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Xiangling really likes her girlfriend. Like, really likes her. Oh sure, Keqing can be a little standoffish and prickly, and it can be hard to get her to open up sometimes, but when she does she's sweet and supportive and augh she's so cute. Xiangling knows that as the Yuheng, Keqing's schedule is pretty booked, and it's not easy to find much time to step away from a bustling kitchen herself, but she likes spending as much time as possible with the other girl.

And, since their time is so valuable, well... so's their intimate time, right?

They've slept together a few times, of course. More than a few. Whatever else they are, they are still very much two teenagers. But every time they do it, it takes so long for Keqing to loosen up, to relax, to get into it. Xiangling always worries that her girlfriend is just too busy and too stressed to rest and have a proper moment of relaxation.

Which is why she's hatched a cunning scheme.

Step 1: Convince Keqing to take a weekend off, with the Moonchase Festival behind them and the Lantern Rite festival months away. (Done)

Step 2: Convince Keqing to come hunting for some rare ingredients deep within Jueyun Karst, where they're not likely to run into another human at all. Plus, get the Traveler to intercede and make sure they won't be bothered by any Adepti in the process. (Done)

Step 3: Find the elusive orange Jueyun Chili, a variant on the classic pepper that only grows where the Adepti live, which is said to give any mortal who eats it increased stamina and, you know. Get them hot, not just spicy. (In-Progress)

Step 4: Cook a delicious meal for her girlfriend using said chili. (To Be Completed)

Step 5: Have lots of sex out here in the wild with nobody around to watch or interrupt them, with Keqing fully into it and free to unwind. Sleep in the single bedroll they've brought with them. Have more sex. (To Be Completed)

At least they're up to the part where they're both in Jueyun Karst? But Xiangling's pouch is full of Jueyun Chilis, and thus far, she's just only found red ones. Surely Keqing won't be suspicious of anything, though...!

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Oh, no.

Xiangling's heart is racing. Keqing knows, she knows and she's going to be angry, and for all Xiangling is good at thinking on her feet when it comes to improvising a recipe, that doesn't equate to thinking on her feet when it comes to cooking up a good excuse. "Um, uh--" she begins.

And then it all spills out.

"I'm sorry, Keqing!" she says, clapping her hands together and holding them above her head, bowing in apology. The words come out like a river. "The peppers-- they're a little bit weird, you know! Um, they're supposed to make you a little hot-- not hot, like-- like you know, kinda... hot--" Her cheeks are burning.

"I thought that, you know, since you always have so much trouble relaxing when we-- when we do it-- you might like the help getting in the mood! I'm sorry, I kept wanting to tell you but I didn't know how to bring it up!"

The words are out. She exhales. At least they haven't eaten yet.

The words spill from Xiangling’s mouth freely, and it’s all Keqing can do not to cut in before she’s finished. She doesn’t need to apologize, she wants to say— but then, at the same time, what she’s saying is so embarrassing that putting an early end to it almost feels like the right thing to do.

It’d save her from the flush that’s spreading across her cheeks like wildfire, for one thing.

Still, it’s something she’ll have to deal with as they move forward, because there’s no chance she’ll feel less flustered until this is well behind them. Her mouth opens, and then closes, and then opens again, and then she huffs out a little sigh.

“It’s… fine, Xiangling. I’m just glad you told me before we sat down to eat.” Briefly, she lifts a hand to scrub at her silk flower-red cheeks, and then adds, “n- not that I, ah… I’ll still eat it, of course. Since you went through all the trouble to make it for me, and… because it might be nice to loosen up, but…”

A pause, and Keqing’s gaze darts away shyly.

“Knowing what I’m getting into in advance helps, a little.”

If Xiangling hadn’t told her… it’s easy to imagine herself trying to ignore the pepper-induced warmth, in spite of how frustrated that might leave both of them.

Xiangling had been prepared to get scolded, to have Keqing yell at her over not telling her about what the peppers were supposed to do. After all, she'd been already feeling guilty, so surely Keqing would feel the same way, right?

But then... Keqing doesn't yell at her. In fact, she's blushing. (A matching beet-red flush is on Xiangling's cheeks by now, too. She fidgets, her body tense, nervous energy from fingers to toes.)

"...you're not mad? You still want to eat them? Even if they... you know... do that?"

She says, giving Keqing a hopeful look, like that of a particularly cute puppy. After all, she'd only wanted to help, right?

