happened?"
Because although her wife can be bossy in some circumstances, it is not like the witch to involve Mondstadt soldiers.
“Everything is fine, Grand Master. In the square you will know what this is about.”
Jean frowns but takes the keys from the bowl on the small table in the foyer.
"Okay, Let’s go then."
“Err”
The man says, face flushed and eyes on the floor.
"What is it, Samuel?"
He smiles awkwardly.
"It would be better if you put on other clothes."
She frowns and looks at her own clothes. It is true she isn’t wearing her best clothes, but by far the ones she wears are inappropriate. Ordinary pants and a simple tank top shouldn't be a problem.
"What about it?"
"These are Mrs. Minci's instructions."
Oh God, Lisa.
Her wife, even in her mysteries, compelling her to dress up more than necessary.
"Okay, wait here."
She leaves the door open and heads for the first floor. In her room she goes to the walk-in closet and after a short search she finds a note in the mirror next to the door.
The note says:
Dear wife, I love you but your aesthetic sense can be a little strange at times. Please wear the clothes on the blue hanger next to my dresses.
I love you, your faithful wife Lisa.
Jean frowns.
What is this all about?
She goes to the place mentioned and, of course, finds an outfit wrapped in a protective cover. Opening the zipper, she comes across black pants, a clear blue shirt and a black bolero jacket.
Jean begins to dress in the chosen clothes and after doing a bit of hair styling, goes to where she left the soldiers.
"There, let's go."
They just nod. Whatever this is all about, she hopes her wife has a good explanation.
*-*-*-*-*-*
The answer to her curiosity is offered not by her wife or the soldiers beside her but by the streets decorated with banderole, lights and people walking through the streets as if it were a festival.
Okay...This is weird. Today is not a festival.
In the town square, next to the church cathedral, there are countless people with drinks in their hands, small food stalls around and a big stage in the middle of everything.
The most impressive thing is the flowing, loud, celebratory music; a mix of Jazz and something Jean cannot identify.
On her tiptoe, she can finally see the silhouette of two black girls singing and dancing on the stage.
Soft hands hug her waist from behind, the smell of violet and something spicy fills her senses, enough to identify the person.
“Hey love”
Lisa's voice sounds in her ear, producing shivers through her body. She turns in her wife's arms and finally stares at those vibrant eyes painted with eyeliner and all the things Jean isn’t a big fan of but thinks is beautiful in her witch.
“Hey. What is all this?"
Lisa smiles and dances in her arms, her waist moving this way and that in a rhythm that makes her stomach quiver and her lower belly heat up.
“Well, today is a special day. With Barbara and Mona’s help this was possible to happen”
“Hum?”
Special day?
Jean searches her head for what could be special about today but can't remember anything. All the city's special dates have passed or are yet to arrive.
"You don't remember, do you?"
Lisa says, her face moving away from hers so the witch can look at her better.
"Um...Should I?"
The brunette smile, a free smile; just like her loose, free hair strands, not in her typical side ponytail.
“But of course, you silly woman. Today is your birthday."
“Wha-?”
Lisa laughs, hands on Jean’s waist bringing her close, kissing the tip of her nose.
"Happy birthday, my workaholic wife."
Jean smiles, even though she is still confused.
"Did you do all this for me?"
The witch smiles, a bright smile, brighter than the banderole of different colors scattered across the square, brighter than the lights flashing on the stage, brighter than the stars in the clear Mondstadt sky.
"Yes, but with the help of your family and friends."
"My...My family?"
The heart beats hopefully in the chest. She knows Barbara was involved, but could it be…?
“Yeah, your mom must be around here somewhere. Probably enjoying the music, she was amazed by these two singers. Who would have thought your mom likes rumba jazz, huh !? ”
Jean shakes her head in disbelief. And then she laughs out loud, hands reaching for Lisa, to bring her in a kiss that doesn't feel like a kiss, her lips too stretched out in a smile, lungs snorting with the laughter flowing through her lips.
"I love you, you incredible woman!"
“You better! It was so much work to fix it without you finding out! ”
The Grand Master just squeezes her more in her embrace, adoration, love, happiness, all flowing mixed with her surprise.
“Can we go dance, now? I had so much caipirinha that my feet are dancing on their own already.”
