Strawberry Kisses (A Beidou x Harley fic)

A Journey back home

      It was a cold dry evening on the Alcor, where the Crux fleet reside. Suddenly, a powerful voice emerged from above the quater deck, breaking apart the hussle among the crew, "Alright boys, settle down." The crew grew silent as Captain Beidou walked further towards her mates, "Today marks the first of our three day celebration, as just a few hours ago we completed, more or less a great expedition, now relax  as we get prepare to land." Many clinks and cheers can be heard as they begin their celebration once more. Beidou jumped down to chat with her crew, though she was mostly thinking about how happy she was to see her beloved Ningguang again.

     An hour later, The Alcor docs at Liyue Harbor, and the crew cheers in excitement and the Captain calls out to her fleet,"Welcome to Liyue Harbor, boys, now be patient since it might be a while before Xiangling brings out the food so feel free to talk around, I've got somewhere to be." Beidou jumps off the boat as the crew unloads onto the city of contracts. Every step of Beidou's walk towards the Jade Chamber, she watches people whisper and be visibly nervous at the sight of her. Suddenly the sound of a loud blaring guitar and powerful singing fills the air, Xinyans music becomes clearer and clearer. As the song ends and the crowd disassembles, Xinyans eyes dart around the crowd untill she spots Beidou, "Hey Captain!" Xinyan immediately draws attention to both herlsef and the aforementioned Captain
    "Hey! Beidou!" Xinyans sprints towards her, "How's it goin'? didja like my song?"
"It isn't exactly my taste but you did great doing it!" Beidou says as she struggles to answer their questions,
"Your fleet is pretty fond my music, eh?"She points back at the crowd of recognizable faces.
"I assume they like things just as, exciting, as them." A couple seconds of silence fill their delightful moments together
"Well, it was certainly nice to see ya again Captain, but I'm guessin' the crew wants an encore, see ya around!" Xinyans waves and runs back to her crowd, Beidou smiles.

     After what feels like an hour, Beidou finally ascends to the Jade chamber and feels her smile grow wider, and warmer. Beidou travels past many workers within the Jade chamber, who dont dare to even look at her. Ningguang taps the desk in an unbroken rhythm while Beidou continued to descend  down the stairs, "Eager see me again hm?" Beidou stepped closer and closer. "Are you gonna get the chess board out? I've been practicing with my crew and," Beidou bends over the Lady's desk, "I dont think i can be beaten this time around." Ningguang forced a short smile but stood up,
"As lovely it is to see you again Beidou we have a bigger issue on our hands,"
Beidou took a step back, "Oh? what seems to be the problem?"
"The entrance to the spiral Abyss is..acting strange."
"What do you mean?"
"I..I'm not too sure," Ningguang furrowed her eyebrows, "the other day, the Traveler reported the portal displaying strangly more 'aggressive'. I inquired why they had not yet asked some of their mondstadt friends, and apparently most of the mondstadt people we regularly talk with have disappeared into the portal. I allowed them into the portal as well since they've been helpful before, but I have not heard back from yet and I didnt want to tell your fleet since," Ningguang looked down upon her many subjects, "And i'm just...stuck on what to do.."
Beidou stood in awe, what could she possibly offer that those before her could not?
"Have you gotten any sort of expert in this sort of stuff to figure out what happened to them?"
"Of course, the Chief alchemist of the Knights of favonius himself. He said he couldn't quite figure out where exactly it leads, but according to him, it is not to the aybss. He also said that the portal will not respond well to visons, and you'd be better
off just leaving them."
"Did you figure this out before of after someone went in?"
Ninguang's eyes darted away from Beidous, "After...," Ningguang tried her best to stay clam and confident "sigh..." Beidou thought for a moment and then made a harsh decision,
"Let me go through the portal, Ningguang."

"Beidou, as much as I may trust you there id just to much we do not know."
Beidou folded her hands over Ninggaungs'
"I get it, but how else are we gonna get them out? Plus I'm sure I've dealt with things much worse aboard..."
Beidou looked down into Ningguangs watery eyes. Ningguang closed her eyes, breathed in and out, and opened them, yet stared and the ground.
"Beidou, my dearest, I dont want to lose you. I don't know how I could go on without you. Please."
Beidou finally felt the weight of her own words, and pulled Ningguang close, wrapping her arms around her,"I shouldn't have asked in the first place, what do you say we do?"Ningguang slowly pushed herself away from Beidou, wiping away her tears, "Would you mind heping me seal it off? I wouldn't want any innocent bystanders getting in there, sniffle."
Beidou spoke her usual cunning voice, "Alright then, lets go."

END OF CHAPTER ONE