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A ‘sleepover’. Eula’s never been invited to one before; not that Eula’s really ever been invited to anything at all.
Because there’s a fine line between Eula Lawrence, the graceful and refined daughter of the noble Lawrence Clan, and Eula, the hardworking Knight of Favonius. Eula Lawrence has been invited to galas and balls aplenty, but Eula’s never been invited to anything other than lunch with Amber.
It makes sense, then, that Amber’s the one who invited her to this ‘sleepover’ in the first place; Amber is kind like that. Amber is an alarming amount of things, truly. But none of her quirky (albeit strange) qualities ever feel unkind or malicious in intent. And for that, Eula is thankful. Amber, if nothing else, is a good friend.
(Of course, Amber is everything else, but Eula won’t admit something so foolish.)
So when Amber invites Eula to come with her to a ‘sleepover’, how can she possibly refuse? Especially when Amber gives her those big brown puppy dog eyes that make Eula unnecessarily flustered…
Eula pushes those impure thoughts away and slings her bag over her shoulder. She has somewhere to be.
***
Eula knocks twice on Amber’s door. Polite social etiquette, as she’s always been taught. Two knocks; no more, no less. (For three would be pushing a boundary, and one is hardly an effort.)
“Coming~!” Amber shouts in a sing-song voice, her quick footsteps getting louder as she steps closer to the door. It swings open quickly, and Eula is greeted with the familiar sight of the Outrider’s wide smile. She squeals and tackles Eula in a hug, her arms wrapping around the taller girl’s neck. One of her feet lifts behind her as she does; Eula can’t help but notice it. This type of greeting is far less than graceful, and Eula makes a note of it. She will certainly get vengeance for it later.
“Hello,” Eula says awkwardly, her hands still stiff at her sides.
“Hi!” Amber giggles. “I’m so glad you’re here!”
“You invited me. It would be rude to not show up.”
Amber laughs again, letting go of Eula and tilting her head. When she smiles, the corners of her eyes crinkle warmly. No one smiles like Amber in her family. No one smiles like Amber in all of Tevyat.
“You’re still in your day clothes? Geez, you really are formal!” Amber takes her by the hand and leads her into her dorm room. “Ah, man, this place is a total mess! I should have cleaned up, huh?”
Eula disagrees. The place is disorganized, sure, but it’s hard from untidy. The entire room feels like Amber, from the stuffed Baron Bunny on the bed and the tiny Mondstadt flag decorations hanging from the ceiling to the quiver full of arrows mounted to the wall.
“Your room is very… you,” Eula says. It’s true. Amber chuckles shyly. “I like it.”
“Thanks!” Amber laughs. “Hey, do you mind if I change into my nightclothes in front of you?”
Eula opens her mouth to object but instead finds herself shaking her head.
“Cool, thanks.” Amber smiles and unbuttons her jacket, pulling the undershirt over her head. Eula does not stare at her, because that would be terribly improper. Instead, she looks at Amber’s room.
There’s a pretty beat-up pair of wind gliders stretched across Amber’s desk, in the process of being repaired back to their former glory. Plenty of combat and riding boots are stacked next to the front door along with Amber’s gently used bow.
“Okay, you can look now,” Amber says, turning around to face Eula. Her pajamas are simple- a red tank top and pair of cotton shorts. Her usual rabbit-eared headband has been replaced with a bandana sporting a similar look.
“You should change, too! If you feel like it, I mean. Do you need a pair of clothes? I’ve got plenty extra.”
“I have a change in my bag.”
“Oh, good!” Amber claps her hands together. “You can change in my bathroom.”
Eula bundles up her nightclothes and stands up, heading towards the bathroom door. Amber gives her a small wave before she closes it.
Taped to the bathroom mirror are an array of candid snapshots picturing Amber and the other knights. Eula observes each of them, noting all the familiar faces. There’s one of her and Kaeya picking lamp grass in Wolvendom, as well as a few of Jean and Lisa in the library.
Eula hums softly under her breath, catching note of a specific photo of herself and Amber eating together at Good Hunter. Eula doesn’t recall the picture being taken; it’s of her staring at the camera while Amber pokes her head in the side of the frame. Eula’s smiling in the picture. It’s barely noticeable, but it’s there. And it’s a real smile, too, not like one she was forced to pose for.
“Hey, are you okay in there?” Amber’s clear voice cuts into her thoughts like a knife through butter.
“I’m alright, thank you,” Eula calls back, abandoning her staring at the picture and turning back to her pile of clothes.
***
By the time Eula’s out of the bathroom and dressed in her silk nightclothes, the sky is beginning to get dark. Amber’s sitting on the foot of her bed, a hardcover book in her hands. For a moment, she doesn’t notice Eula, her focus entirely on flipping the pages delicately. Her brown eyelashes flutter as she blinks and looks up at Eula, her face lighting up in a smile.
“What are you reading?” Eula asks.
“Oh!” Amber smiles. “Lisa lent it to me. It’s a fantasy-romance. Sorry, that’s awfully cheesy…”
“Mm.” Eula hums, stepping over to sit next to her. Amber closes her book, dog-earing the page and resting it on her bedside table. She crosses her legs on the comforter and stares at Eula, making contact with her golden-violet eyes.
“You’re really pretty,” Amber states, with enough confidence to convince anyone that it was a fact. Eula feels her face heat up, cheeks reddening. People don’t usually compliment her on her looks. People don’t usually compliment her on anything. Amber reaches a hand out and pushes a strand of Eula’s hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. She looks focused as she does it, her eyes deep with concentration. Too close for comfort.