Jean laughs again. This is a drink she doesn't know, probably something "exotic" her wife brought, just like the music flowing through the square. Later she will ask from where Lisa knows this music style but for now, she takes the witch's hands in hers and leads her to the middle of the crowd.
The place is packed with people and with the extra Mondstadt heat, because of the summer, she can already feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead. In front of her, Lisa's hips brush against her center, in agile and sensual movements.
Lisa's arms lift and follow the movement of her hips, dark locks flying softly with the small breeze that manages to enter between the bodies in the crowd. Lisa's lilac dress gives her an ethereal tone, as if she were a goddess, a nymph walking and dancing among mere mortals.
Jean swallows.
The only thing the Grand Master can do is wrap her hands around that voluptuous waist and try (in a way she will be ashamed of later when she remembers) to match the woman's steps.
On the stage, the girls dance, as does her wife, in fluid, free, perfect movements.
“Dice mi madre, tu ocha no es babalawo ♪
Pero si fueras un hombre, tambor fueras consagrado ♪
Moyugba Eggun, que no te deja caer ♪
Que va a la guerra contigo para que pueda vencer” ♪
The tambours sound even louder, the sound of the bass and the piano accompanying the symphony, bringing a feeling of joy to the chest.
“Soy Iya, soy Bongo, la rumba me llamo yo ♪
La rumba me llamo yo, la rumba me llamo yo ♪
Soy Iya, soy Bongo, la rumba me llamo yo” ♪
And then the music reaches an even bigger crescendo, where the saxophone joins the agile movements of the hands of the other girls playing the tambours.
A movement in the periphery of her vision brings the image of her mother moving her shoulders with the music, a glass of beer in her hand. Jean laughs out loud, happiness in her heart.
Lisa tilts her face and looks at her, green eyes shining, a little cloudy from the drink but altogether happy.
*-*-*-*-*-*
It is a while later, (where she is sitting in one of the stalls with stools scattered on the sidewalk, vendors content to serve drinks, her happy wife on her lap, Mona on the side talking about musical instruments and their high value in the market) when Jean has already took three glasses of whatever a caipirinha is, that one of the girls (Iansan, she had introduce herself earlier) leaves the stage, congratulating the Grand Master and thanking the crowd.
The blonde eventually found out from Lisa the singers are friends of Cynos, which made the event possible. According to the witch, she had the idea when in a cleaning spree, she found the vinyl records Jean likes to listen on special moments, those wonderful old Jazz albums she obtained from her deceased grandfather collection.
On the stage, the lights change color and Barbara climbs onto it, joining another girl who had sung with Iansan earlier; she had introduced herself as Xinyan. According to Lisa, Xinyan is an old friend of Barbara's.
Everyone screams even louder when the blonde takes the microphone, Jean transfers the attention from the conversation she was having with Mona to the stage.
“Hello MONDSTADT!”
The crowd goes wild, shouting Barbara's name and jumping. Some call her beautiful and others declare their love.
"She's as popular as ever, huh?"
Mona comments besides her. Jean nods.
“Today is a very important day in this city. The day that our acting leader, the woman we all trust, is celebrating another year of life. Can I get a round of applause !?”
Jean blushes, eyes shifting briefly off the stage to look at her wife's head, who laughs in her arms.
“Oh, my baby. So shy. ”
The brunette says, turning the torso to embrace her. Jean blushes even more, next to her the blonde hears Mona choke on the juice.
"As a birthday present, Lisa Minci asked to dedicate this song to her wife."
Lisa pulls away from Jean enough to smile brightly at her, her white teeth sparkling just like the starlight (or maybe it's the effect of the drink).
“Without further ado, We Are Your Friends!”
And then Xinyan is playing the guitar, the girls in the band joining with the drums and the keyboard. Jean doesn't remember hearing this song before. And then, her sister starts singing.
“Because we are your friends
You'll never be alone again
Ooh, come on, ooh come on”
Her eyes widen and she shifts her attention to the woman in her arms, looking at her with all the love in the world shining in her green eyes.
The song doesn’t seem to have any other lyrics besides these three small phrases but in a way, it is these simple and repetitive phrases that bring tears to her eyes, that make her bow her head and kiss those sweet and intoxicating lips.
Yes, she will never be alone again.