Just a warning, this chapter does get a little more on the intimate and sexual side, but dw, nothing higher than PG-13! Sorry it took awhile to get more chapters up, but I wasn't too confident on some stuff, so I had to go back over some things. I also am producing this as an audio adaptation if that's more your cup of tea, that is if you don't mind my voice doing all the characters lol! Just look up "Sparrow 9642" on YouTube and youll find this whole story under a playlist, minus some chapters, because the audio version takes time to make! Please give me feedback so I can be sure I'm doing a good job! Other than that, enjoy!
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: BREAKING FREE
The ingredients that Ganyu had needed for her special dish had barely made a dent in the extra mora Yelan had left them, the produce having been mainly an assortment of fruits and freshly picked Sumeru Rose's that she'd found in her time alone during lunchtime. To be exact, while Yelan and Keqing had been in the restaurant, she'd gone for a walk just outside of the borders of the city and had eaten a few select plants she knew were safe to consume.
Ganyu had heard of Sumeru Roses, but had never actually gotten to try one herself. She had expected the purple vegetation to be bitter and juicy to her tastebuds, but upon trying one, was surprised that it actually had a slight sweetness to it, mixed with a very mild amount of bitterness. She had been correct about the juiciness, the petals of the flower having burst with liquid upon the slightest contact with her teeth.
The watery substance was what gave the flower its slight sweetness, and upon chewing the single bite to nothing but bits, the bitterness and sweetness mixed into a concoction that Ganyu couldn't compare to any sort of other food or drink she'd consumed in her entire life.
But she had liked it, and had decided to gorge herself with another good number of them.
After ten, she had found herself completely stuffed, which had caught her off guard. The flower was relatively small in size, so it was quite a shock that only ten had satisfied her stomach. However, it had also relieved her, given that, due to the width of her hips, she had once choked a giant monster to death. An event that had made her become very self aware of her weight and appearance constantly.
If ten of these small delicacies could fill her and not make her slowly become obese, she definitely would have to make more trips to Sumeru to collect some more.
That said, the experience of consuming the treat had given her an idea. Given that the flower had a heavy amount of liquid that produced a sweet and bitter taste, she wondered if she could maneuver it into a drink. It was a silly thought, but given all of the chaos currently enveloping the world, she figured "why the hell not?"
Ganyu wasn't usually the creative type, so for her to even try something like making a personal Qilin-appropriate beverage was rare, and embarrassed her to even bother telling Keqing about it. Therefore, she just kept the idea to herself while preparing a dish for her colleague.
The serving was a recipe she'd learned from a friend in her past, consisting of mainly fruits like apples, sunsettias, and berries, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar for extra flavor. However, the fruits were mildly heated to give a tenderness, and the last addition was a thick sauce made of all of the assortment that the consumer would dip the sliced contents into.
Ganyu had tried the dish before and had loved it, the flavor profile being a mix of a pungent sweetness that was evened out by the cinnamon, adding a slight spiciness to the mix. Just thinking about the flavor made Ganyu lick her chops, standing above a blazing fire. A metal plate adorned the flames' tips, a steel pan resting on its surface and mildly steaming.
The steaming signaled that it was time to pull it off, to which Ganyu used some of her cryo energy to cool the pan handle and moved it from the firepit to the side. Everything was prepared, Keqing having assisted her in doing some of the work; mainly the fruit sauce that took a bit of work to get to its current state.
Keqing had no problem in helping, seeing she was hungry and actually excited for what Ganyu had in mind. The smell coming from the pan was absolutely delectable and made her stomach growl in anticipation, and as she waited for her plate, eyed the stars in the sky.
They had to go outside of town for Ganyu to cook her meal, but they didn't mind, given they were used to the wilderness at this point. It was currently twilight, and there wasn't one cloud in the sky, making the setting perfect. A calm in the seemingly eternal storm that had become their top priority; something they both needed drastically.
Upon her friend meeting her by the blazing fire, she smiled.
"They need a couple minutes to cool," Ganyu clarified, taking a seat next to Keqing. "Other than that, it's done."
