Work Text:
It starts when Liyue Harbor has a power outage right as Keqing’s in the middle of typing out a proposal email to a partner company in Mondstadt, promptly deleting all progress and severing the internet connection like scissors to a red string of fate.
“You have got to be kidding me,” she mutters under her breath, slamming her hand against the keyboard one more time for good measure.
“It appears that there is a city-wide blackout, Miss Keqing,” Ganyu informs her when the horned secretary pokes her head into her superior’s office, unflappable as per usual. Through the darkness, Keqing can just barely see the impeccably dressed woman.
“Thank you, Ganyu,” she tells her. I can see that.
It’s already 10PM, well into the night, and Keqing’s office is on the highest floor of one of Yuehai Conglomerate's tallest buildings. Virtually all of Liyue is visible from her large glass-windowed office, and what she sees right now is a strangely dark cityscape, nearly devoid of its typical glow beyond a trickle of light from cars trying to meander their way home through the darkness.
“That apprentice of yours, Yaoyao, had a long day today dealing with all the miscommunication between the finance and marketing divisions, yes? You should take her home.”
“And what about you, Miss Keqing? Miss Ningguang and the other Qixing have already retired for the night.”
“I still have work to finish up here.”
“But, the power outage—”
Keqing waves off the secretary’s concern with the flick of her hand. She hates the dark, but Ganyu doesn’t need reminding of that.
“These things don’t take too long to fix, and I needed the break anyway. I bet the power will be back on in an hour max.”
Despite her reassurances, Ganyu continues to prod her for the next minute-and-a-half with do you need help?’s and are you sure?’s before Keqing finally tells her to leave with her apprentice— it’s your superior’s orders. The half-qilin girl sighs and begrudgingly agrees.
“Go home as soon as you finish,” Ganyu tells her seriously.
“I will,” Keqing tells her. Yeah, right. Keqing has full-intentions of pulling an all-nighter in her office, but Ganyu really doesn’t need to know that.
And then the secretary is gone, off into the night to get her well-deserved rest, but not even thirty seconds later the door opens yet again. Keqing groans.
“Hey there Miss Yuheng, are you alive?” The voice is playful.
Keqing sighs, resting an elbow on her desk. “What is it, Xinyan?”
“Is Ganyu gone?”
“Yes, she just left.” Keqing can basically hear the grin on the musician’s face.
“So that means you’re free.” It’s a statement.
“Why would you assume that?”
Keqing vaguely hears the flick of a light switch, sighs again when nothing happens and the room remains as dark as ever.
“Point taken.”
“Great! I brought a six-pack of beer, let’s go drink on the roof.”
“Somehow, I don’t think it’s very professional for a Qixing to be drinking with her contracted artists,” Keqing muses. “Especially under the roof of her own company." Then she pauses. "Wait, this isn’t the entertainment branch's building, how did you get even up here—”
“That’s why we’re not drinking under the roof, dummy,” Xinyan singsongs, blatantly ignoring Keqing’s pressing inquiry. She slings an arm around Keqing’s shoulders, smirking. “And if anyone asks, you can just say you were drinking with an old friend and not a contracted artist, so! To the roof?”
Well, who would Keqing be to say no to that? (She’ll never admit to being grateful for the company. Not on her life.)
“To the roof. Today’s been long, let’s get drunk off cheap beer.”
Xinyan lets out a loud whoop before dragging Keqing over to the emergency stairwell.
--
The city seems different tonight.
“Lots of stars out, huh?” Xinyan keeps her sight upturned to the sky, even as she brings up her can to take a sip. “What a rare chance! I’m going to make a wish.”
“You can do that,” Keqing says. From the side of her eye, she sees Xinyan place the can down, clapping her hands together as if in prayer before closing her eyes, silent. A corner of Keqing’s mouth quirks up, amused.
Five seconds later and Xinyan’s opening her eyes again, taking another swig of beer, lips pursing against the cool metal rim of the can.
“You should wish on a star, too.”
“Me?” Surprise flashes across Keqing’s face.
“Yeah, you,” Xinyan grins. “Who else?”
“What am I even supposed to wish for?” Keqing asks her.
“Really?” Xinyan raises an eyebrow. “I know you’re basically drowning in money, but you seriously don’t have any wish?”
“It’s not like this sort of thing actually works.” Amethyst eyes leisurely roll as Keqing spins a lavender lock of hair around on her finger. “But if you’re so keen on me wishing for something, what’s your wish? I’ll just go with whatever you want. Double wishing power, or whatever.”
“Keqing.” The musician gasps, affronted, and she raises a hand to her chest as though Keqing had just committed blasphemy. “That ain't how it works! I can’t say mine or else it really won’t come true.”
“That’s just superstition.” Keqing scoffs, glancing up at the night sky nevertheless. “And it won’t come true either way, but fine.”
She’s not used to seeing this many stars in the sky— Liyue Harbor is a sprawling, restless metropolis, after all. Usually, the city’s bright, blinding lights are too much. The last time she’d seen so many stars, Keqing had been at her family’s summer estate in the countryside. She pushes those memories aside; there’s nothing in the past to dwell on at the moment. Although perhaps, now as she breathes in the air of the harbor she’s come to love so fiercely – a welcome change from being hunched over her office desk – gazing up as countless stars splatter against the canvas of night—
Well, perhaps the power outage was a blessing in disguise.
“A few years ago, back when we were attending Yujing Academy,” Keqing says, fingers tapping against her can of beer just as Xinyan is taking a sip of her own, “Someone once dared me to lick a star.”
Xinyan chokes on her drink, sending Keqing into a peal of laughter as her friend sputters around the liquid.
“They dared you to what?”
“Lick a star,” Keqing grins. She tips back the last of her can, finishing the alcoholic beverage. “It was Xingqiu of Feiyun Commerce, do you remember him?”
“How could I not?” Xinyan scoffs. “He’s only topping every single bestseller chart in all of Teyvat and getting his name attached to a few too many B-list animated films."
“Well, it was during a party we both went to. We were sitting on the roof at Chongyun’s rented place, drinking beer and talking, a whole lot like this, actually. I never got to fulfill that dare, now that I think of it.”
"Y'know, there's something poetic about the concept of licking a star." Xinyan snorts, barking out a laugh. "Seems like a pretty on-brand dare coming from a dreamer like Xingqiu."
"Right? I thought so too."
There’s a beat of silence. Then Keqing stands up—
“Keqing,” Xinyan says, laughing warily, “You can’t seriously actually thinking—”
“Did you hear that, universe?!” Keqing shouts over the cityscape, the noise ringing through the open air, resounding shockingly loud over Liyue Harbor's bustle. “LET ME LICK A STAR, FUCK YOU.”
The only response she receives is the honking of cars stuck in traffic, the noise of pedestrians and drivers alike yelling in the darkness.
Xinyan stares at the young Yuheng with some sort of newfound respect. She lets out a low whistle.
“You’re actually crazy, woman.”
“No, just repressed.”
“I appreciate you, you know that? Imagine if the other Qixing overheard!”
“Well, thank the Archons the security cameras are down.”
--
The power comes back 30 minutes later.
Keqing is still, tragically, too sober.
Xinyan walks Keqing back to her office.
Keqing waves her a goodbye and goodnight as she half-heartedly powers her PC back on.
Five minutes later, when it’s clear that no draft of her prior email had been auto-saved, she sighs, locks the damned machine back up again, and texts her driver as she shuffles over to the elevator.
She can pull the all-nighter from home.
--
Or maybe she can't, because there is a girl on her balcony.
There's a girl on her balcony, legs aimlessly kicking back and forth as she sits on the railing of her top-floor penthouse apartment, and Keqing is way too sober for this.
What's more is that she's gorgeous – all fair, dainty features, dark-haired twin-tails, a slender frame garbed in clothes decorated seemingly by starlight, wide-brimmed hat whose tip tilts charmingly to one side, sharp jade green eyes meeting her own amethyst ones through the glass sliding door – and that’s just unfortunate, because Keqing’s already predicting that this girl will somehow be her downfall.
Against all rationale, her feet lead her to the balcony, almost wondering if she's seeing a mirage. She pulls open the door, and the girl is still there.
She gets chided almost immediately.
“It took you long enough!”
“I’m sorry…?” Keqing blinks rapidly just as she’s wondering what might’ve been in that beer. “Um, who are you?”
“My name is Mona Megistus.” With the polite tip of her wide-brimmed hat, the newcomer’s green eyes glimmer with indiscernible emotion as she dips her head in a short, customary bow. She smirks up at Keqing, who feels a jolt of something run through her body. “But just ‘Mona’ will suffice.”
“Mona,” Keqing repeats, testing the name out on her tongue. It takes her a brief moment to remember her manners. “I’m Keqing.”
“That, I know,” Mona says with a hum. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Yuheng of Yuehai’s Qixing.”
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine,” Keqing replies, absolutely still distracted. “Might I ask what you’re doing on the balcony of my fifty-second floor penthouse?”
“Right, so I suppose I should get down to business.” The other girl coughs into her fist.
Keqing awaits her expectantly.
"So, I'm a star," Mona explains, plain and simple. "And I've come down from the sky to—"
"A star?" Keqing interrupts.
Mona sighs. "Yes."
"Why do I have my doubts."
"Do the celestial patterns on my clothes mean absolutely nothing to you?" Mona gestures vigorously about her body, which unfortunately does nothing but serve to highlight her slender figure, starry leotard and tights and everything.
Keqing swallows, trying to keep her thoughts away from such thoughts.
"Anyone can dress up like that these days," she argues back weakly. "Cosplay, or something."
"Honestly, this girl…" Mona rolls her eyes before breaking out her final card. "I have magic, okay? Is that what you want to hear?" She waves her hand, and starry water lingers in the air in its wake, and Keqing gasps. "I teleported to your balcony."
"You didn't crash land here from the sky?" Keqing asks, reaching out to pop a glimmering bubble that Mona conjures from her fingertips.
Mona wrinkles her nose. "No, of course not. That's barbaric."
"So you can really teleport?"
"I can. Despite your state of weariness, you're asking a lot of questions," the celestial girl comments. "I'm not sure if I should be surprised."
"A friend of mine during my brief time in college was a criminal justice major, and she told me that asking questions is good." Keqing shrugs. "Although, nowadays she's in Mondstadt parading around with explosive rabbit plushies…" She stops, then shakes her head. "Sorry, I'm exhausted, and that's besides the point. I'll believe that you're a star if you can teleport me somewhere."
"Really?" Mona seems to stifle a laugh. "That's it?"
"Like we both said, I'm tired. For all I know, I could have collapsed at my doorstep and this is all a dream." Keqing winces, garnering a sympathetic expression from the other girl. "Do something that'll wake me up— something that I'll actually remember tomorrow morning."
“Something you’ll remember, huh?” There’s a glint in Mona’s eye as she nods to herself, and Keqing can virtually see the gears in her brain ticking like clockwork. “That's doable… I can work with that.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Hold on tight!”
And that’s all the warning Keqing receives before Mona lunges forward, grabbing the other girl’s wrist. The Yuheng squeaks in surprise as a sphere of water rises around them, and before she knows it, they’re far, far away from her penthouse balcony.
--
“Welcome to Mondstadt,” Mona greets, a gust of cool air welcoming them with a characteristic breeze of dandelions.
Keqing gapes as she overlooks Mondstadt's sleepless City of Freedom, her shocked expression traveling from Dragonspine Mountain's distinct silhouette in the distance, to Mona, casually playing with that mystifying water of hers, to the iconic statue of Barbatos they're standing on, to back to Mona.
"Shit, we're really in Mondstadt," she breathes, just loud enough to be heard over the bustling sound of the city's nightlife.
"That, we are," Mona agrees, huffing out a chuckle. She sits herself down, feet dangling leisurely over the edge of the statue, unafraid like before on the Yuheng's balcony. "Does this evidence of my celestial position suffice?"
Keqing nods wordlessly, mouth parted in awe.
“Do you want to stay a bit longer?” Mona asks carefully. She flourishes her hand, and the droplets of water she’d been conducting in a dance vanish into thin air. “You came home pretty late, so if you want to stay here and enjoy the view for a few more minutes—”
All at once, the reminder of the several unfinished emails lying in wait on Keqing’s to-do list hit her like a truck, and Keqing tips her head back and groans.
“No, no,” she says with a sigh. A look of disappointment flashes in Mona eyes before the stellar-decorated girl expertly trains her countenance into something neutral. “I have work to finish up.”
“It’s nearing midnight,” Mona reasons.
“I need to send these emails out before my employees can take further action.” Keqing massages her temples. “As nice as this has been, we should probably head back now.”
Clearly still unsure, Mona frowns but complies. She holds out her hand, and Keqing gingerly takes it, although not without noting how their hands are nearly the same size, fitting together easily.
“We’ll need to talk about some things before I can let you do anything,” Mona says quietly. Keqing nods— she had figured. “So bear with me, alright?”
And with that, there's another splash of water and they're off.
--
Back in her apartment, they settle onto Keqing’s couch, reclining on opposite ends. Keqing observes her the entire time— how old is Mona? She doesn't look any older than Keqing herself, but she’d never met someone with magic before, let alone someone who claimed to come from the stars. She doesn’t exactly know how to gauge magic of all things, but Mona does make such a feat look effortless. How long had it taken to learn and master such abilities?
