Work Text:
Ganyu signs her name on another document that she has finished reading over, before she puts it on the pile of papers designated for Ningguang. She stretches and leans back into her chair for a moment, taking a look out of the window. The sun is rising and Ganyu yawns, as she gets up to get another cup of coffee from her personal stash.
As the aroma fills the air, she takes the cup back to her seat, as the sky turns a gorgeous pink in the morning sunrise. She had gotten up a few hours earlier to get an early start on the day ahead of her. There is a lot of paperwork she needs to get through, and she wants to get through it all so that she may rest well tonight.
Since she and Lumine had become lovers, Ganyu promised to be more mindful of her health and how much she works. As a result, her work life balance is becoming much healthier, and she has even begun to shake the tiredness she used to always carry around. She yawns less and feels healthier, as she goes about her days and even if Lumine hadn't given her anything else, that gift is more than enough. But Lumine had given her much, her heart above all, and Ganyu had given hers as unconditionally as the other woman had.
Ganyu shakes from her reminiscing and takes a sip from her coffee before picking up another document to read over.
After a few hours of the same routine, she stretches once more to try and relieve the stiffness in her body. She leans back for a moment with her eyes closed before opening them when she feels the warm midmorning sun on her eyelids. She opens them and smiles at the soft sounds of the harbor outside, and she can’t help but think about when Lumine’s work will be done. Lumine has taken a more secret contract from an informant that has taken her away to Sumeru for a time.
When she received the contract there was no way of knowing how long it would take, and Lumine was hesitant to take it at first. However, after reassurance from Ganyu that she should follow leads when they become available to her, the woman agreed. It is now, as Ganyu is looking out of the window almost three weeks later, that Ganyu wishes Lumine had stayed. She knows the thought is selfish, but when it comes to her lover, she has always allowed herself to feel the emotions she had never allowed herself to previously. Ganyu smiles at the thought and stands to take a stack of papers to another of Ningguang’s secretaries.
As Ganyu is making her way past Lady Ningguang’s office to her secretary's, she hears two voices coming from the room. They seem to be talking in hushed voices, quite fervently, and the door is slightly ajar.
It’s as she draws near to the open door that she recognizes the two voices, one being Lady Ningguang’s and the other is her lover’s. Her face lights up subconsciously at the voice of her lover. As she passes, she sees whatever they are discussing is of import, but she does not linger to be caught eavesdropping. She does take notice of the new flowers in Lumine’s hair, as she eyes the woman in the small window of sight she has. She can’t quite make out what they are but a white and blue flower now accompanies her usual one in her hair. She shakes her head and continues on her route to the secretary’s office next door, knowing that one of them will fill her in soon.
She passes by the door on her way back, and the voices have died down to quiet speculation. Ganyu smiles at the thought that she will get to see Lumine again after it being a few weeks. She has a small spring in her step, as she makes her way back to her office.
She enters and begins another cup of coffee, as she lets her mind wander back to that of her lover though she still has work to be done. Lumine has been in Teyvat for quite some time now and not once has Ganyu seen her add anything to her hair around the flowers from her homeland. She wonders what the flowers are and who gave them to her. That thought fills her with a small pit of dread, but she shakes her head and refuses to dwell upon that, as she returns to her paperwork.
She isn't sure how much time passes when she hears the soft rap of knuckles on her door. It could have been five minutes or a few hours, that’s simply how focused she gets on her tasks. She raises her head and stretches, as she calls for the person to enter.
Lumine opens the door and leans against it a little with a lopsided grin on her face, despite the small amount of bandages on it. Ganyu can’t contain the smile that lights up her face, as she lays eyes upon the woman. She stands and walks over to the woman who meets her halfway in the room. Ganyu hugs her with her arms wrapping around her neck, and Lumine wraps her arms around Ganyu’s back tightly.
“Hey,” Lumine says with a chuckle, and she pulls back to look at the woman. Ganyu smiles softly at her.
“Hi.” Lumine kisses her cheek, and Ganyu giggles. She gives Lumine a kiss on the cheek as well, careful not to kiss a bandaged area.
“You look like you’ve taken a beating.” Ganyu tries to say it lightheartedly, but Lumine has always been able to read Ganyu’s eyes and can see the concern in them. She smiles and pulls back from the embrace to sit on the edge of the desk.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised. I hadn’t expected that many of the Abyss to be there.” Ganyu’s brain clicks the links into place as to why the contract was so secretive to begin with. Ganyu reaches a tentative hand up and looks Lumine in the eyes.
“May I?” Lumine smiles and nods, leaning into her touch. Ganyu touches the banged areas very softly and presses a kiss to the one on her cheek and forehead.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t there to back you up.” Lumine shakes her head in Ganyu’s hand.
“There’s no need for an apology. Neither of us knew what the full extent of that contract would entail.” Ganyu nods but still wishes she had gone along with her. Ganyu sighs and pulls back, still looking her over.
“How have things been here?”
