#ler!collei

In between her gleeful ministrations, Amber glanced up to see Collei sitting atop a tree stump, legs shifting, far removed from the rest of the hubbub. Her lavender melon eyes flitted away from the scene as Amber looked up. She hid her face behind Cuilein-Anbar, held close to her chest.

Amber frowned and stood, leaving her previous victim sighing and panting for breath. With single-minded focus, she approached her target. Cyno cracked jokes with Tighnari and Albedo, with varying receptions. Jean and Lisa shared a picnic blanket together, munching on the plentiful snacks Lumine had prepared. Eula and Mika talked work over tea as Noelle dutifully served them (though she had been told to take a break). Kaeya, Rosaria, Dahlia, and Venti clinked their wine glasses together, taking advantage of their time off, while Diluc sighed in the distance. But Amber ignored all of that in favor of Collei.

Collei seemed to notice her approach, blushing and turning away, feet lifted to share space on the stump. Amber tilted her head to catch Collei’s eye.

“Hey hey, Collei~? What’s up?” Amber pointed a finger at her, placing her other hand on her hip. “I can’t have you looking so down at my birthday party! I’d be so sad if my wish didn’t come true.”

Collei’s blush rose to the level of her ears. “You shouldn’t be telling me that,” she mumbled into the plush head of Cuilein-Anbar. “It’s… nothing really. Don’t worry about me.” A sideways glance informed her that Amber’s hands were balled into fists in front of her, an affable pout on her lips.

If she were anyone else, Amber would have placed a hand on her shoulder, or even wrapped her in a hug in place of the plushie. Yet, she very purposefully didn’t touch her. Collei didn’t know whether to smile or frown.

“Something on your mind?” Amber asked, kneeling down to match Collei’s sitting height. She noticed she didn’t have to lower herself as much as she used to.

Collei’s stomach churned. What came to mind after seeing Amber and Lumine… It was as if a weight had formed on her tongue. Amber’s earnest and innocent eyes didn’t help.

“Well…” She wrung her hands, struggling to even form the “t” sound. The feeling of sweat on her skin made her cringe.

Gross.

“I want to do… that.”

“Hm?”

“That… thing you and Lumine were doing.”

“Oh!” Amber perked up, her bow bobbing along to make her look like a confused bunny rabbit. “Tickling?”

Collei nodded.

“Really…?” Her voice took on a hesitant tone, growing quieter. Collei’s heart warmed, but she also felt her teeth clench. “Do you want to be tickled, Collei?”

Her face bloomed into a red as vibrant as Baron Bunny. “No! No, but… I don’t know.” Collei kicked her legs out. She was tempted to leave it at that, but she couldn’t leave Amber with nothing to work with. Not after all she’d done for her. “It looks like fun. And I think I should get used to… Skin. Contact.”

Amber opened her mouth to say something along the lines of, ‘Don’t force yourself!’ before she took another look at Collei. She’d grown to about Amber’s height, she cut her hair the way she liked, she was wearing her own clothes and finding her own passions. Amber felt warm tears bubble to her eyes as she took in the new Collei.

“Hmm… you could try tickling me!”

Collei’s face popped up from behind the plush, eyes wide and bright. “Hhhuh!?”

Grinning, Amber hopped to a standing height. “Only if you want to! But it would be fun, right?”

“Oh… s-s-sure!”

Collei jumped to her feet to mirror Amber. She dragged her gaze down from Amber’s eyes.

Trailing her eyes down her deep brown locks reminded her of tracing the vast, coiling branches of the Divine Tree in Sumeru City.

Collei put a finger to her chin as she evaluated where to start. Even Amber was feeling hot under the collar as the moment dragged on.

“Uh, do you need some tips? I can help you if you wahaHAHANT!”

Amber crumpled to the grass as Collei started her attack, hands crawling around the center of her waist. Boisterous squeals and giggles followed her down, Amber squeezing her forearms to her ribs as though she were a sponge trying to wring out all of its water.

Holding back a laugh, Collei smiled at how quickly Amber collapsed. She settled into position by her side, reaching to her chosen spot. “Come on, I’m not completely helpless.” She weaved her fingers in between the laces of Amber’s uniform, digging gently into the bottom of her rib bones. “I’d like to think I’ve learned a little bit since we first met.”

Her voice came out fond and amused. Her limbs were slow at first, fighting her aversion to touch. Though, it wasn’t so bad to be on the initiating end, even if it felt contrary to what she was used to. When it was only the tips of her fingers against thin fabric, and she was the one in control… Collei felt as though she could handle it.

As she examined Amber’s stuck-together lashes and flushed apple-like cheeks, she had to hold back the rapid expansion of her heart before it burst from her chest. She was beginning to understand why people did this.

