Work Text:
When Beidou had told Ningguang that she had scheduled a special vacation for them, Ningguang definitely didn't expect this.
"Annndd we're finally here", Beidou dropped the three bags with Ningguang's belongings to the ground.
"Beidou, darling, are you sure we're at the right place? It's completely fine if you accidentally took a wrong turn, we can always go back in the car and enable the GPS-"
Beidou cut off Ningguang with a finger in her mouth and slinged her arm around Ningguang's shoulder, pressing them together. Beidou inhaled deeply, making sure to exaggerate the motion by using her hands to push the air in her nose.
"Ningg,", she whispered, "Fill your lungs with fresh air, forget about the city for once and connect with mother nature, I already feel better"
Ningguang's hands tightened around the small handbag in her hands. If this whole excursion meant so much to Beidou, maybe she could give it a chance. It's not that Ningguang despised nature. Quite the opposite, she loved taking care of the plants in her office and walking under the trees in the pavement through the crowded city streets. Her eyes roamed around the green scenery filled with nothing but trees and occasionally some rocks. Who is she kidding? Ningguang wanted to run back to the car the moment her shoes touched the dirt. Watching how Beidou's eyes lit up when she pulled on the handbrake, she didn't utter a single complaint. Despite it's not like she would stay here forever. Spending a few days in the core of Earth would be good for her, taking a break from city life and relaxing a little bit, according to Beidou.
Ningguang smiled at Beidou and gave her a small kiss. Beidou's wide grin was all that Ningguang needed to see to know how important this trip was for Beidou. It's been some time since they had time for themselves. Ningguang was always busy in her office, her eyes stuck in the image of stocked paperwork in the corner of her office. Council meetings, tax management documents, files with countless names and numbers haunted her everyday. As for Beidou, she was rather busy at her gym. Clientele has increased the past month since the start of the summer season. Beidou desperately needed this vacation with Ningguang. Despite her flexible work schedule, Ningguang on the other hand had no near one. She would lock herself up in her office and leave in the dead of night.
"Alright now that everything is settled, I'm going to grab the tent and my bag from the car trunk.", Beidou clapped her hands together in happiness.
Ningguang glared around the scenery as she waited for Beidou to fetch the items. She wasn't sure whether the fact that the place was somewhat out-of-the-way and didn't have a single trace of human civilization or the excessive and suffocating amount of greenery that surrounded her, that made her feel so uneasy. How would her poor body survive in such wild living conditions?
After some time, she could really feel the heat after standing under the summer sun for so long. She sighed and reached for the portable chair that Beidou had set down among the items. She grabbed her fan from her handbag and began fanning herself as she sat down in the nearest shade while wearing her Bvulgari Flora sunglasses. Crossing her legs on the chair, she prayed that this fan would hopefully do its job and Beidou would return
Fortunately for her, Beidou didn't take long to come back. At the sound of her footsteps, Ningguang lowered her head to let her sunglasses slide a tiny bit off her nose to have a better look at Beidou, never stopping once the fanning stopped.
"Took you quite a while. I almost thought you abandoned me here in the wilderness", Ningguang scoffed.
Beidou dropped down the heavy and dismantled tent equipment with a loud thud before speaking "Eh, that thing was kind of heavy.", Beidou's eyes narrowed when she saw Ningguang's position "I see you've already made your pretty ass comfortable", she raised an eyebrow.
"Couldn't bear standing for so long in such weather.", Ningguang shrugged, "Do you require my assistance with the tent's assembly?"
Beidou nodded and threw some of the tent's equipment at Ningguang to start assembling. "Alright, although we don't have much time before the sun starts to set so you better start working", she pointed out.
When Ningguang had offered Beidou her assistance, she didn't expect this kind of answer. She didn't have the slightest idea on how to assemble that thing. Her offer was obviously just to make small talk, but now she had to suffer the consequences. Of course Ningguang wanted to help Beidou in any way she was able to, but these kinds of things were in Beidou's element.
Ningguang swallowed hard and made a desperate attempt to hide the fact that she didn't know what she was doing by aggressively grabbing the tent equipment to start assembling the tent.
"Ah I see you've already got into the spirit of adventure! I'm so proud of you my love!", Beidou grinned and grabbed the remaining tent equipment from the ground to help Ningguang with the assembly.
Ningguang observed the thin metal pipes in her hands, sticking the sides together in hopes that they would magically glue together. To her surprise the pipes connected with each other, forming a big metal pole, which she stuck in the dirt upwards. With a proud smile on her face she shifted her gaze to Beidou and her jaw slightly dropped.
Beidou had already assembled half of the tents framework and was now ready to start with the rest of it. She turned her body to face her lover and then got a glimpse of her progress. Instead, her eyes landed on the collapsing pole Ningguang had somehow managed to create. Beidou gave her a small smile and walked alongside her.
"Oh look at that! If it isn't a beautiful tent framework, well more like it was, but still! And you did that without the manual, i'm impressed"
Wait, what manual?
