Work Text:
Diluc hand on her waist is comforting.
It’s a cool evening in Mondstadt, the sun partially hidden behind rolling hills and fluffy clouds, and the Dawn Manor, as it stood, was void of its usual patrons. The night was young and though she would much rather spend it working, she cannot bring herself to deny her lover the honour of a dance, a soft smile on his face as they try their best to mimic one of the folk dances he taught her.
The dance itself is rather simple, relying on steady footwork and a good amount of back-and-forth motions, but Keqing has never been very good at these things, tripping over her feet more often than not. Diluc laughs at her, sordidly amused, and she finds herself embarrassed despite her spirits.
“You must stop looking at your feet, Keqing,” he scolds. “That’s how you’ll fall.”
“I won’t,” she grumbles, stumbling not even a second later, and the man with her sighs before taking her hand again, pulling her closer to him as he directs her gaze downwards. Keqing raises her eyebrow, staring intently at how he ensures the steps he takes seamlessly blend with the timings. “I thought we weren’t supposed to look at our feet,” she says, and he tightens the grip on her hand in fond annoyance.
“You’re more or less a lost cause, my dear,” he tells her, smiling. “It seems you can’t memorize the footwork no matter what I do.”
Keqing bristles but doesn't take it to heart, slowing her steps until she’s stopped moving gradually. Diluc sends her an amused look as he dances with himself, an imaginary partner in front of him as he turns and spins and claps as he should. It makes her realize that he really is quite a good dancer despite his humble claims, though it is reasonable for someone of his status. When the music on the recorder comes to an end, he turns to look at her with a bright smile, a thin sheen of sweat visible on his brow.
She swallows, crossing her arms as he glides over to her, the distance between them reduced to nil in a matter of seconds.
“So?” he asks, and she scoffs, amused.
“Do you want my approval that badly?” she counters, not fighting his hands away when they encircle her waist, a soft waltz beginning to resonate in the common area. She places her hand on his shoulder regardless, the other sliding down his arm until she can pry his hand off her and tangle their fingers together. He gives her a faint look of surprise and she grins. “I may not be able to do your complicated folk dances, but I can do a simple waltz.”
His ruby eyes are shining when he smiles. “Lead me through it then.”
And so she does, though she messes up some of her counting and Diluc has to rectify them for her, a gentle laugh on his lips as he bends to kiss the crown of her head. She is so very annoyed, lividly so, but she can’t be mad at him, sighing in defeat as they glide around the room, missing tables and couches, spinning around fixtures and ornaments.
It’s all very romantic, the whole ordeal, and by the time it ends they are both laughing, cheeks flushed from exertion. Diluc’s amusement is rewarding, Keqing things, unable to stop herself from reaching up on her toes to peck his lips. She pulls away too soon though, because then he has a finger under her chin, guiding her mouth back to his own so that he might kiss her again. The sky is dark, the room illuminated by candles and warmed by an impressive hearth, but Keqing doesn't care about those things now, smiling against his lips as he cradles the back of her head to deepen their kiss.
(if they fall against one of the many lounges in the manor in their attempt to hurry up to his room, no one was there to know. indeed, no one was there to witness the bright, childish smiles of the lady yuheng and her lover.)
FIN