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The door to Jean’s office burst open suddenly as a blur of blue and white strode into the room, door forcefully swinging shut behind her. The Acting Grandmaster glanced up only briefly from her desk with a small smile, before returning to her paperwork.
“Welcome back Captain Eula,” Jean greeted warmly as the blue-haired woman pulled up her usual seat opposite her. “You found your cousin, I trust?”
Eula let out a disgruntled huff. “It took longer than expected... but yes, I found Lessig Lawrence. He’s back in Mondstadt now... but rest assured, he will have no more ridiculous notions of restoring the Lawrence clan glory.”
“You must be relieved that he’s safe."
“Relieved!” Eula scoffed. “He should be relieved not to be meeting the end of my blade for his shenanigans.”
“You were able to change his mind then? Not that I’m surprised... your kindness is very compelling,” Jean remarked easily. Eula flushed and broke eye contact for a moment.
“You... I cannot fathom how you can you say such absurdities seriously,” Eula sputtered. Jean huffed out a quiet laugh but dropped the matter, finally setting her quill down.
“You still have a few days off, right?” Jean said, changing the subject. “I hope that you can actually take some time to relax on your vacation, rather than having to chase down stray family members.”
Eula looked hesitant for a moment. “Well... I actually also came to ask if you had something for me to do.”
Jean’s brow furrowed. “Something like...?”
“Oh, you know...” Eula said, resisting the urge to fidget. “There’s not usually this much free time on my hands and I don’t exactly have much to do in the city... so if you happened to have any... errands needing to be done...”
She trailed off, feeling her face grow warm as the blonde woman stared at her. Slowly Jean blinked in realisation.
“Are you offering to help with my workload?”
“–I didn’t say that I was helping–”
“On your vacation?”
“It... simply would not do for my sworn enemy to not be in top physical condition for our next duel,” Eula said defiantly, though the flush on her cheeks had only grown. Jean appeared to scrutinise her for an uncomfortable moment before slowly breaking into a handsome smile, her blue eyes seeming to shimmer in that wondrous shade of clear skies. Eula’s breath caught for just a moment. Oh, it was not fair, how effortlessly stunning those irises were.
“W-what’s that look for?” Eula burst out, partly to interrupt her own embarrassing train of thought.
“Oh, nothing,” Jean said innocently. “I’m very pleased that you care so much about my workload.”
“As I said, Acting Grand Master–”
“In fact,” Jean interrupted. “I do have something for you to do after all. In fact, she might be here any moment now–”
The door to Jean’s office flung open again for the second time that morning, a tiny blur of red barrelling in.
“Master Jeeean!” came the singsong voice of none other than the Spark Knight herself. Eula stared at the little red knight before whipping her head back around to meet Jean’s cheerful look.
“You can’t be serious,” Eula hissed under her breath. “I – I just got back from that circus...”
“Oh! Eula is here too?” Klee piped up, her face lighting up even more. “Yay!”
“You’re a little early, Klee,” Jean chided lightly. Klee only nodded happily.
“Kaeya told me that since I was so well-behaved on our trip, I could come find you early,” she said proudly.
“Kaeya...?” Jean said, raising a brow. As if on cue, the Cavalry Captain slipped through the already-ajar door and made his presence known.
“You called, Master Jean?” Kaeya said with a smirk. His smile widened when he caught sight of the Reconnaissance Captain.
“Captain Eula – how pleasant to run into you again so soon,” Kaeya drawled. “Although... I suppose I’m not so surprised to find you in the Grand Master’s office.”
Eula fumed. This visit was becoming more and more troublesome by the minute. Perhaps it was time to make her exit...
“Oh, it’s so lively in here!”
Eula let out a little noise of distress, her hands clenching into fists as she stiffened in her chair. The purple witch shut the door behind her with a soft click, surveying the room with amusement.
“Lisa, you’re here too?” Jean said, looking confused. “Did you or Kaeya need me for something?”
“Oh, not me especially,” Lisa said, eyes alight with mischief. “I was just coming back from my break and came to see what the commotion was about.”