"Alright," Keqing agreed, returning her gaze to the night sky. "Beautiful night tonight, wouldn't you say?"
"Mhm," Ganyu responded with a nod. "Seems that the rumors are true about Sumeru."
Keqing shifted, an eyebrow raised.
"Huh? Rumors? Rumors of what?"
"Oh. That the sky is so clear at night that you can see every single star in the sky," Ganyu explained.
"Ah, I see," Keqing replied. "Well, then in that case, I have to agree."
Ganyu giggled at the clear over-professionalism, knowing her colleague all too well.
"What? What's so funny?" Keqing questioned.
"The fact that only you would respond that way," Ganyu explained with another giggle. "Only the Yuheng would act so serious about something so small."
Keqing's face adorned a light blush instantly, embarrassed that her old habits had shone through.
"Hehe, sorry. Force of habit," Keqing apologized.
Ganyu giggled again.
"It's fine. If anything, it just reminds me of the days before this whole mess, and that's a good thing."
A silence followed, the two just taking a moment to take in the sights that Teyvat's sky had to offer. It was a peaceful serenity that gave them a moment to reminisce of the good times before the Tsaritsa decided to tear everything they loved and adored to nothing but bloody shreds of loss and grief.
A minute passed, up until Keqing averted her gaze and broke the silence.
"Ganyu, can I ask you something?"
Ganyu turned to her colleague, surprised at the sudden mention of her name.
"Sure. What is it?" Ganyu answered.
"Why did you suddenly offer to do this for me? I've never seen you cook, nor would I have ever guessed you were a cooking type."
Ganyu paused to find the right words, not too sure herself why she'd offered this. However, the answer came quicker than she had expected, eying Keqing with a smile upon her response.
"Well, because you're my friend, and I care for you," she responded slowly. "Besides Lady Yelan, you're all I have left in this world, and I want to show you that I do care for you by being the best friend I can be."
Keqing adorned another blush. This wasn't the Ganyu she'd known back in Liyue Harbor. She'd changed drastically in the midst of all of the tragedy that had befallen both of them within a week's time.
But that wasn't a bad thing to her.
If anything, it made her feel like there was purpose for her existence, and that Ganyu really did care that she was here with her.
Back in Liyue Harbor, she always had the assumption that Ganyu hated her, and that she only got along with her for the sake of getting through whatever they had been assigned. It was understandable due to her views on the gods, but there had always been something about Ganyu that she couldn't explain. Something she had always wanted to know from day one of their first meeting.
Before she could get a word out, Ganyu had beaten her to the punch.
"The food should be ready now. Wait here."
Coming out of her distant thoughts of the past, Keqing nodded, watching as Ganyu got up and walked away to prep her a plate of whatever she had specifically made for her.
Less than a minute later, Ganyu returned with two plates resting atop both of her gloved hands. A very evident smell similar to that of peach cobbler or apple pie emanated from each plate, causing Keqing's stomach to rumble at the delicious and sweet scent.
"Here you go," Ganyu said, handing the right plate to her colleague. "I hope you like it."
Keqing took the plate and rested it in her lap, smiling at the sight of her friend's generous gift.
"You're silly. It smells and looks great, Ganyu," Keqing assured, gripping the fork and preparing a first bite.
She chose a berry and stabbed it with her fork, moving it to the small dollop of sauce in a corner of her plate. Following that, she proceeded with dipping it, and finished by blowing on her serving to prevent her tongue from getting singed.
Upon the mixture meeting her tongue, she was met with a barrage of flavors. A sweetness from a mix of the sauce and berry, layered with a slight spice that evened out the sugary mix. The berry was soft and juicy to her teeth, and upon swallowing the mixture, was met with an aftertaste that was just the perfect cherry on top.
"Ganyu, this is amazing!" Keqing complimented. "Why don't you cook more often!?"
Ganyu blushed and rubbed the back of her neck in shyness.
"Um…I guess I have no confidence…
Keqing shook her head in disappointment.
"Take it from me. You definitely have the skill! This is one of the best things I've ever ate!"
