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“There you are,” Master Varka announced when Jean peeked her head into the grand master’s office. “I’d like to introduce you to someone.”
Jean fully entered the room, and she darted her eyes to the someone beside him.
She— Jean assumed— was dressed in a purple dress, her coffee brown hair tied in a loose side ponytail, a tea cup in her gloved hands.
The woman was wearing a large hat, covering her eyes. So, when she stood up to meet Jean, the blonde was certainly surprised to see bright emerald eyes.
“This is Lisa Minci, a grand mage from Sumeru, where she graduated as the most distinguished student in two centuries.” Varka said with a blinding smile on his face, which was honestly strange. Jean had never seen him so honored yet intimidated at the same time.
“It's a wonderful pleasure to finally meet you, Captain Jean.” The mage greeted, offering her hand for a handshake which Jean accepted hesitantly.
She returned the greeting, though there was a bitter taste in her tongue. Jean couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there was something strange about the new guest of Mondstadt.
Lisa seemed too perfect. It gave her second thoughts— thoughts that Master Varka might not appreciate. From the way the mage smiled a coy smirk, to the way her eyes gazed with such intensity at Jean, causing goosebumps across her skin.
It didn’t help that she could feel jolts of electricity lingering in the air.
—
It seemed like Jean wasn’t the only one who caught Lisa’s inevitable effect on people. Though, it was a different kind of effect as the knights practically threw themselves at the charming guest.
“Hey, cuties,” Lisa said, her voice silky and smooth as she waved at them.
Several people asked for her name, her age— even her hand in marriage!
Jean couldn’t help but roll her eyes, which may be rude and informal, but the knights needed to focus, as they should. Some attractive woman just barged in, merely smiled and everyone’s distracted.
“Get back to work,” She ordered, her voice more stern than it usually is, a tone she often used when she’s in command. Immediately, the knights flinched, and went back to training, slightly afraid of the blonde.
“No need to be so harsh on them, Captain,” Lisa said, her voice soft, much different to Jean’s. “They’re working very hard.”
Lisa ushered closer to her, her hand reaching out to touch Jean’s arm. However Jean moved away just before the brunette could do so. “Not enough.”
Master Varka had assigned Jean— of all people— to show Lisa around Mondstadt. She really couldn’t do anything else but to accept the order. Even if she had to walk around with someone she’s highly suspicious of.
“I sense that you’re not particularly angry at them, aren’t you?” Lisa said when they were walking past the fountain. “You’re quite… uptight about me.”
“You’re mistaken, Miss Minci,” Jean told her, though it felt like a lie. “They’re part of the Knights of Favonius, they should be training harder, for Grand Master Varka will be going on an expedition.”
“Always so formal, my knight.” Lisa teased, though it left Jean unfazed. “Mondstadt will be fine under your leadership, dear.”
“Of course, as you said, I am a knight. It is my sole duty to live up to my purpose.” She claimed, turning her head back to look at Lisa. “And that is the only reason why you are being accompanied by me.”
“Ouch, you wound me,” The purple-clad woman said dramatically, bringing her hand up to her chest. But the cunning look on her face told Jean that Lisa wasn’t a bit offended— she might be intrigued, even.
“I never intended to offend you,” Jean looked down, quite guilty of the way she was acting. She’d only met Lisa for a day, Jean didn’t think it was right to be cold towards the woman. “My apologies, Miss Minci.”
The words slipped past her tongue like smooth butter, almost as if it was the whole truth. Jean didn’t really want to lie for much longer anymore.
—
It had been a week or two since she met Lisa.
So far, the scholar acted like herself— or so Jean assumed was really how Lisa was. Being charming and cunning in her mysterious ways, making everyone melt into a puddle of goo.
Well, everyone but Jean.
It’s not like she thinks Lisa’s a horrible person. No, she’d been very nice to everyone, even to Jean who had been rather… guarded around the woman. It’s just that there’s something strange about Lisa.
Jean didn’t want to make any ridiculous assumptions or so, but she couldn’t help but think that there was something more to Lisa’s alluring personality, like it was a game— one that she could easily win. It’s unreasonable, Jean thought, but there’s nothing wrong with having her guard up, as usual.
And she’s not letting it break as long as the electro grand mage is walking within the people of Mondstadt.
It didn’t help that she’s still flirting with everyone, and Jean had to remind the knights several times that they aren’t training just to impress a cute girl.
No, they— including Jean— are bruising their hands and breaking their bones because she won’t be able to handle failing to protect Mondstadt under her leadership, now that Master Varka is leaving in a week.
So no, she won’t let a mere guest hinder their progress when her city is at stake.
“You know—“ Jean flinched out of her thoughts when Kaeya sat beside her. “If you like Lisa so much, just ask her out.”
“What?” Jean’s body stiffened, in disbelief of Kaeya’s assumption.
“C’mon, you’ve been staring at her for an hour.”
“You misunderstand me,” Jean frowned before standing up to move away from the blue-haired knight.
Kaeya’s yells of “don’t deny it, Jean!” became more distant as the blonde walked away, waving off his ridiculous comments.
Jean may be imagining it, but it looked like Lisa glanced at her as she walked— shooting her a wink before acknowledging the crowd surrounding the mage once more.
—
The moment Master Varka told her that Lisa was a grand mage from Sumeru, Jean immediately expected the woman to be powerful.
But archons, it might be the biggest understatement of all.
Especially that Jean was now staring at a defeated Nymph on the ground as Lisa claimed victory for the position of the Captain of the 8th Company.
With just a raise of Lisa’s hand, a large amount of lightning crackled down from the sky, enough to stun a skilled knight like Nymph. It’s like the mage didn’t move at all. Even when the knight charged, Lisa just snapped her fingers and she teleported right behind her opponent.
And as much as Jean distrusted Lisa, saying that she wasn’t powerful at all was a total lie.
Master Varka announced the winner, and then Lisa shook Nymph’s hand. “Congratulations, Captain Nymph.”
The whole crowd gasped, even Jean had her eyes bulged out. Nymph could only stutter. “W-What?”
And there, the day ended with a new captain. Though, they weren’t really clad in purple clothing.
When the sun met the sea, Jean was called yet again by the grand master.
“I’m leaving tomorrow,” Master Varka announced, arranging the items on his table before standing up to meet Jean. “And I trust you to protect Mondstadt, Acting Grand Master Jean.”
Jean thanked the man, bowing in respect as a new sense of duty washed over her senses. She could already feel the pressure on her shoulders, being the leader of her city.
But whenever she felt that way, she’d grab a romance novel and trace her fingers against the lines that had affected her sense of longing.
For love? Jean wasn’t so sure.
So, she visited the library, distracted. She could feel people staring at her as she went through the romance section. Jean consciously ignored them as she picked out a book she almost finished reading the last time she visited the library.
Jean immediately walked over to the librarian’s desk, her attention solely focused on the novel in her hands, not bothering to look up. “Good evening, Miss Fio—“
“Hey there, cutie.”
The blonde jumped at the new, but familiar voice before finally looking up.
Lisa was sitting where the librarian should be, resting her chin against her palm with an innocent smile on her face.
Jean looked around to find the librarian. “W-Why are you sitting here?”
“Because I work here now.”
“Huh?” The knight questioned, unable to process the sight before her eyes. “You were supposed to be captain, Miss Minci.”
“That would be fun for everybody else but me,” Lisa sighed, closing her eyes before opening one to peek at Jean. “That amount of work would be the cause of my death.”
Jean frowned, but she didn’t really know how to feel about it. If Lisa was a knight, she would’ve scolded her for slacking around, but she decided to shut up for now.
“If that’s what you desire,” Jean decided to say.
Lisa hummed in agreement, eyeing the book in the blonde’s hands. “Are you going to borrow that?”
Jean flinched, realizing that she momentarily forgot about the novel. “Ah, yes.”