“Alright,” Keqing motions with her free hand, the other nursing a steaming mug of coffee. “Lay it all on me.”
"So if you hadn't interrupted me earlier, you would already know that I came down to earth to fulfill your wish,” Mona explains plainly, casually stirring her own cup by manipulating the liquid with a twirl of her finger midair.
Keqing's mouth parts in disbelief.
“My wish?” She repeats, still not trusting her own ears. “Can you grant me anything I want? Are you some star-genie?"
“Do I look like a genie to you?” Mona demands, gesturing to her whole star-patterned wardrobe, and Keqing has to bite back a snarky comment before the other girl can catch wind of her thought process.
“Actually,” Mona peers at her cautiously. “Don’t answer that.”
Whoops.
But then another, pressing thought occurs.
“Wait.” It’s Keqing’s turn to narrow her eyes. She sets her mug down on the coffee table. “Don’t tell me you descended from the heavens because of that dumb wish I yelled out earlier.”
"As if! Trust me, I wouldn't descend for such a waste of a wish even if the richest person in Teyvat was asking," Mona sniffs, much to Keqing's inherent amusement. "That was a mere coincidence. However, I am what you mortals call a 'wish-granting' star."
"Oh?" At that, Keqing seems to perk up, curiosity returning. "So does that theoretically mean you could grant me anything I want?"
"If only that were the case," the starry girl says dryly. "It would probably make things a bit easier. But unfortunately, not quite."
"So just what can you do as a star?" Keqing finally bursts out, reverting back to her previous skeptical stance. "Because all I'm hearing so far is apparently all the things that you can't."
"Right, so rather than granting wishes, it's more that I fulfill what your soul desires," Mona explains, tipping her hat. "The difference is that while wishes could potentially be what you want, desires are actually what you need. However, for me to fulfill such things, your spirit needs to project the desire up to the celestial ether— where I can sense them. It's harder for me to do my job when you're refusing to admit what you need."
"Wait, let me get this straight. It's a wish my subconscious made?" Keqing frowns, crossing her arms with a snort. "And you actually thought I'd just have an answer for you, as easy as that?"
"Listen." Mona closes her eyes as she massages her temple with one hand. "You'd be surprised how often straight-up asking works. Cases like these can otherwise be solved in a day or less."
"I'm sure," Keqing says, not believing her for a second.
"Look, all I'm saying that I've descended to the mortal realm because you haven't been very honest with yourself, Miss Yuheng," Mona explains with a chuckle, resting an arm on the back of the couch. "Not to mention, desires typically make their way to the stars during periods of sleep, and you happen to have a distinct lack of just that— so that's two problems we need to grapple with."
“‘We’?” The Yuheng pulls a nearby pillow onto her lap, hugging it close to her chest. “I gathered that you’d be staying here for the time being, but you’ll be helping me?”
“We’re partners in this, you and I.” Mona motions between them, smirking. She reclines back onto the couch, making herself comfortable. “And since I'll be down here for who knows how long, we'll have to solve this case in a more natural, less magical way. So fortunately or unfortunately, you’re stuck with me for a bit as we figure this little mystery out.”
Keqing opens her mouth, then wisely chooses to close it, shrugging.
Well , that settles that then.
--
When she arrives at work the next morning, Keqing is rubbing her eyes as she blearily pushes her way into the Qixing boardroom. She yawns into her hand as she makes her way to her usual seat. Why these meetings are always held so early, she has no idea.
(Why she insists on being early every single day, however, is a bit of a different story, albeit one she’d prefer to not think about at the moment.)
Unsurprisingly, Ningguang is already present and standing at the whiteboard towards the head of the meeting table. In her grip is a black erasable marker, diagramming what Keqing tiredly identifies as an empirical model of Yuehai’s current investments.
Keqing mumbles back a good morning when the older woman turns to greet her with a small smile.
While by no means does she hate Ningguang, despite their difference in seniority, they have had several disagreements in the past – the most recent, and loudest, of which happened less than a week ago – so Keqing’s still laying low, trying not to start anything up again. She doesn’t regret her beliefs, never, but she’s also never been good at keeping her mouth shut, and Ningguang has her own pride to uphold.
That’s something she acknowledges that she and Ningguang have in common— they’re both prideful, with the only major difference being that Keqing’s still struggling to find that same grace that Ningguang manages, even when admitting her faults.
She sighs quietly, sinking into her chair. Ningguang had made many valid points during their last argument about Yuehai’s current role as a public symbol, as well as about upholding tradition and keeping public faith. She knows this, but why can’t she admit that out loud?
She's pulled from this introspection by a ding. Her phone screen lights up, a small symbol appearing to indicate a new incoming message.
> Mona: hey, how’d the commute to the office go?
Keqing blinks, the focus on her exhaustion and self-deprecation momentarily pushed aside as she opens her messenger app to type out a response. She doesn’t remember adding Mona’s number to her phone— Mona wasn’t even awake when she left for the office this morning.
< Keqing: hi, it went smoothly.
< Keqing: btw i don’t remember adding you
< Keqing: hold on a second, since when did you have a phone??
Mona’s answers come speedily and snarkily.
> Mona: we don't live in the Dark Ages, Keqing. i know how modern communication works
> Mona: as for how i added you, i’m magic, remember?
< Keqing: wait, seriously? you magicked your way into my phone
> Mona: of course not. you left it out on the counter last night
> Mona: pls change your passcode from your birthday
< Keqing: be quiet, it’s easy to remember
> Mona: when you get hacked, don’t come running to me
Keqing huffs indignantly, fingers hovering above the screen as she thinks of a tactful retort. Across the room, Ningguang glances at her in amusement, pausing in her diagramming on the whiteboard. Keqing pays her no mind, opting to spin disgruntledly in her chair as she keeps her eyes trained on her phone.
Before she can even dignify the girl on the other end of the line, Mona sends another message.
> Mona: okay we’re off topic. back to the actual reason i texted
> Mona: i’m heading out to the grocery store bc your fridge is as barren as the Golden House after Rex Lapis’s death
< Keqing: i’m sure my ancestors would take offense from that
> Mona: anyway, anything you particularly want? or any dish you’re craving for dinner?
Immediately, she begins to type out a response before hesitating. Mona seemed to be implying that she’d be cooking, and it’s the middle of a work week; there’s no real occasion to ask for anything special. Better just play it safe, and—
“Who are you texting?” It’s Ningguang, curiously inquiring with an interested look on her face.
“Huh?” Keqing jumps, slightly started, phone clattering to the table. Amidst her conversation with Mona, she’d completely forgotten that she wasn’t alone in the meeting room. She straightens in her seat, fully prepared to be berated by the older woman for slacking.
“Sorry,” Ningguang chuckles instead. Having finished preparing her presentation, she takes her own seat towards the front of the boardroom. “I’d never seen you so animated over some messages before, so I couldn’t help but be curious.”
“Oh.” Well, she certainly hadn’t expected that. Uncharacteristically, Keqing finds herself floundering for a moment. Just what is Mona to her? They’d literally only met yesterday, so do they even count as friends? Mona herself had used the word partners but Ningguang doesn’t know the connotations behind that, and Keqing definitely would prefer for no conclusions to be jumped to.
“My roommate,” Keqing finally says, much to Ningguang’s obvious surprise. My very pretty, star-obsessed, magical roommate. “It’s a new development. I got a roommate recently— not that I need one!” She quickly clarifies. “But she and I are… acquaintances, and she’s helping me keep the place clean. It’s just a temporary thing.”
“Is that so?” Ningguang smiles, entertained. “Well, I’m sure you must be having fun. Living with someone for the first time in an actual household is much more fun than dorm life.”
Keqing immediately scrunches her nose, making a face that has Ningguang chuckling.
“It’s been interesting so far,” is all she says, and Ningguang hums just as the boardroom door opens and the other Qixing members start filing in, right on time. Ningguang turns to greet them as Keqing sits up properly in her chair.
Heaving a deep breath, she gingerly picks up her phone, swiping it open once again. Upon seeing Mona’s last message still unanswered, she thinks twice before deleting her draft in the text box, quickly typing a few final words.
< Keqing: whoops, sorry for answering late, got held up for a moment
< Keqing: would you happen to know how to make golden shrimp balls?
--
As it turns out, Mona does, in fact, know how to make golden shrimp balls— and damn good ones too.
She’d returned to her apartment at a normal hour today, as per Mona’s instructions, and had to stop herself from squealing in glee when she had opened the door and was immediately overwhelmed by the rich, familiar scent of fresh shrimp and crispy, golden potato strips.
“Making these was nostalgic,” Mona had said as they’d eaten, something melancholic flashing briefly in her eyes before vanishing as soon as it had come, her knowing smile settling across her expression in tandem. “I used to eat these during my stays in Liyue, a long time ago.”
“I bow down to your Golden Shrimp Ball knowledge, O Master of the Kitchen,” Keqing merely replied, shooting Mona a thumbs up and receiving a good-natured eye roll in return.
At some point, she'd asked Mona where the money for groceries had come from.
Mona had clicked her tongue. "Let's just say that several hundred years of wish-granting duties lets you accumulate a bit of wealth, especially when you're stuck in the sky with nothing to spend it on. Don't ask how the economy is involved, because I don't take care of the semantics. Just… don't worry about it. Somehow, I'm financially well-off."
Keqing simply had nodded slowly, and now, she stands at the sink, washing the dishes (despite Mona’s insistence that her magical water could clean with more ease) as a symbol of gratitude.
Meanwhile, completely dressed in a casual navy oversized t-shirt and shorts that Mona had gotten from who-knows-where, the other girl had seamlessly come to fit in their now-shared home. She plays around with the TV in the living room, the lavender-haired girl hearing her aimlessly throw on some animated movie about anthropomorphic slimes.
Keqing chances a glance over her shoulder to peer at the screen, unimpressed at the slimes with the terrible voiceovers.
“The sad part is that my friend wrote the screenplay for that.”
“Is this one of the friends you went to boarding school with?”
“Unfortunately.” Keqing’s lips purse into a thin line. “Poor Xingqiu. Why he doesn’t use a pseudonym for all of these B-list animated movies is beyond me, especially when his martial arts novels actually do really well.”
“All of your former classmates seem to be doing really well with their lives, from what you’ve told me,” Mona comments, pulling up her phone to presumably search up the screenwriter’s name.
“I suppose you could say that.” Keqing can’t help but chuckle to herself as she finishes off another plate, moving to place it on the drying rack. “Actually, they’re mostly from the year below me. I was in the student council along with Xingqiu, and he’s a very social guy. Before I knew it, he had more or less indoctrinated me into his circle.”
“Does this circle include that girl you were with on the roof the other night?”
“Oh, Xinyan? No, she was in my year, and we actually didn’t get to know each other until Yuehai’s entertainment branch reached out and contracted her. We were close enough acquaintances back at the academy, but she didn’t make many friends because she was off pursuing rock n’ roll.” Keqing shrugs, using the back of her arm to push a strand of hair from her eyes. “Which is a shame, since she’s one of the nicest people I know. It’s just that no one bothered to get to know her or her taste in music. Personally, I—”
She’s interrupted by the telltale ding! of her phone, the device near the paper towel roll.
"Who texted you?" Mona asks, now sprawled across the couch lazily like a cat— absently flicking around bubbles, making her water dance circles around her fingers. (Keqing's realized that Mona does that a lot, playing with her water almost subconsciously.)
"Speaking of, it’s Xinyan," Keqing replies, mouth quirking into a smile as she dries her hands to swipe across the home screen, tapping open the messenger app. "She's asking me again if I can make it to one of her concerts this Friday night. It’s at this club she likes doing surprise gigs at."
"And?" Mona presses, sitting up and stretching. She blinks slowly Keqing's way, green eyes glimmering under the yellow living room lights, and Archons above, she really looks like a house cat— Keqing's well aware that she herself has been compared to the four-legged housepets with the way she chooses to style her hair, but there's something utterly feline about Mona's jade green eyes and languid, 'my pace' attitude.
Keqing shakes her head, snapping herself out of her less pressing thoughts.
"And what?"
"Are you going to say yes to your friend?"
"I—" Keqing bites her lip. "I mean—"
"Don't tell me you plan on working overtime on a Friday," Mona demands, arms crossed.
"And why not?" Keqing asks defensively. "That's what I've been doing every Friday since I fully ascended as Yuheng, and Xinyan understands that that's my routine. She just invites me to these things out of courtesy."
"You may have a routine, but need I mention again why I'm here?" Mona says patiently. "If there wasn't anything wrong with your, frankly, self-destructive habits, I wouldn't be sitting in your apartment right now. Clearly, something needs to change or you need to try something new. That's partially why I decided to restock your empty fridge. This concert is another prime opportunity."
It’s depressingly easy to acknowledge that there’s nothing she can really say to that that won’t make her sound like a petulant child, and Keqing very much dislikes the way Mona has a valid point. She puffs out a cheek, crossing her own arms. Still—
"I understand filling the fridge, but do you really think me going to Xinyan's rock concert will help my situation?" She can't help but be skeptical.
"Hey, it's a place to start, right?" Mona shrugs. "And what's wrong with a bit of time off? Worst case scenario, you don't like the music and you leave early. Xinyan's your friend, she'd understand."
"No, no the music isn't the problem— I love Xinyan's music, and it's even on my playlist of favorites. It's just," Keqing flushes, twiddling her fingers. "I've never been to one of these before. Not a rock concert, or any concert, for that matter."
