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“Have you heard from her at all? She hasn’t come out of her old room in days.”
Zhongli sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.
“No. She has not spoken a word to me.”
Kaeya scowled and cursed mildly under his breath. His husband shot him a look and he winced, an apology quickly falling from his lips.
“It’s nearing two weeks now,” he mumbled.
Neither spoke.
“Should we…should we do something?” the Khaenri’ah descendant asked after a long moment of silence, save for the sound of his pacing. “Y’know…forcefully?”
Rex Lapis paused and closed his eyes for a moment.
“…Yes. I worry for her.”
He rose silently from his chair, calmly setting his tea down on the table. A nod of his head in the direction of her bedroom had the two of them setting off. When they arrived at their destination, her door was locked shut and no sounds were coming from inside.
“Love? Is everything alright, dearest?” the Geo Archon called. “We have not seen you in days, jade.”
“Babe, please,” Kaeya begged, resting a palm on the door. “Open the door.”
Nothing. Not even a peep.
Kaeya grimaced and gritted his teeth. A silent hand on his shoulder had his pent-up tension slowly releasing.
“Love, we are going to come in. Please open the door,” Morax said gently.
Still nothing.
It was Zhongli’s turn to narrow his eyes, irritation surfacing for a fleeting moment.
“Babygirl, please.”
“I am going to open the door, my jade.”
When they didn’t receive a response for the third time, the archon waved his hand once and a faint click was audible.
“A Geo-infused lock,” he briefly explained before pushing the door open and peeking his head inside.
There she was, lying motionless on her bed. Rex Lapis panicked. What had happened? Had she…? He listened keenly for a shift in the airborne minerals. A moment, and then…a breath. A shift. She was alive. He exhaled and Kaeya immediately understood. They walked in sync over to her, the backs of their hands brushing.
“Baby? Is everything okay? You weren’t responding to us. We just wanna make sure you’re okay,” Kaeya cooed, his voice shaking slightly with overwhelming concern.
More silence. Kaeya reached out with one hand to brush her shoulder and then…
…A quiet whimper. A sniff.
“Oh, archons…” Zhongli breathed almost inaudibly.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and began to run his fingers through her hair.
“Love…”
He didn’t finish his sentence. Kaeya moved to the other side of the bed and sat down next to her head. Her face was nearly entirely obscured by her thick, chestnut hair, and he brushed her silky locks to the side. She didn’t bother to stop him. He caught a glimpse of her eyes; they were dulled, almost gray compared to their usual deep chocolate brown. Kaeya winced at the lifelessness of her gaze, the normally-vigorous energy in them sapped away by some unknown force.
“Please…” he whispered, his voice breaking.
Her breath hitched and a broken sob spilled past her lips at the agony in his voice. Her husbands’ hearts shattered. Morax reached over and tenderly set his arms in place to lift her. When she didn’t resist, he picked her up and held her in his lap bridal-style. ‘So light,’ he thought to himself. She curled inwards, desperately hiding her face.
“My love…speak to me. What troubles you?” he asked desperately.
Kaeya sidled up to his side and rested a hand on her rounded back. His eyes trailed down her body - ‘Kaeya, what are you doing, damnit?!’ - but quickly flitted back up to her concealed face. They heard a small squeak from her, but nothing more.
“Baby…” the Khaenri’ah native trailed off.
“Do you wish to speak with us?” Zhongli asked quietly.
Kaeya brushed his knuckles over her covered cheek and she whined desperately, tilting towards his touch. After half a second, she cut herself off and turned away from his hand again. Clearly, she was torn.
“It is okay; we will not hurt you. Please, speak to us. We are concerned about you, jade,” Rex Lapis pleaded.
Another feeble whimper, then she shifted in Zhongli’s arms.
“…Okay.”
Her voice was rough and broken, barely a whisper. If it weren’t for her husbands’ intense focus, they wouldn’t have heard her. He moved to let her sit in his lap, his hands resting on the small of her back, and she clutched at his coat, refusing to show her face.
