May I have this Dance?
Rex Lapis organized a fancy dance party in Liyue. On the surface, it is for the celebration of Morax's founding of Liyue, but the God of Contracts has a deeper reason for the party.
Rex looks over to his trusted yaksha, Xiao, who looked bored with the presentation before him when others would smile from ear to ear.
"Are you not enjoying yourself, Xiao? I've invited the finest cooks, dancers, and musicians money could offer."
Xiao let out a sigh as he rested his chin on his hand, "Hardly. I have no interest in a dance party because of how boring it can get."
"A shame. I assumed that you would be enjoying the food, at least, or are you waiting for your partner?"
"No, I didn't bother searching for one."
"And whyever not?"
"Have you spoken to a girl in Liyue as I have? They don't even let me talk. All they do is fawn over me before asking me out to the dance."
Rex let out a chuckle, "That should be no surprise. You are a famous individual in the mortal realm; of course, they are unaware of your power as a yaksha unless they have read the book dedicated to you, but your dedication and strength are a testament to your rising popularity."
"All of that is worthless to me. It prevents me from doing my duty to you, Rex Lapis."
"You may believe that matters to me, but your life and happiness are far more important," Rex said, "So I recommend you relax and enjoy this rare opportunity. If you wish to find a suitable lady to dance with, you must seek her out yourself."
Xiao placed a hand over his face, "Do I have to?"
Rex nodded, "An important gentleman's rule to follow is the male must always offer the female to dance. Not the other way around."
"I just told you that the women I tried to-"
"A woman who is unable to let you speak does not truly value your qualities, Xiao," Rex said, "The ones you encounter failed the test of mutuality. That does not mean they all will fail. Try again tonight. Listen to what the women say and what they allow you to say. That is the key."
Xiao silently listened to his god before nodding, "Very well."
"In any case, I've spoken with the musicians to include 'Tranquility of Love' into their list of pieces to play tonight. It is a fantastic music piece that goes well with Osmanthus wine before dancing with a beautiful woman. Find someone who captures your heart with not her looks, but with her presence."
"Is this your command, Rex Lapis?"
"Making this a command would only weaken your experience, Xiao. No, it is a request from a friend to a friend."
Xiao sat in silence before he nodded, "...Fine, but don't expect outstanding results."
A butler of Rex Lapis approached his chair and whispered, "My Lord. Your main guest has arrived."
Rex smiled before standing up, "Excellent timing. Follow me, Xiao."
"Where are we going?" Xiao asked.
"To greet the lady who holds all the qualities you must look for," Rex said as the two walked down to the entrance hall.
There, they see what Rex considers 'True Beauty'.
The Thunder Archon, Baal, walks through the opened doors gallantly with her turquoise dress.
Rex, stunned by her beauty for a brief moment, recovered before greeting the fair lady, "Welcome, My Lady Baal. I am happy that you accepted my invitation."
Baal smiled, "It is my honor to attend an elegant dance with the famous Rex Lapis, and I must say, you look remarkable in that outfit."
"Why thank you. Your lovely dress fits well with your beauty." Rex complimented her as he took her hand and kissed it.
Baal looked down at Xiao, "And who is this young man, if I may ask?"
"Meet my finest yaksha, Xiao. This dance is dedicated to helping him relax and enjoy even the smallest gifts life has to offer."
"I'm...honored to make your acquaintance," Xiao said hesitantly.
Baal giggled, "Thank you. What a well-mannered boy he is. I almost confused him with your son, Rex Lapis."
Rex smiled before replying, "I have received such a compliment from time to time. Shall we talk over fine wine?" He asked as he extended his hand.
"By all means," Baal said, taking his hand.
"Rex Lapis..." Xiao whispered.
"The next group of guests has arrived, Xiao. May I trust you to give them the finest welcome?" Rex asked.
"...Yes, you can."
"If it is too much for you to handle, you may find me over there."
"Sure, now hurry along and enjoy your date."
As Rex and Baal moved over to the drinks table, the Electro Archon took another glance at the young yaksha, "My, he's so blunt with his words."
"It's what makes him special aside from his battle prowess," Rex said, pouring a glass of wine, "Shall I treat you to my favorite wine, my dear."
"Ah, Osmanthus wine," Baal said with a smile, "Your favorite drink, wasn't it? I'm interested in how it tastes."
"I ordered for the finest ingredients in Liyue to make this special wine for you, my dear. Believe me when I say that you shall not feel disappointed."