“I- is it that surprising?”

It must be, if Xiangling is fixing her with that look. It’d be a lie to say Keqing isn’t horribly, terribly, chronically weak to her girlfriend, but that’s more true than ever, now.

“It’s not like I… don’t like doing that sort of thing. W- with you, I mean.” Even if she’s awkward about it, and even if she has the tiniest bit of trouble being forward about her wants. “So… if all you’re doing is making it easier for me, then…”

Why not? That’s what the awkward little shrug she gives seems to say.

“Let’s hurry up and eat, before it gets cold, okay?”

...is it? Keqing sure seems like she likes sex when they're together, but...

Oh man, maybe she's been overthinking it. "I guess not really," she says, almost like she's unsure how to proceed. But then Keqing admits that she likes it. She admits that she's up to the idea.

And Xiangling's eyes light up, practically sparkling. She leans forward, closing the distance so that she can quickly kiss Keqing on the mouth-- not for long, just a peck, but excited enough. "Mm-hmm!" she says, beaming. "Let's eat!"

She doesn't wait to pop one of the dumplings in her mouth, holding it with both hands as she takes a huge bite. "Ohhh, it's good!"

Come to think of it, they taste more or less the same than the normal chili peppers, don't they?

Xiangling is unfairly cute. First, it was her puppy-dog eyes that did Keqing in, and now it’s the way she lights right up. There’s a little moment, right as she steals that kiss, that she considers chasing her mouth for another one, but…

They’ll have plenty of time for that, won’t they? Especially once the effects of her dumplings kick in. In that regard, it might be a good thing that she didn’t linger for long.

So, Keqing is quick to follow her lead; she cradles one of the dumplings between her fingers and takes her first bite, savoring the… oddly familiar flavor of it. She’d expected it to be different, somehow, from the Jade Parcels she’s so familiar with, but maybe that was a mistake. Maybe the effect the peppers will have on them, and their color, are the only things that separate them from regular Jueyun Chilis? Stranger things have happened in Liyue, probably…

“I wouldn’t have expected anything less from you, Xiangling.” Another dainty, little bite— as one might expect, from the Yuheng— and she adds, “do you… happen to know how long it’s going to take?”

Another bite. She reaches for a second dumpling, and tries to decide if she’s feeling any different.

“For it to…” … get them hot? No, she can’t say it like that. “… y- you know.”

The prospective effects of the peppers are one thing, but Xiangling is nothing else if not a chef first and foremost. So she savors the bite, trying to work out the different flavors, trying to get a hint of something new in the mix. But... there's nothing new. It tastes just like every time she's cooked this recipe with these peppers. "Huh," she muses out loud. "It really doesn't taste any different to me. But you definitely got the right ones, so maybe it's not supposed to?"

It's good, though. Nice and crispy, just like she knows how to make it. Xiangling chews her next bite, rolling it around in her mouth, and swallows.

She gives Keqing a toothy smile. "No idea! It just said in the book that it's a side effect. It'll probably take a little bit to kick in, don't you think?" At least the food is good.

She sidles a little closer to Keqing, the free hand (not holding food) gently resting on hers. "Let me know if you start feeling anything, okay?"

Come to think of it, her face is a little hot. But that could just be Keqing being cute.

“Mm. You’re probably right about that…”

For once, it’s not like there’s any real rush, anyway; she doesn’t have anywhere to be, or anything to do, so… maybe she can just take her time, and enjoy the meal that her girlfriend put together for her, and when the effects of the peppers kick in, then that’ll be that. It’s a bridge for them to cross when they get to it— whenever that might be.

“The same goes for you.”

Slowly, Keqing turns her hand over beneath Xiangling’s, until they’re palm to palm, so she can thread their fingers together. It might not be the most efficient way to eat, but that little point of contact is… nice.

It makes the pleasant, tingly heat that’s settled in the pit of her chest grow and spread.

“Right now, I just feel warm.” Briefly, she averts her eyes. “You don’t think that could be part of it, do you?”

Oh. Keqing's hand is warm. Her fingers are soft, too. Xiangling knows she's got callouses from a lifetime of cooking and burning her fingers, and it's hardly like Keqing doesn't work, but it's a different sort of work, and for someone so talented and hard working, it's almost cute how dainty Keqing's fingers can feel.

Xiangling picks up the ceramic plate with her dinner on it, scooting closer to Keqing so she can sit next to her, resuming eating with one hand. She can't help but looking at her girlfriend, looking as the dying light catches the silhouette of her face, of her features. Even as she pops the next dumpling into her mouth, she's still looking.

