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I don’t want to be here. But participating in things like the office holiday party is kind of expected of upper management. At least, that’s what my boss told me when I told him I’d rather not go. The only bright side is that Ganyu agreed, albeit reluctantly, to be my plus-one.
I just don’t see the appeal of the bar scene. Sure, ten years ago you could find me out on Friday nights like any other twenty-something. But these days? Who has the time? The energy? Just going home and curling up on the couch with a good book and Ganyu sounds far, far more appealing. And I know Ganyu feels the same. I can see how much she also doesn’t want to be here sitting across from me in a sticky booth in a dimly lit downtown club where the office decided to hold this year’s event. It might have been better if they’d rented a hotel ballroom or something and had a nice catered dinner, but I guess they’re trying to be more casual to appeal to the younger crowds. I’m not so sure it’s working seeing as none of the under twenty-fives even bothered to show up.
But I digress.
At least the company is covering our tabs, which is a nice bonus, even if I’m not much of a drinker myself. I didn’t think Ganyu was anymore either, but she’s on her sixth one now, and her cheeks are looking a little rosier than usual.
“How long before we can go home?” Ganyu asks during a lull in the thumping music.
I glance at my watch. It’s only 9 PM. “Probably another hour or so,” I say.
Ganyu nods slowly, then raises a hand to the bartender, signalling for yet another drink.
I suppress a smile. “Am I going to have to carry you home?”
“You dragged me out tonight, only fitting that you drag me back home, too.”
“You could have said no,” I say. She did say no. Several times. But I’m nothing if not persistent.
She smiles and leans forward, reaching one hand across the table to pat my cheek. “You’re lucky you’re cute,” she says, and I laugh.
There’s no way Ganyu isn’t at least a little drunk. I know she can handle her liquor well, but as a seventh drink is set down in front of her, I still wonder if it’s not too much. I know better than to ask though. She’s always been something of an enigma, it’s part of what drew me to her in the first place, and even now after being together for years, it seems like there’s still so much about her I don’t know. But I don’t mind. Call it a perk of loving someone a little older.
I watch as Ganyu sets her glass back down on the card stock coaster, her eyes roving around the bar. Her brows furrow. “Creep at two o’clock,” she says.
I frown and turn slightly in my seat to see over my shoulder. I swear to god, if it’s that guy from marketing, I’m making a formal complaint on Monday. But it’s not. It’s someone I’ve never seen before, and instead of looking away like most people would when our eyes meet, he dares to smile at me. Well, calling it a smile is being generous. More like a leer. It makes me want to take a shower. I quickly turn back to Ganyu.
“I told Ningguang they should have booked the entire bar, make it a private function,” I say.
Ganyu still has her eyes on the man. “He’s been looking this way a lot,” she says.
I scoff. “I don’t even know who he is. Ignore him.”
Ganyu frowns but tears her eyes away, looking at me instead. “Ignoring creeps doesn’t usually deter them.”
“In that case,” I say, leaning out of the booth. I wave at one of the bouncers standing against the wall and give them a meaningful look. They seem to understand, giving me a curt nod in return. “If El Creepo tries anything, we’ll have backup.”
Ganyu doesn’t look super convinced. “Maybe.”
As the night wears on, I can feel the beginnings of a headache that my glass of water seems to be unable to quell while Ganyu adds another two drinks to her count. And the creepy guy continues to make eyes at us. It doesn’t bother me. The bouncer has been glancing over to make sure we’re alright periodically, but I can tell his unwanted attention is pissing Ganyu off, which is quite a feat since she’s generally unflappable.
Then the guy makes the worst possible decision. He crosses the bar and approaches our table. I don’t see him coming from where I’m sitting, but I do see the way Ganyu tenses up. By the time I turn to look, he’s right there, in my face, with one hand on our table as he leans toward me. The smell of beer coming off him is practically enough to give me a buzz.
“Lemme buy ya drink,” he says, slurring his words.
“No, thank you,” I say, leaning away.
“Comon,” he says, “Just one. Ya won’t regret it.”
I have no idea what that’s even supposed to mean. And he’s blocking my view of where the bouncer usually stands, so I can’t even signal them to come get rid of this lout.
“No,” I repeat. “I’m with someone, and very much not interested.”
He seems to realize that Ganyu is there for the first time, glancing at her without giving me an inch more breathing room. “She can hava drink, too,” he says, with a sickening smile.
“She said no,” says Ganyu, and while her voice is almost too soft to even hear over the reverberating bass, I can hear a dangerous note in it that I’ve only heard a handful of times before. “Neither of us are interested.”
“Maybe I can change yer minds,” he says. And before I can even react he’s easing himself into the booth beside me.
I’m stunned. I mean, I’ve dealt with my fair share of harassment and unwanted advances—anyone who identifies as a woman probably has—but this is completely insane. With his body out of the way at least, I can see the bouncer. I give them a look and they push off from the wall and begins to slowly make their way towards us. Finally.
But the situation is escalating faster than the bouncer is moving.
Before the creep can get comfy beside me, Ganyu is on her feet. “We didn’t invite you to join us,” she says sharply, and there’s a look in her flashing eyes I’ve never seen before.
