doesn’t use pet names but he does compliment your appearance in numerical terms a lot, and will introduce you/refer to you as ‘my partner/betrothed/spouse/etc.’ when talking to others — also gets quite a kick out of you doing the same with him
when you two are apart he’s pretty good at keeping in contact with you, sending you letters every few days (or every number of days he likes the sound of) like clockwork. and if you go out of your way to mirror his own numerical writing quirks (i.e. the five rows and eight columns thing) then he will be absolutely thrilled — almost like he’s falling in love with you all over again
has absolutely pulled strings behind the scenes to get people removed from their positions in the court if he feels like they have harmed you or have attempted to interfere in your relationship (i.e. they made him jealous for one reason or another)
will help you cut and style your hair if you ask — but bear in mind that he has to make everything look perfectly equal and that might result in you losing a lot of hair depending on how it looks now. he does a decent job, though, so if you’re willing to put up with his obsession with the perfect angle or whatever then it’s arguably worth it
sleeps the best when he’s wrapped up in your arms with his head on your chest or stomach — especially if you play with his hair while he’s laying there because that will knock him out really quick
kan lakan
spends a lot of time admiring your features and tracing them with his fingertips — partially because he does genuinely find you to be very attractive, and partially to commit them to memory just in case he wakes up one day and is no longer able to recognise you (which is a reoccurring nightmare he has)
the first and only time he got drunk around you he went quiet, stared at your face, slowly turned red, and blurted out something that kind of sounded like a compliment before collapsing on top of you and falling asleep
talks about you constantly to anyone who will listen (and just to anyone who happens to be in earshot of him at the time) — it’s both sweet how supportive he is of you, and kind of annoying because he just does not stop talking and will not stop gushing about you until someone knocks him out or changes the topic to something related to his work that he’s actually interested in
very loyal. like once he’s yours and you’re his you will not get rid of him anytime soon and he won’t even entertain the thought of looking at another person if it’s not absolutely necessary
would raise absolute hell if you got hurt, insulted, or taken — even if he ends up causing a lot of costly property damage or injuring himself in the process (poor lahan…)
luomen
luomen is incredibly selfless by nature and, as a partner especially, is the type of person to give you the clothes off of his back without hesitation or thought for himself the second he notices how cold you seem
given his age and upbringing it almost goes without saying, but he takes a very old fashioned route to courting you — once he’s come to accept his feelings for you, the reality that you return those feelings, and has decided to pursue something with you, that is
struggles with accepting help and gifts from you, but does greatly appreciate everything you do for him and does keep every gift you give to him — his home might be humble and small, but somehow he always finds room for them
tends to call you by your first name around others, but in private he’ll occasionally slip in a pet name like ‘my dear’ or something else along those lines
trusts you implicitly and immensely, and never really gets jealous over you as a result — he’s just… very secure in your relationship
maomao
she picks up on any symptoms you have before you even get the chance to realise that you’re sick — and because of her training with her father she’s usually able to create the medicine you need to ensure a swift and complete recovery from whatever is ailing you (or, at the very least, she’s able to temporarily minimise your pain and discomfort if you’re dealing with a chronic illness)
she won’t move you if you happen to fall asleep while leaning against her or laying on top of her, even if her legs start to go prickly and numb — and she won’t stop what she was doing when you conked out, like at most she’ll try and do it quietly as to not wake you up but otherwise she’ll just carry on as she was
it takes her a while to feel comfortable voicing her affection for you, so for most of your relationship she shows her love by taking care of you and helping you out wherever she can
worries over you and your safety much more than she outwardly lets on — even struggling to do her job properly as an apothecary for a while after the first time you got seriously injured as her partner
Seeing Basen in uniform for the first time reader.exe has stopped working
Pairing: Basen x fem!reader
Word Count: 1,8k
Synopsis: You've seen him casual, dressy, serious as usual , even half naked. But seeing him in the armor of the forbidden army.
Warnings: this is hilarious y'all, I love Basen, just imagine their faces in the end I'm dying
You know something’s off the minute you catch a glimpse and the flying lights outside. Out of instinct, you get up from your futon and wrap yourself up in a random yukata you find nearby as fast as possible.
Oh, you waited for this day way too long by now. The day master Jinshi finally springs into action and reveals his true colors, the day you get your friend back. Is Maomao doing alright, will it be too late when they finally get there?