She handed it over to the new librarian. Their fingertips touched and Jean realized that it was the first time they ever made physical contact aside from their first handshake.
When Lisa was done with the listing and whatever librarian things she needed to do, she stood up to walk over to Jean and whispered to her ear;
“Two weeks, Master Jean. I’m not very nice when it comes to tardiness.”
Lisa pulled away, their faces still incredibly close as she brought her forefinger up, tracing lines on Jean’s collar, a foxy look on her face.
“Your charms don’t work on me, Miss Lisa.”
Lisa tilted her head as a soft giggle escaped her lips, her expression unfazed. Her finger never left Jean. “Not yet.”
Jean returned the intense stare before grabbing the book from her hands. “Not a chance.”
—
It was a cloudy afternoon when Jean decided to patrol for the first day as the Acting Grand Master. A little walk around the city wouldn’t hurt.
The citizens recognized and drowned her with warm greetings, and Jean smiled to return the gratitude. One even gave her a bag of cookies as a thank you.
Yes, everything was going fine. She could still enjoy a few minutes of peace within Mondstadt.
Alone, preferably.
“Master Jean~” Lisa cooed as she walked up to Jean, who was certainly not pleased with whatever she was planning.
Jean turned around to face the librarian, forming a forced smile. “Yes, Miss Lisa?”
Lisa revealed what she had behind her back, offering a neatly picked rose. “For you.”
Jean sighed, accepting the flower because it’d be embarrassing not to, especially that she’s in the middle of the pavement with several people watching. “I told you, I’m not gonna fall in love with you.”
“Funny,” Lisa raised an eyebrow. “I never said it was from me.”
A confused noise escaped Jean’s lips as her eyes darted from the rose in her hands to Lisa.
“When you weren’t looking, a kind gentleman told me to give the rose to you.”
“Roses aren’t even my thing. It’s yours.” Jean argued.
“Well, if you really wanted a rose from me, you can just ask—“
“Nevermind,” Jean stopped her, turning around again to continue patrolling.
Lisa chuckled, still following Jean throughout the journey. “So stubborn, Master Jean,” The mage said.
Jean chose to ignore the librarian and focused on tending to the citizen’s needs. One asked her to find her cat, another was something about sweet flowers and a man who was asking for her sister’s autograph.
“I think that’s enough work for you,” Lisa told the blonde, brushing off a piece of leaf that was stuck on Jean’s hair.
“I still need to sign some paperwork in the office.”
“You can do it tomorrow, you’ve done plenty—“
“Lisa—“ Jean warned, stopping the mage from finishing her sentence. It made her cringe when she forgot to address her formally. “Please do your own job and stop worrying about mine.”
There was a trace of guilt on Lisa’s face, something Jean had never seen before.
“My apologies, Master Jean.” Lisa looked dejected, but she smiled, even though it looked sad. “Just—Please, take care of yourself.”
Jean nodded to her the last time before walking away to go back to her office, leaving Lisa alone outside her door.
—
When she was a captain, Jean had gone through a lot of paperwork, so she expected that doing Master Varka’s work was triple the job.
And now, staring at the pile of unsigned documents settled on her desk, Jean didn’t know she could admire the grand master even more.
“Oh Barbatos, bless my spine.” Jean muttered, sighing as she picked up a contract from Liyue.
Knock! Knock!
“Come in,” Jean said, not bothering to look up.
She heard the creak of the door as it opened, still she didn’t look up until a familiar honey-like voice spoke. “Master Jean.”
The knight bit her lip, trying not to remember how harsh she treated the woman the last time they saw each other. Nevertheless, she looked up to see Lisa with a tray in her hands. On top of it was a teapot, a pair of cups— inside with what she assumed was tea.
“Li— Miss Lisa,” Jean corrected herself before she could make another mistake.
“Lisa is fine, dear.” The librarian smiled, as if nothing happened between them. “It’s past noon, and I think it would be best for you to have some tea.”
“Oh,” Jean caught herself flustered. “Well uh— Thank you. You can join me if you’d like.”
“I’d love to,” The mage beamed, sitting at the table next to Jean’s desk.
It’d be rude of her to let Lisa sit alone, so she detached herself from work and sat opposite to the brunette. From there, she took a cup and sipped from it, the tip of her tongue almost burning from the temperature, but otherwise the drink tasted amazing.
It seemed like Lisa took note of Jean’s delight, as she smirked at the blonde. “I’m glad you like it, my knight.”
Jean stiffened at the nickname, not sure what she felt about it.
She set the cup down and looked at Lisa. “This— You’re being nice, I don’t know if you’re doing it on purpose or not to—“
“Master Jean, my intention is just to look out for you.” Lisa said, serious. “If you think I’m just a shameless flirt, fine— I can’t really blame you.”
“That’s—“
“But I do care about Mondstadt— like the way you do, and that means I have to take care of the one whose duty is to protect it.”
Speechless, Jean only looked away, her hands clenched.
“Finish your tea, Master Jean,” Lisa said, sipping from her cup of tea. “Then I won’t disturb you anymore.”
Jean realized that the tea burning her tongue hurt less.
—
The first attack of the abyss order— since Master Varka left— came, damaging Mondstadt’s walls and wounding fallen knights.
They were lucky that the attack was expected, so citizens were able to be evacuated and they were successful in claiming victory.
But with all the injured soldiers Jean was supposed to protect and guide, was it really something to be proud of?
“It’s not your fault,” Lisa said, sitting at the chair beside Jean’s bed.
Barbara practically dragged Jean so she could heal her wounds, which wasn’t really necessary since Jean was a healer herself. Nevertheless, she came and settled on a comfortable white mattress.
Jean sighed at Lisa’s comment. “We knew that attack was coming, and yet there were still casualties.”
Suddenly, Lisa stood up and poked the side of Jean’s uninjured waist a couple of times, making her unintentionally giggle.
“W-What was that for?”
“You knew that was coming, and yet you still laughed.” Lisa raised an eyebrow. “You can’t control everything, Master Jean.”
“Wow, you’re so smart,” Jean said sarcastically, burying herself into the pillows, closing her eyes.
“I am, thank you very much.”
“Being tickled isn’t the same as getting hurt, Lisa.” The blonde murmured, opening one eye to look at the brunette.
“I know, that’s why it’s called a metaphor,” Lisa rolled her eyes. “Would you rather I electrocute you then?”
“No, thank you.” Jean chuckled, which was probably the first time she did so around the librarian. At the realization, she shut her mouth, subtly turning her head away from Lisa.
“I know you’re not particularly fond of me,” Lisa said, a hint of hesitation in her tone.
“N-No, it’s not that,” Jean explained, slowly turning her head once again to face the librarian. “I—“
“It doesn’t matter,” She replied, a sad smile forming on her lips. “I’ll still be fighting beside you. For Mondstadt.”
There’s a second of hesitation running through Jean’s nerves. And she let herself rethink everything and focus, not letting her anger and distaste get in the way of logic.
Maybe it was her sense of reasoning speaking, telling Jean that having a thunderstorm, as unpredictable as Lisa, hovering over Mondstadt was better, despite the cackles of lightning that could burn it down.
Or maybe… maybe it was just Jean’s last piece of humanity sensing the truth in Lisa’s words— that they’re both fighting for the same purpose.
And finally, Jean chose her words;
“I know.”
—
Two weeks had passed, and Jean remembered it was time to return the novel she borrowed.
Honestly, Jean felt hesitant about walking into the library, where she would meet Lisa everytime. It had been awkward between them. The librarian even kept their distance.
The knight was unsure if it made her relieved or quite worried.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and walked in. The first thing she did was to look at the librarian’s desk— which was surprisingly empty. Even when Lisa was napping, she’d always been there.
She couldn’t be far, Jean thought as she walked down the stairs, looking for Lisa.
She caught little Ella Musk reciting hilichurlian, minding her business.
