Archive of Our Own

Spring had arrived more like a lion than a lamb this year. As was unfortunately common for the changing of seasons in Liyue. With all the rainstorms and bellowing winds, she was invariably more susceptible to whatever allergies were aggravated by them. The land flourished with new life, but left the still recovering Yuheng in bed sniffling and sneezing with all the pollen in the air. 

Unpleasant, really. But it was tolerable. Much more than the anxiety this trend of bad weather conjured within her. 

It was almost shameful how the thunder kept her awake now. The booming sound of it brought back the fear she felt only weeks ago, fire and electricity swallowing her whole in the most excruciating way she could dare to remember. 

Keqing hid her head under her pillow, grinded her teeth together while sweat beaded at her forehead. Her heart seized every moment the lightning flashed in the sky, and it leapt out of her chest when that horrible noise crashed into the still night air. It left her mind racing, reeling back to the day she ripped her forearm from her elbow. The day she was impaled, burned, and electrocuted alive. It was a miracle she was still breathing, but her psyche hadn’t yet caught up. 

Some nights, she couldn’t get to sleep. 

This night, however, the storm quelled, and she was drifting soon after. No matter the shock she was left in—she needed the rest. 

Dreamless rest, from this point on, was the best she could hope for. 

And before she knew it, the gleaming light of the morning touched her eyes, falling over her like a warm blanket. 

Keqing let out a yawn as her hands—

Her…hand, swiped away the drowsiness from her eyes.  She stretched out her body, pulling back the covers as she arched her back and curled in her toes. A quiet sigh escaped from her lips unintentionally. She hadn’t really given it a thought when she heard the curtains skating back, pouring more sunlight into her room while she shifted herself to the side. 

“Good morning.” 
A warm, masculine voice caught her attention, and her eyes widened while a small squeal slipped from her mouth. Consequently, the sheer surprise of it had her rolling off her bed. 

The unexpected seemed to have a rather explosive effect on her now. 

When she hit the floor, cheek pressed against the wooden boards, embarrassment burned brighter than the pain did. Ever since she returned to Liyue Harbor, she had been getting constant wellness checks—nothing out of the ordinary, nor too invasive. But none had been so early, nor so sneaky. 

Although, this…may have been an overreaction, now that some amount of clarity was dawning in her spinning head. 

She sat herself up with a grunt, soreness coiling in her spine as she attempted to stretch out the tight muscles in her back. 

Light footsteps approached just beside her, and her lips formed into a pout. Flicking up the satin strap of her nightgown back up her shoulder, she turned to face her visitor. Unsurprised to see the vibrant amber eyes of Liyue’s former archon peering down at her. 

No, this certainly wasn’t out of the ordinary at all. 

“I hadn’t meant to startle you.”
He said with an apologetic smile. 

“Hmph...” Keqing stood up as gracefully as she was able, smoothing out the wrinkles of her attire with a quick pat.

“Maybe a firm knock at the door could have prevented this, honestly. Who gave you a key anyway?”

Zhongli raised his hand from his pocket, the mentioned key held between his fingers.
“You did.”

There wasn’t much she could glean from his stoney expression, but his reply came across as sincere. 

Keqing put her hand to her head, milling over when that may have occurred, but it seemed lost to her.

“I did.”
She relented with a sigh. Her memory was touch and go in her recovery, the medication she was given to calm the sharp ache of her body was high quality, but not without its share of bad symptoms. Despite a certain pharmacist’s insistence she stay on them for the foreseeable future, she couldn’t quite help her eagerness to drop it all when her time off from work was over. 

“Of course I did.”

Mumbling to herself, she sauntered off slowly to her vanity and tugged open a drawer. Her gaze dipped down, and she sifted through her vast array of dresses to find one she wouldn’t strain herself to put on. 

“So, what’s the occasion of dropping by so early? I imagine it’s not so urgent to scare me out of bed like this. Are you worried about me?” She teased him, a small grin lifting her lips. 

“Something to that effect.”
He replied.  
“I am rather surprised, though. I thought you’d already be dressed so close to noon.”

Wait…

Noon? 

Keqing’s eyes darted to her alarm clock, the hands clearly indicating that it was half past eleven. 

Wasn’t that damned thing supposed to rattle off at six in the morning?! 

“Huh?!”
She settled for any old dress that happened to touch her hand now, quickly storming off in the other direction while she hastily shut the drawer with her hip.
“Unbelievable, how the hell did I sleep in!?”

Perhaps that wicked cocktail of muscle relaxers and pain relievers were altering her habits more than she first noticed. Keqing hurried herself around her room, collecting her things as well as she could with a single arm. 

“There’s no need to rush, you are on sabbatical after all. You could use the extra rest, considering—“

“It’s a matter of principle! Routine! Oh—it’s all out of order!”

She interjected. Her bundle of clothes fell out of her clumsy hold as her body reeled to catch up with her quick motions. Damn it all, was she really already out of breath? 

Puffing in shallow inhales, she felt her head whirl into a daze as she forced herself to stop in place. Collect a bit of her balance before she made herself too dizzy. 

Zhongli took a step closer, and she turned to him. 

“You may find that slowing down could help you recover faster. Not to mention…”

He bent over, handing her dress back to her.
“You could try asking for help when you need it.”

Though his smile was genuine, she couldn’t stop herself from scoffing. 

Being this dependent on others was driving her absolutely mad. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to go another week in this sorry state. 

Snatching back her clothes, she pursed her lips and pressed her arm tight to her chest. “I’m sure you’re well aware that I’ve never been very good at that.”

She wheeled herself around, desperate to at least look like she was fine on her own. Though his small chuckle had her wishing she could find it in herself to be just a bit more pleasant. 

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I would be more than willing to lend my aid, if you’d allow me.”

With a sigh, she glanced over her shoulder to give him an unamused look.
“This is you insisting, isn’t it?”

