puppy love
characters: thoma
➡ mentions: ayaka
warning(s): platonic btw, just a heads up
notes: i was omw to write some thoma angst but then it just didnt angst and just did it’s thing, so no angst here. uNLESS
Thoma gleefully watches Ayaka practice the art of her blade, with you training by her side. You, the six year old Kamisato, look up to your sister with so much respect. You wanted to be just like her when you grow up. There’s so much to her that people don’t know, and you look up to every single trait of hers, flawed or not.
But unlike your sister, you admired the Chief Retainer in more ways than one.
Jade-green eyes look at you with mirth. The side of Thoma’s eyes crinkle when he sees you walk up to him again with another plant in your hand after being defeated by Ayaka in a duel. The first thing you gave to him was a simple sweet flower, then the blue mint flower, until they turned to sea ganodermas and silk flowers imported from Liyue- a rare find Thoma thinks, but you never reveal where you get the plants from.
“Thoma!” You call out cheerfully, holding a basket of sakura blossoms.
Ayaka covers half her face, quietly laughing while being the dignified woman she is. She admires your stubbornness for your ‘Operation: Make Thoma Fall In Love With Me!’ You had confided to her about this operation of yours and she gladly helped you, finding your persistence funny.
Sheathing her blade, Ayaka walks behind you, silently waiting for your next move.
“[Name~],” he singsongs, opening his arms to give you a hug, but you evade his hug and eagerly show him your sakura blossoms instead.
Picking up a petal, you show it to Thoma and give him a toothy grin, “The traveler helped me get these blossoms!”
Thoma places his hands on his knees, crouching to your height and looking at the blossoms and picks one petal up. It gives him a tiny jolt because of the electro energy inside it, but he thanks you nonetheless.
“Wow! You’re certainly getting better at finding treasure.” He inspects it, comically with his hand brushing his chin. “Great find detective,” he says, switching up his accent for a bit to play the role.
“Why, thank you good sir!” You copy his accent horribly enough that Ayaka is on the verge of tears from trying to laugh quietly. “But really though…”
Thoma hums, clicking his head, urging for you to go on when you stopped your accent.
“Will you marry me now?” You ask for the eleventh time this month.
Thoma laughs and ruffles your hair endearingly, “Haha! Sorry kiddo, but you know me. I can’t say yes to that I’m too old!” He gently takes the basket of sakura blossoms from your hands, “But I accept your gift, so thank you.”
You groan, poking Thoma’s cheek the way he does to you when you come home with scrapes on your knees from playing outside. “But Thoma! I’m six and a half,” you exaggerate the last part to get your point across. “I’m old too!”
Thoma gasps, clutching his chest dramatically with a hurt face, “Your grace! Are you implying I’m a grandpa?”
“I mean, you are old. You said it yourself!” You quickly defend on reflex because of Thoma’s frequent jests.
You feel two hands on your shoulders and you see your sister smile at you with her eyes, “Come now, [Name]. I’m sure grandpa would like some alone time brooding about his good old days.”
She points a look at Thoma, “Isn’t that right, Thoma?”
Thoma gasps again, “Oh, the betrayal! You’re ganging up on me?”
You bottom lip stick out, sulking while Ayaka brings you inside the estate. “Tomorrow, I’ll find glazed lilies, so then he’ll have to say yes!”
“And where would you find these flowers?” Ayaka questions.
“In Liyue, duh!”
If only it were that easy to obtain flowers from different lands, but you still had yet to explain how you got your hands on silk flowers.
BONUS:
It’s been years since you last gave a flower to Thoma. You grew up, refined, elegant and have a way with words. Boys, girls, and everyone in between soon became smitten for you. Every time you leave the Kamisato estate you see letters and flowers with your name brandished on it.
“Hey, look at that. Hello, heartbreaker,” Thoma teases, strolling his way to you.
You wave a hello, poised and graceful before sending a playful punch on Thoma’s arm. “Hey look at that. Hello, grandpa.”
You see him as a brother. You realize, you had always seen him as a brother, but you could never really tell your feelings when you were six. It was just a puppy crush.
Thoma grins, bowing in a grand way and holding a flower up to you. “Ayaka found this in your room. She said this was supposed to be the ultimate flower to make me fall in love with you.”
You feel your cheeks burn from heat. “What was she even doing in my room?!”
“She saw me place flowers from you to another case and-”
“You still have those?”
Thoma grins, “How else am I going to prove to your future spouse that I’m the first love?”
You frown, “I was six, Thoma.”
“You were six and a half.”
You were about to protest, saying you were just six until someone chimes in.
“Yes, I remember it just as Thoma did,” Ayaka waltzes to you and holds a fan to cover her smile. “You were six and a half.”