Chapter Text
Keqing started making ridiculous excuses to go see Ganyu in her office. Funds papers needed to be turned into Ganyu? Something needed the secretary’s signature? She would take them herself, she wouldn’t dare trust one of her assistants to make it down the hall between both their offices. It would be a foolish rookie mistake, at least, that’s what she told herself.
She had only been back at the office for a week, while her associates were not too happy about that since she put them to work, they were also confused that she kept taking their simple tasks. Just to make sure they wouldn’t notice she was only doing it to see Ganyu she would pick up random small run around jobs to people in other departments she could care less about talking to.
Sometimes Ganyu would be passed out at her desk in the middle of the day when Keqing popped in. She would leave the papers neatly on the corner of the desk and drape the blanket that sat unused on a pile of boxes around her shoulders. She wondered if Ganyu knew it was her. Was she that obvious? There was no way.
Each time she visited Ganyu however, she noticed a flower missing from the vase on her desk, the flowers she had gifted her as thanks for putting up with her sick self. She thought she was crazy until she walked in on her shoving one of the Qinqing flowers in her mouth.
“Lady Keqing!” Ganyu exclaimed, muffled through her mouthful as she jumped up from her chair.
“I can come back later if you’re busy right now-“
“No!” Ganyu unsuccessfully swallowed what was in her mouth and began choking.
Keqing stood there a little unhelpful in the doorway as Ganyu recovered, pounding a fist on her chest. She wiped the tears that had developed at the corners of her eyes and walked across her office to pull Keqing inside, almost slamming the door behind her. She sat back down at her desk, face red with embarrassment.
“You…eat flowers?” Keqing asked dumbly as though the fact had not been clearly revealed before her eyes.
Ganyu covered her face with her hands. “Yes, yes I eat flowers! It’s-it’s not all that different from how you would eat cabbage. They’re all plants!”
She supposed there wasn’t really a difference. It just wasn’t something Keqing saw every day. She cleared her throat. “Ningguang sent me the layout for the venue.”
Ganyu examined the paper Keqing placed on her desk. Ah yes, Ningguang’s yearly Qixing party. Whether it was a party to celebrate the Qixing’s accomplishments or a chance for Ningguang to casually throw around her vast wealth, neither of them were really sure. What they did know is that a lot of work had to be put into it and no one else was trusted by Ningguang to not mess it up other than Keqing and Ganyu.
“Have you already sent a letter to the carpenter in Qingce Village?”
Keqing took the seat across from Ganyu’s desk, pulling it close. “Sent it out this morning. Although, I’m worried they won’t be able to complete the order in time. Have you talked to the caterers?”
“Not yet.” Ganyu hummed, her eyes flicking up to Keqing from the paper. Her cheeks were still a bit red. “Would you like to take an early lunch break with me and go check them all out?”
A tall stack of avoided paperwork awaiting Keqing back in her office flashed in her mind. “I think that would be nice.”
The Harbor air was much more refreshing than the dusty offices inside the Pavillion. Ganyu breathed it in, stretching just a little to get the stiffness of a long morning sitting down out of her body. Interns passed by them on their way in and out of the building, rushing around to fulfill their tasks as quickly and efficiently as possible to keep their jobs. Those who worked under the Yuheng didn’t usually last long.
They headed down the steps, Keqing moving like her life depended on descending them as fast as possible. By the time she reached the bottom, Ganyu was only three steps down, completely taking her time. She was always so busy these days she never got to take walks anymore. While they were technically still working on their break, Ganyu was pretending that they weren’t at all.
Ganyu waved at the old woman standing by the glaze lilies as they passed. Keqing had never paid her any mind, but many others always showed her great kindness.
The streets were busier than normal today; travelers weaving in and out of the crowds, children running between people’s legs, and Millelith marching around in their patrol routes. Keqing didn’t really like crowded places, instead preferring the open road of the Liyue trails. She felt a firm gloved hand grasp her bare shoulder. It seemed Ganyu didn’t want to lose her in the crowd.
She kept weaving her way through the crowd only stopping when the hand on her shoulder gave a hard squeeze. Keqing turned back to see Ganyu waving at a familiar woman with a claymore on her back. Great.
Beidou returned Ganyu’s gesture with a big wave of her own and a large smile plastered on her face. Keqing cursed under her breath as the pirate made her way through the masses toward them.
