Chapter Text
Jean was used to that feeling: being someone that people could've looked up to.
It was like this since childhood, perfect grades and tolerable friends, she was the prodigy child, the child who would make parents insane with envy. She was used to attention, to unwanted avances and to questionable proposals. But all began to fade when highschool came by where Jean had discovered something so important about herself: she was a lesbian.
It was kinda of funny when she found out.
She was about to give her first kiss to another prodigy child like her (named Diluc) but that didn't really happen. Instead, Jean avoided kissing him at all costs, making Diluc grow suspicious of her, he knew it before she did. She then told him that it would've been better to stay friends maybe, she thought, Diluc wasn't really her type. Oh, how wrong was she. How wrong was she to date another boy, only to dump him after three weeks.
It was only during her senior year that something changed, when Ningguang walked into that classroom's door. When Ningguang gently pressed her lips onto hers, when Jean's heart beated like thousands of thunderings, when Jean's temperature resembled the one that could only be found in Hell. Ningguang, her first lover. The lover that ruined yet saved her life, a lover that, unfortunately, had not last long. But Jean knew what she wanted, now, she could finally stop her fiascos with guys. She was a lesbian, she was someone who loved non-men. And as the years went by, this was something that Jean had fully embraced.
Of course, with difficulty.
Jean's family was very, very traditional. Often, homophobic comments would come out from Jean's mother, Frederica Gunnhildr, and her father too. Making Jean full of shame, full of doubts and fears. Full of desperation, and thoughts of wanting to be best. They didn't know how hard it was for Jean to bear that, they didn't know how much Jean wished to be straight, how it hurt to see everyone's enjoying their highschool romances meanwhile she was stuck with that dilemma for ages, only to be unlocked by Ningguang. And after Jean's little sister, Barbara, had come out to her as bisexual, she knew how much in danger that little girl was. She made Barbara promise to never tell their parents, and the saddening look in Barbara's eyes as she swore that, made Jean's eyes watery.
Traditional ways? Ways that had been forged during periods where women where mistreated, where men were treated as a superior gender and where minorities were almost non-existent. Traditional ways, the disease of society.
"Yo, Jean? Are you there?" A voice called for her, sounding familiar to her ears.
"Sorry I was thinking about something." She quickly replied, turning her head to see who was disturbing her train of memories. It was Kaeya, Jean's best friend.
"Were you thinking about someone special? A girl, perhaps?" He teased, having his characteristic grin on his face.
Jean sighed, ignoring his stupid question. Though, she was glad that Kaeya wasn't like her parents. He was the kind of guy that liked to mess with Jean's mind, seeing her getting all flustered had become his new hobby as it was easy to see her face turning red.
"I was joking teacher! Don't give me a bad grade~" Again, he laughed.
"How did you became a teacher? I won't never know." She teased back.
But it was true, Kaeya was a free-spirit. She had imagined him working in some kind of messed-up bar, flirting with clients while he desperately tried to get into their pants. It suited Kaeya's nature, the nature of a player.
"That's so mean, I care about future generations, of course."
"Right..."
They both laughed softly.
"So, that's where you two were." Another voice joined their conversation, Diluc's voice. He sounded as serious as ever.
Kaeya rolled his eyes.
"That's a way to kill the fun." He said as soon as Diluc entered the room.
Jean tried to smile even if, whenever she saw Diluc's face, the memory of her almost kissing him reappears in front of her eyes.
But now, that old and almost-forgotten story, was a funny anecdote to tell.
"The principal established a council, she wants to see all of the teacher there. It seems like there's a new teacher that will join us."
Kaeya looked at Jean, and Jean looked at him. Confusion in their eyes and the eager desire to know who this person was, growing each second stronger.
"Let's go then." Kaeya suggested, making the others nod.
///
The council room, the biggest room of all the institute. Maybe, an injustice to the students but no-one really complained about that.
Jean could see almost all of the teachers there: Albedo, with his usual terrifying yet unique beauty. Mona, her eyes glued to another astrology book of hers. Sucrose, Albedo's assistant and famous for her almost-perfect experiments. Beidou, whose cheerful personality was polluting the dead-serious air.
Maybe, the rest of them headed home already. After all, hearing Ningguang's rantings was something that could've killed you on the spot, everyone loved yet feared her, especially knowing that she was the headmaster of the school. She had so, so much power.
Jean sat down on the chair, followed by Kaeya and Diluc who sat near her.
Ningguang cleared her throat, her eyes wandered in the room, observing Jean more than she should've.
Of course, after her and Jean had broke up, nothing had changed. Ningguang still loved Jean and, Jean, still loved the attention that Ningguang gave to her. Jean hated to admit it but, she no longer loved her. But she did love how she would touch her, how she would treat her and how her soothing voice relaxed Jean when she was stressed. Ningguang was Jean's comfort, a comfort that was something so prohibited yet so desperately necessary for her. Jean tried so many times to break up with her but every time she tried, Ningguang would do something to distract her. The sneaky and sly fox, messing around with a terrified bunny. It wasn't a sincere relationship, Ningguang wanted to keep it hidden from everyone. It was something, "school related" as she would say. Jean was Ningguang's reason to go on, she had said that to her multiple times.
And what to do when someone says you're the only one to keep her alive? You just keep living for her, by her side.
It wasn't sincere at all, both of them were using eachother. Nothing but momentary desires for Jean and momentary happiness for Ningguang, kept the duo silent.
After Ningguang's feline eyes moved away from Jean, she kept on looking at everyone.
