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The gentle breeze of Windrise never failed to soothe her spirit, discharging a devout mind, if only for a brief instant, from the imperative weight of responsibilities and duty.
The newest Lionfang Knight of Mondstadt, holding the title now for a whole week, approached the Great Tree in long strides and stroked the thick and surprisingly smooth timber. Eyes closed and lips pressed in a thin line, she made a silent oath to Vennessa, the Falcon of the West as well as the first Liontooth Knight of Ordo Favonius, swearing to protect Mondstadt with all her might.
This wasn’t the first time she vowed these exact same words to Vennessa, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last, especially given that Jean was now the Lion of the South, one of the Four Winds whose duty was to protect Mondstadt.
This was purely an innocent habit of hers; coming to Windrise and pondering always eased Jean’s ever compliant heart and head. The overwhelming surrounding green and the indistinct mellow buzz of birds and animals were almost therapeutic and, amidst the rigid daily schedule she yielded, it was the only form of unwinding Jean could allow herself to.
The sound of footsteps drawing near went unnoticed by the young girl, too focused on asserting her devotion to Lord Barbatos through speechless prayer to pay actual attention to anything else.
“Meditating much?” The sudden sound, breaking through the meager melody of chirping birds close by, startled her but Jean took no time in recognizing the familiar and pleasant voice.
“Sir Kaeya,” the Dandelion Knight turned around to face the boy standing a few feet away from her, a lilt grin etched on his face. Caught by surprise, Jean scrambled sheepishly in search of proper words to explain the peculiar situation she found herself in. “I was just, er, pondering for a moment, that’s all…”
Then she realized that there must have been some reason for his unexpected arrival and perked up promptly, “Is there something wrong?”
A swift sudden breeze musses his deep-blue locks and Kaeya tucks them behind his ear before speaking. “Ever so worried,” he strides closer stealthily and deepens his smile. “Can’t I just seek you merely for the purpose of basking in the presence of the esteemed Lionfang Knight?”
As a matter of fact, Kaeya had been on his way back from successfully clearing a hilichurl camp – a duty his captain had assigned to him – when he spotted the Dandelion Knight standing close to the Great Tree, immediately recognizing the singular shade of blonde and distinct solemn posture.
That said, even from afar, the trainee knight could surely infer that bemusing his friend was a much more endearing feat than filling reports back at the Ordo’s Headquarters.
“Well, I appreciate your attentiveness,” her tenseness eased at hearing that everything was – as far as Mondstadt’s wellbeing was concerned – in relative peace. As for his honeyed tone, Jean paid it no mind, being long used to this charming loose attitude of his.
Nonetheless, she couldn’t help but wonder about his real motives, for Kaeya’s banter usually didn’t have an end in itself. But before Jean could dwell deeper in hypothesizing, her knight colleague cut through her thoughts, “My turn to inquire, I suppose.”
So apparently they were playing questions now, the young girl mused. “Go ahead.”
The two were now side by side, with Kaeya staring puzzled at the Great Tree’s trunk in search of what supposedly had gotten Jean so endorsed that her sharp senses missed his open approach. He found nothing in the sight of plain, although idiotically hard, wood and fancied for the ability to scrutinize the girl’s mind, curiosity and thirst for acquiring – by any means – valuable data always getting the best of him.
“It’s surprising to encounter the most promising young knight of Mondstadt out alone in the wild,” he eyed her expression discreetly, measuring the reaction his words would perhaps elicit. “Especially so soon after your nomination as Lion of the South, when the citizens all have your name on their tongues. Is it possible that the extra attention is compelling you away?”
Jean felt a sudden rush of embarrassment creep through her, as if what she subconsciously knew all along suddenly emerged prominent into her consciousness, and nothing could make her unreel this notion now tangible in her mind.
“I-I don’t mean to disregard Mondstadt’s feelings, Sir Kaeya,” Jean locked her blue gaze with his matching one, hoping to make the honesty behind her words known. “Please, it’s an honor to have people’s acknowledgement; nevertheless I usually come to Windrise to organize my thoughts, and it proves to be very useful, simple as it may be.”
“Ah, indeed,” he clicked his tongue at her concise although clever speech, “on the other hand though, you do seem like the type who’d rather thrive in the obliviousness of other’s attention than be at the center of the spotlight.”
Gaze now fixed on the meadow that faded into blurred shades of green at the horizon line, Jean uttered a barely audible sigh, “I guess you could say that.”
