Work Text:
There’s a throbbing pain running its way across the left side of her head and it’s impossible to ignore as she stumbles her way around the path. With her hands covering the inflicted eye, she turns her head to make up for the lost vision and spots the stairs; it’s risky but everything she’s done to get into that situation in the first place was risky so she continues on and takes her first few steps down.
She knows the adrenaline is wearing off and soon enough she’ll be facing the true consequences of her actions but she doesn’t take that into account as she makes her way down the stairs, ignoring the calls of one of Ningguang’s secretaries in the background — Baishi? Baixiao? Who cared?
She grunts as she walks into the railing, nearly falling over, and the wood digs into her stomach. A hiss escapes her lips and she feels the way her steps grow heavier as she trudges closer and closer to the open arch of Ningguang’s office.
She should seek first aid, should seek some sort of medical help and yet the thought of Ningguang hadn’t left her mind ever since the claymore dropped from her hands. She’s drenched in water and the remains of a sea monster and she’s sure she’s causing a mess to Ningguang’s beloved Jade Chamber but it’s nothing compared to the searing heat blooming across the left side of her face.
She just wanted to see Ningguang, just needed to see her one last time before she finally succumbs to the grips of death and her heart aches at the thought that this might be the last the woman could see of her. She’s determined to see her, determined to at least die in her arms and as she approaches the open air of Ningguang’s workspace, she thinks her wish might come true.
Ningguang’s eyes gloss over the documents placed out in front of her and her pen drifts over the surface, scratching in small edits and suggestions before sighing as she slides the paper onto her other pile. She takes another one but her brow creases in frustration as she hears the start of some commotion begin upstairs.
There’s a voice shouting, Baiwen, and her anger goes something along the lines of you’re soaked! You don’t have an appointment with Lady Ningguang, Captain! You’re not supposed to be here this late!
Beidou, of course — her displeasure abates and her gaze shifts up to find the pirate stumbling her way down the stairs. She assumes she’s drunk, just like she always is and she rolls her eyes at the captain’s inability to stay sober but slight annoyance shifts into worry as Beidou steps closer.
Her hand is secured tightly over her eye and from that blood is seeping down her arm, drenching her clothes even more than they were already wet. She’s limping — badly and she’s letting out some inhuman noises of pain before finally collapsing on her knees. A sob breaks out from the back of her throat and Ningguang freezes as she watches Beidou heave.
Ningguang swallows, “Beidou?” she calls out. She hopes it’s a dream, hopes that this is all some stupid practical joke that Beidou is playing on her but when the captain lets another sob wrack through her, Ningguang realises that it is serious after all.
She scrambles out of her chair and is on her knees in front of Beidou within seconds — she sees the way her hands tremble against her face and her heart drops into her stomach as she watches blood stream down her arms.
A shrill scream rings through the room as Beidou removes a hand from her face and observes the damage — her palm and fingers are painted in her own blood.
“Ningguang,” she cries, “Ningguang, please .” Her voice is hoarse and broken and she’s just barely pushing out her words as tears run down her face and she’s trying to keep all the different pieces of her together.
“What- what happened ?” Ningguang whispers; her hands hover somewhat hesitantly around Beidou and her brain is running through so many possibilities it might overload.
“Hai- Haishan,” Beidou sobs, “I- I don’t know what happened.”
Ningguang notices how her secretaries crowd by the entrance, faces coloured in terror as if they’ve seen a ghost. She’s about to wave them away, tell them that it’s none of their business before some sense knocks on her skull.
“Baishi, get a first aid kit, Baiwen, get a healer.” Her eyes narrow as the two women she called out seem to freeze in place. “Now.”
They scutter off in different directions and her focus returns to Beidou and the task of keeping her stable.
It looks like she’s murdered someone, Beidou thinks, looks like she’s plunged her hand into someone’s chest and pulled out their heart. Her hands feel clammy with how drenched they are in blood and now that the adrenaline’s worn off, pain is starting to bloom all over her body.
