Work Text:
Apothecary's Oath
壬 - Jinshi - 氏
Between the hours of the Ox and the Tiger, Jinshi still hadn't fallen asleep, his thoughts keeping him awake. He could still smell the faint scent of the evening tea Suiren had made for him before he went to bed. The taste of the jasmine infusion on his tongue soothed him, yet not enough to make his eyelids heavy. He felt exhaused, but sleep didn't come. He felt bored by the never-ending night, trying to distinguish the tastes left on his tongue. Is this how his apothecary feels when trying to tell poison from the other ingredients, too?
He decided to get up and take a walk. Hopefully Suiren won't hear him, as he didn't want her to worry. He just put on a daopao robe. Funnily enough for an official like him, he didn't put on any shoes, as it was a hot summer night. He tried to stay near the buildings, trying to stay out of the moonlight, avoiding potential guards. But it was hard for the Moon prince to not stand out, not even the Moon itself could overshadow his beauty. Stepping barefoot on the polished ground, he could feel every imperfection of the stones laid beneath him.
He enjoyed the quiet, occasionally disturbed by cicadas, some other animals or the guard's footsteps. Moonlit nature was his second favourite thing. As he walked down the stone path, something rustled in the bushes not far from him. He peeked over, trying to spot the cute animal, lurking in the deep night, awake just as he was. As he leaned in, a mysterious shadow emerged, pouncing at him. He stepped back, startled, but not quick enough to avoid the contact with a cold blade. The sharp pain made him gasp for air. As the weapon got pulled from his body, a warm sensation replaced the cold, as his own blood started staining his clothes. His eyes sharpened, trying to take in the threat in front of him. Looking up at him stood a feminine figure, her messy long hair falling into their face. Jinshi acted quickly, catching his attacker's wrist and squeezing as hard as he could, forcing the person to drop her weapon. The clank of the knife against the stone echoed between the buildings.
猫 - Maomao - 猫
The amazing Ox bezoar. It was all Maomao could think of. She stayed awake tonight, trying to make the best out of this rare opportunity. All the things she could make! More remedies! More poisons! More drugs to try! It felt like a dream. She blended some herbs, mortar in her lap.
"Xiaomao!" Gaoshun's voice coming from the outside resonated in the deafening silence. She perked up her ears. It was a deep night, and she never heard him shout this loud, she didn't think he could even do so this loudly.
"Xiaomao," he repeated, but this time closer, followed by a heavy knock on her door. "Master Jinshi is bleeding out! Hurry!" She jerked up in surprise, her heart almost jumping out. The only thing she allowed herself was grabbing a bandage, before bursting out the door without any further questions.
Gaoshun was already running, seemingly trusting Maomao to be right behind him. The apothecary was nearly tripping over own feet while her thoughts stirred in her head. What happened? How did he manage to get hurt? Judging by Gaoshun's eagerness, it had to be terrible.
They reached a small area in front of Master Jinshi's residence. Her heart skipped a beat when her eyes landed on the tranquil body of that handsome idiot. He looked so vulnerable, the everpresent color of his cheeks currently absent. Ignoring a guard pressing a stranger woman to the ground with force, she focused on his chest, raising and lowering with each breath. The polished pavement wasn't the only thing reflecting the moonlight, so was the pool of scarlet liquid below him. She finally snapped from her spiraling thoughts, abruptly kneeling on the ground next to him feeling her skirt soaking in his warm blood. She ripped his clothes and put pressure on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. She hurried as soon as she could, yet she hated herself for being this late.
"Help me carry him inside." Gaoshun quickly reacted to Maomao’s request and grabbed his upper body while the other eunuch took care of his legs. Together they lifted the dying beauty from the ground, trying to get him back to his residency. Maomao stood up, wanting to follow them, instead freezing in her step. She glanced over her shoulder in disgust, staring at the woman pinned to ground, realising what happened here a few minutes ago. "You're gonna wish you stabbed me instead. This is not the last time you'll have the misfortune of seeing me," she lashed out and turned on her heel, walking away, trying to catch up to Gaoshun. And more importantly, catch up to the Moon spirit trapped inside a human body.