“What a rare sight to see the great Ganyu walking along the common folk!” Beidou’s voice was booming among the crowd. Ganyu looked like she wanted to shrink in on herself at the attention as many people turned to look.
Beidou put her arm around Ganyu’s shoulder and pulled her close, holding her other arm out and gesturing to the world in front of them with a large sweeping motion, almost hitting people as they walked past. “The day you can wiggle out of Qixing work is the day I take you around the world on my ship. What do you say?”
“I would like that.” Ganyu giggled as she put her arm around Beidou’s waist and squeezed them both closer together.
Keqing crossed her arms feeling a nauseating pit of despair growing in her stomach. It was an awful and despicable feeling that she thought was unbecoming of her. Apparently not.
Ganyu stepped out from under Beidou’s arm and clasped her hands behind her back. “Keqing and I are doing taste testing for some potential caterers. Would you like to join?”
A fire sparked and raged within Keqing’s gut at the idea of Beidou joining them. She would rather watch the world burn, mountains crumble, and oceans dissipate into mist. Why couldn’t she just have Ganyu to herself?
Beidou caught her eye and smiled, but she just huffed and turned around. “Actually, I have some business down at the docks I need to take care of, but maybe we can get together another time. Wouldn’t want to keep the Qixing’s workers from ah-working?”
“Yes, working! A shame though. I will see you around then.” Ganyu squeaked as she was put in a bone crushing side hug, even being lifted off the ground a little.
Keqing looked over her shoulder to see Beidou giving an exaggerated bow. “Goodbye Madam Secretary. Lady Yuheng.”
The scuffle of boots on the cobblestone faded away, Beidou turning around every once in a while to give Ganyu a big wave who returned them in kinda each time before finally disappearing into the crowd. Keqing remained cross, stiff and stubborn in her stance.
Ganyu poked her in the side. “If you tried to get to know Beidou, she’s not as bad as you think. She’s very kind and considerate.”
“I have no desire to get to know her.” Keqing knew in her heart that Ganyu had good character judgement so she wasn’t wrong about Beidou, but still, the pirate had caused more than enough trouble for the Qixing. She was mostly bothered that Beidou held a closeness with Ganyu that she herself lacked.
“I see.” Ganyu nodded, a small frown upon her face. She pointed out a restaurant a couple buildings away. “Let’s go here first.”
The inside held the low buzz of conversation from other patrons and was moderately decorated in a cozy fashion. Keqing picked a table secluded in the corner, and ordered small portions of one of everything off the menu. Ganyu sat in silence, eyes closed and listening to the chatter around them.
When half their food arrived, Ganyu slid all the vegetarian dishes to her side of the table and sampled each one. She only did it when Keqing looked away to take notes, looking around at their surroundings and only trying something again when her gaze was averted. It occurred to Keqing now that she’d never seen Ganyu eat before in all the time they’d worked together.
Their service became a bit slower as more people had entered the building. A sign that people thought if the Qixing were eating here, surely everyone else should. It was a bit annoying as Keqing had only expected to be out for an hour, maybe a little more, but time began to stretch out. She supposed she didn’t mind in the end since it was with Ganyu.
When the second half of their taste testings came out, Keqing could feel the expanse of her stomach coming to a close, too full to take another bite. Even so she still raised her chopsticks to the challenge, albeit a bit slowly.
“Keqing, we can come back and do this another time. You don’t have to force yourself to eat anymore.”
Keqing shook her head. She never left a job half done and they’d already ordered everything. Once she started she had to see it through to the end. Keqing noticed that Ganyu’s side of the table was mostly empty.
“Are you done?” Keqing asked, pointing her chopsticks at the food between them.
Ganyu hesitated but gave a small nod. “I don’t think I can stomach any more.”
Keqing found that a bit hard to believe as all the thing’s Ganyu consumed had been light while Keqing had no choice but to eat all the meat dishes. She didn’t press however, rather sampling the remaining plates without Ganyu’s help. The secretary dutifully took notes on Keqing’s comments of each dish in neat handwriting.
By the time they were done, Keqing placed her head on the table. She definitely took on too much but she refused to verbally admit it. Ganyu paid the bill with a sum of Qixing funds and they exited the building. Keqing’s stomach ached as she held her arms over it. She was more than ready to lay down for a nap, something that was so rare for her to do. Ganyu yawned, loud and wide as she stretched her arms high above her.
“Time for your regular scheduled nap?” Keqing asked with a small smile on her face.