“You’ll come to learn that I can be quite stubborn as well.”

“No kidding.”
She turned herself away again, making her way to the bathroom.
“All right then. If you want to help, you can draw me a bath. Even after two weeks, I’m still struggling with—“

Basic tasks. But she stopped herself, too much of her pride protesting an honest statement. So she grumbled instead, leaving her first thought in the dust just to cope with her current ailment a little easier. If anything could truly make this easier. 

Her nervousness finally sunk in, and she found herself swallowing down the weary feeling perching in her throat. 

“Be—because of my arm…it’s just…difficult to wash on my own.”
Asking for help outright was far more of a challenge than she expected.  

Keqing didn’t have the courage to see his reaction to this, so she strayed behind a folding screen, nudging it out with her hip. For what purpose, she wasn’t entirely sure. There wasn’t too much of a good reason for her to be acting shy. Hanging her clothes at the top of the screen, she tried to rationalize this sudden behavior to herself. 

They had been intimate once before, saw all there was to see of each other for one blissful night. Those barriers had long since been brought down, and she truly wouldn’t wish for it to be any different… but—

That was when her body was significantly better off. Nearly flawless compared to what she looked like now. All of her limbs were present, and she wasn’t sporting a vast display of ugly scars over her legs and torso. 

But now—she was torn up and haphazardly patched together like an old rag doll. 

“You needn’t explain yourself. I don’t mind.”

She heard him call back, the sound of rushing water pouring from the faucet soon following. 

“Still, it’s a little embarrassing.”

She confessed. Prying off her nightgown with some struggle, she let out a sigh of relief when she finally swayed out of it, watching the fabric pool to her feet as she stepped back. But her gaze caught on the marks left on her body. Burns and grafted skin where it was once untouched and completely unmarred. If her nub of a left arm wasn’t already unappealing enough, the rest of her was certainly a sight to behold.  
“I know it can’t be helped, but I’m just not used to being like…this.”

Zhongli cleared his throat, rising above the noise of the water.
“If it would make you more comfortable, I’ll avert my eyes.”

There wasn’t really much of a point in hiding herself.

Scars didn’t heal, however much they could fade—they would still be quite difficult to miss. And she’d rather not shut out the physical part of their relationship simply in fear that he wouldn’t find her attractive. It was a vain thing for her to be hung up on anyway. Skin. Mismatched and crude, and missing in some places, but that was all it was in the end. Just skin. 

“No, that's all right.”
Keqing added, elevating her voice.
“I trust you won’t give me such a hard time. Ningguang has been pestering me about keeping my figure lately, says I’ve been losing too much weight. I’ve never heard her nag me so much before, like some doting mother. So obnoxious.”

The last of her statement quieted, emerging as a murmur under her breath as she gave herself one last once over.

Maybe she was thinner, some nasty scrapes and scars coating her like bad memories, but she didn’t need to torment herself like this. She didn’t need to be ashamed.

Did she? 

She wrapped her arm around her chest. 

It was just skin. 

This was a rather delicate subject to approach.

Zhongli sat himself down on a stool next to the tub. 

Wading his hand through the water to test the temperature, he did his best to clear his thoughts. Move on, as she was so keen to.

“I wouldn’t dare.”
He replied. 
“Although, I doubt it’s your figure Ningguang is worried about. You haven’t been eating much of anything recently, I imagine she’s merely concerned you’re starving yourself.”

Truthfully, he was rather concerned about that himself. Keqing lost an alarming amount of weight in a short period of time. Par for the course in consideration of the sort of trauma she incurred, though it did little to settle his nerves on the matter. 

“There you go again, rushing to her defense.”She chided, but a long pause stretched between her words.

“You don’t think she has a point, do you?”

Yes, yes she does. 
He wanted to say.

But it was an exceedingly delicate subject to approach, after all. 

Instead he let out a sigh as he turned off the faucet, rolling up his sleeves to his elbow.
“Is there a correct answer to this?”

“One that won’t aggravate me somehow? I suppose not. Sorry.”

Deciding to drop the topic, he put his attention toward gathering those flowery soaps she seemed to love collecting. All stocked neatly on some shelves pressed against the wall, color coordinated aesthetically and placed uniformly apart. When he made his selection, the scent of lilac and lavender filled the tub. Frothy bubbles stirred and spiraled lazily in the warm water as the chemicals began to mix into a filmy powder blue. The sight managed to capture his attention, soon lulling him into rumination once more. 

The aroma alone trudged up memories of a better time, one much simpler. If he closed his eyes he could picture it— the image of her curling close beside him, smiling softly as if everything was right in the world. 

For a short moment, faster than he was able to process, perhaps it was.

“I was only teasing.” Keqing’s voice became clearer, snapping him back in real time with a subtle shake of his head. 

His eyes landed on her petite figure, smaller now than he’d ever seen her. Stripped entirely from anything she could hide herself in, and the low confidence of her poise certainly displayed it. 

Her sights pointed to her feet, and her arm securely wrapped around her naked body as she made a hesitant few steps toward him. Unsurprisingly, she did not appear interested in meeting his gaze. 

“I do appreciate the help. I mean it’s—you really didn’t have to come all the way here—“

Zhongli stood, clearing the distance between them and lifted his hand to her cheek. Keqing closed her eyes, silencing her stammering with a sigh.

“It’s my pleasure, darling.”

Maybe that was enough to soothe her. He saw her lips curl into a tiny smile, the magenta hue of her irses eventually finding their way to him.

“Thank you, then…For taking care of me. I’m sure it’s a little more of a hassle than you’re letting on.”

Zhongli shook his head with a tender smile.“Not at all.”

He pulled her close, pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before carefully guiding her to the bath. Her hand clasped hard around his, fingers fidgeting nervously as she made a careful advancement into the water. She shuddered as she lowered herself into the tub, water displacing and licking up over her chest while she settled in place. 