Meanwhile, Xiao was stuck greeting the new guests, but in his mind, he had already grown tired of the atmosphere weighing down on him, "This brings me nothing but disgrace. I am a yaksha. Not some usher. Every girl I saw before this dance fawned over me and asked me to be their date. None of their words felt...real to me, so how will I ever find anyone..."
"Wow, this place looks amazing!"
A cheerful voice stood out among the crowd of guests.
"Hm?" Xiao looked through the crowd, searching for the source of the voice. Who he found left him stunned.
It was the lawyer girl, Yanfei, wearing a beautiful red dress accompanied by a jewel necklace.
"Is that...?"
"I heard Rex Lapis's parties are fancy, but this takes fancy to a whole new level," Yanfei said, "Though I prefer to spend time on my lawyer work. Maybe I should-" But then Yanfei found Xiao among the crowd. The fact that the lone yaksha was even there surprised her, "Oh hey, is that you Xiao? Wow, you look amazing in that outfit."
Xiao stood there in silence as he watched the pink-haired girl run up to him.
"Uh, Xiao?" Yanfei waved her hand in front of Xiao's speechless face.
"Oh, h-hello, Yanfei." Xiao snapped out of his trance but found it difficult to look her in her green eyes.
"Whoa, you actually said hello. You never say hello to people." The adepti lawyer then looked at Xiao from top to bottom, "In fact, you're never around a crowded place, let alone a dance party. Are you feeling okay?"
"I am here to watch over Rex Lapis and keep him safe from danger," Xiao explained, returning to his stoic self, "At the moment, he is busy with a close acquaintance of his, so out of respect I stepped aside to inspect the new coming guests."
"Heh, well if you were inspecting all the guests, you sure stumbled the moment you saw me," Yanfei said, letting a smirk escape her lips.
"You were the most suspicious."
"Ah there's the classic Xiao I know," Yanfei said with a smile, "In that case, maybe you should watch me for the rest of the night?"
Xiao let out a small grunt at that question.
"What's the matter? Oh, right, I bet all the girls swarmed you all week, asking you to be their partner for this dance, huh?"
"Unfortunately, yes it's happened."
"So...who's the lucky lady who gets to dance with you? Wait, let me guess. Ganyu, right? I heard you two were hanging out together the other day. Or maybe Hu Tao? If so then I gotta say, I never thought girls like her would be your-"
"Y-you..."
A brief moment of silence followed.
Yanfei's forehead began to sweat, "...Eh?"
Xiao's cheeks started heating up, "I...want to...dance with you, Yanfei."
Yanfei's face turned to beat red, "M-m-m-me?! Oh, there must be a mistake! I'm not that pretty of a girl! What about...
"The Traveler isn't in Liyue at the moment, if you're about to ask," Xiao interrupted.
"But...the Traveler always has you there for all their adventures. Why are you picking me of all people?"
"You don't want to dance with me?"
"Yes, I do!" Yanfei shook her head after saying, "Oh wait, it's not that I don't want to dance with you. I...I..."
Xiao let out a sigh, "This is why I talk only when I need to. Sometimes, words can't help you communicate your feelings properly." He extended his hand.
"Huh?" Yanfei looked down at the yaksha's gloved hand.
"I want to dance with you, Yanfei. May I have the honor?" Xiao asked in a soothing voice.
Yanfei's face relaxed and had a calmer tone of red across her cheeks, "Xiao..." Slowly but surely, she accepted the boy's hand, "O-Okay. Yes. I want to dance with you too, then I would love to eat with you as well. Is that okay?"
Xiao nodded and guided her to the dancing floor.
All the while, the two gods watched the two from afar.
"Interesting. Of all the females Liyue has to offer, he chooses the Adeptus lawyer," Rex Lapis said.
"Love comes in a variety of forms, Rex Lapis. Our love is no different." Baal said.
Rex let out a smile, turning to his fellow Archon, "Indeed it is, Baal. Shall we go to the dance floor?" The God of Contracts extended his hand out to the beautiful Shogun, "A wonderful music piece will soon begin- one suited for a god as beautiful as you."
"I'm flattered, my dear. Let us hope your elegant dancing has not eroded over the years." Baal extended accepted Rex Lapis's extended hand.
"For you, my love, my dedication is eternal."
On the dance floor, the music changed to a slow, romantic piece allowing the dancers to pair with their chosen partners for a lovely dance.
For the two Teyvat gods, they dance as if they've done so forever.
But for the yaksha who knew only of battle, it is a new experience for him.
