Work Text:
searing pain ripped through his body as blood dripped steadily down from his injured side. of all the days to get hurt, kaeya was really not looking forward to it being this one. today was his wedding day after all.
he knew childe was waiting for him and he knew that the minute he didn’t show up on time, he’d know something was wrong. they trusted each other, almost too much, but maybe trust was what would save him. of course, he could be wrong and trust would once again ruin everything he’d ever had.
kaeya stumbled to the nearest tree to support himself, hoping that he wouldn’t hear another crunch of bones or feel another stab in his gut.
ohhh jean was going to kill him if he wasn’t already dead by the time he got back. maybe barbara would help heal him and bring him back for round two.
he had to slump down to the floor, breath heaving. stopping wasn’t a good idea. especially not when the enemy could be so close to him. it really wasn’t like him to leave without checking that they weren’t following him.
diluc would never forgive him for bringing them to mondstadt if he made it out alive. rosaria wouldn’t forgive him either. they were drinking buddies after all.
he imagined the crowd in the cathedral, excited whispers as their cavalry captain prepared to be united with the love of his life. “a harbinger!” they exclaimed when kaeya told them. “and the eleventh, no less!” he laughed when they showed their shock. did they really expect him to be traditional?
he wondered if amber was nervously pacing the room like she often did or if she was excitedly talking to the guests about how happy she was.
the voices of hilichurls could be heard nearby, and kaeya’s senses sharpened. were they a threat? not usually. but when you’re on the brink of death and delirious, even the weakest opponents were bad news.
really, what luck did he have to go out on an expedition today and be hurt like this. he shouldn’t have said yes, but underneath that cold, cunning exterior, he unfortunately still had some kindness in his heart. it’s what made him mond’s sweetheart he supposed.
aether had finally found their sister, lumine, and they were both so excited for this day. his favorite cavalry captain was getting married after all!
spitting out blood for the millionth time, he steadied himself and got up, head spinning only mildly compared to the swirling feeling from before. what a sickening, awful feeling. death really would be better at this point.
albedo was supposed to be doing their portraits for today. he’d been given a large supply of alchemical ingredients and a few promises, but he’d been overjoyed to see kaeya’s smile of relief when he agreed.
kaeya thanked barbatos when the bleeding finally stopped. he’d lost so much at this point that he was wondering how he was even still alive. he truly was a walking miracle at this point.
venti was invited too, and he laughed his heart out when kaeya told him over drinks. “oh i’m not joking, i’m really getting married,” he’d said. “you’re invited, whether or not you want to play for us is up to you. oh, and you’d be getting any payment you’d like.” he added. venti was sold with that last line and said he’d come even if he wasn’t payed.
distantly, the sound of a clock tower rung eleven times. 11 o’clock. the time he was meant to be back and dressed well. he wouldn’t make it back, but hopefully childe would be okay. he had a will stashed away somewhere, just in case things went wrong at any time in his life.
childe, his beloved. tartaglia, the feared fatui harbinger. he was so excited when he introduced kaeya to his family. tonia said he’d talked about how pretty he was and described him in a way that made her love him already. “if ajax loves you, so do i!” she had said. his other siblings agreed. the adoration he’d felt at that time was indescribable.
a rock. a rock brought the great kaeya alberich to his knees. he was weak. his mind was drifting. and he was dying. he saw a flash of white and ginger in his field of vision. ah, that would be the hallucinations starting. oh, black and red too. now THAT was a good joke. he was finally going out! the horrible pain disappeared and his vision started going dark.
“KAEYA!” he imagined the sound in the distance.
large arms lifted him up as he chuckled weakly. “oh i’ve been thinking of my beloved so much it seems he’s come to save me in my imagination.”
“kaeya, hang on,” the arms gripped tighter.
“how realistic,” he applauded his mind. “you’ve really outdone yourself this time, alberich.”
“kaeya, stay awake for me!”
he only remembered the warmth from those arms that held him, remembered how they felt so, so real. and then, everything went black.
--
kaeya woke up in a bed, covered with bandages.
he stared at the lofty ceiling and all he could think was: “am i dead?”
if this was celestia, it looked rather bland. and quite like the infirmary of the mondstadt cathedral. suspiciously so, if he was being honest.
it nearly gave him a heart attack when barbara peeked her head into his sight, worry filling her features. when she saw his eye open, she squeaked.
