[Ganyu x Keqing] By your Side ~ Oneshot

Ganyu stared out the kitchen window of her small apartment distractedly. She didn’t even notice when her High School friend and roommate, Keqing, entered the apartment.

“Whew, High School tests this year are stressful,” Keqing laughed weakly as she hung up her jacket, a cool breeze entering the apartment before she closed the door quietly.

However, Ganyu didn’t seem to hear Keqing. She seemed lost in her own world, staring outside with a distant look. She slouched over the kitchen counter, her body language clearly showing she was drained.

Keqing frowned, now worried for her friend. She walked over carefully, not wanting to alarm Ganyu by making too much noise, knowing she was a bit jumpy. “Ganyu?” Keqing said softly from behind her. “Are you alright?”

Despite Keqing’s carefulness, Ganyu still flinched in surprise, quickly straightening up and glancing behind her. “O-oh! Keqing! Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in…”

Keqing smiled sympathetically. “No worries. I noticed you seemed distracted. Is something on your mind?”

“Oh, no, don’t worry about it!” Ganyu said quickly, but her voice shook with the lie. She turned back to the sink, looking out the window to hide her expression.

“As your friend, I am always worried for you,” Keqing pointed out, reaching out and suddenly hugging Ganyu gently from behind, wrapping her arms around Ganyu’s waist.

Ganyu froze up, clearly flustered by Keqing’s warm embrace. The sudden touch seemed to be her breaking point as she whimpered a small cry. “I hate myself so, so much…”

Keqing’s eyes widened. She’d always known Ganyu to be a fragile, sensitive person, but she’d never thought Ganyu hated herself.

“Oh, Ganyu…” Keqing squeezed her comfortingly. “Is this about the school tests?”

Ganyu shook her head, speaking with a quiver in her voice, “School tests have been stressful, but… I’ve always hated myself. I hate my mind, I hate my body, I hate my entire existence.” She broke down into a sob, sinking into Keqing’s hug.

Keqing held her close, wanting to comfort her friend. Her heart filled with an aching sympathy for Ganyu. She led her over to the couch to sit down, wanting Ganyu to sit down so she could rest herself.

“Why do you hate yourself?” Keqing asked softly as they sat down, an arm still wrapped around her friend.

Ganyu awkwardly tried to wipe her tears away, but they continued rolling down her cheeks. She struggled to even speak. “I’m so, so pathetic… I never fit in… I’m so, so weird, and stupid, a-and… How am I even fun to hang out with??” She cried.

Keqing felt her heart ache more, and she hugged Ganyu closer. “Oh, dear, you have no idea how much I love you. You’ve got a heart full of kindness and sympathy for others, and your sensitivity makes you so empathetic! We need so much more of your empathy in this cruel world.”

Ganyu buried her head in Keqing’s shoulder. Her voice was muffled as she sobbed, “I don’t understand how you can love someone as pathetic as me…”

“You’re far from pathetic, Ganyu! You’re strong in your own way. Showing sympathy and love takes strength. And you have lots of special strength. You’re not weird, either! I love your uniqueness. If you were like everyone else, then.. Heh, that would be pretty boring, wouldn't it? The reason I became friends with you in the first place was because you were special to me.”

Ganyu looked up slowly, her eyes filled with tears, her face blotchy from crying. “Keqing, I… I want to be special to you in another way.”

Keqing tilted her head. Her heart raced slightly, but she pretended not to know what Ganyu was talking about, not wanting to misinterpret signs. “You are special to me, Ganyu.”

“No, no, not like that,” Ganyu shook her head, pulling away. She sniffed sadly, looking away to hide her flustered face. “Keqing, I love you. And I’ve never confessed because I felt like I was never good enough for you… Even now, I feel unworthy of any of your love…”

Keqing’s eyes widened in surprise, her suspicions being correct. “You… love me?” She tried to process Ganyu’s words. Keqing had always seen Ganyu as a friend, but admittedly, recently she’d been questioning her feelings for her. But he feared ruining their relationship with any one-sided feelings, so she never said anything about them…

Ganyu felt embarrassment overwhelm her. “I-I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything!” She muttered awkwardly, standing up and beginning to hurry away.

Keqing reached out and grabbed Ganyu’s hand, stopping her. She gently pulled Ganyu down onto the couch again.

Ganyu’s face was bright red from embarrassment and shame. “Please don’t be mad at me! I swear I won’t say anything about it again-”

Keqing grasped Ganyu’s hands, squeezing them comfortingly. She slowly leaned in, the space between them becoming closer and closer until Keqing’s lips touched Ganyu’s in a lingering sweet, soft kiss.

Ganyu felt her face heat up, her entire body tensing from the sudden kiss. She became so flustered, she couldn’t even move or speak.

As Keqing pulled away, she smiled warmly. “Ganyu, I love you, too.”

Ganyu’s eyes were wide, and she shakily spoke, “You… Are you sure?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“You’ve been one of my closest, dearest friends, and as of late, I’ve been questioning my feelings for you…” Keqing admitted, smiling awkwardly. “But I was so busy with exams, I decided it would be best to wait to confess. And I was also scared of ruining our relationship, especially during these stressful times. You needed a friend to be here for you…”

Ganyu felt herself tear up again, but Keqing reached over, caressing her face and carefully wiping off her tears with her thumb.

Ganyu sniffed, laughing awkwardly, her voice still shaking as she was flustered. “I should’ve waited to confess, too. Especially when you’re so busy with tests, and I’m still working on loving myself.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Keqing reassured her, caressing Ganyu’s face gently. “Take your time to heal. I know loving yourself takes time. But I’ll be here for you. I’ll be here when you need a shoulder to cry on, and I’ll be here when you need someone to guide you through tough times.” She smiled warmly, her heart filling with sympathy for her dear Ganyu.

Ganyu felt herself smile, her head tilting into Keqing’s delicate touch. “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.”

Keqing smiled gently.

“I’ll be by your side. Always.”