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As the Pervases float moved through the crowd of people and the lights glowed everywhere, Amber knocked on Ganyu’s office door. She waited, flicking her hair back. It was the same length as three years ago, but she tied it back into a braid. Lumine did it a year ago before she found her brother. It was to make it less in the way when fighting. She also wanted to style the other girls’ hair for a while. It took a long time, Amber stretching her legs after every hour. She did like it. Every once in a while she caught herself wanting to feel the air through her hair.
She shook her head. Now it wasn’t the time to think about hair. Before she admonished herself, she heard a small voice behind it.
“Hello, who’s there?”
Amber straightened her posture. She looked like she was about to address Grand Master Jean.
“It’s me, Amber,” she said.
Muffled whispers made Amber tense even more. Maybe it wasn’t a good time to see Ganyu.
“You may come in,” she said. “But it’s a little dark.”
The door unlocked and Amber pushed open. The room was nothing but dark. Only a small light shined on Ganyu’s face as she kept her down at her work. Amber crept forward to not disturb her work, and not to trip over anything. When she neared Ganyu’s desk, she shot her head up.
“Don’t come any closer!” Ganyu said.
Amber stopped. She stared at her face. Ganyu looked so worried, so panicked. Amber grimaced. She shouldn’t have come here.
“Sorry,” Ganyu said.
She looked away, her fingers rubbing the pen.
“I just been having a bad day.”
She then looked at Amber while still rubbing her pen.
“Anyway, how did you get in here? I thought the Milileth locked the doors.”
“Oh, Beidou loaned me a key,” Amber said.
Ganyu dropped her pen.
“She did what?”
Amber smiled sheepishly.
“Yeah, apparently she said she stole it while she was visiting the harbor.”
Ganyu put her hand over head and sighed. Amber never told her how adorable she looked exasperated.
“I should’ve known.”
Amber looked at the ground.
“If it’s not a good time for you—”
Ganyu waved her hands in front of her head.
“No, no,” Ganyu said. “I much rather have you here.”
She muttered something, Amber didn’t make out. She then looked at her hands.
“What do you have there,” Ganyu said.
Amber forgot the box in her hands.
“Oh that.”
Amber chuckled while scratching her head.
“I got you a Lantern’s Day present this year! I made sure it doesn’t mean anything bad!”
Amber held it out, her stomach almost grinding to paste.
“Well, thank you.”
Ganyu took it, and set it on her desk. Disheartened a little, Amber reminded herself it’s Liyue’s custom to not open presents in front of the receiver. It still made her anxious. Ganyu then looked back.
“So what else do you need?” Ganyu said. “Surely the present wasn’t the only reason why you came here.”
“Oh I, uh,” Amber said, swaying a little.
She stared at the floor, trying to find the right words. I was just around the area, and I just want to see tonight to tell you I had feelings for you. Heat rose to her cheeks before Amber shook her head. No, she couldn’t tell her that. Well, she was going to do that, but the way Ganyu had been acting tonight maybe it isn’t the right decision. Maybe she should dip out, not say a word. Suffer from never tellling her how she felt. Maybe it won’t be that terrible. It wasn’t like Ganyu needed her. Ganyu lived longer than her, it didn’t mean she should just swoop in and interject on her life. She didn’t need her. She didn’t need her.
The sharp crack of the fireworks stopped Amber’s thinking. Bright red and orange sparks lit the sky, people awed at the display. Amber tried to find Ganyu, only to be met with nothing. She turned, seeing her looking through the windows. She stood next to her at finger length, one inch away from holding hands.
“It looks so bright this year,” Ganyu said. “I’m surprised they picked Pervases.”
“Yeah,” Amber said. “I heard from Lumine that Wang Ping’an saw his statue on his reformation journey. He wanted to celebrate the adeptus so he gathered a bunch of people to petition the city to make him a float.”
Ganyu chuckled, Amber noticing the light of the fireworks glowing on her face. She looked so...beautiful. Amber tried to muster all of the words she knew: pretty, bright, eternal (that would be something Lisa would say). She had no words, not now.
“Ganyu,” Amber said.
“Yes?” Ganyu said
“I’m...glad I met you.”
Amber kicked herself mentally. She chickened out in the end. All that prep, all that asking Ningguang, Beidou and others what she liked. All that finding the exact item she needed no matter the cost. All of that courage and valor gone. Perhaps Amber wasn’t meant to be with her.
“I’m glad I met you as well,” Ganyu said. “I think you make my life interesting.”
Amber shook her head.
“Really, even Keqing ,” Amber said.
Ganyu laughed a little bit, her nerves stopping for a moment.
“Yes, to me you are. I don’t think I wasn’t as interested in someone like you in this way.”
Amber tilted her head.
“This way? What do you mean?”
“I never felt this overwhelming urge to be near anyone,” Ganyu said. “Like I want to be near you so bad.”
“What do you mean Ganyu? I don’t get it”
“I mean, I cherish you Amber. I want to be with you.”
Ganyu then held both of her hands. Amber’s mind swirled, trying to look at the reality around. For a brief moment, she heard the last fireworks before Ganyu inched near her face. Amber’s eyes focused on her lips, so plush and soft from afar, yet so intimidating near her. When she felt Ganyu breath near her face, Amber tried to muster any last minute explanation that eventually concluded from it being a dream. It began to not be a dream when Ganyu put on her cheek, and kissed the other.
The room rose in temperature, the redness on her face spread through her body. Amber felt her body stunned, her throat too clogged to say anything. She looked outside, the last remaining fireworks opening to the sky.
“I’m so sorry,” Ganyu said.
She inched away from Amber, her hands covering mouth.
“I’m so sorry. I got too brazen. I didn’t think about how you felt.”
Amber walked forward.
“No, I… was shocked that’s all,” Amber said.
She grinned.
“Do you really mean all of the things you said?”
“Yes, I do. I’ve been alone for so long, and I didn’t expect it to ever happen to me.”
“How long?”
“I don’t remember. Not since we met but maybe somewhere in the middle.”
Ganyu had a thoughtful look on her face.
“I wouldn’t realize what I felt at all if it weren’t for Ninguang and Beidou telling me,” Ganyu said.
“I should thank them, right?”
“They did have a couple of good ideas. Wait does that mean-”
Amber put her arm around her waist, bringing their faces close to each other.
“Yeah, I feel the same way.”
She kissed on the forehead.
“I wanted to tell you today, but I thought you didn’t feel the same.”
“Amber…”
Ganyu’s words trailed when Amber nuzzled her nose.
“That was okay right? I remember you saying qilins often nuzzle their partners as a form of affection.”
Ganyu smiled.
“You remembered.”
“Of course I did. I didn’t want to misremember anything.”
Ganyu nuzzled Amber, and they held each other close. They looked outside, the lanterns floating in the sky.