Her response was polite and composed, as Kaeya expected given her upbringing. Something akin to remorse vexed within him – an unusual feeling on his part – in regard to cornering her maybe a little more vehemently than he intended. It made him feel odd.
They stood in silence among the flora, shielded from the blazing sun by the Great Tree’s canopy. Jean was aware that she should return briefly, having knight affairs and appointments waiting for her back in Mondstadt in addition to the reserved daily hours of swordsmanship practice – her mother insisted she would train everyday in order to shape her body correctly – but there was a nagging feeling etched in the back of her mind that simply couldn’t be shaken off, like she was forgetting something important.
Oh, right, she had come all the way to Windrise in the first place in order to search for Miss Margaret’s missing cat. The tavern owner’s worried pleadings were still fresh in her memory, having heard them mere hours ago.
“Actually–“
“Given your–“
Their voices broke the silence in unison, and both stared at each other with slight surprise.
Kaeya chuckled softly, “You go first.”
Jean straightened herself and coughed discreetly before continuing, “Although I have to recognize your above average deduction skills, I now recall that, in fact, there was a more concrete motive for me to come here.”
A quick glance at the surrounding vegetation and brook was enough to elucidate that Margaret’s cat – his name was Prince – was nowhere to be seen.
“Miss Margaret believes her cat ran away,” Jean crossed her arms, “and she trusted his retrieval upon me.”
“Oh, cat-hunting then? Sounds like fun.” Kaeya gave her a half-smile imprinted with a hint of irony.
Jean narrowed her eyes at him, “Well, casualties like that are bound to happen eventually. As a matter of fact, he already ran away once, and at that time I was able to fetch him back.”
“Always so efficient, as expected of the Lionfang Knight,” his smile, as well as his voice, now seemed genuine and bright, but, regarding him, she could never be sure. “However, I fear that tracking a single cat throughout all of Mond is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.”
“Last time I managed it quite briefly though,” to make a point, Jean gestured upwards at the Great Tree. “I found him above one of the branches. Unfortunately, it appears today the cat had a different itinerary in mind.”
While scratching her chin lightly, Jean put her mind to work; if she were a cat, where would she adventure to?
Her brains went over all the areas near the city of Mondstadt, weighting the possibilities. He mustn’t have gone far, right?
“Don’t cats usually jaunt around?” the knight arched a single brow – the visible one – in query. “It will probably come back to the city, eventually. How come she owns a cat and is not familiar with their behavior?”
“I see your point,” Jean rubbed the bridge of her nose, “but Miss Margaret is deeply attached to her cat, so her distress is comprehensible. That being said, the best course of action, concerning Miss Margaret’s worries, would be to find Prince and return him as soon as possible.”
Of course Jean of all people would go out of her way just to reassure someone, Kaeya contemplated slyly.
Gaze locked down, observing the random patterns his own boots traced absently on the soft dirt, Kaeya pondered the pros and cons between heading back to the knight’s headquarters or sticking with Jean in her odd yet amusing quest. The answer was quite obvious; that is, if she would accept his company.
“So, I’m thinking Springvale, maybe Whispering Woods if he was really determined,” he offered casually.
The young girl gaped faintly, caught by surprise, for Kaeya didn’t seem like the type to deliberately run around trying to find some lady’s missing cat when he could possibly be doing whatever it was that he did when he disappeared from the headquarters.
She smiled gratefully at him nevertheless.
“We can start with Springvale.” And there they went.
The path wasn’t long, the distance from Windrise to Springvale being around a thousand meters, but the sun was at its peak and the extra temperature made it feel like the village was miles away.
No hilichurl camps nor slimes in sight, quietness seemed to encircle all around. And Jean usually enjoyed the silence – she definitely wasn’t the talkative type – but as of now it was prompting her uneasy.
It wasn’t always that Jean found herself alone with Kaeya Ragnvindr, since he and Diluc were joined at the hip ever since they’d met five years ago. Thus the imposing silence, she feared, suggested that they were incapable of holding a steady conversation unless Diluc was nearby. The idea bothered her.
A part of her stated that it was nonsense to dwell on the matter; just because they were silent didn’t mean that they couldn’t uphold a conversation. But then again, the discomfort the silence caused her was a logical proof that her suspicion was indeed correct.
Maybe she felt suddenly uneasy because they lacked intimacy that closeness brought, despite being acquainted with each other for five years now. Jean usually thought of Kaeya as a friend. Actually, a better way to put it would be that she liked to think of him as her friend. Deep down she was conscious she wouldn’t oppenly claim him as her friend, for Jean didn’t know if Kaeya shared her resolve.
