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The Dandelion Knight’s office basks in a calm ambience, silent with the exception of the ticking clock. Here and there it’s disturbed by the flapping of pages being turned in a book, but otherwise uneventful.
Seated at the table not far from the desk is the man that’s become somewhat of an assistant for her, Yutao, overviewing some documents. He sits in the room alone at the moment, the chamber illuminated by the glow of the afternoon sun.
He studies the page before him with a low hum. It’s a compilation of reports about the status of Mondstadt’s land and anything to look out for, namely the sightings of hilichurls, treasure hoarders and the like. After scanning its entirety, a small smile rises.
“Looks like a decrease in activity all around. Good to hear, Jean’s going to appreciate the news.”
Yutao’s eyes shift over to the empty chair behind her desk. His mind wanders to the image of the Acting Grand Master toiling away at paperwork, fussing over every little detail long after the sun’s set. The number of times he’s noticed her working well into the night is more than he’d want to count.
He casts a glance over his shoulder to the sunny city right out of the window. Jean lingers on his mind often these days, but he can never shake the faint guilt that stirs whenever he pictures her stressing over work. She can hardly enjoy beautiful days like these, after all.
“Hm..it wouldn’t hurt to check on her.”
The book shuts with a soft thud as he rises from the seat and departs from the office. After navigating through the headquarters he steps outside and walks a short distance to the side of the building. He spots Jean standing before a dozen or so knight trainees, all engrossed in her lesson.
They stand in a semi-circle in front of her, each holding a wooden blade at their sides.
“Alright, that should wrap up our review for today.”
Jean slips her own training sword into the loop of her belt. A calm, proud smile is cast upon her students.
“You all did wonderfully. Next time we’ll be going over some advanced techniques, but for now remember to practice the basics regularly. Lastly, please don’t hesitate to ask for assistance. All of the Knights, myself included, would be happy to help you grow.”
Their eyes filled with admiration, the trainees give beaming grins and respectful salutes.
“Yes, Grand Master!”
They shout in unison with unwavering spirits. A warm smile surfaces on Yutao’s face as he watches, touched by the sight.
Jean is a natural at being a leader. She knows when to be gentle and when to be firm with others, not to mention great at cultivating inspiration in others. Her charisma is one of the many things he finds charming.
He waits until the rookies disperse before approaching Jean as she straightens up the training area.
“Hey, Jean.”
Hearing a familiar voice, she faces him with a natural smile.
“Ah, Yutao. Good afternoon.”
“How’d the training exercise go?”
“It went nicely. They made mistakes that I’d expect from those new to swordplay, but it’s nothing we can’t fix.”
“That’s good to hear, they all seemed promising. How about you?”
“Me? I’m doing well, thank you for checking in.”
“Are you sure? You’ve already been quite busy today. First you had to get up early to address an emergency, you handled paperwork all morning, then you patrolled outside of the city for several hours..”
He lists off, causing her to sheepishly rub the back of her head.
“Well..”
“…and that’s not including how much things have been compounding on you over the past week or so.”
Yutao gives her a worried look, prompting a quiet sigh from her.
“It…has been more than usual, I’ll admit. Truth be told, I’ve been waking up feeling drained and it’s been difficult to sleep.”
“It’s okay to relax a little. Everything’s not going to fall apart because you’re taking it easy.”
“I know, it’s just…difficult. I’m so used to working to this degree that I hardly realize it. Do you have any more advice?”
“Hm…Nothing else since the last time we talked about it, but I’ve got a more direct method.”
Yutao reaches down to his hip and gently taps along a purple-hued pendant hanging off of his side. Her head tilts, confused.
“Your Vision?”
“It should do the trick. It’ll put you under a trance that’ll help you relax for an hour or two. You won’t be fully coherent for a little while, but you won’t do anything you normally wouldn’t.”
Jean’s eyes light up upon hearing the suggestion, her smile displaying a trace of eagerness.
“Ah, that’s right. I recall when we discovered that ability of yours, but I hadn’t imagined being the subject of it. I’m willing to give it a try.”
Yutao blinks a few times, somewhat surprised she went along with his suggestion so readily.
“In that case, let’s head back to the office.”
She nods at his suggestion and the two return to the headquarters. The door to the Grand Master’s office clicks shut and Jean takes a seat on a couch settled near the window. Yutao pulls a chair over and sits down across from her. Facing each other, he brings both hands up near his face.
