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The thing about Lohenna is that she was never consistent with her hair. She never committed to one singular hairstyle like most people she knew did. For example Noelle; the girl liked to keep it short and simple, a bob cut with bangs. Amber; she preferred her hair to be longer, she sometimes yapped about what kind of conditioner and shampoo she used to keep it healthy, but Lohenna never really listened. She honestly didn’t mind her hair, in fact, it irritated her sometimes, so whenever she was in battle, she didn’t mind if it got cut off. Whenever that happened, it always came out looking weird and messy, and Amber insisted on fixing it so Lohenna just let it happen. Majority of the time her hair never went past her shoulders.
Up until the knights of favonius have embarked on their mission. Since Amber stayed in Mondstadt, there was no longer anyone willing to take care of Lohenna’s hair, and since the girl didn’t mind it at all, it didn’t bother her. Lohenna usually put her hair up in a ponytail during fights, and even if some of it accidentally got cut off, it was never big chunks. By the time they have arrived in Nod-Krai, Lohenna’s hair reached past her shoulders, just about stopping at the top of her chest.
Then she met Illugia. The beautiful squad leader of the Nightmare Orioles. Once Lohenna realised she had fallen for the captain, she obviously started taking care of her looks more. She was never really a hairstylist, but she couldn’t leave her hair looking like a bird’s nest, she needed to do something with it, so she tried fixing its length by cutting in layers. Eventually Varka helped her. It didn’t look perfect, but it wasn’t that messy anymore. Although while fighting the wild hunt a few times her hair grazed in the way, Lohenna’s hair stayed about the same length.
Until one day, the knight and the lightkeeper were walking together near cliffwatch camp. They’ve grown closer to each other, despite their differences. Lohenna’s endless teasing has brought much more excitement into Illugia’s boring and monotonous life, and even though the woman herself would never admit it, Lohenna’s unique personality and looks have always interested her. They grew closer, so much to the point both of them have realised what they had wasn’t very casual, and it was obvious for both of them they had feelings for each other, but they never quite put a label on their relationship. So as the two were walking, usually just talking about work or Lohenna talking about Mondstadt, letting homesickness devour her, suddenly a random wave of wind blew at their faces.
Lohenna laughed, the wind blowing both her and Illugia’s hair. Illugia stopped in her tracks just to stare at the knight, who as she was happily giggling by the sudden wind blow, kept swiping her hair out of her face.
“Dear Archons” she chuckled as the wind finally calmed down. “Just when I was talking about Mondstadt… Barbatos, you really do hear a lot, don’t you?”
“Do you… have a close relationship with Barbatos?” Illugia asked, and Lohen looked back at her. When she realized the captain has stopped walking, she took a step back and stood next to her.
“I wouldn’t say close, but we get along well. I’ve had the opportunity to watch him booze his head away at Diluc’s tavern a few times. Quite the reckless drinker…”
She sighed.
“But these random blows of wind… They do bother me sometimes. Especially since my hair is in the way… actually, I’ve been thinking of cutting it off short so it wouldn’t—“
“Don’t!” it slipped out “I-I mean… “ Illugia nervously looked away once Lohenna started staring at her “…I think long hair suits you a lot. It’s very pretty.”
The knight blinked a few times, her face filling up with redness. She just looked away and murmured a “thanks”.
A few weeks after this interaction, Illugia and Lohenna started dating. The lightkeeper confessed that she had been fantasizing about a relationship with her for quite some times now, and got a kiss on the lips as an answer. Ever since that, Lohenna has made it very clear that the two of them became a couple. She started visiting Illugia even when they didn’t establish a meet up, constantly talked about the woman and never once shut up, and whenever they were seen together, Lohenna made sure she stood as close to her girlfriend as much as she could.
One time Lohenna was staying over at Illugia’s house. Ever since they became girlfriends, the knight has snuck into Illugia’s place and forced the girl to let her stay the night. It has happened so often, the lightkeeper wasn’t even surprised when she got home and found his girlfriend either cooking up new poisons on the kitchen counter or resting on the sofa.
“Did you eat anything?” Illugia asked once she had taken off her boots and her coat. Lohenna was currently sitting on the sofa, her signature dagger in her hand and sharpening it with a steel tool.
“Yep! Birdie’s home cooking is the best! I had some leftover soup.”
Illugia sat down next to her girlfriend, and caressed her head, pulling her closer to give her a kiss on her cheek. Then she started fondly playing with her hair. It got cut off in a recent fight, this really made Illuga sad because he adored Lohenna’s soft, long, mint hair.
“Such a shame…” she sighed as she combed her hands through the knight’s locks. “I really love when your hair is long. And now It has gotten short…”
“Well, not much I can do about it. Your hair is pretty short, so it’s easier for you. No wild hunt would be able to chop it off.”
“True, but” she sighed “I don’t recklessly charge into battle, now do I? And you yourself said you didn’t mind being hit as long as you don’t lose. Well I do mind being hit, so I dodge. You on the other hand let the enemy hurt you — which I really don’t like. You know how—“
“Yeah, yeah, dangerous, I could die, you would be miserable” Lohenna rolled her eyes. “I know all that stuff, Illu, but this is just my fighting style!”
“I know…” Illugia sighed for the hundredth time for that day.
“Fh—!” Lohennia suddenly hissed.
“Shit, sorry. I pulled your hair, that was an accident” and the way Lohennia looked back at her made it clear she shouldn’t feel bad because the knight liked it. Freaky little bunny!
“You like long hair huh…”
“Well, yes…” Illugia guided her hand from Lohenna’s nape to her back. She once again pulled her closer, kissing the girl’s collarbone. “It just looks so… gorgeous on you. Although you’re always beautiful.”
She’s beautiful like this, Illu likes long hair… Lohenna will make sure to keep it that way.
….
Lohenna has done everything and anything in order to let her hair grow and stay long. She reached out to Amber, wrote a letter to the girl asking about hair-care. She gave detailed instructions about how different serums, hairmasks and conditioners work, and how she can avoid getting her hair cut off in battle. In the end, Lohenna’s hair has grown to the middle of her back, if not even longer. It was a lot to take care of, and very difficult at that, but Lohenna wanted to satisfy her birdie.
Said birdie noticed. Of course she did. And seeing her girlfriend take care of her cair and growing it just for her made Illugia’s heart flutter. And Archons above she looked hot. The way Lohenna would hold a hairtie with her teeth while gathering her long locks up at her head to put in a ponytail was a sight Illugia never missed. And she felt those familiar butterflies every time the knight would carelessly whip her hair with her hand while chewing gum.
And the smell! Her hair smelled like a bouquet of flowers with a hint of sunsietta. Illugia loved to secretly sniff her hair when she wasn’t looking, though Lohenna noticed. She still let it happen.
“Your hair really has grown quite a lot…” Illugia once mentioned, accidentally. They were laying on her bed, cuddling, Illugia holding Lohenna in her arms as the girl was backwards to her. The typical big spoon little spoon. And since Lohenna was the little spoon, the lightkeeper had perfect access to her long luscious hair. She was brushing her hands through the beautiful mint locks as the mental note slipped out.
“Yes” Lohenna smiled. “You… said you liked long hair.”
Lohenna heard rustling from behind and before she could turn around to see what was happening, she already felt Illugia push herself closer, specifically her face into her nape. She couldn’t help but giggle.
“My Little Birdie is so fond of my hair, isn’t she?…”
“Yes…” Illugia took a deep breath as she sniffed her locks she was holding with her fingers. “It smells so nice…”
“I’m glad” Lohenna sighed, dreamily. “I wrote back to one of my colleagues in Mondstadt. She’s interested in this kinda stuff and helped me.”
“Mh…” Illugia listened. “That sounds great.”
Comfortable silence fell on the room. It was always comfortable with them. Neither of them can recall a time when it was awkward between the two, and honestly they were glad. They skipped the awkward silence part. And now whenever they weren’t talking, it always felt relaxing. Even now, as they were cuddling, Illugia slowly sliding her fingers through Lohenna’s long, soft strands of hair.
“How do you maintain it…?”
“The length or…?”
“That too, but mainly the silkiness and the great smell” Illugia shifted as she started caressing the knight’s arms instead.
“That’s a secret” she chuckled.
“Huh? Why?” Illugia frowned. “C’mon, tell me!”
Lohenna pushed herself up on the bed. The spaghetti strap of her tank top slid down as she looked back over her shoulder, letting her beautiful mint green hair fall over aswell. A mischievous smirk planted on her lips as she fluttered her eyelashes and calmly sang,
“I was just about to take a shower, come find it out yourself.”
Heat crept its way up Illugia’s face, flushing completely.
“W-wha—“
Before the lightkeeper could even think a thought, Lohenna was already up on her feet, swaying her hips as she walked out of the room. Once reached the door frame, she turned around for one last time and winked at the flustered mess of a woman staring at her from the bed.