Ganyu nodded and hummed, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands. She grabbed Keqing by the wrist and led them to a bench across the street. She barely made it, dropping down with her head falling back and mouth open, snoring. Keqing stood there, a hand still weakly gripping her wrist. She took the seat next to her and pushed Ganyu’s open mouth closed. She slept like clockwork; in exactly thirty minutes Ganyu would spring up from her nap and wobble her way back into the world with a clear mind and newfound energy.
Ganyu stirred a bit in her sleep, leaning over with her head resting on Keqing’s shoulder. Her whole body froze for a moment, feeling her heart pound in her chest uncontrollably. She felt Ganyu start to drool on her bare shoulder which was a bit gross but she didn’t want to disturb her by moving. Instead Keqing looked around, making sure no one was watching and placed her head on top of Ganyu’s. She could play it off as falling asleep as well.
As expected, Ganyu woke thirty minutes later and attempted to move until she felt Keqing’s weight resting upon her. She willed her breaths to remain even though her heart was pounding. She felt a little silly pretending to be asleep, but it seemed Ganyu didn’t mind.
Ganyu’s hair blew in the wind tickling her face and Keqing tried her best to stop from laughing at the absurd situation she put herself in. Thankfully, Ganyu finally shifted and politely shook her awake. Keqing put on her best acting, pretending to be still sleepy and looking around.
“You must have really needed that.” Ganyu commented after dragging Keqing back in the direction of the Pavillion when she insisted they do more taste testing.
Keqing smiled and placed a glove finger over her own lips. “Don’t tell anyone I was sleeping on the job.”
Over the course of the next couple of weeks, Keqing found herself increasingly distracted beyond belief during Qixing meetings now. Ganyu sat closer to Ningguang diagonally across the table from Keqing with her chair angled towards the Tianquan. She would look up every once in a while, soaking up Ningguang’s words and jotting down the bits she thought were important.
On the other side of the table, Keqing was not paying attention whatsoever. Ganyu was pretty and effortlessly so. It was captivating, and Keqing had never really realized just how much it could take her breath away.
She had fallen quickly, and hard . It was so much easier to open her heart and mind and let it run than trying to hold it all inside a cage. But that now meant she was always looking for an opportunity to talk with Ganyu, watching her when she wasn’t looking, and thinking about what it would be like to hold her hands in her own. Wondering if they fit together like the last two pieces of a puzzle, or maybe the first two on their journey to becoming a whole picture.
She felt a little ridiculous, like a lovesick teenager, but she was never one to deny the things that her heart wanted.
“Keqing.”
The Yuheng jumped a little at being pulled out of her stupor. “Yes?”
“Can you repeat what I just said?” Ningguang stood at the end of the table with a look of disappointment.
Keqing flushed with embarrassment, too wrapped up in her own fantasies she missed almost everything in the meeting so far. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her, wanting to sink beneath the table.
“Pay attention. This is important for your department.”
“Yes ma’am.” She debated getting up and leaving the room in her discomfort but that would only further her foolery. Ganyu met her gaze from across the table and Keqing put a goofy smile on her face she hoped no one else would notice. It was returned in kind by one much sweeter and shy.
-----
Keqing didn’t have the guts to invite Ganyu to a nonwork related lunch; instead, she mustered up the courage to just bring it to her randomly under the guise of oh, I was already getting something for myself and figured I would grab something for you since you work so hard. Yes, that would work nicely.
Keqing made her way down the hall to Ganyu’s office and stopped in front of the door. She blamed her sweaty hands on the heat radiating from the boxes of food. There were muffled voices inside. She’s probably just talking to an assistant. Keqing wiped one of her hands on her skirt and opened the door.
An abrupt laugh came from Ganyu at her desk as she watched Liyue’s most prominent lawyer animatedly regale a story. Keqing felt that same low ugly roiling heat in her gut from earlier this week. The knife twisted even harder when Ganyu cut herself off and cleared her throat, bringing a hand up to wipe a small tear from the corner of her eye.
“Lady Keqing, how can I help you?” Ganyu stood placing her hands on her desk.
“I was just coming to-” Keqing paused as her eyes followed the length of Ganyu’s arms to her hands, spotting two open boxes of half eaten food on her desk and a vase full of fresh qingxin flowers. “-drop some papers off. I see that you are currently busy at the moment. I will return later.”
Keqing was extremely grateful she only opened the door halfway so that Ganyu didn’t see the contents in her hand. She already wanted to shrivel up even more so when she caught Yanfei giving her a smug look as she closed the door.
