Genshin Impact Oneshots

Barbara x Noelle [Request 5] - A Helping Hand

Noelle trudged through the streets of Mondstadt late at night. Her body was weary and she was ready to collapse any second now but she remained steadfast. She had one more task to complete then she could go home and rest and hopefully nurse the injuries she had sustained today. She had a full morning of chores; by the time she finished in the late afternoon, she was ready to pass out. However, Noelle chose to not listen to the needs of her body. She decided to continue with her training regime because she believed that if she wanted to be a Knight, she must be ready to push through the hardest day. Even if she was tired she had to push through it. What if there were lives to save!? She couldn't let a bit of tiredness stop her.

Unfortunately, training while lacking energy was a poor choice. She injured herself more often than she should have and that resulted in several cuts, bruises, a swollen bump on her head, and a sprained ankle that she was currently limping on. She just had to head to the Knights' headquarters one last time to make sure the rooms were ready to be locked up then she could head home.

Noelle had one hand pressed against the tall stone walls. The stairs to the Knights' headquarters were in front of her but as she looked up the stairs, the pain in her body rose. Her breathing was laboured and she didn't think she had the energy in her to climb the stairs let alone walk through the whole headquarters to lock up.

Noelle leaned her head against the cool stone to dull the throbbing in her head. Her legs felt like they were going to give out on her so she gingerly lowered herself until she was seated on the steps. She leaned forward and groaned in pain. Her head rested against her knees and she tried to slowly breathe in and out to hopefully alleviate some of the pain in her body.

"Noelle?"

Noelle lifted her head slowly when she heard her name being called. She quickly closed her eyes when the throbbing intensified. She pressed a hand to the side of her head.

"Noelle!" The voice gasped. "What happened to you?" They asked.

Noelle opened one eye and under the lights of the street lamps she saw the worried face of her friend Barbara.

"B-Barbara..." Noelle rasped out. Barbara's face twisted in worry when she noticed all the cuts and bruises on Noelle's face. Barbara noticed a suspicious red bump on the side of Noelle's head. She speculated that her friend pushed herself too hard again today and injured herself. She knew that Noelle would get injured during her training sessions but it was always just a minor cut on the arms or something.

"N-Noelle! We must get you home immediately. I need to tend to these injuries before they get worse." Barbara explained frantically. Her eyebrows creased when Noelle slightly shook her head.

"N-not yet B-Barbara...I...need to...lock up the-the headquarters." Barbara shook her head vehemently.

"Absolutely not! You will definitely pass out before you even make it into the Knights' headquarters. Do you have the keys with you, Noelle? Let me lock up for you, I've seen you do it a few times so I'm sure I can do it properly."

Noelle nodded her head. She weakly reached into her shirt and pulled out a key attached to a necklace. She passed the key to Barbara.

"You rest here okay? I will be back in no time." Barbara took one last look at Noelle and rushed up the stairs. In no time she was back and breathing heavily. Despite being out of breath, Barbara bent down and hooked Noelle's arm around her neck.

"On three we stand up together, okay?" Noelle nodded weakly.

"One...two...three!" They rose together and Noelle leaned heavily against Barbara. Barbara did not complain though, she had to get her friend somewhere safe and warm. Her home was much closer than Noelle's so that's where she was going to guide them. Noelle had no complaints when Barbara told her her plans.

Barbara was super careful to not jostle Noelle anyway. She tried her best to support as much of Noelle's weight as possible. They frequently took a few short breaks when Noelle's breathing became erratic. It took 8 minutes but they were finally back at Barbara's home. After a bit of struggling, Barbara managed to unlock her door and close it behind them. She carefully led Noelle to the couch in her living room and helped the young woman settle down.

Noelle's body was screaming in pain but she also felt so relieved to be able to finally lay down after being on her feet for the whole day. She could hear Barbara frantically running around her home getting whatever supplies she needed.

Noelle couldn't believe how fortunate she was to have Barbara run into her. Her friend was always so supportive of her dreams to join the Knights. But Noelle knew that Barbara disagreed with her training regime and overworked herself. But Barbara was too supportive to say anything to her about it. Noelle knew though because she would always catch the worried looks on Barbara's face.

"Oh Noelle, I wish you wouldn't push yourself so hard. I know you really want to be a Knight but you can achieve this without hurting your body like this." Noelle's lips pulled up slightly at the corners. She was used to Barbara's concerns by now and everytime it warmed her heart to know her friend was being so caring.

Noelle moaned when she felt a cool compress press against her forehead. The sharp pain that she felt before was starting to dull a little. Barbara carefully removed Noelle's armor and set them aside. As best she could, Barbara stripped Noelle until she was only in her undergarments but she dressed her friend in a robe to offer some modesty while giving herself easy access to Noelle's injured areas.

Noelle was drifting in and out of sleep at the feeling of Barbara's healing touch. Whatever Barbara was doing was working wonders on her body. Noelle instantly felt warmer and her pain had dulled considerably. At the beginning, there were a few stings along her body but it was only because Barbara was cleaning her wounds. Every now and then she felt pressure along some parts of her body as Barbara wrapped up her injuries. Pretty soon, all the wounds on Noelle's body had been cleaned and dressed. Her ankle was wrapped firmly so that it would provide Noelle with support if she ever moved around.

Noelle's eyes fluttered open when she felt a warm hand caressing her cheeks. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the teary eyed look on Barbara's face. W-why was her friend crying?

"W-why are you crying, Barbara?" Noelle whispered. A tear spilled over Barbara's eyelid and trailed down her cheek.

"You're so hard-working and strong-willed Noelle. I have also seen how strong you've grown since you began your training. I have no doubt in my heart that you will join the ranks of the Knights in no time...so please...for now please take care of yourself. I hate seeing you getting injured and not caring about your own health."

Noelle gasped. Of course she knew this was how Barbara felt but she was taken aback that Barbara had finally voiced her thoughts and feelings. Noelle's gut twisted when she saw the pain she had caused her friend to pursue her dreams. As much as she wanted to become a Knight, it wouldn't be worth it if she hurt her friend along the way. Since Barbara had cared for her and helped her so much in her journey, it was only fair that Noelle listened to Barbara.

Noelle cupped Barbara's hand with her own. "I am sorry for worrying you so much Barbara. I cannot thank you enough for all you have done to help me reach my dreams. I feel awful that I have taken advantage of your support and disregarded your thoughts and feelings like this. I promise I will be more mindful of how much I am putting my body through; I will not push myself to the point of danger."

Noelle's eyes widened when Barbara leaned down and kissed her lips. Noelle laid there frozen, with her eyes wide. But the feeling of Barbara's soft and tender lips on hers had Noelle closing her eyes and kissing Barbara back.

Barbara pulled back and looked into Noelle's eyes lovingly. "From now on, I'm going to join every training session of yours to make sure you keep your promise."

Noelle closed her eyes and giggled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."