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Ganyu and Keqing had decided to take this week off from their jobs to spend time together. Each had worked extra hard for the past few weeks to ensure that their schedules would be free. Although Ganyu, and to a lesser extent Keqing, always put their work first; the two had managed to convince Ningguang to let them off the hook for a little while.
Ganyu had been getting ready to go over to Keqing’s house, as it was where they both had agreed to stay. She had gotten antsy deciding what to wear, how much makeup to put on, how early she should arrive—it was all a lot to consider. Despite the fact that they had been dating for a while now, Ganyu still felt nervous going over to her house. Sure, they had gone on many dates before, but Ganyu had only been over at Keqing’s to pick her up or hang out for the day. Spending a week there was certainly going to be something new for the both of them.
She tried snapping herself out of it; she was probably just overthinking, that was all. Ultimately, Ganyu decided to play it safe, a little casual wear could never hurt anyone. She was only going to be around Keqing after all, so surely it wouldn’t matter. Assuring herself, she slung her purse over her shoulder as she left her house.
Embracing the chill evening air around her, she put an arm to her chest. She could clearly feel the quick fluttering beats of her own heart, spurred from her excitement for the week ahead of her. The two had planned out activities throughout the days for them to share. From picnics, to date nights, to simple strolls around Liyue Harbor, the two had a lot thought out. However, it was the simple nights like this, the nights where nothing in particular had been prepared. The nights where it would just be the two of them in each other’s company were the nights that Ganyu truly relished the most. No doubt about it, she was excited for everything set out for them two, but the simple serenity in the absence of carefully planned events was something that she was a sucker for.
Keqing had invited Ganyu over to stay the night at her place, and there was no way in Celestia that she was going to turn down such an offer. Sure, she’d fallen asleep on Keqing’s shoulder before. Sure, they had drifted to slumber together in their office. Sure, they had napped sitting side by side off the coast of Liyue. But never, never had Ganyu actually spent the night over at Keqing’s place—and she wasn’t sure what to expect.
She didn’t want to push her partner into anything, and she was fine with any decision that Keqing chose. However she couldn’t lie to herself that she would not mind being intimate with Keqing, in whatever way that was. Ganyu shook away her thoughts, she was probably just getting ahead of herself. Bringing down her arm, she raised her head to meet the gentle gust of wind that blew across the area. It seemed to be the only sound at the moment. The rest of Liyue seemed as if to be particularly quiet for some reason, however, that wasn’t a problem. Ganyu took comfort in the calm environment, only challenged by the rhythmic clacking of her heels across the pavement. One foot in front of the other, she made her way to Keqing’s house.
<3
Eventually, she ended up arriving at Keqing's door. While she had enjoyed her leisure stroll down to her house, a new anticipation blossomed within her chest as she brought up her right hand. Knocking once on the door, she hesitated from doing so again. She tried clearing her mind, she was probably just overthinking about everything. Knocking once more, she allowed a dull thud to resound throughout the door so she was sure Keqing would be alerted that she was there. She knew Keqing had a little habit of focusing on one thing and zoning out the rest of her environment around her.
Eagerly waiting outside her door, Ganyu gently rocked up and down as she stood on her toes. They two normally saw each other at their jobs, but due to a more demanding task, Keqing’s presence had been required outside of her office as of late. Of course such responsibilities were to be expected as things that the Yuheng would have to deal with—Ganyu simply wished that Keqing’s role did not end up limiting their time together as much as it did. At the end of the day, Ganyu hadn’t seen her lover in the last 24 hours and that was already more than enough for her to be itching to meet her again.
Sure enough, the handle started to rattle and the door slowly unlocked. Keqing pulled it wide open as she stood in the middle of the frame to meet her visitor. Immediately her face was flushed a light pink as she faced her lover. She managed to keep her composure, although a large grin made its way across her face.
Despite the fact that they were well accustomed to meeting each other, and had even gone out on numerous occasions, the rush of being face to face was something that they both still experienced. It was almost as if they were in a trance, each admiring the other, gradually reddening in color. That was, until Keqing tried initiating conversation: “Hi Ganyu”. Her short greeting was accompanied with a gentle wave. Her rough bare hands were a complete contrast to her soft face.
