Work Text:
"Zhongli!"
"Hello, y/n."
You grinned at the man. He offered you a curt smile and a slight wave. He couldn't move too much, anyway, lest he receives a scolding from the hairstylist combing through his hair. You'd already finished with your hair for your first outfit; a braid adorned with glittering rhinestones straight down your back, wavy bangs framing the side of your face. They'd also very, very carefully styled your bangs to make them look as wild as possible, of course. It was all according to the outfit plan; intoxicating arrogance with a side of unhinged.
Satisfied and one Instagram sneak peek later, you'd been left to your own devices until a makeup artist was free, leaving you to wonder the bustling preparation room for familiar faces, or better yet, your partner for the runway.
Zhongli—or Morax, as he was known on the stage—looked stunning, even without full makeup and hair done. And in the pre-show robe. The tips of his hair were tipped in gold that matched his eyes, a clip pushing back a clump of the short hair around his face. The hairstylist twirled a lock through a comb once more before letting it fall to flow with the rest of went down his back. Elegant as always.
"So, uh," You swallowed past the dryness in your throat. "How have you been?" You nodded along to Zhongli's answer (pleasant, accompanied with a thank you), exchanging small talk about the show. You were a model, a runway walker. You thrived with socialization and lived in the embrace of beauty; it wasn't like you've never seen pretty men and women before. But, damn, Zhongli looked good this evening.
And to think you two would complete the set tonight; it was exhilarating to think about.
Your name was called soon enough, and you left him in peace.
***
Click. A picture for your Instagram.
Click. Click. Click. Oh, that didn't look too good. Venti (the person) made a face at a particularly bad angle of him.
"Please don't post that one. Send it to me, though!" His voice was just barely audible over the din of the waiting room as he was dragged away by his somewhat annoyed partner. It was hard to tell, what with his usual slight frown. And the demonic-looking mask. Venti's angel wings nearly slapped it right off when he turned: you didn't need to look under the mask to tell there was a mirrored scowl beneath it.
"There you are, y/n." You turned to greet Zhongli as your breath was ripped harshly away.
And, like, damn.
Zhongli, now in full outfit, looked incredible; you weren't one to wax poetry, much less for a coworker, but Zhongli deserved to be the attention of legends and myths right at that moment.
His hair was tied in a flowing ponytail down his back, sun dipped tips looking like they might begin dripping liquid gold. He wore a vest over a dark dress shirt, amber accents dotting the buttons in an intricate pattern. A crystal on the dip of his collarbone held his tie immaculately straight. Intricate silver patterns lined the shoulders of the tailcoat that hung off of him. Dragon-scale patterns raced down the full length of it, ending in tassels that nearly reached his feet.
A gloved hand wavered in the air; bright red eyeshadow lay under concerned amber eyes. Light glinted off a ring on his thumb.
Holy shit.
You coughed loudly, blaming it on perfume you must have inhaled. Zhongli gave you a sympathetic look and went off in search of bottled water.
He looked good and it complemented your look well; the light fabric you wore was highlighted in the same gold and blacks, and you just knew the image you two would make.
Right. You guys were going on stage together. In approximately...half an hour.
You picked at your own gloves and fiddled away with a filter for the picture.
***
It was a little hot in the room. A little sweaty, too. The cloying scent of perfume and powders hung thick in the air, in your face, ingrained into the very atmosphere. People were talking all around you, gushing about looks or fretting about a particularly loose piece of accessory; yelling, frantic and excited.
You loved it. You watched as the lights of the hall swivelled to the polished runway.
"Ladies and gentlemen..."
The hostesses, Jean and Lisa of the KOF smiled widely at the crowd, their faces reflected onto huge screens behind them. You gave the first pair a thumbs up; one pumped their fist in excitement while the other grinned as the final touches were fixed on. You couldn't remember their names, but they had the same infectious cheer of most of the models.
"Please welcome..."
You watched as the lights switched off all at once. You couldn't see it, of course, but you knew the Shining Idol and Rock and Roll Prodigy were already on stage. To combine their wildly different genres of music however, they'd enlisted the help of the up and coming star, Yanfei.
"The Holy Trinity!"
The first notes played—
Fire and mist burst from the sides of the stage as the light flickered back on with it, revealing Barbara and Xinyan's silhouettes, side by side and striking a pose.
—and Yanfei appeared from below the stage, leaping gracefully off an elevated platform and beginning the first verse.
Genshin Impact's annual fashion show had begun.
You watched as they strutted down the runway, hair and teeth gleaming under the spotlight. The boy with white hair extended his hand with a flourish, his grey-haired partner taking it as they gave each other a twirl.
You tore your eyes away from the screen to give Childe, a rival-turned-friend of yours (long story) an ever so slightly overly hard high-five. He grinned, manic light in his eyes before he disappeared behind the curtains hiding the models going up next.
