From the Skies to the Heavens

Sixteenth Prompt: Photograph

Word Count (for drabble only): 574 words

Ema snapped a photo of Nahyuta as he read, his lips murmuring as they wrapped around ancient Khura'inist phrases. He didn't seem to notice as she did so, merely shifting down his scroll while she swiped to see the results on her phone.

It wasn't as though Ema were in the habit of taking pictures without permission. But the way he was leaned over, his face so utterly enchanted by the text in front of him... she wished he looked at her with such devotion. Using her thumb and forefinger, the detective zoomed in on her boyfriend's face, tracing the spot over his lips. A pang of longing managed to lodge itself in her heart as she did so.

"Is something troubling you?"

Ema looked up, startled to hear Nahyuta speak to her directly. "Huh? Why?"

"You look as though you wish to be anywhere else. When you asked to join me in my evening reading, I thought you might be showing an interest. But you didn't want to read, or for me to read aloud to you." He tilted his head, puzzled. "Was I wrong?"

Honestly? "Well, I was interested in spending time with you. We never seem to see each other these days."

He pursed his lips, closing the scroll he'd held open. "I should have been more perceptive. Forgive me."

"I don't wanna get in the way of your devotion or anything, but some days..." Ema rarely gave thought to how she was going to phrase things, but this time she did. The last thing she wanted was to offend him and be pushed further away. "Some days it feels like between serving your country and serving your goddess, you have no room for me. It's been days since we were in the same room together." Hence the photograph. Overdramatic as it was, Ema almost felt like she would forget Nahyuta's face if she stayed away from him much longer. It was crazy, she knew. But all the same...

Nahyuta stood from where he was sitting, crossing the room to embrace her. "It was with great hesitation that I took leave from prosecuting in favor of my other duties, and the main source of my hesitation was you. I knew without prosecution, I would no longer have a natural excuse to see you every day."

"Do you need an excuse to see me?"

"...No." Ema had learned how to read his expressions over the past few months. Where others saw only a flash of the eyes, she saw deep mortification. "That isn't at all what I had in mind." He pulled away, seating himself right next to her. "I wish to keep your company just as often, regardless of what duties I no longer carry out. But without a concrete addition to my schedule, my days slip away absent of your beautiful face."

"Then why don't we make spending time together 'a concrete addition to your schedule'?" Ema used air quotes to accentuate her point. "Say, now? You can still read to me, if you need to be doing that."

He kissed her cheek. "Then we will do just that. And I will make time with you as important as every other task that is to be carried out in this country."

And she wouldn't have to keep secret pictures of him, either. Ema could accept this arrangement.

"Deal."

A/N's: This drabble was partially inspired by the most recent Skyemadhi sweetness to come out of Measured on AO3, titled "Crime Scene and Punishment". Not a lot in the ways of plot (just the reading aspect, really), but it did motivate me to create another small piece of Skyemadhi content. Maybe one day, this drabble series will be a complete connection. Even if not every drabble is shippy, I want this to be a major contribution to a fairly niche ship. So thank you, Measured!

Hope everyone enjoyed this, thanks for reading, and I'll see you on the far side!