She knew there was a lot more emotion behind Keqing’s simple hello, that was just how Keqing was. Pulled out of her daze, Ganyu leapt forward, wrapping her arms around her lover as they stood in the doorway embracing one another. Finding her way to Keqing’s hands, she interlaced their fingers. Feeling her calloused skin, Ganyu kept a gentle, yet firm grip on Keqing. Bringing her hands to her chest she leaned her chin over Keqing’s shoulder.
Ganyu closed her eyes as she softly spoke to her girlfriend, “You’re not wearing your gloves Keqing.”
Keqing released one of her hands from Ganyu’s grip and used it to lift Ganyu’s head. She made sure their eyes met before responding, “Yes my dear, I took them off since nobody was home, I simply forgot to put them back on when you knocked.” As they were still in the open doorway, Keqing could see the stars reflecting across Ganyu’s eyes. Gosh, she was stunning.
Raising her hand even higher from her chest to her lips, Keqing could feel Ganyu’s slow breathing against her skin. There were numerous scars that stretched across her hands, few long enough to make it up her arms. Keqing always seemed to cover them up, but Ganyu admired her girlfriend and saw them in a more somber light. Because that’s all they were, scars. While they presented the damage that using a vision, specifically an electro one, could have over its user—it was semi-empowering knowing that they were wounds that Keqing managed to persevere past.
“Don’t bother,” Ganyu assured her, “I love you Keqing”. She spoke in such a sweet tone that Keqing couldn’t resist flaring pink even if she tried. Keqing watched as Ganyu’s eyelids fluttered shut. Softly pressing her lips against Keqing’s hand, Ganyu gave her a delicate kiss. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide any part of you from me,” Ganyu finished her point with a warm genuine smile.
Keqing, head over heels with the person before her, used her free hand to motion inwards, “Would you like to come in?”
Ganyu, still holding onto Keqing’s hand, trailed behind her as they finally entered her house and settled down.
<3
Keqing had sat Ganyu upon her sofa before moving to take a seat right beside her. “It’s just so great to see you, Ganyu,” she grinned cupping her girlfriend’s hands in her own. Ganyu simply replied by returning the blissful expression.
Keqing stood up suddenly. “Oh! How could I! I almost forgot!” she motioned for Ganyu to get up with her. “My dear, are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?”
Ganyu didn’t want to trouble her girlfriend, “Oh really! I’m fine, but thank you for offering,” she replied with a nervous smile. However, her stomach was in opposition as it rumbled in response to the mention of food. “Oh my!” Ganyu left Keqing’s grip to cover her face with her hands, “Please excuse that,” she pleaded, red with embarrassment.
“Oh Ganyu, I would very much prefer for you to eat as opposed to putting up with your hunger for my sake,” she assured her.
Staying quiet, Ganyu kept herself hidden behind her hands.
“Ganyu… when was the last time you ate today?”
“A meal? Oh! Um… I think I had eaten a snack earlier today, if I recall correctly…”
“A snack?? Ganyu, did you even eat breakfast today??”
“Um..” Ganyu slowly lowered her hands, peeking to meet her girlfriend’s gaze.
Keqing grabbed Ganyu’s wrist and started dragging her away from the couch, “C’mon Ganyu! To the kitchen we go!”
“Oh!” Ganyu let out a squeal as she was pulled into the kitchen.
“So my love, what would you like to eat!?” She inquired, releasing her hands to face her cabinets. Opening one after another, she sifted through the contents before pulling out two plates and utensils.
Ganyu blushed in response to the adamancy that Keqing showed her. However, she still didn’t know what to reply with, “I uh… whatever you want to make would be great!”
Keqing flashed a mischievous smile. “So a surprise meal it is!” Pushing Ganyu from her shoulders, she led her to the dining table. Pulling one of the seats out, she bowed and motioned for Ganyu to sit, “After you m’lady,” she insisted cheekily.
Ganyu happily sat upon her seat and Keqing took her leave back into the kitchen. “This’ll take just a minute my dear!!” She could hear Keqing calling out to her with her face buried inside her fridge. “Ah yes! This’ll fit perfectly!” Ganyu personally thought that Keqing’s self-dialogues were adorable. She was normally such a reserved person in public, so seeing this side of her brought a smile to her face. “Ganyuuuu~ foods almost readyyy!!” Keqing giggled at her.
