Chapter Text
The door opens with a satisfying click as Ningguang heaves a heavy sigh, passing through the entryway, taking off her shoes and putting them on the rack properly — to set an example for her children and her awfully hard headed wife…mostly the latter, she thinks — before proceeding into her home.
She takes a glance at the wall clock in the hallway, and frowns at the time; it’s late, but she knows that. She knew she would be working late tonight, she told Beidou she would be working late tonight, and she told her children that mommy won’t be able to make it to dinner in time, but to not wait for her, yet that pang of guilt still hits her from time to time, especially with that solo portrait of her son with his sweet and gentle smile right above the wall clock, along with the rest of the family photos littered throughout the hallway. She ought to spend more time with her children, especially as they’re still young, but there’s work to be done, and mora to be made, so there’s really nothing to be done.
Except…hm.
Ningguang makes a mental note to take a day off tomorrow; it’s the weekend, and the urgent paperwork and meetings had been done and over with. Everything else, she’s certain her secretaries can handle just fine. They can go for a picnic, in an amusement park, or even a trip to the beach…
Her steps gradually slow before completely stopping as soon as she hears…noises. Childish and cartoonish voices and sound effects echoed from what sounded like the family room.
Usually it’s not a problem. She has children, after all, and they do watch TV. But it’s midnight; they shouldn’t be awake at this hour, much less watch cartoons.
She furrows her brows, and feels a headache start to form. Beidou let the children stay up late, again. And Ningguang is going to be the one who will deal with grouchy children in the morning, again.
Ningguang purses her lips and makes her way to the family room. Just as she deduced; the television was on, yet as she glanced at the couches, it was empty. She looks around until her crimson eyes meet with a wide, singular magenta eye from down on the floor.
“Beidou.”
She feigns a flinch when her name is uttered. If she gained 1 mora for each time her wife addressed her in that tone, she would have enough mora to buy them a new mansion. Maybe even a floating one for her wife, or a houseboat. She would’ve loved a houseboat, personally. “Good evening, beautiful, I trust your meeting went well?”
Despite her initial unamused reaction, Ningguang decides to play along with her wife and ignore the two sleeping little elephants in the room, for just a little bit. “It did, thank you, my love. The sale went very smoothly after the opposing potential buyer abruptly and unexpectedly backed out. I still wonder why.”
That was not a question and they both knew that. “That’s weird.”
“Why are you and our children on the floor and not in their beds?”
Beidou really does flinch this time around. A brief tangent, then straight to the point, she sees. “They wanted to wait for you,” she explains, “So we watched a movie while we waited — not that I was planning on letting them wait past their bedtime for you, by the way…look, my plan was to let them watch a movie, wait ‘till they fall asleep, then carry them back to their beds.”
“I’m guessing something went wrong in that plan somewhere along the lines.”
“I was not counting on the fact that they would actually fall asleep on me. If I get up or push them off, they’ll wake up, and you know how they get when I wake them up in the middle of their sleep.”
“Ah.”
“If it makes you feel better, I’m pretty sure they dozed off earlier than their bedtimes.”
Ningguang scans the site. Beidou is laying on the ground, blankets and pillows littered throughout the family room floor, no doubt a failed attempt to build a pillow fort of sorts, the television screen is playing some sort of kids movie, something about a lone Samurai boy finding home and family in a rowdy foreign pirate crew as they go into adventures together. She usually doesn’t pay too much attention to these movies, but it was Kazuha’s favorite film, and she does try to familiarize herself with her children’s interests.
Speaking of her children…
The two of them, indeed, lay on top of her wife to some extent, and both were indeed deep in slumber. Yaoyao, their sweet and curious daughter of almost two years old, is laying on her mother’s chest, sucking on her green little pacifier that they’ve been trying to wean her off of as she snored quietly. Beidou had been right, after all, as they had found themselves blessed with a baby girl along the way. They’re rethinking that “blessed” aspect, though, since while Kazuha been a quiet baby who mostly kept to himself; Yaoyao is a bit…different in that regard, babbling non stop as soon as she was able to realize it was fun, as well as becoming more curious and touchy with her surroundings as soon as she was able to waddle, to the point where Ningguang really had the entire mansion baby proofed.
While Yaoyao’s curious nature caused a bit of trouble for them, though, both parents would agree they wouldn’t have their daughter any other way.
(And yes, Beidou did make sure to commission a sturdier and bigger crib this time around. Was it worth it? Ningguang does not think so, though Beidou’s back will beg to differ, especially since Yaoyao is much more fussy and clingy than Kazuha had been.)
Meanwhile, Kazuha is using Beidou’s left arm as a pillow as he snuggles her side. The boy is a bit older now, his seventh birthday passed not long ago, and although he smiled and was grateful towards the big party and plentiful presents and toys his mothers and loved ones has gifted him, the boy seemed more thrilled about the hike Beidou had promised to take him in the next day, so Ningguang kept a mental note to change their approach in his upcoming birthday celebrations from then on.
And that, Ningguang feels, perfectly encapsulates the kind of person her young son is growing into. Kind and gentle, cares little for material things and wealth, and an endless appreciation for nature. He is nothing like his mother, Beidou once teased, but Ningguang did not have a problem with it. Kazuha is nothing like Ningguang, but that’s not a bad thing.
“See my problem?” Beidou gestures towards the two sleeping children with her free right hand.
“Of course, hmm, yes I do,” Ningguang’s hand snakes its way into her purse. Beidou furrows her brows at this, confused, until she sees her wife pull out her phone. Oh no.
Beidou glares. “Don’t you dare-"
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, my love,” Ningguang innocently shrugs at her wife, feigning ignorance as she opens her camera app and aims it right at Beidou and her children. It is an adorable sight to behold, and Ningguang is not a woman who would let such an important opportunity pass her by like that, as contrary to popular belief, mora and business is not Ningguang’s only loves, and she treasures her family and these small moments just as much.
(She can also tease Beidou with it, which is always a must.)
“Ning-”
A flash.
Then another, at a different angle.
Beidou stares at her wife in defeat and waits until she’s done admiring her photography skills and probably showing the entire world that the feared and legendary Captain Beidou is being a softie around her kids before she waves her right hand in an attempt to get her attention. “Now will you help me get these two to bed?”
Ningguang smiles sweetly at her, putting down her purse and phone as she walks over to where Beidou and the children lay. “Of course, love,” gently and quietly, she pries Yaoyao off of her and carries her, the girl never once disturbed as she snuggled closer to her mother.
The brunette let out a somewhat exaggerated sigh of relief as she felt the literal weight off her chest, before gently gathering her son in her arms. “You’re lucky the kids held me back.”
A snort. “Right.”