"That's fine," Mona enthuses. She steps off the couch, coming up to take Keqing's hand with a wide smile. "I haven't either! Why don't you ask Xinyan if you can take your roommate along, and we can attend together?"
"Wait, really?" Keqing perks up hopefully, meeting Mona's gaze through long lashes. She's grateful for the suggestion— the huge crowd would certainly be less daunting with a familiar face by her side. "You wouldn't mind?"
"Of course I wouldn't," the starry girl chides, rubbing Keqing's shoulder with her free hand. "I'm here to help you out, and I wouldn't be a very good helper if I threw my client to the dogs, now would I?"
“I’ll just have to take your word for it.” Keqing chuckles wearily, hoping she’s not making an inevitable mistake. Still, Mona's hand is comforting against her skin, and she sounds so sure , and she'll be there the whole time, so there's no way it could possibly be that bad.
--
So Friday inevitably arrives, and the concert is fun— really fun.
Considerate as always, Xinyan had excitedly sent VIP balcony tickets Keqing’s way, allowing her and Mona to skip the intimidating crowds, which had definitely been the right move to make. Keqing had taken one look at the close quarters of those on the ground and murmured a rare prayer of thanks to Rex Lapis, not caring if he was actually listening or not.
She doesn’t think she’s missing out on too much though.
Despite their elevated seats, the roar of the crowd still rings and Keqing’s ears, the energy palpable simmering in the air. Needless to say, it’s way too easy to jump around and yell out the lyrics to her favorite songs— which is to say, basically everything on Xinyan’s setlist.
“Send me your playlist, I’m tailoring the whole thing for you!” Xinyan had said eagerly, having opted to call Keqing as soon as she’d sent the yeah, sure, i’ll be there message her way. “This is great! I get to be your first concert!”
Xinyan’s excitement had been infectious, not just to Keqing, but evidently to her celestial companion as well. Initially, Keqing had been surprised when she’d chanced a glance at the girl to her right, only to see Mona dancing along, easily keeping up with the lyrics.
“You know Xinyan’s music?” Keqing had grinned widely during a break in songs. She asks half out of curiosity, half out of necessity— she needs something to distract her from the sleek leather jacket and dark skinny jeans Mona had decided to sport tonight.
“I have a lot of time to myself when you’re away at work,” Mona had replied in lieu of explanation, lifting a shoulder in a shrug. “What can I say? Rock n’ roll is some catchy stuff.”
By the end of it all, Keqing is tired — more tired than even a typical work day. Still, the kind of exhaustion that seeps into her bones is far different today than usual. She’s tired, but oddly satisfied, the smile on her face still wide, even as she leans onto Mona’s shoulder, legs like jelly, and tells the other girl so as they make their way backstage to where Xinyan had texted them to meet.
“I’m glad you had fun,” Mona says with a chuckle. She reaches out, gingerly pats Keqing on the head. “You’ll get good sleep tonight— the dreamless, restful kind.”
“Think so?”
“I know so.”
“Keqing? It is you!” A new, soft voice interrupts, and Keqing gasps as she spins around to find the friendly, gentle gaze of a familiar beaming back at her. “I knew it! Xinyan said you were coming, oh my goodness!”
“Yunjin!” Before she knows it, she’s being tackled into a hug by the pristine, well-kept girl, and Keqing laughs. “It’s been a while!”
“More like years!” Yunjin pouts. “We’re always too busy to meet up.”
“And yet Xinyan tells me that you always find a way to see her performances,” Keqing teases, giggling as her old friend’s face reddens considerably.
“That’s different!” Yunjin stammers through a squeak, before anxiously bouncing up and down before attempting to change the subject. “So, um, who is…?”
Mona holds her hands up, eyes glimmering in amusement, interest having been piqued. “Oh, no! Don’t mind me, I’m just happily here for the ride.”
“Sorry, I should’ve introduced you.” Taking pity, Keqing humors the performer, opting to bump her shoulder against Mona’s instead, who grunts and bumps her back in response. “This is my friend, Mona. She’s my new roommate. Mona, this is Yunjin. She’s Xinyan’s girlfriend, and was actually my roommate back when I dormed at the academy.”
“Regrettably, I wasn’t actually there much, though.” Yunjin sends Mona a friendly smile, although her tone holds traces of remorse. “I’ve actually been partaking in traditional dance my whole life, so even my school days were filled with dance training. My enrollment into the academy was more of a formality than anything— it was good for Keqing though, since she basically had her own room. In a way,” she adds, “You’re her real first roommate, Mona!”
“Is that so?” Mona smirks as Keqing shoots her a look of don’t make me look bad. “Well, lucky for her, she’s been a pretty good roommate so far, beyond her ridiculous work hours— those are still a work in progress.”
“You’re working on Keqing’s overworking habits?” It’s Xinyan, having sidled up to the group to fling a casual arm around Yunjin’s shoulders. She grins cheekily at Mona, reaching out for a fist bump that Mona returns with natural ease, as if she’d known the rocker girl for longer than thirty seconds. “I like you already! How’d you two like the concert?”
“Very fun,” Mona tells her in earnest, Keqing nodding in agreement. “You’re a very natural performer.”
“You think?” With her wide, hopeful smile, Xinyan looks very much like a hyperactive puppy as she moves around Yunjin to grab Mona’s shoulders. “Wait, let’s go get dinner! I wanna hear more about what you liked about it!”
“Aren’t you being a little too assertive?” Suddenly much more awake than she’d been ten minutes ago, Keqing shifts her weight to one leg, hands on her hips as she and Yunjin exchange secretive, knowing smiles.
“What are you talking about? You don’t mind, do you, Mona?”
“Not at all. I’d love to discuss your concert with you.”
“See? Mona’s cool!” Xinyan sticks her tongue out, already guiding her new friend towards the back door. “Don’t be jealous because Mona’s left your side for a hot second, Keqing!”
“Wait, what?” Keqing’s jaw drops. Jealousy? Where had that come from?
She turns to Yunjin, seeking some sort of support or reassurance, only to find the traditional dancer giggling behind a dainty hand.
“Your face is all red, Keqing,” Yunjin titters. She steps forward, linking arms with the dumbstruck lavender-haired girl with a pleasant smile. “Shall we follow them?”
Stunned mute, all Keqing can do is nod, letting Yunjin lead her outside behind their friends as she tries to conceal her impending quarter-life crisis.
--
What starts out as dinner turns into the four girls ordering food at a food stand and frolicking around a nearby park at midnight, food and sodas in hand, spirits high as they bask in the last remnants of the warmer summer weather— autumn has truly settled in.
It's the most fun Keqing's had in ages.
And every so often, when she'd relaxed enough to start cracking more jokes or making sarcastic retorts to Xinyan's bombastic exclamations, Keqing finds herself sneaking a glance Mona's way, just to check and see if the celestial girl is laughing too— Mona's laughter is addicting, like the sound stars would make if their twinkling made noise; ethereal.
It's always Yunjin who catches her, though— Yunjin, who is the quietest of the quartet, and Yunjin, who is by far the most observant as well.
"You know, Keqing?" Yunjin comments, off-handedly cheeky as she pulls Keqing to the side during one such moment when Xinyan is raving to Mona about this great new band I discovered last night, and if you like my stuff, you'll love what they put out— "You get stars in your eyes when you look at Mona."
Keqing's mouth opens, but she doesn't know what to say.
"What?" She settles on breathlessly, heat racing to her cheeks. Her fingers subconsciously drum against the cool cola can in her grasp.
"You get starry-eyed," Yunjin says as though that makes things any clearer, humming. "I don't know how long you've known each other or what you are to each other, but I think it's adorable how you look at Mona— not like she put the stars in the sky, but more like you think she's a star herself."
Well, that makes sense, because she is. Keqing bites back the obvious retort that had sat so temptingly on the tip of her tongue. She debates letting Yunjin know that she'd literally met Mona less than a week ago, but she dials that back down too, figuring that it wouldn't help her case much.
"I just think she's fascinating," is what Keqing finally settles on, watching how animated Mona and Xinyan are before tilting her chin up, letting a cool breeze wash over her face. She's sure at this point that her face is as red as her cola can. "I've never met anyone like her. Sometimes, I wonder if we're really from the same world."
That's not a lie. Heaving out a sigh, Keqing brings her drink to her lips.
"I used to think the same about Xinyan and I," Yunjin mentions, and Keqing breaks into a coughing fit. "Rock n' roll and traditional dance feel like two different ends of the spectrum, you know? But here I am!"
"What are you saying?" Keqing asks, wary.
"Nothing!" Yunjin giggles innocently before her expression takes on something solemn, a small smile gracing her features. "But – and please don’t take this the wrong way – you were always so lonely back at the academy before Xingqiu befriended you. I am just so, very glad you've found someone else in your life who can make you so animated and happy."
Happy. Is she happy? It's a strange feeling, Keqing realizes. For so long, she had been under the impression that happiness would only come after the work was over, but now… well, it's been a while since she's last felt so weightless. There's no work to worry about for the time being— it's just her, her two old friends, and the star girl cast down from above who'd somehow slotted herself directly into a place of affection.
"I am too," Keqing says, honest and smiling, and Yunjin beams.
Friendship is… pretty great.
It's a pretty nice feeling to end the night on.
--
Keqing's good attitude carries on for the rest of the weekend, when she and Mona sleep the day away on Saturday and tidy up the penthouse on Sunday. It even tides out until Monday, when she strides into word with her shoulders squared and a confident mentality of yes, I will get everything done! She’s so energized, even Ningguang comments on it.
(“Aren’t you in a good mood,” the Tianquan had said in passing, inquisitive.
Keqing had shrugged. “People can be fun.”
Somehow, they’d managed to leave the conversation at just that.)
Monday turns into Tuesday, and then Tuesday to Wednesday, and then before she knows it, between meetings and paperwork and negotiations, suddenly the rest of the work week has gone by in a flash. Before she can process what's happened, Friday night is turning into yet another lazy Saturday morning.
She sleeps through her alarm, waking up to the smell of pancakes and Mona poking her head into her room, donning that hilariously fitting star-decorated apron Keqing had ordered online on a whim a few days prior. Her amused voice carries through the early rays of light.
“Get up, sleepy.”
“Pancakes?” Keqing questions, rubbing at one uncompromisingly sleep eye as she peers blearily at her friend with the other. “What’s the occasion?”
“Well, tonight is the Mid-Autumn Festival,” Mona replies before asking in return. "But do you really need an occasion for pancakes?"
Keqing blinks, considering.
“No, I suppose not. I guess they are staple breakfast foods in some places, after all.”
“Is it not a Liyue thing?”
“I’m not sure, I always just ate whatever the cooks at my family’s estate made growing up. What about in Mondstadt? You’re from there, right?”
“I lived there once, yes. And I guess I did eat them whenever I had the chance.”
With that being said, the girls dissolve into silence, looking at each other curiously. Mona cocks her head to the right, and Keqing copies the motion to the left. From down the hall, they can both still hear the sizzling of butter on a pan.
Then she giggles, and Mona cracks a grin as the atmosphere is broken.
“Nice apron.” Keqing smirks.
“Yeah, I know. Now come on, get up.” The celestial girl conjures starry bubbles of water from her fingertips, flicking them over in Keqing’s direction.
Keqing huffs, pokes every last one of them, watches them shimmeringly pop into thin air.
“Yeah, yeah. Be there in a minute.”
“We’re meeting with Xinyan and Yunjin tonight, remember? For the Mid-Autumn Festival? You better not be planning on doing anything work-related.” Mona rolls her eyes at the way Keqing’s mouth parts in an ‘O’ shape.
“Don’t tell me you forgot,” she scolds.
“Of course I didn’t. Um, good thing I had nothing else planned?”
“Keqing.”
--
Mona grabs her hand on instinct as the sky is on the brink of nightfall and they approach the bustling seaside festival crowds. Keqing takes one look at their intertwined hands and giggles when Mona pointedly looks away.
"Wow, I can’t believe this year’s Mid-Autumn festival is here already," Keqing muses to herself, basking in the familiar red glow of the lanterns before the sight of Mona marveling at the rows and rows of stands catches her attention. "Enjoying the sights?"
"It's so pretty," Mona says, sounding breathless. She squeezes Keqing's hand, suddenly looking younger under the lantern lights, childlike fascination glimmering in her eyes. "I'd traveled to Liyue before, but I'd never been around for any of the festivals."
And that's a shame, because Liyue's festivals are sights to behold in themselves. During the nighttime especially, the seaside area of the Harbor gets transformed into a teeming festival grounds, bathed in the soft light of traditional lanterns decorated with designs of the guardian adepti, rows of food stalls and games and other forms of entertainment alight with life— no matter how far the city advances technologically, these festivals always feel like being transported to the past, the city committee being utterly dedicated to crafting an authentic experience, for Liyue Harbor to never forget its roots.
And despite being on the forefront of Liyue Harbor's advancement, Keqing appreciates these festivals— they're humbling, and genuinely fun.
"Well I'm glad you get to experience it," Keqing says earnestly, the length of her arm brushing against her friend's. "Actually, it's my first time attending the Mid-Autumn Festival with someone else, so this is a first for me too."
“Really? You’ve never been to one of these with your family before?”
