More often than not, her birthday would be synonymous with a massive headache.
House Lawrence would open its front gates wide - they remained closed to commoners, obviously - and a myriad of unfamiliar faces clad in fine brocades and opulent clothing would show up at her family's doorstep. The countless branches of a family tree she never fully wrapped her head around all congratulated her with affable smiles, shoving smarmy gifts into her tiny arms. Even grumpy old Schubert went to the trouble of picking cecilias from Stormbearer Mountains and offered her a charming bouquet each year. Admittedly, his servants were the ones doing the flower gathering, but her obnoxious uncle would rather be thrown into Cider Lake in full ceremonial clothing than admit it.
Little Eula didn't know any better back then, persuading herself that these outpourings of kindness and mountains of gifts carried genuine sentiments. But what they were really after had nothing to do with her personal happiness. The only reason they treated her like a little princess was all in the hopes that she would one day become a woman powerful enough to bring back the old aristocracy, and the Lawrences' honor along with it. So naturally, when she would later cut all ties with them, no one would look at her without contempt, let alone celebrate the day of her birth.
But Eula didn't mind. Drinking by her lonesome in Angel's Share was one way to spend the night of her birthday.
Or so she thought.
Repressing a yawn, the Spindrift Knight buried her head into her crossed arms on the wooden counter. Her groggy orbit peeked over the barricade, eyeing her now-empty glass. She slowly pushed it towards the bartender with a finger, until the glass was too close to the edge for him to ignore.
"I'd like a refill, boss..." she slurred.
Charles snatched the glass with a disapproving shake of the head and went back to cleaning a plate as if she hadn't said anything.
Angel's Share always had a somewhat festive feel to it, with loud regulars from all walks of life making their beer mugs clink in unison. If you wanted a good time past noon, you didn't need to look any further, and could rely on the Dawn Winery's high-quality wine. Of course, good times usually never lasted when a Lawrence was around. But she just stopped caring about the hateful whispers and glares after a few drinks.
Well, getting some alcohol in her system was especially difficult tonight. Charles, who was usually willing to serve anyone of age as long as they had the Mora to spare, just wasn't cooperating.
"Hey..." Her head half-emerged, now pouting. "I'm pretty sure I asked for a refill, what's taking you so long?"
Her answer came in the form of an ice-cold glass of water sliding towards her from across the counter.
Aether sighed, jumping on the stool to her right as he handed the bartender his payment before turning to her. "Thanks for keeping an eye on her, Charles. I'm pretty sure you've had enough to drink. Try and sober up with this."
Maybe she was already too intoxicated to be fazed by anything, but his arrival didn't surprise her in the slightest.
"Water." she scoffed. "Serving water in Mondstadt's most famous bar? The nerve of some people." And down her head went, burying itself back into the warm safety of her own arms.
He didn't pick up on it, nor did he berate her for getting drunk at this hour. Good thing Amber wasn't there, because the outrider would've probably nagged her for a half-hour out of sheer concern. Which she was immensely grateful for, of course, but wasn't exactly what she needed at the moment. What she wanted was to drown her sorrows in wine. Unhealthy, both physically and mentally, but she found the freedom of making her own bad choices somewhat pleasant.
And yet her other knight coworker was here, and his presence made it difficult to hammer herself drunk till dawn. Actually, was his presence the reason why she wasn't hearing anyone talk behind her back today? The Honorary Knight was usually easygoing and understanding, but he'd completely flip out whenever a drunkard made the slightest comment about her. She wouldn't put it past those boozehounds to be deliberately avoiding him.
Seriously, how did he even know to find her here?
Her head fully rose this time, her half-lidded eyes now considering the non-alcoholic drink, and most importantly, the man who'd offered it. The poor soul was sipping on an apple cider, apparently still banned from most of the Angel's Share's menu. It was amusing, seeing a mature and powerful national hero be only allowed apple cider and grape juice like a mere child. It was this little flaw in an otherwise perfect man that made a weak smile creep up on her face.
"Why... why are you even here?" she asked in a tired whisper.
The blond raised a brow, surprised that she didn't know the answer by now "You're getting wasted all by yourself in a bar. I'm here for you, do I need another reason? Besides, you'd probably do the same for me, if you ever were in the mood."
Eula's face flushed, and not because of the alcohol. "You..!" She looked away. "Seriously, when will you learn to stop acting so friendly towards me when we're in public? Are you trying to sabotage your own reputation?"