Jinshi was carried to his room, softly laid on the woven floor mats. The gentle light of the Moon was replaced by the dancing flames of candles. Maomao immediately getting on her knees beside him, pressing the bandage against his injury with force.
"I need some water, distilled alcohol and more bandages," She requested. "Now!" Gaoshun motioned to the other eunuch to follow him, and they vanished in the door.
A few uneasy moments passed, and they got back with the requested items. The eunuch, whose name Maomao didn't know, stepped out of the room, trying to make more space for the apothecary. The petite woman grabbed some clean cloths and soaked them in the bucket, wringing out the remaining water.
Gaoshun was towering above her, his presence louder than Maomao's thoughts, making her look up at him.
"Will you just stand here or-?"
"Sorry, I will give you some space." The eunuch excused himself, sliding the door shut behind him.
Maomao's old man taught her enough to know that Jinshi will recover, therefore she didn't need anyone to hover around while she worked. He might be pale as a ghost, but the apothecary is skilled enough to get him to open his eyes again. She used the soaked cloths to get rid of the blood, then wet another with enough alcohol to properly clean the wound. She rolled up some of the bandages to create a padding and covered the injured area, securing it with another bandage that wrapped around his belly.
After taking care of the wound, she placed two fingers on his artery. His pulse still stayed weak, but his condition wasn't getting worse. She still needed him on the ground for better access, but she wanted him to be comfortable. She got up to get some pillows and a quilt to get him warm. She softly lifted his head, sliding a cushion under it, feeling the silky strands of his hair. As she was leaned in over him, she took in his smell of jasmine and lavender. Not only did the bastard look heavenly, he also smelled like it.
She felt sleep creeping up on her, but she couldn't. She watched him for a few seconds. Then minutes. Then hours.
"Wake up you careless bastard," she mumbled, accidently falling asleep.
壬 - Jinshi - 氏
Jinshi was woken up by a sharp pain. He quickly opened his eyes, but his vision was still fuzzy. The pain prevented him from thinking clearly. Instead, his mind was a mess, jumping from thought to thought. He wasn't dead. That probably meant captured, too weak, and too injured to try anything. His heart was racing. He blinked, trying to take in his surroundings. He was laying on the ground in his room.
"How did I -" But everything became peaceful once he noticed her dark green locs of hair. My apothecary is here, with me, sleeping next to me. His muscles relaxed while he gazed at her. He was in good hands. He lifted his hand, which was somehow resting in hers, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Softly caressing her cheek, exploring her face, he then outlined the shape of her nose with his index finger.
Sadly the cold touch of his fingers woke his apothecary. He frowned, as he didn't mean to interrupt her rest. Maomao slowly lifted her eyelids, focusing on him.
"Master Jinshi," she got all formal all of the sudden, trying to get up. "How- how do you feel?"
He smiled at her, gesturing at her to keep quiet, and placed a hand on her to keep her down. There was no need for words. They were looking in each other's eyes, enjoying the presence of one another. She didn't speak, yet her ocean eyes said it all.
Maomao, he mouthed. Thank you…
His eyes, almost melting away at the sight of her. He softly pinched the fabric of her clothes, pulling, gesturing her to come closer. She leaned in, as he stared at her lips, his own parted.
Apothecary…
He didn't notice her hesitate or back up. It just felt right.
Suddenly their lips met just for a second, backing up for a moment. As they both took in the situation they were in, lips crashing into each other, once again. Tasting each other at a slow gentle pace. Jinshi put his hand on her side, pulling her closer. Interrupting their kiss, he caressed her jaw with his lips. From the quick movement, he yelped in pain, drawing back, forced to lay on his back again.
"I owe you my life." he managed even through the pain.
"I'll be counting on you to save me next time then." she smiled. Soon the first light of a new day fell on his face, warming him up. But they didn't feel like ending this night just yet. Maybe he could allow himself to sleep in just this once. He had everything he needed right here after all.