“Ella?” Jean tapped the little girl’s shoulder. “Have you seen Lisa around?”
“Yaya ika!” Ella suddenly whisper-shouted, making Jean jump in surprise.
“What?”
“Looking for me, cutie?” A voice came from the side, attracting Jean’s attention.
Lisa stood there, peeking her head from one of the book shelves.
“Ah, I’ve been meaning to return the book, but if you’re busy I can—“
Jean stopped the moment Lisa stepped out into the open. There was something different about her. Like there was something missing…
“You let your hair down,” Jean blatantly commented, pointing at Lisa.
“Ah, I’ve lost my hair tie. I think someone stole it…”
“Do you want me to find it?”
“No, no,“ Lisa looked surprised, shaking her head as her hands waved around in protest. “That’s too much work, it’s just a hair tie, I’ll buy another one.”
Jean nodded, quite embarrassed about suggesting to go treasure hunting after the tiniest hair tie.
“I see you’re punctual as always, my knight.” Lisa smiled, eyeing the novel in Jean’s hands.
The nickname surprisingly reddened her cheeks. “It would be impolite of me to let you go through much work chasing people.”
“How considerate of you, Master Jean.” Lisa said, gesturing to follow her upstairs.
When they reached her desk, the librarian didn’t bother sitting down, she just stood next to Jean as she wrote ‘returned’ next to the knight’s name in perfect cursive handwriting.
Jean handed the book over, which Lisa gracefully accepted, putting it on her desk to place it back into the shelves later.
“Good job, Master—“
“Jean,” The blonde suddenly said, her expressions softening. “You can call me Jean.”
“Okay,” Lisa was practically beaming, a grin on her face. “Good job, Jean.”
—
The next day, Lisa showed up at her office, bringing the same set of teacups as before.
This time, Jean was actually glad to see the librarian visit her with a warm drink to soothe her senses. “Good afternoon, Lisa.”
“I hope you don’t mind a tea party with me.” Lisa asked, but she had already set the tray down on the table, as well as herself on the chair.
“Not at all,” Jean said, sitting next to Lisa and grabbing a cup of tea. This time, she put an effort trying to blow the heat out of the drink.
The two remained quiet, and as awkward it might be, Jean actually enjoyed the moment of peace and silence with the mage. Not a single word uttered, just the mere presence of Lisa comforting her in a way it had never done before.
Overtime, Jean started to understand Lisa, maybe not in a way that friends would, but she’s trying.
Lisa was charming, as usual— not even Jean could deny that. It’d be a lie to say that Jean wasn’t a tad bit flustered whenever Lisa was close to her, with such green eyes gazing into her own.
The librarian had always been quiet too, when she wasn’t, she’d say what people wanted to hear, from her flirty comments, to the most comforting words someone needed to hear. It made it difficult to know what her thoughts really were.
If there was something about her that others would call a bad trait, it would be her laziness. People discovered it as soon as Lisa explained why she didn’t want to lead the 8th Company. Jean wasn’t someone who liked being lazy, but she actually didn’t mind Lisa’s sluggish personality. Not when it made the brunette feel better.
There’s also something about the way she lived her life. At first, Jean honestly thought that Lisa acted like her glamorous self to get what she wanted. Like how she thought Lisa was trying to seduce enchant Jean like it was some sort of mastermind plan of hers.
But the longer she spent her time with the scholar, the more she understood that Lisa just wanted to make people feel appreciated. Like how she’d always compliment everyone around her, giving them sweet nicknames and offering the softest hugs— if they’re lucky, they would get a kiss on the cheek.
Lisa never did expect anything in return.
It’s funny, how a month ago, Jean wanted to get away from Lisa as soon as possible. And now, she found herself slowly drawn to the alluring electro-user.
“By the way,” Lisa suddenly said, cutting off the whole mess Jean was thinking about. “I won’t be in the library later.”
Jean remained silent, signaling her to continue.
“Do you— by chance— have met Razor? He’s an electro-user like me, and I’ll be teaching him.”
“Alright,” Jean nodded, taking a sip from the tea before placing it down. “Please stay safe.” She said with more concern in her tone than she expected.
“Ooh— careful, dear.” Lisa smirked, a playful tone in her voice. “I might think that you’re in love with me.”
Jean only chuckled, not wanting to agree, nor deny it.
—
It was past 8 PM when Jean saw Lisa return to the headquarters, a tired look on her face as she let out a yawn. She felt ridiculous watching the librarian from the windows.
As soon as Lisa disappeared into the doors, Jean opened her own to meet her in the hallway.
“Lisa, hey,” The knight greeted, making the brunette flinch at the sudden call.
“You’re still here,” Lisa smiled warmly, rubbing her arm.
“Would you like to come in for a moment?”
“Of course.”
The two enter the office once more, this time, they’re both seated comfortably at one of the couches.
“How did it go?” Jean asked first.
“I’ve got to say, Razor is a fast learner. I even managed to teach him how to cook.” Lisa smiled at the memory. “Of course, it tasted a bit… odd, but nothing wrong with a little setback.”
Jean nodded in agreement before fiddling with her fingers. “What weapon does he wield? Bow? Sword? Pole-arm?
“Claymore, actually. He did so well for a beginner, but he almost accidentally electrocuted me,” The mage laughed at Jean’s shocked expression. “It’s fine, I was able to bend it away.”
Jean caught herself staring as she realized Lisa’s hair was still down, which reminds her…
“I got you something,” The blonde said, squeezing her hands into her tiny pockets to fish something out. “It’s not much but…”
There was a glint in Lisa’s eyes when Jean opened her hand to reveal a hair tie with a purple rose on it, similar to Lisa’s own.
“I-I bought it from Marjorie, and it’s not the exact same but it still reminded me of you so…” Jean trailed off, beginning to get anxious as Lisa only stared between her face to the hair tie.
Jean let the breath she was holding escape from her lungs when Lisa reached out to take the gift. Still, the mage remained in shock, as if she just received a million mora.
“I—Thank you, my knight.” Lisa said, her voice as soft as her expression.
This time, Jean knew what she felt about the nickname.
Lisa looked so happy and… beautiful that night— It was only when Lisa had to let go to realize that their hands were intertwined.
—
A few weeks had passed when an unknown traveler arrived at Mondstadt, along with her flying companion. They came looking for help to find her brother.
It was also the time when a storm took over the town and suddenly there’s a dragon flying over it. Jean had to smack herself a couple times to believe it.
Fortunately, matters were discussed and resolved with the help of the traveler and a person who refers to as ‘Venti’.
A few days later, Jean caught the guest, Lumine, with Lisa when she was wiping her office window. Jean observed as they went through all kinds of places, the restaurant, the flower shop, and Marjorie’s souvenir store. They even went out beyond the walls!
Jean’s stomach dropped when she realized it looked too much of a date to ignore.
Until Lisa came back from her date, Jean decided to finish her work, seeing how many documents were stacked on top of each other.
Several hours came by when Lisa finally arrived, Jean was somewhat relieved to see that Lumine was nowhere to be found.
“I see that the traveler’s making friends.” Jean commented when Lisa entered the office to nap on the couch.
“Hm, you could say that.” Lisa answered lazily, her eyes already closed.
That doesn’t make me feel better at all.
“I thought you didn’t like going on dates.” Jean couldn’t help but say, even though it was none of her business. Still, she was curious.
Lisa didn’t reply, and Jean thought she had already fallen asleep until she spoke again. “It wasn’t a date. Just needed some assistance with retrieving books.”
“So, that’s why the sky was getting gloomy…” Jean muttered, unsure if Lisa heard her.
“On the way, Lumine bought me gifts too. Such fresh and beautiful flowers. It was very sweet of her.”
Jean's chest tightened, almost painful. She wanted to say something, a comment, so Lisa wouldn’t hear the sound of her heart dropping.