Her posture stiffened, and he shifted his palm to the back of her neck. Draping her long hair over her shoulder, his fingers danced around her nape, lingering there for a moment longer than necessary. He admired the texture of her skin, cherished every soft noise and little shiver she made while he traced along the smooth surface. Until it was abruptly cut into by the rough outline of a tiny scar dipping down to her trapezius. 

Her shoulders squared as he circled his fingers around it. 

“You’re tense.”
His ankle hooked around a leg of the stool, and he dragged it forward. Arranging it within the right distance of palming at the rigid nerves hidden just beneath her skin. 

She huffed out a breath.
“You would be too if you couldn’t even bathe yourself properly.”

Though the softness of her voice led him to believe she couldn’t have been too annoyed with him.

He sat himself down and moved his hands to her back, gently pressing his thumbs into the space between her shoulder blades.
“I imagine so. Just try to relax for now, Keqing.”

She made a quiet murmur as his touch traveled further down, stretching her spine out to accommodate him— perhaps more readily than he expected. 

One particular knot in the small of her back called out to him, and he carefully dug into the tangled mess of nerves, pushing the heels of his palms inward. Then outward, and everywhere her breathy little sighs directed him to. Attentive of the strength he applied, he caressed and kneaded her skin, feeling so fragile and small in his hold. His fingers drifted along the contour of her ribcage, its boney structure a little more defined than he last remembered. Lost layers of soft tissue he imagined so clearly on his fingertips were now atrophied away within two short weeks. He made no haste as he massaged her, lonely hands desperate to make their stay on her body, desperate to hold onto the moment before more of her disappeared. 

The sound of Keqing making a faint whimper registered in his ears. 

“Oh, thats—“
She began, arching into him as if she hadn’t meant to. With an awkward cough, she ushered on.
“Mhm, good. Very good. Really getting to the root of things, aren’t you?” 

“I aim to, at least. Feeling better?”

With a hesitant nod, the built up stress in her muscles loosened. She rolled her neck and tilted her chin up to take a glance at him. 

“Maybe,”
She lifted her hand and pinched her fingers together with a cheeky grin. 
“This much?”

Reflecting her smile, he leaned himself forward to hover over her.  
“I suppose I’ll take a victory where I can.”

Keqing giggled and left a quick peck at his lips, retreating just as fast before he had the chance to enjoy the brief contact.
“I’d say you’ve earned one.”

He only wished she could have made it last a moment longer. In the meantime, he’d have to brush off the sudden burning in his chest, this rising tension spiraling in his stomach, this itching need pulsing in his skin to feel her close to him.

Regardless, he had a task to complete. Poisoning his thoughts would just distract from that.

“If that’s how I’m rewarded, I’ll be sure to make a greater effort.”

Zhongli shifted his focus, ran his fingers over to the violet tresses of her hair, guiding her to move her head as he needed. Smoothing his touch up her scalp, he gathered a small amount of water in a basin to pour over her head. 

“Not sure I have anything better than that…”

Keqing trembled, swiping away her wet bangs from her face as excess water spilled down her shoulders and flowed to the plateau between her breasts. Tiny streams bent at their swell, lightly drizzling down her dusty pink nipples. She raked her hand through her hair, evidently unaware of his gaze ensnared by the mere sight of her. 

“Sorry—“Her voice caught in his ears, and his eyes jumped up before he could fixate any longer. “I’m moving around too much again, aren’t I?”

He gave a light squeeze to her shoulder, trying his best to pull himself out of his own thoughts. Relenting his hold after a short moment, he reached for a shampoo bottle set off to the side. 

“I’d be more concerned if you weren’t. You’ve never been one to keep still.” 

She suddenly jolted upward, likely in response to the graze of his hand lathering the shampoo into her hair. 

“I’ll admit, it would make this easier if you did settle down a touch.”

A quiet huff emerged for her, a sign of her defiance—though he noticed she did as suggested. Setting back her shoulders in a swift adjustment and tucking her knees close to her chest, she woodenly held her position as if it would hurt her if she didn’t. Keqing was certainly disciplined— at least, when she wanted to be.  

He couldn’t help a small smile from forming.“Bit of an overcorrection.”

She sighed.
“Make up your mind.” 

With a light chuckle, he threaded his fingers further in the strands of darkened violet. The feeling of this seemed to soothe her, her guard noticeably slipping as her posture relaxed. 

“Some moderation here and there could be a step in the right direction for you.”
He combed through her hair gently, drawing out foamy white suds to push them back in. Straightened tangles whenever he encountered them. Thoroughly worked the shampoo through every follicle of her hair. His motions remained meandering and patient, methodically rubbing circles into her scalp while her head steadily lulled to his direction.
“If I could give a small word of advice—I think you might be too consumed with seeing an immediate outcome. Making small adjustments over time, instead of all at once, may in fact grant you the results you’re looking for.” 

Keqing’s lips pursed, leaning her shoulder on the wall.

“Well it sounds like a good way to get very little done. I just can’t tolerate sitting here, rotting away like this. I’m not accustomed to taking so much time off. I’d rather be out there , seizing opportunities, instead of lying in wait…” Her cadence was wistful, dreamlike as her words trailed off listlessly. “…Watching them pass me by.”

She moved forward, draping her good arm over her knee as she curled into herself. The impulse to move with her drew his body in, but the edge of the tub blocked them from getting any closer. Perhaps his hands pausing right where they were, seeking the silken, feathery caress of her wet hair, was an overcorrection of his own. Some part of him failed to abandon the desire to have some part of her—all of her— closer. So, so much closer than this. 

It was more than enough to shatter his focus. 

“I see…I suppose I just don’t quite understand.”

He could only keep up if she was standing still, really—he didn’t want to understand. 

