Work Text:
Back slouched against her headboard, Ningguang squinted at the document in her hand. Her free hand massaged circles on her temple, trying in vain to lessen the ache beneath.
She woke that morning with an uncomfortable tenseness in her neck, but thought nothing of it. Throughout the day, however, it had worsened into the incessant pounding that plagued her skull in this moment.
It was only late afternoon. Typically, Ningguang would work late into the night, only stopping when she either deemed her work complete for the day, or when a certain Captain would sneak into her office and force her away from her desk. The latter of which was much more frequent since the pirate had docked recently, and—though she would never admit it—quite enjoyable.
However, today, she’d only gotten through half of the documents that she had set aside for the day before giving in to the ache in her skull and retiring to her room. She was grateful that, while her morning had been meeting after meeting, her afternoon was fairly calm. She had taken the few documents which she deemed most urgent with her to bed for review, intending to get through them quickly.
In her typical, well-focused headspace, she would get through such an amount of work in upwards of half an hour.
However, two hours have passed, and she was still blankly, unproductively, staring at the first document. The fingers that had been massaging her temple shifted to instead claw at her skin in frustration. She hadn’t removed her gloves, so the claws themselves dug into her skin. And, with the ache of her skull engulfing her senses, Ningguang was unsure if she had pressed hard enough to draw blood.
The words on the paper made less and less sense the more she stared at them, and her frustration grew in turn as the words grew more senseless. She felt anger at her lack of productivity, but she also craved to stop working entirely, to allow her eyes to rest.
But Ningguang could not rest; she had a nation to run.
With such an unrest in her mind, the words on the page only grew more incomprehensible.
The torment of her futile attempts to work was interrupted by a loud crashing sound resonating from the other room. Ningguang flinched, and then groaned at the pain induced by her sudden movement. She finally turned her attention from the document, and glanced upwards at her door. The noise seemed to be from nearby—perhaps even from within her private quarters. However, with the amount of guards stationed throughout the Jade chamber, Ningguang was not all too worried about her safety.
On the contrary, she was the slightest bit hopeful as to who this surprise guest could be.
She glanced at her door expectantly for the next few moments. However, without the distraction of the document to force her eyes open, her eyelids slipped shut. Her head then fell back onto the headboard, and the gnawing of her fingers returned to a light massage instead.
It was then that she heard the door click open. She opened her eyes just in time to see that none other than the Captain of the Crux Fleet at her door, a smirk on her lips. However, that smirk seemed to fade when she noticed the state Ningguang was currently in.
Ningguang could assume how awful she must’ve looked: eyes riddled with pain, eyelashes fluttering in exhaustion, posture slouching, jaw clenched. However, she couldn’t muster up the motivation to push herself upright. Not when she knew that, in this rare instance, keeping up appearances wasn’t necessary.
“Surprising to find you in here at such an early hour.” Beidou spoke as she crossed the room, approaching the bed where Ningguang was settled.
“I had an early start this morning,” Ningguang replied indifferently, thankful that at least her tone of voice didn’t betray her.
“I don’t think that’s why, Lady Ningguang.”
Beidou’s reply was as smooth as the manner in which she slipped her hand onto Ningguang’s cheek, taking the place of the latter’s own hand. The pirate seemed more concerned than anything when Ningguang didn’t push her away.
On the contrary, she leaned into the warmth of Beidou’s hand. Additionally, she must have let a groan of discomfort slip out of her lips despite herself, because Beidou’s concern seemed to grow tenfold.
“What’s wrong, my love?”
Ningguang forced her features into a neutral expression, but didn’t pull away from Beidou’s touch.
“Nothing is wrong. I am completely fine.”
And Beidou had the audacity to laugh at the Tianquan’s words. It was a quiet laugh—a stark contrast to her typical, roaring laughter—but it was a laugh nonetheless. Ningguang felt as though she should be offended.
However, as Beidou’s chuckling died down, and the woman began to gently massage her head, any words of response died on Ningguang’s tongue.