"Well…I'm glad you like it…
Eventually, Ganyu found her footing and joined Keqing in dining on the personally-cooked dish. It had been clear Keqing hadn't been lying, seeing the entirety of her plate had been consumed in less than ten minutes. She knew her co-worker well and knew she wasn't the type to force-eat something she doesn't like. She would immediately push the plate away and state she doesn't like it, so Ganyu was able to eat in peace.
After the two had finished their dinner, it had gotten late, and to avoid getting attacked by any animals or hilichurls, they put out the fire, packed up, and made their way back to their room at the inn. The walk was only a twenty minute one, and upon meeting their room door, opened it, walked in, and closed it.
Making sure it was locked, Keqing and Ganyu retired for the night, taking turns to change into their nightwear. Ganyu had been second, closing the bathroom door and beginning to undress herself. Upon removing her day clothes, all that was left was her bra and underwear, to which she started to maneuver herself into the nightgown.
Once her head was through, and she was sure that her horns were clear of the headhole, she finished by allowing her icy locks freedom of the hair tie that held them together. Her hair spread out like a secondary blanket, extending down past her hips and over her shoulders, concluding her nightly rituals, and exiting the bathroom.
Stepping back into the main room, Ganyu immediately knew something wasn't right. Keqing was sitting on the edge of one of the beds with her head down; a sight Ganyu knew as one that didn't spell out any positive vibes.
"Keqing, are you okay?" she asked with concern. "Is something wrong?"
For a second Keqing didn't say anything, but eventually her head rose slowly to meet Ganyu's gaze.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me," she lied, hoping to persuade Ganyu.
Upon her colleague folding her arms, Keqing knew she'd failed to even convince her the slightest bit.
"Keqing, don't lie to me. I can read it on your face."
Keqing knew she was defeated, lowering her head with a heavy sigh.
"Fine," she admitted in defeat, raising her head again. "It's a…thought I had back at the camp."
Ganyu was curious but also confused, eying her friend with eyes of worry.
"Okay, what is it?" Ganyu asked.
Another heavy sigh escaped Keqing, speaking the truth at last.
"Ganyu, be honest with me. Have you ever…hated me?"
Ganyu jumped at the words, unsure of what she just heard. Where did this thought come from all of a sudden?
"Keqing, what do you mean?" Ganyu asked with absolute confusion.
"Back before this, when we still worked for Ningguang; did you ever truly hate me because of what I said about the gods? Mainly, Rex Lapis?" Keqing explained further.
Ganyu was shook, realizing exactly what Keqing was saying.
"No, I never hated you," Ganyu started. "Yes, we had our different views of the gods, but it's not something I could ever truly hate anyone for, Keqing. Why would you ever think this?"
"Because you always seemed, at least in my eyes, like you did not want anything to do with me back then, and I can't accept with a clear conscience all that you've done for me, when all I did was act like a rude bitch that didn't care about your feelings."
Ganyu approached her comrade and took a seat next to her on the edge of the bed.
"It's not that I never wanted anything to do with you, but because I didn't want to overstep my boundaries, seeing we had different views," Ganyu explained. "However, whenever we were out in the field together, none of that was on my mind. I enjoyed those times, and really considered you a close friend the more we went on those missions together.
And the same goes for now, Keqing. Despite all of the chaos and tragedy lingering over our heads, I am glad I found you that night and don't regret saving your life. I'd do it all over again if I had to, and I promise, I'll always be by your side to the day that we avenge Liyue Harbor."
"What about after that?" Keqing questioned. "Will you still be there then?"
Ganyu placed her right hand over the top of Keqing's left, eying her with a smile.
"Always."
In a sudden shift, something happened that Ganyu hadn't expected. Keqing had turned and planted her soft lips to Ganyu's own, causing the recipient's eyes to bulge in shock and surprise. The kiss lasted only a couple seconds before Keqing realized what she had done, pulling away in absolute disgust at herself.
"I-I'm so sorry, Ganyu!" she apologized instantly, averting her gaze and trying not to cry. "I-I need to go!"
Keqing started to her feet, attempting to move to the exit. However, before she could get a foot forward, she was pulled back by Ganyu, her left hand gripping her right wrist.