Ganyu was just fine waiting. While she wasn’t directly interacting with her girlfriend as she was in the kitchen, it was still comforting being in her presence. She wouldn’t have minded if she had to wait for the rest of the night since she was content watching Keqing as she fiddled around in the kitchen. Despite that, she couldn’t deny that she was getting more excited to see what Keqing had prepared for her. Keqing had never made food for her before, and she was anticipating the meal she was making.
Ganyu turned over the fork she had picked up, examining it as she waited patiently. As she looked it over, she noticed a pattern similar to the feathers that Keqing normally wore on her work attire. The design was subtle, yet intricate. It was enough for Ganyu to get distracted by until she was brought back to reality at the mention of her name.
“Ganyuu~” her head shot up at the sound of her name, “Food’s readyyy,” Keqing called out. She made her way toward the table with two plates in her hands. Laying one in front of her soon-to-be-occupied seat and reaching over to give Ganyu the other. “Dinner is served,” Keqing declared with a grin, “is there anything else you would like, my dear?”
Ganyu stared up into the rose pink eyes of her girlfriend above her, “N-no thanks! You’ve already done so much for me I…” Ganyu blushed at the effort that Keqing put into making her dinner, “thank you so much Keqing.”
“But of course!” Keqing beamed with a triumphant aura, “Well are you just gonna sit there or what?!” Leaving to sit atop her own chair, Keqing grabbed her fork, “I hope you like your dinner! I put my secret Keqing specialty into it to make sure it was nothing but the best for my girlfriend,” Keqing said almost suspiciously.
Ganyu looked down, she hadn’t actually been paying attention to what Keqing had made as she was more so staring at Keqing herself. It was embarrassing to think about, but now Keqing was sitting across from her at the table and if she stared at her it would be too obvious. To her delight, the plate before her was full of greens.
“Keqing?!” Ganyu let out in surprise, “You made me a salad?!”
Keqing winked, “I told you I would make you a good meal!”
Ganyu beamed, she hadn’t expected her girlfriend to make her favorite food. She hungrily eyed the dish in front of her. Ganyu wasn’t one for very fancy over the top foods, she preferred simple dishes. However, she was pleasantly surprised by the colorful herbs that littered her plate. Sure, she had ordered out before and there was no doubt that the salads she had eaten were delicious. However, the one Keqing made seemed almost as if it was tailor-made to her tastes.
Wild herbs weren’t something you were going to find in a normal restaurant. Even the ones that claimed to be ‘exotic’ only placed a Glaze Lily or two on the plate for decoration. Even then, Ganyu couldn’t eat such decors without receiving weirded-out glances from waiters as they came by. Aside from plain green leaves on her plate, there were blues from Glaze Lily petals, subtle red silk flower leaves, and above all, Qingxin had been sprinkled atop.
Piercing the salad, she happily downed a forkful of greens. Keqing’s cooking did not disappoint as Ganyu relished the taste of her salad. Eating Qingxin was her guilty pleasure and in combination with the sweet dressing that Keqing had tossed in, she couldn’t resist helping herself to some more. After a couple of mouthfuls, Ganyu realized how fast she was eating and stopped herself. Keqing had gone out of her way to prepare her a meal and her response was as improper as she had ever been.
“Ah… Keqing I’m sorry I got carried away there,” Ganyu apologized as she set down her utensil. Slowly bringing her face up from her plate to her girlfriend.
Keqing simply looked back with a wide grin and laughed, “hahaha!!”
Ganyu’s guilty expression was now replaced with pouting, “Keqing! Why do you laugh at me!”
Keqing simply pointed at her own chin, “You got a little… something… on your chin…” she managed to make out between laughs.
Ganyu raised her hand up to her chin in response, only to feel a piece of soggy lettuce hanging onto her face. Immediately flushing red, she reached for a napkin to clean her face with.
“Ganyu… you’re worrying too much!!” Keqing insisted, “I made this salad specifically for you, so by all means eat as much as you would like! After all, I’m really glad you do like it, I was afraid that I might’ve gone overboard with the herbs.”
Ganyu recovered from her embarrassment, “Of course not!! Your salad is delicious Keqing!! Were the Qingxin your ‘secret Keqing specialty’ that you added?”