“Don’t mind me.”
Keqing continued, shuddering delicately as he rinsed her hair with another small stream of water. “I’m only thinking out loud.” 

“You’re more than welcome to finish your thought, Keqing.”

He was hesitant to proceed, the light graze of his fingers trailing down her neck caused her to freeze, the spell she was under so suddenly broken by a mere touch. A little too lingering—longing— intimate for the situation. 

“It’s nothing, really. I guess I’m getting a bit stir crazy being cooped up in here for so long, that’s all.”

“That’s more than reasonable…”
Zhongli grabbed a washcloth, ringing out the water with a firm twist. When he passed it over her shoulder, she tensed, muscles squirming in place while she visibly tried to settle herself.
“You just can’t keep still, after all.” 

She managed a laugh as he dragged the cloth down her arm, leaving a sparse trail of foam on her skin. 

“Try to give it some thought, though. I’d wager it’d do you a lot of good to allow yourself the proper time to recover.”

His grasp circled around her wrist, pressing the washcloth against her pulse—strong and steady. Keqing unfurled her fingers, and his thumb drifted to stroke her palm. The warmth of it enticed him to keep his hold, prolong the contact for just a second more.
“…suppose you’re right. Not that I have much choice in the matter, anyway.”

He smiled, and eventually moved forward to scrubbing the rest of her hand.
“My word, she’s actually listening. I’ll consider that as another victory.”

“Congratulations. You’re not getting a kiss for it.”

He let out a small chuckle, falling into a comfortable silence as he bathed her. The small piece of fabric between his skin and hers was becoming somewhat of a nuisance. Flimsy enough to feel the shape of her underneath it, but over cumbersome to the sort of touch he had been craving for weeks now. And touching her like this, even for such a mundane, simple task… 

No, he shouldn’t have thought of it any longer. 

Skimming back to the edge of her collar bone, she opened up to him again, straightening out her spine to allow him to go on. He reminded himself to be as brief as possible, to keep her comfortable, safe. Although brevity was far from something he’d been known for in his six thousand years, if it was at all possible for him to begin with. 

(Evidently, it was not.)

His touch slipped up the column of her throat, traveling to the edge of her jaw. For a moment, he stayed there. Running his thumb down to her jugular, hindered only by the small wet cloth clinging to her. Never before had she felt so slim and delicate in his deft hands. The thin layers of skin there were still smooth, entirely untouched in contrast to the rest of her. Tempted fingers impulsively itched to close their grip. Desiring nothing more than to feel that steady pulse of her blood in his hold. To hear her breathe for him. Only for him. 

But her breath stifled just as suddenly, and clarity crashed into him in a single disorienting second.

 She swallowed, bared her neck to him, trusting and perhaps dangerously curious of his next actions. Now was…not really the time to explore that, however. 

Sliding down again, he watched her close her eyes while he traced over her sternum, helplessly lingering there long enough to feel her heart stammer.  See her body slacken with a deep exhale from her parted lips. That was better… safer, for the both of them. And that left the rest of her torso. As he moved to her breast, he realized too late that it was an obvious mistake for his current headspace. But she was so soft—supple. The feel of her skin was disarmingly warm, nigh impossible to resist thumbing over the hardened peak of her rosy nipple. 

She let out a barely audible gasp, arching into his touch. 

Zhongli bowed his head to her ear, lips grazing just below her lobe.
“Too much?”

“I’m fine.”

Though she seemed flustered, short of breath and blushing from ear to ear.  

Planting an apologetic kiss to the juncture of her collar, he shifted his hand. The washcloth laved over her navel, licking up and flowing lower. Lower and lower until he flittered over to the massive scar etched into her side, cutting right on top of an older pale one slicing across her midsection. It was still healing, red and tender from every attempt she made at masking its existence. He couldn’t help his hesitation, his intrigue, frustration with himself from how he couldn’t have prevented this somehow. 

“It’s…”
She spoke up, grasping his wrist before he moved to hover his fingers above the scar.
“It’s not an eyesore, is it? 

He almost winced, inwardly scolding himself for his lack of mindfulness. 

“No, of course not.”
His other hand coaxed her to turn her face toward him, to be sure she could look him in the eyes.
“You’re perfect, darling.”

Keqing tried to duck her head down, but he caught her chin and directed her back to him. 

“You are.”
His insistence quieted to a whisper, gentle but as sure as he’d ever been. 

She returned a grin.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to question your judgment if this is what you consider perfect.” 

“Normally, I’d agree to disagree, but I’d prefer if you didn’t say such things about the woman I love.”

Her face flared scarlet red. For a moment, her gaze dipped down and a pout quickly formed on her lips. 

“Jeez, you’re way too much…”
Her features soon softened, and she let out a giggle with a tiny shake of her head.
“I see right past those sweet nothings of yours. You just want to embarrass me, don’t you?”

He smirked, skimming the bridge of his nose alongside hers, leaning so close to her lips he could nearly feel their softness.
“I can think of better ways to do that.”

Lifting her hand to brush against his cheek, she closed the distance between them before he did. Pressing a needy kiss to his mouth as well as she could with her head craned to the side. She was impatient, but she lingered there, letting him draw out the exchange. Savor the sensation of her lips against his for as long as he was allowed. He pulled himself closer until the edge of the tub pushed on his ribs. Not the most ideal, or comfortable position, though he much preferred it to the empty space separating them. Keqing parted her mouth for him, opening wide enough for his tongue to slip inside. He missed her taste, that floral flavor returning to him as if it never left. Oh, he dreaded when it would…when all of this would vanish again…

“You feel so far away.”
He mused, smothering small kisses along her face.
“Mhm. Come closer, love.”

She pulled her head away too suddenly.
“Or—you could join me instead. Seems like a much simpler solution to your problem.”

He took a glance at the tub, grasping around the sides. It was a bit narrow around the rim— somewhat lacking length-wise. Perfect for someone as petite as her, but he recalled how much of a snug fit it was for the both of them.