“Um, no, actually.” Keqing smiles, brushing off the admission by laughing lightly to herself as Mona’s brow furrows. “I haven’t. I didn’t leave my family’s estate much when I was a child. We went to the temples for these kinds of things and then went home— I'd watch the lanterns from our courtyard. I only started attending later, when I was a teenager and living away from home, and even then I'd attend alone, kind of just letting myself get lost in the crowds.”
“I… see.”
"Don't worry about it," Keqing insists. Her thumb taps against the back of Mona's palm as she gently tugs her down a row of food stands. "Let's go find that stage Xinyan texted about— I haven't seen Yunjin dance in years."
Together, they meander the festival grounds, Keqing occasionally getting recognized by the citizens as the Yuheng, polite bows being exchanged as they thank her for her work. Mona continues to hold her hand the whole time, always close by, an anchor as they navigate through a sea of people, the red lantern lights overhead.
Soon enough, they find their way to the traditional wooden stage, where a crowd is beginning to gather.
Much to Keqing's surprise, she easily picks out a group of four individuals amongst the fringes of the crowd – the signature ice blue hair of one of them is undeniable – and she eagerly leads Mona over.
It's Xingqiu who notices her approach first.
"Keqing!"
His voice grabs the attention of Chongyun, Xiangling, and Hu Tao, who immediately perk up and vigorously wave as she and Mona draw near. Hu Tao being Hu Tao, the girl lunges forward once she's within range, and Mona's hand finally slips out of Keqing's as the funeral director tackles Keqing into a tight hug.
"Keqing! You've haven't come to Wanmin in a while!" Xiangling claps excitedly.
"Where've you been? We haven't seen you in forever!" Hu Tao squeals just as Xingqiu dramatically joins the hug, beckoning for Xiangling and Chongyun to do the same— the latter of whom participates more conservatively, opting to just pat Keqing on the back instead.
"Sorry," Keqing says weakly, glancing over her shoulder to find a very amused Mona watching the whole dogpile with that signature smirk of hers. "Mona…! Help!"
"I think you're on your own with this one." Mona snickers, just as Xingqiu hops backwards, eyes widening as he finally takes notice of Keqing's companion.
"Hello!" He exclaims, striding over to energetically shake Mona's hand. "Who might you be? Oh, wait." He gasps. "Are you the girlfri—"
Keqing has never moved so fast in her life, breaking free of Hu Tao's life-sucking embrace and slapping a hand over the blue-haired boy's mouth before Xingqiu can get another word out.
What follows is a repeat of Keqing's reunion with Yunjin but times four, including the introduction of Mona and everything.
"Oh, so they were roommates," Xingqiu says seriously.
"And they were roommates," Xiangling and Hu Tao singsong in chorus, and Keqing feels a shudder run down her spine.
"Well, that was scary," Mona remarks. She steps up, casually links her arm with Keqing's, bumping their elbows. "You're all quite the rowdy bunch aren't you— whoa, Keqing, are you alive?"
"On Rex Lapis," Keqing bemoans. Her head lolls, coming to rest itself against Mona's shoulder. She loves her friends dearly, she does, but sometimes they can be a bit much.
Chongyun sighs, sounding tired as he rubs the back of his head. "I apologize on behalf of them— we're all working adults, I swear."
"How's the exorcism gig going?" Keqing asks feebly.
"Oh, you're an exorcist?" Mona gives the boy an inquisitive look over. "That explains all the positive energy I'm sensing."
"I have never seen a ghost before in my life," Chongyun deadpans, and Mona reels back, confused.
"I'm sorry, what? How…?"
"It's tragic. I just don't understand how the FUCK— "
"Okay!" Keqing loudly interrupts before the usually-chilly boy can get too riled and cause a scene. "The curtains are drawing back! Let's watch Yunjin, everyone!"
--
“Your friends are funny,” Mona says much later, holding back a snicker as Keqing fiddles with the lotus flower-shaped lantern in her grasp. “Such a lively bunch.”
After hanging around with the others for hours, as well as the creation of a new, combined group chat (Mona, Xinyan, and Yunjin included), Keqing and Mona had bid their friends goodbye as the time neared midnight, opting to finish wandering the grounds themselves.
“That’s putting it lightly.” Keqing sighs, although the sound is fond. “Even Xinyan and Yunjin— they’re all the type of friend who always seem to pop up when I least expect it.”
“Isn’t that the best kind?” Mona questions, following Keqing as the other girl leads her towards the docks. “Maybe I should start popping into your office during random hours of the day.”
“Try it,” Keqing tells her dryly as Mona gets a certain competitive spark in her eye. “I dare you.”
“Maybe I will. Getting past security isn’t a problem for me, after all.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you do— oh, we’re here. Take this.”
“Oh my—” Mona freezes as Keqing deposits the lotus lantern into her hands, its candle now lit aflame.
If she had to pick a moment to stop in time and put in her pocket for safe-keeping, Keqing would choose this moment right here— Mona, bathed in starlight and the colorful, soft shadows of lantern light, lotus lantern in her grasp, wide-eyed and awestruck as she stands on the docks, a mere reach away from a calm ocean, where a kaleidoscope of hundreds upon thousands of other little blossom lanterns are already floating, making their way out to sea.
“We also have a Lantern Rite in the winter to celebrate the new year,” Keqing explains softly, as though the moment is sacred. She breathes out a laugh, standing close to Mona. "At that time, the lanterns get sent into the sky, but right now… well, legend has it that the gods of the ocean keep our waters tranquil to this day, so right now we sail our hopes into a peaceful sea.”
Mona looks from Keqing to the lotus lantern, delicate in her hands, then up to Keqing again.
The Yuheng giggles. “Go on, it’s both of ours. Just don’t forget to wish for good luck.”
“Wishing? Me?” A smile twitches at the corner of Mona’s mouth. “Shouldn’t you be doing the wishing?”
“I mean, I don’t really need to wish anyway because I already have you,” Keqing reasons. “I already have a wish-granting star. What more luck do I need?”
And oh, it feels so gratifying to finally be the one rendering Mona speechless for once. Keqing revels in the sight of a flustered Mona, a light pink dusting her fair cheeks, just barely visible in the low light.
“I suppose you have a point,” the star girl mutters, turning away to face the water, and Keqing lets out a quiet laugh.
Gingerly, Mona bends down, extending her hands out over the water, and carefully lets the lantern dip into the water. As if sensing the newcomer, a benign current washes by, catching the lotus lantern in its embrace and gently eases it out to sea to join the others.
Together, hand-in-hand, Keqing and Mona watch their lantern drift away before they wordlessly turn around and start making their way home.
--
A month passes by in the blink of an eye, and Keqing finds that Mona’s presence in her life has settled in quite nicely. Perhaps she wouldn’t say that there’s a routine, given Keqing’s sporadic work schedule, and Mona’s sporadic everything, but they move around the space of their home with ease, accommodating for each other’s habits – Mona starts leaving Keqing’s phone by her work bag after the Yuheng leaves it lying around the penthouse too often – and doing small favors for each other whenever they can. Keqing’s particular favorite is when buying Mona ornate, star-decorated merchandise, and what had started out as a joke with the simple apron had expanded to a starry spatula, a star-covered phone case, and star-frosted cupcakes, among others.
And Mona—
Well, it’s nearing midnight, yet Mona strides out of her top-floor office’s elevator with the confidence of someone who works there, dressed in a dark blazer and navy jeans, a plastic bags in hand, jade green eyes locking with Keqing’s own amethyst as something akin to a victorious smirk prancing across her lips as Keqing sighs theatrically and beckons her in without question.
“You did tell me to pop in unannounced,” Mona reasons, holding up bags of sandwiches.
“That, I did.” Keqing laughs lightly. “Honestly, I’m surprised it took you this long.”
It garners a shrug out of Mona. “Now seemed like the perfect opportunity.”
Ganyu, who diligently works on paperwork at a nearby table, jumps at the sudden break of silence. Startled eyes the color of twilight lift from the documents she’d been marking, hurriedly scanning Mona in confusion.
“Please, don’t mind her, Ganyu,” Keqing chuckles under her breath, feeling. “Mona is my roommate, and she just came to drop off a meal for me.”
“I brought you some as well, Miss Ganyu,” Mona adds, much to the pleasant surprise of both Keqing and the secretary. She holds out the second bag to the lilac-haired lady. “Keqing told me you’re vegetarian, so I made sure to make some without meat.”
I didn’t tell her that. Sensibly, Keqing keeps her thoughts to herself, not wanting Ganyu to be any more suspicious of Mona than she already may be.
“Oh, you did?” Ganyu flashes Mona a grateful smile, and much to Keqing’s relief, doesn’t press any further as she retrieves the bag of food, only pausing for a moment before taking out a sandwich. “That’s very kind of you, thank you.”
And with that, the half-qilin secretary returns to her work, meticulously continuing to file the stack of papers with one hand as she eats with the other.
“Phew, I'm glad she likes it.” Mona whistles low, perching herself on the corner of the Yuheng’s desk. Meanwhile, Keqing only continues to watch her, chewing on her bottom lip, her own sandwich remaining forgotten until Mona meets her gaze, raising her hand to gently close Keqing’s parted lips with a smirk.
“Hey,” she says, soft, a hand combing through lavender locks of one twin-tail. “You’re not going to be able to leave here until you get these done, right? And I’m not letting you work until you’ve taken at least another three bites, so better start chewing.”
That snaps Keqing back to reality, and she nods quickly, scarfing down her food before reaching for her pen. Mentally running through the calculations, and heaves a breath before deducing that with her and Ganyu working nonstop, they should be able to finish within the next hour.
With that in mind, she sets her pen down to her papers, eyes rapidly scanning the words on each page before spreading her ink, making notes all over the documents.
Throughout it all, Mona remains faithfully by her side, apparently opting to stay for the remainder of the night with them. She peers over Keqing’s shoulder, occasionally pointing out a word or phrase Keqing had neglected, murmuring out her reasoning into her friend’s ear in that smooth, strangely calming way of hers that almost feels hypnotic.
“There’s a term for what’s being described in this section of the contract here— what did you mention during dinner the other day?” Mona points to the third paragraph. “Should Second Life be required to pay for the losses sustained by Wanyou Boutique, then it’s called…?”
“An indemnity,” Keqing mutters, rapidly scribbling a note down. “That section’s an indemnity provision.” She chuckles. “You remembered my ranting the other night.”
“Are you proud of me?” The pride in Mona’s voice is undeniable.
“Of course,” Keqing tells her, affectionate. “Thank you, by the way. I should’ve caught that.”
“Hey, my eyes are more rested than yours right now,” Mona protests in her stead. “If you were doing this after a nice long nap instead of at the end of an already long day, you definitely would’ve seen it first thing.”
And it's Ganyu’s quiet titter of a giggle that catches both of them off guard, grasping both of their attention from across the room, and both Keqing and Mona look up to find the adepti girl gazing at them fondly.
“You two are close,” she notes, clearly repressing a wider smile. “Thank you for taking care of her, Mona.”
“I feel as though I should say the same to you,” Mona answers in turn. “Thank you for keeping Keqing sane throughout all of this.” She gestures broadly to the piles of documents.
“Oh, it’s nothing!” Ganyu easily waves her off. “I’m used to it, being thousands of years old and all— I’ve been the secretary of Yuehai for far longer than what any of the Qixing today remembers.” Then she pauses, eyeing Mona, intrigued.
“Although,” she continues in fascination, and Keqing observes the interaction in utmost interest. “You already knew that, didn’t you, Miss Mona Megistus?”
Mona merely smiles. She flicks open her hand, a splash of starry water leaping from her fingertips. It dances through the air, arching across the office space all the way to Ganyu, who reaches out to it with her index finger outstretched—
Keqing gasps as the water freezes, turning to ice in midair.
“The adepti kept our gifts,” Ganyu says, her gaze soft and nostalgic as the ice bursts, snowflakes drifting around her.
“I can see that,” Mona chuckles, patting a stunned Keqing on the head. “How refreshing— it’s good to know that someone is keeping the practice alive, even if it isn’t needed anymore.”
“I agree!” Ganyu beams. She picks up her pen, rather pleased. Meanwhile, Keqing's still trying to keep up— theoretically, Ganyu having magic of all things shouldn't be as surprising as it is, given her adepti heritage, but still. “Although, it’s easy to see why Visions aren’t needed anymore with such hard workers like Keqing taking the mantle.”
The starry girl hums. "Isn't that the truth. Right, Keqing?"
The Yuheng blinks rapidly. "Huh?"
"The adepti of legend have nothing to worry about because you and your coworkers are dragging this country kicking and screaming into a new era," Mona relays to her cheekily, and Keqing pouts.
"That is not what you said."
"Perhaps not," Mona relents. "But am I wrong? You've done so much to be proud of."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Keqing stammers, completely unprepared for the sudden praise. Mona's complimented her plenty of times, and yet somehow, the way her heart leaps out of her chest at her friend's kind words remains the same, even after a month of living together. "We're all just doing our best for Liyue, really."
“Your parents should be very proud of you, too,” Ganyu adds softly, so quietly it almost sounds like she’s speaking to herself.
Behind the secretary at her desk, Keqing grows still, causing Mona to glance at her questioningly.
For a moment, the room is so quiet, Keqing swears she can almost hear her own heartbeat.
