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Aether sat on the ridge of the fountain in the center of Mondstadt during midday, hands running through the long brown hair of a certain outrider who sat on the ground in front of him.
“You know, it’d get tangled a lot less if you wore it up instead,” he commented.
Amber laughed and looked up at him, a bright smile warming something in his heart, “like your braid?”
“Or a ponytail.”
She laughed again, shaking her head as she looked forward.
Or more accurately, looking at today’s menu for Good Hunter, it only took a few minutes of looking before her stomach growled — leading her to hide her face in her hands.
Aether laughed softly and poked her shoulder, “I’ll buy you lunch if you let me mess with your hair more.”
“Deal.”
The honorary knight stood up and walked in front of her, offering a hand to pull her up.
She was very quickly on her feet the moment she took his hand, "woah!"
He put a hand on her shoulder to steady her and gave her a gentle smile, “sorry, sorry. You okay?”
“Never better.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded and walked over to the restaurant, “you’ll make up for it with lunch anyway, Traveler.”
He playfully rolled his eyes as he followed her.
“Ah, hello,” Sara smiled at them, “what can I do for you today?”
Amber looked over the menu again before ordering a sticky honey roast and some drinks, Aether ordered fisherman’s toast, and Paimon ordered some steak as well as half the menu…
15,000 mora out of Aether’s wallet and an hour later, the two knights were back at the fountain.
Aether tried different hair styles with Amber, the outrider’s hair being a good length for most of them: ponytail, braid, half up half down ponytail, half up half down braid, bun, space buns.
“Look up,” he gently tilted her head up some and continued on the mini braids, connecting the two in the back with a mini ponytail — a combination of the half up half down braid and ponytail.
“There, all done,” he smiled.
Amber reached up a hand to touch her hair, Aether handed her a little handheld mirror and held one behind her himself. Her smile brightened when she saw it.
“It’s beautiful!”
“Glad you like it, Amber.”
She moved up to sit next to him, “you better be in Mondstadt next time there’s even a semiformal event I have to go to, this hairstyle is perfect for it.”
He reached a hand up to her hair, moving a piece behind her ear, “some gold accessories would look amazing with it.”
Her eyes widened with excitement, “you are so right!!”
The rest of the afternoon was spent talking and laughing, all the way until duty called for the Traveler…
“Traveler! I need your help getting this to Dragonspine,” Timaeus held up a large box of…something.
Aether frowned, “I’m on break.”
Did the alchemist care? No, of course not. Since when do people care about the hero being on a break?
“So?”
Aether ran a hand through his hair, already knowing he wasn’t gonna get a moment of peace until he did this favor. He looked at Amber with a slight frown and an apology in his eyes, “sorry, gotta take this..”
She gave him a nonchalant shrug, “it’s alright. Duty calls, right?”
A tiny smile tugged at his lips at that before nodding.
He took the box from Timaeus and walked to the front entrance of the city, grumbling in his native tongue.
Paimon flew after him, but not before calling out, “bye, Amber!!! See you later!!”
The outrider smiled and waved after the pixie, “bye, Paimon!!”