“Unless that’s—“
She started again, unsure of herself.  
“Too much for right now…”

No, it was not nearly enough. 

“Far from it. I just want to be sure I won’t cause you any discomfort.”

Keqing smiled brightly at him.
“I trust you.”

She shifted herself forward, clearing as much space as she reasonably could. Looking so tempting lounging there, waiting for him.
“I was getting a little cold all by myself anyway.”

Well, he couldn’t have that. His fingers drifted over his collar to pull his tie free, perhaps more hastily than he anticipated. 

“Were you? You should’ve said so earlier. I am here to see to it that all your needs are met.”

And he had sneaking suspicion those needs were harmoniously in line with his. 

When his intense amber eyes scored over her, lighting up in a dim, hungry glow, she felt that false bravado quickly crumble to pieces.

So quickly, she began to rethink her offer. The blunt pain of her scar thrumming on her side, the imbalanced weight of her damaged left arm…

Did he really not mind the sight of them? 

Would he change his mind about her if he took a closer look? 

Swallowing hard, Keqing did her best to keep her brave mask of a grin as well as she could. Push herself as much as could mentally stand to. 

“All of them, hm?”
Maybe she had just enough courage to test him. 

“Anything you can think of.”
The whisper of silk pricked up her ears as he stood, his fingers weaving patiently down the line of buttons on his shirt.  
“I’ll provide it for you.”
His voice lowered, and her insides melted. 

Or, maybe not.

Seeing him remove his shirt did much to shatter the confidence she was hoping to retain. Part of her still girlishly flustered at the mere sight of man—an outrageously attractive man, in all fairness—stripping down right before her. 

“That’s very sweet of you. I might just take you up on your offer.”
She managed a flirtatious cadence, she tried to. 

He was the perfect one. Lean but muscular, and practically immaculate save for the single…

Scar.

Right above his navel, just like hers. Paler now than when she first saw it, but its existence hadn’t made him any less perfect in her eyes. 

Oh. 

Keqing’s hand drifted to the mark branded on her side. She was starting to get it now. At least— partially.

When his hands clutched his belt buckle, unfastening it in one fluid motion, she couldn’t stop her head from turning. Keqing wasn’t quite used to it yet, this level of intimacy. Despite all they shared she was still somewhat withdrawn. Nervous because of her staunch lack of experience in comparison to his millenniums worth of it. 

Nervous because they only had sex once, and it was almost exclusively the cause of her believing she would be dead the next day. 

She wanted it, wanted to feel him close, so close to her again but—

When she looked down, the body she saw didn’t appear as if it deserved that sort of reverence. Certainly not from him of all people. The patron deity of Liyue, a god she criticized as much as she admired. Rex fucking Lapis. 

Oh, for celestia’s sake…

Her self esteem was about as fickle of a bitch as she was. 

“Keqing,”
She sucked in a breath hearing his voice. Intent on keeping her gaze controlled when she heard a clink of metal drop to the floor.  Though when he gently tucked his hand under her chin, she couldn’t help but follow the glowing trails of amber on his arms right back to his damnably handsome face.
“Something on your mind?”

“Just waiting for you to hurry up.”
She hid her lie with a saccharine smile. A bit of humor to throw him off. 

He breathed out a soft laugh, making a cautious step inside the tub. 

The warmth in her chest blossomed when she felt him settle in, the contours of his sculpted body gliding up against hers, water cresting and breaking at the edges of the bath as he carefully arranged himself behind her. She found herself relishing the sensation of his long legs trapping her in, all while her mind worked up a few dozen excuses why she shouldn’t have asked him to do this for her. 

He didn’t waste any more time wrapping his arms around her. Pulling her closer, he slotted her back to his broad chest, stealing her away from her overthinking. 

Oh thank god. 

…Literally, in this case.

What was she even supposed to focus on now? His hand stroking further down her stomach, soothing the uneasiness building up there, or the fact that she could feel him harden as she shifted on his lap. 

The latter, probably. Definitely the latter. It was difficult not to when he was…the size that he was.  She surmised he’d be a little too distracted to finish bathing her. Not that she was particularly upset about that, in all truths…

Keqing adjusted her position, bowing her head back to rest on his shoulder while he placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.  

“Comfortable?”
He asked, fingers tracing up and down her sides. 

“Reasonably.”
It probably wasn’t convincing, considering the tremors she hadn’t yet quelled. 

“If there’s anything I can do to make it better—“

Reaching for his wrist, she drifted her palm to his and interlocked their fingers.
“You really don’t have to act so coy, I think you already know how you can make it better.”She urged, letting a sigh slip when the heat in her face intensified. 

“I’m afraid my hands are tied until I hear you say it.”

“You can…”
She grunted softly, shaking her head and preemptively wincing at her next words.
“T-touch me.”

He left her in silence for a moment, soothing the pad of thumb over her hand. 

“Where?”
He pressed.

She was going to kill him. 

“You—You know where!”

“Sure.”
Zhongli let out with a small laugh. Giving her hand a light squeeze, he bowed his head and his lips grazed her neck, the slightest indication of a smile pressed on her skin.
“I understand if you’re feeling shy.”

She scoffed.

“I am not.” 
But her passionate denial was quickly chased away as his touch moved to her pelvis. She clamped her mouth shut, fearing what kind of sounds would leave her if she didn’t. 

“No?” 
His fingers crawled lower, until they passed over the parting of her labia. Teeth chewed at her bottom lip, holding back any other comment that could potentially prove him right. Not that it meant much, a quiet mewl escaped from her sealed lips the moment the rough texture of his fingertips found her clitoris.  
“You’re blushing.”

The muscles in her legs stiffened, and the tension in her chest spread to her lower abdomen. Every nerve ending reacted kindly to the modest knead of his fingers. 