Her leg feels tight against her boot and there’s a dull throbbing pain crawling through it — the way she’s sitting with her weight on it doesn’t help either. Even under all the blood, she can feel the way her hands burn and sting and she wants to claw them off, anything for the pain to go away but they continue to ache even as she begs the Archons to spare her.
Her face is worst of all, a searing pain burning itself into her skin and it feels just like her eye’s been ripped out of her skull.
Has it?
A clawed hand rests itself on the back of her head and she’s pulled into an embrace; it doesn’t help with the pain but it does make her more tired. Her breathing’s frantic and erratic and she’s convinced her heart cannot go any faster than it already is. Her hands tremble and shake and she doesn’t know what to do but let her conscience slip out of her as Ningguang pets away at her hair reassuringly, whispering useless, sweet little nothings into her ear.
She’s slipping, her mind is slowly sliding further and further from her grasp and the only thing keeping her awake are occasional jolting pains that she wishes would just let her sleep.
“Beidou,” she hears faintly. She thinks Ningguang is saying it quite loudly but her ears only seem to be picking up so much noise. “Beidou, please. Stay with me.”
Beidou’s head drops onto Ningguang’s shoulder but a frown appears on her face as Ningguang lifts her head up and shakes her by the arms.
“You can’t fall asleep,” Ningguang tells her, “You need to get help first, Beidou, please.”
“I’m tired,” is her response, she thinks it’s enough of a reason but apparently not as Ningguang shakes her gently once more. She sounds panicked.
“No, I know, love, I know but you need to stay with me for a while longer, okay?”
“Ningguang, please,” Beidou pleads quietly — it’s broken and exhausted and Ningguang’s heart almost shatters as Beidou gives off another grunt of pain, “I just- I just want to sleep; it hurts too much.”
“I know,” a kiss is pressed onto Beidou’s forehead and Ningguang can taste the blood, “I know you do but you have to hang on a little longer, okay?”
There’s a clatter of footsteps as Baiwen returns with a healer in tow. Dr Baizhu’s steps are quick yet calculated and within a moment, Ningguang finds herself cast to the side as the man starts working away at Beidou. She’s hissing and groaning in pain and Ningguang watches every slight jerk and movement of the doctor’s hands as they gloss over tanned skin.
“Lady Ningguang,” he calls.
It takes her a moment to register it. “Yes?” her eyes shift over to where he’s looking at her.
“How long ago did this happen?” His eyes narrow as she sits there dumbfounded.
“I- I don’t know, I’m not sure,” she says weakly. He can see it in her eyes, see the hurt and the frustration and he knows she’s in shock so he lets her take her moment. “She came here about- about five minutes ago.”
He gives her a quick nod and what feels like not even a second later, Beidou’s being carried out of the office and to the stable ground of the harbour. Ningguang sits there, her hands are shaking and her heart is beating erratically fast and her legs tell her to go after her, to make sure that Beidou survives and yet all that she can muster up is a trembling sob. Tears spill from her eyes and she knows that her secretaries’ gazes are all on her and yet she can’t make herself care enough.
Her hands are clad in Beidou’s blood and she can’t shake the image of the pirate helpless in her arms as her life slowly wilts out of her. She’s shaken, shocked, and when Baixiao places a somewhat reassuring hand on her shoulder, all she does is jump.
“Lady Ningguang?” Her voice is soft, concerned with the well being of her superior.
“I’m- I’m-” her voice cracks and she looks down to see blood seep into her black gloves, staining the flawless metal of her golden claws, “I’m fine,” she pushes out.
Arms hold onto her and she’s helped up; her legs are quivering beneath her and with every step she takes, she feels as if she’s going to fall. The journey to her bedroom is longer than she had remembered it always being and when the door shuts as her secretaries leave, all she can do is tremble in worry.
The whole experience has her eyelids begging to be shut, her body pleads for her to get some sort of rest and yet all she does is worry and worry and it’s all getting to her head as the image of Beidou’s life slipping away from her replays over and over again in her mind. She tells herself Beidou will be fine, that Beidou has survived countless other things and that by the end of it, she’ll be back to normal.
However, there’s a little voice in the back of her mind, a small bug scurrying around in her chest and it tells her that Beidou’s died, died in the arms of the people that were supposed to help her. She imagines what Beidou’s last words would be, whether her final thoughts would include Ningguang to some degree.