Keqing only winked, “No dear, the only secret ingredient was my love.”
And just like that, Keqing had managed to make Ganyu flustered again. No doubt about it, it was the cheesiest thing that she could have said, but Ganyu was grateful for the effort Keqing was going to so she would feel comfortable.
<3
Ganyu had ended up finishing her entire plate, and with the adamancy of Keqing, her leftovers as well. She had insisted that she wasn’t hungry and that Ganyu could eat as much as she wanted, and Ganyu wasn’t going to turn down another helping of qingxin salad. Afterwards, the two, or rather Ganyu, finished eating and they had moved into the living room. They hadn’t said much to each other as they lounged across a couch. Despite the fact that Ganyu had been anticipating staying over at Keqing’s place for a while, it seemed now that she was here she was unsure what to do.
Keqing, once again, took initiative and broke the silence, “I’m going to take a bath before we head off to bed. You could go ahead to bed if you would like, unless you would like to take one first?”
Ganyu appreciated the offer, “Yes please! A bath would be nice.” Ganyu finished her sentence before her heart sank. Her clothes. She hadn’t brought any spare changes of clothes.
Keqing noticed the change in her demeanor, “Did I say something wrong? We can stay up a little longer if you would prefer.”
“No, no, no!!” Ganyu sheepishly rubbed her hand to her nape, “You didn’t do anything wrong Keqing! It’s just… I um… I didn’t bring any spare clothes with me…”
“Oh?” Keqing was quick to quell Ganyu’s worries again, “Don’t worry about it!! I have some spare outfits you could try on if you need! Worst case scenario, I could hand you a simple nightgown for tonight as I set your current clothes to wash.”
“R-really?”
“Well of course Ganyu, that is, if you’re comfortable with that. Go ahead and use my bath, I can prepare you a change of clothes in the meantime.” Keqing smiled reassuringly.
“Thank you ever so much Keqing!”
“Anything else you might need? I have some candles or anything I could lend you to make yourself comfortable.”
“Oh really it's fine!” Ganyu laughed playfully, “I feel most comfortable by your side anyways, and I don’t suppose you would join me would you?”
Keqing became noticeably pink and the relaxed hostess presentation that she kept up all night seemed to shift away. “Ganyu? I-is that an invitation…?” Keqing was looking down now, it seemed she was more flustered than Ganyu had been all night.
“Huh? Invitation…?” Ganyu traced back her words until she realized what she had said. Now both stood flustered before each other, “Oh. I…” Had she really just said that to Keqing? She was simply jesting, but what if she had made her partner uncomfortable, “I didn’t mean to say that I… sorry Keqing…you can just- just forget I said anything if I made you uncomfortable.”
Still blushing, Keqing stifled a giggle. “Un-uncomfortable? No Ganyu you… I mean… I wouldn’t mind joining you if you’d like…” Keqing was slightly shuffling her feet, and it was clear that she was trying her best to be casual.
That was a response that Ganyu was not in any way expecting. “Y-you would?”
Keqing simply responded with a subtle nod of her head.
“Then- then I suppose, um… if you wanted to join me, um, that would be… nice… I think.”
“Then! Then you can wait right here!” Keqing made her way into a room, “I’ll uh- I’ll fill the bath and set it up for us! And um, I’ll call you when I’m- when it’s ready.”
Ganyu smiled, it seemed that once again she was to wait as Keqing set something up for her. However, the fact that Keqing was now just as flustered as her was oddly comforting in a way. She would happily wait on her own again if it meant spending more time with Keqing afterwards, and so she did just that.
As she sat in wait across Keqing’s couch, she could hear clattering coming from the bathroom. It was soon followed up with the sound of pouring water as it filled the tub. “GANYU! WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO LIGHT A SCENTED CANDLE FOR US?” Keqing yelled from the bathroom, perhaps a little too loud.
Ganyu giggled at how loud she was shouting, it was clear that her volume was not so high on purpose, “Whatever you would like is fine my love!!” Ganyu called back.
“OKAY!” She shouted again before she was followed up with more clattering. It was amusing being able to hear all of Keqing’s efforts. Not that Ganyu was unappreciative of the work she was putting into their night, but because of how natural it felt. She had only been over a little while and it had felt like she was used to the place. She felt at home as long as long as Keqing was with her.