The small metal framework attempt collapsed completely to the dirt in Beidou's words. Ningguang knew Beidou wasn't mocking her in any way, her precious wife was just trying to make her feel better and she appreciated that but Ningguang was too embarrassed to admit her lack of knowledge in this domain. She told herself that she'd let Beidou enjoy this vacation.
Beidou frowned and smacked her lips as the metal pipes hit the ground, while Ningguang stared at her failed attempt indifferently. Life in the wild was not for her, was it?
Beidou took Ningguang's cheeks in her hands "My love don't lose heart. Maybe assembling the tent isn't your thing and it's perfectly fine.", she kissed her on her forehead.
Ningguang was sure Beidou knew that she didn't know how to assemble it, even with the manual, but for the same reason as her decided not to say anything and make this short trip enjoyable for everyone.
"Well maybe you're right. Then I'll leave the tent to you and I'll sit there to support you and get more familiar with the environment since…we'll be here for a while", Ningguang said in the last part with a hint of annoyance and turned on her heel to walk back to her small oasis.
Beidou was quick to yank her back and immobilize her by trapping her form in her arms, making her stand straight in front of her.
"If you want to get accustomed to the greenery, staring into emptiness and doing nothing won't work Ningg. You need to embrace nature if you desire to make a reconciliation", Beidou said in all seriousness raising a single finger. "That's why you will be responsible for providing us with fire. Gather as much wood as you find and by the time you'll be back, I'll have the tent ready, alright?", she leaned in to capture Ningguang's lips for a quick kiss and smiled.
"I could hug a tree to embrace nature. Do I really have to go and gather the wood all alone in the unwelcoming dark forest?", Ningguang crossed her arms and pursed her lips slightly.
Beidou chuckled, her patience wearing out unbearably thin. She didn't know how much longer she would be able to play along with Ningguang's antics.
"Goodness Ningguang, just go grab some wood. You wouldn't like your ass frozen, now, would you?"
Ningguang scoffed. With her head held high, she stormed off in a huff into the forest she so exceedingly despised.
Beidou sighed at Ningguang's dramatic departure. She knew that Ningguang wouldn't let her have the final say, no that woman's stubbornness was unparalleled for anyone else. She is the epitome of prideful stubbornness, a force that is impossible to break.
Ningguang was too frustrated to even realize how much time had passed since she had taken her extravagant leave from Beidou's side. It wasn't until she heard a loud hiss followed by a groan from the distance, the owner of which she recognized very well, that helped her register that her wife was still nearby.
A faint rustle from the surrounding trees caught her attention. She snapped her head towards the noise with furrowed brows. Her irascibility from before had vanished within seconds and was replaced by a sudden feeling of hyperawareness of her surroundings.
Worst that could happen; she would be a bear's morning meal. She wouldn't be able to make a run for it or fight it either since she was too busy gawking at Beidou's flexed muscles instead of paying attention to the self defense classes Beidou persuaded her to attend some time ago. She could only stand still and accept her pitiful fate. There was no use in crying over spilled milk now.
Ningguang stood stiff, the fear and panic worsening with each passing second, anticipating the danger that never came.
When a small blue bird slowly appeared out of the tree leaves, Ningguang released the breath she had been unconsciously holding all this time. Was she also becoming paranoid now? That stupid greenery was driving her insane; those tree branches that stabbed her eyes with each step she took, the thought of insects crawling onto her skin and eating her alive... She could have gone on forever if it weren't for the tweeting sound of the bird interrupting her existential crisis.
She snapped her head in the bird's direction. Once her eyes landed on its sight, the intensity in her eyes dissipated, replaced by a more serene and peaceful look. The bird was a stunning shade of blue, with feathers that shimmered in the sunlight. Its body was small and slender, with a curved beak that was a contrasting shade of bright yellow.
Beautiful
Ningguang stretched her hand hesitantly to pet its back. Before the tip of her finger could brush against its delicate feathers, the small creature flew away, leaving Ningguang standing wide-eyed.
Her eyes filled with horror when she realized that the bird was flying frantically towards her. The speed at which the bird moved didn't give her the chance to even process what was happening. Waving her hands uncontrollably in the air, struggling to keep the bird away, Ningguang's survival instincts began to fade as the scream ripped through her throat.
Beidou could recognize Ningguang from a mile away from the way her expensive heavy boots clomped against the ground as she stomped in her direction. Although nothing could have prepared her for the abysmal sight of whatever recognizable had Ningguang left on her.
The last bits of Ningguang's sanity were standing before Beidou clutching a handful of sticks with hair almost forming an imitation of a bird's nest on top of her head.
Beidou dared to open her mouth, but before any sound could emerge, Ningguang pressed a finger against her lips, her piercing gaze glued on Beidou.
"Do not", Ningguang uttered with a faint hiss.
Beidou was struggling to maintain her composure and stifle her laughter as if her very life depended on it, and it did. She sighed and brushed the strands of Ningguang's snow-white hair out of her face with a soft smile. God she was beautiful, and even more when she was frustrated.
