***
"I'm a bit confused by your question...What did you mean by that?" Yomite asked.
"You know...have you ever...have the two of you kissed for example?" Barbara seemed to have been struggling with her words, and she looked at him as if she wasn't sure how to ask the question in the first place.
He was taken aback, "Ah. I see what you're asking me now, but no. We did nothing. Although I admit I was promised a date once." He paused to think for a moment. "But it never happened. And well...she's too busy these days anyway."
Barbara nodded her head slowly, "I see," she said quietly, "That's great news then," she added.
"Ehm..." he began to say, but Barbara cut him off before he could even finish his sentence.
"It is indeed wonderful news." She smiled. "Let's go on a date then, Yum-Yum!"
"You sure are impatient today, aren't you?"
"Well, I am excited," she giggled happily.
"Alright, alright..." he said, "I'll take you on a date. But don't expect anything special as I have nothing prepared. It will be quite scuffed if I say so myself..."
"Okaaay~! Then let's go right now!" she grabbed his hand and pulled him up from the bench.
The destination she had in mind was the tallest tree of Mondstadt area, in the Windrise.
The Symbol of Mondstadt's Hero, it stood tall and proud for many decades now.
It was a monument that meant a lot to the people living in Mondstadt, and the locals came to pay their respects to it every once in a while.
It was believed to have grown after a great Hero known as Vennessa, ascended to Celestia, a palace of Gods in the sky around a thousand years ago.
Vennessa led the rebellion that overthrew the corrupt Mondstadt Aristocracy and became known as the Hero of Mondstadt.
Her heroic deeds were recorded in history, and she became immortalized as the symbol of heroism for generations to come.
Despite sharing the "Hero" title with Yomite, compared to her, his feats were insignificant.
Barbara and Yomite walked side by side as they headed towards the tree branches. At Barbara's request, they were holding hands.
"Wow...it looks like it has gotten bigger since last time I visited," Barbara commented as she pointed at the massive tree.
Yomite agreed with her, and he looked up at the towering tree.
The last time he was here, he fought the Eye of the Storm that Venti was running away from.
He remembered how the shameless bard flew up into the air and hid underneath the tree branches, fearing for his life while Yomite was forced to fight it alone. He chuckled slightly thinking back to how weak he used to be.
"This tree is special. My sister...comes here often to pay respects. I know because I've watched her from the distance countless of times. She always comes here when she needs some peace and quiet from the chaos of the city," Barbara explained.
Yomite listened closely to her explanation, "I can see that being the case. It's too peaceful here."
The wind blew softly, and it rustled the leaves as they swayed gently.
They were quiet and serene, a far cry from the noisy streets that surrounded the Mondstadt.
"...Our parents are divorced, and both of them went on an expedition with Grand Master Varka. They probably won't be returning anytime soon...I am...jealous of my sister...I always was. We're like night and day."
"You don't need to be. She leads a busy life, full of worries and responsibilities. She doesn't even have time to sleep. You should just stop thinking about her and focus on improving yourself. Do you know why?" Yomite asked her.
"Why?"
"Because only losers compare themselves to others instead of improving themselves, and you're not a loser."
That was precisely one of the quotes he shamelessly stole from a random manga just because it sounded cool...
"...Hmph...Hahaha...easy for you to say...you probably have no idea what it's like to be overshadowed by your older sibling in every deed, trait, and quality you possess....since the moment of your birth. Once our parents divorced, my dear father Cardinal of Daybreak, wished to raise Jean instead, because he saw more potential in her than he ever did in me, however, my mother had already picked Jean, so he was forced to put up with raising me..." She sat down in the shade of the tree and crossed her legs.
"He tried to raise me well, but I wasn't worth anything. Even though I had a Vision, I could not heal as well as he could, and I was always clumsy. All I could do was devote my entire life to the Anemo Archon while residing in the Church of Favonius, guarding religious relics, and singing in a choir...And I had no other talent at all to speak of. Just useless singing."
"You've had it tougher than I thought." Yomite tried to comfort her. He sat down in the shade of the tree next to Barbara and she naturally leaned onto him.
Barbara then closed her eyes, "It made me wonder if any of my efforts would ever be worth it...or if I would ever become someone significant enough to..." she muttered to herself.
"...to...make your parents proud?" Yomite finished.
"To beat my sister in at least one thing." She sighed, looking sad and dejected.
'Oh, I see what's this about. I think I've completely understood her now,' Yomite mused to himself. 'To be better than her sister in at least one thing that mattered...it must have been really painful for her not to find that one thing all this time despite being an adult now.'
The way she was talking made him worry for her mental health. If she kept this up, she was going to end up in some shady asylum someday.
"But now, I think I've finally found it," Barbara declared with a determined look on her face.
She looked up at the high branches of the tree, "Now that I've met you, I will definitely be able to beat her, or at least surpass her in one important area of life...In love...my experience in love is now much higher than hers...since she never kissed anyone, but I did...and I will do it again..."
Barbara moved closer to him, and placed a gentle kiss upon his lips. The kiss was soft but filled with passion, and it lingered on for a while before fading away, but she wasn't done yet.
She continued kissing him deeper, and he felt her tongue sliding against his own.
It was like she was trying to tell him that she was ready for more now.
"...I think we're getting carried away again," Yomite joked.
"Heh, say...Yum-Yum...would you..." She whispered, her face turning redder as she spoke.
Yomite looked at her in confusion for a second, before he suddenly realized.
Barbara was hinting at something.
He knew exactly what...
Suffocating mutual attraction permeated the atmosphere...
Her feelings were far beyond just simple attraction or admiration now; it had evolved into love and pure lust by this point...