“First, take a few deep breaths.” He instructs. “Then, close your eyes.”
Following his guidance she cycles through a series of inhales and exhales. After she shuts her eyes, purple static begins to bounce between his fingertips. It bounds between each one and leaves a trail, linking all ten digits together as it weaves into a spider web-like design.
From the center of this pattern, ripples of electricity emanate and travel through the design. Each wave emits a low hum of static infused with low-frequency vibrations, resulting in a noise that resembles a crackling bell.
“Breathe slowly.“ Yutao conveys slowly, his voice calm yet firm. “Relax your body and mind. Relieve yourself of your day-to-day responsibilities and let yourself loose.”
His tone works in unison with the chime of static, not disrupting its tempo. He repeats these instructions in the same fashion over the course of several minutes, ensuring he retains his focus.
Jean’s chest rises and falls more slowly by the minute as her body gradually grows less tense. Though it takes a while for her to truly let herself sink into its hold, the hypnosis eventually works its magic. After about twenty minutes, she’s slightly slumped over as if she’s asleep.
The electricity disappears with a quiet fizzle while his hands go to rest on his lap.
“Now, open your eyes.”
With a snap of his fingers, Jean’s eyelids slowly raise. Her gaze looks much softer and less focused - almost like she isn’t even paying attention.
“How are you feeling?” He asks with a quiet tone. A small, relaxed smile rises on her face as she responds.
“Mm…Pretty good..”
Jean’s voice is quiet and soft, all of the rigidity of her usual tone melting away. Looking pleased, Yutao rises from his chair.
“I’ll get you a book to read so you can relax.”
He departs from her office and heads into the library across the hall, diligently combing over its contents. Knowing that she usually likes to read about legends and heroic figures, he plucks one of his favorite tales from the bookshelf.
Yutao returns in a timely manner with a book tucked under his arm. As Jean is offered the item, her head tilts.
“Hm..? What’s this?” She questions.
“A story I’ve grown fond of during my time here. It’s about a knight that’s regarded as an unsung hero. You showed it to me, remember?”
“Ah, that’s right..” Jean’s head bobs in a slow nod. As she reads over the familiar book cover, Yutao turns to leave the room.
“Take it easy for the rest of the evening. I’ll see you tomorr-”
He pauses mid-turn as he feels his arm get stuck. Jean’s hand rests upon the back of his and holds him in place, prompting him to glance towards her. Her blue eyes gleam expectantly as a small smile graces her features.
“Wait, Yutao..come sit with me.”
His breath hitches in his throat. The doting look in her eyes, her sweet voice, the body language that could even be described as meek is…different, to say the least. Yutao’s heart is ensnared by that simple action alone, making it impossible to even consider turning it down.
“Ah..sure.”
The nod that follows is a bit delayed, still entranced by the look on her face. He shuffles to her side and sits nearby on the couch. Jean’s eyes follow him all the while, her smile blooming wider after he joins her. Yutao returns the glance, then quickly shies away after meeting her eyes.
“Um, are you..ready to start?”
“Mhm..”
A subtle, deep breath leaves his lips as Jean turns her attention back to the book. Being the subject of her attention that intently made his nerves flare more intensely than he would’ve pictured. His heart always skips a beat when she smiles at him normally, but this turned that feeling up to an eleven.
They begin to quietly read the story of a nameless hero of ancient Mondstadt, depicting a tale of selfless heroism. Normally, Yutao has no problem immersing himself in the era where this took place…but this time he’s met with a few difficulties in doing so.
Every so often he can feel Jean’s eyes on him, staring directly at him while he’s in the middle of reading. The nervousness builds and disrupts his focus, resulting in several misspoken and stammered sentences. If Jean notices, she doesn’t seem to care.
“Mm..Yutao?” Her tender tone calls.
“Hm?”
“Could you move your arm a little..?”
Now that he looks more closely at how they’re sitting, the arm in question seems to be obstructing her view of the pages. He gives a quick nod of his head - an easy enough request.
“Of course.”
Yutao promptly tucks the arm between the two of them underneath the book to get it out of her way. Jean’s smile grows just a little wider as an eager glint reflects across her eyes.
“Ah..thank you.”