"Maybe." he shrugged. "And besides, I am your friend, no? If someone's got a problem with that, they can just talk to me personally, and I'll sit them down for a nice chat." For a brief moment, his nose seemed to pick up an unpleasant scent. "You should get rid of that boozy smell while I'm watching over you, by the way. Jean's probably not gonna like that."
That comforting, ever-beaming, handsome idiot... She really ought to enact vengeance upon him as soon as possible.
The Spindrift Knight nursed her drink, still wondering why she couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes. "You really don't have to bother, heroic Honorary Knight of Mondstadt. An outcast like me is the last person you should worry about. Everyone likes you, don't throw it all away for someone who's not worth it."
"So it's one of those nights, I see." He set his glass on the counter, a corner of his mouth not quite curving up into a smile "You really like to beat yourself up over nothing, even on your birthday - hey, I don't judge, I do that all the time."
The statement was surprising enough to make her head rotate ninety degrees and face him. "You? You want me to believe that you of all people are prone to feeling downright hated and useless?"
"Never said that - I have my moments of doubt too, I mean. And you need to stop regarding me as some sort of invincible hero." He downed the remainder of his apple cider, and his gaze lingered into the void. "I do feel scared a lot. Absolute and overwhelming terror that grips me so hard I can't even fall asleep. Fear of not being good enough. Of others getting hurt because of me. Of never seeing my sister again - the list goes on. Some people just get better at hiding it than others, but everyone feels scared or insecure at times."
She let out a sad chuckle. "Maybe you're the one who really needs comforting, then."
"Why do you think I come back to Mondstadt - to you guys - so often? Being around people who make me feel comfortable is my own way of dealing with it. Life's less scary when you're surrounded by the right people. And yes, that includes you, Lady Lawrence."
His kind words didn't seem to quite reach her, as she still gazed deep within her glass.
"You're going to try and do something for my sorry self, aren't you? Again." the knight guessed. "I appreciate the sentiment, Aether, I really do, but there's no overwriting my clan's past deeds. No matter how much you or Amber try to cheer me up, Mondstadt as a whole will always reject me." She looked back at him this time, as the purple and gold in her eyes melted into bleary, held-back tears. "I used to think that if I tried really hard... I'd eventually find my place here, you know? But even as a Knight of Favonius, there's no redemption for me. There's nothing but ruins in my life, so why do you keep trying so hard to build something out of it?"
It was just not worth it.
The Traveler regarded her with nothing but compassion. His gaze was so warm, so different from the way others looked at her. He resisted the urge to wipe the tears from her eyes himself, to let her retain a bit of her dignity. And well, all he could do now is be honest and upfront if he wanted to get her mind out of that awful place.
He took a deep breath.
"You know, just because you'll never be able to erase your family's past deeds doesn't mean you should give up. Maybe some douchebags won't accept you, but don't think your efforts have gone unnoticed. Yeah, mindsets aren't gonna change overnight, people are stubborn and judgemental, but I know and you know for a fact that everyone will have to realize what an amazing woman Eula Lawrence truly is one day."
"Aether..."
His hand found its way into her hair and he stroked it gently, and his touch alone may or may not have begun to sober her up. "It's okay to cry, because you shouldn't have to deal with this in the first place. None of this is your fault." he whispered. "In a way, people are like plants. They become stronger and bloom beautifully when they deal with a lot of shit. And I have to admit..."
His eyes really wanted to trail off, but he breathed and looked deep into hers. "You're without a doubt the prettiest flower I've ever seen."
Ba-dump.
Ba-dump.
Charles coughed awkwardly into his fist.
"...What?"
The blond's slight embarrassment turned into hearty laughter. "S-Sorry, I think an analogy-loving friend of mine has been rubbing off on me a little." His hand retreated from her hair to find comfort in his own. "I just... feel like you should know that your current situation is not your final destination. We both know that you can, and will, turn things around. And of course, you can rely on me to help with that."
He glanced her way to gauge her reaction, and the damage was worse than he'd expected. Eula was frozen in absolute stupor, her already beet red face growing more heated by the second. The drink in her hand was shaking slightly, the now nearly-melted ice cubes clinking against the crystalline glass. From her covered mouth came what he could only describe as a repressed squeal, which ended up sounding more or less like an agonizing donkey.