"Stay," Ganyu stated sincerely.
"B-but Ganyu, I…
"I want you to stay," Ganyu assured calmly.
Keqing hadn't expected this type of response, but she could tell Ganyu was serious by the look on her face and her tone of voice. Slowly, Keqing untensed her muscles fighting against Ganyu's grip, and allowed herself to calm down. With a few breaths and her heart racing, she turned to looking back at her colleague with an unsure expression.
"Are you sure you want me to stay?"
Ganyu followed up by getting to her feet and walked over to Keqing, still holding her wrist. She lightened her grip, assuring Keqing that she wasn't mad or offended, to which Keqing followed by turning fully to face her friend. Knowing she was safe to release her, Ganyu released her hold entirely, and just eyed her colleague in the dim light of the room.
"For eternity," Ganyu answered, causing both of their hearts to race like drums and send them into a trance of bliss.
Keqing's eyes twinkled like stars, hypnotizing Ganyu's senses as she lightly grabbed her friend's left hand and moved it to her right cheek. Upon her palm meeting Ganyu's face, Keqing didn't hesitate and planted her lips to her partner's, knowing she had been given the permission to do so.
A passionate exchange of kisses followed, the two feeling and embracing one another in absolute passion. It was as if they were releasing a large amount of built up pressure that had grown over a long period of time, giving each other what they both had wanted for so long. They shared each other's embrace for a long time, feeling like eternity to them, before they moved to one of the beds for further progression in their actions.
Meeting their destination, the two engaged in a long display of the care and love they had for one another, shedding their clothes and exploring and satisfying one another throughout the hours of the calm night. While it had seemed unlikely, through trials and tribulations of true horror and tragedy, their true feelings had surfaced under the star-filled sky of Sumeru City.
The next morning, Keqing fluttered her eyes open to the sight of Ganyu's bare form, wanting to shield her eyes out of respect, up until she remembered the previous night. That was when she realized that she had nothing on under the sheets, feeling lost on what happened to lead to last night's events.
Upon the sheets shifting from Keqing's movements, Ganyu turned her head to meet her love's gaze, a smile on her face.
"Good morning," she greeted cheerfully.
"Good morning, Ganyu," she greeted back with a smile. "Uh, how are you feeling?"
"To be honest, I'm exhausted, but I have to get up some time today."
Keqing giggled, becoming more comfortable with the gravity of the situation.
"I'm hoping that's an assurance that I did good?" she guessed.
Ganyu giggled at the words.
"You were amazing," she assured. "How was I?"
"You did great, Ganyu," Keqing returned, being absolutely honest about probably one of the best nights of her life. "I'm so lost, but I'm also happy about last night. It feels like a dream, doesn't it?"
Ganyu giggled again, continuing to eye Keqing with happiness.
"You're cute when you're silly," she teased, leaning down and giving her a light kiss. "Bath together?"
Keqing lifted the sheets, flashing her full natural form to her partner's eyes. After that, she got to her feet and embraced Ganyu by wrapping her arms lazily around her neck, following with a short kiss.
"Sure," she said cutely, giving her love another kiss and releasing her embrace. "I love you."
Ganyu smiled at the words, a blush meeting her face instantly.
"I love you too," she replied, allowing her partner to proceed to the bathroom to start their bath.
As a tease, Keqing strutted in her pacing, causing Ganyu to stare in lustful glee.
"You naughty little thing," she teased in return.
Keqing stopped and turned at the remark, a devious smile painted on her face.
"You're the one staring," Keqing countered, adding a wink of her eye to her statement.
Ganyu rolled her eyes playfully in return then started her way to towards the restroom, shutting the door after to assure privacy in their hot and steamy alone time.
To pass the time, seeing they literally had nothing to do until Yelan recovered the microchip, Ganyu and Keqing decided to just take a stroll around the entirety of Sumeru and take in the sights that its nature had to offer. In their journeying, the two didn't hide their newfound feelings, holding hands and walking closely together like a pair of lovers would. They had received some odd looks from passersby, but the two hadn't cared the slightest, enjoying the calm they had been granted in their current situation while they still could.