“...I’m glad you think that.” Keqing musters a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes, fingers clenching into the sleeves of her blazer beneath her desk. “I hope they are.”
“Keqing?” Mona asks, quiet.
“Thank you both for helping me tonight,” Keqing says, genuine gratitude seeping into her words, because it’s true— she doesn’t know what she’d do without Ganyu’s patient presence, without Mona’s steady assurances. It’s an odd pairing, given how once upon a time, she’d looked up to the half-qilin girl as an older sister, but now, she holds an even higher position. On the other hand, Mona is a girl who had appeared not that long ago, entering with a splash and yet causing capsizing waves.
“Of course,” Ganyu says immediately, soft, gentle, and loyal as always. "You can always count on me."
Meanwhile Mona remains silent, simply opting to slip her hand over Keqing's, drumming her fingers once over the back of her palm before squeezing tight.
Keqing feels her muscles relax, and she exhales. She picks up her pen with one hand and threads her fingers through Mona's with the other; a lifebuoy thrown out to steady her at sea.
The rest of the night goes rather swimmingly, and despite how it nears midnight when they finally wave goodbye to Ganyu, Keqing finds herself smiling.
--
"Why did you tell Ganyu we were walking home?"
"Because we are."
"Wait, I'm not just teleporting us back? Are you at least calling your driver to come pick us up?" Mona’s lips upturn in a frown when her friend remains silent. "Keqing, it's 1AM."
"I know. My hand hurts from holding that damn pen, my feet are sore, and my eyes have the deepest bags—" Keqing blows out a breath, stepping close to grab a handful of Mona's coat. She looks down. "—But the house is only a few blocks away, and the streets are well-lit, and is it really a crime that I just want to walk home with you?"
The look in Mona's eyes softens. Together, they stand under the yellow spotlight of a streetlight, and absently, Mona reaches up to tuck a piece of hair behind Keqing's ear as a gust of an autumn night's wind blows by.
"I'm sorry," she whispers, tugging Keqing closer when she sees the way Keqing shivers. "I was just worried— you look so tired. I just want you to get rest and feel better."
"I feel better whenever I'm with you," the Yuheng insists, only feeling slightly foolish for being so needy.
"Then let's walk home." Gently, Mona removes the fist clenched into her jacket, takes Keqing’s hand with a practiced grace, intertwining their fingers naturally, like it's no big deal, and together they start the journey back.
--
Mona is spontaneous— she does things without preemptive planning, seemingly without thinking the whole thing through. And yet, everything turns out fine without fail, and Keqing still doesn't quite grasp just how that works. Somewhere along the way, she’d come to the conclusion that Mona is just lucky, and that it's a good day when some of that luck rubs off on her.
"Let's move this table out of the way," Mona commands one Sunday on a total whim, and Keqing doesn't understand but she agrees, because she's learned that it's better to comply with Mona's plans than go against, because doing this with Mona is fun.
That's how she finds herself picking up the other end of the living room coffee table, moving it to the edge of the room and leaving just her soft rug behind.
Unceremoniously, Mona flops onto the ground, staring up at the ceiling as she splays out, starfish style.
"Join me," Mona says.
"Can I be a star too?" Keqing jokes, making way to lie besides her friend.
"You can be anything you want to be, Keqing. I believe in you."
Keqing giggles, opting to stretch out on her back, a noise leaving her throat as she feels the pull of the muscle.
She loves these quieter, peaceful moments when she's alone with Mona. They've never had any pretenses, hardly even engaged in formality, but while Keqing had never been much of a touchy person before, her time with Mona allows her to discover that buried side of herself.
Mona has never held herself back— she'd taken Keqing's hand on several occasions, and never hesitated to get in Keqing's personal space when the lavender-haired girl had needed the contact. Soon enough, Keqing had found herself opening up, cradling Mona's arm during their weekend walks, resting her chin on Mona's shoulder as the other girl would cook breakfast.
"You don't mind that we haven't fulfilled my wish yet?" Keqing wonders aloud. She shifts to lie on her side, watching the way Mona's diaphragm rises and falls with every inhale and exhale— so vulnerable, so opposite of Mona's otherwise timelessness.
"No, I don't," Mona replies. She continues to look up at the ceiling, content. "This is the longest I've been down on Teyvat for a job, ever. I don't know why I was assigned to you and I don't know when it'll end, but I'm enjoying my time nevertheless." She chuckles under her breath, casting Keqing an affectionate gaze that the Yuheng's breath hitching in her chest. "You've been very good to me, Keqing. Thank you."
"Why are you thanking me?" Keqing breathes out a small laugh, reaching out to take one of Mona's hands within her own. "I should be thanking you. I don't know what my wish is, but my days have been much less monotonous ever since you arrived."
"You're also eating more than just takeout and the same old dish of cooked fish you'd make," Mona adds.
"Yes, thank you for adding more food to my palette." Keqing giggles. "I never used to have time to cook for myself, let alone have home cooked meals."
"Why do you push yourself so hard anyway?"
And maybe it’s just Keqing, but she swears the air in the living suddenly gets colder.
“What do you mean?” The laugh that leaves Keqing’s lips is cautious.
“Why are you always so insistent on working more hours?” Mona asks insistently, propping up on an elbow. “You can't pretend in front of me, there has to be some deeper reasoning here, and I—” She chews on her bottom lip, searching for the right phrase before pressing on. “I obviously have my own theories on why that is, but I’d much prefer to hear it directly from you.”
Anxiously, Keqing cracks her knuckles, training her gaze directly up, not daring to look at the celestial girl.
“What’s your guess?”
“Does it have to do with your parents?”
Her sharp inhale is instinctive, and Keqing closes her eyes to avoid what must be a pitying stare, supposes that that’s all the confirmation Mona really needs.
"Sorry," Mona mumbles, "If that brought up anything painful."
"No, no, that's not it."
They're both silent for a heartbeat, both of them waiting for Keqing to speak as they stare at the white ceiling.
“I’m an only child,” she finally says, slow, feeling her hand get enveloped in the warmth of another; a reminder that she’s not alone. “It’s not as though my parents were absent from my upbringing, but more like they were distant. I was always in lessons, be it in school or afterwards at home, and they were always working. I didn’t really have any friends until I attended Yujing Academy as a teenager, and even then, I was never the one reaching out. I guess I was sort of lonely, but I grew used to it.
“Eventually, of course, I did make friends,” she continues. “I still don’t know if I’m doing the whole thing right, but they do mean a lot to me. It’s just that despite that development… my parents are still as distant as ever.” Hands balling into fists, Keqing heaves a deep breath. “I thought that by speeding through university and ascending as Yuheng like they’d always dreamed for me, I’d get closer to them. But…
“Well,” she shrugs helplessly, her smile wry. “You can see how I am right now.”
"Loneliness can be painful," Mona says, quiet. She shifts, lying back down on her back. "It's okay to admit that. Some people… some people can handle it better, but it's not for everyone. It's alright to not be one of those people. And it's okay to want a family after your parents have neglected you emotionally for so long."
"Do you think my wish will be fulfilled once my parents see my worth and I finally have a family?" Keqing ponders aloud, cynical smile holding no humor. "Because I'm sorry, Mona, but I think you'll be stuck on Teyvat for quite some time."
"I don't care if that's the case," Mona says immediately. "I'm never leaving you alone." She grits her teeth, fingers tightening around Keqing's. "I wish I could just snap my fingers and make everything better like the stars people wish on in the movies, just— Archons, Keqing, I'm sorry—"
She's silenced by Keqing pressing a hand to her cheek, giggling quietly.
"What are you apologizing for?" She whispers, softer than Mona's ever heard her before. Keqing brings their foreheads together, their faces a mere breath apart. She repeats Mona's words from earlier: "You've been so good to me, Mona."
"What can I do?" Mona asks, hushed. She fidgets, an arm draping itself over Keqing's waist, dipping her head to tuck itself against the crook of Keqing's neck. "What can I do for you right now?"
"Can I see your magic water?" Outside, the sun still shines bright in the sky, and it feels too early in the day for a conversation this weighted. "I want to see your stars."
That afternoon, Mona casts a sea of stars on their ceiling. A reflection of the real night sky, Mona tells her, and you have to believe me, because I am one. Keqing holds her hand through it all, watches and listens as Mona points up to each and every one of them, regaling her stories of how they came to be.
--
Ningguang is surprisingly absent from the board meeting on Tuesday. Honestly, it’s an unprecedented occurrence; Keqing genuinely can’t place her finger on a time when Ningguang had ever clearly been in the offices — Keqing had run into her while walking in — and yet chose not to attend. Admittedly, it’s not as though other Qixing members had never been absent for conflicting schedule matters, but this was Ningguang, the most meticulous, tenacious member of them all, known for making the time, even if she didn’t have any.
Keqing loathes to confess it, but throughout the entire gathering, her gaze had continued to flicker between her coworkers and that stupid glass door, wondering when she’d see the white-haired Tianquan in all of her elegance, striding into the room like tardiness as a concept wasn’t even in her vocabulary.
Ningguang never shows up, and Keqing hates how thoughts of the other woman continue to plague her mind.
She’s just about given up on finishing an email to a representative from Wangshu Hotels and Resorts when the elevator door at the entrance of her office dings, and two women stride in.
Or, correction— Beidou of the Crux Initiative strides in, while Ningguang, of all people, hesitantly tails behind the brunette woman, looking like she wants to be anywhere else but Keqing’s office.
“Yo, Miss Keqing!” Beidou flicks two fingers up in a friendly wave, which Keqing returns with a light laugh. The other woman is a new, more recent face around Yuehai’s office— apparently a recent partnership with the Crux Initiative had resulted in Beidou virtually being sent over as an ambassador of sorts (Yuehai did not have the best track record with the Crux in the past), and Keqing has bumped into her a few times since then.
Truthfully, she really likes Beidou— how she and Ningguang put up with each other, given their practically opposite personalities, Keqing doesn’t know, but she finds it amusing that Beidou had been stuck working with Ningguang of all the Qixing.
“What can I do for you, Beidou, Miss Tianquan?” Keqing stands, circling around her desk to casually sit herself atop it.
Ningguang simply shakes her head, expression unreadable as she waves her hand for her companion to speak.
“I’m here to invite you to a dinner on behalf of Ningguang!” Beidou pronounces proudly.
What?
Behind her, Keqing spies Ningguang with her head in her hands.
“A dinner?” She repeats, not quite sure she heard that right. “With Ningguang?”
“This Friday night,” Beidou affirms with a nod.
“Why?” The single word slips from her mouth before she can stop it, and Keqing mentally kicks herself— regardless of her feelings towards Ningguang, that’s still no excuse to be rude.
“I knew this was a stupid idea,” Ningguang mutters, and Keqing actually feels bad for her.
“Ah, you’ll have to find out by showing up,” the eye patched woman says smugly. “I haven’t been permitted to reveal that.”
“Then may I ask why you’re the one asking me and not Ningguang?” Keqing pointedly glances at where the white-haired woman stands, looking the most distressed the Yuheng has ever seen her.
“We made a bet, and I won!” Beidou boasts. “The only thing I lost was five hours worth of a chess game— longest damn thing I’ve ever played.”
“You won against Ningguang? In chess?” Keqing gapes. She’s played chess against the older woman several times in the past, especially whenever the Tianquan would visit her family estate when she was in high school, getting prepared to ascend as Yuheng. Never has she won.
Wait.
“That’s why you didn’t show up to the board meeting?” Directing the pressing question to the Tianquan herself, Keqing doesn’t know whether to be impressed or downright concerned. Just how competitive is this woman?
“Please, don’t inquire further.” Ningguang sounds pained. “Those are five hours I can never get back.”
“You know?” Beidou comments, conspiratorial and completely ignoring Ningguang’s current state of despair. She sidles up and slings an arm around Keqing’s shoulders. “Well, you probably don’t, but despite everything, Ningguang here thinks of you as a little sister, Miss Keqing. She worries about your wellbeing more than she’s willing to admit.”
Oh, how Keqing wishes she could take a snapshot of the look of sheer horror that overtakes Ningguang’s features with such ferocity, Keqing’s never seen a more humorous sight.
“Me?” Keqing echoes, trying — and completely failing — at suppressing a laugh. She knits her brow, trying to look more serious than it is. “Did she tell you that?”
“The exact words from her lips.”
“Oh, really?”
“This is ridiculous,” Ningguang groans, and frankly, Keqing finds herself agreeing, albeit in a much more amused manner than the Tianquan. The abnormally disgruntled woman grumbles, grabbing her brunette companion by the arm, apparently physically trying to lug her away. “Beidou, we are leaving.”
“Wait,” Keqing calls after them as Beidou grins at her cheekily from where Ningguang can’t see. “Is that really all you came here to do? Just to ask me to dinner?”
“I think someone actually told you more than what we’d agreed on,” Ningguang replies through grit teeth. She slams her hand on the elevator door.
“Yes!” Beidou yells at the same time. “Just think it over, and have a good rest of your day, Miss Keqing!”
Bemused, Keqing watches as the automatic doors of the elevator close upon the duo, now talking to each other in very loud whispers— more furiously, on Ningguang’s part.
Did that really just happen?
--
She thinks about the encounter for the remainder of the workday, even having to remind herself to stay on topic during a meeting she entertains with representatives from another client.