===
Her knuckles hit the wood of the door she’s standing in front of as she awaits an answer. She can hear shuffling and groaning before the door finally opens and she’s met with the hissing sound of a snake.
“Ah, Lady Ningguang,” Dr Baizhu greets, “I trust you’re here to see the patient?”
She gives him a curt nod, “How is she?” She jumps straight into the questions and the man seems to find some amusement in that as he lets out a small chuckle.
“She’ll survive, I’m sure.” He sighs as he slides the door open further and with the motion of his hand, invites Ningguang into the room.
The walls are plain and painted in a light colour, shelves full of medicine placed with equal spacing. A window provides some sort of light, shining down just beside the bed where Beidou’s resting and a chair placed against the wall just by the bed.
Ningguang makes her way past Dr Baizhu and sits down in the seat, immediately taking Beidou’s hand in hers and bringing it up to her face. Her face is pale even under her tanned skin and her chest rises up and down slowly as if it were holding onto its last breaths. It’s a sight to see, the usually so live captain still and the thought that this might be the last she’ll ever see of Beidou drills a hole straight through Ningguang’s heart.
She holds onto her hand nonetheless; even with the fear of death looming around in the room and even with the possibility that Ningguang will never see Beidou’s eyes again. She holds onto her hand and doesn’t let go, even as she falls asleep beside her.
Ningguang’s not quite sure how long she’s been in the room for but when Ganyu drops by to check in on Beidou, she accepts the fact that a few days has passed at the least.
“Lady Ningguang?” Ganyu sounds almost surprised to see Ningguang there — especially with the state she’s in. Ningguang comes to find that the grief of it all has her feeling less embarrassed than she imagined she usually would.
“Good afternoon, Ganyu,” Ningguang sighs, eyes still drifting over Beidou’s unconscious form.
Ganyu stops in her steps, “It’s actually- it’s actually night.” Her gaze shifts over to where the pirate is rested. “I came here after I’d finished work.”
Ningguang’s brow drops into a frown, “Oh,” she shakes her head, “My apologies, I hadn’t realised it’d gotten so late.”
Ganyu gives her a reassuring nod, “No need to apologise, Lady Ningguang; I understand the stressful situation you’re in.” She lets out a small chuckle before stopping awkwardly in front of the bed. “I can’t lie and say I haven’t been worried sick since I heard the news.”
“I don’t know how she’ll do,” Ningguang admits and it quickly turns the room a lot darker than it was before. “I don’t believe I’ve been this affected by something in quite some time now.”
“That’s… an understandable feeling, Lady Ningguang.” Ganyu seems to make herself more comfortable as she sits down on the edge of Beidou’s bed.
A moment of silence is cast upon the room and they sit without a word of exchange for such a long time that Ningguang almost forgets there’s another person there.
Beidou’s hands feel rough against her own, they’re cold and uninviting yet Ningguang holds onto them regardless. Beidou almost looks peaceful as she sleeps, like she doesn’t have a concern in the world and Ningguang wishes she could do something to make her wake up. Maybe if she kissed her, would she wake up then? Perhaps the tales that the children down by the harbour were true; a true love’s kiss solves every problem, doesn’t it?
“I hope the work isn’t too much. I must truly apologise for my leave,” is what Ningguang settles with.
Ganyu seems to be lost in a world of her own as she appears to become slightly startled at the break in silence, “Oh, no,” she shakes her head gently and gives Ningguang a soft smile, “Don’t worry about that, we’re doing just fine. Take as much time as you need — the Qixing understands.”
Even though she knows that she doesn’t need the approval of others, Ganyu’s words bring her some sort of comfort and relief as she gives the adeptus a nod back.
“Thank you, Ganyu.”
===
It’s one week and three days before Beidou wakes up again. Ten whole days of aimless pacing and walking back and forth and the moment Beidou groans as her eyes crack open has Ningguang nearly crying again.
It’s been endless, the tears that stream down her face. If she wasn’t asleep, they were present. The thought of Beidou silently dying in her sleep haunts Ningguang like a bad storm and it’s all she can think about as she treads the space of the room Beidou’s recovering in.
