𝙨𝒕𝙖𝒓𝙙𝒐𝙢'𝙨 𝙨𝒆𝙘𝒓𝙚𝒕 - 𝐥𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐱 𝐟em! 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

chapter 15 - may's flowers

Y/n couldn't contain her excitement as she saw the first flower of the season, a purple tulip sprouting from the bright green earth.

Winter had lasted much too long, y/n thought. The gloomy, cloudy, cold days had persisted throughout all of March and had finally given up in April. April didn't bring as much rain as the common saying promised, but just enough so that the flowers of May would be sufficiently satisfied and reveal themselves. Y/n's mother had gotten her a "beautiful yet sophisticated dress fitting of warm weather," and instructed her—after verifying it fit and giving the household a mini fashion show—to wear it today. To match, her mother had done her hair and styled it as soon as she had woken up.

"Hey, y/n!" Her mother called.

"Yeah?" Y/n called back.

"Can you walk the dog? It's a nice day outside. Make sure to take him for a very long walk. He's been really antsy lately. Oh, and go to the market and get groceries too, after."

Y/n called her dog, Louis, and attached the leash to his blue collar. His poodle fur was neatly brushed. "You're such a distinguished little gentleman, yes you are!" Y/n scratched behind his ears, talking to him in that excited-talking-to-a-baby tone. He wagged his tail rapidly and animatedly bounced to the front door.

*

Thank archons her mother agreed to this, Lyney thought as he pushed the back door open to the Lemaire residence.

Glacé left her spot—the laptop on the kitchen table—and bounded up to Lyney's legs, brushing herself against his shins.

"Hello, Lyney!" M/n exclaimed. "Thank you for doing this for y/n. I'm sure she'll love it."

"No, thank you for agreeing. I don't think I can do this without your help."

*

Louis pulled and tugged y/n's arm as they grew closer to a nearby park. She put herself into a light jog, making her realize that winter had made her go somewhat out of shape.

Children laughed loudly on the playground, and dogs barked at each other excitedly and happily, trying to take hold of the others' tennis balls.

Y/n undid Louis's leash, pulling a tennis ball from her pocket and throwing it with all her might, though her strength wasn't great, and the ball didn't travel a far distance. Fortunately, Louis didn't seem to mind and ran after it enthusiastically, anyway.

"Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" Y/n scratched behind Louis's ears, making his tail wag. He dropped the tennis ball at y/n's feet, looking up at her expectantly, panting.

She picked the ball up and grimaced—it was covered in saliva. She made sure it didn't make contact with the dress.

No, it's fine, she told herself as she threw the ball again, it's worth it to play with him, she thought as she wiped her hands on her shorts.

*

The markets were busy. What with people and merchants selling now-ripe fruit, blooming flowers, produce, grains, the list could go on longer than Liyue's president going on about how things were "back in his day" and some old wine he was seen drinking on his days off.

Y/n fought her way through the crowds like racing water trying to force its way through boulders. The sun was higher in spring's sky, beaming down on her back as she went through her mom's grocery list.

*

Y/n walked through the front door of the Lemaire residence, heaving paper bags upon paper bags of groceries and other errands her mother had asked her to get last-minute. A chill ran down y/n's back. The curtains were drawn, and all the lights were off. Only vague, weak light managed its way through the windows.