“SHI-” she heard Keqing yell out accompanied with a loud THUD .
“Keqing?!” Ganyu shot up from her seat and hurried her way to the bathroom door. Knocking before it, her heart was already accelerating with worry, “Keqing is it okay if I come in? If you’re okay without me entering please say so.” Not receiving an immediate response, Ganyu pushed down the handle without hesitation and shoved the door open. If Keqing had ended up hurting herself while preparing something for her… Ganyu didn’t want to think about it.
“Keqing…?” Ganyu held the door open and stared at the sight before her. Keqing was sprawled across the floor, wrapped in a towel from her torso down. “Keqing are you okay…?”
Rubbing her head, she chuckled, “I um… it appears I’ve fallen…”
Ganyu sighed in relief that her girlfriend wasn’t injured. She reached a hand out for Keqing to pull herself up, “Huh, I couldn’t tell,” she quipped.
Still holding onto Ganyu for support, she used her free hand to point at a lit candle situated on the sink counter, “Look! I uh… Do you like lavender?”
Now that she wasn’t worrying about Keqing, she took a moment to take in her surroundings. The smell of lavender filled her nose as she took a breath; it was relaxing. The candles also provided a pleasant subtle glow across the room that fit the atmosphere. The water in the filled bath had also reached a calm having been left undisturbed.
Keqing let go of Ganyu and stepped back. Looking down at her bare feet she held her hands timidly. “You could um, turn off the lights if you want… I would, I would prefer it if it was darker…”
Ganyu didn’t argue. If Keqing preferred the room to be dimmer, then who was she to object? As a half Qilin, her eyesight was noticeably better than normal humans anyway. Ganyu flipped the light switch, darkening the room. The dim glow of the candles was just enough for her to see.
“I um…” Keqing was very clearly uncomfortable, “I would… I would prefer if- Ganyu would mind going in first, I um… would like to enter after you.”
Ganyu wasn’t sure why she seemed so timid, it was probably just because they had never been this intimate with each other before. In all fairness, she was surprised with how well she was keeping cool herself. “Keqing, are you sure you’re not just wanting to watch me strip?” sticking her tongue out, she tried making a joke to lighten the mood.
It didn’t seem to land well as Keqing looked up in horror, “No, no! no! no! I’m sorry!! I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t try to make you do that for me I, I can turn around if you want, or I could step out, or, or…” Keqing seemed unsure of herself.
Ganyu internally winced at her failed attempt to relieve Keqing’s worries, “No, no Keqing…” She reached to hug her girlfriend, “It’s okay I was just joking! You don’t need to worry about it. In fact, if you would prefer, you don’t need to worry about any of this. I’m not forcing you to do this with me, I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable. You understand?”
Still in Ganyu’s arms, Keqing nodded her head.
“So you still wanna do this… together?”
Keqing nodded again.
“I guess it’s settled then!” Ganyu released Keqing and backed away to undress.
Keqing squealed in surprise and looked away. “S-sorry…” Pointing her hand in the opposite direction, she indicated towards a towel and nightgown on the countertop.
Ganyu paused, “Keqing there’s nothing to apologize for. I don’t mind if you face me or not, I feel comfortable around you anyways.”
Keqing turned back to meet her gaze, “If, if you say so.”
Ganyu entered the bath after she had finished undressing. Dipping a foot in, she was pleased to find out that the water wasn’t too hot, nor had it become cold. Slowly she bent down and managed to sit comfortably. “Keqing! Would you prefer to sit behind, or in front of me?” she questioned.
“I would very much appreciate it if, if you could sit behind me.” Keqing responded as she dropped her towel to the floor.
“Fine by me!” Ganyu backed up so Keqing could have space to sit.
Keqing made her way into the bath as well. Sitting with her legs together, she looked ahead.
Ganyu gasped, startling her, “Keqing… I rarely ever see you without your buns in! You look adorable!”
Keqing looked back to face Ganyu. “Thanks Ganyu, I normally take them out when I wash my hair before bed.”
“Oh? Would you like me to wash your hair for you Keqing?” she inquired.