Ningguang’s facing the window as Beidou wakes up, only alerted by the small creak the bed gives off as the pirate shifts around in it. She stills for a moment, her hands freeze against the windowsill and it’s only once Beidou lets out some audible noise of discomfort that Ningguang dashes to her side.
“Beidou?” she calls out. She hopes it’s not futile.
There isn’t a response for a while and Ningguang clutches onto Beidou’s hand in hope. She can feel the way her heart is almost pounding against her chest and her hands tremble as Beidou stirs once more.
There’s a quiet groan as the pirate’s brow creases into a frown and when she brings her leg up to find a more comfortable position, she lets out a small yelp. Her eyes don’t crack open until a minute later and Ningguang had never been more relieved to see the colour red.
Her shock doesn’t stop tears travelling down her face and Beidou looks at her as if she’s gone insane.
“Ningguang?” Her voice is hoarse and cracked and yet Ningguang can’t help but find it impossibly warm and comforting. “Oh no, why are you crying?”
Ningguang lets out a broken laugh at the fact that Beidou seems to be oblivious to her situation, “Oh, my love.”
A gentle smile makes its way onto Beidou’s lips, “You didn’t think I was going anywhere, did you?”
“You scared me so, dear,” Ningguang shakes her head and presses a kiss to Beidou’s knuckles, “You must not ever do that again.” She shifts so that she’s sat on the edge of the bed instead of the chair and she finds much comfort in the closed distance between them. Beidou thinks this is a great opportunity for a hug and so she leans up but she’s promptly stopped by Ningguang’s hands on her shoulders. She’s met with a shake of her head.
“One of your ribs are broken, you must not move.”
Beidou scoffs and resists Ningguang’s effort — she’s stopped as she freezes in pain and her face contorts into an expression of pure agony. “Oh fuck .”
Ningguang chuckles, leaning forward to adjust Beidou’s pillow as she carefully lays back down. “What did I say?”
“What other injuries do I have?” Beidou asks. Ningguang sighs as she brushes Beidou’s hair out of her face and cups her cheeks in both hands, her thumb rubbing a scar just beneath her eye.
“A broken leg,” she tilts her head and leans down to press a kiss to her forehead, “Electro burns and,” she pauses, fingers tracing over the outline of the cotton pad strapped to Beidou’s eye, “One less eye, I suppose.”
Beidou’s expression quickly sours and there’s a quick ache to her heart, “Is that why it’s covered?”
Ningguang nods, “What a smart pirate you are.”
Beidou doesn’t seem to be amused with Ningguang’s jokes as she frowns, “Will I ever be able to see out of it again?”
Ningguang appears to catch onto Beidou’s shift of mood relatively quickly and she takes Beidou’s hand reassuringly, tracing a finger over the thunder-shaped scars running along it. “I’ve heard the answer to that is no.” She notes the way Beidou bites her bottom lip in the way she always did when she was worried and so Ningguang leans down and gives her a kiss. “Don’t worry about it, Beidou, I’m sure you’ll be just fine.”
Beidou lets out an awkward chuckle and looks out of the window, her chest rising up and down with the movement of the tides, “You’re not the one who’s lost their eye, are you?”
Ningguang gives a squeeze to her hand — Beidou thinks it’s supposed to be comforting, “This won’t define you, you’re still Beidou and you always will be.”
Ningguang’s bed is heavenly — Beidou knew that from the numerous times she’s spent her nights in it but they felt a lot softer now that she knew that she could spend as much time as she wanted there. Ningguang had absolutely insisted that Beidou resided in the Jade Chamber whilst she recovered and whilst Beidou would usually fight back, she found it rather difficult to do so.
Her first few days out of Dr Baizhu’s medical room were the definition of boring. Sleep occupied most of her schedule and the few times she was awake were spent wolfing down any bit of food she could find — from the comfort of Ningguang’s silk bed, of course. Her limbs ache with an indescribable pain and it’s so frustrating not being able to do anything for herself and yet she endures it, all for the sake of Ningguang’s worrying mind.