“She reminds me of you, Jean.” said Lisa, laughing softly before opening her eyes to look at the blonde. “Other than being blonde, you’re hardworking, kind, sweet and…”
“And?” Jean can’t help but ask, ushering Lisa to continue.
The mage smiled at Jean’s curiosity. “Beautiful.”
Jean stayed still, trying to hide the fact that her heart was racing in a way that it could burst out of her chest. She pressed her lips together, unsure of what to say.
“But it’s not the first time anyone’s ever called you that, right?”
It’s true. Yes, she’d heard several people make time to comment on her physical appearance. She’d often get flustered, not used to being complimented.
So, she shook her head to confirm Lisa’s assumption. “No.”
“Then, you should get used to it.”
—
Jean vaguely remembered passing out in the middle of her conversation with Lumine and Paimon, and then she woke up to see that she’s in the cathedral.
Then, she went out to enter a domain, obnoxiously tearing her cape she just washed yesterday, and yes, she very much can recall how she almost fried her hair.
After that, one of the knights, Swan, mentioned something about Angel’s share and without a second thought, Jean dashed into the bar, completely unaware of the surprise party arranged for her.
So now, she stood at the balcony, gazing at the statue of Barbatos. Lumine and Paimon joined her tight after, discussing matters about Mondstadt.
“Please remember to take some time off, Master Jean.” Lumine said, worried. “I’m afraid that there won’t be anyone with you when you pass out next time.”
Jean chuckled. “It’s alright, Lisa’s always with me.”
“Paimon thinks so too!” Lumine’s companion said with enthusiasm. “You two must be very close.”
“Ah, you think?” Jean asked, flustered.
“Absolutely,” Lumine nodded, and Jean might be imagining it but the traveler looked rather smug. “When we were hanging out with Lisa, she wouldn’t shut up about you.”
Beside her, Paimon nodded violently in approval, low-key annoyed.
Meanwhile, Jean’s trying not to act informal, keeping a casual face and ignoring how warm her cheeks are and how she could feel her pulse beating vigorously.
The three bid their farewells, her eyes almost bulging out when Lumine jumped from the balcony. She sighed in relief when she saw that the traveler was alright.
Tired, Jean walked into the bar once again, meeting Lisa who’d been waiting for her by the stairs, the corner of her lips tugged in a smile.
“Walk with me?” The mage asked.
“Of course,” Jean nodded, offering her arm.
Immediately, Lisa practically hopped next to Jean and hooked her arm through hers.
They said goodbyes to the rest of their drunken friends, Diluc sighing in frustration as he wiped an empty glass.
The walk was silent, considering that it was quite late and the citizens were usually asleep at this hour. Lisa also had her head against Jean’s shoulder, her eyes drooped down in exhaustion while the blonde guided her.
“We’re here,” Jean murmured quietly, staring at Lisa’s house.
The librarian yawned, detaching herself from Jean and taking out her keys. Then, there was a click, the door now unlocked.
Jean stood there, awkward. Lisa turned to look at her again. There was a smile on her lips before she stood on her tiptoes and pecked Jean on the cheek.
The blonde widened her eyes, surprised at the unexpected sweet gesture.
“Thank you, my knight.” Lisa muttered, her voice soft as her expression.
Then, Jean allowed herself to smile and let her guard down. Something she thought she could never do as long as she remained on the land. And yet, here she was, not paying attention to anything other than to Lisa, who gazed at her with the same amount of emotion, a smile that could easily overpower Jean.
“Good night, Lisa.” She finally whispered, her eyes still watching the mage until she disappeared into her home.
That night, Huffman wondered why his Acting Grand Master was hopping like a child, humming an old folk song on her way home.
—
It had been the third attack from the Abyss that week when Jean lost six knights and two citizens of Mondstadt.
The attack was unexpected, as the Order brought more than a dozen waves of hiluchurls and abyss mages. Walls had already been broken down and there were so many injured knights, fighting for the city, just how they trained to be.
It had been the most intense battle so far, and Jean needed to find assistance— fast.
So, she brought all those who wielded a vision because If Jean wanted to claim victory, it was going to take more than her anemo powers.
Earlier, she told Barbara to stay in the cathedral, tending the injured.
“Jean,” Lisa warned, standing beside her in the building as the blonde prepared for battle. “Let me help.”
Jean hesitated, not wanting to see the possibility of Lisa getting hurt. “Look, I know you’re powerful, Lisa.” She assured the brunette. “But Barbara might need some help.”
That was a lie, her sister was talented and she had all the nuns needed to help her out. Jean just wanted to make an excuse so Lisa wouldn’t take a step in the field, where she could fall in a flash.
“But I wish to help you,” Lisa asked, her eyes full of worry as she held onto Jean’s arm. “I want to protect you—“
“No, I’m protecting you.” Jean argued, reaching out to hold Lisa’s hands. “…And all of Mondstadt.”
“Jean, if you’re gone, who—“
“I will be alright,” Jean claimed, letting go of Lisa as she walked away—
“Wait—“ Lisa suddenly stopped Jean, grabbing her wrist.
Jean looked at her with question as the librarian untied her hair before slipping the purple rose accessory into Jean’s palm.
“When this is over, I expect you to return it to me yourself.” The mage said, serious and quite emotional. “I’ve grown rather fond of it.”
“I can’t make that promise,” Jean shook her head, her voice cracking, fingers trembling beneath Lisa’s own.
There’s sadness in Lisa’s eyes as emerald orbs scanned Jean’s expression, as if she was searching for any sign of lie in the blonde’s words.
“Please,” Lisa asked, tightening her grip on Jean’s hand. “For me?”
Jean stared at the librarian’s broken expression, glancing at the purple rose in her palm. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to make an empty promise, she’d never do that— especially to Lisa.
So, she only lifted Lisa’s hand in hers and gave it a soft kiss, wanting it to be the last thing the mage remembers about the Dandelion Knight.
A kiss that held the words that Jean had always wanted to say— on top of the hand of the woman she’d grown to love.
And from there, Jean let go of Lisa’s hand, and she didn’t look back, afraid that one look at the mage’s expression might tempt her to abandon her duty.
That day, the Acting Grand Master fought endlessly with a purple rose wrapped around her hand. The same hand that was carved to wield a sword— not to caress soft skin nor to touch such delicate hands, and had never been created to hold someone’s heart, when she cannot carry her own.
On the battlefield, Jean didn’t think, her body moving on its own like a reflex, lifting her sword to mercilessly slash her way through the army. She heard yells, calling out her name but it sounded so distant— like she was underwater, slowly drowning.
Suddenly, a sharp feeling touched Jean’s abdomen— it was the feeling of pain. She had to stare at the attacker before the world seemed to slow down and suddenly, she could clearly hear the roars and cries of battle of her comrades. That was when she looked down to see an arrow jabbing into her gut and in an instant, she shrieked in pain, gasping for air and groaning.
“Master Jean!” She heard Amber yell, and then she felt hands grab her away from the field.
Jean didn’t fight it, tired. But in truth, she was scared. Terrified that she was so vulnerable as she saw herself bleed into her clothes, her allies with worried eyes, searching for a solution.
It was painful. The wound, yes it was, but Jean didn’t care. Not when saw the rose on her wrist, now tainted with blood— a painful reminder of a promise she never made, but nevertheless, would’ve failed to keep.
But it’s all what it took to make Jean stand up, breaking the arrow in half instead of pulling it off. There were several warnings for her, spoken by her friends, telling Jean that things could go worse, like how she could potentially damage a vein and bleed out to die.
“I’m fine,” Jean groaned, gripping her sword once again before walking back into the field. “I’d rather fight and bleed, than to just sit there and—“
A bolt of lightning hit the ground from the sky, dangerously close to Jean. She jumped away in time, though a bit of shock hit her arm.