Who wouldn’t blush?! This was…still so new to her.

“S—so what? That—that doesn’t mean anything.” 

He merely chucked. 

Her body was much more certain of what she needed, sending sharp shivers up her spine with every minor caress. Pleasure melted between her legs, slicker by the second with his hand fondling her sex. Rubbing cautious circles into her, gentle and slow. Just the way she liked, the way she showed him how.

“How long have you been waiting for me?”

It felt like forever. An eternity of captivity in her broken body. But his husky voice dipped lower, the sound calming to her ear, easing her reservations. 

When she opened her mouth to answer, she moaned instead.
“Zhongli…”

Her back went taut, and she clutched his hand harder while his other worked her, picking up his movement by a margin. Pressing in all the right places, a little faster, rougher, then gradually slowing his pace. 

This sort of gratification wasn’t something she allowed herself to have very often. Especially not after her injuries. She thought it would hurt, one way or another. Either her fragile mind or fragile body. And maybe she just wasn’t completely ready for it again, not until now at least. Keqing breathed in softly, short puffs of air to soothe herself while Zhongli made her squirm in his arms. She was happy that part of her was repaired, for the most part. 

Her body burned at every motion, a certain sort of anticipation swirled in her core when she felt his fingers slide down. Down, down—until they entered her, slipping in so easily after only a minute or two of stimulating her. One extended its reach first, testing her responses, and she encouraged him with a tight grip from her hand. He drew in, further, further, right to his knuckle. Gnawing on her lip, she made several attempts to communicate with something more legible than her little incoherent gestures and noises. Unsurprisingly, she hadn’t quite succeeded, the feeling of a second—and third finger filling her made her lose focus. 

“Talk to me,”
He breathed, setting a couple loving kisses by her ear.
“Tell me what you need.”

“Just—“
She was trying. 
“Keep going.”

She would trust his vast experience. There wasn’t much she could ask for when she couldn’t even form the question in her mind. 

Saying ‘touch me ’, would be somewhat redundant. And ‘fuck me’, a little too crass. Besides, she was likely not properly staged for that quite yet. 

His small hum against her ear made her flush more than his touch did.
“Mhn, then let me know if it gets to be too much.”

Keqing nodded her head, letting out another hushed moan. Fidgeting on top of his lap aimlessly, he made a quiet grunt of frustration when she rubbed over his groin. 

She hadn’t meant to, honest. Although, she was tempted to do it again. And again, until he decided to do something about it. But any endeavors of teasing him like he did her were immediately shut down with his thumb flicking over her clit. Her knees bolted up, and she let out a sharp cry. Earning no acknowledgment from the man who did this to her. 

Oh …Vindication from Rex Lapis himself never seemed like it would feel so good. She began to wonder what more he’d do if she misbehaved.

But her mind went blank as the rasp of his fingers stretched her further, pushing and gliding against her tightening walls. Twisting and bending an invisible coil in her stomach that threatened to snap.

Driving forward, back, slipping in and out and making her shudder in delight with every sensitive nerve struck. Did it feel like this the first time? She was ashamed that she didn’t quite remember. It may have been the cause of the slightly different position, or just how intense everything felt after—

After —

Oh, she could hardly concentrate! 

Zhongli captured her earlobe between his teeth, nibbling on it gently, but left her with the impression he would bite down at any given moment.

“Getting closer?”
He drawled, the tone of his voice rough like gravel. 

Her breathing became heavier in conjunction with the faster moments of his hand, the edge of his palm deliberately rushing up against her clit. Noisy splashes of water displacing resonated in sync to his hasty ministrations. Canting her hips upward, a needy whine fled out of her when he really found the right spot. His fingers fanned apart, pressing on a very tender collection of nerves. It sent shockwaves straight through her, the rise of ecstasy climbing up, up—oh, and even higher. Every active sensor in her body flared like a live wire short-circuiting.

“Here?”
And he moved up against it again. Her legs twitched in response. 

“That’s— mhm! Oh my…god—“ 

“Yes, darling?”

She tore her hand from his to administer a quick slap to his thigh. Even in the midst of an oncoming climax, she wasn’t letting that go unpunished. 

Zhongli let out an unfiltered laugh, tugging her closer and thrusting his fingers in just enough to—

She jolted up, thighs shaking as she huffed out a pleasured whimper. Any effort she made to organize her thoughts toppled under a sudden electric surge of bliss stemming from her center. 

“Nhn… Zhongli…!”

She was frozen solid for a moment afterward, feeling blunt pulses between her legs while he slowed his rhythm considerably, taking her down from the foggy haze of her orgasm. 

Eventually, her muscles loosened, and she relaxed against him with a content sigh. Resting limp but satisfied while his fingers left her.

Lifting her arm, she put her hand to her chest, the beat of her heart erratic, and miserably irregular even after two weeks of treatment. She was warned not to engage in too much physical activity, to avoid anything that may get her heart racing while she was recovering. 

Oh, she didn’t care, she needed this. It was a minor discomfort at best, nothing terribly serious.

“Keqing,”
Zhongli’s voice took form in her ears, and she turned her head to look at him. His hand trailed up to her face, cradling her cheek in his palm. “Better?” He smiled.

And she did as well.
“So much better.”
She leaned forward to place a brief kiss on his lips, waiting only long enough for him to reciprocate before pulling back. 

“I think you might be taking this whole caretaker thing a bit too seriously. But— I can’t say I have any complaints.”

With a small scoff, Zhongli responded.
“I’m pleased to hear that I’ve done an adequate job, then.”

“Maybe a little more than adequate.”
Keqing rotated herself, adjusting on his lap once more until she felt the hard outline of his cock, full and eager and throbbing on her inner thigh. While she was feeling somewhat— bashful, for lack of a better term—she swallowed down her nervousness as she pressed her hand to his chest.
“We aren’t finished yet, are we? You seem like you have a couple needs that should be met as well.” 

He cleared his throat.
“Just a couple, yes. Though you shouldn’t feel obligated to help me with them.”

She tilted her head, taking the time to investigate any subtle change on his face while grazing her hand lower down his body. 

“That’s okay, I want to.”
That pesky self doubt dripped into her, and she quietly swallowed to clarify her statement. “If…you want me to.”

The light in his amber eyes returned, that dim glow becoming sharper, brighter as he flitted his gaze up and down her figure. 

“Trust, darling. There’s nothing I desire more.”He began, and the broad surface of his hand clutched her waist tighter. “If you think you can handle more, I’ll give you more.”

Keqing sucked in a harsh breath and attempted to sit on her knees to accommodate him, his large cock pressing to her navel. 

“I can handle it.”
Her hand drifted even lower, teasing a thumb over the pearly white liquid leaking from his slit. A low, ragged exhale escaped him as he watched her. The look on his face made it seem like he was as close as ever to losing that saintly patience of his. 

He wanted her, even riddled with scars and missing parts, and she was relieved she could finally prove it to herself. 

“Inside?”
She asked sweetly, gliding her palm down his shaft, and then slowly stroking him up.

“Yes.”
He nearly growled. 

While she didn’t ache from her injuries like she did before, it still seemed necessary to err on the side of caution.
“Just be gentle with me, please.”

His hands shifted to her hips, commanding her to arch herself out for him, just enough for his tip to graze her entrance. Keqing couldn’t help the tiny little hum she made while his fingers dug into the fat of her thigh.

“I will.”
He murmured,
“I promise.” 

She believed him.

Rex Lapis’ word was absolute. His conviction was as solid as stone. 

When his hips raised, she skated her hand back up his abdomen, taking refuge in the solid muscle there when just the head of his cock penetrated her. Her mouth fell open, a noise of approval trapped in her throat.

Archons, he was thick—certainly cause enough for her to spread her legs wider. 

A broken gasp fled her when he pushed a little further, and she lowered herself down in response. 

“Tell me if it ever hurts, love.”
His voice was so nurturing, doting on her at every opportunity he had.

Already, she felt so much more. So filled like this. Keqing worried her lip and nodded her head, hoping beyond all reason that this wouldn’t hurt. That her fears were completely unfounded...that she was healed enough to please him. 

His grip on her tightened. Balancing her in his stable hold as he slowly guided her up when he met the slightest resistance, and eased her back down while she relaxed. The small movement of water broke the silence as they joined together, a patient rhythm of his hips conducting a gentle melody for her. He was merely shallowing inside her, but even then she felt herself constrict—unease beginning to swell in her lower abdomen. 

It was exactly as he remembered, the warmth of her,  her texture, that blissful sensation of her surrounding him. So tight and wet for him.

His chest felt heavy, labored by his even breathing with every subtle rise and fall of her body. Zhongli kept his focus on Keqing, watching her shiver as she sank herself on his cock. She stilled just as suddenly, pressing her head to his sternum. The faintest sense of her fingers fidgeting against his stomach. 

It was difficult to discern whether she found this painful or merely the slightest bit uncomfortable. 

He imagined it must have been a lot for her to get used to again, so he made certain to let her stay there. Idle until he was sure she was ready to continue. 

“Relax…”
He began, trailing off with a small exhale as she lifted her magenta eyes to meet his.
“You feel marvelous, Keqing.”

She parted her lips as if to speak, but only the sweet sound of a soft moan left her. When she bowed her head, her legs tensed and she moved again, coaxing him to do the same. 

He led his hips forward, more of that delicious velvety heat enveloping him. It earned a modest groan from the back of his throat. Encouraged him to lure her down, deeper. He easily slid further inside, pressing more intimately against the walls of her sex. Memorizing the feel of her contracting muscles warming his cock. But she suddenly froze in place again, stopping him with a firm press of her hand on his pectoral. 

“Give me a second.”
She managed to find her voice, as small and thin as it sounded. It seemed she was a little more troubled with adjusting this time, her walls pulsing and gripping him desperately. Bated breath trapped itself in his lungs as he let up his grasp on her, smoothing a finger on her thigh to reassure her. 

“Take all the time you need.”
He wasn’t in any rush. He would wait an eternity for her if he had to.
“We can stop whenever you wish to.”

“I know.”
Keqing spared him a glance, a smile brightening her features. She roped her arm around his neck, stretching her body upright to plant a kiss to his lips. “But I’d like to keep going, if you don’t mind.”

Zhongli dove in to steal another from her while she was within reach. Grazing his teeth on her bottom lip as she drew in a shaky breath. 

“Not at all,”
He told her, voice hardly above a whisper.
“I did mention I would provide anything you needed from me.” 

“I remember.”
She pushed her lips at the side of his mouth. “And I don’t imagine Rex Lapis would ever go back on his word.”

He grinned.
“Never.”

After some time, she loosened. And they moved together cautiously, establishing a perfect harmony between them with small touches. Patient gestures. 

Gradually, she slipped down the length of his cock once again. Only getting slicker from moment to moment, becoming more receptive to taking everything he had to offer. 

And he had so much. So much just for her. 

He urged her delicate body onto the very root of him, and as he did they both stalled. Paralyzed with a building pleasure seeping into him. Keqing tipped her head up, spine curving in while she trembled on his lap. A euphoric warmth lit up the beat of his heart, and a low moan escaped them in unison. Time finally caught up to him in the passing of a split second. The feeling of being fully sheathed inside her sent ripples of ecstasy down his center, and he yearned to keep her there. Make the moment last for more than an instant. 

But it wasn’t too long before she shifted again. 