“c-captain kaeya!! how do you feel?”
kaeya grunted in response. “i’m alive, aren’t i?”
she nodded so fast he feared she would give herself a headache. “and thank barbatos for that! if it wasn’t for… well, let me get the others. oh, they are going to be so so happy.”
she ran out and he sighed. what would they all say? would they scold him? he wasn’t sure he was ready for jean to be sweet and gentle with him.
the doors to the room opened again and the sound of multiple pairs of shoes running towards him resounded off the marble floors.
the first one to reach him was amber. her eyes were red from crying and lumine was at her side, gently comforting her. she knelt down and sobbed into the sheets of the hospital bed, tears staining the sheets. kaeya looked at her and smiled gently. she was like his little sister and he didn’t have words to say to her, but she knew that it was genuine.
after amber, was jean and diluc. jean was more tired than usual, but when he was all better, he knew he’d have the scolding of his life. for now she held his shoulder and told him she was so glad. diluc didn’t speak much either, just scoffed, but he had eyebags to rival jeans, and kaeya knew he was worried sick. despite working out their familial issues a while back, it was still hard for them to go back to normal, and if he was being honest, things were easier this way.
albedo, venti, aether, rosaria, and the others all told him in various ways how happy they were that he’d come back safely. when they had all left the room, kaeya had searched for one more. jean gave him a look and told him “i’ll send him in,” and walked out with the rest.
it was quiet once more. he closed his eye, one hand on the eyepatch that covered the other, and breathed out deeply. the door to the room opened again, the sound of brand new shoes halting, and his eye shot open, he sat up despite the pain, turned, and threw off the sheets of that small little bed. his legs were weak and he fell, but he got up again, slipping at every other step until a pair of arms caught him once again.
childe’s breath came out uneven as they embraced, his body shaking. his hands gripped the back of kaeya’s head to support him and he laughed wearily. kaeya had his arms in a vice grip around his waist, his hands buried in childe’s hair and face in his shoulder.
who cared if he wasn’t supposed to do this. they were together, and even though he laughed about it at the time, he knew it’d be too hard for childe to lose him.
when they had both slumped to the floor still wrapped in each other’s arms, kaeya mumbled, “i’m sorry.”
he didn’t need to explain but childe held him tighter and fiercely said “it’s not your fault,” he placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. “i shouldn’t have let you gone alone. you wouldn’t have had to get hurt if i had helped.”
apologies were not common for them, but it felt necessary at this time. kaeya knew it was his fault, no matter what his beloved said, it was his and his alone.
childe stood up, lifting up kaeya and they walked back to the bed, hands interlaced, holding on like they were being torn apart. he wasn’t sure when he started crying, but he stared at the tear stains on the other’s white suit. that didn’t happen everyday.
“oh, i didn’t mean to get it all wet, my dear.”
childe shook his head and smiled. “it doesn't matter, i’ll just get it cleaned later.”
kaeya sighed tiredly. exhaustion was catching up to him again it seemed. he gently laid back down, eye fluttering shut. it didn’t take long before he had fallen asleep, but the hand that held tightly to his stayed steady even as he dozed.
--
klee happily threw her flowers down on the carpet that lined the cathedral floor. she’d gotten a new dress from jean and albedo had told her that she needed to be very very good for “uncle kaeya’s special day.”
it’d been about a month since the incident, and kaeya had been healed fully. the wedding was postponed while he recovered, but now that things were back to normal, it was finally time.
aether happily signed to lumine about the decorations that lined the building. she signed back, laughing.
the aura in the air was full of love, something that many in the room hadn’t felt in so long.
the doors to the cathedral opened up, the steady hum of conversation dying and excited whispers filling the room as kaeya appeared in the doorway. amber waved to him as he walked down, while diluc, as unexpected as it might’ve been, gave him a small smile.
he reached the altar and looked up at childe, his eyes full. they held hands tightly, unspoken words passing between them.
childe’s hand slipped under kaeya’s jaw and he kissed him gently. their foreheads rested against each other’s and as the crowd erupted into applause, kaeya smiled.
things were going to be okay.
they were going to be okay.