Now that she thinks of it, while the Crux has always been a prominent company, its roots dating back hundreds of years into Liyue’s past, Keqing can’t ever remember a ‘Beidou’ amongst its higher-ups. But now suddenly, here she is, striding into Yuehai’s offices and apparently making Ningguang’s life a living hell.
That last thought has Keqing snickering under her breath as she packs up her laptop when the clock strikes 6PM.
“Hey, listen to this.” Keqing calls into the kitchen as she relays the events to Mona later that night, collapsing onto the couch with a grin. “Beidou said that Ningguang thought of me as a younger sister, and the moment those words left her lips— Archons, Mona, I wish you were there! I’ve never seen Ningguang so completely shell-shocked before!”
“You and Ningguang as siblings, huh?” There’s a considerate note to Mona’s tone as she finishes cutting up the vegetables for her favored salad, although the Qixing girl pays no mind to it.
Keqing shrugs, kicking her feet up, reclining into the couch pillows. “I mean, that’s what Beidou told me. Ningguang looked horrified. It was so funny, Mona, and I—”
But she cuts herself off, because then Mona’s eyes are widening, a look of sudden realization having seemingly struck her like lightning.
"Oh," the celestial girl whispers, like the final puzzle piece has just been slotted into place. Meanwhile, Keqing is still befuddled, wondering just what Mona understands now that she's missing.
"What is it?"
"Nothing." Mona shakes her head, but a wide, wide grin splits across her face regardless. "Keqing, you should accept Ningguang on that offer to dinner— actually no, you have to accept Ningguang. You need to have dinner with her."
"What?" Keqing stares at her friend in shock. "Why? We'll probably just end up arguing again."
"I have a good feeling about this time," Mona tells her, determined. “It’s not like you were arguing with her today, right?”
Keqing eyes her warily. "Beidou was there as a buffer, so forgive me when I say I'll need a bit more convincing than that."
“Then I’ll use astrology to prove it to you.” Immediately, Mona plops down on the couch, making a space for herself by shoving Keqing’s feet off the leather. “Come on, sit up! I need to do the divination.”
“Astrology?” Keqing blinks, not really registering the way Mona grabs both of her hands, forcing them to sit parallel to each other. “I mean, it fits that star theme you have going on, but do you really know how?”
“Of course I do.” Mona puffs out a cheek, haughtily crossing her arms. “How do you think I knew that Ganyu would be with you on that night I brought you food?” Keqing has no answer for that. “I’ll have you know, I used to be a world-traveled astrologist with unparalleled hydromancy! I'm probably still the most knowledgeable about the subject today!”
"I mean, not everyone can summon water from thin air," Keqing reasons.
"Unrelated," Mona sulks, and taking pity on her, Keqing reaches forward, patting Mona's head. "I'm disappointed, Keqing. Did you think my hydromancy was only because of my Vision?" A pout. "That old lady made such a big deal about it, but that thing only throws water around and gets me wet."
"But I love your starry, magic water," Keqing says earnestly, candidly. "It's pretty, just like you, Mona."
Mona freezes, a small ah leaving the back of her throat at the unexpected compliments. With fiery cheeks, Mona furiously shakes her head and huffs, indignant.
"This is off topic."
"Damn," Keqing curses, fighting back a giggle.
"Oh, hush!" Mona chides. “Now, let me do the divination.”
“But you could just lie to me about the results,” Keqing protests, even as Mona summons a glowing blue sigil. The apparent-astrologist wordlessly gestures to the sigil, staring at Keqing as she gingerly spins around the inner and outer rings with the flick of a finger. “Okay, that could just be for show.”
It’s a weak argument, but whatever.
“Keqing, I promise you. Have I ever lied to you before?”
“No, but you’ve taught me that there’s always a first for everything.”
They both know she’s all but given up on protesting, but still. It’s the banter that matters.
“Buckle up,” Mona chuckles. She flourishes her hand, the starry splashes Keqing loves so much waltzing around them. “I will prove to you that this dinner will be a good experience for you, whether you like it or not.”
--
“Hello?”
“Ningguang.”
“Oh, Keqing.” There’s a notable inhale from the other end of the line. “What do you need?”
“I’m just here to clarify. So, Friday night, right?”
“...Yes. Listen, Keqing, please don’t feel obligated to—”
“No, no! I want to, Ningguang, really. I… Let’s just both try to enjoy ourselves, okay?”
“...Okay. Thank you, Keqing.”
“No need to thank me. Take care of yourself.”
“You as well.”
--
The dinner is at Wanmin Restaurant. Keqing is almost surprised— not that Wanmin isn’t high quality, because it is. It’s just that Wanmin is also accessible to everyone in Liyue, not just those of Qixing stature. Wanmin is also Xiangling’s restaurant, and Keqing can understand her friend’s shock when the chef sees Yuehai’s Yuheng and Tianquan enter the premises and get seated together.
There’s an odd silence between her and Ningguang as they hand the waiter their menus, having ordered without a hitch.
But then—
"How are you?" Ningguang asks, breaking the air, surprisingly soft and unsure.
"Truthfully, a bit afraid." Keqing laughs, tugging anxiously on one twin-tail. "I still don't know why you invited me here, after all. For all I know, I could be fired."
"And yet you came anyway," the white-haired woman says.
"And yet I came here anyway," Keqing agrees, nodding.
They lapse into silence once more.
It's an interesting sight to see— Ningguang looks like a different kind of unreadable today. It's not her typical neutral expression, the kind that makes you wonder what she's thinking, but rather she's so scrutinizingly conflicted that Keqing thinks she may be bordering on nervous.
Does Ningguang even know how to be nervous?
Taking pity on the woman, Keqing opens her mouth. To say what? She doesn't know, but she longs to fill the space so—
"You're not, by the way," Ningguang says, quiet. "Fired, I mean."
And suddenly Keqing finds herself choking over nothing, a laugh spilling unfiltered from her lips.
"Oh god," she wheezes, wiping a year from the corner of her eye. Across the table, a smile cracks through Ningguang's conflicted mask, and Keqing smiles gratefully as the Tianquan passes her a glass of water. "Oh, I sure hoped not!" She giggles. "I'm sorry, Ningguang, that was just so unexpected."
"No, don't think anything of it." Ningguang waves her off with a sigh of relief herself. "Anything to put you more at ease."
"That certainly is one way to do it," Keqing agrees.
"I guess I should take the time to explain myself, then." Ningguang's fingers drum against the white tablecloth, her smile small but meaningful. "I actually wanted this so that I could apologize."
"Apologize?" Keqing stares at her. "To me?"
Ningguang nods solemnly. "To you."
"Why?" Again, with that single word.
Keqing's been asking that a lot recently— there's a lot that she doesn't know, and once upon a time, she would've brushed it off, pretended that it didn't matter, pretended that she knew everything. Nowadays, she finds herself asking why more often, because it wasn't too long ago that she came to the realization that her old college roommate's advice still holds— asking questions is good. (She hopes that Amber is succeeding at whatever it is that she's doing now.)
"The way our arguments always would end was… regrettable." It's such an apt word, Keqing doesn't think she could have chosen better herself. Ningguang closes her eyes momentarily, "I never walked away feeling as though we had reached any proper conclusions."
"That's not entirely your fault," Keqing murmurs, twiddling her fingers. She thinks back to all of those times she had pondered over Ningguang's words, only to realize that the older woman had a point. "It's just as much mine as yours."
"Still," Ningguang says pressingly. "There's more." She hesitates, then— "It's about what Beidou mentioned, last time we saw you."
Oh? Keqing leans back, sucking in a breath, unsure what to expect.
“I know we’ve had our misunderstandings, and I have no doubts that we still will in the future, but I really do think of you as family, Keqing,” Ningguang says gently.
She reaches across the table to grasp Keqing’s hand, lets out a breathless laugh. And the Tianquan’s hand is smooth, soft to the touch, so kind it almost makes Keqing want to cry. “It’s no excuse, but I had assumed that you never wanted help since you never asked. Thus, I only supported you indirectly, from behind the scenes, and that was wrong of me. My mistake was never making it clear that you could ask for help, and I’m sorry for that. I obviously can’t speak for the rest of the Qixing, but you’re never alone, Keqing. If you ever need me, I’m here for you.”
“Ningguang—”
A thumb brushes itself over the back of Keqing’s hand.
“I’m just sorry for not directly telling you sooner.” There is regret tinged in Ningguang's smile, so poignant that it catches the air in Keqing's lungs and traps it there as the Yuheng's heart starts racing a mile a minute.
“No, no—” It’s like the words are caught in her throat, but Keqing urges herself on anyway. If Ningguang can be honest with her, then she can be as well. “I’m sorry for pushing you away. I’m sorry for being so stubborn, for never allowing myself to be truthful with you because of my own pride. I—” She squeezes Ningguang’s hand meaningfully. “I know I’m still childish and lacking in experience, but I’m here for you, too. I’m trying to be better— for you, and the nation we work so hard for.”
“You already work so hard,” Ningguang tells her fondly.
“I want to improve alongside you.” Keqing's reply comes immediately. “Out of everyone in the Qixing, you teach me the most. Through our agreements, through our disagreements, you never fail to help me see from a different angle.”
Almost like a certain other individual… No, Mona and Ningguang are different, serve different purposes. And I… I need both of them for different reasons.
She doesn’t allow herself to finish that train of thought, shoving it away to a far corner for later pondering.
"That… really means a lot to me, Keqing." Ningguang's smile is reminiscent of little crescent moons. "Thank you."
"It's only the truth," the Yuheng insists.
From the kitchen, their food starts to be brought out. The two women pay the waiters no extra mind beyond polite bows of their heads.
Once they're finally alone again, Ningguang cocks her head, curious. “Keqing, if I may ask, what made you decide to accept?”
“Honestly?” Keqing scrunches her nose as she picks up her chopsticks. Archons, this is going to sound so strange. “My roommate, Mona, is apparently very gifted in astrology. She read my fortune and told me everything was going to work out. I… had no reason to believe otherwise, so I took her advice and called you back.”
Ningguang blinks, and then a heartbeat later she’s tipping her head back in laughter. She claps her hands once, her smile wide. “Ah, so that’s what it was!”
“You sound less surprised than I thought you’d be,” Keqing notes. A grin spreads across her own face, Ningguang’s laughter pleasantly contagious.
“Trust me, Keqing,” Ningguang chuckles. She picks up her spoon, pulling a bowl of soup over to her. “I’ve heard of much stranger things than an astrologist for a roommate in the past month.”
“Has it been hectic for you, too?” Keqing inquires.
“In a way.” With that, the Tianquan’s expression takes on something more somber, and she rests her chin on a perfect, manicured hand, sighing. “And I’m afraid that it’s not over for me yet.”
Keqing frowns, worried, golden shrimp balls all but forgotten. “Wait, why? What’s wrong?”
“Ah, I just fear that I may have to say goodbye to a friend of mine soon,” Ningguang says slowly before stopping, reconsidering. A small smile tugs on the corners of her lips, and she shakes her head. “Actually, never mind me, Keqing. I’ve said too much. Thank you so very much for tonight. Somehow, I feel lighter than I have in a while.”
“Are you sure?” Keqing bites her lip. “You know if I don’t have to face things alone, you don’t either, right?”
The look that flashes across Ningguang’s face is grateful.
“Really, Keqing, I’m so thankful. But this...” Ningguang breathes out another, shakier laugh, folding her hands in her lap. “Well, I’ll be sure to reach out if things are too much to handle.”
“Promise?”
“Of course. From here on out, I promise.”
“Good, because that’s a promise I intend to keep, too.”
--
When she gets home, Mona is already in the living room, some Inazuman film about a boy in a steampunk city riding around on a motorcycle playing on the TV. The other girl is so adorably immersed in the action that Keqing almost doesn’t want to interrupt her, but the moment she steps into the kitchen, opening the fridge to put away some leftover golden shrimp balls, Mona catches wind of her presence.
“How was the dinner?” Mona calls over her shoulder, still vaguely distracted by the movie playing.
“It was… good.” Keqing chuckles, her arms wrapping around herself. “The dinner itself was pleasant, but as I was leaving, Chongyun, Xingqiu, and Hu Tao walked in. They said Xiangling saw me with Ningguang and wanted to know if I had been held hostage, can you believe it? I told them all was well, though, obviously. Ningguang just seemed amused by it all, which was funny. So yeah, it was… really good. ”
“Oh?” That seems to grab the other girl’s attention. Mona glances over her shoulder, a smile growing across her features. “That sounds promising.”
Keqing nods quickly, though she bites her bottom lip as it trembles. The look in Mona’s eyes softens, and she mutes the television, getting up to step around the couch, making her way over to ease the young Yuheng’s shaking.
“All this time,” Keqing manages to stammer out through the many thoughts wildly running rampant. “I never knew she cared so much about me. I never thought—” She shakes her head. “Ningguang’s always been there, Mona. Always. And Ganyu, Xinyan, and all my other friends too. I've never been alone, not really. I hadn't… I hadn't realized I was so blessed to have such a kind circle… I’d completely taken them for granted.”
“I’m sure they already forgive you,” Mona comforts, gently massaging Keqing’s arm. “You’re stuck with them now— every single one of them. They all just want to see you happy and well, Keqing.”
“I’ve been really dumb, haven’t I?” Keqing laughs, the sound wet with the way a tear streaks down her cheek. She furiously rubs it away. “I’ve had a family this whole time, I just didn’t realize it.”