Chance made itself known, it seemed. Perhaps now she could change that.
So the Dandelion Knight took the initiative upon herself, which was surprising given her companion’s loquacity. But then again, Jean shouldn’t rely blindly on the image she’d formed of him, that of an astute, extravagant and witty boy. Perhaps he wasn’t precisely what she’d imagined him like, after all, they had only played together occasionally as kids and preteens, so it would be best to assume that they weren’t that close. Acquaintances would be the best way to put their relationship, she concluded not without a hint of bitterness.
Lips pressed together in a tight line, a discreet intentional head shake ended her sidetracking so that she could search for the best possible words to make profitable conversation.
Something else cut through the silence before Jean could speak though.
“I spy with my little eye…” upon hearing his words, her gaze immediately reached for his figure highlighted by the sun, “something blue.”
Kaeya wore a cool expression, and she noticed the faintest playful glint spark briefly in his lone eye.
“Hmm…” at that moment she silently wished to have more wit within her, “I guess the sky?”
“Try again,” Jean could tell he was going for a neutral tone, but his amusement was evident in the way his lips’ ends curved slightly upwards.
“Perhaps I should warn you that it’s something that you cannot see right now.” He added, eagerly observing the way she widened her eyes in confusion.
“Well, that sure narrows down the options,” she chuckled softly, “though it doesn’t make it easier.”
“A hint, then. It is quite beautiful, of a soft blue that resembles the color of the sky.” Kaeya eyed her intently as he spoke, eye traveling through her features.
She didn’t pay mind to his manners though, working her brains for a plausible answer to what was starting to sound like a riddle.
“My first guess wasn’t so out then,” Jean waited a few more seconds before stating her final resolve. “Okay, is it the inside of your eyepatch?”
He laughed soundly and gleefully, and Jean realized, not without a hint of bewilderment, that she really enjoyed that sound.
“You were always quite naïve, so I shouldn’t be surprised,” he chuckled. “Despite your answer being interesting, you’ve got it wrong. And the inside of my eyepatch is black, not that I can see it anyway.”
“Oh, well…” Jean resisted the urge to corner him about the ever-there eyepatch, knowing it most certainly was a delicate subject. “Then, would you be generous enough to enlighten me?”
“Blue and beautiful, although you cannot see it since those are your own only means of seeing.” Kaeya hesitated, before a coy smile manifested on his lips, “It kind of comes out as cliché, now that you urge me to tell you, but what I spied were your eyes.”
Jean gaped at him as realization hit her, and she had to admit Kaeya could manage making even a game as plain as ‘I spy with my little eye’ enticing. In addition, the blush that quickly spread through her fair cheeks seemed to be the result of another one of his antics.
“That was… unexpected, although I have to admit you were creative,” she smiled sincerely, glad that he could break the ice like it was nothing.
Kaeya retributed her genuine smile and, with their gazes locked that way, a newly noticed notion swiftly crossed Jean’s mind.
“Beautiful you say,” Jean mused, directing her stare to the road ahead, because she’d have better chances of saying what she meant to say if her eyes weren’t on his. “Yours are the same as mine, colorwise. You still have the upper hand though, given that your pupil is shaped like a star.”
When he kept mute Jean turned slowly to face him, worry bubbling in her gut fearing what she had said crossed the thin line of intimacy they had.
The sad yet content smile she witnessed at least reassured her he wasn’t angry at the remark. As Jean braced herself to change the subject to alleviate the mood, he gave her a mild look and muttered.
“I didn’t know you had noticed, few people do.”
“How come? When we first met, it was what struck me the most about you.” She was ten at that time, he’d looked the same age as her and a little younger than Diluc.
“Something as small as a pupil, a mere detail, it’s not exactly what people first notice when facing someone,” his face inched closer to hers, as if to prove his point. “You have to be really close to notice it.”
She used the opportunity to imprint the view of his eye forever in her memory. His eye, blue and mysterious, rivaled the beauty of the night sky itself.
“It’s so unique, I’ve never heard of anyone in all of Teyvat with star shaped-pupils.” Jean coaxed, hoping he would give her some sort of glimpse into his mysteries.
Kaeya tensed at her statement but intentionally kept his smile, going for a cool facade.
“I don’t have any scientific explanation, it’s probably simply genetics. And it seems we’ve arrived.”