“What the…” Jean muttered, looking up at the sky which had been the bluest it had ever been, now growing darker with gray clouds, cackles of purple lightning flickering. It went on until the sky turned fully purple.
“Hey, listen up!” Kaeya yelled, running from where the statue of Barbatos was. “We have about a minute before the clouds are gonna blow up on us, so I suggest going indoors. Now.”
The knights didn’t argue, retreating and entering homes. All of them except for Jean.
“Kaeya, this—“ Jean rushed forward, groaning when she felt a wave of pain flow from her wound. “She—
Lisa…”
The cryo knight only nodded sadly before ushering Jean to go inside.
“Wait—“ She argued, detaching herself from Kaeya. “S-She’s covering the entire city, even beyond the walls! She can’t hold that much for long!”
Painfully, she recalled one of their conversations during their regular tea session.
”I hope I’m not offending you, I’m just curious.”
“Ask away, darling.”
“Everytime you summon impressive amounts of lightning down, I’ve always noticed that it takes time for you to do that skill again. And you look like passing out right after…” Jean asked, her tone full of curiosity before realizing how rude she sounded. “I’m not doubting you, Lisa. I-I’m just worried.”
The mage giggled, waving off Jean’s worry away. “It’s quite a long story. I must admit, it is quite very draining to summon lightning from the sky itself. I remember sleeping an entire day after I fought an army of hilichurls.”
“So, what would happen if you did more than that?” Jean asked once again, an answer already lingering in her head but she’s too afraid to accept it.
There’s a dark look in Lisa’s eyes, casually sipping her tea before smiling innocently. “Let’s just hope we never find out.”
“C’mon, Jean. W-We have to get inside.”
“I have to stop her, Kaeya.” Jean frowned, already marching away before she was pulled back when another lightning struck right in front of her.
There were shrieks coming from the attacking army, but only a part of them were affected. And it seemed like the sky was not brightening up anytime soon.
“Jean,” Kaeya warned her, shaking his head at what the blonde was planning to do.
“Get out of my way,” Jean gritted her teeth, her jaw clenched.
“I can’t let you.”
She gave the man an unfazed look, before reaching down to where the broken arrow was poking out of her gut.
“What are you—“
“If you don’t let me though, I’m pulling this out.” Jean warned, already wrapping her hand around the stick.
“Stop, Jean— Stop!” Keaya yelled, irritated. “I promised that I wouldn’t let you get to her.”
“And you’re gonna leave Lisa?! Leave her to—“ She stopped there, unwilling to say the word she despised so much.
“If you go out there, we’re gonna lose two more people.” Kaeya said, lifting two fingers. “Mondstadt needs you.”
“She needs me!” Jean raised her voice as the sound of the storm became increasingly loud.
“And Mondstadt needs Lisa as much as it needs you, Grand Master!” The captain’s voice croaked, and Jean realized that he was just as terrified as the blonde was. “There’s still a large army out there. And this might be our only shot at slowing them down!”
“This is wasting my time,” Jean scoffed, moving past Kaeya.
“You’re the Acting Grand Master! Are you really going to abandon Mondstadt?”
“Lisa is my Mondstadt!” Jean shouted, her throat dry as tears threatened to escape her eyes.
“You think this is easy for me to do?!” He yelled out, the distance between them increasing. “Lisa is my friend, too!”
Jean looked at Kaeya one more time, feeling the sadness from his eyes before running away. Her name was shouted once, twice, thrice— but she just kept running, dodging the occasional lightning bolts that struck the ground.
She was getting closer to Lisa, judging by the way the storm was becoming more ferocious everytime she stepped closer.
BAM!
A strike would’ve hit Jean if her reflexes didn’t tell her to roll back.
Then, there was the same wave of pain that flowed throughout her body. It was her wound, and she felt herself running out of air, her vision becoming blurry.
With the last of her strength and elemental power, she pulled the arrow out of her stomach and healed herself, not completely, but enough to stop the bleeding for now.
She was practically crawling when she finally saw the mage.
Lisa was standing in front of Barbatos’ statue, looking so peaceful, all as if what she was doing wasn’t draining her life away. Her eyes were closed, two arms opened and a floating book in between. There wasn’t any wind or rain that hit her, she looked completely unharmed.
The eye of the storm.
“Lisa!” Jean breathed out, standing onto her feet and limping over to the librarian, her hand clutching her wound.
There was no response, Lisa remained unmoving and it didn’t seem like she heard her.
Leaving her sword on the ground, Jean ran closer to the mage and suddenly, the wind cleared out and it was all calm. She was tempted to stay there, but she cannot abandon Lisa the way she abandoned her people.
“Hey, hey,” Jean whispered, placing herself in front of Lisa, who still had her eyes closed. “Can you hear me?”
No response.
Jean raised her trembling hands and cupped Lisa’s cheeks, caressing her soft skin. She pressed her ear against Lisa’s chest to hear heart beating normally.
She’s okay, Jean thought, sighing in relief.
It’s ironic, how in of all the people in this town, Lisa’s the one who’s perfectly unharmed, not a single scratch on her face yet she’s the one who’s risking everything.
Jean didn’t want that. Lisa didn’t owe anything to this cruel world. Not to Mondstadt, not to the people, and not to Jean.
But that’s why she’s Lisa, always so sweet, caring and most important of all— she’s simply selfless, in a way that made people adore her. In a way that made Jean love her.
There’s a single strike of lightning right behind where Lisa was standing, and Jean almost lost her balance from surprise.
The clear space was shrinking, Jean realized. It’ll only be a matter of time before the storm swallows them both.
So, she looked at the mage once again, and choked out. “Hey, love. Please wake up.”
There’s a part of her mind that hoped, so desperately, that Lisa would open her eyes. But nothing happened.
Jean wanted to cry. If Lisa didn’t wake up, she’d lose her, the trust of her people— herself. She didn’t want to die losing everything.
And so she held Lisa’s hands and placed it upon her cheek. They were cold, so much different than it usually is. Jean let herself cry in the hands of the woman she loved, and maybe everything was worth it after all. She placed a kiss on Lisa’s palm, and kept it that way until—
“Jean?”
The knight’s eyes widened, looking up to see a pair of green eyes staring at her, drooped down and exhausted. Lisa’s voice was weak as she breathed out deep, rapid breaths.
“Hey, Lisa. I’m back,” Jean shivered, grasping Lisa’s hands desperately. “I-I’m here.”
Then, there was rain, drenching both Jean and Lisa.
A weak smile appeared on the mage’s face, not reaching her eyes as she caressed Jean’s cheek in slow, gentle motions. “Jea…”
“Save your energy,” Jean shushed Lisa, letting the brunette rest into the crook of her neck, given that Lisa looked like she was going to fall. “You can stop— You don’t have to keep this storm up.”
“I-I can’t…” Lisa breathed out. “There’s too many of them… Jean…”
“We can handle it, Lisa. It’s okay. The knights have trained well.” Jean assured her, but it felt like she was just comforting herself more. “You know that, right?”
The knight waited for a response.
Then, the rain calmed down a bit, the clouds slowly clearing out.
Jean laughed, or maybe she was crying. She couldn’t figure it out. But Lisa listened to her.
“Thank Barbatos…” She sighed, tightening her embrace around the woman in her arms, leaving a kiss on the top of her head.
But Lisa stayed still—almost limp.
“Lisa?”
No response.
Jean started hyperventilating, rushing to pull away to check if the mage was alright.
She wasn’t.
Her eyes were closed, her body unmoving and Jean immediately moved to check her pulse. Too faint.
Nothing, even.
“N-No, no, no…” Jean sobbed out, placing Lisa down on the ground.
Her instincts told her to calm down, just like how she was told whenever she faced situations like this. But it was unfair— How could she ever calm down when Lisa’s heart was threatening to stop?
Desperate, Jean scrambled to place her hands on top of Lisa’s chest, and started pumping.