"I... what the- Why in Teyvat would you say something like that?" she mumbled loud enough for him to hear, not even knowing where to look. "Just now, you had no right to sound so hot- I MEAN! Iwillhavevengeanceforthisthankyouverymuch!"
"Eh?"
She still hadn't recovered from the lethal blow dealt to her heart. "Geez! I try to go about my day peacefully, and then you come out of nowhere to say things like that! F-Flattery won't get you anywhere, mind you!" The Spindrift Knight clutched her own head with both hands. "I swear, you're going to be the end of me one of these days... all the more reason to enact vengeance upon you swiftly."
"I mean, it was more of an objective observation than flattery..." he tried.
Stop!
"W-Whatever! What did you want from me, you smooth criminal? I'm willing to cooperate if you can refrain from making any further objective observations tonight, okay?"
He raised both palms in humble abdication. "As you wish, my lady. If you're sober and willing to follow without complaint, then my work here is done. Let's get going, everyone's probably waiting for us by now."
"What do you mean by everyone?"
"You tricked me!"
"I'd rather call it a 'behavioral prediction'."
The Captain's stomping footsteps resounded on the tiled pavement as the two exited Angel's Share. The nascent night's bitter cold should've at least made her shudder once, but the woman was already used to Dragonspine's freezing climate and her fellow Mondstader's frigid glares. To her, this was nothing more than a slightly refreshing breeze. Heck, it would be needed to cool down her mood.
A few steps in front of her walked the Traveler, straddling his scarf as he shot an apologetic glance back. "No, really. I just figured I might find you here, so I decided to go in advance and test the waters. That way I would know to cancel our plans at HQ for tonight or not."
She offered him a blank stare, but he playfully grinned back.
"Okay, they're mostly my plans, but they're designed for you specifically."
Eula pinched the bridge of her nose. "Still making a point of looking after me in my most dire moments... You and Amber truly are birds of the same feather."
"I'll take that as a compliment. Also, you're welcome."
His cheeky kindness was infuriatingly... cute. As the nearby lamp posts illuminated his smug smile, she wondered how she could feel so many contradictory emotions when the Honorary Knight was around. Her heart kept turning into this jumbled mess whenever he cracked jokes, stood up for her even after she told him not to, or just silently listened to her troubles, sometimes for hours on end. Slowly but surely, he'd become a precious part of her everyday life, to the point where the thought of seeing him soon was enough to make her smile.
And most importantly, she knew he wouldn't run away when the time for vengeance eventually came.
"Something funny on your mind?"
His calm voice snapped her right back to reality, and to her horror, she realized she'd been staring at him with a fond smile this whole time. The amount of mood swings this man brought about within her was getting really dangerous. And to her own surprise, she actually laughed at her emotional clumsiness.
"I'm just..." She paused to catch her breath. "You really do change people around you for the better, you know? There are so many things I feel like I should learn from you, and yet you don't even feel like a distant goal. You're just... right here."
Aether instinctively covered his mouth as he looked away, visibly caught off-guard by her earnest comment. "Shucks..." he breathed. "That actually means a lot, thank you. And besides, since when did you start complimenting me without mentioning your impending vengeance?"
She leaned forward, copying his smug expression. "You're right: vengeance will be mine. And really, you've already done a lot for me. Remember that one time we went out for drinks with my Company after work? That was probably the most fun I've had on a night out."
"Nimrod and his buddies were really drunk back then, and I was already in a sour mood when they started calling you names..." The blond cringed slightly at the memory. "I may have overreacted just a little."
"A little?" The captain raised a brow. "Aether, you manhandled four grown men out of the Cat's Tail in a few seconds. It was hilarious. I'm pretty sure no one had ever seen you get this mad before."
Admittedly, she'd felt a little bit of guilty pride when she saw how much he truly cared about her. Aether could really be sickeningly sweet- ahem!
"Well, I really can't stand when people say such horrible things about you when all you do is protect them and their families." he grimaced. "But I definitely didn't go easy on them either. That being said, Eury did mention that her husband went sober for two weeks straight afterwards."
Eula let out another laugh. "So is this your new plan now? Intimidating every Mondstader into liking me?"
"If all else fails... I might get a little mean." His smile turned into a devilish grin. "You know, just ruffle a few feathers until the Captain of the Reconnaissance Company heroically saves the day and drives the big bad outlander away."