His expectations are soon betrayed as the Grand Master instead scoots closer to him. Her soft body meets his as their sides touch; before he realizes what she’s doing, her head begins leaning against his shoulder.
Yutao’s face quickly deepens into a shade of cherry red. While he may have been able to convince himself he was overthinking things before, this left little to the imagination. The undoubtedly intimate gesture leaves him stunned and speechless.
It feels like his heart is moments away from leaping free of his chest with its pounding. He becomes acutely aware of the feeling of their bodies pressed together. Her smooth, lustrous blonde hair delicately grazes his cheek; from this close, he can easily pick up the earthy scent of dewy dandelion.
He never fails to notice the natural beauty of her features, but with their faces this close together it becomes especially apparent. In response, Jean’s own cheeks dye a faint pink while her calm blue eyes flutter his way.
The concoction that hits him all at once freezes him like a statue. Yutao’s breathing picks up in an attempt to steady himself, but to no avail.
“Hey..”
Jean’s voice, sweet as honey, snaps him out of his daze. Following that, his reply is hurriedly stammered out.
“Y-yes?”
“Sorry..I haven’t been paying attention to the book.”
“Ah, erm…that’s fine. As long as you’re relaxed, it’s serving its purpose.”
“I think…you’re a lot nicer to look at right now. You always are..”
Yet again he freezes, his lack of motion a stark contrast to his racing heart. Jean smiles fondly and continues.
“I really appreciate you being here. You’re so dedicated and diligent with everything you do..not to mention how caring you are. Always making sure I eat on time, even bringing food into the office for me…it’s sweet.”
Her hand gently rests upon his forearm, adoringly rubbing along the skin while she speaks.
“Lightening my work, making sure I get the sleep I need, helping me train…you even remember things like my favorite meals. I…” The blush on her face deepens.
“..I really like you, Yutao. I’ve been wanting to say it for a while, but…I’m always nervous about these feelings being misplaced..the last thing I wanted was for things to get strange between us because of this..and besides, I don’t think I should be having these thoughts. I should be focusing on improving my leadership skills and honing my skills..I still have to improve..”
She trails off in the midst of her spontaneous confession. Yutao’s widened eyes express his sheer shock by themselves, his face painted as red as a tomato. Simply put, he has…no idea how to even begin broaching the subject at hand.
A myriad of emotions assail him in mere seconds; he’s greatly abashed and flattered both by her genuine words of affection for him while saddened by the concept of Jean denying herself what she wants. Another factor muddies the water with this entire matter and makes deciding on a reply much more difficult.
This factor being, of course, hypnosis. She clearly isn’t lucid at the moment - enough time hasn’t passed for it to wear off. His feelings for her pang through his body at the idea of being reciprocated, but it doesn’t feel right. He might have unintentionally influenced her thoughts with his technique - he’s still no expert with it.
Even if these are her true feelings, they should be addressed while she’s fully coherent. For the time being, he has to find a way to navigate around the situation while not overtly turning her away. He cycles through a series of slow, deep breaths. Though his face feels like it’s on fire he manages to steady himself enough to quietly respond.
“Jean, let’s…not think too much about work right now. You’re relaxing, remember..? We can, uh, have a talk about it later..”
“Mm..” Her eyes focus on him intently as he replies. She lets them slowly fall shut after several heavy seconds of meeting his gaze. “Alright...”
In an attempt to salvage the intense embarrassment and awkwardness, Yutao’s voice slowly picks back up where he left off. He only makes it through a few paragraphs before noticing her soft, quiet breathing. A quick glance affirms that she’s fallen asleep right atop of his shoulder. As she rests he stares intently at the wall across the room, collecting his thoughts in silence.
It’s hard for him to tell how much time passes from there. Even the ticking of the clock is drowned out with his head racing a mile a minute. Eventually, though, Jean quietly mumbles and begins stirring awake.
She lifts from his shoulder, a soft yawn following. Even though it likely wasn’t a long nap she appears fairly groggy for a short while. Slowly but surely, her eyes widen as she begins recalling recent events. A deep crimson blooms on her cheeks as she awkwardly shuffles about in her seat, not having the courage to do much else.
“Did you, uh, have a good nap?” Yutao’s voice breaks the silence. Her body briefly jolts as if startled, a sharp inhale following suit. A shaky nod is given in response.
