Chapter Text
In the quiet, sunlit courtyard of the prestigious private school of Mondstadt, Barbara and Dahlia sat side by side, engrossed in the pages of their bibles. The gentle rustle of the leaves swayed above them as the two shared their study session.
Barbara flipped a page with delicate care, Dahlia leaned in closer to read along, his expression a mix of playful curiosity and innocent charm. His closeness made Barbara blush slightly, while trying to convince herself to think nothing of it.
As they delved into the verses, their classmates would often tease them, calling them a couple with knowing smiles. Barbara's cheeks would flush a faint pink, while Dahlia would feign innocence with a mischievous smile, playfully nudging her shoulder.
One day, as they sat under the shade of a big tree, their friends passing by couldn't help but whisper and giggle at the sight of the inseparable pair. Barbara and Dahlia exchanged shy glances, their shared embarrassment turning into a sweet bond that only they understood.
Despite the teasing and the whispers around them, Barbara and Dahlia continued hanging out and studying together. The bell finally rang, ending their time together, and Barbara was the first to jump up from her seat and lend Dahlia a hand, he gave her a soft smile and they began walking hand in hand.
They didn’t let go until they reached the gate of their classroom.
The two separated just before their class began, waving and smiling. Barbara turned away, but not soon enough for Dahlia to miss the bright blush on her cheeks, and a shy smile on his lips. Barbara quickly turned back and hurried inside her classroom, hoping her face wouldn’t betray her anymore than it already had.
Dahlia smiled fondly after her, watching her leave, until she too left the classroom to meet her own class. As the door closed, Dahlia released a long sigh. The bell rang, signaling the beginning of class, and he shook his head, trying to clear out his mind. He had been distracted by her every day, unable to focus in any class.
Even when he tried hard to concentrate in bible study, all he could see was that adorable pink blush she tended to have whenever he spoke or did something particularly charming. That beautiful smile of hers, how warm it made him feel...he wanted to kiss her. Not like that! What if people thought they were dating? He couldn't risk his reputation as a worshipper of Lord Barbatos! Though it would be nice to make an exception in the name of love.
Dahlia shook his head again, trying desperately to get out of his thoughts, though his heart still raced. With another sigh, Dahlia took out his bible from his book bag, ready for the next lesson.
At lunchtime, Barbara found Dahlia seated beneath the shade of the giant tree outside of the building, his book held tight in his hands, looking completely lost in thought. She quietly walked over and placed a hand on his back, causing him to gasp slightly, before glancing up at her sheepishly. “Hey.” she said softly, “what are you reading?”
Dahlia blushed and averted his gaze. “Oh! Uh...you know...just the holy bible of Lord Barbatos of course…” he replied, trying to sound confident, despite his nervousness.
Barbara tilted her head curiously, Dahlia sighed, “uh, okay so...this story about the Garden of Eden is really interesting….but there’s this one part that gets me thinking…” He trailed off, his eyes focused intently on the words on the pages of the Holy Bible.
“What does it say?” Barbara asked gently, leaning against the tree beside Dahlia. She noticed the blush on his face deepen. "Let me show you.." Dahlia began, but before he could respond, a voice called from behind him. “Hey, what’re you reading?”
Dahlia jumped slightly and spun around to greet the voice, “Oh hey, Lumine…!” She had joined them under the shade of the tree, Barbara and Dahlia looked at each other, and Dahlia could tell Lumine was curious, but didn’t want to pry.
"Mind if me and Paimon join you?" Lumine asked sweetly, to which the other two nodded in reply. "Ah so you guys were reading a your bible together!” She chuckled, “I thought you might be dating!" Paimon joked, giving Dahlia a wink before laughing at his mortified expression.
"Paimon..." Lumine giggled while placing her a palm over her own head. "Heavens no! We're simply just reading a bible together!” Barbara spoke urgently. "Yeah..." Dahlia muttered, feeling his face heat up again.
The other two laughed, before Lumine pulled out her own bible from her backpack, “Oh right! This is my bible! I'm going to start reading a little now too…" She glanced down at her bible. "After your recommendation, I thought I'd take the time to learn more about the god of Mondstadt as well!" Lumine smiled warmly.