"Do you have any idea how to dance, Xiao? This is a really important moment for you." Yanfei asked, a little worried.
"I...have some experience," Xiao said, struggling a little to find his step.
"You don't have to put off a front for me," Yanfei said, "I have little experience too, but don't worry. We can figure this out together."
"To...gether?" Xiao asked.
"Yeah, just...keep a good hold on me with your right arm. You might not see 'that moment' coming."
In his mind, Xiao wondered what Yanfei meant by 'that moment' but decided to trust her and held on to her with his right arm.
"Now, we both need to keep pace with the rhythm of the music," Yanfei said as she started moving her feet left and right, "And 1...and 2...keep pace with my movements. Don't be too rough with your steps and move with the rhythm."
"Hm..." Xiao didn't like receiving help from others, but for a reason, he can't quite comprehend, he didn't mind for this occasion.
"Whoa, careful, Xiao. You could have tripped on yourself there." Yanfei said.
"Oh, my mistake," Xiao said, "But it wouldn't have hurt as much. I've been through far worse."
"That doesn't make it any better. Okay, here comes the moment. I'm going to lean to the right. Follow me and keep a good grip on my waist."
"Your...waste?" Xiao asked, as he instinctively wrapped his arms around his waist.
"Mhm, now, pull me closer," Yanfei said as she felt Xiao pull her closer, "And...now," She leaned backward as she felt Xiao's pressure on her backside, preventing her from falling to the floor. She let out a smile, "You got it. I was right to trust you."
Xiao did not say a word.
"Okay, Xiao, pull me back up," Yanfei said, feeling the awkwardness begin to set in.
"Your eyes...are so pretty." Xiao suddenly spoke.
Yanfei's eyes widened, "Huh?"
Xiao blinked for a moment before he pulled Yanfei back to her feet and looked away, face turning red, "I-I...you didn't hear that."
"Oh no, I definitely did," Yanfei's cheeks also started to turn red, "I...never thought you would compliment me like that."
"I...apologize if I made you uncomfortable," Xiao said.
"No, you didn't," Yanfei said, "Thank you. I...never had anyone compliment me like that."
Then the music got slower as the two unconsciously locked hands with each other.
"Would you like to continue?" Xiao asked, softly.
"I would..." Yanfei said, resting her head on Xiao's shoulder.
"Wh-what are you doing?" The yaksha asked.
"I'm resting my head on your shoulder," The lawyer answered, "I've seen it in the sweetest, heartfelt scenes in romantic movies, and I thought tonight would be the perfect night."
Xiao smiled and closed his eyes, "In that case...please stay there for a while."
"Sure," Yanfei whispered.
In the meantime, the two archons watched the two as they danced themselves.
"Xiao learning to dance with a lady. I am one to plan for all outcomes, yet this one still surprised me," Rex Lapis remarked.
"You sound like a proud father, Rex Lapis," Baal said.
"I am. The young yaksha found the warmth he's needed all his life. I've wished nothing more than that for him."
Baal let out a smile as she placed her hand on Rex's cheek, "That tender love you have for others...it's what I always loved about you, Rex."
"To have your approval means wonders to me, Baal," The Geo God leaned into the soft hand on his cheek, "May I have the honor of treating you to this next dance as a show of my gratitude?"
"Only if you grace me with a lovely kiss," The Electro God answered as the two kissed the lovely night away.
Jurabi: Hi again! I made another ZhongEi fic, but this time I added Xiao. I've mulled over who to pair Xiao with and asked a friend for suggestions. I got Ganyu, Hutao, Yanfei, and Ningguang too from another friend. Ultimately, I chose Yanfei because I find Xiao/Yanfei to be a nice balance between Xiao with Ganyu and Hu Tao. Yanfei is outgoing and confident, but not too energetic and can have her shy moments as well. I like that kind of personality to mix with a stoic, lone-figure character like Xiao. So I decided to give it a shot and it turned out better than I expected.
The only thing I am kinda sad about is that I ended up making this fic more about Xiao/Yanfei than my target pairing, ZhongEi, but I hope Xiao/Yanfei fans enjoyed this fic regardless, same to the ZhongEi fans as well.
I like doing this where I make fics based on art. This particular fic was made from the art drawn by dxntleavxme on Twitter. So thank them for posting amazing ZhongEi art that inspired this fic.
Anyways, I hope all of you enjoyed this story. If you did, please be sure to leave a comment, a favorite, and a follow. Let me know what you thought about this story.