The cold air of the night hits you like a wall, but you couldn’t care less. You have to find Gao-Shun or Basen, look out for something you can do, something you can help with. After all, Maomao is your only true friend within the lonely walls of the inner palace, the only one who understands how messy being the personal servant of master Jinshi can be – even though she doesn’t know how much yet. You just have to help, you just have to be useful-
“(y/n)? What are you doing out here all alone and without a coat? You’ll get cold walking around like that.”
Suddenly you forget how to exist. Within the split of a second, your usual fussy mouth goes dry like the desert, your eyes widen despite the torch he holds straight into your face. You can literally feel the heat rushing up your cheeks, your pulse spiking in a truly concerning way.
There he stands, the boy you know since childhood. You’ve seen him wearing his civil servant uniform, somehow casual robes, his training gear, but never in your life…
You’ve never seen him wearing the full guard armor of the forbidden army. The way the breastplate and shoulder guards hug is already tight muscles even more, how well those few strands of hair frame his oh so serious face.
“What is it with men wearing uniform…,” you mutter to yourself while soaking up every last bit of his appearance.
To be honest, you were more than keen to see Basen as nothing more than a friend, a pain in the ass created by Gao-Shun to annoy you every single minute of your life. But the older you get, the more you start seeing him in a completely different angle. The more you look at him, the more you actually like what you see.
Just like now.
Basen tilts his head slightly, squinting at you with a mix of confusion and concern, his torch flickering shadows across the angles of his face.
“You’re flushed,” he comments, stepping forward without hesitation.
“Are you feverish?”
No, but I might be dying of something else entirely, you think, heart practically punching your ribs from the inside.
“I—I’m fine,” you stammer, clutching the yukata tighter around your body as if that’ll somehow keep your composure from unraveling completely.
He frowns, not convinced. Typical Basen. Typical “I know everything better than everyone anyway” behaviour.
“It’s the middle of the night,” he mutters, voice quieter now, more serious.
“You shouldn’t be out here. The palace is crawling with patrols, and… it might not be safe soon.”
You catch the faintest glimpse of something in his expression. Not the usual frustrated patience he reserves just for you, but something heavier - tense. There’s something going on, and it’s not just about Maomao and the stinging fact that he’s wearing that damned uniform.
Oh god, that uniform.
“Then let me help,” you blurt out in a desperate attempt to punch some mind back into your brain.
“You know I can be useful. I’ve trained, I’ve studied. I... I can’t just stand here and do nothing.”
I can’t just stand here and think about what you might look like without that uniform.
Basen breathes in sharply, clearly caught off guard by your sudden twist of behaviour.
“Listen, I know you’re a decent fighter, but this isn’t a game. There are lines. Orders. Even Jinshi-”
“Damn the orders, Basen!” you snap, louder than intended, surprising even yourself.
His eyes widen slightly, and you see something shift, something crack through that soldier mask he’s worn ever since Gao-Shun dragged him into the royal machinery.
He moves fast. One step forward and he’s right in front of you, towering slightly, his armor glinting in the low firelight.
“You’ll freeze,” he mutters again, softer now, and then, to your disbelief, he shrugs off his outer cloak and drapes it over your shoulders without waiting for permission.
The warmth of the fabric is nothing compared to the warmth of his hands when they linger just a second too long on your shoulders.
You don't breathe.
You can't breathe.
Basen is standing too close. His armor smells faintly of iron and smoke and something uniquely him, something clean and grounding like pine bark after rain. His face is calm, impassive, focused on your wellbeing like he’s been trained to be. But you? You’re spiraling.
His hand brushes the side of your neck as he adjusts the cloak and your knees very nearly give out.
You silently curse the gods, the empire, the armor, and his unreasonably shaped shoulders.
He finally steps back, seemingly satisfied that you're not about to drop dead of hypothermia in the middle of the courtyard.
“There, that’s better.”
No. It is absolutely not better.
You’re flushed from your ears to your toes, cheeks burning in a way that no winter night could ever explain. Your heart hasn’t stopped racing since he called your name, and every time you blink you see him standing there in that uniform. The fitted breastplate. The precise lines. The way his hair is half pulled back, framing the sharpness of his cheekbones like he was plucked from a painting of a war hero and dropped right into your unfortunate love life.
You’re not even thinking intelligible thoughts anymore. Just a string of curses, embarrassing daydreams, and internal screaming.
He doesn't notice.
