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"I'm not a child," Navia huffs.
Clorinde hums at her remark.
Going to a nation infested with Fatui seems like proper danger to Clorinde. Nod-Krai is cold and under Fatui control. Navia taking a business trip there without protection is outstandingly foolish and Clorinde isn't about to leave anything to chance. When Navia glares at her, Clorinde sighs.
“You’re the head of an important organization; we can’t have anything happen to you. We’ve been over this.”
Navia has been complaining the entire trip there, huffing about being an adult and that she doesn't need babysitting and that ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’. Clorinde pays no mind to those complaints.
Were they fighting? Well, not really but Navia isn’t in the mood for giggles either.
Clorinde can't understand why Navia's being stubborn about this. She’s not wrong for wanting to accompany Navia and to be her bodyguard. Spina Di Rosula is taking part in what can only be described as a legal black market and with a weapon no less.
The fact that violence was the one unspoken rule meant absolutely nothing to Clorinde because if lands with an organized law system like Fontaine or Sumeru have crime, a mostly lawless land can and will have people who won’t care for laws, unspoken or otherwise. Not only that but their involvement isn’t just for profit. There’s a criminal case that ties to Nod-Krai and they’re laying the bait. Navia was the bait.
“And like I said, I know where I am and I can take care of myself.” Navia crosses her arms.
“I know you can,” Clorinde replies calmly.
“Doesn’t look like it,” Navia pouts, clear irritation on her face. “It’s like you’re afraid I’ll trip and get myself kidnapped.”
“I’m not afraid of you tripping,” Clorinde assures. “You’re not clumsy, after all.”
That doesn’t ease Navia’s irritation. If anything, it rattles her more.
“Why are you being like this? I’ve travelled countless times for business, and I did perfectly fine without you looming over me,”
Navia has been to Sumeru, Liyue, Monsdstadt… And not once her life was ever in danger. If anything, she has been in more danger in Fontaine than in any foreign land.
“The way I see it, you’re the one being difficult right now,” Clorinde’s facial expression does not change as she says that.
It ticks Navia in all the wrong ways. It’s like Clorinde is convinced she’s chaperoning a little damsel in distress who’ll get herself killed the moment she steps foot outside of her own home, instead of the woman Navia knows she is.
…Okay, she is a little carefree and sometimes that bites her in the ass. But she’s plenty capable!
“Great. Now I’m being difficult.”
Navia’s tone isn’t nice. Her eyes harden, in a way Clorinde hadn’t seen since their separation days. She hates this side of Clorinde, the robotic tone, the expressionless face, all the things that usually make people forget Clorinde’s human. And the only side of her Navia saw during those three long years.
Clorinde doesn’t cave.
“There’s nothing wrong with keeping you safe,”
“You’re breathing on my neck, Clorinde,” Navia clicks her tongue. The carriage stops, announcing their arrival. “Fine, if you want to be a bodyguard so very badly, then start by being a good attendant to an important figure and carry the luggage inside the Inn.”
Navia’s request reeked of sarcasm but Clorinde’s expression barely changes.
“Very well.”
Clorinde does as she’s told and carries every single bag in one go. Navia pinches the bridge of her nose. Clorinde isn’t even trying to show off, she’d just argue that it’s way more practical to carry everything at once instead of multiple trips.
And she also knows much of her defiance comes from her pride being hurt and nothing else. In truth, she’s happy Clorinde is accompanying her. Clorinde works a lot and Navia works a lot, so time together is cut short often.
Clorinde simply has a bad habit of making Navia feel like she’d trip on her own feet if not watched constantly and it’s really annoying.
And then, because it’s just not how they operate, Navia finds that what she asked of Clorinde makes her even more furious. They stay at The Flagship and decide to eat lunch there.
Navia decides to organize her paperwork before eating and when she turns to ask Clorinde a question, she finds that she isn’t in the room with her.