The three of them continued talking and reading together. Their free time passed quickly, as they kept reading together, laughing and enjoying each others company. At some point, the bell rang again and they bid each other farewell, and they walked to their respective classrooms.
The next couple of days, Barbara and Dahlia hung out and studied together before classes resumed and they headed to their separate lectures. The two would occasionally look across the way during lectures, exchanging soft smiles at each other before resuming conversation. Their soft and tender relationship was often observed by their fellow classmates as well.
However, one morning, as the two exited class and made their way towards their respective studies, they bumped into each other suddenly as they were about to cross paths. Dahlia fell backward onto the ground in surprise, clutching his chest as he stared at Barbara, who landed before him, equally dazed.
The two remained silent for a few seconds before their cheeks red and faces flushed with embarrassment. "H-Here let me help you!" Dahlia insisted, standing up and helping Barbara back up as well.
"No, it was my fault..." Barbara apologized. "Don't worry, Barbara! I should apologize though, I wasn't paying attention. My apologies~" He grinned, holding her hands gently. "Are you alright?" He asked, concern lacing his voice as he looked at her.
Barbara nodded, and a small smile appeared. "Of course." Her eyes softened, and she brought a hand up over her chin. "Thank you, Dahlia... I should get to class now." The two gazed into each others eyes for a few moments, until Barbara broke eye contact with a small blush on her cheeks. Barbara hastily turned away from him, their faces still a rosy red color.
As Barbara started moving away, Dahlia hesitated before speaking once more, a slight stutter present in his voice. "Can you meet me after school? ...Just us two, outside of the cathedral." He asked nervously, biting on his lip and staring at her. Barbara raised her eyebrows, but then her lips curled upwards. "Sure." She responded, with a light grin, and turned away, continuing down the hall.
That afternoon after school, Barbara waited patiently outside the Cathedral of Lord Barbatos for Dahlia, who arrived a bit later, smiling as he came out from behind a nearby building.
"Hi," he greeted, offering her a sweet and loving smile. "Hello..." she whispered, her blue eyes shining brightly as a faint blush adorned her cheeks. "So... what did you want to tell me?" She asked curiously.
Dahlia smiled, a warm glow enveloping his cheeks, "oh..." he murmured softly, fidgeting slightly with his fingers. He cleared his throat and glanced away shyly. "Wanna go eat somewhere?"
A broad smile crossed Barbara's face. "I'd love to." She replied eagerly.
Dahlia nodded and grabbed her hand, taking her to Good Hunter for a meal. They sat close together underneath the umbrella that served as their shelter from the drizzling rain while eating outdoors in peace and quiet, and enjoyed the delicious food that Good Hunter offered.
Their fingers brushed as they ate, and the touch was enough to make both of their stomach flutter. They both smiled, their cheeks grew redder, both enjoying the food and eachothers company. After their meal, the two walked to the nearest park, and sat down beneath a tree.
"I've missed you today, Barbara." Dahlia said, resting his chin on her shoulder. Barbara felt a heavy blush on her cheeks, but didn't turn to look at him. "D-Dahlia..?" She squeaked softly, "you're not usually this clingy.." she laughed weakly, feeling her face burn even brighter. Dahlia chuckled, "Maybe it's because I like you..." his voice was quiet, almost as soft as a whisper. Barbara glanced at him with wide eyes.
"Y-You do?" she asked taken back by his sudden words. "Yes...maybe I'm falling in love with you... haha." he admitted shyly.
Barbara's heart beat frantically in her chest as he continued. "Barbara, I can never stop thinking about you.. even when we study together, or when I walk home alone.." he paused briefly, before he continued, "I know we've always been good friends but.... I think you are more than that to me."
His eyes met hers. A deep warmth filled her chest, as her face flushed red and her heart skipped a beat. As their gazes held, Barbara couldn't help but lean closer into his warmth.
"Dahlia... I...I like you, too." She confessed, and he pulled her into a hug. The two of them wrapped their arms tightly around each other, their hearts pounding with happiness at the realization that they finally, after all this time, had mutual feelings for one another.