She stared at the warm boxes in her hands as she walked back to her own office. What was she going to do with two lunches? She could pass it out to one of her assistants but if she only gave out one, the rest of her employees would maybe see it as favoritism. Throw it away? No, she didn’t like wasting food.
She continued to mull over this as she rounded the corner, running face first into another person. Keqing wanted to be mad, but it was her own fault. The flare of anger that flashed across her face softened when she craned her neck up to look Ningguang in the eyes.
“Distracted today are we?” Ningguang’s mouth curled up into a smug smile. “What’s in here?”
Keqing looked back down at the boxes in her hands as Ningguang tapped a metal nail upon them. “Lunch.”
“For two?”
“I’m particularly hungry today.” Keqing lied, feeling the embarrassment rise within her. Why did Ningguang have to be so damn nosy?
Keqing knew the entrance to the Pavillion was on the opposite side of where she was walking away from. The gears she saw turning in Ningguang’s head all but confirmed that she probably knew what Keqing’s intent for her lunch break was.
“Well, I will leave you to it then.” Ningguang’s heels echoed in the hallway as she walked towards the other offices.
Keqing still felt like a fool but let out a sigh. “Would you like to have lunch with me?”
The only answer she got in return was a smile.
Their conversations were pretty modest and mostly about work. Keqing wasn’t really listening until Ningguang threw in a wrench and derailed everything.
“Ganyu has been working a lot lately. I told her to take a day off this weekend.”
Keqing raised an eyebrow at this. She thought about it for a moment before responding. “Huh, that’s funny. I was also planning on taking a day off this weekend.”
It was a lie of course. She had zero plans for the weekend other than building a small scale replica to sway the Qixing on an upcoming construction project she wanted funded. If Ganyu was off however, then maybe…
Ningguang smirked. “What are the odds that would happen?”
More likely than you think “It’s just a coincidence.”
“If you say so.”
Keqing tried her hardest to steer the conversation back to work, but even work could be turned into a talk about Ganyu who was just a few doors away. Ningguang was nosy in that older sister kind of way, trying to get all the details she could in a not very subtle way. At least at the end of the day she was trying to push Keqing in the right direction, but in turn Keqing pushed her out of her office the moment she was done eating.
The end of the week approached slowly, too slowly for Keqing to like. She waited for the familiar steps to come by her office late into the work day, scrambling to grab her things and exit the room.
“Heading home so early?” Keqing asked, dropping a few items in her haste.
They both bent over to grab them, Ganyu’s hands reaching for the same thing and briefly brushing gloved hand against her fingers. “Isn't it technically late?”
“You stay so much later all the time it almost feels like this is early for you.” Keqing looked up and realized Ganyu's face was quite close to hers. She quickly gathered the rest of her things and straightened up. “I heard you were forced to take some time off tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I didn’t really want to but you know how Ningguang is.” Ganyu said, as they walked towards the exit.
“Indeed.” Keqing nodded. They were on the steps of the Pavillion and about to head their separate ways when Keqing finally mustered the courage she needed. “Say, I have tomorrow off as well. Would you like to grab lunch?”
A look of surprise flashed across Ganyu’s face. She hesitated before answering. “I would love to-“
Yes!
“-but unfortunately I already made plans.”
No!
“That’s okay. I was probably just going to end up doing some work from home anyways.” Keqing used her free hand to rub the back of her neck, not really sure what to do with the awkwardness of rejection running through her.
Ganyu placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a firm squeeze. “I appreciate the invite regardless. Please get some rest though. You worry about everyone else who works hard but never yourself. You deserve time off too. Take care.”
She bounded down the steps, across the courtyard, and out of view. Keqing huffed and let her head hang low. Now she was forced to take a day off with nothing to really do. She could work on her replica but it was already half done on a table in her office. If she walked back in on her day off Ningguang would be all over her; teasing, taunting, and sticking her nose where it didn’t belong.
Keqing dragged her feet home instead, kicking loose rocks along the cobblestone. She knew it was foolish of her to be so butthurt about it but she couldn’t help it. She didn’t like not having control of a situation, not being able to foresee the end of a road. Keqing didn’t get much sleep that night, staring at her ceiling in complete darkness, overthinking.
What if Ganyu turned her down not because she had other plans but solely because she didn’t want to hang out with her. Did she not like her?