Ah, her heart's starting to race.

She chews, chews, swallows. Her cheeks feel hot.

"...I kinda feel warm, too," she says. "So that's probably it. H-haha, my heart's beating a little faster, too."

She really just wants to finish her food so she can kiss her girlfriend.

Can she feel Xiangling’s warmth radiating out toward her, or is it all her mind playing tricks on her? It could be either, honestly, and the distinct feeling of Xiangling’s eyes on her face as she eats only makes it more difficult to discern what, exactly, she’s feeling.

Luckily, the confirmation that she isn’t the only one that’s a bit warm serves to clear things up, probably. Her gaze darts to the side as she steals a little glance at Xiangling, and she nods.

“Yeah… it must be, then.”

Any other explanation would be far too coincidental, wouldn’t it? So, Keqing polishes off her next dumpling, and then squeezes at Xiangling’s hand carefully.

“C- can we…” A pause. She trails off, like that might somehow slow the way her heart is racing. “… maybe shelve dinner, for a little while?”

It’s entirely possible that they’re on the exact same page, here.

By now, Keqing will know that if there's anything Xiangling hates, it's wasted food. She tries to keep her portion sizes quite reasonable for that reason! Sure, you can reheat food afterwards, often where it's nearly as good, but it's never quite the same.

So she'll understand that when Xiangling leaves the last dumpling on the plate, her heart thudding in her chest, her face a deep, rich pink... it means something. "Um, if you want, I wouldn't mind--"

She doesn't finish the sentence. She instead launches herself at her girlfriend, arms on her shoulders, pressing her lips to Keqing's. She can't wait.

It’s true that it’s rare for her to see Xiangling leave her food unfinished, but… it’s also rare for them to find themselves in the position they’re current in, isn’t it? So, she isn’t one to judge that little shift in behavior, not really, when it results in something as sweet— and as exciting— as her girlfriend nearly jumping her.

With a not-so-practiced ease, Keqing’s arms slip around her, dragging her even closer still. Her eyes slip shut, and she exhales a trembling, little breath through her nose as their mouths slot together, and— if she was unsure whether or not the peppers had kicked in before, there isn’t a doubt in her mind that they have, now. She’s kissed Xiangling dozens of times, but never before has it left her feeling so… alive. It’s like the faint buzzing, just beneath her skin, that she feels after activating her Vision.

“Xiangling,” she starts, pulling back just enough to murmur her girlfriend’s name against her lips, “I- I, ah…”

Here, Keqing pauses for long enough to steal another kiss, if only because it feels like the right thing to do. That’s yet another tick in the peppers’ favor, probably…

“It’s… definitely working.”

Another kiss; this one lingers longer than the last, and— after a barely-there moment of hesitation— Keqing parts her lips against Xiangling’s in a silent sort of invitation.

Xiangling feels a rush of excitement shoot through her body. Part of it is because she's kissing Keqing (with all the attendant promises of what's about to happen) and kissing her girlfriend never doesn't make her excited. But she's excited because it's working, because not only was her goal with the peppers a success but Keqing isn't even mad.

And she can feel it working. She can feel a looseness in Keqing's body that's usually not there yet, a comfort, a sense of desire that's usually not there until the middle of-- or even after-- their lovemaking. This worked. It worked better than she could hope for.

"Y-yeah, it is, isn't it?" she says, her breath hot against Keqing's face. One hand cups Keqing's cheek as she peppers the other girl's lips with kisses, seizing the unspoken invitation to slip her tongue into Keqing's mouth. The other hand slips between them, deftly unhooking the ornate clasp on the brooch that holds Keqing's outerwear together.

Normally, this might be where Keqing’s awkwardness starts to get the better of her; as layers start to peel back, and as they get closer to the main event, that troublesome habit of over-thinking things always, always creeps up on her.

Not tonight, though.

Tonight, it’s easy to let her tongue slide eagerly against Xiangling’s as she makes work of the clasp holding her outerwear on, and it’s equally easy to let one hand flit up to Xiangling’s throat, to unfasten the collar of her top in one, quick motion. At the same time, her other hand slides down— from her waist and over the curve of her hip, until her fingers can squeeze greedily at the bare portion Xiangling’s thigh that peeks out from the sides of her clothing.