“Are we having a party?” Klee squealed, spinning in a circle to look at everyone. Kaeya chuckled.
“Not quite, Klee. Though I do remember Master Jean promising to take you out for lunch today,” he said, looking smugly at Jean.
“Oh, that’s right!” Klee said brightly. “Are you all coming with us?”
“Well, actually Klee...” Jean started quickly. “I have some more paperwork to finish, but Captain Eula’s still on vacation and I was thinking she could probably take you out...”
Eula’s head snapped up as she stared at Jean, jaw dropping in a way surely unbefitting for an aristocrat.
“Oh...” Klee said, face falling a little. “You’re not coming with us?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to, there’s just a lot of work that needs to be done...” Jean said, looking sheepish. Eula glared at her.
“Why not give that paperwork to me?” Eula said, forcing a smile. “I would hate for you to miss out on quality time with Klee.”
“Well actually,” Kaeya interrupted. “I came to offer the same thing. So both of you can go out and spend time with our little Spark Knight. Captain Eula’s still on break after all – it wouldn’t really be fair for her to take on more work.”
“I suppose you have a point...” Jean started hesitantly. “I don’t want to make a habit of giving you more of my workload, Kaeya.”
“Oh, but Master Jean,” Kaeya said, eyes glinting. “Didn’t you promise to take Klee out today? It wouldn’t do for the Acting Grand Master to go back on her word.”
Klee lit up at that, nodding vigorously in agreement. “Kaeya’s right!”
Jean looked helplessly between the two but couldn’t think of anything else to say. Lisa unsubtly covered a small laugh that escaped her lips.
“Oh Jean, go on – take the day off!” Lisa said mirthfully. “You’ve been cooped up in this office all week.”
Jean sighed with a defeated smile, seeing that she was getting nowhere. “Alright then. I... thank you all for worrying about me.”
“Hooray!” Klee said, jumping up and down, while Eula could only stare in shock. “Picnic time, picnic time!”
“N-now hold on,” Eula blustered weakly. “I’m still not sure why I have to come along...”
Jean tilted her head at the blue-haired knight. “Why not? You’re still on vacation aren’t you? And I’m sure Klee would love for you to come.”
Klee grinned up at Jean. “When we were at the water droplet amusement park, Eula and I rode on the Choo Choo Cart twenty-three times.”
Kaeya and Lisa snickered as Eula flinched at the memory. Initially Klee had asked that pink-haired general from Inazuma... but the poor girl had looked like she was going to faint after the first ride. Or throw up. Not that Eula herself fared much better by the end of it.
“Alright you two, enough of your chit-chat,” Kaeya said, starting to usher the pair of knights outside the office. “Go enjoy the sunshine.”
“Oh – okay, call me if you need anything,” Jean said as she walked out. Kaeya and Lisa simply smiled at her exasperatedly.
With that, Jean, Eula, and Klee found themselves outside the Grand Master’s office. Eula felt a bit dazed, still wondering how she had gotten into this woeful situation. Meanwhile Klee bounced off, excitedly calling the other two to follow. Jean threw the woman beside her an apologetic smile.
“Shall we?” she said blithely, striding after Klee before she got too far. Eula groaned but didn’t take long to follow suit.
---
It took less time to get through the city than Eula thought. She was sure that Jean would get bombarded with greetings, conversations, and requests from people as they saw her. With the workload that Jean ended up with every day, Eula found herself thinking more often than not that perhaps Jean Gunnhildr made herself far too accessible to the citizens of Mondstadt.
She supposed, however, that the three of them also made for an odd-looking group. After all, what reason would there be for the Acting Grandmaster to hold the company of both the Spark Knight, and the scion of the Lawrence Clan? She observed with interest, how people would still greet Jean but would cast strange looks at the three of them as a whole. Wary, but more confused rather than suspicious. Eula had to admit, there was a convenience in walking Mondstadt’s streets with the Acting Grandmaster. For starters, she received far less dirty looks. Still, she couldn’t help the bitterness bubbling lowly in her gut whenever she saw the ease with which Jean was able to do things as simple as buying food and sundries.