He stopped short, saved by the bell from explaining it further, and glanced at the road sign with the letters that spelled ’Springvale’.
“Oh, great,” voice uncertain, Jean halted alongside him and silently hoped their walk had lasted just a bit longer. “I’m going to ask the citizens if they have spotted a grey-tabby cat nearby during the last two hours.”
“I can inspect the surroundings while you’re at it,” Kaeya stretched and uttered a short yawn. “Grey-tabby you said?”
“Yes, with a white underside and green eyes like the rarest emeralds, according to Miss Margaret’s description.” Jean chirped, an amused smile tugging at her soft-pink lips.
Kaeya snickered at her, “Can’t possibly miss him then.”
The town’s people shook their heads negatively at Jean’s inquiry. The Dandelion Knight took the opportunity to examine the village herself, hoping to find any clue on Prince’s whereabouts. She found nothing and, upon reuniting with Kaeya, discovered he shared her fate.
“Dear Barbatos, he might have fled the nation by now,” she pinched her nose bridge in exasperation. “Doesn’t matter, I’ll find him wherever he is, for I gave Miss Margaret my word.”
Kaeya faced her skeptically, “Chill out, Jean, let’s get to Whispering Woods first. And if his royal highness isn’t anywhere to be seen, then we can simply find a suitable substitute in the pet shop.”
“I sincerely hope this is a joke, because I’m serious about this, Sir Kaeya.” Her tone was severe and, to emphasize her point, Jean quickened her pace.
“Of course you are,” he easily caught up to her, “but it appears Miss Margaret isn’t.”
“What are you saying? She has every right to be worried, he’s practically her family. And It’s the Ordo’s responsibility to guarantee the citizen’s wellbeing, therefore it is imperative that I return Prince to her safe and sound.”
“If she didn’t want her cat to elope, she should’ve kept him at bay,” now his voice was defiant and firm. “And for fuck’s sake, it’s not a knight’s job to go running around looking for someone’s stray pet. Definitely not the Lionfang Knight’s job.”
She ended her streak abruptly and a cloud of dust rose immediately from the earth path. “Y-you shouldn’t use these kinds of words!”
He scanned her gaping figure, thin eyebrows arched towards her neat hairline. If the red across her fair cheeks was from her sprint or his swearing he could not tell precisely, tough, given her indignant reaction, he supposed the last one was more likely. At least that seemed to put their bickering aside for the moment.
“There’s nothing wrong with saying ‘fuck’ occasionally,” Kaeya grinned at the way Jean shivered upon hearing the word. “It’s an effective way to make an impression and emphasize your point.”
“It defies our knighthood, I’m sure you’ve at least once read the Knights of Favonius Handbook so you should know better, and besides…” her right eye twitched rapidly while Jean lectured her companion, a small tic of hers, “it sounds crude.”
“Fair enough,” he shrugged nonchalantly, secretly glad she’d ceased hyperventilating over the cat subject. He would bet his money that Jean would definitely suffer a heart attack if she kept on going like this, or some stress-related death. Except that he most certainly didn’t want that to happen.
“You know, Jean, I get it that you want to do your utmost for Mond,” Kaeya tested the waters while they resumed their path to Whispering Woods, slower this time. “But you won’t be able to if you are overwhelmed by every single citizen's wishes.”
She sighed, “I’m not overwhelmed, Kaeya. It’s just that I must do my best, for Mondstadt and to live up to my mother’s expectation and Grand Master Varka’s trust of me as his successor.”
“Sounds like a heavy burden,” he pondered, sounding somewhat distant or lost in thought, his mind traveling elsewhere. “I think I can partly understand it.”
Except the burden Kaeya withheld was slowly and torturously eating away at his consciousness. Not that there was any chance he would be telling her about it anytime soon.
On her part, Jean gingerly nodded grateful for his company in spite of everything. Despite the fact that she had had a minor breakdown, it was great to have someone there to distract her so that she wouldn’t be too concerned, whilst still assisting in her duty. Nevertheless, the Dandelion Knight couldn't shake the slight guilty impression that she should heave him off of this whole thing.
“I know this is bothersome. I’ll manage somehow, so please don’t force yourself to help me.” A small part of her hoped he’d refuse, but reason demanded her to freed the boy from this momentary burden.
“Hey, it was I who offered to help in the first place,” he assured before adding with a hint of mischief. "And, now then, I want to witness the Lionfang Knight's prowess as she tackles a runaway cat."
