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“(Ei)! (Ei)!”
(Ei) looked left, and then right, searching for the source of the voice.
“(Ei),” The voice whined, long, and drawn out, until (Ei) finally turned all the way around.
“Oh, Miko, it’s you.”
Yae rolled her eyes, and huffed, walking over to where (Ei) was sitting. “‘It’s you,’” She mocked. “Is that any way to greet your very best friend?”
“Sorry, sorry,” and (Ei) chuckled, patting the ground next to him. “Sit with me?”
Yae sat down next to him, and leaned against his shoulder, staring into the distant night sky. “What are you doing?”
“Just- thinking, I suppose.”
“Thinking about what?”
“The future, mostly.”
Yae smiled. “Oh yeah?”
“There are things that are hard, but I think, if I could, I’d carve this moment in stone, for all eternity, so it could last forever, just like this.”
“You can’t stop time from flowing, (Ei),” and Yae replied with a small chuckle.
(Ei) stared at the back of his hand for a moment, before shaking his head, and turning his eyes skyward, wrapping his arm around Yae’s waist. “I suppose you’re right, Miko.”
“Mm, of course I am.” Yae let her eyes drift close, trusting (Ei)’s grasp to keep her safe, and upright. “I’m always right.”
“If you say so, Miko.”
Yae scooted a tad closer, nestling into (Ei)’s side, but, shortly, he stood up, lifting Yae with him, and throwing his jacket over her shoulders.
“Here, we should head back inside; it’s starting to get cold.”
“Mm, okay.” Yae trudged toward the sliding glass door that led into the house, but, before she opened it, she stopped. “Hey, (Ei)?”
“What is it?”
“I’m here for you, okay?”
Ei awoke in a cold sweat, staring at yet another unfamiliar ceiling, accompanied only by the sound of the clock ticking away. She turned onto her side, wiping the tired from her eyes, and tapped the screen of her phone.
3:54 in the morning. There was only an hour before she had to be awake, but, even if it had been longer, she wasn’t going to be able to fall back asleep regardless.
She lifted herself out of bed, slipped into a pair of loose sweatpants, and padded into the kitchen of the hotel room she was staying at. She certainly wasn’t the most adept cook—to say she had any skill at all would be a gross exaggeration—but she still remembered how to boil water, at least, so she filled a medium sized tea kettle, and set it on the stove top.
She wasn’t used to dreaming. She hadn’t in a very, very long time, but recently they had been coming back, flashes of her past haunting her unconscious mind so much that she started to prefer exhaustion over sleep. Sometimes they were okay memories, ones that were a little easier to bear the weight of, but even those left her with a bitter taste in her mouth, putrid, and acidic.
She sat down at the table, letting her cheeks rest against the knuckles of her balled fists, but, much to her surprise, it wasn’t the whistle of the kettle that brought her mind back down to earth. It was a voice, and only after the voice spoke did she hear the wisps of steam.
“Ah, ah, you have to be more attentive, if you’re going to play with fire, Ei.”
Ei immediately snapped back to attention, turning off the burner, and removing the kettle to let it cool slightly before pouring. “Sorry, Miss Yae; I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Yae simply sighed, and shook her head. “Oh, Ei.” She walked softly into the kitchen, pulling down two coffee mugs, and looking through the mostly barren pantry. “It’s still chai for you, right?”
Ei stepped back, and nodded. “Yes, with a splash of milk and-”
“And an overwhelming amount of sugar. Still haven’t grown out of your sweet tooth yet, have you?”
“Ah, no I haven’t; it’s-” Ei stepped back into the kitchen; fumbling with the kettle. “You don’t have to do that; I was the one making tea, after all.”
“Relax, Ei; I wanted some too.”
Ei stepped back again, and sat down. Shortly, Yae handed her her cup, and rounded the table to sit across from her.
“Can’t sleep?”
Ei shook her head no.
“Do you wanna talk about it?”
“Ah, no, that would be unprofessional, I think.”
Yae’s eyes looked like she wanted to say something more, but she bit her lip, and averted her gaze downwards towards her cup. “I see.”
It was quiet. Ei took a sip of her tea.
“Since you’re awake, we might as well run through the itinerary for the next two days now.” She did her best to put on her business voice. “There’s a rehearsal with Kokomi first thing at seven, should be pretty standard stuff, then a brief lunch after that, there’s a photoshoot scheduled at noon, wardrobe check at two, with sound and lights right after, and then rest—don’t wanna overdo it the day before a concert. You follow so far?”