“I’d be more inclined to believe you if you weren’t being so clingy,” Beidou said, resisting the urge to smirk as she continued massaging Ningguang’s temple. Ningguang sighed, with both relief and annoyance; but she gave in, revealing her discomfort.
“I have a slight headache.”
But Beidou only narrowed her eyes at the woman’s words.
“Slight?”
She gestured towards the motion of her hands, and Ningguang couldn’t help but sigh in feigned annoyance.
“Perhaps more than slight…”
A grimace painted Ningguang’s features, accompanied by her words. Beidou’s chest swelled with concern.
“You poor thing. Come here.”
Beidou sat on the edge of the bed, being cautious not to shift the mattress in a way that would be uncomfortable. She brought a gentle hand behind Ningguang’s head, pulling the woman close to her chest. Her other hand continued its gentle massages all the while, assuaging the pain little by little.
However, when Beidou placed a gentle kiss on Ningguang’s forehead, the woman let out a different sort of sigh—one which brimmed with contentment.
“When did it start, my light?”
Ningguang took longer than usual to process the question, squinting her eyes slightly as she attempted to think beyond the hazy fog in her brain. Beidou wasn’t persistent—how she usually would be with the Tianquan. Instead, she waited quietly and patiently, continuing her massage.
She finally spoke after a few moments, in a murmuring tone, lacking her typical perfect diction.
“It’s been worsening bit by bit since morning.”
Beidou nodded, her features growing more concerned, her actions more empathetic.
“And when did you come into bed?”
Ningguang paused once more, letting out a hushed hum of thought before speaking.
“A couple of hours ago.”
“Clearly you haven’t been resting,” Beidou then chided, gesturing towards the documents splayed out on the bed. Her tone of voice was much like the one Ningguang typically used to scold Beidou. As such, Ningguang didn’t respond, but she giggled to herself a bit. The imaginary weight on Beidou’s chest lifted momentarily, relieved to see the woman’s features lighten for a quick moment.
“There is still work to be done. I cannot rest at every minor instance of discomfort.”
That weight of concern returned as quickly as it had left.
“‘Minor instance of discomfort’? You can barely hold up your head!”
She noticed the woman’s movements and breath freeze for a moment as she contemplated a response.
“Even despite that, I cannot risk an oversight. There is still much to do.”
The muttered tone in which she spoke made Ningguang’s words far from convincing. Pointedly, Beidou grabbed the closest document to them, turning it over to the blank side on the back.
“No, not now there isn’t.”
Ningguang groaned slightly, but didn’t persist any further after. And while Beidou was relieved to not have to deal with the woman’s stubbornness any longer, her eventual willingness to stop working was worrying. She had to have been quite severely in pain to give in at all; however, Beidou’s ministrations were nothing if not addicting.
“Rest now, my love.”
Ningguang didn’t reply verbally; she simply closed her eyes, following Beidou’s direction. After a few moments, she lifted her arms, weakly circling them around Beidou’s waist. She let her head settle on the pirate’s collar with a sigh.
For many moments, the pair sat in silence, Beidou continuing her gentle massage. From the steadiness of her breath, it seemed as though Ningguang was asleep, and Beidou had no intent to wake her if that was the case.
However, Beidou wasn’t quite certain whether or not the Tianquan was still conscious, as the tension in her eyebrows and forehead didn’t seem to lessen despite her gentle massaging.
After some time had passed, a noise resonated from elsewhere in the Jade Chamber—likely the shutting of a door or window. It wasn’t quite loud enough to be jarring, but it encouraged Ningguang to blink her eyes open. She glanced up at Beidou with a questioning glance.
“Did something drop…?”
“Nowhere nearby. Don’t worry,” Beidou replied, her voice soothing.
Ningguang hummed in acknowledgement, and then sighed, turning her head slightly on Beidou’s chest.
“Did it wake you?” Beidou inquired.
“I was not asleep…”
Ningguang’s words were spoken through a sigh; her eyebrows were still knotted quite severely. At the very least, she no longer seemed to be hiding the fact that she was in pain.
“Would you prefer to lay down?”