Jean exhaled softly, silently accepting his resolve.
“He’s quite tame, you see. Last time I handled it smoothly,” the girl alleged, brows knit together in thought as she searched her memory for some clue on capturing Prince successfully. “Still, I do hope he’ll be in a good mood.”
“Brace yourself then, because I can already see the weird-looking rock that marks the boundary of Whispering Woods,” Kaeya raised a gloved hand to shield his eye from the sun as he stared at the distance. An idea crossed his mind, and he took a quick glance at his companion before smirking and announcing “Race you there.”
He sprang forward swiftly and Jean awed at his graceful yet silent moves, before defiantly accepting the challenge and chasing after him. Despite Kaeya’s head start, she reached him just as they were three feet from the finish line rock, which Jean touched first by mere milliseconds.
They halted beneath an apple tree’s canopy, relieving in the cool shade that provided shelter from the scorching sunlight. Kaeya muttered something she couldn’t quite make out between his light panting.
“We can agree that I finished first, right?” The delighted charming smile she shot Kaeya made an unfamiliar feeling flutter deep within him.
“Not fair,” he breathed out, feigning soreness. “I’ve never lost to Diluc in speed, just so you know.”
“Don’t sulk, your speed is actually impressing. The reason I won is probably just height,” she pointed out, and it was true that Jean was a couple inches taller, but that wasn’t exactly the best excuse for her victory.
Kaeya snorted at her exacerbated humbleness, “Or perhaps you’re simply a more fit runner. You can brag sometimes, you know.” He measured the girl's reaction, which consisted of bending her head sheepishly.
“I hope for a rematch soon, though,” he added with a more confident tone and an arched eyebrow.
“Anytime you want,” Jean allowed herself a quick stretch before entering deeper into the woods, motioning for Kaeya to follow her. “Now, we should keep looking for Prince.”
“Right, boss,” he chirped as he pursued the white and blonde figure among the surrounding dark green hues.
The woods provided a well received cover from the summer sun. As they made their way slowly and attentively through the vegetation, Jean gestured at the trees’ top branches and whispered, “It’s probable that he’s atop one of the trees, since cats prefer high places.”
“Let’s split, then. You take the south wing, I take the north one.”
Jean assented and they parted ways.
As he inspected the surrounding treetops, a distinct and vibrant orange shape caught his attention. The air was hot and Kaeya felt somewhat thirsty so he went up to the bearing sunsettia tree and, standing on tiptoes, reached for one of the lowest branches. As he grabbed a hold of two fresh sunsettias and picked them, a pair of emerald green eyes stared back at him.
His mouth curved slightly in surprise as Kaeya exchanged glances with the grey-tabby seated comfortably on a branch that was too high for the boy to reach.
“Huh, found you, you little bastard,” he gibed in a low tone, for he couldn’t risk scaring the cat off after all the trouble of tracking him.
The two sunsettias were tucked each one in one of his coat pockets as Kaeya considered the situation. If he were to capture the cat, he’d have to climb the tree, which would be fairly easy for him. However, his action would probably startle the feline, and Prince would run away before Kaeya could grab a hold of him.
If Jean were there, he could hoist her up so that she would reach the cat and secure him swiftly, Kaeya evaluated and decided to lure her there.
“Hey, Jean,” he raised his voice, aware that she must have been close enough to hear him, given that the woods were deadpan silent and they’d split not long ago so she wouldn’t have gotten too far. “Found him.”
She emerged from behind some bushes mere seconds subsequent to his call, an expression of optimistic astonishment in her features. “Really? Where is he?” she breathed in a hushed tone, anxious and hopeful.
Gesturing towards the cat partially hidden by the foliage, Kaeya quirked an eyebrow at her, “Haven’t I told you I’m the best tracker in the Knights of Favonius?”
Jean hurried up to her companion and proceeded to scrutinize the canopy, spotting Prince almost immediately. “Thank Lord Barbatos, it is him.”
“Can you seize him?” Kaeya inquired, though he already knew her answer.
Jean had done this before, climbing the Great Tree in Windrise without the cat noticing her presence had been easy. This though, she would probably have to opt for a different strategy. “Definitely, I’ll–“
“Great,” he interjected, already having thought this out. “So, I’ll lift you up and you do what you have to do.”
“Eh?” she perked up, taken aback by his proposal. Reason, however, told her it was a fairly reasonable option. “Ah, sure, it’s the only way to reach him, right?”
