*Disclaimer* - I don't own Genshin Impact

*A/N* - Greetings! Thanks for stopping by on a special day like today. With it being Eula's birthday, I wanted to give her once again a special story. Granted, this was meant to be posted on yesterday (10/25/24) but time managed to get the best of me. Nevertheless, this will take elements, influence, and inspiration from her birthday letter along with the Twitter (X) post centered around her birthday this year (2024). As this might be of no surprise, Eula has been one of my favorite characters in the entirety of the game. But let's be real, there are so many characters that are my favorite it's hard to really narrow down who I'm not a fan of lol. Now then, thanks for tuning in and checking this story out and I hope you'll enjoy it!

How long has it been?

That was the mind-numbing question currently residing in the icy maiden's head and the heart.

With life becoming more dangerous as of late, Eula was finding it harder to have moments of peace for herself. Hence, why she was currently resting next to the water just outside the side entrance to Mondstadt.

Sure, the occasional fisherman walked past her, but nobody seemed to bother her. That tended to be quite normal. While there were still those who despised her for who she was and the blood she carried in her veins, most people simply either ignored her or had no disdain for her.

Her time and energy within the Knights of Favonius were beginning to make a difference in her life. Even though it may have been seen as a small difference, to her it was a difference noticeable in her life.

However, where one battle ended, another began...

The recent expeditions that she and the Reconnaissance Company had undertaken were riddled with danger. More so than any they were used to in the past year. Enemies that used to be easy to counter or predictable were now proving to be quite the challenge. Safety was now something at the forefront of her mind compared to it being the lower on her list of things to worry about.

Things were changing. Something in the world was changing.

This led to her having to adapt and use methods she had not thought of before, but she had a trick up her sleeve. A trick that allowed her to become stronger not just as herself but also as a leader. And that trick came in the form of a certain someone.

Someone who made her heart race every time she managed to lock eyes with him. Or made her hands clamp up and a sense of anxiousness hit her stomach at how she acted around him. Honestly, every small action of hers was something she cared about when it came to being with him.

A certain blonde-haired traveler, Aether.

'You better have gotten my letter. Or mark my words…'

Eula thought to herself as she recalled the usual birthday letter she sent to him first thing in the morning. She still couldn't wrap her head around how that magic worked.

Either way, she was now here by the lake silently hoping that he would get her letter and come find her. He always managed to do so. It had been quite some time since she last saw him, and in all honesty… she missed him.

SPLASH*

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a fisherman reeling in what appeared to be quite the catch.

Watching the old timer holler with joy while having the time of his life caused Eula to let out what seemed to be a small chuckle.

"At least one of us is enjoying the day…"

"I don't think the birthday girl should be saying something like that."

Immediately recognizing who just spoke, the blue-haired girl turned her head to the side and spotted a family face. The exact face she had been silently yearning to see.

"You're here."

"Yep."

"…You're late."

"Huh? I didn't know I needed to be here at a certain time?"

"Tch. Typical. Punctuality is something only those established in aristocracy would know about. A Traveler like yourself knows no bounds…"

Raising his eyebrows, Aether couldn't help but get the sense that Eula was messing with him.

This was soon outright confirmed when he watched her lips twitch slightly before breaking into a heartfelt smile.

"Hmph. Come now, I almost had you there, didn't I?"

Ruffling the back of his head, the Traveler began to laugh at his reaction.

"Haha. You had me going for a second. I thought I was in serious trouble."

"Aether, how long have you known me for?"

"I know. I know. It should be obvious when you're joking or being serious. You're easy to read like a book" the Traveler teasingly relayed.

"I am most certainly not easy to read! How dare you!? Mark my words, vengeance isn't the only thing that— "

"Amber can also tell your vocal cues. Jean has also mentioned being able to identify your body language. And I believe Mika also mentioned being able to tell when you're being friendly and— "

Feeling her face get warm, Eula waved her hand in the air while her eyes darted all over the place. Landing on everything but her crush's eyes.

"I-I that's… well… *ahem* so tell me, how have you been as of late?" Eula suddenly asked, hoping to move the conversation along. "I assume you read my letter?"

Nodding his head, Aether took a seat right next to her. A mixed expression hung on his face.

"Of course, I read it. I'm glad the Reconnaissance Company is doing well. And above all, I'm glad you're okay."

Moving his hand slowly toward her own, Aether was now holding her hand tenderly. This resulted in Eula's face exploding to a sweet red tone. She was also left with a quivering lip and unsure what to do next.

The two then shifted their heads to look at one another and simply stared. Not in the uncomfortable kind of way, but more of a comfortable sensation. Something that just seemed to feel right.