Of course he doesn’t.
Basen, brilliant soldier, deadpan expert, emotional wall since age twelve - he just nods once and says, “I’ll find Maomao. Go back inside. It’s safer.”
You force a nod, trying to look brave and competent and not like you’re currently writing mental poetry about his chestplate.
He turns, footsteps heavy against the stone, torchlight throwing long shadows as he disappears into the dark.
And you just stand there. Dumbstruck. Cloaked in his scent. Still red in the face.
Bonus:
You’re gone when Basen returns—off on an errand, apparently, or avoiding him like the plague, which is fair. Since your stinging question about his wellbeing was answered positive, the embarrassment started creeping right back in.
He doesn’t think much of it.
Until Gao-Shun levels one of his dad stares at him across the table.
“What?” Basen grumbles, sitting down to remove his boots.
Gao-Shun sighs through his nose, the way he does when he’s halfway between disappointment and secondhand embarrassment.
“You really didn’t notice, didn’t you?”
“Notice what?”
“The way she looked at you. Last night.”
He gives Basen a long look.
“In full uniform.”
Basen pauses, brow furrowing.
“She was cold. I gave her my cloak.”
“She looked like she was going to pass out.”
“She said she was fine.”
“She lied, you idiot. She was blushing so hard she could’ve heated the whole palace.”
Basen blinks. A beat. Two.
“She…what?”
Gao-Shun leans back, all dry amusement now.
“Maybe next time, wear the uniform less often. Or more. Depending on your goals.”
Basen sits in stunned silence, brain finally connecting dots it’s never bothered to examine before. The sharp words. The nervous stammering. The way you looked like your soul left your body the moment he showed up.
“…I gave her my cloak,” he mutters again, like it’s somehow the most intimate gesture known to mankind.
Gao-Shun doesn’t even try to hide the amused huff that escapes his nose.
That’s when the shoji door slides open.
And chaos starts to reach its peak.
“Ah, speak of the devil,” Gao-Shun says without turning his head.
You step into the room with master Jinshi by your side, arms still tucked inside that very same cloak Basen wrapped around you last night - big, warm, his. You freeze the moment you see them, your foot half-raised, halfway through a greeting that promptly died in your throat.
Three pairs of eyes land on you.
Basen stiffens so hard he looks like someone dropped an arrow down his backplate.
Gao-Shun just calmly takes a sip of tea like he’s watching his matchmaking efforts unfold in real time.
And then-
“Oh my.” Jinshi grins like a fox let loose in a henhouse, folding his arms as he leans ever-so-casually against the nearest beam like the two of you didn’t just enter the room together.
“Is that Basen’s cloak? How… intimate.”
You feel the blood drain from your face and then immediately flood back in with double the force. No, he can’t be serious about that. What on earth is Master Jinshi revering to? And why now? With him sitting right there?
“Excuse me?!” you manage, eyes wide in horror.
“It was cold!”
Basen abruptly stands up - too fast, nearly tripping over his own boot which is more than unusual for him.
“She was cold,” he blurts out, expression full deer-in-the-torchlight now.
“It was…I gave her the cloak, she didn’t…it’s not…”
Jinshi raises an elegant eyebrow.
“You mean you voluntarily gave her the cloak off your back? How noble. How selfless. How... very telling.”
“I hate everything happening right now,” you mumble into the collar of the cloak, which for some godforsaken reason still smells like him.
“I hate all of you.”
Gao-Shun chuckles under his breath.
“Well, at least now it’s mutual confusion.”
Basen, cheeks slowly turning red for once, dares to look at you.
“You…you really looked like you were going to pass out?”
You glare at Jinshi, who is still grinning like he’s watching the juiciest court drama unfold live. Who of these two traitors spied on the two of you the night before Basen left?
“I was fine. Just... warm.”
Jinshi tilts his head oh so innocently.
“From the gesture or from the uniform?”
You choke on your own saliva.
Gao-Shun puts his cup down.
“Basen, next time, try actually talking to her before dragging her into a political storm and a romantic crisis.”
“I wasn’t- it wasn’t-!”
Nope, that’s more than you can take. You turn around and march right back out the door, shouting over your shoulder: “I’M RETURNING THIS STUPID CLOAK LATER!”
There’s a beat of silence.
Then Basen, breathlessly: “She said ‘later.’”
Gao-Shun and Jinshi answer in unison, dry as sand:
