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precious and fragile things

pre·cious /ˈpreSHəs/

adjective

(of an object, substance, or resource) of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly.

Ningguang's affection. Shown very little, behind closed doors and curtains, in the dead of night when there was no light that anyone else could see them by. The feeling of her gentle fingers, whether her gloves were on or off. The feeling of her lips, perfectly soft. Her hair, always well brushed- Beidou loved getting to run her fingers through it, feeling the silk-like strands against her rough skin. And just Ningguang as a whole, Beidou thought she was precious- more so than any treasure she could pull from the seas. More precious than her sword, her ship, or the entire Crux crew. She could watch her for hours, trying to read her mind through her eyes, through the movements of her hands, the way she gazed at the papers in front of her. She couldn't understand half of what information Ningguang dug up every day in her work. It didn't matter.

Ningguang was precious, and Beidou would never let her go. Not even the storm ahead of her ship could keep her away from her love. She was so close to Liyue Harbor. 

frag·ile /ˈfrajəl,ˈfraˌjīl/

adjective

(of an object) easily broken or damaged.

There was nothing about Beidou that could be described as fragile. Her personality. Her looks. Even her love was intense, passionate, something that could slay dragons and come back in one piece. Ningguang thought of her as indestructible. 

But there were times even Ningguang was incorrect.

The storm outside, sending sheets of rain pounding on the roof and flooding the streets, sending lightning into the tallest trees in an attempt to take them down. The wind was so strong that nobody dared to go outside if they were to be blown away. Ningguang was sure things would be fine. Pacing, trying to remind herself that the Crux had been through much worse. That Beidou was probably the most capable captain they could have. She needed to focus, to finish her work- but she couldn't keep her mind off the ship, destined to return tonight, carrying the woman she cared for more than anything.

She turned abruptly on her heel and pushed open a window, the wind immediately whipping her hair over her face. It was foolish, to think she could watch for the Alcor in a storm like this. But the nagging feeling in her heart that wouldn't go away, telling her something was wrong, it wouldn't let go.

Ningguang was almost never one to act so impulsively, but the next thing she knew she was shutting the window and her feet were carrying her away, outside, into the wind and the rain lashing at her face and her clothes and her hair. Her shoes splashed in the puddles covering the street, trying to find her way in the dark and the storm. To the docks. To the Alcor. And the more she ran, the worse that feeling got.

The wind picked up even more than before, sending the rain into her eyes so hard she had to shut them for fear of being hurt. She must have been near one of the docks- she could hear the churning waters of the sea, getting closer. And something else.

A faint sound, but rather clear- someone's voice. Sharp and serious, as if someone was shouting orders. Through the storm Ningguang couldn't tell what direction it was coming from, but it sounded so perfectly familiar. 

She shivered, only now remembering how much she hated the rain. How childish of her to run out like this. Beidou was perfectly capable of sailing through a storm- both her and her ship had been through much worse. Turning on her heel, she scolded herself in her head. She'd return home, go to sleep, and see Beidou tomorrow when the Alcor had returned and the storm had passed. She would've made it all the way back if it wasn't for the sudden grab on her shoulder.

Turning around in a split second, she faced the person she believed to be her attacker, expecting perhaps a member of the Fatui- but no. 

Beidou stood there, behind her, taking her hand off Ningguang's shoulder. "Did you miss me?" she asked teasingly. She looked a mess- her hair was out of its usual style, the pin hanging on by just a strand or two it seemed. She looked almost like she'd gone to fight the storm- which, of course, wouldn't be a surprise at all. 

"You shouldn't have set sail in a storm like this," Ningguang muttered as sharply as she could. But in the end, she couldn't hold herself back. Reaching out and wrapping her arms around the captain, she pulled her as close as possible, resting her head on Beidou's shoulder and closing her eyes. 

She could feel her laugh, feel her return the embrace, squeezing her. Beidou's hugs always felt so strong. Like a shield wrapped around you, with a strength of 300 even if it was only made of blankets. "Hi, Ning~ Wouldn't it be better if we got out of the rain?"

Not wanting to move from her position, Ningguang replied with just a nod. Seconds later she felt herself being lifted up, carried in Beidou's strong arms, carried off with her. With the rain. Despite being completely and totally soaked, she'd never felt more at ease. Like she could just fall asleep before they got anywhere.

It was always easy to feel comfortable around Beidou. She was precious.