“Eula! Eula!” Klee’s voice piped up excitedly to burst the bubble of her thoughts. Eula glanced down at the young girl bouncing at her waist. “Did you make more Moon Pie? It was so yummy last time when you brought it to me.”
Eula coughed lightly, casting a furtive glance at Jean who was still at the counter of Good Hunter. It wouldn’t do for her to know that she had snuck treats to Klee while she was in the confinement room.
“Shh, Klee...” Eula said lowly. “It might not happen again if Master Jean finds out about it.”
Klee tilted her head cutely. “Oh! I already told her about it.”
Eula sighed. “I see... And...?”
Klee laughed. “She wasn’t upset or anything. She kind of just shook her head and said something like–” here, Klee tried her best to put on what Eula assumed was meant to be a ‘Master Jean’ voice, “–Captain Eula’s too nice for her own good.”
Eula’s cheeks warmed a little, unsure if she wanted to hear more. Nevertheless, Klee continued on her bubbly ramble.
“Now that I think about it, Master Jean has a kind of funny look whenever she talks about you,” Klee said, giggling a little. “She has a big smile but it’s a little bit goofy. So strange! But I like it. It’s much better than when she’s mad at me...”
Thankfully, at this point Jean comes over to them holding two paper bags of food. She looks between the two of them in confusion.
“Um, Eula are you okay?” Jean said. “Your face is a little red...”
“I’m fine.” Eula said quickly, averting her eyes. “Let’s just go.” The three of them set off towards the gates of Mondstadt without any trouble.
After walking a short distance from the city, they found a spot under the dappled shade of the oak tree at Windrise. Jean laid out a blanket and started to spread out the food while Klee bounced in excitement. It took a moment for her to realise that she was staring.
“Aren’t you going to sit down?” Jean asked, peering up at her curiously. Eula gave the barest of nods, seating herself gingerly at the edge of the picnic blanket. She felt both stiff and unbearably restless at the same time, and she couldn’t figure out why. Jean looked at her carefully.
“What’s on your mind, Eula?” Jean murmured softly, as if she was going to scare the woman away. Eula frowned indignantly, still trying to figure it out herself. She drank in the peaceful scenery of the plains of Windrise and the delicious spread of food that Klee was already helping herself to. She felt the gentle breeze caress the strands of hair, and the warmth of the sun on her skin, filtering through the leaves of Venessa’s Oak Tree. She could hear the sounds of running water and the ducks swimming lazily on the inlet. All of her keen senses, honed by her time in the field, absorbed as much information as possible, and yet...
For once, there was no enemy to scout for. There were no hushed whispers and distrustful looks being thrown her way. And in the middle of it all was Jean Gunnhildr, looking at her with those damned breathtaking eyes – looking at her like she really, truly, cared about her.
She must have spent too much time in her thoughts because Jean suddenly looked away, fiddling with her gloves.
“I should have probably checked if this was something you actually wanted to do on your time off,” she said, laughing awkwardly. “Sorry about that.”
Eula’s mouth went dry. She wanted to retort – to say something that would reassure Jean that yes, she was in fact, fine with being here with her, but the words wouldn’t come out.
“Was Amber busy today?” Jean said lightly, taking a sip from her canteen.
“She wasn’t free,” Eula affirmed automatically. Jean’s face grew pensive at that and Eula winced internally. She sucked in a breath and tried again.
“I mean. She’s with Lumine,” Eula added quickly, and she didn’t miss the way Jean’s features relaxed fractionally. “Listen, Gunnhildr, I... It’s not like I don’t want to be here... I’m just...”
Jean looked at her attentively. At some point Klee had gone off to chase finches in the plain.
“...I’m just not used to this,” Eula admitted quietly. It felt like a spilled secret that she immediately wished she could take back. The look on Jean’s face was too much.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she said sharply. “Hmph. I will make you pay if you ever decide to pity me so openly again.”
“It’s not pity,” Jean argued, but Eula rolled her eyes. “Is it so wrong to wish better for you? To hope that you could enjoy peace?”
