Work Text:
Chue is tailing a palace official for Mi clan business. Maomao is safely tucked away in the medical office, so Chue is able to run off and catch said official on their lunch recess to see what apparent ‘shady’ business they are supposedly up to. Her assignment had failed to give much details aside from gathering intel on what this person is up to during their time out of their office.
Having been in this particular line of work for some time now, Chue prides herself on her evasiveness. Yet, it’s still a challenge to tuck herself away, or crouch, or hide when walking through the palace pathways. They are awfully wide and open. Also, it was a beautiful sunny spring day in Li, which does not help her in the slightest to remain unseen. Luckily her perp has chosen to make his way towards the army barracks, so Chue takes to the small side alleys, tucked between military buildings, and training grounds.
Rushing from behind a building into the nearest alleyway, Chue crouches, and peeks out to see who her suspect is speaking with a few buildings away. Squinting to block out the reflecting sun, she thinks she has a good view on the other man her person is conversing with.
“Chue?”
Turning to her left and looking up she discovers the last person she would have ever expected–her husband.
After their time in the West, she’s gathered that Baryou has a few inclinations towards her line of work, but has never gone so far to vocally confirm or deny anything too specific with her. Even so, she doesn’t want to give her current task away.
Chue’s ears perk up when she hears the man down the way speak. Turning herself away from her husband, she glances out. Catching the man animatedly talking to his informant, or so she presumes, before he is angrily glaring in the direction of her alleyway.
Standing up, and hopping over to Baryou she nudges them towards the nearest wall, her husband’s back against the brick. He has his typical anxious expression plastered on his face.
“Ms. Chue needs you to pretend we are up to something indecent.” Chue gives her best serious face, without appearing desperate. His usually bright hazel eyes are dull from the shaded alley light. His eyebrows perk up, and very suddenly he’s peering towards the opening, then back at her.
She can tell he’s pieced a connection together.
Abruptly, with his eyes open no less, Baryou leans a step low and presses his lips to hers then separates. Chue’s spirit leaves her body for a brief few seconds. Her typically quiet, clammy, anxious husband just boldly kissed her… in broad daylight!
“Wha–”
Chue is about to spew off a slew of questions, when she hears learned footsteps coming towards their direction. Getting onto her toes, she uses her good hand to tug on Baryou’s bureaucratic robe to direct him towards her face.
Their lips smash together painfully at first until she eases up, careful to pay attention to her surroundings, and also trying to appear busy having a rendezvous in an army barracks alley. Hyper aware of everything, Chue tries to ignore her heated cheeks and racing heart. Peeking open the eye facing away from the alley opening, she observes Baryou’s eyes are actually closed this time. And the typical anxious wrinkle between his brows is smooth. Shutting her eye, Chue presses him forward, his back flush with the brick, and her front molded to his.
For one reason or another, maybe adrenaline, Chue leans into this ‘indecent act’. Opening her mouth, her tongue prods at his lips. Baryou’s palm reaches to cup her face tenderly. Damn it all if that doesn’t melt her on the spot!
Tentatively, Baryou responds in kind. Tilting his head, he gives her a better angle to infiltrate. Running her tongue along his, sliding against the roof of his mouth, her fist in his robes grips tighter. Pressed so tightly together, Chue confirms with a brush of her thigh, that she is not the only one affected by this sudden development.
Cursing her toes to reach higher, in an attempt to taste him more thoroughly, Chue is swiftly separated from his mouth.
Baryou is breathing heavily, his head turned towards the opening.
“That man with the red book in hand is gone. He appeared to be heading in the direction of the finance offices.”
Chue remains breathless, staring incredulously at Baryou. He must sense as much, for he’s glancing back at her. Within seconds his face reddens, and he’s sliding down the wall into a crouch of his own. His head drops dramatically between his knees.
Shaking her head, Chue isn’t sure where to begin processing what’s just happened. In such a short period of time Baryou had been able to understand what she was doing, and who she was watching. It’s confusing. It’s scary how well he can read her. She didn’t think anyone could read her quite like she did other people, every day. And yet, he’s just done so, with ease. It should alarm her, scare her, worry her.
The strange thing is that it doesn’t. She can’t place quite yet how it really makes her feel, actually she can, but she decides its best to keep that unearthed.
There’s one thing that’s nagging at her. Moving to sit beside Baryou in the middle of his crisis, she calmly asks, “Shouldn’t you be working?”
“I am.” He muffles. “Amei is off today, Basen had been sent away, and there was a time sensitive document that needed to be delivered.”
That explains why he’s traveling by alley.
“Don’t you need to go?” Baryou asks meekly.
“ Mmm ~, in a moment.” Chue trills.
Allowing herself one more selfish act, she leans her head onto his shoulder. Baryou stiffens from the surprise. To be fair he hadn’t seen her coming with his head still hiding between his bended knees. In her few seconds of selfishness, she’s able to appreciate his body heat.
Jumping to her feet, Chue brushes herself off.
“Wait.” Baryou’s head is still down, but his hand has somehow reached up and wrapped around her good wrist. “Will you be–” Baryou lifts his head, trying and failing to meet her eyes, “...will you be around tonight?”
Releasing his hold on her, he waits.
Chue is quiet as she walks out of the shade, towards the sunlight. Providing him with a smile he can’t see, she answers.
“I’ll make sure I am.”