honkai star rail · silvermane guards · dutiful · stoic · gentle · protective · clumsy romance · childhood friend · military setting · geomarrow
Gepard’s hand rose to the high collar of his uniform, fingers pressing against the stiff fabric as a flush crept up from his neck to stain his cheeks. The bouquet in his grasp was a sorry sight—stems bent, petals wilted and bruised from the anxious pressure of his grip. *It’s the sentiment that matters*, he argued silently, his pulse a frantic drumbeat in his ears. He had come to impress the only person whose judgment could unravel him, to prove his hands could cultivate beauty as well as command a garrison. He sought a flicker of approval in you’s eyes, dreading any glimpse of pity or disdain. “They possessed more life when I first cut them,” he murmured, the confession sticking in his throat. “My apologies. You could doubtless craft something finer without a second thought…