That, too, is something she’d usually agonize over, but tonight, Keqing is already itching for more; Xiangling is warm and inviting, and it takes real, genuine effort for her not to speed things up more than they already are. With the work that her girlfriend put into planning this out and cooking for her, it’d be a waste to let that infamous impatience of hers dictate the pace at which they move, tonight.

Xiangling's legs slide up and over Keqing's, so that she's straddling her lap. One hand fumbles to try and tug that little cloaklet away from Keqing's body, putting it on the ground next to them. When her own garment gets undone, she shrugs off her vest as quickly as she possibly can without breaking the kiss for more than a few seconds.

She's hot. She feels so hot. And Keqing is so hot. How is her girlfriend this hot? Xiangling scoots up so that she's straddling Keqing's thighs, one hand sliding to the back of her neck, the other cupping Keqing's chin. She can't get the kiss any deeper but she yearns to possess this other girl. The feel of fingertips on her bare thigh is absolutely electric.

She can't quite help the way she rolls her hips, grinding softly against Keqing's lap as tongue slips against tongue.

Xiangling is so torn. She, too, doesn't want to rush it, but she wants to be naked now. Or, rather, have Keqing naked now. They need to feel each other.

It’s easy enough, at least, to take advantage of the way Xiangling moves to straddle her; Keqing’s hand glides up, until her fingers are nudging at the hem of her shorts, and she hesitantly lifts one thigh, pressing it up to meet each little roll of her hips. With every move she makes, the boldness that so often eludes her comes more and more easily, until she’s able to will herself to break their kiss in favor of veering down to bury her face in the crook of Xiangling’s neck.

Does she always smell this good? Or have the peppers heightened her senses on top of making her feel like every nerve in her body is alight? Or, maybe she’s just more in-tune with Xiangling than she normally is? Either way, she lingers there for a moment, as if she’s savoring this just as much as she does the delicacies that Xiangling cooks, before pressing a gentle, open-mouthed kiss to her throat. And then another, and another.

“I- I want…” she starts, breath fanning out warmly as she nuzzles in against Xiangling’s skin all over again, “… help me out of the rest of this, alright?”

… at least they’re on the same page? Keqing pauses there, squirming just slightly, before adding:

“And then… I- I’ll take care of you.”

Just to keep things fair, of course.

--oh.

The lift of Keqing's thigh provides just enough pressure and friction that the next time Xiangling's hips roll forward, she gets a nice little bit of pressure to grind against at the crotch of her shorts. The pressure tingles; her eyes flutter half-lidded. Xiangling is a girl who lives loudly and unrestrained, and she's not about to stop the contented sigh that escapes her mouth.

When Keqing's face slides into the crook of her neck and she feels warm kisses against her throat, her hand slides up to the back of Keqing's head, fingers toying with the loose strands of hair that aren't gathered into her girlfriend's twin tails. She angles her head away, giving Keqing more skin at her throat to lavish with attention. It feels electric, making her spine tingle; her other hand rests on Keqing's shoulder and squeezes.

That request couldn't have come a moment sooner. Xiangling pulls back just a bit so she can look Keqing in the face, her cheeks shining pink. "Uh-huh," she says, breathlessly, before she takes Keqing's face in both hands and kisses her again.

Her hands come down, fumbling with Keqing's clothes, as she tries to help tug her girlfriend's dress over her head. Ugh, she loves you, but why is your outfit so complicated?

If she wasn’t already itching for more, the way Xiangling responds to her touch— and the kisses she peppers her skin with— would do the trick. Since she is, though, it’s a small miracle that Xiangling acquiesces so quickly. Anything less probably would’ve led to Keqing fervently trying to tug her way out of her clothing herself, decorum be damned.

So, she’s just as eager as she’s been… since the first bite she took of her dinner, really, when Xiangling steals another kiss and, when she attempts to tug the rest of her clothing over her head, she finds that it’s easy to assist her; she squirms beneath her girlfriend, trying to ease the dress higher on her body, and then lifts her arms to slip them free of the sleeves, and—

“… i- if I’d known we were going to do something like this, I would’ve dressed down a little.” Only a little, though, because she likes looking her best. That’s especially true when Xiangling is involved.

That being said, Keqing shifts again, this time so she can hook her fingers in the waistband of her tights and work them down her hips just a bit. To get them off properly would mean making Xiangling move (or, at the very least, readjust her current position), and that’s the very last thing that she wants at the moment.