“You want to… wash my hair? Why yes please! I would be grateful if you were to do so,” Keqing blushed, it seemed now that they had actually entered the bath she had started to calm down.
Cupping her hands, Ganyu scooped water and poured it over Keqing’s hair. She repeated the process until her hair was evenly wet. Then, reaching for a container of shampoo, Ganyu squeezed some into her hand and rubbed them together, spreading it evenly. Brushing her hands over Keqing’s head, she spread the soap throughout her hair. Once she had done so, she slowly laced her fingers through the amethyst hair of her girlfriend. Gently scrubbing her scalp with her fingers, Ganyu moved back to front until she had thoroughly washed Keqing’s hair.
Ganyu poured more water into Keqing’s hair, rinsing away the suds she had created. “Wow Keqing, your hair is so soft.”
Keqing seemed entirely relaxed, a total 180 from how she was acting before they had gotten in the water. “Haha, thanks love. It felt like you were giving me a whole massage, I feel so relaxed.”
Ganyu beamed right back, “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, is there anything else I could do for you? After All, you’ve done so much for me tonight and I really do thank you.”
“Just being next to you, being close to you like this Ganyu, I feel like I could just lie back into you forever.”
Ganyu leaned against her partner, placing her chin in between the space from her neck and shoulders. She brought each of her arms around to hold onto her. Ganyu felt at peace resting on her girlfriend, “Then, we can do that after if you’d like.”
Keqing held Ganyu’s arms with her hands, pulling on them, tightening Ganyu’s hold on her. “Really?” She hoped, “M-my bed is fairly large for one person, it would be comfy having someone to cuddle with.”
“Of course,” Ganyu promised, “anything for you my dear.” Wriggling one of her arms free, she poked Keqing’s thigh, “Hey Keqing, there’s something on your leg.” Between the distortion of the water and the low light of the room, Ganyu couldn’t really tell what it was; however, it distinctly looked like something was across Keqing's thigh.
Keqing, on the other hand, froze. She felt as if her whole stomach sank and her heart started to beat faster.
Ganyu took immediate notice of her—once again—sudden change of demeanor, “Keqing? Are you okay?”
Keqing shook herself free of Ganyu’s arms and hunched over her legs.
“Keqing?? Did I make you uncomfortable? I’m- I’m sorry I poked you in the thigh I didn’t think it would… I…” Ganyu was at a loss for what to say.
Still holding onto her own legs, Keqing’s breathing seemed to increase albeit she didn’t move. “No,” was all she uttered.
“N-no??” At this point, Ganyu was worried that she had overstepped her boundaries. The night had been going so good so far, she just didn’t know what she could have done to merit such a reaction from Keqing.
“You- you weren’t…” Keqing spoke slowly and softly, “you weren’t supposed to…”
It sounded almost as if she were in tears, “Keqing??? Are you… crying?? A-are you okay?”
Keqing bent her knees, clutching harder into herself, “You weren’t supposed to see them… No one was supposed to see them.” She quietly wept to herself.
Weren’t supposed to see them? Ganyu ran what Keqing had said back through her head.
She wasn’t supposed to see what?? And then it clicked. Keqing had briefly brought up her depressive episodes to Ganyu before, and how she had turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms in the past. She just, she never would have expected Keqing to… do such a
thing
to herself.
It all made sense now. Why Keqing had been so nervous to bathe together. Why she had worn her towel well after everything was ready. Why she wanted the lights off. Why she wanted Ganyu to go first. Why she wanted to face away. Why she… acted almost as if she wanted to hide herself.
Despite all of the problems that came her way, she still had yes. She had still pushed herself to make Ganyu happy. She still, in spite of how clearly anxious she felt, allowed herself to be vulnerable around someone; and Ganyu had ruined it. She felt horrible that she had ended up betraying Keqing’s undertaking of making her girlfriend comfortable by making Keqing uncomfortable in turn.
However, it didn’t matter. She had to put aside her feelings for Keqing. She was clearly in need of comfort and right now it was Ganyu’s duty to provide it for her. Ganyu slowly placed her hand over Keqing’s bare back. She didn’t want to end up doing too much and overwhelming her.