“I’m fine the way things are,” Eula said haughtily. “Don’t you dare imply that I’m too weak to endure what I face daily.”
“I’m not,” Jean said, shaking her head firmly. “But I’ve wondered...” Jean wet her lips, seeming to measure her words. Eula blinked slowly. She felt her heart thud uncomfortably in her chest as she looked into those brilliant blue eyes searching her. Dizzyingly she wondered when the Gunnhildr girl got so close.
“Have you ever wanted something... more?” Jean said in a near-whisper. Her eyes flickered downwards for just a split-second, and Eula felt herself, horrifyingly, do the same. Eula was never really a religious devotee of Barbatos, but in that instant she prayed that something – anything – would happen before something absurd inevitably spilled from her lips.
“I...”
At that moment a loud blast pierced the air, causing the birds and other nearby wildlife to scatter in alarm. In an instant Jean and Eula were both on their feet, running over to where the explosion occurred. They found Klee, face smudged with soot, standing next to a small smoking crater in the ground, presumably where she dropped one of her bombs. She looked up as Jean and Eula approached, grinning sheepishly.
“Klee...” Jean said warningly.
“Oh umm, some slimes jumped out suddenly while I was running around the field,” Klee explained hurriedly. “I just got a little surprised, really! And that’s when I threw a Jumpy Dumpty.” Eula and Jean exchanged looks.
“What’s most important is that you’re okay,” Eula said, crossing her arms. Klee smiled brightly.
“I am!” she said happily. Then, as an afterthought, she said in a more subdued tone. “Sorry to make you worry...”
Jean looked at her softly. “It’s alright. Be careful though, you can’t just fling bombs whenever you’re surprised.”
“Okay...”
The three of them passed the rest of the day by lazily. With Klee’s constant chatter and her belly full of food, Eula eventually felt like she could almost relax, her worries feeling more and more distant by the moment. She yawned drowsily, watching Klee and Jean twisting together flower chains. Eula wondered hazily if the Acting Grandmaster would ever like to visit Sumeru, before she let herself drift off.
---
By the time they crossed the gates back into Mondstadt, the sun had just sunk behind the horizon. Klee was holding both of their hands as they walked back and her yawns were getting bigger and more frequent by the minute. They met Albedo at the gates of the Favonius Headquarters, and he offered to take Klee to bed. He eyed the two aristocratic knights with a cool curiosity but only thanked them and said nothing more.
“Bye Master Jean, bye big sis Eula,” Klee said, waving at them sleepily. “Thanks for playing with me.” They both waved back and bid her good night.
“You actually have a soft spot for Klee, don’t you?” Jean said to Eula teasingly.
“For that little terrorist? She’s far too much trouble,” Eula scoffed, though she couldn’t help the smile on her face.
They were both quiet for a moment.
“You know, I’m surprised you didn’t rush back to your office sooner,” Eula joked.
Jean laughed at that. “Honestly, I’m a bit surprised myself,” she admitted. “Lisa keeps telling me I need to learn how to relax, but for some reason, today passed without me realising...”
Several more moments stretched out in silence.
“Well... I suppose you’re going to go check on Alberich?” Eula said lightly.
“I suppose I should,” Jean agreed, almost hesitantly. “But...”
“...Let me walk you home first?”
Eula’s not sure why she allows it so easily, but she does.
---
The walk to Eula’s place from the Knights of Favonius Headquarters doesn’t take very long and Eula tried not to feel disappointed. The two of them didn’t say much on the way either, the air feeling unusually heavy.
The pair stopped outside Eula’s door. Eula turned to look at Jean who had a far away contemplative look on her face. She let out an exhale she didn’t know she was holding.
“I suppose this is farewell...” Eula said awkwardly, cringing a little at how it came out. Why was she being so dramatic? She would most likely be in the Acting Grand Master's office for a new briefing within the next few days at most. Jean seemed to startle, eyes lifting to meet Eula’s.
“Yeah...” she said slowly.