Don’t be ridiculous , Keqing thought to herself. Ganyu had gone above and beyond to take care of her when she was sick, watching her be sweaty and disgusting vomiting into her toilet and was still able to look her in the eyes the next day.
The worrying and anxiety continued to eat away at the deepest parts of her brain well after she fell asleep, waking up earlier than normal with nausea in her gut. She attempted to chalk it up to being hungry as she made herself a small breakfast, watching the sun rise over the vast ocean, but knew deep down it was just herself over-assessing a situation.
She went to the markets early, only leaving when her purchases started feeling too heavy in her arms. Keqing put everything away and tried reading a book she’d already gone through several times but boredom eventually crawled its way to her and so she found herself exiting the door to her home once more.
The streets were much busier this time. She shuffled around the sides and up the stairs to Wanwen Bookhouse. Her fingers ran along the spines of several books until one caught her interest; another sapphic romance novel. As if she didn’t own enough, Keqing already had a private bookshelf in her room packed full of romance novels. She wondered if Ganyu had perused the shelves in her room at all when she was unconscious with fever. The thought made her blush; she didn’t want Ganyu to know just how much of a hopeless romantic she was but she had definitely seen that already.
Satisfied with the summary of the novel, Keqing made her purchase and headed back down the steps among the crowded streets. Her goal was the tea house on the corner, her favorite place to unwind after a long day of work. Keqing slowed down a little when she spotted Ganyu and Yanfei leaning over a table at one of the many market stalls in deep discussions.
Keqing felt a stab in her chest. They were extremely close together and she didn’t miss the way Yanfei’s hand was planted firmly on Ganyu’s lower back. It hadn’t even occurred to Keqing until now that Ganyu may not even be on the market. If that were the case, she was wasting time eating away at her brain over something that wasn’t even possible. Even still, she had a small glimmer of hope; maybe they were just really good friends. Yes, very good friends who were physically comfortable with each other, nothing more.
She passed behind them, praying to a god for once in her life that they don’t turn around and see her. She let out a breath once she was successful and scurried her way to the tea house. Keqing couldn’t help but feel like eyes were boring into the back of her head as she closed the entrance behind her.
What did Yanfei have that she didn’t? Money? Impossible, Keqing was one of the richest in Liyue and while they both made a lot of money, she thought her pockets had to be deeper than the lawyers. Personality? She had to admit that Yanfei was quite boisterous, loud and smug. Keqing could be funny if she tried right? Ganyu had laughed at her jokes at least twice before. Looks? Others may have thought differently, but Keqing believed she was at least average. She wasn’t shy about checking out other women and if she was being honest, Yanfei was quite attractive. Maybe not her type personally, but attractive nonetheless.
She picked a table in the back to be out of sight and out of mind, that’s when it smacked her in the face; their heritage. Yanfei was half adeptus just like Ganyu. That was something she would never be able to relate to with her. It probably didn’t help that she publicly lambasted Rex Lapis among the other archons, definitely not something that gave her any brownie points in Ganyu’s ladies department.
Still though, Keqing would be lying if she said it didn’t sting that Ganyu had turned her down to have lunch twice with Yanfei in a single week. Maybe it was a little ridiculous to feel that way about it but the knife in her gut twisted and turned, emotions she’d never felt before seeping through her fingers from a wound she didn’t know how to close.
She thumbed her way through her book, the day moving on around her while she remained completely static. Keqing felt mild irritation at the main character who was too dense to realize that the love interest liked them. Imagine being so blind you couldn’t see something right in front of you.
Two people walked past her table then, long blue hair catching her eyes and making them drift off of the page. Ganyu was followed by a tall man Keqing had never seen before in her life.
Keqing subtly shifted and brought her book up to her face, concealing all but her eyes, that way she could keep an eye on Ganyu from across the room, watching them order their tea and chat. Ganyu’s eyes would drift over in her direction and Keqing tried her best to casually pretend like she wasn’t staring. She briefly thought about getting up and leaving but why should she when she was here first?
They talked so quietly that Keqing couldn’t hear what they were discussing. She wasn’t really one to be nosy but when secrecy was put directly in front of her face she couldn’t help wanting to seek out answers. Keqing watched as Ganyu placed something on the table between them, barely catching the title.
A furniture catalogue? Were they buying it together? Was Ganyu secretly engaged to this man? People didn’t usually look at furniture together as friends. Perhaps she was wrong about Yanfei all along and it was really this man that Ganyu was with. Was it an arranged marriage? Or maybe they were planning to elope? Why didn’t Ganyu ever mention this before? There was that small revelation within her that Keqing never even thought of before; maybe Ganyu didn’t even like women.