Urgh. So cheesy.

Growing bored of that spot, Collei tapped her fingers on Amber’s sides. She shifted to massage her thumbs into the sides of her abdomen, and Amber’s laughter peaked and troughed and settled back into the midline. She rolled side to side but never fled from Collei’s hands.

Collei’s mouth curled sideways. She wasn’t tickling very hard, really: it was a little shocking how dramatically Amber was reacting. Maybe Collei should… tease her or something? Use a line she’d heard from Master or Cyno?

“Uhh, tickle tickle tickle~!”

Pause.

Collei shuddered. Ew ew, no. That was… much.

Amber’s eyes popped open. Then she burst into laughter anew, arms wrapped around her stomach.

“Ahaha! Cohollehehei! IhIhI’ve never heard someone say that so flatly. Haha!” A tear spilled from Amber’s eye, her cackles taking on a different quality.

Collei’s cheeks ran red with her blood. “Sh— Shut it!”

She twisted and wrapped a hand around Amber’s knee, squeezing and spreading her nails along the walls of the patella. Her other hand curved ‘round to the back of her knee, skittering over the delicate skin.

Amber’s legs jerked, a gasp caught in her throat. She squealed, the guffaws leaping from her chest much louder than the previous tests.

She folded at the knee and brought her entire body with her. Now Collei had easy access to the back of Amber’s thigh. When she of course utilized this advantage, Amber was sent further into hysterics.

“AGHAHAhaha, CoHOleHEHEIII! That’s so bahahaHAD!” Amber’s boots pawed at the dirt. She buried her palms in her eyes and tugged at her headband. Collei couldn’t help it. She laughed at the hilarity of the sight.

Amber whined and shook her head. “Noooo! Dohohon’t lahaugh at mehehehe!”

“But you look so funny! Hehe.” Collei turned her head and caught sight of Amber’s face. She was momentarily struck by her smile, pearly whites glittering. She swore a halo had formed around Amber’s face, drawing her in to that brightness.

A soft simper zipped Collei’s mouth together. She hid in her shoulder. “You have a really nice smile.” Her hands stilled, one curling delicately around Amber’s shin.

Residual giggles floated into the air. Amber slowly opened her eyes, the grin stuck on her face even as she calmed down from the laughter. Her honey eyes shimmered like liquid resin.

“I tahahake pride in it.”

Collei’s smile grew. She trained her gaze on her lap.

Amber sat up and tilted her head to catch Collei’s eyes. With a giggle, she proclaimed, “Yay! My birthday wish came true.”

“Amber…”

She chuckled, then trailed off into silence. Amber blinked. Tapped her feet. Trilled her lips a few times.

“You know, you don’t have to stop.”

Collei startled, finally jerking her head up to look Amber straight on. “Really?”

Amber nodded. Her wobbly smile and the rosiness in her cheeks gave away that she was more nervous than one may think.

Collei stared at her. “Oh.” She gently guided Amber’s legs to the ground. Amber’s boots clicked together as she wiggled. “Then, if you don’t mind…”

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Sighing, Lumine stirred her tea as Noelle dropped a sugar cube into it. “Can’t believe she ditched me so fast. After I went through all this effort.”

Noelle pushed her skirt under her as she sat. “It is a very lovely set up, Miss Honorary Knight.” She reached for the teapot.

Before Noelle’s hands could close around it, Lumine snatched it up. Noelle made a lost little sound as Lumine filled her cup for her. “As long as everyone’s happy, I guess my job is done,” spoke the Traveler.

If Amber thought no one’s attention would be drawn by her rambunctious laughter, she was sorely mistaken. The other guests were cooing and giggling to themselves as Little Miss Birthday Girl was tickled to pieces by the reserved Collei. It was an adorable sight, she couldn’t lie.

Noelle’s laughter twinkled. “They do seem to be having fun.” She hoisted up a platter of snacks and made to serve one to the Traveler.

Alas, Lumine took her hand and lifted it away from the platter. Her other hand materialized with a scone and held it up to Noelle’s lips. “That’s the name of the game with parties.” When Noelle froze and didn’t take the treat right away, Lumine waved it around. “It does make me a little nostalgic.”

Flustered, Noelle gave in to the hand feeding, turning away and bashfully covering her mouth as she swallowed. “Ah… y-yes.”

To a particularly loud squeal from Amber, Lumine reacted with a huff. “Funny how many friends I have that are so darn ticklish. It’s almost an epidemic.”

“Miss Honorary Knight, I apologize for my frankness, but… doesn’t that also apply to you?”

“Hm. We do not speak of it.”

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can you believe this was only meant to be a few paragraphs…