𝐲𝐮𝐫𝐢 𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬

mercy (18+) | ningganyu (ganyu)

~3.2k words | smut, fluff

ningguang's sleeping chambers are quiet, all the lights turned off when ganyu slips past the heavy polished doors and pushes the lock closed behind herself.

she presses her shoulder blades to the cool surface, catching her breath before greeting her mistress. ningguang isn't there – the room itself is empty, but she can hear the slow run of warm water in the en suite, the cryo running through her veins heating up and melting her from the inside at the mere thought of it.

she quickly checks through the mental report she prepared in her head. ningguang is certain to ask questions about the expedition she was sent on in the tianquan's name, but if she's soaking in the bath at this hour, then ganyu's best guess is that the inquiries will come later. this is lady ningguang's relaxing time. ganyu hates to interrupt, but she has to make her return known before ningguang berates her for tardiness.

after all, she promised to come back at twilight.

with renowned determination and breathing now even, ganyu removes her shoes and tucks them neatly into the rack next to the entrance to the chambers before beginning her journey to ningguang's bathroom.

the door keeping the tianquan hidden is unlocked and slightly ajar, allowing soft light from the ceiling light to seep through. it's not enough for ganyu to catch a proper glimpse at what her mistress is doing, but she can pick up on the faraway droplets of water hitting the surface when she lifts her hands up, her toned body moving around in the bath as much as the tub would allow it.

ganyu doesn't usually intrude on ningguang's private time. it doesn't feel proper, even if she's made fun of for her innocence, her prudish nature. for ganyu, it has always been work and prioritizing efficiency – it's part of the reason why ningguang took her in the first place, why ganyu was chosen among all the secretaries in the qixing to serve as ningguang's right hand, her emissary, her...

well.

her person who can see her bare, in her rawest, pure form, lounging in the hot bath with white, scented bubbles covering the parts of her body ganyu would flush deeply upon seeing, sucking on the narrow tip of her rosewood pipe.

"welcome back," she greets, traces of her coquettish laughter laced through even her regular, speaking voice, "and you're right on time, too."

she glances at the wall clock, ticking heavy and loud in the silence that looms between them when ganyu doesn't respond immediately.

this is the part she's most confused about.

instinctively, ganyu curtsies, which makes ningguang's predatory smile widen, exhaling tobacco smoke and settling her pipe on the small table next to her bath, where she has prepared a glass of water and a thick, hardback novel with a bookmark lodged somewhere in-between the middle pages.

much like predicted, she doesn't request a report immediately, nor does she tease her for the rising blush in ganyu's cheeks when she lifts herself up and the bubbles in the water dissipate, exposing her naked chest. no, ningguang likes to play an odd game – she likes to build up the tension while talking about mundane things, pushing ganyu to the edge of a very clumsy, melting iceberg, then sit back and relax as she falls apart in front of her, a steady pillar for ganyu to lean on when it becomes too much.

the worst part about this is that ganyu craves it just as much as ningguang is willing to give her.

"tell me, my eyes and ears of liyue," ningguang relaxes, crossing her legs underneath the surface, the bottom of her heels nestled on the edge of the tub. ganyu takes a tentative step forward, knowing what is asked of her without the question being verbalized.