Kaeya clicked his tongue, “So, do you prefer piggyback or bridal?”
“I-I suppose these wouldn’t be very effective…” she stuttered in disbelief, oblivious to his teasing.
“Aha, I was joking,” Kaeya cackled, unable to keep the shit-eating grin off his face. “You’ll have to sit on my shoulders if you wanna have any chance of reaching him.”
“Well, you could sit on my shoulders likewise,” she suggested casually and gauged his reaction.
“Oh, I know I could,” Kaeya recounted promptly, musing at her suggestion. “For I sure don’t doubt the Lionfang Knight’s strength.”
“Nevertheless, I believe you’re the most suitable candidate to seize the bastard,” he added nonchalantly, to which she had to agree internally.
“Be it, then.”
He got down on one knee upon hearing her confirmation. “Suit yourself.”
She placed her hands lightly where his neck met his shoulder for balance, and swung one leg over his bent figure.
“We can try another way if I’m heavy on you,” the feeling of his muscles and bones, covered by layers of cloth but still noticeable, beneath her thighs was foreign. “You shouldn’t put strain on your column because of this.”
“It’s fine,” he meant it. “Besides, having the Lionfang Knight sit on my shoulder it’s an honor I wouldn’t dare to miss.”
Jean yelped as Kaeya stood in one nimbly motion, instinctively touching his neck to maintain equilibrium.
Prince seemed to have a glint of curiosity as the girl came face-to-face with him. Taking advantage of his placidity, Jean leaned forward and tried to be gentle as she enveloped his torso with both her gloved hands.
When the cat kept inactive in her hold, Jean sighed in relief, believing it to be a good sign. Despite all the trouble he had put her through, she had to admit Prince was rather well-behaved.
“I’ve got him.”
Kaeya bent again and Jean successfully set foot on the ground with Prince held secure and balanced against her chest.
“I hate to say it, but he’s kind of cute,” he joked and patted Prince on the head tentatively, earning a purr from the cat.
She giggled, “Good job finding him.”
Kaeya shrugged and stuck both hands in pockets, suddenly reminded of the sunsettias there.
“Dig in,” he handed her a plump sunsettia while using his other hand to take a bite off his own.
“I shouldn’t risk letting him go, Kaeya,” Jean eyed his appetizing offer with regret. “Barbatos knows how fast cats can run.”
“Well, then just don’t use your hands,” he suggested, bringing the fruit close to her lips in a silent offer.
Jean felt her heart skip a beat. Reason told her that eating from his hand was nothing special given the circumstances, and her stomach’s low growl emphasized that. Nevertheless, the faintest blush dyed her features as she leaned in the direction of his palm and took a small bite.
It tasted sweet with a fleshy texture and, as she dove for another bite, a droplet of the sunsettia’s nectar trailed down her chin.
Kaeya didn’t realize he was gawking until she raised her head and moved an inch away, with Prince still surprisingly nonchalant in her arms. Jean gave the slightest shudder as the droplet made its way down her exposed neck, leaving a faint sweet orange trail on her fair skin, just before Kaeya reached out and used his gloved thumb to slowly wipe it off. The sweet nectar, little as it was, coated his covered fingertips.
If she’d avoided showing evident awkwardness before, now her mouth curved into a small ‘O’ and widened eyes made it clear as day. He, on the other hand, paid no mind to the girl’s reaction, momentarily endorsed in the sensation of his thumb running against her smooth skin.
Once out of his trance, Kaeya gulped discreetly and averted his eyes. Feeling somewhat guilty for staring too intently, because Jean – being Jean – definitely hadn’t had second thoughts on what he just did. After all, they had been close enough for this type of thing to look casual.
“A-ah, thank you...” Jean struggled to keep her tone neutral, urging him back to reality. “It’s getting late, we should head back.”
He nodded and then the two knights made their way out of the woods. As they strolled through the path that led to the city of Mondstadt, Kaeya uttered a whistle.
Jean relished in his small and brief melody.
They both lost track of time as they walked down the aisle, the setting sun casting long and distorted shadows over the grasslands, until Jean broke the content yet serene silence.
“Before we arrive, I just want to–“
“No need to thank me, Jean,” he regarded her with a playful expression. “It was fun. If the bastard runs away again, you can count on me to track him down. That is, only if you tag along though.”
“That is good to know,” she chucked light-hearted. “I had fun too, you know. Guess I have to thank you for that.”