Beidou tells her that she’s fine, that she feels better and that she doesn’t have to be hand-fed everything. She tells her that she can probably return to sea in a few days but it’s simply met with Ningguang’s piercing gaze, a look that tells Beidou to shut up before she regrets her next few words.
===
She’s walking around with the help of a crutch after a month. Not to much of her surprise, Ningguang’s with her every step of the way and she’s following Beidou around a bit too much for the pirate’s liking. It’s becoming repetitive and Beidou appreciates that Ningguang cares and yet she can’t shake the feeling of just wanting to be alone. It’s suffocating sometimes, being taken care of to the point where she thinks this is the life she will be destined to for as long as she lives.
It’s a quiet night, the wind breezes past the open window of Ningguang’s bedroom and Beidou props herself up with one of her elbows. Ningguang’s laying beside her, white hair splayed over her pillows like a sea of clouds and Beidou reaches out with her hand to play with it. It’s just as soft as it looks and Beidou loses herself in it as she cards her fingers through it over and over again. After a while, she hears a gentle yawn and looks down to see the way Ningguang’s eyes are just barely open; dark circles hang off of them and Beidou’s brow creases as her hand moves down to caress her cheek.
“Ning’,” she tilts her head and lets her thumb wander down to the woman’s bottom lip, “You’re so tired, please go to sleep.”
She’s returned with a soft smile and a shake of her head, “Not until you do, dear.”
“You don’t need to do this,” Beidou’s frown deepens, “You don’t need to look after me like this, I will fare fine on my own.”
“I want to look after you,” Ningguang counters, “I want you to know that I care, Beidou — so let me, let me show you that I love you, okay?”
“I’m not bringing you anything but work, Ning’,” she swallows and feels something tug at her heart, “I don’t bring you anything but bad luck.”
It’s Ningguang’s turn to frown and she sits up, taking Beidou’s hand in her own, “Where have you learnt that from?”
Beidou scoffs and she shuffles so that she’s putting less pressure on her leg, “It’s not something I’ve learnt, I just know it.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Ningguang insists, “That’s the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard you utter.”
“It’s true,” Beidou withdraws her hands from Ningguang’s face and her eyes drag over the scars weaving through her skin, “I know I’m a burden, I know that I’m bringing you unnecessary work. You should be taking care of Liyue, not me.”
“Beidou,” Ningguang sits up and gives her a stern look, “What are you on about?”
“And now- now I can’t even see properly and what am I supposed to do? What would my crew think of me?” Her hands begin to shake as word after word tumbles off of her tongue and Ningguang’s concern grows as she watches Beidou unravel herself in front of her. “What if I never recover fully? What if I’m just never going to be good enough for anyone again?”
“Beidou-” Ningguang reaches over and takes Beidou’s hand in hers, “You’re doing it again.”
A tear rolls down her cheek and when Beidou turns to look at her, Ningguang can see the frustration and the hurt dancing around her eyes and she just wishes she could resolve all of Beidou’s problems for her. Beidou’s hand trembles in Ningguang’s hold and she looks as if she’s physically restraining herself from sobbing.
“It’s okay,” Ningguang sighs as she wraps her arms around Beidou’s neck and pulls her down for a hug. She places her hand on the back of her head and rests it on her shoulder. “It’s okay, Beidou.”
A sob breaks through the pirate and it’s not much unlike her cries from the day of the incident; it’s filled with anguish and pain and Ningguang can feel her chest tighten as all she can do is listen to her. Her body slumps against Ningguang and she finds that she slips down, head now resting in the woman’s lap. Beidou feels so vulnerable in Ningguang’s arms, so open to the torment of the world and yet she trusts Ningguang enough to protect her from them. Lithe hands card through brown locks and Beidou’s rewarded with a kiss when she lets out a particularly painful cry.
The harbour is nothing like the sea; Beidou knows the sea like the back of her hand but when she returns to land, she needs Ningguang to hold onto. Ningguang knows that she will be there for Beidou every time she returns from the ocean but the fear that Beidou might not be there to return each time starts growing in her chest. It’s always been a lingering fear but the agreement between them always reassured Ningguang that Beidou would try her best to return, under any circumstance. It’s now that Ningguang realises that it might not be in Beidou’s control as much as she would like it to be.