“Oh, the same. There is forever paperwork for me to fill out. I’ve been better about stopping and getting my eight hours though. Who knew work-life balance was so important?” Ganyu chuckles, and Lumine can’t help the bubble of affectionate laughter that comes out. She smiles at her again with the same lopsided smile.
“I’m glad you are taking better care of yourself. Truly. That makes me happier than you know.” Ganyu feels her ears begin to heat at the comment and walks over and puts Lumine’s face in her hands. Lumine turns into one of her palms and smiles into it, as she presses a kiss there. Ganyu continues to look at her for a few moments, before she remembers the flowers that were in her hair, and she looks to still find them there. Lumine notices her looking at them, and a blush begins to dust her cheeks in red.
“Do you like them?” Ganyu meets her eyes, and she can see the nervousness in Lumine’s eyes. Ganyu looks at her with a raised eyebrow.
“I do. I think they compliment your other flower perfectly, but…” Lumine feels her breathing try to stop at the word and pushes down her nerves.
“...But?” Ganyu shakes from an earlier unhappy thought and continues.
“Who gave them to you?” Lumine smiles at her, knowing Ganyu has quite the jealous streak from time to time. She kisses her palm again and looks up at Ganyu, who is standing in between her legs.
“Well, I did.” The emotion Ganyu was keeping at bay behind her eyes, fizzles out, and she looks back up at the flowers. It’s now that she realizes what the flowers are.
Qingxin and Glaze Lily.
Ganyu looks back at Lumine with a quirked eyebrow and a smile. Lumine tries to turn her head away from Ganyu’s gaze, but Ganyu’s holding her face and won’t let her. Ganyu can feel the rising heat of Lumine’s spreading blush in her palms. She smiles at her lover’s reaction and can’t help the fond chuckle that escapes her lips.
“Why are you suddenly so shy?” Lumine smiles and covers her face with her hands. Ganyu laughs once more and moves her hands around behind Lumine and hugs her. Lumine eventually moves her hands from her face to hug Ganyu’s torso tightly. They stay there like that for a moment, when Ganyu pulls back again and puts Lumine’s face in her hands again. Lumine looks up at her and takes a deep breath.
“I…” She takes another breath and fights the crimson heat on her cheeks. “I know Qingxin is your favorite flower to eat and…well, whenever I’ve looked at Glaze Lilies, they always make me think of you. Even before we were together. So…” Ganyu’s lips curl into one of the most grand smiles Lumine’s ever seen from Ganyu, and she feels everything she’s ever endured was worth it just to see Ganyu smile at her like this.
Ganyu kisses her, and Lumine kisses her back, trying to make up for the time she was away. Ganyu pulls back a little, but Lumine chases her lips. Lumine moves her hands so that she lightly holds Ganyu’s wrists, as Ganyu continues to hold Lumine’s face. They part, and Ganyu looks at her as if she is the reason Ganyu’s heart beats and she is. That’s mutual.
“Lumine, I…” Lumine has a look of surprise flash across her face, before a look of the brightest star in the sky settles on her features. She lets go of Ganyu’s wrists, and Ganyu takes her hands away from Lumine’s face to let her do whatever she has in mind. Lumine reaches up and takes one of the two flowers from her homeland out of her hair. Lumine moves her hands down and looks at Ganyu, who is looking at her in awe.
“...Lumine, are you sure?” Ganyu whispers, as if speaking too loud would break the moment. Lumine’s nods happily.
“Of course.” Ganyu bends her head down slightly to give Lumine better access. Lumine tucks the flower securely into her hair by the base of her left horn.
A mirror of herself.
Or more aptly put, her other half.
Lumine gives her another lopsided smile that Ganyu loves because Lumine never looks at another this way. Ganyu will never get over the way that Lumine feels all of what Ganyu can see in the woman’s eyes for Ganyu.
“Thank you…this means more than I know how to express.” Lumine leans up and captures Ganyu’s lips once more, and Ganyu kisses her back, both smiling into it. They separate, and Lumine smiles up at her. Lumine takes Ganyu’s hands and guides them back to Lumine’s face, and Lumine resumes holding her wrists lightly. There are a few moments where they simply look at one another.
“I picked them up on my way out…I needed something that made me feel close to you. Your presence has always had a calming effect on me…I thought I would pick one of each so that if I was ever afraid I thought of you.” Ganyu never thought when she first saw them in the woman’s hair that this was the story behind them, but she could not have been more pleasantly surprised. Ganyu’s smile at Lumine causes the woman's heart to fill and overflow with the deep affection Lumine feels for the woman, and Lumine simply leans against her chest, listening to her heartbeat. Ganyu hums above her as she rests her cheek against the top of Lumine’s head.
“I’m glad that I will always be able to think of you the same now. I can’t thank you enough. You are always with me now…And simply thinking of you has much the same immediate effect on me.” Lumine smiles and Ganyu kisses the top of her head. The smell of their flowers mingling in the air as they fall into the presence of the other.