Gossip of the Shogun's Possible Love
"Have you heard?" asked a female Inazuman, "Our Shogun is on another tour with that visitor from Liyue.
"Again?" asked the other female she was speaking with, "Certainly the Shogun has more people to speak with. Why that man?"
"I heard a rumor that Her Excellency has fallen in love with this man. This...Zhongli."
"Is that so? A commoner gaining the attention of the Shogun of Inazuma? That sounds like a story from one of the novels at Yae Publishing House."
"Perhaps so, but this rumor may not be an ordinary romance story. This commoner has insight into history and culture unlike any other. It's possible that his knowledge and influence have caught our lady's eye."
"That doesn't happen often; especially for those with no royal lineage. Why is our Shogun spending time with this man from Liyue?""
"Your guess is as good as mine. I see them all the time when I try to buy dango for my child. The two will always be there to buy four...maybe more."
"A date with our Shogun?!"
"Maybe, but they spend much more time discussing culture. More times than not, this Zhongli is the one who speaks the most. His voice is...soothing."
"Then it's no wonder Her Excellency found herself captivated if the rumors are true."
##
"I must say, Your Excellency," Zhongli said after taking a sip of the Inazuma green tea, "Your nation's tea has far exceeded my expectations."
"Is that so?" Ei asked, munching on her dango.
Zhongli nodded. "This natural sweetness...the brewers must have pan-fried the fresh tea leaves to bring out the flavor. Is this a technique unique to Inazuma?"
Ei smiled. "It's a new technique developed by a passionate tea aficionado years ago. I heard they offered this new tea-brewing method to add more efficiency to the brewing process. When I tasted it for the first time, the relaxing sweetness complimented my dango so well."
"Is that also why you chose dango as your complimentary dish?" Seeing Ei blush as she hid the two dango sticks in her hands made the man chuckle. "I can get more for you if you wish."
"Oh, I would love-" Ei stopped herself before saying. "No need, Zhongli. I don't wish to have you spend more Mora on my account."
"Seeing your mesmerizing smile is more valuable than any Mora I have." Seeing Ei's face turn red gave Zhongli a new sense of amusement.
"U-Using flattery and poetic words on me is downright unfair."
Zhongli chuckled. "My apologies, Your Excellency."
"How can such people be able to create such genuine conversation when speaking of culture?" asked the Inazuman citizen.
"Hard to say for certain," answered another citizen, "Neither the two grew tired of each other's presence or words. They are locked together, like soul mates. Perhaps that is what they truly are. Soul mates who have finally found each other after being centuries apart. But all of that is just mere gossip."
##
Zhongli was reading his favorite book on Izuman culture with a single lamp as his light source. Though he is not used to sitting on a pillow to read, he is respectful enough to Inazuman traditions to endure his sleeping legs. He looked and noticed Ei had fallen asleep with her work brush in her hands.
The Geo Archon smiled as he waited for his legs to wake up again before standing up to move closer to the sleeping Shogun. Seeing her asleep made his heart beat as he brushed his hand across her cheek.
"You've done well on your work, Ei, but you deserve a more suitable sleeping spot." Zhongli proceeded to lightly pick up Ei and carry her to her bed.
After setting her down and putting covers over her body, Zhongli was about to return to reading until he felt a hand grab hold of his. He turned back and saw Ei, still asleep but mumbling out words.
"Don't...leave...Stay...with me...Rex..."
Zhongli said nothing more as he knelt beside her and placed his free hand on top of hers. "For you, Ei. I will stay for as long as I need."
"Thank...you..."
Zhongli felt tired too, though he had tried his hardest not to show it. He never thought of how it felt to sleep with someone close to him. He entered the bed and held Ei tight, gently caressing her beautiful, purple hair before he closed his eyes.
##
The next morning, Ei woke up in Zhongli's arms. Her head heated up, but she did not raise her voice or say anything. She nestled her head into his chest.
"Good morning, Ei."
Ei felt Zhongli's chest vibrate when he spoke those words. Smiling, she replied, "Good morning, Zhongli. Thank you for indulging my desire for comfort."
"It is unbecoming of someone of my status to do something like this, but I am not bothered. I'm happy you wished for me to stay."
"So will you stay longer? You feel so...warm."
"...As are you." Zhongli rubbed Ei's back as his cheeks turned red. "How I wish to stay like this forever. Your hair...is..." His mind wandered as he unconsciously kissed Ei on her head.
Ei's eyes widened as her face turned a deep shade of pink. A moment of silence followed between them, but for Ei, she could feel his heart beating fast. She knew he was nervous.
"My apologies...I-"
"You need but ask." Ei looked up into his brown eyes and smiled. "Or would you like for me to ask?"
The Geo God smiled as he asked, "May I kiss you this fine morning, Ei?"
"Please do," Ei said.
Their lips connected with one another. Both held each other close as they could. Zhongli stroked her purple hair as Ei moved her hand through his brown hair. Not a single moment did they find no joy in their fleeting moment of love that morning.
##
"That's odd. Her Excellency and the visitor from Liyue aren't here today."
"I heard they went somewhere else for today. Certainly on another tour for the other landmarks in Inazuma."
"Hmm...maybe so, but none of that is our business. If the Shogun really does love this Zhongli person, then I wish her all the happiness in the world."
Jurabi: Hello again. I'm back with my third ZhongEi fic. I have no clue why I have not gotten tired of writing these but I am happy I haven't stopped because good lord I love this pairing. Every time I write them, I feel bubbly inside and it makes me want to write more and more and more. Plus using them in the game is just so satisfying. Like when Zhongli's shield is used and you use Ei's burst, she's protected by his shield as she dishes out high damage and Zhongli stands at the sidelines like a proud boyfriend. Maybe I should write a short fic on that. Maybe.
Anyways, thank you to the guest of my first ZhongEi fic, HereToReadFanfics, for pitching me this idea.
I hope you all loved this chapter. If you loved this chapter, please leave a comment, a favorite, and a follow. Finally, let me know your personal thoughts as you read this fic!