“Hey, hey it’s okay,” Ganyu tried her best to reassure her. Ganyu could feel the subtle shakes in Keqing’s breath as she breathed. “We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to talk about it, Keqing. I don’t in any way, shape, or form want to force you to share things you aren’t comfortable talking about. But please Keqing, please know I’m here.”
Keqing didn’t respond, but her grip on her legs visibly loosened.
“We’re going to get through this, together okay? Just take deep breaths. In and out. In… and… out,” Ganyu tried her best to help her calm down. “Yes! Just like that! You’re doing good Keqing, you’re almost there, just keep controlling your breathing.” Ganyu’s hand rose up and down as Keqing inhaled and exhaled, the rises and falls had become noticeably smoother than they were beforehand.
Ganyu stayed like that—tenderly rubbing Keqing’s back—for a couple minutes, until Keqing brought her hands together. Relaxing her legs, they slid back down and she slowly raised her upper body.
Keeping her eyes down, fixated on her hands, she sniffled softly, “Most of them were from when I was younger…” she took a long, shaky breath, “Some, some of them are still m-more recent…”
Ganyu brought her arm from her back forward and over her shoulder to hold on to Keqing. She gently slid Keqing backward, until she was comfortably in Ganyu’s embrace. “Hey, hey,” Ganyu kindly shushed her, “It’s okay Keqing. You’re okay. You only have to say what you feel comfortable saying. I’m here for you either way.”
Keqing desperately grabbed onto Ganyu’s arms now that they were once again available. Keeping a tight grasp on them in an attempt to keep herself grounded, she tried to keep following Ganyu’s instructions and slow her breathing. She didn’t want to let go, she felt safer in Ganyu’s arms. “No one has… No one has ever see my, my s-scars before…” Keqing admitted. “N-no one was supposed to find out about them… The Yuheng is supposed to be strong. The Yuheng is supposed to be determined. The Yuheng doesn’t falter. So… so… that’s why no one can know. How- how the Yuheng, one of the Qixing, is nothing like she’s supposed to be. That she’s weak.”
Ganyu felt as if she was getting a small glimpse of a new side to Keqing. She knew that being the Yuheng would come in hand with many responsibilities; she was able to sympathize on that behalf as she was the secretary. Yet, she never considered the burden such a title could have over someone. “Keqing… you’re not weak. Keqing you’re one of the strongest people I know and I don’t know anyone else more fitting to be the Yuheng. Keqing…”
Keqing, still huddled in Ganyu’s arms, sniffled, “Thanks Ganyu. You’re always there for me.” Keqing cautiously raised her head and brought herself to face Ganyu again, “I’m, I’m sorry for ruining the mood. The night was going so well and…”
“Hey, don’t say that. You didn’t do anything wrong Keqing, in fact I’m sorry I brought your, um… I didn’t realize what they were…” Ganyu didn’t know how to address the topic, “but I know for a fact that you didn’t do anything wrong. Hey, if you’re not in the mood right now we can step out. And I could even,” she winced, “if you want to cancel our, our plans… I’d rather you do that than make yourself uncomfortable.”
Keqing buried herself in Ganyu’s embrace in response, “No Ganyu. Please, please stay with me. I don’t want… I don’t want to be alone right now.”
“It’s okay love,” Ganyu affirmed to her, “it’s okay, we can get out together and head up to bed now alright?”
Keqing let go of Ganyu, not wanting to protest.
Ganyu released Keqing and gently grabbed her by the hand, “I’m going to get up now alright?”
Once more, Keqing didn’t verbally respond, but followed along with Ganyu.
Getting up, she led Keqing by the hand out of the bath. Letting go of Keqing to grab the towel that had been left on the counter, she unfolded it and laid it over her. Ganyu pressed lightly against Keqing, slowly drying her with the towel. Afterwards, she handed Keqing a nightgown and went to tidy herself up as well. When they had both finished, Ganyu once again took Keqing’s hand and led her out the bathroom door.
Unsure of where to go afterwards, she looked back to see Keqing facing down. From her posture alone, she seemed utterly exhausted. It was probably for the better that they were going to sleep now. Keqing realized that they had come to a halt and brought her face up, pointing towards the door to her room.