Kaeya interrupted his pace just before they crossed the bridge that led to Mond. “How about we watch the sunset? I bet Miss Margaret can wait a few more minutes,” he proposed tentatively, half-lidded eyes striving to allure her.
She came to a stop beside him and regarded the feline secured between her arms, weighing her options. Today she was supposed to come home around 3 hours ago, and the thought made guilt – or something more akin to distress – creep within her. Mother would be displeased.
“I’m sorry, I must not dwell any further,” she almost regretted the words as they left her mouth, but then there was no turning back.
They gazed at each other in silence for a few seconds.
Kaeya shrugged nonchalantly, avoiding eye contact. “Your call. See you tomorrow then.”
He jumped with ease over the bridge's stone railing, seating himself with one leg draped over the edge and the other bent against his torso.
“You’re staying?” Jean's eyebrows arched towards her hairline.
He assented positively from his position above the railing, “Yeah, this place provides a great view of the sunset.”
“Ah, take care then, you know it gets dangerous at night.” She hesitated, knowing he probably wouldn't.
“I can handle myself, Jeanie,” Kaeya smirked.
She rolled her eyes at his overconfidence before continuing, “I had fun today.”
“Yeah, you said so.”
“Goodnight then.” Jean regarded him with one last discreet smile before proceeding to the city's gates.
“Night." And, as she strolled over the bridge's cobblestone, Kaeya couldn't help but quietly awe at the way her blonde locks shone in the sunset's red light, reminding him of something between scorching fire and the purest gold.
Frederica took no time in setting aside the folder full of documents she had buried herself into and turned to face her eldest daughter with a stern expression as the girl arrived discreetly through the entrance hall.
Jean straightened her posture as she met Frederica’s look of reproof and took a deep breath before reporting, “Mother, I-“
The Gunnhildr Clan matriarch raised her hand, demanding her daughter’s silence. “Spare me the explanation, you already know what to do.”
“Yes, mother,” the girl bowed respectfully, struggling to hide the shame slowly rising through her. “I shall excuse myself then.”
Once in her chambers, Jean untied her perfectly symmetrical ponytail and neatly folded the coat of her knight garments.
It was late, she could tell from the moon’s position on night’s dark-blue layer, however Jean didn’t feel tired at all, which made her slightly bewildered since that was an extraordinarily uncommon sensation amidst the girl’s tightly scheduled routine.
Speaking of which, the sturdy notebook sitting above her room’s desk, unavoidable and imperative before her gaze, beckoned the young knight towards itself. Today’s eventualities had to be written down properly and in detail, same way as basically every activity Jean indulged in since she was eight years old.
Her mother would certainly check the register first thing in the morning, so Jean took a deep breath and wetted her ink pen in an all too familiar sequence of movements.
The damage wasn’t so bad, she’d only missed a couple hours of sword practice and history lecture.
'2 hours worth of sword practice and 1 hour of lectures pending. Those shall be reposed on Saturday’s noon break, from 5 p.m to 8 p.m.
The delay happened due to the reserved time being taken in attending to a civilian’s request. In spite of this, the actions taken were strictly according to a knight’s responsibilities.'
Jean eyed her cursive handwriting, not nearly as meticulous as her mother’s, and closed the notebook with a loud thump. Had she owned a diary, she would much rather scribble ‘hangout with Kaeya, we chased a cat, it was fun’ or something along these lines.
She mindlessly changed into her nightgown and climbed under the – much too thick for her – covers. Sleep didn’t come as fast as usual, so her mind started to wander. She replayed the day’s events in her memory, and her heart skipped a beat upon the recall of a particular moment.
Jean brought her index and middle finger to her chin and traced a thin imaginary line down to her neck. The sensation wasn’t unpleasant, but it was a far cry from what she had felt earlier, when it had been Kaeya’s fingers on her skin instead of her own. Perhaps it was because he had his gloves on back then, or because he’d trailed his fingers upwards – if she remembered correctly.
Carefully removing the blankets, the Dandelion Knight padded swiftly as silently as she could towards her closet’s entrance on the far side of the bedroom. Once there, she picked one of her pairs of gloves, the ones she wore during knightly duties. Jean put them on as she crawled underneath the covers once again and, she couldn’t pinpoint exactly why, felt a sudden urge to hide her face beneath the blanket.
It was even darker underneath but she closed her eyes nevertheless and brushed the same path as before, this time upwards. The sensation of the glove’s cloth rasping against her skin was almost identical to that of his; still, the result was fairly distinct, Jean felt relatively normal, nothing like what she had experienced back then.
