Her Muse
It was a cool December morning for Ei as she sat on the bus taking her to her favorite library which had just reopened after a month of renovation of its interior.
She looked out at the snowy city beyond the bus window. Watching the tiny snowflakes fall from the sky onto whatever object or person they landed on before they melted away, was always her favorite pastime when she was by herself.
Her gaze turned from that to the pile of books in her purple purse, each with the title of a history and romance novel. Each of these books appears worn out and old, with signs of constant usage on each page.
Ei felt the momentum of the bus come to a slow halt as she looked outside the window to see her destination in view For as long as she lived in this town, Ei always wanted a quiet and comforting place to read as her pastime, but after the library temporarily closed for the month, only the mildly silent cafe's were available for her.
She stepped off the bus to get a good view of the library. It was larger than the way it was presented on television. Tall and grand, yet somehow it gave a feeling of history from its brown and gold color scheme.
Ei entered the establishment. The feeling she had when looking at the building from the outside was even more noticeable inside. From the sight of the tall shelves filled right to left with books, to the smell of aged parchment combined with the cool breeze from the outside wind, the atmosphere felt comforting and Ei couldn't help but relax in that particular environment.
Her gaze flittered over the scene, feeling a sense of awe and belonging once she made herself considerably comfortable inside the premises. The warm air within the room combated Ei's glacial exterior, a sigh of relief being omitted when the cozy ventilation whisked her chilliness away.
Not hesitating any longer, Ei dove between the shelves, prompting immediate exploration.
She trailed her fingertips delicately between fresh releases and tomes riddled with longevity, the fortune of being able to explore such a place creating jovial attitudes, which incidentally reflected the jolly season in itself.
Ei couldn't help but conjure a small smile upon her countenance, the solace and pure delight she found within novels allowing her to show signs of satisfaction.
After a few moments filled with aimless wandering, Ei stopped in her tracks.
A distinct book caught her eye, the color of the hardback copy being a tantalizing crimson, while the spine of said book flourished with an elegant silver lining. The texture of the book looked velvety, smooth to the touch; judging from sight alone, the pages would be prim and proper, crisp and uncreased.
Ei snapped out of her mindless daydreaming, her gaze falling on the title of the book, the words capitalized in gold gothic lettering.
"Call of the Lone Princess." Ei read softly to herself, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she stared longingly at the book.
She had a particular bias towards stories that contained action and a flair for adventure, wanting nothing more than to consume its contents.
Despite Ei's eagerness to obtain the book, an overarching problem presented itself.
A heart-rendering, agonizing situation that caused a slight dent in Ei's content expressions. She was too short to reach it.
Of course, Ei did have the option to ask the library staff for assistance, but all her thoughts bent on the book awaiting her on the shelf. She went to acquire a step ladder that seemed to barely reach past three book rows and placed it directly underneath her target book. Slowly making her way to the top of the step; however, she realized upon attempting to reach out her hand that it was still short of the mark. Not wanting to give up, Ei persistently stretched out her limbs as far as she was physically able, even going so far as to stand up on her tiptoes. Her hand barely touched the edge of the book. That was all she needed. She tried to pull the book with her fingernails, feeling it move slightly with each pull attempt. Smiling at the thought that she would triumph over this hurdle, Ei put more force into her pull to finally obtain what she desired.
However, she didn't account for the book not being as light as the assumed books to be. The book descended from above her. Before she could react, the book slammed into Ei's nose. Letting out a small shriek, she lost her balance on the ladder and began to fall to the floor.
Ei readied herself to make rough contact with the floor; however, she didn't feel the impact she was expecting. Slowly opening her purple eyes, she realized that what she instead felt were rough but strong arms holding her by her waist and knees.
"Are you alright, Miss?"
She heard a deep but soothing voice call out to her, as her gaze turned up to a tall figure who held her in his arms. Ei's eyes widened as she had a good view of the man. Dark hair with dark gold highlights, sharp, orange eyes, and a gaze that could pierce through one's soul. Ei found herself captured by this gaze and could do nothing but stare.
"I-I'm okay," She eventually muttered.
The man gently let her down on her feet before picking up the book Ei was after. "I assume this is the book you wanted to read?"
"Why yes," Ei said as she accepted the book from his hands, "Thank you for your assistance Mr..."
"You may call me Zhongli." He introduced himself.
"Zhongli...I haven't heard a name like that. Are you new to this town, perhaps?" Ei asked, looking over "Call of the Lone Princess."
"That's right. I've transferred here from another state to find work," Zhongli explained as the two made their way to the check-out counter, "However, I am ashamed to admit that I am not familiar with everything in this town."
"Is that so?" Ei asked as she gave him the book.
She watched him work without uttering a single sound. It was easy to tell that he handles the books with extreme care and attention. In her mind, Ei wonders if he is perhaps a fantasy buff.