"I've called you here today because I've an announce to make." She began to speak, having everyone's attention fully on her.
"Come out now, Lisa."
And as that order came out of her mouth, an unknown figure opened the door, bewitching every eyes, every minds. Jean included.
The figure was a woman, and a beautiful one. She had light-brown hair, they looked so smooth and soft, impossible to not touch. But her eyes, they were her forte. A greenish colour that resembled an emerald, those eyes had sadness in them, as if they wanted to tell a story that no-one could understand. Her whole visage looked soft, impeccable skin of a pinkish tone. Jean's eyes widened, her cheeks turning of a rosy colour.
"Wow." That was the only word that Jean could think of.
"This is Lisa Minci, our new teacher. She transferred here from Liyue High. Please treat her well." Ningguang added, smiling widely. Sometimes glancing at Jean, maybe a lots of times than some.
"It's my pleasure." Lisa spoke and her voice, oh her voice. It was like hearing the sirens sing, it was as if Jean could understand why Odysseus had had himself tied up to the boat's mast, she now understood how irresistible the siren's call was.
Kaeya tapped her shoulder, bringing her back to that very moment. He was grinning, and Jean knew that he knew. It wasn't that hard to tell, Jean had looked at Lisa like a child would look to a brand-new toy, with charmed eyes.
Jean saw all of her colleagues heading towards her, to shake hands and to greet eachother. Jean immediately jumped out of the chair, walking towards Lisa.
"It's an honour to have you with us, my name is Jean." She gently said, extending her hand to shake hers.
"Jean Gunnhildr? I've heard lots about you. I hope we can be great friends, even more than friends if you'd like that." She winked while shaking her hand. Her hand, soft and smooth skin, and that only made Jean's cheeks full of a reddish colour.
"I, I'll look forward to that." She tried so hard to ignore the innuendo, she really did.
Soon after her conversation, Ningguang began to spoke again.
"Well, you can all continue your conversations with Lisa outside. Now, go away. Except for you, Jean. I've got documents to hand to you."
Sure, documents.
"Ugh, she's so strict with her." Mona whispered, but Jean's ears had heard.
Everyone, including Lisa, hurried to head out of that suffocating room. Hurried to know more about Lisa, to chat with her until their heart's content.
"What's the matt-" Jean couldn't even finish her sentence, Ningguang's lips were onto hers. She kissed her, feeling a little warmth of that shared kiss, feeling her breath running low and the need to catch fresh-air.
"Ningguang, what's wrong?" Jean asked, holding the other woman into her arms.
"I don't like, how you looked at her. How you looked at that woman."
Once again, another act moved by a senseless jealousy, typical of Ningguang. Jean was so used to this.
"What's wrong with that?"
"You looked as if, you desired her. You looked at her exactly how you look at me, and you love me." Her voice was about to crack, Jean could perfectly hear her heart-beat dangerously increase.
She rolled her eyes.
No-one else knew this side of Ningguang, her fragile side. A side that even the sun couldn't reach, so it was all left to the darkness. And it was Jean's job to give Ningguang light, she was Ningguang's sun.
"My dear, that's not true. I love you, only." A lie, the medicine that both Jean and Ningguang liked to take.
Suddenly, Ningguang kissed Jean's neck. Her hands wandering around Jean's body, touching her everywhere. Desperately trying to make Jean desire more, to make her beg more for Ningguang's touch.
"Ningguang, we can't. Not here, there are others. Remember?" Jean's breath had gotten short, and her brain started to alarm when Ningguang's hasty hands were about to unbotton Jean's shirt.
A love bite, left on Jean's neck. A bite that marked her: Ningguang's property.
"Y-You're right." She quickly composed herself, walking away from Jean.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what's gotten into me."
Jean sighed, once more. She was used to this, she was used to Ningguang's jealousy.
"It's, it's fine. See you later, come to my place if you feel like it."
But deep-down, was it really?
///
Jean's head hurt, everyone had left the school, even Kaeya who was used to give her a ride home.
"That bastard, leaving me here."
She thought while, with one hand, she was desperately trying to put on a scarf to cover the hickey. With her mind full of thoughts, she proceeded to walk home, in the quietness of a new-born evening.
But suddenly, a car had stopped besides her. The driver was, Lisa?
"Jean, don't you have a car?" She asked while warmly smiling.
Jean blushed a little, she hated to admit that she didn't posses a car even though she perfectly had succeeded her driving test.
"I don't."
"Then, get in! I'll give you a ride." She suggested.
Jean smiled, getting into the car as fast as possible.
"Uh, I live at Angel's Share 77."
"Really?" A sudden enthusiasm had overcome Lisa, her sparkly eyes almost getting through Jean.
She simply nodded.
"I live there too! I've recently bought a new apartment."
Jean's eyes widened.
"It's at the third floor?"
"Yeah, that's the one!"
She swallowed her own saliva.
"Then we are neighbors, I imagine you've bought the apartment 4-A, mine is 5-A. So we're going to see eachother quite often." Jean quickly explained and, for some reasons, she seemed happy while doing that.
"That's awesome, having a cutie like you living near me. I'll never be bored." She replied, without looking at Jean.
And maybe, it was for the best.
Her face had one of the brightest colour ever, she prayed to some God to make her face go back to normal. But she waited, and waited.
Silence surrounded the duo.
"Can I ask you something?" Lisa said, keeping the smile on.
"Sure."
"Is that true that you and the boss are... uh how to say this nicely? You two are fucking?" She then laughed, that woman had never experienced embarrassment before. And it shows.
"we, WHAT?"