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Nangong Jingnu was exhausted these days, barely having time to eat or sleep, let alone spend time with the Imperial Husband.
She missed Qi Yan so much, it was a longing that pounded at her heart and ate at her bones.
She didn’t think she had ever wanted to throw away her responsibilities more, to lie beside that imperial husband just once this week.
She couldn’t remember the last time she saw Qi Yan for longer than a minute, before once again being swept up in another problem with the court or the kingdom. Qi Yan never seemed to mind, the kingdom did need her, and could hardly be run without her. She only wished Qi Yan would need her. If Qi Yan said the words, there was no doubt she’d drop everything to stay by their side.
On her way to court that morning, she was donned in the usual heavy court attire meant for the emperor, crown and all. The beads jingled as she walked, her attendants should’ve been close behind, seeing as she could never really be alone now that she had ascended to the throne.
She paused before entering the court, looking behind her to see that the usual gaggle of people following her were gone.
Nangong Jingnu frowned, seeing a figure pass the hedges and move to the corner behind the building. She was quick to follow, heels clicking on the concrete.
“Hey! where are you going?” She shouted, lifting her robes to chase after the individual. She wasn’t really in the mood to get assassinated today, she had someone to see before she could go anywhere. No one would take her away from Qi Yan prematurely.
Nangong Jingnu ran past the corner, quickly whipping her head around to get a glimpse of the figure she saw before. But, a hand grasped her inner-elbow, jerking her behind the building. Nangong Jingnu gasped, anger quickly surfacing and reddening her face. She was prepared to yell and maybe slap the person around before that same hand covered her mouth.
She saw golden eyes before the scream could leave the cleft of her lips. She could never mistake those eyes.
“Yuanjun?” She whispered, her voice sounded muffled beneath the hand. She was confused, but delighted. Her stomach flipped, the butterflies hibernating there rampaging and leaving her a little breathless.
“Your Majesty.” Qi Yan sighed, dropping their hand.
“What’re you doing?! Where are my attendants? Do you intend to get caught? How could I explain your presence? Believe me, Yuanjun. I hate hiding you away more than anyone but I have to protect you—”
Qi Yan smiled warmly, cupping the revered Empress’s face in their hands, “Your Majesty, calm down. No one saw me, and your attendants are fine.”
Nangong Jingnu blushed, eyes-darting to the side in worry, she fought the urge to melt in the imperial husband's embrace, “Then what are you doing here?”
“This subject has just missed Your Majesty so much, it’s been over a week since this subject has seen you…” Qi Yan tilted Nangong Jingnu’s face this-way and that-way, taking in her taught face and darkened under-eyes. “And this subject can see why, when was the last time Your Majesty slept or ate?”
“I…” Nangong Jingnu was prepared to lie, but found herself tongue-tied, she couldn’t lie to Qi Yan. Instead, she exploded in a faux-rage, “The kingdom needs their emperor!”
“This subject has overstepped, Your Majesty is right. Forgive this one for their impertinence but what good is the emperor if she’s dead?” Qi Yan raised a perfectly narrow brow, they looked upset, but their hands stayed warm resting on Empress ZhenZhen’s face.
Stumped, Nangong Jingnu ‘tsk-ed’ but glanced up at Qi Yan guiltily anyway, “I’m sorry, I promise to rest and eat well tonight.”
Qi Yan nodded, smiling in satisfaction, “That’s all this subject wanted to hear.”
“Mn.” Nangong Jingnu tilted her head up, her mouth seemed to get poutier as her eyes filled up quickly with pearl-like tears, “I miss you, Yuanjun.”
Qi Yan laughed gently, shoulders shaking as they stooped closer and nudged Her Majesty’s cheek with their nose, “Where did that fierce Emperor go? This subject is suddenly feeling transported back to a time when Your Highness~ was just a silly little thing.”
Nangong Jingnu scoffed, mouth bumping against Qi Yan’s jaw, “Stop teasing! I’m serious, I miss you.” She whined, suddenly overcome with the need to cling helplessly to the only other person in the world she had left and the only other one she could wholeheartedly let her guard down around.
Qi Yan grew silent, as their face-too screwed up in a rather sorrowful display, “This subject has missed you too.”
Nangong Jingnu whined again, nothing more than a pitiful “Qi Yan…” escaping her lips. She didn’t know what she was asking for, just that she knew she needed something and now.
Qi Yan moved, dropping their hands to rest a palm on the wall behind Nangong Jingnu, effectively bracketing her against the wall. With the tips of their noses just barely brushing again, their eyes locked.
Qi Yan glanced down to Nangong Jingnu’s red-bitten lips with a sudden and hungry look, they lifted their free hand with a sort-of reverence, thumb only skimming her lower lip.
Nangong Jingnu didn’t know who moved first, but suddenly they were kissing. In hindsight, going as long as they have without even seeing each other, it made sense that it was messy to start. Qi Yan kissed her with the hunger of a dying man, like her mouth was the first drop of water in the middle of the desert, and it was good.
Someone groaned, she didn’t know if it was her or Qi Yan but the effect was instantaneous. She gasped as a result, allowing Qi Yan the entrance to lick into her mouth.
Qi Yan wrapped an arm around Nangong Jingnu’s waist, and cupped the nape of her neck, dragging her in so close their bodies touched.
Their mouths slid hotly, prompting Nangong Jingnu to whisper ‘oh heavens.’ Their lips parted with a wet smack, but this didn’t deter Qi Yan who instantly reattached their mouth to the spot just behind Nangong Jingnu’s ear, sucking at the skin languidly but forgoing any real damage. She still had court after-all.
Speaking of, “This hat is—fun” Qi Yan murmured, their voice a lot rougher than usual, eliciting a strange feeling at the bottom of Nangong Jingnu’s heart.
The emperor’s hat was still on Nangong Jingnu’s head, and the beads were hitting them in the face. They laughed, heads bending together as they giggled.
The heat between them died down, but they stayed pressed together tightly, reluctant to let go.
“I have to get to court.” Nangong Jingnu said.
Qi Yan tightened their arm, panting along the shell of Her Majesty’s ear, “Throw away your duties, stay with this subject.”
It was the same words Nangong Jingnu longed to hear for days, but they were much too late, this time. “Not today, Yuanjun.”
Qi Yan nodded, letting go of their lawfully-wedded wife with hesitancy. “This subject understands.”
“Tonight I’ll sleep in the estate, and stay with you all day tomorrow, I’ll throw away my duties tomorrow. Is that okay?” Nangong Jingnu grasped Qi Yan’s hand, squeezing desperately.
“Mn. Tomorrow.” Qi Yan echoed, squeezing Her Majesty’s hand back.
In a joking manner, Qi Yan parted the beads of the emperor’s hat like a curtain, “This subject is having trouble seeing your eyes.”
Nangong Jingnu laughed, sudden and unbridled, hitting Qi Yan on the arm with disbelieving mirth, “You’re a mess.”
“For Your Majesty, this subject would be anything.” Qi Yan pressed another kiss to Nangong Jingnu’s mouth—quick and chaste, but gentle all the same.
“I’ll see you at home.” Qi Yan said, and then they were gone.
Nangong Jingnu watched them go with a terrible longing, brushing away the tear attempting to fall from her eye. She took a deep breath and wiped at her mouth, reassembling that revered mask of Empress ZhenZhen. She had a kingdom to run.