You glanced at the schedule, skimming over the roster of models and outfits. Zhongli and y/n, one of the last few pairs of the first act.
You took a steadying breath and practised your pose, eyes shut to imagine the faceless mass in the dark beyond the stage.
"You seem prepared. I do think that we might benefit greatly if we could practice together one last time?"
Zhongli, hand extended, a sly smile on his face. You took it, falling into the rhythm of the music as the vocals paused.
"Good evening everyone! Welcome to Genshin Impact's fashion show!"
You glanced at the screen showing someone you distantly remembered as Rosaria striking a pose on stage.
"My name is Barbara—"
"I'm Yanfei,"
"Xinyan!"
"And together we're the Holy Trinity!"
Childe had returned, smiling widely to one of the many cameramen. He waved at you two, smiling.
"And these are the 20XX Genshin Impact stars...!"
The song resumed, and you parted from Zhongli, heading towards opposite sides of the stage. Amber gave you a quick once-over, cheering with a go get 'em!
Strutting onto the stage, you were more than happy to oblige.
A smirk on your face, you strutted down the runway, eyes drifting over the crowd. Whoops, cheers and claps resounding throughout the hall. Xinyan and Barbara shared a microphone as they swayed to the music, Yanfei up near the front of the runway rapping into the microphone.
You reached the middle of the stage at the same time, as you two walked side by side. The cheers managed to get even louder as you walked, your hands planted on your hips defiantly. Zhongli clasped his hands behind his back as he took effortless, elegant strides across the polished obsidian.
You lifted your arms, eyeing the audience and basking in the attention, Zhongli right beside you. He eyed you as you wrapped hands around his neck, a hand coming to rest on his nape. He returned the favour, wrapping an arm around your waist as he lowered himself to almost your level. Cameras flashed as you leaned into his touch, heart hammering. An amused smile betrayed his calm as he looked down at you, winking. Together, you flashed a smirk at the crowd—
"Woah! It's like you two had some sort of secret there, you know?"
—and then you were slipping out of his grasp, Zhongli bowing and following you backstage.
Mouthing along to the song for the cameras, you headed straight for the communal changing room, Zhongli right behind you.
"Success!" You cheered, Zhongli humming in agreement, face lit up in genuine pleasure. It was a shame, really, that you'd been dolled up for but a mere minute on the black marble, but the rush was always so worth it. The bass of the songs thumped dully in the distance, the chatter and bustle of models getting ready again before the intermission filling the space in exchange. Childe made kissy lips at you as you walked in, earning him a swat from a tired makeup artist.
Taking a minute to straighten yourself out, you wrung off your heels as you sank onto a plastic chair. It wasn't cushy, or anything, but it would do. Staring into a mirror and undoing the braid in your hair, you were so focused you barely acknowledged Zhongli again until his hands wrapped around you once more, coming to settle on your collarbones.
"Y/n, if you may be so kind..." You felt yourself burn hot at the closeness, staring back at Zhongli in the mirror. He had stripped off the stifling outerwear, leaving him in a dark grey button-down. You mourned the loss for a second; good as he looked, it was three separate layers indoors, and the overworking air-conditioning must have been of little relief. The man dipped down to speak into your ear, then, and you decided that he looked plenty delectable dressed down too. Ironic, wasn't it, that you'd find yourself lacking the detached arrogance in an audience of two; the rest of the world had muted out.
"Zhongli?"
"I'd like the chance to work with you more often," He said cooly, deft fingers undoing the bothersome clasps. You had another shirt on, and this was a communal changing/makeup room, so it wasn't like you weren't going to strip to be near nude anyway, but this felt so, so, different. You cupped his cheek, tentative, light enough as to not smear anything.
"And why might that be, Mr Zhongli?" You murmured, and you felt his breath brush against your cheek. A huff of amusement. He undid a whole set of clasps as you slid your hand down in a soft curve, eyes wandering to take in the view.
"You intrigue me," Zhongli said finally, eyes settling back to the mirror. You snapped to attention, finding warm amber holding your gaze firm. "Wouldn't you agree that a partnership would be mutually beneficial for you and I?"
You swallowed thickly, pretending to think it over. Zhongli stared on, impassive. Of course you were going to say yes. How could you deny Zhongli?
"I'll...think about it."
"Excellent." Zhongli straightened then, voice light. He smiled at you; you might have mistaken it for smug if you didn't already know that self-satisfied look. "You may contact me when your mind is made up."
Patting your shoulder, he left, and like magic the world seemed to cut sharply back into focus, the buzz filling your ears.
You took a shuddering breath, eyes catching on a folded piece of paper Zhongli had left in your lap.
Pulling apart the crisp lines, you couldn't help but chuckle at the string of numbers, ZHONGLI written neatly beneath it.
Folding the paper back into a square, you hummed as you went in search of your phone, a different kind of excitement sending a shiver through you.
You couldn't wait to work with him once more.