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You never thought you would see snow in Inazuma, and certainly did you never once think you would care this much about it. After all it’s just frozen water, right?
But nonetheless there is something mystical about watching it fall from the sky and celebrating it with the one you love, even if she doesn’t fully know it yet.
You’ve spent the past two years in contact with Kamisato Ayaka once the borders reopened and silly enough it was through a Liyue-Inazuma pen pal program. It was one of the efforts to reintegrate and support Inazuma’s citizens to the outside world as there were many children who had not even seen a speck of land other than Inazuma. It’s also no mere coincidence that you got Ayaka as your pen pal, as you had to fill out a small survey with your job, hobbies, and interests so they could find someone to match you up with. Though even as a diplomat for Liyue you didn’t think you would get someone that important and memorable.
Ayaka turned out to have a fair bit of hobbies and interests in common with you, and one of those was gardening. She had been looking forward to the snow that was forecasted simply because some of her plants had never experienced a frost and would turn different colors. She didn’t let you miss today, and she also didn’t let you stay held up in the house no matter how many times you insisted that snow equals hot chocolate, cuddles, and clique movies.
That all led you to this moment. Her standing before you with snowflakes in her hair and no clue you have a massive crush on her.
“Are you going to stand there all day?” She started snickering as you zoned back in.
“No… uh sorry I was just thinking. Don’t worry about it,”
“Okay! Come on, we're almost to the garden!”
She started running ahead and you started sweating trying to catch up to her. It’s a miracle she isn’t cold in that dress, and even with tights it’s so windy and cold you’re not sure how she has this much energy. Nor do you need to have this much energy to get to a garden practically right outside your front door.
Bent over the flowers Ayaka turns around and motions you forward.
“Angel look! My dendrobiums are purple! Oh my gosh I thought they might turn purple because I was reading about it and they said that the cold results in more chlorophyll but I didn’t think it would result in the actual flowers turning this dark purple! I thought just the leaves would darken. Oh do you remember when I sent you that letter when we first started talking? Oh it had been so warm that summer I thought for sure they would shrivel up and there was almost no rain! The poor flowers had turned a pale pink!”
Ayaka continues rambling as you look over her shoulder.
“They do look so beautiful Ayaka, I never thought they would be so dark. All the photos we have in Liyue they’re bright red, and even shipments are bright red.”
“Well you kn-”
“Yes I know it’s because they dye the shipments, you’ve told me.”
“It’s horrible for the plants though. I can’t imagine any honorable gardener supporting that even though it makes so much money.”
You sigh. “Yes I know.”
“Well I know you know I never said you didn’t I just asked, matter of fact.”
“Ayaka that even like… the completely wrong order to say that in.”
At this point she begins to look irritated with you and you know you messed up, big time. She fully stands up now and stays with her back to you.
“You know, you didn’t have to even come here in the first place if you didn’t wa-”
“Of course I want to be here. What kind of statement is that?”
“Well I don’t know, I’ve been thinking a lot too.”
The snow is still coming down but a little slower now and the silence becomes deafening. She turns around and much to your surprise her face is bright red and she’s hiding behind a dendrobium she must have picked, though you didn’t notice.
“Ayaka?”
“I just don’t understand why you came all the way to Inazuma to see me last year, and then you moved here for a lesser reputation job and to live in a much shabbier apartment too. I saw your last one and I’ve seen your current one. I just… something doesn’t add up here.” Ayaka starts to pace and you’re getting all clammy skin and upset the more she talks.
“Ayaka I don’t even understand what you’re saying right now, I like being here and I like having a new job that’s a lot easier on me. What do you mean something isn’t adding up?”
“You left your family!”
“I mean yeah but I can visit all the time and they’re even planning on visiting in two months. I still just don’t understand.”
“Okay.” Ayaka has dropped the flower act and she’s looking very distressed, almost sweaty even in this cold. Her eyes even look watery.
“I would just like to know what you want for the future. You know I don’t really have a choice in the future but you have so much choice so I don’t understand why you would decide to stay here and spend so much time with me as your choice.” Ayaka continues.
“Oh.”
Ayaka has stopped pacing and suddenly your shoes feel heavy and your throat feels swollen.
“Ayaka do we really have to do this right now, it is such a beautiful day an-”
“Yes. You tell me why now or I will be going home.”
You sigh. She forces your hand.
“Ayaka,” You walk up and grab her hands. “I am in love with you.”
Ayaka almost jumps back and looks at the ground, her face even redder than before. You start to walk towards her and she retracts, backing up.
“Ayaka, please say something and don’t just walk away.”
She stops walking backwards, but you don’t relent. You grab both her arms, so small and delicate in your hands.
“I’m embarrassed… I don’t know what to say or do… I've never actually had someone return my feelings. I…..” Ayaka stammers out.
“You? Feel the same?”
“Of course I feel the same, I just thought, I don’t know, maybe you moved here for someone else or something else. And I wasn’t sure if you had motives for Liyue here or what, that I was just some pawn. Then you quit your job and I realized how I felt and I became really really scared.” She can’t even bring her eyes to you, they’re fixated on the ground, even while she’s saying this to you.
You pulled her closer. It starts to settle in your head that she actually feels the same as you and you start to think about how this is the perfect day. You grab her face and kiss her like you had wanted to do for so long. She kisses back, and it’s messy for a first kiss purely because you’re both cold and emotions are high. Even in the cold her lips feel so soft and dainty against yours. You move your hands around to hold her back and pull her body closer to yours.
She moves backwards, breaking the kiss but still being held by you.
“I do love you very much also but I don’t think it’s quite appropriate for a Kamisato to be seen out in public like this…” Ayaka says very proper and lets out a little laugh.
“I don’t think I care Ayaka, and I don’t think anyone is out here in this cold with us.”
“Perhaps you’re right.” She leans into your chest and rests her head. You start to sway as you hold her, and you never imagined you would be the taller one in a relationship, but here you are resting your head on hers.
The snow keeps falling, and you’re even more grateful you let her drag you out here today. You hold her like this swaying back and forth for a few minutes before you pull away and go back to just holding her arms.
“Ayaka as much as I’m enjoying this and would love to do this forever, I am quite possibly freezing to death.”
She laughs at you and invites you to walk with her back down the trail to her house, her garden and plants lining the sides as you walk.
The snow falls on her long hair and it looks majestic. She’s wearing these earmuffs she bought just for this day and her dress looks all wet around the edges. Her hand feels warm and soft in yours.
“Hello!” Ayaka greets her guards. “Again, as I said when our guest first arrived, if you want any hot chocolate please come inside!”
“Miss Kamisato, you know it is not appropriate for us to break rank like that.” One of the guards spits out.
“I am not defenseless, and in that case I will leave the hot chocolate right inside the foyer to grab so you can still see the perimeter.” She elegantly says. “How can I have good guards if they all freeze to death!”
You both laugh and the guards let out a chuckle too as you two head inside.