"If you ever choose to go on a crusade of evil against Mondstadt, know that you will always have an accomplice in me." she winked.
They shared another string of such lighthearted jokes as they strolled around the illuminated streets. The cool breeze brushed past them, a bit of music could be heard emanating from a few households, the moon was hanging high in the sky. It felt so peaceful, so... right. If she had all the power in the world right now, she would choose to prolong this moment with him forever.
It was only then, that she realized that their steps had taken them to the entrance of the Knights of Favonius Headquarters. By chance, or maybe he'd planned this all along. Unlike most nights however, it was incredibly lively, and the voices from within echoed outside. How odd. The time for their curfew was nearing.
But the Traveler's mischievous smile could only mean one thing.
Eula peeked through one of the windows, and she couldn't believe what she saw. Acting Grandmaster Jean had assembled a great number of knights - mostly her fellow Captains and members of the Reconnaissance Company - for what she first thought to be an emergency meeting, but she quickly realized that this gathering was in no way formal. The hall had been decorated for what seemed to be a grand celebration, an array of tables covered in party favors and a large cake in its center, surrounded by the knights in... their ceremonial clothing? The seriousness of their getup was completely overshadowed by the little party hats on their heads as well as their relaxed smiles, earning a confused raise of the brow from the Spindrift Knight.
"What in Barbatos' good name is going on here ..."
A reflection other than her face's appeared in the window, and her head instinctively snapped towards the captivating blond by her side. The way he sheepishly scratched his nape, along with his weak smile, was the only confirmation she needed. She didn't have to wait long for him to confess.
"It was meant to be a surprise..." was all he could fumble. "Everyone pitched in, by the way. You're way more important to these people than you might think, Eula."
Too much. It was too much. No one warned her about so much happening today, not to mention with him as the catalyst. This one man who'd just appeared in her life one day without prior warning nor invitation, and completely turned it upside down.
The Traveler, who laughed whenever she brought up vengeance, always looked out for her when she got sad, took care of her when she was hungover, told her stories when she felt bored, just put in so much work to see her smile without expecting anything in return...
She had her pride, but it would never be able to contain her ardent feelings for him. Sooner or later he would know. She would let him know.
That these selfless acts of kindness of his... it filled her with so much want.
Before she knew it, her arms were already wrapped around his neck, her face finding comfort in his nape as she practically forced him into a warm embrace. The blond didn't seem to mind, maybe even expected it, as his arms fully welcomed her. Her lips parted, but no sound came out, which was the perfect excuse for staying like this a while longer.
In truth, she wished she'd been a little bolder. She wished she could capture his lips, make him hers, shield him from the world the same way he protected her from everything. So many things she wished she could do or say in this very moment, things that she hereby swore in the name of Lawrence she would experience with him... but that's a story for another day.
For now, Eula would just enjoy his warmth for a little longer.
So, so warm.
"You're wrong for doing all that. How am I supposed to resist?" she finally muttered. "I might actually get really soft and clingy, you know? You shouldn't give me false hopes like that."
"Your hopes are very much real." he reciprocated. "It's about time someone spoiled you a bit, don't you think? And besides, I think your softer side is really cute."
She reluctantly let go of him, and brought a hand up to his chin. "I'm gonna hold you up to that, then. Don't say I didn't warn you when the time comes."
Eula's fingers expectantly wrapped around the doorknob, steadying herself for what was to come. For a new onlook on these people she thought never cared, until he opened her eyes. She looked into Aether's golden orbits once more, and he responded with an inviting gesture towards the door.
"Thank you." she breathed fondly. "For being right here when I needed you the most."
One, two...
"SURPRISE!"
I've planned this story weeks before the drama around Aether ships began, but I think it makes for a lovely middle finger to all the haters :)
HB to Best Girl Eula! The 1M dmg waifu who's been shredding through everything on my account for almost a year now. She is beauty, she is grace, toss that claymore in your face, yes I'm a proud Eula simp.
Hopefully no one inside the HQ saw that cute lil hug at the end (everyone did). I'm so happy to be able to give Eula some love for her birthday, because Celestia knows she needs it. And thankfully, she's surrounded by amazing people who really care (make sure you do the same irl, alright?).
Well, Imma stop ranting about my fav (for now) and get back to work, these stories ain't gonna write themselves!