After being like this for a good whole minute, Eula rotated her hand and intertwined her fingers with his. A bold move on her part, but it was a welcomed one.

"T-thanks."

Sending a gentle smile on his face, Aether lightly squeezed her hand to which she returned the favor.

In hindsight, this intimate feeling on Eula's part was not one-sided. Similar feelings were also felt on Aether's part as well. His desire to be with her on this special day was something he would not miss.

"Wait a minute… where's Paimon?"

Swerving her head from left to right, Eula tried looking for the floating girl. It seemed odd that she wasn't here now.

"Don't worry. She's over at the Knights of Favonius headquarters with Jean and Amber."

"Ah. Should I be expecting something? Perhaps along the lines of celebrating one's birthday?"

A sly smirk magically appeared on Aether's face.

"I honestly don't know. Paimon said she and Amber would handle things. Jean would also lend a hand and get things situated."

"Huh… color me surprised. Well then, my curiosity is at an all-time high. Are you sure you don't know anything about it?"

"Nice try, Eula. But I don't. However, I do have a gift for you back at the knight's headquarters."

This caught her attention greatly as she tilted her head towards him.

"A gift? You— "

"I did. And it is something that I can tell you're going to love" Aether happily remarked.

Squeezing the boy's hand, Eula had her entire self focused on him. From her eyes, lips, and entire body she was looking right at the Traveler with a soft smile.

"I'll still say it. You didn't have to do that."

"I know. I wanted to."

The Traveler then took a hesitant breath before speaking up again.

"And honestly, I missed you…"

Taken aback by how brash and upfront he said that statement, Eula was once again blushing.

"I… I missed you too…"

Giving a slow nod, Aether continued.

"What you said in your letter… I needed that."

Eula could tell by the tone of his voice that things must have been tough.

"…I take it your travels have been quite… difficult" Eula spaciously asked, making sure to pay attention to his response.

"That's putting it lightly. Natlan started so grand. But then things took a turn for the worse when dealing with the Abyss. War broke out… it's still ongoing and pretty soon things are going to ramp up again. But… we lost some friends… good people…"

Hearing all this, Eula gave his hand a gentle squeeze while donning a calm look on her face.

"I may not know everything that's going on in Natlan, but what I do know is that you've managed to succeed where others could not. Don't ever give up, Aether. You have no idea how many people look up to you. Even I look up to you."

Processing what she was saying, Aether knew she was right. There was no way he'd give up now. Not when so much was at stake both for him and the people of Natlan. Mavuika was counting on him and he would be there to lend a hand.

"Thanks, Eula. Haha… you know, today's supposed to be your day. And yet, you're here giving me a pep talk that I needed."

"Don't be ridiculous. You being here now means so much to me. As we both know, I'm not the extrovert like Amber to say what's on my mind. Only those who have a good reading of me know how I'm feeling. That goes especially for you as well" Eula said with earnestness.

With a joyful mood in place, Aether nodded his head.

"Should we head on over? See what everyone has done. I think they should be ready?"

"In a bit. I'm quite enjoying myself now" Eula countered. "We can give them a bit longer."

"Haha. Alright, they should have more than enough time to get things all set. I'm absolutely sure you're going to love what they have in store for you."

Eula didn't have an outright response to this declaration and instead simply hummed to herself in a pleased tone.

Shifting his eyes to glance at the birthday girl, he could see her directing her attention toward some dandelions.

"Hm. I will say, that those dandelions are looking quite remarkable. The perfect example to concoct some fine wine. I wouldn't mind some wine right now as a matter of fact."

"I'm sure there's going to be drinks for you at your party. After all, doesn't the birthday girl get whatever she wants on her special day? Isn't that how birthdays go?" Aether asked with a chuckle.

Deciding to throw him off, Eula leaned forward and did the unexpected.

She gently kissed him on the cheek which left him stunned and momentarily blocked.

"That is very true. Birthdays are a momentous occasion. A day where someone should be cherished, loved, and celebrated. With a touch of selfishness in asking for anything they want…"

Eula then looked right at the Traveler with a confident smirk.

"And it seems like I've already gotten what I wanted…"

*A/N* - You reached the bottom of the story! Nice lol. Thanks again for checking this story out. I've been doing this for over a year now so I figured why not do it again? As I mentioned earlier, I have so many favorite characters in Genshin that it's hard to choose sometimes. But Eula has been on my list since her debut and she'll continue to be there. Nevertheless, thank you for stopping by and giving this story a chance. Until next time. Take care.