Immediately after those words slipped through Beidou’s lips, she felt Ningguang’s arms tighten around her waist.
“I am exceptionally comfortable as we are.”
Beidou smiled despite herself. “Alright.”
With that, Ningguang’s eyes slipped shut. Beidou continued her attempts at comfort, but shifted positions slightly to massage the Tianquan’s scalp instead of her temple. Her usual hair clip had been abandoned and was now sitting on the nightstand beside her bed; removing it had been the woman’s main reason for retreating to her private quarters.
However, like before, Beidou’s comforts didn’t seem to ease the woman’s pain in any significant capacity. If anything, her condition seemed to be worsening. The knot between her eyebrows tightened; the weakly-placed arms around Beidou’s waist squeezed tighter, and she began to grip at the woman’s shirt.
Beidou held back any comments, deciding not to interrupt the only rest that Ningguang had allowed herself all day. The only rest she would allow herself for a long time, no doubt.
However, once a weak whimper escaped Ningguang’s lips, she couldn’t bite her tongue any longer.
“Ningguang?”
“Mnh…?”
A wordless reply such as that was extremely abnormal for the Tianquan. If she were in her typical, cognizant state of mind, she would hold back such replies, out of fear of being found unbecoming. Although, of course, Beidou would never think such a thing.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” Beidou then asked, turning her head slightly to tuck Ningguang’s under her chin.
“Your presence is more than enough.”
Her reply came slurred through a sigh, her words muffled into Beidou’s chest as she resisted a wince. Beidou frowned, and she hugged the woman a bit closer to her chest after those words.
The sentiment was heartwarming; on the other hand, the manner in which Ningguang had spoken was beyond worrying. Such a tone was so unlike her that Beidou’s concern grew tenfold upon hearing it.
As Beidou continued her ministrations, her eyes drifted towards the window on the opposite wall. The blinds were not shut despite the feeble condition of the room’s inhabitant. When Beidou offhandedly spared a glance at the treetops, an idea came to mind.
“Do you think the Jade Chamber’s up high enough to worsen your headache? Air is thinner at high altitudes, no?”
Ningguang’s eyes blinked open blearily. She glanced up at Beidou with slight confusion painting her features.
“I suppose… you’re not wrong,” she replied. “But, what are you suggesting?”
Beidou smirked: a wide, cheeky grin that swept from cheek to cheek.
“How does a night on the Alcor sound, My Lady?”
Ningguang couldn’t help but chuckle at the formal tone Beidou had jokingly taken on. However, her chuckling was cut off far too quickly, when the slight movement caused her to wince.
“Clearly, I am in no state to walk through Liyue Harbor.”
Beidou was not fazed by this slight rejection, however. Her smirk only grew wider.
“Then I shall carry you, my dearest Tianquan.”
A sigh slipped through Ningguang’s lips, and slight amusement painted her features.
“It is quite the enticing offer.”
“Is that a yes?” Beidou probed.
Ningguang was now smirking as well.
“Indeed it is, Captain.”
At that, Beidou’s smirked morphed into a genuine grin, and a sense of relief washed over her. Even if the change in altitude had no effect, at least on the Alcor, Ningguang would not be trying to rest in her place of work. Perhaps it would be easier for the woman to relax if she was not shown a constant reminder of the work being missed—in the form of documents sprawled out across her bed.
Gingerly, Beidou brought one arm beneath Ningguang’s legs in the crook of her knees, keeping the other firmly behind her head. She pulled the woman’s figure closer to her chest, but didn’t lift her into the air quite yet.
“You ready?” Beidou asked for assurance.
Ningguang responded with a pointed, affirmative hum—a noise let out through slightly upturned lips. With that, Beidou lifted her into the air.
Ningguang threw her left arm over Beidou’s shoulder to steady herself, and placed her right hand on top of the pirate’s arm. Her head fell back to rest against Beidou’s bulky, flexed shoulder. The tension in her expression faded slightly at the warmth emanating from Beidou’s skin.
She felt extremely small in Beidou’s arms, with the pirate being as broad shouldered and muscular as she was. However, the sensation was comforting; she felt undeniably safe .