She sighed, feeling completely defeated as she dropped her book and put her head down on the table. Thinking about this made her tired . Maybe that’s why she had never bothered pursuing anyone before. Too many factors, time and energy went into trying to start a relationship and maintain it, something that would be rather hard with her line of work that had rubbed her emotionally tired on multiple occasions.
Keqing perked back up in her seat when she felt a fresh kettle of tea being placed on her table. She looked over at Ganyu and saw her quickly look away, slightly flushed.
She decided it was best to keep her nose buried in her book lest she worry herself over things out of her control. Keqing was too distracted however, reading the same paragraphs over and over so many times that it took an hour to get through a single chapter. She could hear the hushed conversation from across the room with Ganyu’s occasional airy laughter. She took sips of her tea with a white-knuckled grip on the handle, the drink only amplifying the bitter taste in her mouth.
She was finally able to drown them out and get back to her book but her interest was waning, and so she found herself staring blankly at the pages for gods know how long. Keqing heard a pair of chairs scuffle along the floor and footsteps walking past her table.
As Ganyu walked past, Keqing felt a hand briefly squeeze her shoulder but she didn’t look up, pretending to be too engrossed in her book. It was much easier to read after they were gone but her mind was still plagued with thoughts and the nauseating tug in her stomach. She sat there well until her tea was cold and the owner came to tell her to leave for closing time despite appreciating the presence of the Yuheng in his establishment.
Chilly air blew in from the harbor causing a shiver to run down her spine on her way home, a loud ruckus came from the bar to her left stopping Keqing in her tracks. A thought tumbled in her head; what better way to end her miserable day off than with a hard drink?
Keqing almost walked right out the moment she entered. Ganyu and Beidou were sitting all the way in the corner, the secretary’s back to the door. Beidou caught her eyes immediately; walking out of the bar would have been admitting some type of defeat and so, out of spite, she plopped down on a stool at the counter.
Keqing didn’t drink much, usually only on special occasions, and it was evident by the almost immediate pleasant heaviness enveloping her limbs and the flush rising upon her cheeks. She patiently watched the beads of sweat run down the glass and pool around on the countertop.
“-so dense!” Ganyu shouted from across the room, slamming her fist on the table.
Beidou burst out laughing and made loud shushing noises. “You need to be quieter or others might hear you.”
Ganyu turned in her chair to face the rest of the bar, most of the patrons having ignored her outburst but Keqing was not most patrons. Ganyu met her gaze and held it, cheeks flushed from all the alcohol she had consumed, giving her a big smile and a halfhearted drunken salute before turning back around.
Keqing tried her best to control the muscles in her face but couldn’t help the smile rising upon it. It went down almost immediately when she caught Beidou smirking at her. She didn’t look at the corner of the bar for the rest of the night. She focused on the burn in her throat and the pleasant fire building in her gut, wiping away all the troubled thoughts clouding her mind.
The night dragged on, more people entering the bar and causing commotion. She ignored them in favor of her own empty thoughts and the glass in her hand.
Keqing took another sip of her drink, pausing with the glass halfway to her lips as she felt a presence beside her. She ignored it, hoping to whoever was listening that it would go away; she didn’t really feel like talking. Whoever it was continued to stand there, red and blue in the corner of her eyes. Keqing sighed and turned only to see Beidou with an unconscious Ganyu slung over her shoulder like a sack of rice.
“Can I help you?” She asked, facing the bar once more and knocking back the rest of her drink.
“Yeah, you can.” Beidou shifted the snoring Ganyu to a more of a comfortable position and patted her back. “It’s a lot easier than you think.”
Keqing nearly spat out her refilled drink at such a bold statement. “I don’t know what you’re implying.”
Beidou leaned closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. Keqing could smell the alcohol on her breath as she spoke. “You better figure it out before you lose your chance.”
She received a hard smack on the back, almost spilling her drink. How rude , she thought. Not only had Beidou entered her personal space, she was also sticking her nose in Keqing’s business where it wasn’t wanted.
Keqing stood, feeling much dizzier standing than she was sitting, tossing several mora onto the counter and exiting the bar. The cool air felt nice against the heat rising below the collar of her shirt as she shuffled her way back home. Like most nights, her sleep was restless.