"There we go. This book is due on the first of January." Zhongli smiled and handed the book back to Ei.
"Thank you, Zhongli." When Ei placed her hands on the book, she noticed how close she was to touching Zhongli's hand. Her cheeks heated up, but she hoped to the heavens above that he doesn't notice.
"Before you go, I wish to ask you something," Zhongli began, not noticing Ei's blushing, "Are you, by chance, interested in this novel."
Ei's eyes darted up to look into his golden irises, "Eh?" She was speechless at his question. In some parts of her mind, she thought this man would never be interested in a genre as outside the realm of logic as fantasy, but perhaps this is her chance.
Ei nodded. "Yes, I am. I've always loved fantasy novels since I was a kid, but...I rarely have the time to read them due to my focus on studies."
"I'm sorry to hear that," The man said, his tone carrying a heavy weight to it, "While studies can bring you a wealth of knowledge, I think it is unfair for a child to have to shut out the world of imagination. Hopefully, this story can bring out your inner childhood."
"Your kind words are greatly appreciated, Zhongli." She paused. The purple-haired woman dug deep into her soul to ask the librarian the question. Thinking that this was her chance, she took in a deep breath before asking, "Do you...happen to have a favorite cafe?"
"My favorite cafe?" Zhongli looked up from his desk, assuming that Ei had already left. He was surprised, yet he did not show it and replied to her question, "There was this cafe I've been meaning to visit after my shift. I heard the tea there is refined and helps calm one's mind."
"I see." Ei said, "I happen to be going there myself to read this book. If...you are interested..." Ei slowed down her breathing. She felt nervous from head to toe as she could feel the soul-piercing gaze from Zhongli's golden eyes. The suspense from his silence was almost enough to make Ei faint, but she had received her answer.
"Certainly, Miss..." Zhongli didn't finish.
Ei then realized she had not introduced herself. Her face turned red as she bowed respectfully and shouted, "Oh, I am sorry for not introducing myself! My name is-" Ei felt her mouth stop moving. She realized Zhongli had placed his long index finger over her mouth and gestured her to lower her voice. The purple-haired girl felt a rush of embarrassment from not only failing to introduce herself after this man saved her but also shouting in a library. She sighed and whispered, "My name is Ei. My apologies for shouting."
Zhongli took away his finger and smiled, "I would be delighted to have tea with you, Ei. My shift is about to end in about twenty minutes, so would you mind waiting until then?"
"Of course. I'll wait outside." Ei said.
She parted ways with the kind librarian. Her heartbeat was rapid as she passed by the doors. It was at that moment that Ei realized she had asked someone out on a date; however, she instinctively denied such a fact. After all, why would it be considered a date if you just met the man? But something felt different when she was around Zhongli. Ei felt like...she was safe and could feel like her book-loving self without fear of judgment or contempt. She didn't want to leave these feelings unexplored, so that was why she worked up the courage to ask him out for tea, but even then she fumbled.
Twenty minutes passed. Ei watched as Zhongli walked passed the library doors dressed in casual yet sophisticated attire. The purple bookworm could be forgiven for thinking he's always prepared for a date.
"Now then, shall we?" Zhongli passed by Ei and walked down the stairs before extending his hand to help her down.
"Y-yes," Ei accepted his hand, feeling it guide her down the flight of stairs. The bookworm did her best to ignore the nervousness that caused her body to shake and heat up. "The cafe isn't too far from the library. Just a few blocks north."
"The coldness of winter will send a chill down if you're not careful," Zhongli said, taking out a brown umbrella, "It would be a shame to catch a cold before our tea, Ei."
"Oh, thank you, Zhongli. You are far too kind." Ei said as she nuzzled closer to the man.
"No need to thank me a thousand times." Zhongli chuckled but didn't mind being thanked constantly, "I'm simply a man who watches for the smaller details. Like your blushing, cheeks."
A gasp escaped Ei's lips as she watched Zhongli chuckle at her reaction to her statement. She tried to act annoyed at him, but deep down she was flattered someone paid that much attention to her. Turning her frown into a small smile, Ei began to enjoy the moderate time she spent underneath the wide umbrella on their way to the cafe. She looked up to see a man who not only shared her interests in stories but is a gentleman like no other. To Ei, she had finally found him.
Her Muse.
Jurabi: Hiya once again folks! Jurabi's back with another ZhongEi fic. I wrote this one for fun with one of my friends, Iris. I love writing these two so much. Just Zhongli and Ei being a relaxed and comfortable couple. I honestly hope this pairing stays as a rare pair. No one to bother us as we make our own content.
Anyways, that's enough rambling from this ZhongEi fanboy. I hope you all enjoyed this short fic. If you did, I would be happy if you left a comment. I'll try to reply to all of them because you all leave such wonderful words of appreciation, and do be sure to leave a kudos as well.
I'll see you guys later in the next fic I write~! Later~!