Navia opens the door and finds Clorinde standing by it, one hand behind her back and the other resting on the hilt of her blade.
“Clorinde, what are you doing?” Navias asks with a sigh.
“…My job?” Clorinde offers, like that should be obvious.
“You can do your job inside,” Navia says.
“A bodyguard shouldn’t enter their employers’ quarters, it’s not appropriate.” Clorinde recites those words with a monotone voice that irritates Navia to no end.
“Fine, whatever, suit yourself.” Navia snarls and closes the door at once.
Is this her own doing? Perhaps. She’s the one who told Clorinde to go do her damn job if she so insisted and now, she’s paying the price.
It didn’t end there. Clorinde stood the entire time Navia ate her meal, as a bodyguard shouldn’t sit with their employer, for safety reasons and she insisted she’d eat later.
Clorinde is exceedingly good at locking away her emotions, to a scary degree. Or else, she would not be able to maintain that detached stance. It was killing her but if Navia wanted her at arms’ length… who was Clorinde to deny her?
‘I’m used to it, anyway. Nothing short of what I deserve’, Clorinde thinks to herself.
They were two days away from the beginning of the fair in Nod-Krai and the checking out the site, meeting the Curatorium of Secrets’ representatives and overall prep for the event had gone in almost complete silence between the two. Clorinde would interject when prompted but otherwise, she acted the way she did for so long as Furina’s bodyguard.
She could see the irritation on Navia’s face and genuinely started to wonder if she was even welcome by her side. She knew that being allowed to stand next to Navia once more was too good to be true.
That night Clorinde decides to open the window. She can’t sleep, anyway. She takes in the soft breeze and the stars above her head. Hunting at night had it perks and one of those perks was being able to see the most incredible starry skies. Clorinde rather enjoyed that.
“You’re being a total ass, you know?”
Navia’s voice takes Clorinde’s eyes off the nice view. Navia now sits on the bed, staring at her, but Clorinde doesn’t respond. She doesn’t know how.
“Say something, damn it!” Navia stands up.
“What, Navia? What?” Clorinde turns around and crosses her arms. “What exactly do you even want from me? You don’t want me to come with you, you tell me to go do my job, I do my job and that’s still not enough for you? What exactly am I being an ass for?”
“For…This!” Navia gestures vaguely to the space between them.
“Isn’t this your request?” Clorinde inquires.
“I…! I- Okay, yes! But!” Navia huffs and places her hands on her hips. “But this! I hate this! I hate it when you turn into a robot!”
“Again, isn’t that what you wanted from me?”
“Stop it, Clorinde.”
Clorinde does. Navia’s tone was low and almost dangerous.
“You…! Tell me, do you think I’m weak?” Navia asks.
“Of course not,” Clorinde replies.
“Then why…! Why are you breathing down my neck so much? I’m not some… I’m not fragile!” Navia argues, taking a step forward. “I was happy you came! Until you started treating me like everyone else does! You’re not supposed to be like everyone else! So, am I weak?”
Clorinde almost loses track of the conversation upon hearing Navia was glad she came.
Almost.
“You’re not weak! You’re the strongest person I know! But as it turns out, I’m not a robot! I love you and the thought of losing you again might kill me where I stand so I’m sorry I’m being a pain in your ass! If you so insist, I’ll leave.”
Clorinde clenches her jaw and lets her own words sizzle between them. A faint blush creeps in upon realizing that’s the first time she openly stated her affection for Navia, something she intended to keep hidden forever the moment she realized what those strange emotions meant. Oh no, she was not supposed to say that.
Navia is stunned as well.
“You…what? You’re telling me all this is because…you love me?” Navia breathes out.
Clorinde makes a sound akin to a grumble. There’s no way out of this one.
“Apparently so…” She mutters while bringing a hand to her face to hide the red of her cheeks.