A prayer to the archons escaped her throat before pressing her lips against Lisa’s, giving her the air that she deserved more than Jean ever would.
Her vision was getting blurry now, her eyes filled with tears as she went back to pumping Lisa’s heart.
“Come on,” Jean repeated, over and over again. This time, she let her elemental magic slip through her palms, hoping it would somehow help in healing.
Suddenly, Lisa’s chest rose and fell on its own, then a new wave of hope spread through Jean’s body. From there, Lisa made a sound, a faint one, but it’s there.
Jean almost cried in relief when Lisa finally opened her eyes, weak and still droopy but she was softly smiling.
The librarian raised her hand, which the knight immediately took and placed it against her cheek, giving a small kiss on her palm.
“I… I-I’m sorry…” Lisa whispered, moving her thumb against Jean’s cheek.
“You’re okay,” Jean choked out, unable to hide a grin.
“No, n-not that…”
The blonde leaned over to read Lisa’s expression. But she couldn’t, and between them two— that always meant it would mean something terrible.
Slowly, Lisa sat up, meeting Jean in the middle before pressing their lips together.
There had been a few seconds before Jean fully processed what was happening. But when she did, she immediately returned it, kissing Lisa with every drop of her passion.
Jean felt Lisa pull away first, but her eyes remained closed, unwilling to see it end.
“I… told you y-you’d fall for my charms…” Lisa whispered, her breath ghosting over Jean’s lips.
Jean chuckled, keeping their foreheads in contact. Then, she opened her eyes.
Lisa looked sad, and Jean embarrassingly thought it was because she’s a horrible kisser— but her expression was different.
“H-Hey, is something wrong?” Jean asked.
The mage only stared at her with the same look.
Then, the clouds roared the loudest it had ever been.
As an instinct, Jean looked back to see large amounts of lightning striking to the ground, the area reaching up from the gates all the way to Springvale. The shrieks of terror from the enemies could be heard from the bridge.
It went like that another time, then another. And all that Jean could do was watch such a terrifying yet beautiful sight, completely astounded. Purple swirling within heavenly gray-blue clouds.
It was only when the rain slowly started to clear out, the thunder vanishing to silence, the dark purple sky turning to a bright blue that Jean realized what caused such a ravishing scene.
The world seemed to stop. Her body was stiff, but her fingers trembled in realization.
Archons, please don’t do this to me.
The hand in hers suddenly stopped moving.
“No, no, n-no,” Jean staggered, turning her head to Lisa, who had her eyes closed, her head rolling to the side with no sign of air going through her lips.
“Lisa…” The knight faltered, taking the mage’s face in her hands and calling her name out. “You can’t—“
“Please don’t leave m-me,” She begged before forcefully straightening her body to perform another process of resuscitation.
Every muscle in her body was aching, her vision blurry, and it didn’t help that she opened her wound again. It’ll only be a matter of time before she passes out.
Above all, her heart was shattering into a million pieces. And if she’s never going to be able to spend her afternoon drinking tea with Lisa, she didn’t think she’d be able to pick it up again.
Jean weakly breathed into Lisa’s airway, her breath uncontrollably turning into a sob.
It’s too late, her mind said, she’s too exhausted.
She tried pressing compressions once again, ignoring how every part of her threatened to tremble.
“Please—“ Jean leaned over to give her another rescue breath, but her body betrayed her as she could only lean her forehead against Lisa’s. “Don’t leave… me…”
And finally, the whole world spinned before Jean succumbed to darkness.
—
So, it turned out, Jean survived.
The first thing she saw as soon as she woke up was a familiar white ceiling, so she assumed she was in the cathedral.
She forced herself to sit up, groaning when she felt a spike of pain from her abdomen. Jean looked down to see it neatly patched with gauze. She’s also half naked, wearing white bottoms and bandages wrapped around her chest.
No one was there, not even her sister. So, she stood up, limping towards the door. When she opened it, the hallways were empty, only until a particular blue-haired captain spotted her.
“Jean! I’m glad you’re awake!” Kaeya grinned, walking his way over to her.
“H-How long was I out?”
“About three and a half days—“
“Three?!” Jean exclaimed, making Kaeya flinch.
“Yes, even Lisa woke up earlier than—“
“Wait—“ Jean interrupted the man, her heart racing as a wave of hope flowed through her body. “Lisa’s okay?”
“I thought you already knew that? You’ve been giving her CPR for— who knows how long?”
“Where is she?” She asked, her voice unsure and soft. “Can I see her?”
“I would’ve said no, you’re both still healing. But I know you’re never going to take that as an answer.” Kaeya raised an eyebrow before gesturing to Jean to follow him.
They walked until they reached the end of the hallway. Kaeya looked at Jean and gave her a look of comfort.
With trembling hands, she turned the door knob and opened it.
She’s there.
She’s resting on a bed, smiling as she traced her finger against the page of the book she’s reading. Her expression was calm, as if her heart never stopped beating in Jean’s arms that day.
That doesn’t matter now, Jean thought.
Lisa’s alive.
The same Lisa who was now staring at her across the room, a hopeful smile on her face.
Jean took a step. Then another. And another. Another until she’s close enough for Lisa to reach.
“Hey, miss me?” Lisa commented, a chuckle escaping her lips as she held Jean’s hand.
The knight didn’t respond, instead she leaned over the mage and took her in a tight, warm embrace, afraid that if she let go, she might never get another chance.
“Gods, you scared me, Lisa.” Jean sighed, pulling away slightly to look at the brunette.
Lisa looked at her fondly, brushing the stray strand of hair on Jean’s cheeks back. “You can’t get rid of me, Jean.”
“I don’t intend to,” The knight laughed, but it would’ve sounded like a sob too. “You saved Mondstadt.”
“No, you did.”
Jean looked down, guilt rushing in her senses but she kept the smile. “I only abandoned my duty.”
Lisa sensed Jean’s discomfort, because suddenly her thumb caressed the blonde’s skin delicately. “But you saved me.”
Jean bit her lower lip, unsure how to respond. So instead, she asked “What were you thinking?”
“I told you,” Lisa started, staring intently at the blonde. “I care about Mondstadt.”
Jean didn’t say anything.
“I care about you.” Lisa added.
Jean knew that, but she’s still surprised as a small gasp escaped her throat. “You almost died.”
“But I’m alive, aren’t I?” The mage replied casually. “And that’s because of you.”
Then what about the kiss? Jean wanted to ask.
Why did Lisa kiss her? Was it just a distraction? Did it mean anything?
Jean needed an acceptable answer. Because she cannot live knowing that Lisa kissed her and there’s nothing she could do—
“I kissed you because I wanted to.” Lisa suddenly admitted, sensing the confusion and doubt in Jean’s behavior.
“W-What… What am I going to do with that?”
There’s a small whisper of so stubborn, my Jean that slipped from Lisa’s tongue, before sitting up to face the blonde. “Remember what I told you? You can’t control everything.”
“I know that, Lisa. But that doesn’t change the fact that I let my people—“
“Maybe some things aren’t meant to be controlled.” Lisa told her, a finger dragging across Jean’s lips.
Jean remained silent, unsure if her silence was because of the lecture she’s receiving, or because of the way her body reacted to Lisa’s touch.
The mage suddenly took Jean’s hand and placed it against her chest, where she could feel the consistent beating of Lisa’s heart.
“Just like how my heart longs greedily for you, my knight.” The librarian whispered.
Maybe it’s the way Lisa spoke her words, or maybe how she stared so sensually at Jean. Nevertheless, the knight’s world narrowed down, and suddenly, the only thing she can think about is the woman right in front of her. The same woman who longed for Jean the way she longed for the brunette.
Despite the overwhelming emotion in Jean’s chest, she could only let her mouth gape in shock.
Lisa kept the knight’s hand where it was. And then, her other hand reached out to rest against Jean’s own racing heart. “And there’s a part of me that feels like you can’t control yours too.”