Yae looked up from the mug of tea she was cradling, her eyes glossed over. “Hm? Oh, yeah, sure. Whatever.”
“Miss Yae, it’s important you-” Yae interrupted her.
“Oh, shut up, Ei.”
Ei grit her teeth. “I’m gonna step outside for a moment.”
“Be my guest,” and Yae waved a hand at her, but Ei had already slammed shut the sliding door before she finished talking, closing the curtains behind her.
The first thing she did was kick the shit out of a nearby trash can.
God damnit. Didn’t she understand Ei was trying to be professional?
She squatted down for a moment, resting her head in her hands, and taking a deep breath. Despite being told she needed it, she had never actually gone to therapy, but she seemed to remember her sister telling her that deep breaths help you relax.
With that in mind, she breathed, and she breathed, and, eventually, she stood back up. She reached into her pocket, and rarely had she felt as relieved as she did when she found she had left her lighter, and a pack of naku weed smokes in it.
She lit one, and took a long, deep drag, inhaling, and holding, to make the feeling they gave her sink in faster, before blowing a column of smoke towards the sky of Watatsumi. Just her luck, though, when she heard the door slide open.
“Still got that habit too, huh?”
Ei didn’t respond.
“Those are bad for you, you know. You really oughta quit.”
Ei took another drag. “Am I allowed to have a moment alone, Miss Yae?”
Yae set her jaw, and, rather than responding, Ei heard the door slam shut once more.
“Hey, Makoto, do you think Miko likes me?”
Makoto couldn’t help but laugh, a hearty thing that made (Ei) feel defensive. “I think she’s ‘liked’ you since you were four, (Ei).”
“Well-” (Ei) stuttered for a moment. “That- doesn’t seem too likely, to me.”
“She’s just too proud to admit it, I promise.”
“But how can you be so sure?”
“It’s so obvious to everyone but you, (Ei), trust me.”
“She just-” (Ei) paused. “She seems so hesitant sometimes, like- cautious, and reserved. It makes me nervous.”
“And when exactly have you known Yae Miko, of all people, to be ‘cautious, and reserved?’”
“I guess you’re right.” (Ei) picked at the paint on the chair he was sitting on. “I just- don’t want things to change, you know? If things are good now, why would I try to mess that up?”
Makoto sighed, and walked towards (Ei), resting her chin on the top of his head, and her hands on his shoulders. “Good times won’t last forever, (Ei). I think sometimes you focus too much on what ‘could’ happen, that you forget to think about what ‘is’ happening, right now, as we speak.”
(Ei) shook his head. “You were always the smart twin.”
“Don’t say that,” and Makoto flicked the side of his head. “It’s just easier to see from the outside looking in, that’s all.”
“But what if I mess it up? What if, somewhere down the line, she hates me, and it’s all my fault? How could I live with that?”
Makoto smiled, and shook her head. “That could happen regardless. Time doesn’t stand still, (Ei), feelings change, people change—there’s a reason people say that change is the only constant.”
“I just wanna stay like this, if I can. I don’t need anything more.”
Makoto walked around in front of him, and leaned against his desk. “(Ei), (Ei), (Ei),” She tutted. “It just doesn’t work like that.”
They were at the rehearsal venue before she realized it. Kokomi and her staff arrived first, likely to set up—it was her hometown, after all.
Kokomi looked up to Yae, Ei knew that much. Yae was somewhat of a mentor for the younger girl when she debuted, and, even before that, Kokomi confessed in an interview that Yae had always been her favorite idol, so it made sense to have her make an appearance when Yae’s tour of Inazuma took her through Watatsumi.
Ei tried to convince herself she wasn’t jealous of the seemingly close relationship the two had.
“Yae!” Kokomi was visibly excited when Yae, and Ei made their appearance.
“Kokomi,” and Yae gave Kokomi a tight squeeze of a hug. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Likewise.”
“This is my bodyguard, Raiden Ei.” Yae gestured towards Ei. “I don’t think you’ve met her yet, right?”
“Oh, no, I haven’t- I mean, I’ve seen some of the pictures online, but not officially, no.” Kokomi turned towards Ei, and extended her hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Miss Raiden.”
Ei did her best not to squeeze the fragile looking girl’s hand too hard when she shook it. “Just Ei is fine.”
