Freminet's POV

I often stayed up late into the night, working on projects, or going for a dive. Tonight was different. My thoughts lingered with her, an ocean away at the Bayda Harbor in Sumeru.

I imagine taking her in my arms, and holding her close, taking long walks through the forests, listening to her stories about her family and her studies, watching her fiddle with her hair, swaying back and forth on her heels, nervously muttering to herself before addressing me directly. Little things that I've missed since we last spoke. In person at least.

Lyney and Lynette have noticed this too. Lynette is passive in her observation, she has always been that way. She's noticed my strange sighs, the flowers, all the letters I've been sending, making occasional remarks, but never going any further than that.

Lyney on the other hand...

"What's on your mind, Freminet? " Lyney asked, sitting at the foot of my bed. His hat was put away, making him seem much shorter than usual.

How long has he been sitting there? I wondered silently to myself.

"Lynette and I noticed you've kept more to yourself than usual, so I thought I'd come check on you. "

I hummed, "Thank you, Lyney, but...I don't know if there's much you can do."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to talk about it"

I let out a sigh.

"I suppose I've kept it from you both for long enough...do you remember...a few months ago when we went to Sumeru?"

Lyney nodded.

"Well...I met someone..." I started, then retreated further under the covers.

"Met someone?" Lyney repeated. I nodded.

"In the library at the Akademiya, we were collecting information for Father at the time, and I ran into her. She was taking books off of a high shelf when she fell off the ladder and instinctively I went to catch her. After that we kinda met up in secret for awhile, and she'd show me cool stuff about the rainforests and...I guess I just miss her."

"Are you...going to tell Father about her?" Lyney asked cautiously.

I thought for a moment, and nodded.

"I want to tell her, but I don't want her to think that...I'll abandon the family because of..."

I trailed off thinking back to Clervie, and how hard I'd tried to hide her, only to have Father find out about her anyway.

I stood.

"Where are you going?" Lyney asked.

"To talk to Father" I said, my voice shaking a little.

"Let us come with you," Lynette said, suddenly emerging from the shadows. Her hair was down, and she anxiously flicked her tail.

I took a breath.

"No, I think this is something I should do on my own. You know I love you both, but how can I call myself a member of this family if I always depend on you?"

Lyney frowned,

"That's not true, Freminet. You're very independent, and even if you need to depend on us sometimes, it's not a bad thing. You're our brother. We want to be there for you. We're a team. The three of us stick together"

Lynette nodded. I smiled, and hugged them both.

"Thank you both, for supporting me, even when it gets you into trouble..."

"Why wouldn't we?" Lyney asked, then added, "and once we've talked to Father you should tell us more about the girl from Sumeru."

Collei's POV

The tide was calm that night, as it pulled itself to shore, then rolled back towards him. Freminet. Recently when I visited Mondstadt to see Amber and Sucrose, they both said I had a "glow" about me.

There was a warmth, a calmness in me they'd never seen before. Reluctantly, I told them about Freminet.

I would've shared more about him if I thought he'd feel comfortable, but from the few months I've known him, Freminet is a quiet, private person, even more so than me.

Part of it feels like there's something he's holding back from me, but most of the time, it reminds me of the girl I was before, when I felt so empty nothing could fill my heart but the desire for revenge.

It's embarrassing to think back upon, but regardless, it was a part of my history, and how I met Cyno.

The sun had fully set now, and the stars were out in full. I continued to sit, and stare out at the island of Petrichor in longing. I even debated taking the little waverider.

I just wanted to see him again.

To hear his voice, soft and gentle as the ocean breeze. Hold him in my arms for as long as he'd let me. See him and the delicate features I could recall from my memory.

Salt colored hair, always parted over one eye. Cerulean eyes like the waves of the sea on a warm sunny day. Skin as pale as the sand, freckled by the rocks and shells it's ocean collects.

I thought about him with affection, but I stayed planted, watching the tide rise and fall with longing and sorrow.

"It's late, you should've been asleep hours ago."

As I broke from my daze, I turned and saw Cyno was standing on the dock with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I just...needed to work on a report!" I attempted.

"I'm the general Mahamatra, I know when people are lying, Collei. Is it the boy?"

"EHH??? How do you know about that?"

"We have our ways"

Master Tighnari said as he had stepped out from the trees he blended into seamlessly, and stood beside Cyno, arms crossed over his chest.

"Don't think we haven't noticed you sneaking off, and the influx of letters from Fontaine, so talk, what's going on?"