Beidou ends with a shuddering breath, her mind finally falling into the pits of sleep and yet her hands continue to tremble. Ningguang bites her bottom lip in anticipation, waiting for Beidou’s breathing to even out and prove that she had fallen asleep. She brings her hand up to her face and her thumb wipes away at the sorrow running down her cheeks. A soft sigh escapes Ningguang’s lips as she leans down and presses a kiss onto Beidou’s forehead, fingers softly tracing over the edge of her jaw.
“Beidou,” it’s a whisper to open air and Ningguang’s eyes drift over the features of Beidou’s face, “You’ll be alright, won’t you? You’ll be fine, for me?”
===
There’s a quiet shuffling and groaning coming from Ningguang’s room and as she peers around the door, she feels her heart tighten in her chest. She doesn’t take another step in fear that she’ll startle Beidou and so she waits quietly outside.
Beidou’s stood in front of Ningguang’s mirror, one encrusted with the finest cor lapis in all of Liyue, with her hands grabbing at every scar on her body. She appears disappointed with herself, her fingers are almost angrily digging into her own skin as her eyes judge each and every imperfection present.
Ningguang’s face drops into a frown at the sight and she knocks gently on the door, “Beidou?”
The pirate jumps slightly at the noise and her eyes widen as her head snaps around to meet Ningguang’s, “Uh, Ning’- Good- Hey.” She quickly reaches over to where her shirt has been thrown onto the bed and covers her front with it. “Fancy seeing you here,” she awkwardly laughs.
“What are you doing?” Ningguang makes her way forward and notices the way Beidou takes a step back.
“Nothing- absolutely nothing, what else would I be doing?”
“Beidou,” she warns, reaching out and taking the shirt from her, “Come here.”
Like a sulking puppy, Beidou allows Ningguang to take her by the shoulders as she reluctantly steps forward, “Don’t look, please.”
Ningguang tries to not let her frown show, “Why wouldn’t I?” Her hands trail down Beidou’s shoulders and settle on the curve of her biceps. Fingers trace over the lines of scars covering the expanse of skin and Ningguang almost gets carried away.
“Because I don’t like the way they look.”
“They’re a part of you, Beidou,” Ningguang reminds her. “They’re what makes you, you.”
“What if I don’t want to be me?”
Ningguang looks up and Beidou’s biting her bottom lip again, her eyes almost as if they were on the brink of tears. “I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to be you; you’re the best person I’ve ever met.” Ningguang cups her face with one hand. “You’re the only one of you, you’re unique, in every way possible.”
“I’m bad luck, that’s what I am.”
“You’re my good luck, you’re the people’s good luck. There’s not a person in Liyue that thinks you’re anything but exceptional, Beidou, do you understand?” Ningguang sighs and her thumb runs under Beidou’s newly made eyepatch. “You’re Liyue’s treasure, you’re my treasure — I don’t value anything more than I value you, no matter how you look or what imperfections are on your skin. That’s all they are, small marks of past mistakes that are only visible on the surface; on the inside, you’re a person full of love and joy and I need you to understand that.”
Beidou lets out a shuddering breath as she lets herself melt into Ningguang’s touch, “I don’t know what to do with myself, I feel like I’ve failed.”
“You beat him, didn’t you?”
“And I got injured too.”
Ningguang shakes her head, “You can’t kill a sea monster and expect to not get injured, Beidou, that’s a ridiculous goal.”
“I just- I just wish I could have done better,” Beidou sighs, “I wish I could feel better about this.”
Ningguang tilts her head up and presses a kiss against Beidou’s covered eye, “You tried the best you could, that’s all that matters.”
===
Red meets red as Beidou looks up at Ningguang, feeling the way her slim fingers follow the curve of her face and she almost wants to shrink under the attention she’s being put through. There’s nothing but adoration and fascination present in Ningguang’s gaze and there’s a soft smile playing on her lips as she teases the edge of the eyepatch Beidou has on. It’s a dark red and Ningguang thinks it matches perfectly with the colour of Beidou’s eyes.