“Well, Ei, thank you for taking such good care of Yae.”
She may have squeezed a little tighter, after that. “Of course; it is my job, after all.”
Kokomi nodded. “And I’ve heard you do it quite well.”
Before Ei could respond, the head choreographer clapped her hands. “Yes, and your job is to sing, and dance, so why don’t we go ahead and get started with some warm ups, okay?”
Yae shot Ei the smuggest of smiles, as the purple haired woman was shepherded out of the room. She had things to do, after all; she wouldn’t be able to just sit there, and watch the ghosts of her past dance around the room.
The rest of the day went by fairly quickly. Ei had a meeting with the two idol’s managers about security for the concert, then they were whisked away to the photoshoot, which, unsurprisingly, she ‘slayed,’ as Yae phrased it. They even used Ei as a stand-in for a shot that needed an extra hand, which she was sure was only going to stoke the fires of the rumors that caused her to get offline in the first place. Then was wardrobe checks, which Ei mostly sat around for, but at least during sound and lights she could scope out the venue. It was-
She was uncomfortable.
She was uncomfortable, and upset, and it made her lose focus a lot more than she felt it should’ve.
Was coming back the right thing to do? It seemed like all she’d done since she’d returned was piss Yae off, but throughout it all Yae remained kind in a way that made Ei unsure whether or not it was feigned. It seemed sincere, but it couldn’t be, not anymore.
This was just a job for Ei, and that’s all there was to it.
Soon enough, the tech rehearsal was done, and Ei was driving an uncharacteristically quiet Yae back to their apartment in a rental car.
She tried not to let it bother her. It had been a long day, and tomorrow was only going to be longer, but, even still, Yae was normally the talkative type. She didn’t like thinking about why that could be, whether or not the idol sensation was still upset with her, or if the things that ran deeper were starting to weigh on her, too, just like they were with Ei.
After rolling to a stop at a red light, Ei tossed a glance towards the pink haired woman. Her cheek was pressed against the window, body language nothing but exhaustion, and the subtle reflection of her eyes against the glass were pointed skywards, towards the stars.
Ei had always thought she was pretty, but it was the moments of quiet, tenuous though they may be, that made her able to truly appreciate her beauty.
“Are-” Ei cleared her throat. “Are you okay, Yae?”
“I thought it’d be unprofessional to talk about it,” Yae replied quietly, sighing, and closing her eyes.
Ei’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “Right.”
Ei was crying, when Yae found her.
She was sitting with her arms around her legs, and her face buried in her knees, silent sobs wracking her body like tremors. Yae didn’t know why, necessarily, she had gone looking for her. Call it instinctual, a feeling in her stomach that she was needed somewhere, but she got a feeling that she should, so she did.
Apparently it was the right choice.
Yae walked towards her slowly, quietly, sitting down at her side, and crossing her ankles. She ran her hand up and down Ei’s back slowly, letting her nails drag gently over the baggy fabric of her tee shirt.
Ei immediately looked up towards her. “Oh- M- Miko-” She wiped at her eyes hurriedly with the backs of her hands, sniffling. “Sorry, um- Hi.”
“Hey.”
Ei set her chin back on her knees, and Yae could see her eyes gloss over.
“Are you okay?”
Ei once again rubbed at her eyes, letting her fingers press inwards until they met at the bridge of her nose. “No.”
“I’m so sorry, Ei.”
“It’s- I-” Ei curled in on herself, hugging her knees tight, and staring at the ground between her legs. She couldn’t stop shaking. “Fuck.”
Yae just let her hand drag up and down Ei’s back as soothingly as possible. “It’s okay. It’s okay. Breathe, Ei, it’ll be okay.”
“It won’t! It-” Ei paused, trembling, and her next words were nothing but whispers into the wind. “It should’ve been me.”
Yae bit her lip, and exhaled slowly. “Don’t say that, Ei.”
“But it’s true-” Ei looked up, almost pleading, though she knew Yae couldn’t change what had happened.
Yae cut her off. “Is that what Makoto would want you to think?”
Ei looked like a frightened animal, in that moment. “Miko-”
“Is it?”
She shook her head no.
“She’d be happy you still have a life you can live, Ei.” Yae sidled closer to her, and put her arm around her waist, trying to use physical embrace to soothe the wounds that words couldn’t—that only time could.
“I know,” and Ei let her eyes close shut.