Dumbfounded, the girl touched her lips lightly in thought. It made no sense; she’d repeated his maneuvers with precision, but the outcome was… disappointing to say the least.
Sleep found her first than the solution she aimed for.
“Young master Kaeya, may I take your uniform?” Adeline’s voice echoed through his bedroom, startling Kaeya slightly, who had surprisingly not sensed her approach.
“Yeah,” he answered absentmindedly, attention directed at polishing his sword.
Adeline complied and placed the garments he’d left sloppily folded over the room’s chiffonier on the laundry basket she was balancing skillfully on her hip.
The Head Housemaid left his chamber without further ado, intentionally keeping the door ajar as Kaeya preferred.
The sword had some speck of fur adhered to its handhold, a souvenir from the hilichurls he’d slashed earlier that day, and Kaeya annoyingly tried to remove them.
Busy in his task, realization abruptly hit him, and Kaeya dropped his sword and bolted downstairs in the direction he was sure Adeline had gone.
She heard his approach and turned to face him “Young master, is something wrong?”
“I almost forgot, but you must not wash my gloves,” he did his best to utter this strange request casually.
The Head Housemaid eyed the boy skeptically. “May I ask you why?”
“Well, you see, they’re still clean, given that I’m the kind of knight who’s proficient enough not to let blood or dirt stain my garments.” He hoped his bragging would be enough to dismiss her suspicion.
“Your uniform is washed alongside with young master Diluc’s, it would make no difference to wash your gloves since his will be washed anyway.”
Kaeya resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her insistence. “Well, truth is I still want to practice some swings today.”
The maid considered him for a moment and at last complied by extending the basket towards him, purposely ignoring the fact that he had plenty of spare pairs in his wardrobe.
Kaeya celebrated his small victory internally, and swiftly took a hold of his left glove. If his memory didn’t deceive him, which was unlikely due to the way that scene was thoroughly carved in his mind, the left glove was the one he had used back then.
As he proceeded up the staircase, Adelinde arched her brow in disbelief.
“You intend to practice sword swings with only one hand, young master? Furthermore, using your left hand when you are, in fact, right-handed?”
The knowing look she wore bothered Kaeya a little, and he resigned to the fact that he had failed to successfully deceive the maid who had been the closest thing he had had to a mother since he was ten.
“Oh, right,” he chuckled in an oblivious tone. “I’m so forgetful!”
Knowing full well that she hadn’t bought his excuse, Kaeya was glad when she said nothing more, apparently dropping the subject without further ado.
He snatched the other hand and hurried back up the stairs to his room in the Ragnvindr mansion’s second story.
Once in relative privacy, Kaeya sat on his bed and tried to ignore the uncommon embarrassment nagging him in spite of how overboard he went just for one glove. He definitely did not like this feeling.
Unfortunately for him, the embarrassment – more like shyness, in fact – increased as he tentatively touched the index’s finger format. There were no signs of what had happened, the cloth having dried long ago and the black concealing any possible stains.
Still, when Kaeya drew on the glove over his lean hand and brought it closer to his face, he could smell the faintest hint of sunsettia-sweetness.
It was a relieving smell, for it proved concretely what he already knew had happened. As Kaeya replayed the scene in his head – to hell with shame – he lifted eager fingers and touched his closed lips lightly.
The sunsettias had had a rich flavor that afternoon, he wondered if the nectar spread on Jean’s skin would have a unique distinct taste itself…
As Kaeya lost himself in wonderings, Diluc peeked from the ajar door and observed his sworn brother in silence for a few seconds, taking advantage of the fact that his presence went unnoticed.
“For Barbatos’ sake, what are you doing?” Diluc’s voice was a mixture of confusion and unease over his brother’s answer.
The familiar voice startled Kaeya, once again breaking him off his trance, but he hid his surprise expediently, quickly recovering his usual witty expression.
“I’m admiring my gloves,” he feigned awe, bringing his hand closer to his eye. “The sewing is impeccable, the cloth is perfect for handling a sword and at the same time efficient in holding a pen. Truly a work of art, makes me wonder whose talented hands tailored these pieces.”
Dilly narrowed his ruby eyes suspiciously at his sworn brother, “I swear you have a loose screw somewhere.” His tone was reticent as usual, though the faintest smile tugged at his lips.
To which Kaeya simply laughed as he heartily clutched his gloved hand, “I guess I might, indeed.”