He helped wrench her back up, as slowly as she needed him too. Keqing took her time catching her breath, soothing her nerves before he pulled her down again, sinking in as far as she could take him. She keened, her fingers tangling themselves into the threads of his hair as unashamed little mewls goaded him to continue. To repeat their movements, start some tangible friction between them. They began at a fairly modest speed at first. Barely any acceleration from what it was before, but he was patient. He could wait. Until he was sure she could take more. Until she set the pace herself. 

Soon, she did just that. Lifting her hips, finding a comfortable cadence with him. Blooming up, and wilting down while he followed. It may have been painfully slow—but it was intimate. He felt her deep, close as he could without the threat of harming her. She took him all one moment, and retreated to the very tip of him the next. 

Every second she became bolder. Ready to move a little faster. She became less languid, and much more fluid. Though it was clear she still wanted his tenderness. The tempo she set remained careful, considerate of her own body. So he managed himself. Complimented her focused movements with a steady piston of his hips. Measured thrusts, marginally rougher than her approach. But he kept his eyes on her, searching for any signs of disapproval. And yet he found nothing but glowing encouragement. 

“Keqing?”
He asked, just to be sure. 

“Don’t stop.”
She choked out, bouncing on him with glazed over eyes and wet hair plastered to her pretty face.
“Feels good. So good.”

His hands crawled lower to grip the swell of her ass, holding her close as fucked into her. Matching her pace until she conceded the lead entirely. Keqing enticed him to take her a bit quicker now, hastier breaths leaving her mouth as her grasp curled harder in his hair. She was wearing out, her head leisurely resting on his shoulder while her body indolently rolled with his. He could feel her cunt quiver decadently around his cock with his faster strides. Exulted moans and barely audible words of praise echoed from her swollen lips. Anticipation stirred in the pit of his stomach as his muscles knotted with the sweetest sensation. 

The sensation of every part of her collapsing over him, squeezing him tighter as he stretched her out. Finally making love to her after so long...Absolution never felt closer. All passion and fury, just as he would have expected from his darling Yuheng. 

“Zhongli…”
Her voice lowered to a murmur, mixing with her tiny little whines.
“…I’m…I’m close.”

He doubted he could last very much longer either. 

“That so?”
Whatever was left of his patience was quickly leaving him, and he snapped her forward—the splash of water drowning out the lewd sounds of their union while she whimpered for him. “By all means.”

Zhongli proceeded with a bit more haste, jolting her with the pitch of his hips. Watching her hop up with the motion, absentmindedly releasing indistinct noises when he found just the right place to make her melt in his arms.“Louder, love. Let me hear you.” 

“Oh!”
Her fingernails scraped into the skin of his neck, digging further and further the longer he drew out her climax.
“I said you’re a t—tyrant, Rex Lapis!”
She managed to find her nerves again, only for them to disappear completely, her words spilling over into a breathless gasp. 

Her body locked up all at once, going rigid against him while she trembled in place. Muscles spasming all around him with a pleasured cry muted by the crook of his neck. 

He let out a labored groan, the weight of her now fully resting on him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, held her as close as he could.

The tightness of her cunt milking him for all he had spurred him on to his own orgasm. He speared her on his cock in one final thrust, and all his thoughts were stolen from his mind to be entirely replaced with splendid euphoria. Restraint crumbled in favor of fulfilling his hedonistic desires, and his legs stiffened while he felt his seed flood into her. 

He took himself down easy, riding out his pleasure with languid rolls into her until he was satisfied. 

As he gradually stilled, he fell to complete silence merely holding on to her, enjoying the time she gave him just to stay there with her. Stagnant drips of water filled the vacant air with the smallest sounds to breach the quiet. 

Keqing breathed in, moved herself on his lap as he rested inside her. Her fingers brushed against the back of his neck, toying with loose strands of hair. Her other arm twitched, ghosting at his side only to be swiftly retracted back.

“I wish I could hold you the same way.”
She mumbled.
“I guess it’s always the little things we miss the most.”

Zhongli felt himself smile, running his fingers along the gentle slope of her back. Stopping at the the edge of her left shoulder blade before he lightly grasped at her cropped arm hanging limply at her side. He smoothed his thumb across the electrical burn marking just above where her elbow would be. Giving some attention to a wound she would rather forget altogether. 

“So it is.” 

He leaned back, as did she, and she traded a cautious glance with him with an uncertain smile. 

“How are you feeling?”
Tilting her chin up with his fingers, he inspected her face.
“It doesn’t hurt anywhere, does it?” 

“Oh no, I feel spectacular compared to before. For now, at least. I suspect I might be just a bit sore an hour or so from now.”

He huffed out a small chuckle.
“I’ll be sure to kiss it better for you later on.”

“Will you? Aren’t I lucky to have such a considerate caretaker?”
Keqing giggled, resting her head on his shoulder. Idling for a meager second before she bolted up once again.
“Oh—now that I think of it, we’d better make a visit to the pharmacy today. Preferably soon, if you can manage to keep your hands off me long enough to finish bathing me this time.”

Zhongli tilted his head with a smirk.
“I’m not sure, that could prove to be quite a challenge.” 

She left a pinch at his arm and he ushered on with a small wince. 

“If you don't mind my asking, what is it that you need so urgently from the pharmacy anyway? It seems too soon to be refilling your prescriptions.”

Her lips pursed, and she answered.

“Well—Considering the circumstances, I’d really rather not add an unplanned pregnancy to my list of disabilities at the moment.”

Oh. 

That seemed like an obvious consequence for him to overlook, given the gift of hindsight. 

Though if his mind lingered on it any longer, he wasn’t sure if he would consider it a consequence more than it was—

“Zhongli,”

A blessing. 

He snapped out of his thoughts, directing his sights back to her. 

“I’m afraid time really is of the essence here.”

Wasn’t it always? 

“Of course,”
Although, part of him was less than enthusiastic to rush.
“I’ll do my best to be brief.”

It was a shame that the moment never lasted, but at the very least he’d have the memory to hold onto for centuries to come.