Yae could only listen to her breathe, the uneven intake, and release, shaky exhales hidden only by shakier hands, shivering, like it was cold.
But it wasn’t cold, of course.
Ei turned her gaze starward, and Yae couldn’t help but admire her. Her hair, just starting to grow out, the estrogen softened skin of her cheeks, and her arms, the layers of muscle winning out in the battle between sweets and exercise—she was beautiful, in every sense of the word, and Yae loved her with every fiber of her being, with all of who she was.
“Miko?”
Yae tilted her head, and looked at her with so much warmth, and patience. “What is it?”
“Can we stay like this?”
She nestled closer to her, resting her head against the crook of Ei’s neck, and, in that moment, there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for the woman in front of her. She’d give her the world, if she could; she’d carry all her burdens on her back, if only to see her smile once more, genuine, and pure.
“Of course we can. I’d stay like this for all eternity, if that’s what you wanted, Ei.”
Fuck.
Fucking fuck. God fucking damnit.
Why did it have to be Ei?
Of all the people to show up on her doorstep, to pop her head in during studio sessions, to just fucking appear in her rehearsals, her staff meetings, her hotel rooms, it had to be Raiden Ei, didn’t it?
She didn’t know if fate was real, but, if it was, it was much too cruel for her liking.
She took a deep breath, as she stepped out of the rental car Ei had driven her home in. She was a professional now. She wasn’t the young girl who fawned over Ei, who swooned at her every action, who’s patience knew no bounds—not anymore. She was an adult, with a career, and she had a concert tomorrow. She didn’t have time to think about Ei, not like she used to.
That’s what she told herself, at least.
She flopped face down onto the couch, as soon as she entered her hotel room.
“Hungry?” Ei asked, still hanging up her coat, and stepping out of her shoes.
Yae groaned, and nodded.
“Feeling like anything in particular?”
“Fried tofu.” Yae sat up, and rubbed at her eyes. “Have a runner get it; I’m gonna go shower.”
She didn’t wait for a response before crawling off the couch, and to her room. She didn’t say a word, as she rummaged through her suitcase, looking for something comfortable to wear to bed, and she didn’t hear one, either, as she closed, and locked the door to the bathroom.
She wished she had, though.
As much as she wanted to hate Ei, to just be two normal people, with a run of the mill professional relationship, she couldn’t. Not really.
She let the warm water of the shower wash away the grime that lingered, however, let the steam that fogged the mirrors scrub clean her mind, and make her reborn anew, so she felt calm, and relaxed.
She dried herself off, and slipped into the biggest shirt she had, and a loose pair of sweatpants, before making her exit from the warmth of the bathroom, and back into the bitter cold of the hotel.
At least it smelled nice, though. Ei was already using a pair of chopsticks to pick at what looked like some kind of shrimp, and across from her sat two small containers of what Yae hoped was her dinner.
“Here,” Ei gestured to the little takeout packages with her chopsticks. “Should still be warm.”
“Thanks.” Yae walked towards the table, her fingers resting against the packet of disposable chopsticks sitting on top of one of the boxes.
“Feel like eating with me?”
She bit her lip. “No,” and, with that, she gathered her food, and turned away, walking towards her room.
Ei didn’t try to stop her.
Thankfully, the concert went off without a hitch.
Her opener received a hearty amount of cheers, the crowd erupted when Yae took the stage, and she could hear more than a few shrieks whenever Kokomi joined her. It was a good night, all and all. Yae performed; Ei did- Well, something she wasn’t too in the loop about.
Something she didn’t need to be in the loop about—Ei’s words, not hers. Her manager’s words too, in all fairness, but still. It irked her.
Wiping off her makeup, and getting into more comfortable clothing helped, though. So did the silent car ride home, cold wisps of air from the window making the loose strands of her ponytail fly in every direction, and so did the few drinks she afforded herself, small glasses of white wine that made her feel bubbly, and warm.
It all came crashing down when Ei tried to make conversation that night, however.
“Hey, Yae?”
Yae’s head perked up immediately. “Hm?”
“I wasn’t able to watch most of it, but you did good tonight.”
“Thank you,” but her reply was suspicious. It was muffled, too, thanks to the bite of her sandwich she had just taken, but it was still suspicious, eyes narrowing into a squint.
“Of course.” Ei pushed up her glasses, and looked back down at her phone.
A pause. Yae bit her lip.