Eula stared at a spot on the ground between them. Both of them stood frozen, stuck. Neither moving forward, nor away. She wasn’t surprised. It was how they always were.
And Eula was fine with it, really – had even grown comfortable with it. She didn’t need more from Jean – wouldn’t let herself need more from Jean. For one, she would never stoop so low as to show such weakness to her sworn enemy, but for another–
How could she possibly be so selfish as to take from a woman who knew nothing more than to give? Who had already given her so much?
So Eula stubbornly stayed, cold and unyielding as ice.
It felt like an eternity passed. But then Jean took a tentative step forward. And Eula could only watch as the knight before her took one of her hands, lifted it up and pressed her lips against Eula’s gloved knuckles. The touch was so light and so brief that she could pretend she had dreamed it. Yet Eula felt every fibre of her being screaming at her to push the woman away, to scold her for doing this because even though it was night time, they were both right outside her door where anyone could see.
She didn’t. But oh, how she ached when Jean Gunnhildr took that half-step back. Jean scratched her neck, looking for all the world, like a fumbling teenager, gallantly oblivious to Eula’s internal crisis.
“Eula, I...” she started, voice trailing off. She went silent for a moment, before taking a breath and seeming to compose herself. “I wanted you to know that I enjoyed our time today...”
“Actually, I always enjoy our time together,” Jean continued, her voice growing steadier. Her eyes met Eula’s, unbearably soft with something Eula wouldn’t dare to name. Only when Gunnhildr squeezed her hand did Eula register that she was still holding it. That breathless feeling overcame her again. It was pathetic, really.
“And if.... if you are willing, I would cherish every moment you could give me,” Jean said, a fond smile washing over her features. It was hardly a confession, nor a request. It was hardly anything at all. And yet a million feelings burst inside Eula, making her feel like she was on fire. Oh, she could not stand this Gunnhildr girl and her inability to just take, for once in her life.
“Jean Gunnhildr...” Eula whispered. “You are the most infuriating woman I have ever had the misfortune of knowing.”
Suddenly, Eula turned and began to walk around to the back of the tiny house she called home, roughly pulling Jean along with her. She smirked in satisfaction hearing the woman behind her yelp in surprise. In a small nook behind her house and with the stars as their only witness, Eula pressed Jean against the wall and kissed her. She felt the woman freeze in shock, and Eula pulled away for just a moment before she felt gloved fingers brushing against her jaw, firmly pulling her back in.
She’s kissing her sworn enemy, Eula thought, feeling light-headed. Jean Gunnhildr is kissing her. Eula nearly laughed, thinking about what her family would think if they saw her like this.
As if knowing that Eula’s mind was elsewhere, Jean ran her tongue along the seam of Eula’s mouth with a surprising insistence, and maybe Eula was just a little bit wrong about that part of her. She parted all too easily for Jean, allowing her to deepen the kiss with a dizzying passion.
By the time they pulled back for air, they were both breathing heavily. Eula felt her heart thudding wildly in her chest as she surveyed Jean’s flushed cheeks and dark eyes reflecting the moonlight. How the woman managed to look even more attractive, Eula could not grasp. All the while, Jean’s hand never let go of hers.
Jean tilted forward, gently resting her forehead against Eula’s. Despite looking out of breath, she managed a warm smile, overflowing with affection. And as if unable to resist, she closed the gap between them again, brushing her lips against Eula’s lightly.
“I do hope, then, that I’m the only one who infuriates you like this, Eula,” Jean murmured against her lips. Eula couldn’t quite find it in herself to feel affronted by the tease, though she childishly nipped back at her lower lip.
“Believe me, Gunnhildr, no one could come close to your level of foolishness,” she shot back, but a stupid smile was already threatening to overcome her own features. She wondered fleetingly if it was the kind Klee saw on Jean before.
Jean tilted her head back and laughed, her other hand brushing against her cheekbone and tucking a stray strand of blue hair behind her ear, before she leaned in again. And Eula felt as delirious and disbelieving about it as when Jean first kissed her back, her heart soaring.
Maybe, for once in their lives, they could both allow themselves to indulge in more.