“Why do you hide, dearest?”
A moment passed. Kaeya watched in agony, his hand fisted loosely on his thighs.
“…Because I’m not worthy of you two,” she confessed in a weak voice.
Their stomachs turned. She turned to rest her cheek on Zhongli’s chest and opened her mouth to continue.
“You-you both are so pretty and handsome, and so kind to me, a-and you put up with my bullshit, and you spoil the shit out of me, and-and you look at me with such adoring eyes, a-and you tell me you love me, and I just- I-I feel like I don’t deserve that.”
Her voice completely broke at the end of her sentence, sorrow overwhelming her. Tiny tears wobbled at the edges of her eyes yet did not fall. They refused to, no matter how hard she willed them to slide down and ease her of her suffering.
“I-I’ve felt so empty and hidden from you, and despite that, you come by my room every day with food and-and caring words, a-and the fact that you both care so much just…it-it makes me feel like I’m ungrateful and undeserving. Wh-why would you ever want me?” she whimpered dejectedly.
“Oh, baby , baby no… ”
Kaeya had shifted to get closer to her. His hands magnetized to her cheeks and he brushed his thumbs over her milky, unblemished skin. She mewled in unfiltered misery, longing for more of him while also wishing him to be off her.
“No, baby, you don’t understand…” Kaeya begged, his voice shaking. “Baby, we do everything for you because you deserve the world…everything is for you, my love. Everything. You’re a blessing from Celestia in our lives, a shining star in this blackened abyss. You do so much for us just by existing, you make us happier than anything ever could and you shower us with affection. It’s the least we can do to try and reciprocate that.”
Zhongli pressed a soft, amorous kiss into his wife’s hair, rubbing gently at her back to help add emphasis to Kaeya’s words and comfort her. Her body trembled in his arms, a telltale as to how unstable she was. The longer he held her and stroked her back, the less prominent her shaking became.
Kaeya’s thumbs never stopped caressing her cheeks, a warm, soothing touch to calm her, to ease her worries. Affliction and confusion lingered in her expression, her muted mocha eyes glistening in the dim light. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to whisper sincere words of adoration on her lips, but he chose not to; she wasn’t ready, she was too fragile. His heart cracked as her chest spiked in a heaving sob, a seemingly permanent wince etched onto her face.
“Listen to me, listen to me. You are so beautiful, love; inside and out. Where do you want me to start? Your stunning hickory-brown eyes, your long, silky smooth brunette hair, your flawless, sun-kissed skin, your gently curving figure, your smattering of little freckles…I can go on for ages, babe,” Kaeya continued. “Every time I look at you, I feel like my knees are gonna get kicked out from underneath me. And I haven’t even started on your personality. Your laugh, your smile, your jokes, your demeanor, the way you brighten up our days with just a simple ‘good morning’ as you pass us by in the kitchen…everything about you is mesmerizing, baby. The way you bite your lip when you’re focused, the way your face lights up when you find a garment you absolutely adore, the way your cheeks turn the slightest shade of red when you get surprised…”
His gaze softened and he shifted his hands on her face.
“You’re perfect, baby. Don’t ever tell yourself otherwise. What do we need to do to help you understand? We’ll do anything for you, baby. Anything you want.”
“…Why?” she breathed.
“Because we love you, jade,” Morax said sweetly.
“Why me? I just…”
“Because, even if you cannot see your own beauty, we do. We see that you are such a diligent worker and that you are doing everything you can to be you. We are eternally grateful that you entered our lives. Dearest, we want to appreciate you for being here, for existing in our lives.”
The Cavalry Captain nodded and brushed his forehead lightly on hers.
“I-I should be the one who’s…” she trailed off, her tears welling.
“No, baby. You don’t need to give us any more than you already have. You’ve given us enough to last multiple lifetimes. Please, let us appreciate you. ”
She swallowed thickly, suffocating in her own emotions. After a brief moment, she let out a shaky exhale, leaning into one of Kaeya’s palms.
“I-I don’t…I-I can’t, I-you’re-I can’t feel, Kaeya, this is-my heart-I-”
“Hey, hey, look at me.”
Dimmed syrupy-brown eyes lined with silver collided with icy blue.
“We’re going to get through this together. You don’t have to believe us yet. We’re still going to be here. Can you promise me one thing?”
Her eyes conveyed the message her lips wouldn’t: “What is it?”
“Can you promise me that you’ll try? I want you to understand that you are worthy of everything we give you, but that takes time. I know I’m asking a lot of you, but that’s all I want. Not just for you to love us, but to love yourself. ”
She whimpered in agony like a kicked puppy and a choked sob escaped her lips. Her eyes were full of tears now, but Kaeya watched as they evaporated, as if some spirit was stealing them away from her. Her gaze swam with a thousand different emotions, conflict raging in those dimmed chocolate orbs.
“…Okay…” she whispered after what felt like an eternity.
A quiet whimper of relief escaped both men as she uttered the word. She squeaked as they drew her into a hug, cocooning her in their warmth. After a few seconds, she relaxed into their embrace, feeling significantly more comfortable with them now.
“Is it okay to kiss you?” Kaeya inquired cautiously, brushing his knuckles across her forehead.
“Yeah, it’s okay,” she answered. “I promise.”
“You don’t need to promise anything else, babygirl; you’ve already given us more than enough,” he cooed before gently pushing his lips on hers.
She moaned feebly at his action and turned fully towards him, clutching at his jacket. He hummed in response, tangling his hand in her hair while the other moved to rest on her waist. A pang of jealousy whipped through Zhongli and he nudged Kaeya, trying to get closer to her. The archon quietly kissed at his husband’s jawline, a silent request for permission to pamper their wife. Kaeya chuckled and let him have her with a smirk.
“Someone’s greedy tonight, isn’t he?” the man chortled, pinching his arm.
Rex Lapis simply hummed his denial.
“M-mmm…Kaeya, I want to - mmmmhh - have both of you…” she whined desperately. “It wouldn’t be fair.”
“We are going to take it easy tonight, my jade,” Zhongli murmured, his lips grazing her own as he spoke before he closed his lips on hers again in a blissful kiss. “Take it slow.”
She whimpered euphorically as his mouth moved seamlessly with hers; this was what she had been missing these past few days, this is what she needed. Morax sensed her growing desire and slowed his kisses to avoid trouble, ensuring that she was matching his rhythm every step of the way. He licked discreetly at the corner of her mouth before pulling away. Kaeya grabbed his husband’s face and smooshed their lips together in a fleeting kiss before focusing on their wife again.
“Come, my love, you look exhausted; let us get some rest,” the god advised.
His two companions nodded in agreement. She sighed contentedly as Zhongli left one last kiss on her jaw and permitted Kaeya to help her off the bed.
“Is it alright to sleep in the room for the three of us?” the Cavalry Captain asked gently. There was no push for her to agree behind his tone.
“Yes, I’d like that; I sleep much better in there,” she mused, latching onto his chest.
“I shall go prepare the bedroom; jade, why not stay here and dress in your nightwear?”
“Ah- that’s okay, I’m sure there’s something I can wear in there.”
“Please?”
Well, now she just couldn’t say no to him.
She nodded and the archon calmly strolled out of the room with a small bow, his hands folded behind his back. He smiled to himself once he was sure he was out of sight.
Kaeya stayed with her as she redressed, giving her a hug from behind once she had changed. He led her to a mirror and pointed at it.
“That,” he announced, “is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Look, it’s you!”
She broke into a fit of light giggles, her cheeks tinting a light crimson. Kaeya pressed a long kiss to her cheek, tugging her hips playfully against his own.
“I love you,” Kaeya purred, nuzzling his nose against her cheek.
“I love you,” she echoed, her hands automatically finding their way to his face. “I love you so much…you and Zhongli are just…you do so much for me. I can’t thank you.”
Her expression contorted into one of worry and a warning blared in Kaeya’s mind.
“We don’t do it so you’ll thank us, baby, we do it because we care about you. So don’t worry about that. What matters is that you’re happy, right?”
“…I guess.”
A relieved smile graced his lips as she spoke and he lifted her bridal-style in his arms.
“Let’s go to daddy Zhongli now, his juicy ass is probably waiting impatiently for us.”
She laughed again, but it was significantly weaker than the other times. Her jubilation quickly died off and her eyes dulled once more, the light that had slowly been returning getting snuffed out like a candle.
“Babe?”
‘Too fast?’ he thought to himself.
“I don’t…this all…it shouldn’t be for me.”
“Yes, it should. Come get some sleep; you’ll feel much better.”
Kaeya didn’t wait for her to respond and started toting her off to their bedroom. She sighed in resignation and curled herself inwards towards the Cryo user. She really did want to just curl up with him and the Geo Archon forever, and the warmth of his slim body was just too tempting. When the Cavalry Captain rounded the corner into their bedroom, Zhongli was indeed waiting for them, already warming the bed.
“There you are, my loves. Come, it is time to rest.”
Her heart stumbled as Zhongli left his post to glide across the room and greet them. He pressed a gentle kiss to her brow and her breath hitched.
“Is everything alright?”
“Yeah,” she answered, her eyes quickly glossing over. “I’m just…I need time…”
“That is alright, jade; we will still be here.”
He slid his arms underneath her slender frame and Kaeya let him take her. She squirmed slightly, but didn’t try to escape. Guilt overwhelmed her as she realized she was allowing them to pamper her and carry her around like a princess.
“You shouldn’t…spoil me like this…” she mumbled weakly.
“We enjoy spoiling you, though,” Rex Lapis explained, giving her a light Eskimo kiss.
“Get used to it, babe,” Kaeya added as he stripped his shirt off to change clothes.
“Why? Then I wouldn’t appreciate everything you do…”
“Will you at least permit us to pamper you and accept our services? It would mean the world, my jade.”
He brushed his lips over her cheek in a light kiss and she hummed feebly.
“…Okay…” she conceded, her voice weak and brittle once more.
Morax smiled and gave her another little kiss. He laid her down on the bed and Kaeya wrapped an arm and a leg around her slim figure, drawing her back to his chest. His husband swiftly joined them under the covers and sidled closer to their wife. Zhongli was somehow able to spoon both her and the Cavalry Captain at the same time, and she whimpered quietly.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Kaeya asked, the word spilling off his lips like an uncontrollable waterfall.
“I love you both so much…” she sobbed, burying herself into Zhongli’s chest. Still no tears fell from her eyes. “I love you…” She mewled in desperation and longing, weakly fisting Rex Lapis’s nightshirt in an attempt to get closer. “I-I’m struggling to even feel; you’re making it better, but…”
“Do not stress, my jade. It requires a tremendous effort and duration of time to recover from this. No matter what may occur, we will remain here at your side and do whatever you will need.”
He scratched gently at her scalp and she whined. Kaeya pressed a blissful kiss to the back of her neck to emphasize his husband’s words.
“We’re not going anywhere, baby. You’re our everything, and we’re going to get through this together, okay?”
“…Okay.”
They laid there in silence after saying their goodnights, cuddling together and occasionally leaving an airy kiss on their wife’s neck or in her hair. Kaeya and Zhongli weren’t sure if she’d fallen asleep, but their hearts stopped when she mumbled one last thing.
“I trust you…”
The two men’s gazes met, ice blue colliding with warm amber, and neither said a word as tears wobbled at the corners of their eyes. Relieved and thankful smiles graced their lips and Rex Lapis shifted his leg that rested over top of his spouses; a gesture of security and recognition. They were going to get through this. One step at a time.