<3
It didn’t take long for the two to end up lying in bed. They were both tired after a long day afterall; and they needed to unwind. They had turned off the lights, only the low sleek glow of the moon as it peeked through the curtains illuminated the room. They had each lay on their own half of the bed, and frankly, it seemed anticlimactic to Ganyu. They had slept together back at the Ganyu’s office, normally when she was working overtime; however, this was their first time being in the same bed and it seemed like they each had crashed as soon as they got there.
That was until, much to Ganyu’s surprise, Keqing spoke up, “Hey, Ganyu? Are you still awake?”
Ganyu had assumed that surely Keqing had fallen asleep by now, after all she seemed so tired on their walk to the bedroom. “Keqing?” she responded, “you’re still awake?”
She seemed to let out a somber sigh, “Yeah… I um, I don’t know if I’ve ever actually told you, but I tend to… have difficulty sleeping.”
Although they were now at least conversing, Ganyu still longed for more; she didn’t like talking to Keqing with their backs facing each other. “Oh, is that so? Is there… Anything I can do to help?”
Keqing took a little moment before speaking up, “I um… Ganyu can you… Can you hold me please? Of-of course if you aren’t up for it the-”
Keqing stopped talking in response to the ruffling of the bed. Ganyu had turned around at the invitation as she too wanted a little more intimacy. “Shh, shh Keqing. As I said earlier, I’d love to cuddle with you. I just… wasn’t sure if doing so was still appropriate.” Ganyu curled up behind Keqing and wrapped an arm over her.
Keqing, in response, seemed to bend her legs as if trying to make it easier to snuggle into Ganyu’s hold. She took a deep calm breath, “I feel… comfy.”
Ganyu leaned forward, pressing gently against the back of Keqing’s neck, “Me too Keqing, me too.”
“No Ganyu,” Keqing tried to explain, “it’s like… I don’t think I’ve felt this relaxed in a long time. I can’t remember the last time I felt content like this.” She could feel the soft breathing of Ganyu on the nape of her neck, “Hey Ganyu, about earlier today, I…”
“Don’t worry about it Keqing,” Ganyu found her way up Keqing’s arm and laced their fingers, “if you want me to forget about it, we can wake up tomorrow like nothing ever happened. Just, please know I’ll always be there for you. Always.”
Keqing happily accepted Ganyu’s hand into her own, “N-no Ganyu. I’ve never told anyone, but when you found out. It terrified me. I thought, I thought I was over. It’s a little embarrassing saying out loud now that I think about it, but you were so kind to me and… Now when I look back, it feels like a weight has been lifted off my chest. It’s been how many years and…and now someone knows the ‘truth’... And in the end? It didn’t change anything. They still loved me. They still wanted to be by my side. They still made me feel like, like I’m not alone in this world. I um, what I’m trying to say is… thank you Ganyu. Thank you very much for all you’ve ever done for me.”
Ganyu was completely taken aback by this. She never, never in a million years would have wanted Keqing to feel so terrible. But now? Knowing that she was helping with making it better for her? Just knowing that her girlfriend felt better was enough for Ganyu. She sniffled, still wrapped around Keqing.
“Ganyu? Ganyu, did I make you cry??” Keqing asked worriedly.
“Oh Keqing,” Ganyu gently flipped her over so they would face each other. Now that they were finally eye to eye, she noticed that Keqing’s eyes were wet too. “Keqing… you’re too sweet to me sometimes,” Fingers interlaced in one another, she leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss onto Keqing’s lips. Slowly pulling back afterward, Ganyu too realized she felt at peace. She was happy as long as Keqing was with her.
“Oh my love,” Keqing closed her eyes. “You’ve made tonight all that I could ever ask for and more. Goodnight my dear Ganyu, I’ll see you in the morning.”
Ganyu was mesmerized. The Yuheng was as graceful in her sleep as she was any other time. Her delicate eyelashes seemed almost to sparkle in the little moonlight that lit the room. And her smooth lips—the very lips that Ganyu had just laid her own upon—seemed so soft. So much so, that Ganyu was almost tempted to steal away another kiss.
Closing her own eyes, she said it back, “Goodnight my dear Keqing. I love you.”
The two drifted off into slumber, the only sound resonating through the room being their light breaths. Still holding each other’s hands, they cherished the comforting warmth of each other in their dreams. They slept soundly knowing that they would wake up to see the one they loved in the morning.