“Y-yes…it served its purpose.”
He can tell right away that she’s back to her old self. Her voice has recovered its firm tone and enunciation, though her nerves greatly soften her voice. Well aware of this fact, a heavy, awkward air settles between the two.
“Good..uh, good.”
Yutao repeats, not finding an easy way to broach the subject at hand. He subtly taps his foot on the ground while Jean taps her fingers on her lap, nervous gestures in their own right. After what feels like forever, the Dandelion Knight is the first to speak following a sigh.
“...I shouldn’t evade the subject. I should offer my sincere apologies for how I was behaving. It was..quite rude and invasive of me. I can remember how uncomfortable it made you..”
Hearing the regret in her voice and seeing her head lower in shame, a pang of guilt rises. He steels his nerves and quickly responds.
“No, it’s alright. It wasn’t discomfort, I was just…flustered.” He offers her a sheepish smile. “There’s nothing to apologize for. I thought it felt nice - certainly far from uncomfortable.”
The cherry red tint in Jean’s cheeks deepen at his admission, finding it harder to keep her words coherent.
“I..I see.”
“If anything, I should be apologizing for what happened there. I might have messed up the hypnosis somehow.”
“Well, you see…I..” She bites her lip, a long pause spacing her words apart. “I…don’t think you did. Though it isn’t something I would be particularly expressive about..the feelings I voiced were not a result of your ability.”
Although his nerves flare at the confession, he knows the last thing to do was to keep her waiting for a response. Setting them aside, his response is prompt.
“It makes me really happy to hear that..more than you probably think. Not just because it’s flattering, but I’ve felt the same way for a long while.”
A hopeful glint surfaces in Jean’s eyes. She quickly turns her head to meet his own, both of their blushes deepening in color.
“Truly..?”
“Of course. Your dedication, loyalty, intelligence, perseverance and kindness…are just the tip of the iceberg with the qualities I find attractive in you. I’d be here all day if I had to list off everything I liked about you, Jean. To get to the point, I…I’ve got feelings for you too.”
Jean’s lips curve into a bashful smile, a joy bursting in her radiant eyes.
“I…had no idea, Yutao. It means a lot to hear that, but I’m..”
“The Acting Grand Master?” He rests his palms atop of Jean’s hands, gentle yet firm. “Leader or not, you deserve to have the happiness you’re looking for. This won’t stop you from being a great leader, not one bit.”
The emotions swelling inside of her cause her eyes to glisten with moisture. She softly clasps her hands with Yutao’s own.
“Thank you..I do want this. I want you to be the person I share my delicate emotions with…and I want to be trusted with yours in return. I’ve always yearned for the chance to, but I never imagined it would happen…especially not like this. I am nervous, though..what if I falter?”
“We’ll work through it. I promise I’ll stay by your side and support you all the same.”
“Yutao..I vow to do the very same.”
Her adoring gaze meets his own, sharing a moment of quiet intimacy together. After losing themselves in each other, Jean’s eyes drift away in embarrassment.
“If..we’re being honest, though, I should admit that the hypnosis worked wonders. It was much more pleasant than I anticipated.”
“Thinking back, I guess you did seem more eager than I’d expect from someone. Most assume the worst, like..brainwashing or something.”
“Well, it…was not my first exposure to the concept. Truth be told, I enjoy indulging in novels that revolve around the subject. I yearned to be in the shoes of the heroines that put themselves in the hands of their lovers…maybe the feeling of relinquishing control would be a refreshing change of pace for me. It, um…was better than I thought and was quite relaxing, so..I’d say a success all around.”
His eyes widen a bit at the revelation, prompting her cheeks to redden fiercely.
“Ah, then…that worked out pretty well.”
“I-I apologize if that comes off as strange..”
Yutao shares a tender smile with her, gently holding her hands in his own.
“It doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I’d be happy to help you like this any time later.”
A sigh of relief comes from Jean as her shoulders relax. She returns his smile and meets his eyes again.
“I believe I’ll take you up on that offer later. For now…I’d like to bask in this moment for a little longer.”
Yutao scoots closer to Jean as the two sit side-by-side, their hands joined atop of their laps. They happily admire the features of each other’s faces while their affections radiate through the office air, the afternoon sun emphasizing the glow of joy in their eyes.