"Oh Ningguang…in the depths of your untamed soul, lies a beauty like no other."
Mingguang had enough
She shot Beidou a death glare as she dropped the wood on the ground and walked back to the portable chair she not so long ago had set up.
"So you're not gonna tell me what has gotten into you? First you flounce out and nearly ten minutes later I hear your agitated scream echoing in the whole forest."
Ningguang had stopped combing her white locks and shifted her gaze to the woman beside her.
"What is left to elaborate? I do appreciate your concern but i'm perfectly fine"
Beidou narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She recognised that tone very well. Ningguang was very much not fine.
"You could either keep faking your contentment and chain yourself on that makeshift throne of yours or stop being pestered and get inside the tent.", Beidou pointed at the newly assembled tent that Beidou had worked on for the past hour.
Ningguang didn't react to her words, but instead she continued combing through her hair, unbothered. This woman was as stubborn as a mule.
Beidou raised her hands in defeat. From the way Ningguang's fingers parted the small locks of hair, slowly and torturously, nails stretching the white thin strands. An illusion constructed by her stubbornness; externally she appeared tranquil, insouciant with a smile so gentle that it was almost convincing. Almost. Beidou knew that Ningguang's patience had reached
its ultimate limit a long time ago.
"Do as you please but don't come running to me when that bird attacks you again", Beidou hummed and fetched her fishing equipment.
Ningguang watched Beidou's silhouette from the corner of her eye.
"Gonna go fish some food for dinner. You comin?", Beidou raised a brow.
Ningguang paused her motion to turn her gaze to Beidou, who wore that atrocious dark blue hat that she wore every time she went fishing. She should have burned that thing the moment Yelan gifted it to Beidou for her birthday last year.
Ningguang sat in silence for a moment. The idea of joining Beidou was more tempting than the idea of staying in the middle of the forest, all alone. Swallowing her pride for once today, she stood up, confidently, shifting her gaze back to Beidou.
"Very well", Ningguang walked over to the brunette and gave her a brief nod.
"Your company always warms my heart, my beautiful adventurer. Actually, the fierce look suits you well. Reminds me of the way you look when we fuc-"
"Complete the sentence and i'll burn that hat of yours in the campfire", Ningguang scoffed, quickening her pace.
"The path is on the right, love", Beidou smiled and pointed in the direction.
Ningguang narrowed her eyes at Beidou and turned on her heel to walk towards the right direction.
"Don't just stand there and smile, I'm famished.", Ningguang groaned.
Beidou chuckled and shook her head at Ningguang's words. She was surprised Ningguang hadn't already grabbed the car keys and drove off. Even Beidou sometimes couldn't grasp what was going on inside this woman's head.
"Yes ma'am", Beidou muttered and started walking towards her wife who was marching towards the lake.
Beidou might have underestimated Ningguang's situation. And not just a little bit.
She watched in disbelief as Ningguang jumped into the water fully clothed to catch the fish that Beidou had been attempting unsuccessfully to catch for an hour, with her bare hands.
With her hand on her hip, Ningguang dropped down the four fish she had been holding in the basket next to her. Her long, white hair, which was now damp, was caught in her face and her clothes were soaked and plastered to her body, displaying her smooth skin and curved figure that had been hidden underneath.
Beidou's gaze fell briefly on Ningguang's breasts. The mere sight of them, fully exposed through the thin material of her shirt, nipples hard from the cold lake water…
She only snapped back to reality when she felt Ningguang's piercing gaze onto her.
"Eyes up here, love", a tint of amusement was evident in Ningguang's voice.
Beidou cleared her throat and chuckled softly, a faint blush on her cheeks.
"Ah yeah I'm sorry- you're gorgeous though, you know i can't resist it"
Beidou's compliment meant a lot to Ningguang. This was the most pleasant thing that could have happened to her given how miserable she had been after setting foot there. For a brief second, she let her body loosen and her face soften.
"Then, I should jump into the water more often", Ningguang exclaimed amusingly.
Beidiu added with another grin, "I'm not opposed to that" Was Beidou against the thought of witnessing that sight of her wife again despite the sarcasm that was evident? Definitely not.
She grabbed the basket and turned her attention back to Ningguang.
"You were complaining about being hungry just a few minutes ago. Besides, if you let your wet clothes dry onto your skin, you'll get cold"
"Okay, let's head back-," Before she could finish her sentence, Ningguang accidentally slipped off the thin wooden board and collapsed into the water once more.
Suddenly, Beidou was leaning over the board, her eyes fixed on Ningguang's form as she emerged from the water. She didn't even notice Ningguang's fast fall into the water.
"Ningg, you okay there?", she yelled out.
Ningguang wanted to scream and rip her hair off. Even yet, she was too exhausted to do all of that. She felt numb alongside a burning sensation in her chest. She didn't budge an inch, only turning her head to look at Beidou again.
Ningguang's blank face already made the point clear.
Ningguang despised camping