Master's tone softened, and I could tell from the looks in their eyes they were both worried about me, but more importantly, I knew no matter what, they'd want me to be happy.

So I told them everything.

Freminet's POV

With Lyney and Lynette following closely behind me, I made my way towards Father's bedroom. Taking a breath, I knocked twice, and she answered almost immediately.

"Who could possibly be disturbing me at this--Freminet?"

"H-hello Father. I...have something important I'd like to discuss with you, p-please."

She stared directly through me, then back at Lyney and Lynette.

"Does this involve your siblings as well?"

Lyney was about to speak, but Father raised her hand, and he stayed silent.

"Well, Freminet?" She asked.

"It doesn't, Father, it has to do with me and...someone else." I confessed, and she nodded.

"Very well, Lyney and Lynette shall wait out here. You may come in, Freminet."

Lynette and Lyney exchanged concerned glances with each other but I smiled reassuringly.

It's going to be okay, I said to them with my eyes, trying but failing to comfort them.

With one final glance behind me, I walked through the tall bedroom doors, and once I had fully entered the room, Father closed them behind me.

I followed after her, feeling as I did when I had first met her. The way her voice shook with anger as she had recounted the story to me.

"Please sit, Freminet."

I did as I was told, sitting on the bench set out at the foot of her bed. Father pulled out a chair, and set it so that her back was to the fire, the shadows covering her face.

"Tell me, Freminet, this girl, Collei, do you wish to leave with her?"

"EH! I umm...how did you know this was--"

"I simply noticed your peculiar behavior, and followed it to its source. So, do you wish to leave with her, run away to Sumeru, and spend your days with her?"

"No. Father, that's not what I've come here to ask of you." My hands shook, but I tried not to let it show in my voice.

"You say that now, but are you sure this is what you want?"

"I could never abandon my family, Father. "

"Then, what is it you want, child?"

"To prove that my loyalties lie with the Hearth, and my family. I do not wish to deceive you, or leave you in the dark about how I feel about her, Father."

"What else?"

"I...I would like your permission to see her. You can decide how often or if you wish for this whole affair to end but...if I could see her, even just one more time...I'd be very grateful.

She stood, causing me to panic. I replayed the conversation in my head, thinking I might have said something wrong, that she doubted my conviction, but she simply put her hand on my head, and combed her fingers through my hair.

"How much do you know about this girl, Freminet?"

"...she is a forest watcher part of the Vanara, she lives with her Master Tighnari, and... he is very close with The General Mahamatra. She loves to sew, she makes these Pita Pockets that are really delicious, her eyes are like gemstones, and her hands are warm and--I uhh that's not important is it?"

"So she hasn't told you about her history with the Fatui?"

I looked up at her, her gaze revealing nothing about her emotions, but her hand was still resting in my hair.

"N-no. She hasn't. I...knew she had gone through something in her past...she'd sometimes flinch when someone touched her, sometimes she'd get these neck pains...and she used to be quite sick...

I paused.

"You don't mean that she..."

"I think it would be best to hear that story from your lover herself, hmm?"

My heart skipped a beat.

"Does that mean you'll let me see her?"

Father nodded.

"But if I sense that the Mahamatra should threaten the House or if you drift too far and forget who you are, I will have no choice but to act accordingly--"

Impulsively, I stood up and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you Father, Thank you thank--ummm APOLOGIES FATHER"

Realizing what I was doing, I pulled away from her.

She cleared her throat, and adjusted the collar of her shirt.

"You can leave first thing tomorrow. You and your siblings need rest. If I need you for any reason, I'll give you the order to return. If you don't...you know what has to be done "

"Yes, Father."

There was a stillness in the air, she was collecting her thoughts, as if there were more she wished to tell me. I held my breath, awaiting further instruction.

"And, Freminet..."

She looked into my eyes, and briefly, I thought I saw a flicker of concern, doubt, just as quickly as it came, the fire in her eyes returned.

"When you run into the Mahamatra, tell him I'd like to have a chat."

I nodded, and as I exited her room, Lyney and Lynette immediately crowded around me.

"What did she say?" Lyney asked eagerly.

"Father said we could leave first thing tomorrow morning"

"We get to meet your girlfriend." Lynette said softly, smiling.

"W-we haven't made anything official yet!!" I said quickly. Lynette and Lyney exchanged glances and smirked to each other.

"You've been writing to her for a few months, surely it must have come up in conversation, unless I have to look through your letters myself~" Lyney said smugly as he ran to our room.

"Lyney, wait!"