“You’re telling me it’s mutual? After so long? I could’ve had you all along!?” Navia walks over to Clorinde with quick steps and smacks her right in the chest. “You idiot! You stupid, stupid woman!”
“Ah...! Nav— Hey!” Clorinde winces. “Why do I feel like you’re mad at the wrong thing!?” She uncharacteristically protests.
“No, I’m mad at the right thing!” Navia yelps right back. “Why didn’t you say anything!?”
“Does it look like I could?” Clorinde fights back. “After the duel!? I shouldn’t even be breathing next to you, let alone knock on you door and tell you something like that!”
“You’re unbelievable! You’re so unfair!” Navia smacks her again.
“How am I the bad guy—” Clorinde comes to a halt. “Wait what do you mean it’s mutual!?”
Then Navia meets Clorinde’s eyes. Those beautiful eyes, full of confusion and a softness a woman like her would never show are making Navia’s whatever feelings churn inside her.
“What do I mean…? You didn’t… You couldn’t tell?” Navia asks.
Clorinde only stares back at her in utter disbelief.
Navia exhales, properly calming down for the first time that night.
“Archons…”
Clorinde also takes a deep breath. And then she takes in the troubled look on Navia’s face.
“Navia, tell me…What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t…You understand that right?”
“…I suppose I do…” Navia mumbles.
“But... these feelings,” Clorinde continues. “Are stronger than I am. And I act like this because…you know…”
Clorinde trails off. Navia can probably guess. It’s the only way Clorinde knows how to show her love. Through her own strength. Through the protection she knows she can offer. She wasn’t taught to offer her heart any other way. The pieces fall into place.
“Breathing down my neck like that makes me feel insecure,” Navia admits. “A lot of men in the business already look down on me for being a woman in charge of a massive organization. Some other people give me looks of concern, as if they worry I can’t handle things on my own. You’ve always been the exception to this rule…It pissed me off when you started acting like everyone else.”
Clorinde frowns.
“I’m sorry for hurting you again,” Clorinde offers with honesty. She can’t offer anything else, really.
“But…” Navia cuts her off before Clorinde can descend on a negative spiral. “Part of it is also my ego talking…Because I want to impress you. I want you to look at me and think I’m strong and cool.”
Clorinde’s eyes widen more than they ever did in her life.
“I’ve loved you for…a while. I guess I only truly realized it in your absence, when it was effectively killing me that you left. But I was trying to get your attention before and it’s a little jarring you couldn’t tell,”
Clorinde’s tone is solemn. “Navia. Do I look like a woman deeply in touch with her emotions?” She then huffs, embarrassed. “You have to spell it out for me,”
“Not really, no,” Navia offers a chuckle. “I guess you’re right.”
Navia closes the distance between them and hugs Clorinde.
“I don’t like it when you put distance between us…It reminds me of a time you weren’t there,”
Clorinde grimaces slightly.
“I apologize,” She says. “But for what is worth, I have always thought you were cool and strong.”
Navia hums and then it hits her. She’s hugging the woman she loves for what feels like the first time in many moons. And that same woman is being unbearably honest right now. Heat rises to her face so fast she thought her cheeks would melt.
“Ahem,” She pulls away and clears her throat. “Look at the time! It’s so late! We should sleep, yes. Sleep. Sleep is important!” She scrambles like a baby deer back to her bed and covers herself with the blankets. “Good night!”
Clorinde is left standing in the same spot, watching the blanket rise and fall.
Huh.
So, Navia can be this cute when she’s embarrassed.
“Stop staring at me…” Navia whines from inside the blankets.
“How would you know I’m staring?” Clorinde offers, the corner of her mouth threatening a smile.
“I just know!” Navia whimpers. “Idiot…”
So cute that Clorinde smiles to herself as she gets back in bed and doesn’t mind continuing the conversation the next morning.
She feels things will change between them once more, but this time the thought excites her. She feels like she can reach Navia again.
She hopes Navia feels the same as sleep takes her for the night.