They'd come across many different animals, bizarre plantlife, several ruins of older Sumeru civilizations that had long since passed, and had just allowed the natural effects of nature to take over in the many hours of sightseeing. They had wandered around and just enjoyed their quality time together, up until they had grown a little exhausted from the high temperatures of the region.
Therefore, they had decided to make their way back to the city and use some of the mora Yelan had provided them to buy some lunch. Keqing had chosen a food stall where they could take their food elsewhere to prevent Ganyu from getting nausea from the overwhelming smell of meat dishes being cooked and served. It took about ten minutes before they were served, and had taken their meals to a nearby field to enjoy.
Ganyu had appreciated Keqing's concern, and the two were able to enjoy their first Sumeruian meal as a couple in absolute peace. In their time of enjoying the cuisine, the two had talked more than ever before, only a small percentage of the conversation being related to the matter at hand, and seeming as if the world had gone back to normal for a short while.
It was a short passage of time they had enjoyed and cherished as if it were their last meal together, and it very well could've been, so they had made sure to make every second count.
After eating and concluding their exploration of the jungles of Sumeru, they had decided to call it a day and return to their room to "relax" for awhile, and upon being sure to lock the door, the two engaged in another long session of giving each other pleasure and love in its purest form possible.
The second time had felt less like a fantasy, and more like a true display of passion and care for one another. They embraced and pleased one another for a good amount of time, up until they eventually succumbed to the effects of fatigue and bodily exhaustion, resulting in the two passing out in each other's arms comfortably.
They slept for the majority of the day, up until one of them eventually opened their eyes to the now-darkened room. Keqing had been the one to awaken first, her body still embraced with Ganyu's own tightly and romantically. Her head rested against her beloved's upper chest, hearing every beat of their ancient heart as she moved to sit up against the backboard of the bed.
Upon the slightest movement, Ganyu shifted as well, muttering cute little moans in her sleepy state. Keqing smiled at the sounds, resting her back against the back wall, as she just allowed herself to temporarily wake up in the darkness. The only light was the moonlight peeking through the hidden cracks and crevices the building had gained over the years of its service, to which she was greatful, finding her way from under the sheets and moving to the provided bathroom to do her business.
The coolness of the room tickled her bare naked body, as she lit a candle and proceeded with her bodily work. Once she'd finished, she just took a minute to eye herself in the mirror. The fact that the events of the previous hours and prior night were real made her just stop and smile, having never thought she'd end up with Ganyu of all people.
To be honest, she had thought Ganyu was way out of her league during her time in Liyue Harbor as the Yuheng, but here she was in Sumeru City as naked as a newborn after engaging with said person.
It amazed her as she just continued to stare, and after another minute of thought, she finally returned to the bed to join her beloved in slumber. Surprisingly, she wasn't hungry for dinner nor felt like she needed any such thing as food for the remainder of the night.
All she needed was to be Ganyu's soft and warm embrace, dreaming and resting the night away.
Upon moving back under the sheets and back to Ganyu's side, her love suddenly fluttered her eyes open like a butterfly attempting to take flight.
"Is something wrong?" Ganyu questioned sleepily, her eyes halfway open.
"No no," Keqing assured. "Just needed to use the bathroom, that's all."
Ganyu nodded, letting out a long yawn.
"Should we get up?" Ganyu asked.
Keqing shook her head, moving further towards Ganyu under the sheets and cuddling her body against her partner's.
"I'm fine right here," Keqing answered with a wide and bright smile.
Ganyu smiled in return, leaning over and planting a light kiss on Keqing's lips.
"Then let's just stay for the night," Ganyu suggested.
"Together," Keqing finished, moving to where she was comfortable against her beloved's warm and soft body.
She wrapped her arms around Ganyu, to which her partner returned by wrapping her own around her and pulling her close. Once the two were relaxed in each other's embrace, they shut their eyes and returned to slumber, Ganyu being led by only a single thought that made her smile at the feeling of Keqing's body against hers.
"Always."