After exiting the Jade Chamber, Beidou led them down a lesser known path through the woods on the outskirts of the city. It was silent, save for the hushed chirping of crickets and the pair’s breaths.
Ningguang had brought her right arm across Beidou’s chest to clasp her own hand, encircling her arms around the pirate’s neck. Her head now fell forward onto Beidou’s; her exhales tickled the woman’s cheek. Her eyes had slipped shut to block out the light of the now-setting sun.
And, to Ningguang’s surprise, she had felt slightly better after only a few moments on the ground. She knew never to doubt Beidou for such things—though she would never reveal that to the other woman, of course.
Beidou brought them through a lesser-known, back entrance of the ship: a spot where they would be out of sight of the civilians on the harbor and of much of Beidou’s crew. Those that did spot them seemed to give them space, which Beidou was grateful for.
While Ningguang’s eyes were still shut, she had an innate ability to tell when someone’s eyes were on her. However, this skill did not come into effect, and she remained placid even as they walked through the ship. If not for the slight change in the sound of Beidou’s footsteps when changing from grass to wood, she likely would not have noticed that they boarded.
After a couple more moments, they arrived at Beidou’s quarters. Beidou couldn’t help the smile that painted her features when she glanced over at the woman in her arms. Her brow was still knotted, but her eyelashes were no longer squeezing shut; rather, they were closed gently enough that Ningguang’s eyelashes fluttered ever so slightly against Beidou’s skin.
Beidou shut the door to her bedroom silently before engaging the woman in her arms.
“We’ve made it, Madam Tianquan.”
Ningguang chuckled slightly, deciding to play along.
“I thank you for the safe and secluded journey, Captain.”
As they crossed the room, Beidou flipped the single pillow on her bed vertically, propping it up against the headboard. She maneuvered Ningguang in her arms slightly before setting her down on the bed, ensuring that the woman’s head was leaning back comfortably.
“I’ll be back in a moment, My Lady.”
Beidou finished her words with a kiss to the bridge of Ningguang’s nose. The action and her words caused the woman’s eyes to flutter open. Through half lidded eyes, she projected a curious sense of longing.
“Don’t go, Beidou.”
Beidou’s heart nearly broke at the woman’s pleading tone.
“I’ll be quick.” A kiss was placed on Ningguang’s forehead. “You’ll barely notice I'm gone.”
With that, Beidou hurried out of the room. Ningguang’s eyes shut once again, and she focused on the slowly decreasing sound of Beidou’s footsteps.
Beidou, of course, kept to her word of being quick. Mere moments later, she was re-entering the room, a stack of pillows in hand. Ningguang glanced over at the door when she heard the knob click, and smiled at the sight of the woman.
“I stole some pillows from my crew,” Beidou spoke as she approached the bed. “I know you need at least four to get comfortable.”
Ningguang chuckled.
“While I appreciate the sentiment, how will your men sleep comfortably without those?”
“They can manage one night for their dear Tianquan.”
As she spoke, Beidou sat on the edge of the bed with three pillows in her lap. Gingerly, she placed a hand behind Ningguang’s head, helping her sit up. The woman’s arms were a bit shaky as she pushed herself up, but with Beidou’s help, she managed a nearly straight posture.
Beidou straightened out the pillow that Ningguang had been leaning against, before placing another on top of it. She then placed a third pillow on the far end of the bed. With this arrangement set, she guided the Tianquan to lay back down, her head sinking into the pair of pillows, and her back leaning against the third.
To finish, Beidou handed her the fourth and final pillow, and Ningguang gratefully took it from her. She tucked it below her chin and loosely wrapped her arms around its center.
Finally settled, and the most comfortable she had felt all day, Ningguang let out a long sigh of contentment.
“You know me too well, Captain.”
Beidou only smiled, placing a thumb in the space between Ningguang’s eyebrows, cautiously unfurling the knot of tension that had formed between them.
“How are you feeling?”
Beidou’s eyes were soft, and filled with worry—worry which was quelled slightly at the woman’s response.
