When Jinshi is too late in her study, it's Sanhua's job to make sure she gets to her quarters.
❂ Confident Jinshi
❆ Bashful Sanhua
❂ Sleepy Jinshi
❆ Protective Sanhua
❦ Tooth rotting fluff
She was supposed to escort the Magistrate to her quarters several hours ago. When Sanhua had entered her study deep within the bowels of City Hall to request that she give herself a well-deserved break after a full day of work, Jinhsi had shooed her away.
It had been simple, “Oh - I apologise, Sanchan, I have three more files to sort through. Could you wait for me in your office? I’ll find you when I’m finished.” Sanhua’s face had melted into a smile at the private, intimate nickname.
“Of course, Madame Magistrate. Find me when you’re finished. I’ll be locking your study door.” With that, she turned, locked the door, and left to sit in her office.
It had been three hours of waiting. Jinhsi insisted upon taking all of their current files very early yesterday morning, which was mostly fine with Sanhua because frankly, for as quickly as she’s able to finish the work it still hurts her eyes to focus on. Unfortunately, though, it did leave her with nothing to do.
She sharpened her sword, shined her boots, and then she began to get to the point of antsiness she reaches when Jinhsi is out of her sight for too long. She got up and tried not to sprint to the Magistrate’s study.
Now, approaching the locked door, she raps a knuckle on its wooden surface. “Ma’am, it’s very late - you really should be getting to sleep.”
There’s no answer. Sanhua pauses, hand hovering over the doorknob. Guilt and fear suddenly flood her. Terror that maybe now, the one time she let her guard down, happens to be the time Jinhsi got hurt. She scrambles through the folds of her uniform, producing a key card and swiping it through the lock.
She swings the door open and there’s Jinhsi, asleep at her desk. She’s not hurt. Her face seems to be smashed into the page of a file, clearly smearing ink across both surfaces, but that’s the worst of it. Sanhua makes a mental note to check which file it is and make a reprint in the morning. For now, she’s simply glad that Jinhsi is safe. Her frequency is soft and calm, rising and falling with her gentle snores.
Sanhua steps up behind her and rests her hand on Jinhsi’s shoulder, gently so as to avoid scaring her. “Madame Magistrate?”
A small hum comes from the woman in front of her, and she slowly separates her face from the paper. “Mmn… Sanchan, you know that I prefer Jinhsi,” she murmurs sleepily.
Sanhua’s face goes slightly red. It’s always a bit of a shock to be reminded that Jinzhou’s Magistrate considers the two of them to be equals. “Whatever I may call you, it’s very late and I’d like to return you to your quarters before you sleep here for another night.”
“Seems a bit late for that,” Jinhsi answers, voice barely a whisper. She lets her head fall to her desk once more.
Sanhua takes a deep breath and holds it, for just a moment. As she makes a decision, she slowly lets it out. Just another moment of hesitation and her hands go to Jinhsi’s hair, carefully untying the bows and knotted ornaments. Jinhsi allows out a contented little hum, and Sanhua sees as the corners of her lips quirk. “I’m afraid that I won’t be able to do yours tonight,” she murmurs.
Sanhua thinks about her tightly woven hairstyle that’s such a pain to take down without another person in the back, and smiles. “That’s alright. You can put mine up tomorrow morning.”
“You forget I’d do that anyway,” Jinhsi immediately answers. Sanhua uses nimble fingers to pull each of her hair loops loose, and then even more carefully undoes her twin tails. Now her snow white hair hangs loose in a curtain around her, and Sanhua uses her fingers to brush it out.
“You’re too good to me, my dear,” Jinshi murmurs as she soaks in the contact.
“I believe ‘too good’ would include getting you into bed before midnight,” Sanhua sighs, and Jinhsi immediately giggles at the goal that was failed hours prior. She finally sits straight up, and looks Sanhua in the eye with a soft, easy smile.
Sanhua will never get tired of looking at Jinhsi. While most things in this world are warped and twisted in her eye, Jinhsi looks radiant. She’s so easy to see, easy to focus on, and the purity of her frequency shines through with every smile. Ink is smeared across her cheek, her hair hangs loose to frame her face, and all in all, she looks incredibly cute.
“You do. You treat me wonderfully, Sanhua, and I thank you for that,” she enthuses. Without looking away, she takes Sanhua’s hand and presses a gentle kiss to her palm. Suddenly her neck is hot, and her breath is stuck in her throat.
“Madame Magistrate, I don’t think - I mean, with me, a commoner -”
“Oh, hush. You will always be the one I choose,” Jinhsi promises gently. She reaches up and places a hand on Sanhua’s jaw, brushing her thumb over her high cheekbone.
For a moment she isn’t exactly sure what Jinhsi is doing. She’s frozen, as she often finds herself under affection, and it only lifts when the Divine Magistrate slides her hand to the back of her neck, pulling her gently down and pressing a chaste kiss to her lips.
Sanhua hums softly into the kiss, letting herself be held in this moment of quiet serenity. She takes the time to fully appreciate the softness of Jinhsi’s lips, the light taste of peach blossoms. They eventually part, and Sanhua finds herself red in the face.
“I think it’s beyond time you got to bed, Ma’am,” she says gently, not unkindly. “I’ll escort you, of course.”
Jinhsi sighs, a patient exhaustion to her expression. “Sanchan, how many times do I have to remind you? Just ‘Jinhsi’ is perfectly fine. You’re incredibly dear to me and I think we can dismiss the pleasantries.”
Sanhua giggles, a smile teasing her lips. It’s a rare sound, and the joy that fills Jinhsi’s frequency in that moment is apparent. Sanhua leans down and kisses Jinhsi again, firm but with a careful gentleness. The Magistrate makes a small sound of surprise, but when Sanhua pulls away, she’s absolutely beaming.
“May I escort you to bed, Jinhsi?” Sanhua holds out her hand, leaning in a half bow to invite Jinshi from her chair.
She takes Sanhua’s hand and pulls herself up. “Of course.”