"Keqing..." she breathes, as she finally is able to pull the dress up over her girlfriend's head, letting it fall next to them on the grass, taking the time to admire Keqing's slim body in her underwear, how cute her curves are in the light of the cooking fire and waning light. Ah, her girlfriend's so cute. She's so cute! Xiangling's hands settle on her hips, trailing up over the waistband of her underwear, to her waist.

And then she tilts her head to the side. "Really? You didn't think we were gonna do this? But we're going out into the wild all by ourselves, so I kinda figured we would either way..." even if this gambit hadn't paid off.

Ah well, less time spent talking, more time spent kissing. She kisses Keqing's face, her cheek, her ears, and then finally her mouth. Her hands slide up behind her to unhook her bra.

“I- I guess it was always a possibility…” She admits, voice soft and just a tiny bit shy, between kisses. At the same time, she lets her hands skim over Xiangling’s body, trailing over her hips and thighs, across her back, brushing tentatively against the sides of her breasts. “I just wasn’t thinking about it too hard.”

Which is very… well, her, isn’t it? When they’d set out, she was more occupied with thoughts of making this endeavor a successful one, with what comes after— the more personal, and arguably more important, part— pushed to the side.

Now, though, it’s all at the forefront of her mind. Once Xiangling unhooks her bra, she shrugs it off, letting the fabric hang slack, until she can manage to pull her hands away from her girlfriend’s body, to let it slip off fully. And, once it’s gone—

“Your turn.”

She breathes that out more than she says it, dipping forward to press a brief, open-mouthed kiss to the hollow of Xiangling’s throat, and then moves to work at the clasps that hold the front of her top together.

Keqing is beautiful in front of her, especially as her clothes fall to the grass, leaving her bare in the dying sunlight, her body slim and pale and so damn sexy, Xiangling thinks. And yet, at the admission, she can't help but giggle, a barely restrained pfft. "That's really like you, Keqing," she laughs, her eyes sparkling.

"You're always so focused. I asked you for help and you probably were just thinking about all the ways you could help me, right? That's one of the things I like about you."

Then her girlfriend's mouth is on her throat, and laughs give way to little breathy groans, and when she feels the tension in her top go slack, Xiangling can't shrug off her top any faster. She wants to be with Keqing, rolling on the grass.

The garment slides off her shoulders, and then they're both topless, naked skin warm against naked skin. Xiangling's hands come up to Keqing's shoulders, and since Keqing is already leaning in against her neck, she doesn't push her away. Instead, she falls back, landing with a laugh on the soft grass, her girlfriend on top of her.

It is just like her, isn’t it? Even if she finds herself changing more and more these days, that side of her is one that always stays consistent; the sky is blue, and water is wet, and Keqing will always throw all of herself into whatever task she’s given, whether it’s her duty as Yuheng, or something more personal, like this.

“Mm. That’s… good, at least.”

Isn’t it? That Xiangling isn’t bothered by her occasional (more than occasional) single-mindedness. She doesn’t get the chance to agonize over that much, though— not when Xiangling is making such sweet noises for her, and especially not when she’s dragging her down onto the soft, green grass.

There’s a huff of what might sound suspiciously like a laugh as she steadies herself, hands planted in the greenery above Xiangling’s shoulders, with her knee rooted between her thighs, but maybe that’s only natural. For as awkward as she tends to be, it’s easy to let go when Xiangling is around.

Sometimes, at least.

“Don’t tell me we hauled a bedroll all the way out here for nothing…”

Is that a joke?

It is a joke, and Xiangling can't help but giggle again because Keqing is so cute, her poor serious awkward girlfriend on top of her in the grass cracking a faint joke, she's so adorable and the chef is just overwhelmed. She laughs, one hand sliding up along the naked ridge of Keqing's spine, underneath her purple hair, rubbing the soft skin of her back. "Well, we're going to have to sleep eventually, right?"

Probably.

They've done this for a while before, after all.

The knee between Xiangling's thighs, against her shorts, is just near enough to provide some pressure but nowhere near what she really wants. Xiangling scoots down a little on the grass, just a hair, enough so that she can push her hips off the ground, pressing herself against Keqing's thigh. She exhales. It feels nice.

The other hand, the one that's not on Keqing's back, presses up against Keqing's stomach from beneath, traveling down. And down. Until fingers are pressing against Keqing's crotch through the fabric of her tights. "I'll have to tire you out so we sleep really good, 'kay?"

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