“Quite a bit better…”
Ningguang’s words were a mere muttering, as the warmth of Beidou’s bed and the comfort of her touch was beginning to lull her to sleep. However, when she spared a glance up at Beidou, her eyes were more alert than they had been all day.
“Won’t you join me?”
And Beidou couldn’t say no—not that she would’ve wanted to in the slightest.
“Of course. Anything My Lady desires.”
Ningguang chuckled through an exhale, closing her eyes. She felt the pillow on her back being slowly pulled away, before it was replaced with Beidou’s chest and torso. The pirate shifted upwards slightly on the bed, tucking Ningguang’s head under her chin. A slight smile swept across Ningguang’s lips as the pirate slipped an arm around her waist, and brought the other up to her face.
Like before, Beidou massaged gentle circles on Ningguang’s temple and upper cheek, assuaging the pain bit by bit. Ningguang continued to grasp the pillow with one hand, but held onto Beidou’s arm with the other.
“Try to sleep, my love. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Ningguang’s grip grew firmer around Beidou’s arm, as did the upturned curve of her lips.
“I had envied laying with you since waking this morning.”
Her words were nothing more than a whisper, but Beidou was close enough to hear them perfectly clearly. Beidou couldn’t stop herself from grinning; her lips were curved upwards even as she craned her neck downwards slightly to place a kiss on the crown of Ningguang’s head.
“I hope it’s as you’ve envisioned.”
Ninggaung smiled.
“It is all that and more, Captain.”
With that, Ningguang sighed, some of the remaining tension draining from her shoulders. The arm around Beidou had placed around her waist remained firm, while the hand at her face was featherlight in its touch.
Just as her breath evened out enough that Beidou thought she was asleep, a few muttered words tumbled out of Ningguang’s lips.
“Thank you, Beidou.”
Beidou was all but beaming, and placed another kiss on Ningguang’s head through her smile. However, before she could respond, the woman had fallen asleep. Her lips were slightly parted. There was a gentle cycle of Beidou’s arm lifting and falling as Ningguang’s chest expanded with each breath. But most importantly, her features were relaxed.
Beidou couldn't help but feel a sense of superiority; she was likely the only person to ever see Ningguang in such an exposed way.
With the warmth of Ningguang’s figure in her arms, it didn’t take much for Beidou to follow her into slumber.
__________________
When Ningguang next woke, it was due to the rising sun shining through the window lining the top wall of Beidou’s private quarters. Her mind felt substantially clearer, as the pain in her head had dissipated entirely. Based on the low angle of the sun, it had just risen, meaning that it was still quite early.
A quick glance at the small clock on Beidou’s nightstand confirmed her assumption. Likewise, it confirmed that Ningguang was not in danger of missing any early meetings.
In fact, she would still have time to adequately prepare for them.
However, there was one pressing issue: how to get out of bed without waking the woman behind her.
Beidou’s arm was still wrapped loosely around her waist; the hand that had been on Ningguang’s head had drifted down to where neck and shoulder met. Ningguang chuckled slightly at her minor predicament, before gently removing Beidou’s hands from her figure.
Once standing, Ningguang placed a pillow in Beidou’s arms to act as her replacement, smiling as the pirate began to squeeze it firmly.
Decidedly, Ningguang pulled a notepad out of the singular pocket in her outfit. Taking a pen from Beidou’s desk, she wrote out a short note, informing Beidou that she would be taking her leave and thanking her for her actions the previous night.
Ningguang then placed the note next to Beidou’s face on the bed and returned her pen. Smiling, she leaned over to press a kiss to Beidou’s forehead, before stealthily making her way off The Alcor.
When Beidou came across the letter a few hours later, she couldn’t help the wide grin that swept across her lips when she glanced at the way it was signed.
Ningguang had used paper that had the words Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing pre-written on the bottom. However, she had signed it a bit more personally despite this.
The ending read as follows:
“Yours,
Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing
Ningguang.”
Beidou folded up the letter, saving it in her desk drawer, before starting the day with a heightened sense of joy.