The pirate swallows, readjusting her hands that rest on Ningguang’s waist — she feels small under Ningguang’s eyes.
“Can I take it off?” It’s a gentle whisper; she doesn’t want to startle her.
Beidou meets Ningguang’s gaze and gives her a short nod, “If you want to.”
Ningguang shifts so that she’s sitting more on Beidou’s stomach than anything. She carefully peels off the fabric and her face instantly softens as she’s met with the sight of a white, pristine eye. All colour seems to have drained from it, leaving shades of grey in the wake of the previous red and yet Ningguang thinks it’s the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen. It looks like treasure. Her thumb traces the underneath of it and she marvels over how it seems to shine back at her.
“Can you see out of it?” she asks.
Beidou closes her uninjured eye and lets a sigh of disappointment escape her as she shakes her head slightly, “No.” A plain and simple answer and yet Ningguang can feel the pain dripping off of it.
Ningguang leans down and gives Beidou a kiss, lingering around her lips a little too long for it to not be tempting. “That’s alright, isn’t it?” she whispers, cupping Beidou’s face sweetly, “I know you’ll be alright.”
“You think so?”
“I know so,” Another kiss, “I am certain.”
===
Relearning how to walk without a perception of depth proves to be quite the difficult task for Beidou, evident by the way her hips are ridden in bruises from the different objects she keeps walking into.
It’s been around two months and Ningguang’s back to her work — partially. Beidou still resides in the chamber and Ningguang still insists that she takes care of her until she is fully recovered. Beidou has a bit more force to fight back with now.
Her eyes gloss over the documents laid out in front of her and she sighs as the tip of her pen meets the surface. She’s halfway through noting down some edits before she hears a loud shout come from upstairs and her heart immediately drops into her stomach as she’s reminded of that one night. Scrambling from her seat, all she can hear is the beat of her heart as she rushes up the flight of stairs only to see Beidou crouched over. Her head is thrown back and she seems to be clutching onto her hip.
“ Fuck ,” Beidou grits out between her teeth. It turns into a drawn out groan as her head drops.
“Beidou?” Ningguang’s heart is beating too fast and her hands are almost shaking as she reaches out to put her hand on the pirate’s back, “What did you do?”
“Walked into one of your stupid tables,” Beidou moans, “Since when the fuck was it there?”
Ningguang feels the way her heart slows down and she takes a relived breath in as she rubs circles onto Beidou’s back, “Dumb pirate.” She wraps her arms around her waist and smiles as Beidou rests her head in the crook of her neck. A hand rests itself on the sore spot and Ningguang notices the way Beidou’s breath hitches. Smirking to herself, she brings a finger to trace along the band of her shorts.
“Don’t,” she whispers, a broken chuckle slipping out of her lips as she shakes her head against Ningguang’s skin, “It actually really hurts.”
Ningguang sighs in some sort of acknowledgement before pressing a kiss to Beidou’s shoulder, “I thought you liked that?”
“Ning’ please,” Beidou sucks her breath in, “I’m pretty sure your secretaries are watching.”
“That’s a shame,” Ningguang hums, detaching herself from the hug only to go over Beidou’s collarbone with her finger, “I’m positive they would have loved to watch.”
“You’re horrible,” Beidou laughs quietly, “You know that, right?”
===
Ningguang doesn’t know she’s here, she hopes she doesn’t know she’s here anyways. Beidou lets a breath leave her lips as she looks out onto the ocean — it’s so vast and Beidou had almost forgotten the way she used to get so lost into observing it. The wind brushes past her as she sits on the docks; they’re fairly empty since after all, it’s well past two in the morning. She just hopes Ningguang hadn’t noticed her leaving.
It’s been around two and a half months since she’d battled against Haishan and as much as she appreciated Ningguang taking care of her, she found that she had started to miss the scent of the sea a little too much. It’s refreshing, being out in the open for once, being able to walk around like she used to, and she thanks the Archons that she’s been given the opportunity to do so.