The creep, seemingly unable to abide by a woman standing over him, gets unsteadily back to his feet as well, stepping closer to Ganyu. But if he’s trying to be intimidating, it’s not working. He’s clearly very drunk, and while Ganyu has had a lot to drink too, at this moment, she doesn’t look it.
“I’m just tryina be friendly,” he says, advancing on Ganyu. “You needta lighten up.”
And then he raises his hands to Ganyu’s shoulders and pushes her back. It’s not a hard shove by any means. In fact, I think Ganyu intentionally hams it up by stumbling back more extravagantly than she would have ordinarily. She straightens back up and gives him a deadly look.
“You’d better leave,” she says in a voice that would make wiser men cower.
Ganyu is not one for confrontations. Like ever. It’s just not in her nature. But on the rare occasion I have seen her take someone on, it’s never ended well for the other party.
“Ganyu,” I say, “the bouncer’s on their way.”
The guy rounds on me then. “You bitch! I’m just tryna buy ya a damn drink! ”
“Hey!” Ganyu calls, bringing his attention back to her. He turns, fuming, but before he can so much as snarl at her, she snaps her fist out, making contact with his nose with a sickening crunch that has him howling like a wounded animal.
“Da fug!” he wails, hands over his face, but it’s not enough to stop the torrent of blood pouring out of what is no doubt a broken nose.
The bouncer rolls up right then, unsurprisingly, and goes to put a hand on Ganyu. But she’s having none of it.
“Don’t touch me,” she says. “We were just leaving.” She grabs her glass and downs the rest of her drink, slamming the glass back down on the table before stalking off toward the coat check. I scoot out of the booth to follow her, a little shocked and more than ready to leave the carnage behind. I never thought Ganyu would have it in her. I knew she took plenty of martial arts classes throughout her life and still does kickboxing semi-regularly, but hitting a bag is a lot different from squaring up with a drunk at the bar.
By the time I catch up to her, she’s already got our coats and two other bouncers are standing nearby, no doubt to make sure we actually leave. She holds my coat out for me, and I slip it on. I catch a few wide-eyed stares from co-workers, but don’t have time for more than an apologetic look before we’re corralled out the door.
Compared to inside the bar, the night is cold and quiet, the usual sounds of the city nothing more than a gentle background susurration and a few stray snowflakes glimmer in the streetlights. Ganyu heaves a huge sigh and looks over at me.
“Sorry,” she says a little sheepishly.
I can’t help it. I laugh.
“What are you sorry for?” I say. “You were defending my honour, right?”
Ganyu gives me a look somewhere in between amused and exasperated. “It was unintentional,” she says. “I know you can defend your own honour if you need to. That guy just rubbed me the wrong way.”
“Clearly,” I say, still laughing. “Or maybe you just really had enough and wanted an excuse to go home?”
“Keqing! I wouldn’t hit someone just to go home,” she says, scandalized.
I reach for her hand. “I know,” I say. I hold her hand up, inspecting the knuckles. “Anything broken?”
She pulls it away, opening and closing it a few times. “No, it’s fine. Might bruise a little.”
“Then we should get you home and get it iced.”
Ganyu just nods and we start walking down the street towards the train station. “I’m sorry I ruined your office party,” she says after a few moments. “I… might have had a bit too much to drink.”
I reach down and take her hand again, this time lacing my fingers gently with hers as I lean close and let my head rest on her shoulder. “Don’t be sorry. You didn’t ruin anything,” I say. “Besides, all the best office parties have some kind of drama that can be gossiped about the next week at work. Tonight will keep everyone occupied for the next six months, at least.”
“Your bosses won’t be upset with you, will they?”
I snort. “Hardly. And even if they are, I really don’t care.”
“Keqing, please take this seriously.”
I tilt my head to look at Ganyu’s face. “I am taking this seriously. Nothing bad is going to happen. If Mr Creep tries pressing charges or something, I have Yanfei on speed dial, and since he pushed you first, we can claim self-defence.”
Ganyu huffs a laugh at that as we step onto the brightly lit train platform. “I’m not worried about that,” she says. “That just… wasn’t me back there, you know?”
I think I know where she’s going with this. I tug on her hand, pulling her towards one of the nearby benches. Then I take both her hands in mine. The knuckles of her right hand are a little red and warm to the touch. I very lightly run my thumb over them. “Wasn’t it?”
I feel Ganyu tense, but she doesn’t pull away. I look up and see her eyes searching my face.
“You don’t have to hide any part of yourself from me,” I say. “I love you, Ganyu. All of you, every part. All your anger and jealousy as well as all your kindness and joy. And everything in between.”
She drops her eyes to our joined hands and chews her bottom lip. “I wasn’t jealous,” she says very quietly.
I laugh. “No, of course not. And you have no reason to be. Ever. You’re the only one for me. You know that.”
She looks back up at me then, and the intensity of her gaze stirs something in the pit of my stomach. “I know,” she says.
It’s a good thing the train chooses that moment to rush into the station because I’m exactly one second away from seeing if I can still taste any of Ganyu’s last drink on her lips.
And she knows it.
She smiles mischievously and squeezes my hands. “Good thing we’ll be home soon,” she says.
I just nod and let her pull me to my feet and onto the train. I’ll never know how I managed to find such an amazing girlfriend, one that is so sweet and kind and wise, and yet also looks hot as hell punching someone out. I pull Ganyu a little closer as the train lurches forward. I can't wait to be home.