“I always do good, though, and you’ve never complimented one of my performances before. Where’s this coming from?”
Ei shrugged. “I don’t know. It was just a compliment; I don’t think it’s really that deep.”
Yae’s next words were muttered under her breath, so low that even she could barely hear them. “It’s always that deep with you.”
“Hm?” Ei looked back up, only half aware that something had been said.
Yae downed what little of her wine that she had left in her glass. “Why did you take this job, Ei?”
“I needed the money. Isn’t that why everyone works?”
Yae sighed deeply, and squeezed the bridge of her nose in frustration. “No. Why did you take this job?”
The room was quiet—there was scarcely a sound, in that moment—but each thundering beat of her heart in her chest felt like it could burst Yae’s eardrums.
“You know why, Miko.”
“Right.” Yae grit her teeth. “Goodnight, Ei.”
She huffed off to her room without waiting for a response, toppling face first onto her pillow, and doing her best not to scream.
Something felt different when Yae woke up that morning.
Her routine was the same—brush her teeth, eat breakfast, get dressed, so on, and so forth—but something was off. It was a feeling she had, like something was wrong, and, over time, she’d learned to trust those feelings. They were usually right.
The hard part was finding out what had happened. Everything in her home felt alright, her aunt was still on vacation, she hadn’t gotten any frightening late night texts while she slept—she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.
Eventually, thankful she didn’t have much to do that day, she hopped on her bike, and decided it’d be best to go check in on Ei.
The little path to the apartment she’d been staying in since Makoto’s death wasn’t a long one, not from Yae’s house, at least, but, even still, she pedaled as hard as she could. Up a hill, and then back down, over a little stream, down the street, and to the left; it didn’t take her long to be jumping off of her bike, and climbing the stairs to where Ei stayed.
The door was unlocked, when she arrived. She tried to knock, but it creaked open, so she let herself in without waiting for a response, and it-
It was empty. It looked almost exactly the same as when Yae had first helped Ei move in: no furniture, nothing on the walls, no lights on. It was as if she had never been there in the first place.
She did the first thing she could think of, pulling out her phone, scrolling to Ei’s contact, and pressing call. It rang once, and then twice, and then-
An automated voice told her the line had been disconnected.
She felt panic bubbling in her chest.
What was she supposed to do with this? What could she possibly do now? Now that she had been so thoroughly abandoned?
First Makoto, and now Ei, and without so much as a single goodbye, without any sign that something like this would happen. What happened to staying like they were, like Ei had wanted? What happened to living your life in order to respect those who’ve passed?
What happened?
She couldn’t stay there. Instead, she bolted back outside, hopped back onto her bike, and took off, pedaling faster than she thought she could. She checked the old home that Ei had sold after Makoto’s death as a final bit of hope to find her, but she wasn’t there, of course. She was nowhere.
Yae nearly collapsed when she got home, not making it past the living room before the sobs tore through her, desperate to escape.
She had been alone before. Everyone has, really, and Yae was no exception, but now?
Now she was alone again.
“So, Ei?”
Yae looked up to find her manager, and a label bigwig having a not-so-subtle conversation with Ei.
“Hm?”
“How would you feel about going overseas?”
Ei looked so very shocked. “E- Excuse me?”
“We’re planning an international tour, and you’re one of the few bodyguards Yae hasn’t managed to run off.”
“I see.”
“We think you mesh well together, and, if you’re open to it, we’d love for you to oversee the security for it, including, of course, personal security for Miss Yae.”
“I wouldn’t say that…” It was said under Ei’s breath, but everyone could hear it.
“Have there been any issues?”
“Oh, no, sir, none at all.”
“Well good, then! So, what do you say?”
“Um.” Ei shifted from foot to foot, glancing away momentarily, and biting her lip. “Can I have a few days to think about it?”
“Of course, of course. Just let us know before the last show, okay?”
Ei nodded, and the two people talking to her walked away, chatting about something Yae didn’t care to know.
‘Can I think about it?’ What the hell? Ei would normally jump at an opportunity like that; what gives?
Yae slunk back to their room before Ei could see her, the tiny little hotel on Tatarasuna feeling much too cramped, despite not actually being all that tiny at all. She was angrily staring at her phone when Ei came back.
“Hey,” Ei said, casual, cordial, if not a little distant.
Yae tried not to bite her lip. “Welcome back. What did they wanna talk to you about?”
“Ah, nothing serious, don’t worry.” As expected, Ei waved her off.