Suddenly, there’s an ignition in Jean’s lower abdomen, telling her what she exactly wanted.
“Then…” Jean muttered, staring at perfect rosy lips, waiting to be ravished. “Will you blame me if I can’t control myself with you today?”
Lisa gave her a sly smile, tilting her head to the side before letting herself fall back on to the mattress, dragging Jean along. “Never.”
—
There was a commotion near the city gates when Jean decided to go on an afternoon patrol.
A citizen was begging, almost crying as he pushed the book into one of the knight’s grasp. “Please! I can’t do it—“
“S-Sir, you have to do it yourself…” The knight, Lawrence, said, a fearful look on his face.
“You’re a knight! You’ll be fine! P-Please— I can't…” The man cried, still forcing the book to Lawrence’s hands.
That was when Jean decided to step in.
Immediately, Lawrence and the man greeted the Acting Grandmaster. “Master Jean!”
“What’s the matter?”
The man bowed down, and thrusted the book towards Jean. “Please, Master Jean.”
Hesitantly, and ever so confused, Jean accepted the book. “What am I supposed to do with this?”
“I haven’t returned that novel in 4 days! Miss Lisa will kill me as soon as I enter the library.” Then, the man looked up, his eyes begging for mercy. “You two are close, I ask that you return it for me, please.”
“Ah!” Jean exclaimed a little too enthusiastically, a grin on her face. “Don’t worry, I’ll do it myself.”
“Thank you, Master Jean. How may I ever repay your kindness?” He cried out.
“You don’t have to,” Jean replied, looking intently at the novel in her hands.
Jean’s not ashamed to admit that the only reason for her to take the request was because it was potentially an excuse to see the librarian. However, she’s never going to admit it out loud.
She excused herself out of the scene, and fled to the library, eager to lay her eyes on a particular someone.
The library was quiet, as it always was. Pretty empty too, since no one ever had enough time to read in Mondstadt. If someone did, they only visited just to see the charming librarian, as Jean noticed.
Now that she’s thinking about it, it made her seem like a hypocrite, and she couldn’t help but laugh. Of course, she did like reading, but staying in the library was somewhat uncomfortable for her, especially when the old librarian always kept their eye on everyone, observing every move and listening to every sound.
Speaking of librarians, the new one was nowhere to be found.
So, Jean ran downstairs, conscious of her loud footsteps and trying not to disturb anyone, which was funny because no one was present— Not even their hilichurlian dictionary, Ella.
“Lisa? Lisaaa~” Jean called out playfully, subconsciously lowering her voice. “Lisaaa!”
“Here, Jeaaann~” A voice called out from the last bookshelf, tone equally as playful as Jean’s.
Jean raced her way towards the sound, arriving to see Lisa placing the pile of books in her arm back into the shelf.
“Missed me already?” The brunette teased, amused.
Jean chuckled in return, staring at Lisa longer than she intended to.
The mage was out of her usual hair style, this time, her brown locks tied in a high ponytail. And the thought hits her like a train when she realized she hadn’t been able to return Lisa’s hair tie.
“Well, you’re much, much more intimidating than I expected, Miss Lisa.” Jean raised an eyebrow, raising the borrowed book in her hands.
“Hm, I’ve been waiting for that particular book to be returned.” Lisa tilted her hand and grabbed the novel. “Never expected it would be with you, Miss Jean.”
“The man was crying!” Jean laughed, recalling the scene in her head. “Begging one of the guards to return it, until I stepped in and he requested me instead.”
“He’s lucky he asked such a fine woman like you,” Lisa smirked, tracing her finger against Jean’s skin. “If it was anyone else, I would’ve marched to his house.”
“Please don’t,” Jean said, remembering what happened to the borrower who left their book unreturned for two weeks. “I might fire you.”
“Hm,” Lisa hummed, emerald eyes gazing at Jean’s blue ones with so much intensity, it made her throat feel dry. “I don’t think you’d have the guts to.”
“You talk like you know me,” Jean mused, the distance between them decreasing.
“I don’t have to,” The mage whispered, pressing her finger against Jean’s lips.
Then, there’s that mischievous look in Lisa’s eyes, inflaming something in Jean’s gut, telling her to move closer and take what she wanted.
Meanwhile, Lisa made it unnecessarily harder for Jean to stay calm as she caressed Jean’s lips, dragging it along her finger before tracing down her neck, giving small taps there and there.
Finally, Lisa gave in, taking Jean’s mouth— devouring her.
The kiss was soft and gentle, until it became impatient and hungry as Lisa nipped on Jean’s lips greedily. The mage didn’t waste any time— slipping her tongue in when she had the chance, to which the blonde delightedly allowed.
They made out for— who knew how long— until Lisa pulled away to smirk. “How about we continue our friendly chit-chat at your dorm?”
—
Jean woke up from the sunlight that rested in her eyelids through the blinds. She’s also cold, she realized. And that she’s bare underneath her blanket.
A smile appeared on her face, smirking at the naked form next to hers, Lisa’s smooth back exposed to Jean.
It felt like an instinct to reach out and ghost her fingers against Lisa’s skin, fondly tracing down her spine. Jean also left a soft kiss, unintentionally waking the librarian up.
Oops.
There’s this saying that went around town; Lisa was absolutely terrifying when woken up from her nap. Which was why Jean was truthfully surprised and a bit flattered to receive a gentle, lazy smile from her lover instead of a pant-shitting glare.
“Good morning,” Jean whispered, placing a kiss on Lisa’s lips.
“G’morning, baby,” The mage yawned, turning her body around to cuddle into Jean’s chest.
The unusual nickname gave the blonde a tingle in her chest— a common occurrence she learned she had to get used to.
“I’m curious…” The librarian muttered, pulling away to look at Jean. “If you went back in time— about two months ago— and told yourself that you’re going to sleep with the woman you disliked so much, how would old you react?”
Lisa said her words with a curious, but evidently cunning tone, a teasing look on her eyes, making Jean inwardly groan.
“I didn’t dislike you, Lisa.” The blonde whined. “That’s too strong of a word.”
“I’m only accompanying you because I’m a knight— I remember you spitting that in my face very clearly, dear.” The brunette mocked, dramatic.
“I-I was just tired!” Jean tried to reason, but failed miserably as her voice broke. “Okay, fine. Maybe I wasn’t too fond of you.”
“Sleeping with the enemy, eh?”
“C’mon, it’s not like I was planning to get rid of you.” She sighed. “You just kept distracting the knights in training.”
“Well, it seems like you’re no exception, Acting Grand Master.” Lisa smirked, making an obvious scan of Jean’s bare body.
“Let’s just forget about it…” Jean pouted, hiding her face into Lisa’s hair and hugging her tighter.
There’s comfortable silence, and subconsciously, Jean spoke again—
“I love you now.”
…
Shit.
Shit, she cussed at herself. She wasn’t planning on dropping the phrase so soon.
Embarrassed, she only tightened their embrace so she wouldn’t see Lisa’s face, who she probably scared away with those three words that Jean was dying to utter.
Maybe she’ll leave me, or run away or slap me or—
“I know,” said Lisa, her voice soft and sincere as she giggled into Jean’s chest.
Jean wasn’t sure how or what gave her the idea, maybe it was just her heart longing for intimacy— but at that moment, she didn’t have the need to learn everything about Lisa to know that she loved her too.
The thought made the knight smile in content, and she sighed into Lisa’s hair as a wave of calmness washed over her. And… Jean was simply happy.
“Mmmh…” She hummed, tracing Lisa’s back with her fingers. “As much as I enjoy this, we have work to do.”
Suddenly, Lisa detached herself from Jean, her expression unimpressed. “Jean, my love. Mondstadt will be fine for a day without you. I’m sure there won’t be any lost cats today.”