“Oh!” Amber gasps, clapping her hands together. “You should let me do your makeup!”
Eula breathes a sigh of relief when she pulls away, pursing her lips together. There’s a strange ache in her stomach and not the usual fluttering one she seems to get around Amber. It’s more like anxiety, buzzing around in her head and telling her that something is wrong.
“Eula?” Amber snaps her out of it, placing a tan hand on top of hers. “Is everything okay? We don’t have to do makeup if you don’t want to.”
“It is nothing.” Eula shakes her head. The last thing she wants is to upset Amber.
“Alright, if you’re sure…” Amber doesn’t look so convinced, but she turns and grabs her makeup bag from the drawer on her table anyways. The applicators clack together as Amber shakes the bag and zips the top open, pulling out an eyeliner pencil.
“Okay, how should I…?” Amber thinks to herself, flipping the pencil around in her fingers. “Hold on.”
She inches forward, practically straddling Eula’s waist with her legs on either side of the girl. She shifts a bit on Eula’s lap, leaning in closer to her face and making eye contact. Eula feels her ears heat uncontrollably, pursing her lips together. Amber gives her a warm smile.
“Are you comfortable?” She asks, tilting her head. Eula nods. “Okay, good. Now, just keep your eyes open and try not to blink…”
Amber tilts Eula’s chin up with her fingertips, snapping open the lid on the eyeliner and lining it up with the outer corner of Eula’s right eye. She slowly draws out the base of the line, her breath hitching in focus. She smells like sugar and cinnamon, or something else warm and comforting. She leans over to do the other side, and Eula watches her the entire time. They’re making eye contact, but Amber isn’t looking at Eula in the way she is at her.
“Okay, you can blink now.” Amber says confidently, leaning back to admire her work. She gives Eula a lopsided smile and hops off her lap. Eula finds herself wishing she would have remained there a little longer, before being hit with a train of guilt.
***
“Are you okay with sharing a bed?” Amber asks, seemingly out of nowhere. The sun has long since gone down in the sky, and the city has begun to empty (save for the usual drunkards and knights working after hours).
Eula looks up, furrowing her eyebrows.
“Pardon me?”
“I mean, I could set up a sleeping bag on the floor if you want.” Amber laughs awkwardly. “I just think it would be more comfortable this way. Oh, and there’s more than enough room for the both of us, right?”
Eula nods, unsure of how else to respond.
“Okay.”
“Great!”
Amber shuts off the overhead lights, but a soft glow still illuminates the room.
“Oh, uh!” Amber laughs. “I still sleep with a night light…”
Eula should not find that as endearing as she does.
Amber shrugs off her supposed embarrassment and hops into the bed with Eula, adjusting her own pillows and handing one to Eula. She pulls the duvet cover over the two of them, sighing and relaxing her head onto her pillow. Eula is silent.
“In Klee’s room, she has these glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling that Albedo made her. She told me all the constellations that she sees in them. I asked Albedo about it, and he said they were just randomly placed. Klee made all those constellations up by herself.”
Amber leans over on her elbows to face Eula, a smile on her face.
“Isn’t that amazing?” She asks. “I think it is.”
“Childhood is a wonderful thing.” Eula agrees. “I wish mine was different. But there is no use lamenting on it anymore.”
“What was your childhood like? It must have been tough, right? Being the heir to such an important clan…”
“It was stressful.” Eula admits. “I never felt like a Lawrence, no matter how many customs I practiced. Sometimes, to this day, I still find myself slipping up. And it scares me, to make a mistake. Because I knew that I would be punished if I did.”
She turns her head so that she makes eye contact with Amber.
“I don’t feel that way around you, somehow.”
Amber parts her lips, smiling slightly.
“Good.” She says, her voice in a whisper. “I wouldn’t want you to.”
They stare at one other for a bit, silently acknowledging the other’s presence. Amber hums softly, reaching a hand out and gently placing it on top of Eula’s. She runs her fingertips over Eula’s knuckles lightly, leaning in closer so that their foreheads are almost touching.
“Amber…” Eula starts, her breath hitching.
“Do you want to stop?” Amber says softly.
“No.” Eula whispers.
Amber moves closer, their noses bumping together lightly. Amber laughs gently. It sounds like windchimes.
“Is this wrong?” Eula mumbles, as if she’s afraid to even ask the question.
“How could it be?”
How could it be? How could Amber be wrong, when being with her felt so right?
“Kiss me.” Eula whispers.
“Okay.” Amber whispers back.
Amber leans in, pressing their lips together softly. The gentle touch makes Eula’s heart begin to beat out of her chest. Amber cups her face in her hands, stroking Eula’s cheek with her thumb. The kiss feels like it lasts forever, and somehow it’s not close to enough time. When Amber pulls away, she’s still smiling, her hands still on Eula’s face.
Eula probably should be feeling sick, knowing what she’s just done. But she’s not; not in the slightest. In fact, she’s utterly giddy, grinning like a schoolgirl. Amber giggles, bumping their foreheads together and humming contentedly.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that for.” Amber says. “I guess I’m doing this all wrong, but… would you like to go on a date with me, Eula Lawrence?”
“Yes.” Eula responds immediately.
“Okay.” Amber says back. “I’m tired…”
“Go to sleep. I am not going anywhere.”
“You’re so cute.” Amber giggles sleepily, pinching her cheek. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Amber.”