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Shenhe is infuriating in the best of ways.
She is unique, Yelan has never met anyone like her. She oftens misunderstands social cues, threatens to break peoples’ skulls, and only eats flowers (despite apparently hating the taste). She is more adepti than human, having spent so long with them.
But she’s curious about humanity and their ways of living, and Yelan is only too pleased to show her.
After all, she knows the depth of risk and fortune, as well as the darkness of losing and suffering. Humanity has as many sides as it does people. She only hopes that Shenhe enjoys hers.
Because Yelan adores hers.
They sit together in the sun at a private table overlooking Liyue Harbour. Shenhe doesn’t enjoy the huge crowds that swarm the docks during the busiest times of day but she likes watching. She’s fascinated by them, truly. It’s easier to sit here together than try to navigate through everyday business.
“Call, darling?”
Shenhe stares at her hand of cards and Yelan can see the gears working behind her eyes. She’s cold but hasn’t mastered the art of poker face yet. Her hand is average at best but she thinks she can make it work.
“...yes.”
“Are you absolutely certain?” Yelan smiles. “Remember what’s at stake. It would be so terrible to find yourself at my mercy.”
Shenhe is also infuriating because she’s immune to Yelan’s charm. Either that or she doesn’t realise that Yelan is trying to flirt with her. It could be either, she doubts Shenhe has had much flirting up in those mountains of hers.
It won’t stop Yelan from trying though.
Shenhe nods and looks up at her, waiting.
“If that’s what you wish,” Yelan says.
She turns over the next card to reveal an 8 of diamonds. It isn’t useful to her but from Shenhe’s expression, it doesn’t help her either. Yelan picks up a Mora that they’re using for chips and places it into their betting pile. There are still two cards to turn over. She can bring this back.
"What will you ask for?"
"What?"
"If you win." Yelan nudges her leg with her foot. “What will you ask me for?”
Playing for Mora is quite boring for one person who has so much and another who doesn’t care for it. So rather than have their prize be money, Yelan proposed something else. Whoever wins can ask their opponent to do anything for them. Neither of them set limits, though they hold trust that it won’t be too much. It makes everything much more interesting.
Shenhe shrugs. “I don’t know yet.”
“Really? You could ask me to do anything you want and you can’t think of a single thing?” Yelan sighs dramatically. “You can really hurt a girl’s feelings.”
Shenhe shrugs. “What about you? What will you ask me to do?”
Yelan pauses. She runs her tongue over her bottom lip and smirks. “Why don’t you lose and find out?”
“I don’t plan on losing,” Shenhe replies simply. She takes her own Mora and adds it to their pile in response.
“I like it when you’re cocky.”
"So you say." Shenhe looks at her over the tops of her cards and she's smiling too. She practically glows in the midday sun, looking like a goddess descended from the mountains to bless Yelan with her presence. She reaches with a soft touch to turn the next card. She always looks beautiful—today just even more so.
Yelan clears her throat and looks back at her cards. She holds an Ace of Hearts and a 3 of Spades. It isn't a terrible hand with what’s on the table but she will need a little luck to win this. They have one card left to overturn.
"Yelan?"
"Mm?"
Shenhe lets out a little amused noise and Yelan's heart flutters. "It's you."
"Of course it is." She glances back down and then at Shenhe’s face. She’s trying not to give anything away but the corner of her mouth twitches. And Yelan makes her decision.
"All in."
"What?"
"You heard me." Yelan grabs her entire stack of Mora and pushes it forward with a challenge. "I said all in."
For a moment, Shenhe just stares at her.
Yelan likes risk and challenge. Of course, Shenhe could have always folded and cut her losses. But Yelan knows her and she knows exactly how she will respond.
"Very well." Shenhe isn't one to back down and Yelan loves her for that. She grabs her pile and adds it to the pool. “All in.”
The air hums between them and Yelan meets her gaze. She has always thought Shenhe to be rather intense but she loves when that intensity focuses solely on her. Her eyes are a brilliant iridescent, akin to the rare archaic stones found in the Chasm.
She truly is a treasure.
"Are you ready to lose?" Yelan asks, teasing the edge of the card.
If anything, the intensity spikes and her entire heart trembles. Shenhe blinks once.
"Are you?"
It’s just a game, she has to remind herself. Yet internally she’s giddy with the high that is them. With her, it’s always exciting. She feels like she could get addicted. Yelan nods and turns over the card.
Her heart skips a beat as she scans her cards and then Shenhe’s. She won. She won.
“Ah.” Shenhe puts her hand down and sighs.
“I win,” she says simply.
Shenhe has greatly improved since they first started playing but Yelan has years of experience. She did think about throwing, just to see what she would want. But that would mean giving up her chance to ask her for anything.
Shenhe nods. “What do you want?”
The moment of truth.
Yelan rises and walks around the table. She sits herself down on Shenhe’s lap, chuckling at the surprise on her face. She doesn't push her away though.
“I want a kiss,” Yelan says simply.
“Funny.”
“Seriously.” Yelan touches her face, brushing her fringe aside to look her in the eye. “Kiss me. Please.”
“Yelan-”
“Or don’t. I won't make you. Just know, I want you to-”
A hand grasps her necklace and pulls her down. Shenhe kisses the words right out of her mouth. It's heated, filled with longing that she hadn't even known was there. And Yelan melts against her.
She kisses her until she runs out of air, and then she steals breath from Shenhe. She tastes the sweetness of her tongue, taking her time to explore every inch of her.
When Shenhe finally breaks it, Yelan is dizzy.
"Archons," she murmurs.
"Satisfied?"
The neutral tone of her voice is startling and Yelan looks down, heart jumping in her throat. But Shenhe's smirking and her eyes dance. She laughs silently at her.
"Stop it," Yelan groans. "You scared me."
Shenhe shrugs. "If you wanted to kiss me, you could have just asked."
"But where's the fun in that, darling?" Yelan runs her thumb over Shenhe's bottom lip, letting her touch linger. She doesn't miss her quick inhale, or the way her eyes sharpened. She isn't as immune as Yelan thought.
"Can I?" she asks gently.
Shenhe nods, already leaning in. Her breath is warm against her lips. She sighs.
"Please."