Half of her had expected the Alcor to be docked at the harbour but she knows how many taxes comes with it and so she doesn’t blame them for staying in Guyun. Maybe, when she felt better, she’d pay them a little visit.
===
“Your secretaries are quite nice,” Beidou says as she crosses her arms behind her head. She’s lying on Ningguang’s bed whilst the former is busy working away on rewrapping her leg. It’s been three months of Beidou living in the Jade Chamber at this point and whilst Ningguang’s secretaries had previously not been very fond of Beidou’s company, they’d grown accustomed to it as time went by.
“Are they?” Ningguang hums, “I was under the impression you already thought they were quite nice , as you say.”
“I think Baixiao’s my favourite,” Beidou nods along with her own words.
“I thought I was your favourite, captain?” Ningguang tightens the cloth around Beidou’s leg a little too tightly and she smirks to herself as she watches Beidou wince.
“Ouch,” Beidou grumbles, “Was that really necessary? Don’t tell me you’re jealous over your secretary.”
Ningguang shakes her head and adjusts the iron rod running along Beidou’s calf, “What a ridiculous thought, dear, of course not. I know you wouldn’t leave me for the world.” There’s pure, unfiltered sarcasm dripping from her tongue.
“You know who would leave the world for you though?” Beidou snickers as she asks.
Ningguang tilts her head and smiles softly at her, “You?”
“No,” Beidou snorts, “Baishi or whatever her name is; seems rather interested in you.”
“Oh, I’m well aware of Baishi’s infatuation with me,” Ningguang rolls her eyes, “She’s a sweet girl — I don’t quite think she understands my point though.”
“Your point being that you’re with the best pirate that Teyvat has ever seen?” Beidou grins.
“My point being that I’m not interested in her because I’m with a thief of a pirate that never pays her taxes on time,” Ningguang sighs as she finishes tightening Beidou’s leg, “What a shame, you’ve got the looks to be a good pirate as well.”
===
Ningguang’s hands roam over her collar as they flatten and neaten any stray piece of fur sticking out of its place. Beidou tries to swat away her hands but it’s a futile effort as Ningguang simply carries on as if the pirate wasn’t against it at all.
“You have to look nice, it’s your first time out on sea in quite a while.”
Beidou crosses her arms across her chest, “What’s the point if it’ll just get messed up again?”
“That doesn’t matter,” Ningguang huffs, “You’re a representation of Liyue, you need to look presentable.”
“I’m a representation of the sea, the ocean, the monsters within it-” she’s promptly cut off when Ningguang tugs on her collar and brings her down for a kiss. It’s short and sweet and they’ve done it a million times before but Beidou can’t help the blush that creeps up on her face. Her hands do some sort of motion in the air as if she’s annoyed and wants to push Ningguang away but she can’t quite seem to get herself to do it. She hears Ningguang laugh.
“The Uncrowned Lord of the Sea seems awfully flustered after a simple kiss, wouldn’t you say?”
“You’re embarrassing me, Ning’,” Beidou frowns, “In front of my crew.”
“That’s a shame,” Ningguang hums, returning to her task of sorting Beidou’s clothes out, “I thought you’d like the attention.”
Beidou sighs and she’s about to respond before she hears a call of her name from behind her. She turns her head towards the source of the noise and gives her crewmate a wave of acknowledgement before she gets pulled down for another kiss.
“You don’t get to leave before I say goodbye, captain,” Ningguang warns her. “Order from the Tianquan.”
“Does the Tianquan smother other pirates in kisses before they leave for sea too?” Beidou raises an eyebrow.
“Only this particular one,” Ningguang rests her hands on Beidou’s shoulders, “Unless they’re especially handsome.”
Beidou rolls her eyes and nudges her with her elbow, “That’s not very nice, wouldn’t you say?”
Ningguang gives her a smile before wrapping her arms around her neck and pulling her into a hug, “You better go, captain, your crew’s calling.”
The ship drifts into the horizon as Ningguang stands on the docks, hands clasped together as she watches the Alcor slowly disappear out of sight. Instead of the worry that had occupied her chest for the last few months, she feels relieved and comforted to know that Beidou will make her way back to her no matter what.