“If it helps, they all love you, dumb or not,” the starry girl offers, and Keqing giggles, swiping at her eyes before hitting Mona’s arm, although the strike lacks any force. “Hey, I’m serious! So many people have your back.”
“I know.” Keqing smiles, catching Mona’s hand within her own. “And I’m grateful to all of them.”
Mona opens her mouth to respond, but she’s cut off by an abrupt, blinding flash that stems from the pocket of her navy hoodie. Keqing squeaks, startled by the sudden light, and clenches her eyes shut before blinking rapidly, her eyes adjusting as the light dies down.
“Well, would you look at that?” Mona smiles, reaching into her pocket and holding out a purple, glowing glass ball to Keqing. “This thing’s glowing. It looks like your soul’s wish has been fulfilled.”
“What’s this?”
“This glass ball here lets me know when someone’s desire has been resolved.”
“Does everyone have one?”
“Yes, although most never get to see them. I’ve been carrying yours around with me this whole time.”
Transfixed, Keqing reaches out, fingers wrapping around the object.
“It’s warm,” she whispers. Peering closer, she’s surprised to see electricity sizzling within the sphere. “Is that…?”
“Lightning,” Mona says with a nod. “In another time, you might’ve even been able to manipulate it.”
“Like how your water is magical?”
That garners a chuckle from the other girl. “Yes, something like that.”
Keqing blinks. “Just how long have you been watching over Teyvat, Mona?”
“A long, long time.” Mona sighs wistfully. “A couple hundred years, give or take? Not as old as Ganyu, but I haven't aged a day, either. Fun fact, not everyone has an element." Nostalgia coats every breath, every movement. "Back in my day, we used to call these special elemental-infused spheres Visions, and the gods would choose among mortals who to grant them to. Nowadays, the gods have let the concept of Visions fade into near obscurity, since Teyvat looks different and no longer needs the protection of Vision holders.”
She tilts her head thoughtfully. “I know I’ve hinted at it, but I really didn’t always used to be a star, you know? Back then I was just an ambitious astrologist seeking out worldly truths, but then one thing led to another and…” Huffing out a laugh, Mona shakes her head. “Well, that doesn’t matter much now. The past is the past.”
Despite her continuous curiosity, Keqing squashes the urge. Everyone has things they’d rather not talk about. Instead, she takes Mona’s hand, gingerly tugging her back over to the couch where they both sit down. Without thinking, the lavender-haired girl exhales, leaning over to rest her head on her friend’s shoulder.
Mona chuckles, moving to wrap an arm around her. “Still overwhelmed?”
“A bit,” Keqing admits. “But more from the revelation than anything. There I was, chasing after my parents’ approval, wanting us to become a ‘real’ family, when I’ve actually had a real family all along. It’s not like… it’s not like my life’s completely changed, or like you worked any magic, but somehow, I feel… much, much happier.”
“Fulfilling a desire doesn’t have to be completely life-changing,” Mona says softly. Carefully, she pulls Keqing's hair out of its signature twin-tail style, threading her fingers through lavender locks, massaging gently against the other girl’s scalp; comforting, like sinking into a warm bath. “More often than people realize, desires can be achieved by simply looking at your situation from a different angle. Sometimes, all it takes is a small nudge. And that— well, that’s more magical than I’ll ever be.”
--
They eventually settle down, the television unmuted once more as Mona grabs a blanket and tosses it over the two of them, but then a certain thought hits, and Keqing desperately wishes it hadn’t.
“Mona?”
“Yes?”
In front of them, the movie Keqing had haphazardly thrown on serves as mere background noise.
“Tomorrow, when I wake up, will you be gone?”
Mona hesitates. Then—
“Yes. I am no longer mortal, and I accomplished my duty. Once upon a time, Teyvat was my home, but that time has long passed.”
Keqing takes a deep breath.
“I see.”
They devolve into silence, one of them still reeling from the emotional whiplash. On screen, a group of friends ride their bikes through the sky. It's only then that Keqing realizes that she'd never stopped to ponder what would happen after the credits rolled.
“I’m sorry,” Mona says, quiet. “If you want, I can erase your memories of me. I didn’t…” Her hands fist into the hem of her dark shirt. “I don’t usually ask for permission… Usually it’s protocol to make clients forget, but I’m typically only on earth for a day or so before leaving, which makes this a special case. It’s not as though I interfered too much, right? I just nudged you in the right direction. And so, I figured— I mean, if you want—”
“No!” Keqing interrupts, arms coming to cradle Mona’s to her chest.
Don’t go, one part of her wants to say.
Don’t be foolish, girl, the other part says, sounding dubiously like her father. Who are you to tie a star down to the dirt?
“Let me keep my memories,” she pleads instead, avoiding Mona’s eyes but slouching down to rest her forehead against the other girl’s shoulder. “Please. You’ve become precious to me, Mona. I want to at least treasure the time I had with you.”
“… Alright.”
What was the saying? Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?
How sad. Keqing chuckles silently to herself. Today’s events have worn her out, and the mishmash of emotions swirling in her chest are threatening to consume her whole. She doesn’t want to say goodbye, and she gets the striking suspicion that Mona doesn’t either.
Absently, she pulls out her phone to text Ningguang:
< Keqing: helping my roommate move out over the weekend, and some other stuff came up. might not be able to come in for work on monday.
She sends the message before tossing her phone away somewhere, and wonders if it’s okay to leave things like this.
What a shitty moment to realize you’d been in love with the star girl this whole time.
"I don't want to say goodbye."
Mona's voice comes out choked. "I don't either."
"Then let's not. We can pretend that tomorrow will be normal, right?"
"...Yes."
"Mona?"
"Yes?"
"I love you, and I'm sorry." Keqing curls into Mona's side as a pained noise leaves Mona's throat. "Please, don't say anything in return."
The silence that follows is deafening.
“You’re tired,” Mona finally whispers. “You need rest.”
“Okay. Will you sleep too?”
“…Yes.”
Maybe in another lifetime, I would get to wake up to you every day.
And with that final thought, Keqing drifts off into a soundless sleep, the feeling of Mona’s comforting hand combing through her hair the last thing she thinks about.
--
In the middle of the night, she wakes to the sound of her phone vibrating.
She’s in her own bed.
With blurry vision, she shakily reaches out to take her device from where it’s been dutifully placed on her side table.
They’re from Ningguang, and Keqing has only half the mind to wonder why the older woman is awake at 1AM:
> Ningguang: Of course, don’t worry about a thing.
> Ningguang: If you need anything, please feel free to ask.
> Ningguang: I’ll personally deliver, just for you.
Keqing chokes out a laugh, furtively wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her pajamas— when had those been put on?
“Goddammit, Mona,” she breathes as a dry sob leaves her throat. “It’s not fair that I gained and lost something all in one night.”
It’s almost painful that her eventual return to rest is dreamless.
--
She dreams of an ocean of stars and a warm hand in hers.
Tranquility, for a moment in time.
--
Morning eventually comes, and she doesn’t want to open her eyes to an empty house.
And yet, morning also comes with the smell of pancakes, and the familiar aroma has her flinging off the covers of her bed, wide eyed and far too aware at this ungodly hour of the day (it’s 11AM on a Saturday, which is later than usual but Keqing’s cutting herself some slack today).
“There’s no way,” she whispers, forcing her tense body to move, slowly pushing her door open.
The hallway is empty when she takes her first tentative steps into it, but there’s a distinct humming coming from the kitchen.
I’m hallucinating. With her heart threatening to escape her ribcage, Keqing turns her back to the hallway and shuts her bedroom door.
The humming stops, and something clenches in Keqing’s chest.
Then—
“Welcome back to the world of the living!” A loud, amused voice says from down the hall, and Keqing shrieks, nearly collapsing to her knees on the stop.
Mona stands at the kitchen threshold, donning the starry apron and a spatula, hands on her hips, signature smirk playing on her lips.
“For a while there, I thought you were dead,” she states haughtily, like nothing they’d spoken about last night had mattered at all. “You never wake up this late. Now hurry up or I’ll eat your pancakes.”
“Mona—”
“That’s my name,” Mona says with a hum. “Don’t wear it out.”
"Wait, I thought you were leaving," Keqing stammers, still weakly clutching at the bedroom door handle behind her. "Since we fulfilled my wish, or whatever."
"Oh, yes, about that." Mona shrugs, casually hopping up onto the kitchen island counter, perching herself there with one leg crossed over the other. She waves the spatula consideringly. "I was supposed to leave, but in the end, I wasn’t really up for it. I ended up telling my higher-ups that I wanted to stay with you, so here I am."
Keqing can feel the breath leave her lungs.
"You—" The lavender-haired girl blinks, not sure if she'd just heard that right. Frantically, she tries to quell the faint hope that rises achingly in her chest. "You're staying?"
"I was just granted mortality, so yes, as long as this new life allows me," the starry girl replies, chuckling lightly before pausing. "I hope you don't mind. I can always look for a place of my own soon, if you want me out of your hair, but this apartment is very comfortable, and I've already gotten used to—"
"You can stay here!" Keqing interrupts her hastily as she steps up to the kitchen island, because the mere idea of Mona simply vanishing from this lifetime is still just as scary as it was yesterday; because she's still not sure whether this is a dream "You can stay here for as long as you like." With me. "I— I've gotten used to you too."
“I’m glad, since who would feed you without me?” Mona quips. She passes Keqing a plate, the pancakes as real as ever, the sweet smell wafting around the space between them.
Keqing looks down at the breakfast, then stares at her roommate, still in disbelief. “You’re really here, aren’t you?”
Mona grins, reaches across the island counter to pat the Yuheng on the head.
“I love you, Keqing. I’m glad I get to say it now.”
And with the feeling of her entire body heating up, Keqing ducks her head, one hand coming to self-consciously fiddle with a strand of lavender hair, the other nervously twirling the fork Mona handed her.
“Love you, too,” she mutters, and the loud pounding in her chest makes for the perfect instrumental to the musical laugh that leaves Mona’s lips.
--
Sunday is spent happily.
Xinyan calls with the news that she’s getting a world tour, and the group chat explodes in congratulations.
Xingqiu demands they celebrate with food, so a dinner is planned for the near future at Keqing’s place, given how it’s the biggest —and cleanest, apparently — but in the meantime, Keqing and Mona throw a private party for themselves, dancing to Xinyan’s music all over the furniture.
It feels like the celebration of something greater, though, and at night, when Mona opens her door a crack and casually slips into Keqing’s bed, the Yuheng decides that this, right here, is the greatest gift she could’ve been given— something more than a wish or desire, something she doesn’t deserve but has managed to obtain against all odds.
There’s something special about falling asleep to the beating heart of the person you hold dearest, chests rising and falling in perfect harmony.
--
"So what's it like being back to an empty penthouse, Keqing?" Ningguang asks over her shoulder as she pulls the file out of its place on the bookcase.
It’s the following Tuesday, and they’re in the Tianquan’s office this time, Keqing having asked Ningguang for help on the analysis for a certain sticky situation of a conflict between three separate shareholders. Ningguang had been more than delighted to help, offering to help Keqing search for a past record to help with drawing a reasonable comparison.
"Empty?" Keqing furrows her brow. "What do you mean?"
Ningguang pauses, confusion gracing elegant features as she finally turns around, handing the manila folder to her lavender-haired junior.
"Your roommate," she emphasizes, smiling softly. "Mona, was it? Didn't you say she was moving out over the weekend?"
"Oh!" It dawns on Keqing then, that she'd forgotten to inform the older woman of recent events. "She was going to, but—" She smiles to herself, shrugging. "Her plans changed. We're going to keep living together."
"Really? That's great news," Ningguang says, genuine warmth coating her words. She reaches out, puts a gentle hand on Keqing's shoulder. "I'm glad. I know we never met, her and I, but you've been… livelier these days, ever since she'd started living with you. It's been a wonderful development to see."
"Livelier?" Keqing repeats, not quite sure how to take that. She cocks her head, frowning. "How was I before?"
"Hard-working, of course," Ningguang chuckles, and she squeezes the younger girl's shoulder. "You were a chosen successor for the Qixing, so of course you were. But having watched you grow up, albeit only a few steps ahead, it always felt as though all you did was live and breathe your work. I know because for a while, as I was climbing the ladder and even after I became Tianquan, I was the same."
Stepping around her desk, Ningguang makes way for the sofa situated in the corner of her office, gesturing for Keqing to come follow.
"It's a fantastic thing to be so driven," the Tianquan continues as Keqing comes to sit on the loveseat across from her. "But at the same time, being a successor is lonely, and it's easier than you think to burn out if you don't have those crucial personal connections. We humans crave company more than we care to admit."
Well, Keqing can’t disagree with her about that— with her friend group more involved in her life than ever, she doesn’t know how to live without them anymore.
“Ningguang,” Keqing blurts out all of a sudden, strangely shy. “Would you like to meet Mona?”
Ningguang laughs affectionately. “I thought you’d never ask.”
“We’re having a dinner to celebrate Xinyan’s world tour. She told me you were the one who vouched for her, so she’s grateful. You should come.” Keqing pauses, before smirking. “You should bring Beidou too.”
“I—” Oh, it’s rare to see the Great Ningguang so flustered, and Keqing enjoys every moment of it, even as the older woman tries to play it off as with a scoff. “Why would I ever bring that terror of a woman?”