-----
Done with the party planning, Keqing avoided Ganyu for almost a week, unsure if she should continue pursuing her, not that she had tried much to begin with, or just give up. It was as easy as asking Ganyu if she was seeing someone and yet Keqing couldn’t get over the awkwardness of such a conversation that hadn’t even existed yet, or at all.
Instead, she found solace in the ever constant flow of work. A good distraction, a place where she could actually solve most problems, unlike the ones in her personal life. She ran her pencil across the parchment on her desk, careful to keep her line straight as she wasn’t using a ruler. Keqing was quite satisfied with how the plans for her next project were going, approved and ready to go under development. She put her pencil to parchment once more, the lead snapping when she pressed too hard, startled by the knock on her office door.
Ganyu stepped inside, shoulders tense with stress that Keqing chalked up to her normal workload. She approached the desk, watching the Yuheng diligently work.
“Are you coming to the party tonight? It’s already kind of late to still be working if you’re going, isn’t it?” Ganyu rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, rubbing the side of her arm.
Keqing looked down at everything on her desk. She’s been to the party every single year since she’s been the Yuheng and it was always the same thing. Why bother showing her face for the sake of politics when she could get more work done.
“I don’t think I will be.”
“Oh. I see.” It was easy for Keqing to pick up on Ganyu’s disappointment, she wasn’t trying very hard to hide it. She wanted to change her answer right then and there but Ganyu spoke up before her. “I will see you tomorrow then. Goodnight, Keqing.”
Keqing stared at her office door long after Ganyu left, indecision plaguing her mind. She didn’t like going back on her word so it would be a little awkward if she showed up right after saying she wouldn’t. Instead, she sat in her office for several more hours like a loser.
She watched the sun sink below the sea. The party was well beyond started now. Keqing began idly putting her things away, thinking about the event she had spent so much time planning with Ganyu. The same event where she was probably getting hit on by other people. Keqing’s fist clenched around a document, crumpling it between her fingers. She needed to go.
She walked as fast as she possibly could home without jogging or running. Keqing threw her closet door open and grabbed the first semi-decent outfit she saw, shrugging it on and walking right back out the door. It was a sleeveless dress, but thankfully it came with a jacket to stave off the cooling night. She hustled to the other side of Liyue Harbor, sucking in breaths as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
She raced up them to the venue, holding up the bottom of her dress and trying not to trip in her heels. She could make out a figure at the top coming down in the low lantern light. Ganyu looked up at the sound of Keqing fumbling her way up the steps.
“You look pretty tonight.” Keqing breathed out when she reached her, mentally kicking herself in the shin. She looked much more than pretty but her brain refused to connect to her mouth. “Are you leaving?”
Ganyu gave her a shy smile at the compliment. “Yes, I’m heading out for the night. I made my political rounds. You know, the boring stuff.”
“That’s too bad. I know you’re probably tired but would you like to stay for one drink with me?” It was a shot in the dark, but she’d never know the outcome if she didn’t try.
Ganyu nodded her head after a moment. “I think I would like that.”
Ganyu held out her arm and Keqing took it, linking them together. She was hardly worthy of it, but she preferred to be hanging off Ganyu’s arm as opposed to seeing anyone else do the same. “Where’s your date?”
“My what?”
“Your date? No one is going to come beat me up for linking arms with you?” Keqing thought of all the people Ganyu could have possibly invited as her plus one this year, three in particular.
Ganyu laughed heartily and shook her head. “No, there’s no date. And what about you? Did you finish your work?”
“I got it taken care of.” Keqing lied through her teeth. Her work was never really done anyways.
Ganyu hummed as they made their way inside. It was loud, bright, and claustrophobic. Keqing didn’t remember the guest list being this big, even with all the plus one additions. Ganyu guided them to the bar on the other side of the room, ordering two of the same drinks and placing Keqing’s into her hand. She followed the secretary like a lost puppy through the crowd once more, past the orchestra and up the stairs to the second floor.
They stood in silence, sipping on their drinks as they leaned on the railing and watched the people below them. Keqing spotted two people familiar to her among the crowd on the dance floor; one donned in expensive silks and furrs, and her plus one that looked uncomfortable without a large claymore upon her back.
“Who invited her?” Keqing asked, gesturing to the Crux Fleet captain with her glass.
Ganyu hummed as she took a sip from her own. “Would you believe me if I said Ningguang?”