Yae shrugged, but internally there was a storm brewing just beneath her skin. “If you say so.”
Surprisingly enough, though, that wasn’t where the conversation ended.
“Hey, Yae?”
“What is it?”
Ei didn’t respond immediately. Perhaps Yae was just exhausted, and worn thin, but her reply came much too slow for her liking.
“What, Ei?”
Ei seemed so very small, when Yae looked up towards her, despite being the larger of the two women.
“Do I make you upset?” She said it like a whisper, like she wasn’t sure if she wanted Yae to hear it or not.
She did, however. She most certainly did, and, if there’s one thing that Yae’s learned, it’s that, once spoken, nothing can be unsaid.
“I think everyone makes people upset at some point; that’s the way life goes.”
Ei didn’t like that answer. “No, do I make you upset?”
“What are you talking about, Ei? Why would you-”
“Miko!” Ei’s voice was thunderous, a tone Yae hadn’t heard in a very, very long time. “I need to know.”
“Ei…”
“Please, Miko.”
Yae took a deep breath. She was trembling. “Of course you do, Ei. How could you not?”
“I see.”
“Ei-”
“I won’t take the job, then, that way things are easier for you.”
“Ei, would you-”
“Have fun overseas, Miko; this might be my last tour with you.”
“Ei!” Yae was shouting, face red, as she stood from the couch.
“What?!”
“I waited five whole years to see you again, but, when I finally do, it’s ‘work’ this, and ‘Miss Yae’ that. Of course it makes me upset.”
“I’m sorry, Miko. I-”
“I’m not the naive little girl I used to be, Ei.”
Yae strode towards where Ei stood, doing her best to fight back the shakes, to fight back the lightning that rippled through her bloodstream. Ei was lightning enough, after all; that wasn’t what she needed to be right now.
“But I waited, even still. I waited so long for you.”
Ei’s eyes dropped to the floor. “You shouldn’t have.”
“But I fucking did, Ei! I did because I wanted to, because it was for you. How stupid do you have to be to not see that?!”
When Ei looked back up, Yae was crying. Streams of tears rolled down her cheeks, and she could see the hurt in her eyes, could see the distant pain that bubbled up, and spilled over, the cracks in her facade growing until it shattered into pieces, unrepairable.
“I tried so hard to connect with you again, Ei, and every single time you shut me out. Of course it upsets me.”
“I’m sorry, Miko. I thought- I-” Ei struggled to get her words out because what Yae had said was true. Ei did shut her out, despite the only reason she took this job was to try to reconnect with her. She felt like a fucking idiot. “I thought I ruined it. I thought you hated me, and I didn’t think you’d want things to be the way they were again.”
“I don’t.”
Fear rolled through Ei’s system, at that. “What?”
“I don’t want things to be exactly how they used to be. We’re different people than we were five years ago, Ei; I wanna see what things can be like now, with no more worrying about the past.”
“Miko…”
It was Yae that stepped forward first, disposing of the shy, and patient version of herself that she used to be, and taking what she knew she wanted.
She pressed her lips to Ei’s for the very first time, and, in that moment, everything felt right. Like the stars had aligned, and the heavens were shining down on them, everything finally felt like it should, like it could be okay, like it would be okay, and this was all they needed.
She could taste the salt from her tears, could feel Ei’s lips trembling, but it didn’t matter. It was perfect, even still.
When she pulled away, Ei had let her arms slip around her waist, holding her closer than she had ever thought possible.
Ei glanced to the side, though. “I’m no good.”
Yae simply chuckled, and kissed her again, deep, and passionate, and loving. “Neither am I.”
“I’ll run away again.”
Yae kissed her again, and, this time, she could tell Ei was smiling. “I won’t let you.”
Ei closed her eyes, and let her forehead rest against Yae’s own, breathing deeply, trying not to let a single detail of the moment pass her by. “I don’t deserve you.”
“You’re right,” but Yae said it so endearingly that Ei’s smile only grew. “You don’t. But I love you, Ei.”
This time, it was Ei that kissed her, filled with a passion she didn’t know she still had in her, overflowing with love, and devotion, promising not to let things be how they were.
“I love you too, Miko.”
The next morning, Ei would take the job, and in the coming months the two would travel to Liyue, and Mondstadt, and Fontaine, but for now? For now, none of that mattered. All that mattered was each other, held together close, with their hearts even closer.