Keqing takes pity on her and pretends to be busy with skimming through documents the moment Ningguang discreetly pulls her phone out to message the aforementioned “terror.”
--
The rest of the day proceeds seamlessly.
Thanks to Ningguang’s help, Keqing finishes off her paperwork, even churning out her presentation a whole day early, and still manages to reach her apartment building just in time for dinner.
Mona is there to greet her when she pushes the door, standing at the other end of the corridor in that funny star-apron, humming a hello as she wipes down the kitchen island.
“Hey, Keqing?” Mona calls. “What do you want for dinner tomorrow?”
Tomorrow. She and Mona have a tomorrow.
And then it hits her all at once, as she's standing in the hallway, the red numbers of that digital clock printing out '6:59,' with a heavy pounding in her ears as pale green eyes from the other end meet her own amethyst—
Mona is a star. She doesn't need to be here, on earth, with Keqing. Mona acts differently, thinks differently, sees the world differently— Keqing had once asked what her favorite flower was and she'd said, hydrangeas, because their purple color reminded her of the other girl's hair. If she were to ask Keqing the same question now, she'd say stargazer lilies with ease, because it would be easy to watch Mona for an eternity.
There is a place out there, beyond the clouds, beyond this earthly realm, where Mona could very easily belong; a place where Mona could return to, a place where Mona has resided for who knows how long now.
And yet, Mona chooses to stay anyway.
"Keqing?" Mona's lips upturn in a frown. Worried footsteps pad across the carpet, and suddenly she's taking Keqing's small hands within her own, lips parting as the Yuheng feels her shoulders start heaving. "Keqing, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," she says shakily, but then Mona is wiping at her eyes with the pad of her thumb, and it's only then that she realizes she's started crying.
"Silly girl. I may not be immortal anymore, but you still can't pretend in front of me, remember?" Mona whispers endearingly, drawing near and pressing her forehead against her companion's. Heaving a deep breath, Keqing responds in kind, tangling her fingers in starlit hair, opening her mouth to say something – anything – only to find herself speechless as she dissolves into hiccuping tears.
For a heartbeat in time, the two of girls simply stand there, breathing each other in. At some point, Keqing's hands leave Mona's hair to wrap themselves around her waist, and the starry girl does the same, keeping Keqing in a loose embrace.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" She asks, breaking the momentary silence, paper thin.
"I'm just happy," Keqing tells her honestly, because she is, to the point where it feels like her heart is going to burst out of her chest. "I realized how happy I was, and I got overwhelmed, that's all."
"Really?" Mona smiles teasingly, bumping their foreheads together. "You’ve been awfully emotional lately— that happy all because I asked what you want for dinner tomorrow?"
"I want whatever you want for dinner tomorrow."
"Yeah? And what about the day after that?" Mona inquires, and Keqing feels her heart soar . “I plan on going grocery shopping for the week when you’re off at work.”
“I’m not really sure yet.”
“Well, that’s okay. Make sure to think up some ideas before you head off to work tomorrow, then.”
Tomorrow. That word again.
“Can I kiss you?” Keqing asks abruptly.
“I’d be insulted if you didn’t,” Mona replies.
--
Mona’s lips taste of freshly made pancakes; of crisp water, clearer than Liyue’s most beautiful pools; of the warmth of the home they’ve made for each other; of starlight and stardust and all of the celestial bodies combined into one; of a kind of happiness Keqing had never even fathomed before.
She tastes like Mona, and Keqing circles her like a planet in orbit, allows herself to get addicted.
Mona tastes like love, and love tastes like Mona— the perfect balance, as all things should be.
--
“You can leave the door open behind you!” Keqing calls over her shoulder, leading Ningguang and Beidou further into the penthouse. “Xiangling and the others know to let themselves in.”
“Nice place you’ve got, Keqing,” Beidou says appreciatively, eye catching on all the star-based merchandise ornamenting the corners of the residence. “Impeccable design, let me tell you! And you’ve actually furnished, unlike a certain someone.”
Keqing tosses a questioning glance Ningguang’s way, who sighs.
“At Beidou’s insistence, it’s a work in progress.”
“Wow,” Beidou marvels, peeking her head into the kitchen. “What a nice—”
“You!” Mona yells at the same moment Beidou’s uncovered eye catches on her, the older woman exclaiming a loud—
“No way!”
Keqing furrows her brow, gaze shifting from Mona to Beidou, back and forth, before finally meeting the Tianquan’s equally confused countenance.
“What’s going on?” Ningguang asks slowly.
Beidou laughs, side-stepping around the table to toss an arm over Mona’s shoulder. Mona, to her credit, only lets out a short yelp of surprise before quickly turning off the stove, rolling her eyes, and spinning around to pat Beidou’s back.
“I was wondering if it was really you,” Mona mutters. “Great to see you too, Beidou.”
“Ningguang, your favorite junior has a star of her own,” Beidou says between cackles, eventually releasing Mona from her grip, much to the astrologist’s evident relief.
“What?”
Suddenly Ningguang’s wide-eyed expression is trained on Keqing, but Keqing is too busy processing all the implications laced in Beidou’s single exclamation.
“Wait,” she says, raising a finger to point at the Crux woman. “So you’re a star too?”
“Well, technically, that should be past tense as of a few days ago,” Beidou supplies helpfully, making her way back to Ningguang, easily curling an arm around the white-haired woman’s waist. “I decided to stay, much like Mona here, I presume.”
“That explains how you seemed to just pop up from nowhere,” Keqing concludes, awestruck. “I heard you basically just strode into Ningguang’s building one day, and suddenly we were partnering with the Crux.”
“The truth was that Ganyu let me in the building and put in a good word for me,” Beidou admits sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. “She and I knew each other from way back before the whole star business, and I needed to reach Ningguang somehow, so I asked her to pull some strings.”
“Ah, so possessing a Vision doesn’t mean you can automatically teleport?”
“That’s just Mona being Mona!” Beidou laughs, jovial. “Most of us weren’t able to, even back then!”
Ningguang rolls her eyes. “Thank Rex Lapis that Beidou can’t teleport.”
"I thought you were an atheist," Beidou protests.
"Agnostic," Ningguang corrects, smirking.
“So what was Mona like?” Keqing asks, leaning forward eagerly. “She says she was an astrologist, is that true?”
“Only the best astrologist in all of Teyvat!” Beidou boasts, and Keqing can’t see it from where she stands, but she just knows Mona is preening with silent pride next to the stove, where the fried rice is still sizzling. “And she knew it, too. No one could come close in both hydromancy, and with a Hydro catalyst.”
“The only thing this Vision does is get me wet,” Mona deadpans, but Keqing detects the humor behind it as the former astrologist tosses her glowing glass ball from hand to hand like one would a baseball.
“How was Beidou?” Ningguang asks, directing her question at Mona.
“She was a pirate. She made quite the racket with the Qixing.”
“Why does this not surprise me,” Ningguang sighs, casting an exasperated look in the eyepatch-wearing woman’s direction, although they can all hear the affection.
Mona shrugs, smirking as she skillfully swirls her chopsticks around the wok. “Well, if anything, you can thank Beidou for Liyue Harbors’s continuously safe waters. It’s thanks to her that there are no more sea monsters around today. What was it… the Haishan?”
“What did I hear about the Haishan?” A new voice cuts in, to which Keqing rolls her eyes.
“The actual Haishan, Xingqiu. We weren’t talking about the pseudonym of that masked hero from those ridiculous martial arts novels you’re so fond of.”
“Ah, but for you to know that, you must have read them as well!” The Feiyun Commerce heir counters, entering the kitchen with Chongyun in tow.
“They were required readings at the academy, idiot. We had to read the whole series.”
“Because they’re masterpieces—”
“I apologize for them,” Chongyun says, directing the statement at the two older women watching the bicker with utmost amusement, as well as at Mona, who whistles and pretends not to hear anything. “They’re friends, I swear.”
“Think none of it.” Ningguang hums, waving him off. “I’m impressed, though. So this is the youth who wrote that bestseller, A Legend of the Sword?”
“Why yes!” Xingqiu interjects, completely interrupting his disagreement to bask in the praise. He bats his unfortunately pretty eyelashes at the Tianquan, and Keqing pretends to gag behind him. “Yes, it is!”
But before the conversation can continue—
“Everyone out of the kitchen except Mona, I’m taking over!” Xiangling hollers, entering the premises with bags of groceries in her arms, Hu Tao stumbling in behind her with even more. “I want things finished before Xinyan arrives!”
“I started the lo mein,” Mona informs her, like a well-trained soldier to their commanding officer.
“Great! Now everyone out! To the living room, all of you!” Then the chef pauses. “Actually, Ningguang, you can stay. You seem like you’d be competent. Start cutting the green onion?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Ningguang chuckles, saluting as Mona hands her a cutting board.
“What?” Beidou tsks as Xiangling corrals them out of the cooking space, tongue clicking against the top of her mouth. “I’m being separated from my wife already?”
Six pairs of younger, curious eyes immediately attach to Ningguang’s slender frame, her shoulders now shaking in either embarrassment or anger— Keqing’s not entirely sure.
“Do not even joke about that, Beidou!”
Judging by the way Ningguang’s voice wavers, embarrassment it is.
--
Ganyu joins them shortly after, and Yunjin and Xinyan arrive last — upon Xingqiu’s insistence on being fashionably late — before they dig into the food Xiangling had meticulously prepared.
Keqing had never pictured this scene happening, not ever. A full eleven people all eating dinner, engaging in casual, lively conversation, in Keqing’s own apartment? Not that long ago, such a thing was inconceivable.
But then again, in hindsight, perhaps she should have known better— a star had fallen from heaven for her! After something as incredible as that, she supposes that now, the world of possibilities has expanded just a bit more.
A vague idea hits when Xiangling breaks out the cheesecake, complete with a can of whipped cream and everything. If Keqing can pull this one off— well, she might as well take over the world next.
“Have you ever sprayed this stuff directly into your mouth?” Xinyan asks, giving the can a few shakes once Xiangling is satisfied with decorating the cheesecake.
“I used to do it all the time as a kid,” Yunjin hums, much to the surprise of the other guests. “I’d sneak into the kitchens after dark and eat the whipped cream behind my parents’ backs.”
“Did they ever find out?” Xiangling asks curiously, only to slowly clap her hands at the roguish shake of Yunjin’s head, the traditional dancer looking proud of herself.
“Pass that thing over here,” Mona calls from across the table. “I haven’t had whipped cream in forever.”
The can is passed, and Keqing watches in quiet interest as Mona presses down, a huge dollop of whipped cream resting on the tips of her index and middle fingers. Warily, the lavender-haired girl gingerly backs away as Mona gets that telltale mischievous glint in her eyes.
“Mona,” she says warningly, stepping away from the kitchen island. “Don’t you dare.”
Xinyan cackles. “Better watch out, Miss Yuheng!”
“Keqing,” Mona singsongs. “Come here.”
And then it all happens very quickly —
Suddenly Mona is lunging forward, but when she gets within reach, before the celestial girl knows what’s happen, Keqing is grabbing her wrist and tugging her forward—
Keqing’s lips purse around Mona’s whipped cream-covered fingers, and Mona lets out the cutest, most undignified squeak.
It’s the sweetest damn thing she’s ever heard in her life.
Their guests are quick to grasp onto the situation, their collective reactions transitioning from gasps of shock to low suggestive hoots in a heartbeat, and while Keqing feels her cheeks heat up, she doesn’t hold a single ounce of regret in her bones, meeting Mona’s flustered eyes triumphantly.
“Damn, Keqing,” Hu Tao marvels, nudging Xiangling in a suggestive manner, much to the latter’s disgruntled yelp. “Didn’t know you had it in you!”
“Someone cover Ganyu’s eyes,” Chongyun jokes.
“I’m over four thousand years old, I’m not a child!” Ganyu protests with a pout, although her only consolation is Yunjin sympathetically patting the adepti girl on the back.
Far too casually, Keqing pulls a stuttering Mona’s finger from her mouth, smirking, and somewhere in the back, she hears Beidou let out a loud whoop— followed immediately by Ningguang’s scolding whispers.
“W-what was that?” Mona stammers, her cheeks dyed a whole new shade of crimson.
“Oh,” Keqing cocks her innocently, her smirk somehow growing even wider, “I was just fulfilling an old wish of mine.”
Mona blinks in confusion and it’s utterly adorable, the way a small frown upturns on her lips. Keqing can see the gears churning, the starry girl not able to put her finger on it.
“What wish?”
Around them, their circle of friends has grown quiet, leaning in eagerly as they listen on in apt attention.
“The one I made that first night.” The Yuheng giggles as Mona somehow looks even more befuddled than before. “Doesn’t ring a bell?”
Mona shakes her head.
“Funny, I remember talking with you about it.” Keqing waits a suspenseful moment before finally deciding to put her celestial girlfriend out of her misery.
Ah, how nostalgic.
“Once upon a time,” Keqing says, her smile growing at the same time her heart does, “I wanted to lick a star.”
Mona’s jaw drops at the moment as their friends erupt into disbelieving, hilarious chaos around them— the family that she found, the family that found her, the family that Keqing wouldn’t trade for the world.
And Keqing never lets her gaze waver, stares into the starry eyes of the girl she’s come to love so deeply, sees her affections returned tenfold, and she beams.
Serendipity at its finest.
End.