Keqing watched as Ningguang and Beidou slow danced together, Beidou not so subtly lowering her hand from Ningguang’s back to her butt and was quickly scolded, the Tianquan gripping her wrist and moving it onto her hip.
“I supposed I would believe you.” Keqing continued to watch the practiced and comfortable movement of their dance. “I didn’t realize they fancied each other.”
“And who do you fancy, Keqing? If anyone.” Ganyu asked, walking away from the railing and outside to the balcony behind them.
Keqing froze. Should she lie and say no? Should she confess?
At her hesitation, Ganyu turned around and frantically spoke up. “Ah-pardon me. I shouldn’t try to pry on such a topic.”
“No! It’s okay. There is…someone. But I don’t think she knows.” Keqing followed her outside, trying to let all her words roll around in her head before they fell out of her mouth. “I also think that maybe I haven’t been doing a very good job at letting her know either. I’m not the best at that sort of thing.”
Ganyu remained silent for a moment, her gaze on the moonlit ocean waves lapping at the ships and docks of the harbor. “And what would you say to her if she were here?”
Keqing bit her bottom lip trying to come up with a good enough response but nothing came to mind. Ganyu had already seen her at her most physically vulnerable before but Keqing wasn’t sure if she was ready to be emotionally exposed to her yet. She held out her hand. “Would you like to dance with me?”
The dim light did little to hide the flush on Ganyu’s cheeks as she accepted Keqing’s hand, placing her glass on the railing along with the Yuheng’s. “That’s funny, I was planning to ask her the same thing.”
Ganyu pulled her close, intertwining their fingers and placing her other hand upon Keqing’s hip. They danced together on the balcony, not to the music playing through the open doors, but to the rhythm of their hearts. It was a bit formal; Keqing normally refused to dance with anyone at parties, mostly because she was bad at it, and so her moves were rigid even for such a simple waltz as this.
Ganyu must have noticed, being extra careful of her own toes as she tried her best to guide Keqing. “Loosen up a little.”
Easier said than done , Keqing thought. She attempted to relax the muscles in her shoulders, realizing that her fingers were digging into Ganyu’s side. It became easier after that, Ganyu pulling her closer, and Keqing managing to not fumble around like a fool.
“You know I feel the same right?” Ganyu spoke quietly, almost to where Keqing couldn’t hear her.
“About what?” She responded dumbly.
Ganyu closed her eyes and let her head hang low for a moment, almost poking Keqing’s eyes out with her horns. “That I like you.”
Keqing stepped on Ganyu’s foot making them both trip. That meant she had worried herself over silly things for weeks. Ganyu was single and on the market. “I-I didn’t realize. I- uh-”
“We can talk about it more later if you would like. For now, however, I think I would like to retire for the night.” Ganyu stated, cheeks rosy, but Keqing knew it wasn’t from her drink.
“May I walk you home?”
Ganyu grinned as she linked their arms together once more. Keqing tried walking as slow as possible to make the moment last, but their destination was rapidly approaching. Ganyu shivered as a cold breeze blew in from the harbor. Keqing wasted no time shrugging off the jacket of her dress and placing it around Ganyu’s shoulders. It felt a little silly to do seeing as how Ganyu’s house was just down the road but she smiled and pulled it tightly around herself nonetheless. “Thank you.”
“No problem. Did you enjoy this year's party?”
Ganyu hummed thoughtfully. “I think it may have been my favorite so far and I’ve been to many, many Qixing parties.”
“That’s good.” Keqing fiddled with her dress as they came upon Ganyu’s house, scrunching the material in her hands and letting it go repeatedly. Stop being so damn nervous . Keqing didn’t know what else to even say, rocking back and forth on her heels.
Ganyu leaned down and placed a kiss on Keqing's cheek. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
Too surprised to even move, Keqing remained glued to her spot on Ganyu’s steps long after she entered her house. She brought a hand to her cheek, feeling the warmth of a blush rising upon her face as well as a grin. Realizing that Ganyu had probably heard her not leave yet, Keqing waddled down the steps and headed into the direction of her own home.
Her heart felt light, happy even, now that all her anxieties of the past weeks had been quelled in a single night. While there probably wouldn’t be anything super serious between them for a while, it was still nice to know the feelings were mutual.
Keqing fumbled with her keys as she tried to place it in the lock of her front door when she remembered her jacket was still in Ganyu’s possession. She thought about going back to get it but shook her head. It was late and Ganyu had probably already laid down for the night.
Perhaps she could ask her to return it over a dinner date tomorrow.