Jean laughed, recalling all the nights that she arrived home with fur all over her outfit.
“I mean… Kaeya’s there. He’ll be more than happy to take over for you.” Lisa suggested, her tone hesitant and unsure, but convincing nonetheless.
There’s a long moment of silence as Jean rethought her decisions. Though, there weren’t really many anymore when Lisa looked at her with those damn green eyes of hers.
Jean sighed in defeat. “Perhaps, it is quite selfish of me to interrupt this moment with such a lovely lady like you, Lisa.”
“How charming,” Lisa cocked her head, amused before giving Jean a peck on the lips. “I’d be truthfully offended if you still had the energy to walk after all that exercise last night.”
Jean blushed, because yes— she was feeling very sore and her muscles ached. “Then, would you enlighten me by making us breakfast?”
“Ordering me around, Acting Grandmaster? I’m not your wife,” Lisa teased, obviously delighted by Jean’s defeated expression. “I’m teasing, dear. Anything for you.”
It felt cold and empty when Lisa stood up to pick up her clothes, bending over to expose her wonderfully shaped bum to Jean, unintentionally or not— it didn’t really matter.
“By the way,” Jean cleared her throat, sitting up to get something from the bedside drawer to get something. “I forgot about this.”
Lisa’s expression was curious as she sat down next to Jean on the bed, looking over to see the familiar purple rose hair tie the blonde gave her. “That’s—“
“I said I couldn’t make any promises, but I..”Jean stopped, not knowing what to say after that. “Could you turn around?”
In an instant, her lover faced her back to Jean, who delicately brushed soft brown locks with her fingers before bunching it all up into a ponytail.
“I’m not hurting you, am I?” Jean asked, aware of how hair-tugging can be such a pain in the ass.
“It’s alright. You’re very gentle with me, Jean.”
Relieved, Jean continued tying Lisa’s hair before finally finishing it off by putting the rose tie on.
“There…” She whispered, leaving a kiss on her lover’s head.
When Lisa turned around, a smile was plastered on her face— to which Jean returned immediately.
“What?” The blonde asked, a chuckle escaping her throat.
“Nothing, I just… I love you,” Lisa whispered, sitting closer to Jean and intertwining their fingers together. “Thank you, my love.”
“You don’t have to…” Jean replied, leaning in to lock her lips with Lisa’s.
The kiss was longer. Soft and nimble as Jean poured out every ounce of her affection into it— until Lisa had other ideas and then pushed the knight back into the mattress.
“I’m sorry, Jean. But your breakfast will have to wait,” The brunette muttered, a foxy look on her face before pulling her shirt off and leaning into Jean’s ear. “I want mine first.“
Nervous, and undeniably aroused, Jean laughed awkwardly, her cheeks red and warm. And all that she could say was;
“Uh… E-Enjoy your meal?”
She probably destroyed the mood when she saw Lisa looking at her with a confused and surprised expression. Then she laughed and… Jean was sure she ruined everything.
“I’m sorry… P-Please continue,” Jean whined as Lisa fell on to her chest to muffle her laughter.
“Nevermind,” Lisa finally looked up and pecked Jean on the lips before pulling them both up to stand. “I’m sure you’re starving.”
“But I wanted…”
“Don’t worry,” Lisa reassured, cupping Jean’s cheeks. “We can do it when in the shower.”
“I—“ Jean wanted to argue but ended up interested in the idea. “Okay.”
After a lazy smile, Lisa grabbed her arm and stood in Jean’s mini kitchen. It wasn’t the widest space, and she didn’t really have time to tidy up the place, since she never cooked herself a lot of meals anyway.
“Do you have anything in mind you want to eat?” Lisa asked as she looked through Jean’s drawers and cabinets.
“Well, anything is fine. Anything you want.”
“Not a picky eater, are you?” Lisa said as she opened the fridge and picked out three eggs.
“If you’d believe it, I’m actually pretty picky about food. Just didn’t think it’d be polite to be.” Jean sighed, fiddling with her fingers as she observed Lisa dancing around the kitchen. “Besides, you have good taste.”
Lisa stopped moving to send Jean a cunning smile. “Of course I do. That’s why I chose you, didn’t I?”
Jean snorted, but couldn't help the blush on her cheeks. “You’re so cheesy, Lisa.”
“I know,” The brunette whispered before placing the bacon on the pan and scrambling the eggs in a bowl.
They didn’t really talk during the whole process, knowing that Lisa tends to get distracted far too easily. But Jean didn’t mind, especially not when she got to enjoy looking at the lovely librarian like it was just the two of them in this fucked up world.
Having breakfast with her was even better. And for once, Jean forgot about the paperwork she had to handle. The knights she had to train. The enemies she had to get rid of. And the city she had to protect. But being with Lisa… just made the blonde think that
maybe she was just born to love her.
“If you keep staring at me, I’m going to steal one of your pancakes.” Lisa suddenly talked, staring at one of Jean’s food.
“Oh— uh well, you can have it if you want,” Jean flinched before scrambling to transfer the pancake on to Lisa’s place before she stopped her.
“I’m kidding, Jean,” The mage moaned, caressing her stomach. ”Gods, I’m so full.”
“…I like this.”
“Hm?”
“I like… this.” Jean repeated, placing her hand atop Lisa’s on the table. “I like moments like this— being with you.”
A grin crept onto Lisa’s face but it was different. It wasn’t flirtatious, cunning or anything like that— it was just… happy. And Jean decided she’d do anything to see that smile more, despite how much she loved the librarian’s foxy looks she always gave her.
“If that makes you happy, love. Then I’ll do it everyday.” Lisa whispered before grabbing Jean’s hand and let it rest on her cheek.
The soft gesture made Jean so terribly weak, her senses uncontrollable and the next thing she knew, she was asking a question so out of the blue;
“Would you like to move in with me?”
Lisa made a mixed look of surprise and realization. “Oh…”
The look startled Jean as she realized how weird and fast she was being. “Wait— I-I mean, if that’s okay with you. Like, uh, well— no, yeah—“
“If you’d let me, yes.” Lisa stopped Jean’s frantic hand gestures with a kiss. “I would like to live with you.”
Her heart seemed to stop and race at the same time and Jean badly wanted to ask for more. “Am I greedy if I tell you to make that a promise?”
“Do you want me to seal the promise with a kiss, then?” Lisa asked, a smirk on her face as she moved to sit on Jean’s lap.
“Hmm,” Jean hummed, leaning into Lisa as she grabbed her girlfriend’s hips, a gesture that flirted with the line between possessive and adoration. “I think it’ll take more than a kiss.”
No more words needed to be said to finally lock their lips tight in a heart-felt kiss, something Jean had received countless times before but could never get used to. Though, she never really wanted to get used to it. Nevertheless, Jean didn’t think it was possible, because Lisa was unpredictable as ever, finding little new ways to surprise her in more ways than one.
“Lisa…” Jean pulled away to breathe, before lowering herself down to kiss her lover’s bruised neck, biting the strap of Lisa’s exposed bra and to lick soft delicate skin. “I wanna shower.”
“Oh?” She pulled away to look at Jean in the eye, and then again, the blonde felt it— Lisa’s alluring aura that Jean could never ignore nor resist.
“I smell like sweat and I really, really want you.” Jean’s voice cracked, and it felt like she was desperate and needy. Though, something told her Lisa liked that side of her anyway.
“Then, take me.”
That day, the two caught a cold after being in the shower too long. Kaeya was actually genuinely surprised that Jean called for a day off saying she was sick. Though, it raised his eyebrows when he heard she was calling for two absent notices.
“Did you catch a cold from each other or…?” Kaeya asked, his lone eye darting between the couple.
“In a way,” Lisa responded as she sipped from her tea, not forgetting to send Jean a suggestive wink.
The Acting Grandmaster blushed into her scarf, nodding her head ever so subtly. “Yeah… Something like that.”