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Kaeya didn’t tend to take days off; sure, there were days when he wasn’t on duty, but he was always ‘working’ in some manner. He loved Mondstadt and the people who lived there; what was some unpaid labor in comparison to keeping his home safe?
For once, though, he was actually taking a day for himself. He’d originally intended on, after visiting his brother, skirting off to coerce information off people in the tavern. The small hesitant knock on his house’s door ended those thoughts.
Kaeya opened the door to the chilly autumn morning, feeling the cool breeze rush into his over-warm house. For a moment he blinked, confused, as he could see no one at the door. A small cough and he looked down, his confusion turning into a warm, but concerned, smile.
“Hey there, Maddie! What do I owe the honor of having your pretty face at my door?” He’d ask, reaching up to wipe a tear from her cheek, the little girl sniffling softly.
“The other kids are being dumb.” Madison mumbled, pouting as she lifted her arms at Kaeya in a silent request. The Knight obliged; Madison weighed more than most girls her age, but most girls her age also didn’t have the muscle she did from swinging a sword around. Still, she weighed nothing to the far stronger Captain as he pulled her onto his hip and she wrapped his arms around his shoulders in a hug.
“Really now?” He’d ask, gently kicking the door closed and taking her into the house, navigating into the kitchen. “What did they do?”
“It’s Billy, mostly. Says girls shouldn’t be swinging a sword around.” Madison complained. “Which is dumb, cuz Grand Master Jean does!”
“It sounds like Billy has some bad opinions.” Kaeya agreed, using one hand to fish out a bottle of apple cider from the frostflower box, passing it to the child. “I think he’s just intimidated. Maybe he likes you?”
“Dumb way of liking someone.” Madison grumbled, removing the metal cap with just her hand and taking a drink. “Billy is dumb.”
Kaeya laughed. “Well, what do you want to do about it?” He asked with a smile, lacing his fingers under the girl to support her weight.
Madison tapped her nails on the glass bottle in thought. “I want him to stop being dumb.” She decided.
“And how will you make that happen? Will you stop using a sword?” Kaeya lifted a teasing eyebrow, smirking as she latched onto the bait.
“No way! I’m not gonna stop just cuz he says I should! I may be a girl but I could kick his butt!”
“I’d tell you to go for it but I think your Father and Diluc would both be quite displeased with me if I did.~”
“Diluc would tell you that you’re dumb.” Madison offered, helpfully.
“Probably. Well, I have an idea.” Gently Kaeya knelt and deposited the girl on the ground, Madison looking up at him. “Why don’t we grab you a practice sword and spar a bit? Just outside the gate, where Billy can see us.”
Immediately the girl’s eyes lit up with determination. “Yes! He can see how good I am and agree that he’s wrong!”
Flawed logic, but it would make her feel better and he quite liked his little sparring matches with the girl.
“Wonderful.~ Go home and swap clothes, and I’ll meet you at the bridge.” Kaeya flicked the ribbon at the waist of Madison’s dress to prove a point; he’d hate to ruin such nice clothes.
“Okay! I’ll be fast!” Slamming the last of her drink, Madison dropped the empty container in the crate of bottles as she ran out of the house.
–
Madison was true to her word, and was only a handful of minutes behind Kaeya’s arrival at the bridge, scaring off the swarm of birds as she darted across the stone path to where Kaeya stood in wait. She’d dressed in pants, boots, and a tunic; appropriate garb for combat. Her hair had been pulled back quickly, but strands were snaking their way into her face.
“You need a hand there, Maddie?” Kaeya chuckled, reaching down to run his fingers through the snarled ponytail in an attempt to tame it.
“Please? I didn’t want to make you wait so I didn’t stop to brush it.” The girl explained, earning a small ‘tut tut’ from the man.
“You should know better, Maddie.” He chastised gently, pulling the hairbrush he had anticipated needed out of his bag and running it through the strands. “It’s almost as though you just wanted me to braid your hair. You could have asked.~”
“You don’t ask for things directly either, though.” Oof; called out.
“How cheeky.” He laughed instead. “Well stop wriggling and I’ll get this done; the longer this takes, the less time we’ll have to spar you know. I agreed to go to the Winery today.”
A tiny gasp and Madison had to physically keep herself from whipping around. “Can I go with you! I wanna see Mister Diluc!”
“Ahaha! We should get your Father’s permission, but I’m sure it’s fine.” He clasps his hands on her shoulders to keep her still, resuming brushing out the tangles until he could finally part the blonde strands into thirds. The braid itself took no time at all and soon enough the wayward locks had been secured.
“There. Now. I brought a training sword for you to use, go ahead and get into stance.” Madison was a quick study, but the basics were vital and Kaeya wouldn’t skimp on enforcing them.
The girl did as she was asked, shifting her stance with the blade in hand, looking up to her instructor. Kaeya did a small walk around her, using the toe of his boot to gently reposition her footing.
“Close, shift this way a little- very good. Straighten your back more- perfect.” He spoke softly and smiled encouragingly. “Now swing. Again. Put your weight into it- There you go!”
Her form wasn’t bad, and generally a quick refresher before each sparring match was enough to renforce it. He drew his own padded blade and passed it to his off hand. “Alright then, try to hit me.”
Madison had hesitated in the beginning, scared of hurting him, but now she didn’t even bat an eye, immediately charging in with a wide swing that Kaeya parried effortlessly.
“Ahah! Nice try, come on, come at me!” The swings were sloppy, but it was clear she was trying to maintain her form as she went after him. Her style had hints of Diluc’s in it, wide crushing blows that was ill suited to a one handed sword. “Are you trying to hit me or fan me? Come on!”
His taunt hit it’s mark and Madison huffed, sweat already dripping from her brow. She shifted the grip on her sword and lunged, her strikes more focused but still unable to get past his defenses.
“There you go! Very good!” He made sure to praise her success, even as each swing and thrust were deflected effortlessly. She was only 9; she wasn’t going to be able to land a hit on him, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t doing well. “Bend your knees more, use your other arm as you swing; your whole body is your counterbalance- there you go!”
A grin was plastered on the Captain’s face as he parried each blow, watching his young protege's growth with genuine glee. She remembered his lessons and it was clear she was applying them in real time as they came back to her; now he just had to hope that wouldn’t be so slow to manifest in a real fight.
Kaeya danced around her, Madison following him as their training blades echoed down the path, cries of exertion and laughter following it as the pair spent the next hour with locked weapons. It was only once Madison crouched in place and gasped for air that they stopped, the child too exhausted to continue.
“You’ve done well, Maddie.~” Kaeya praised again, reaching out to pet her head with a grin. She looked up at him, clearly tired, and smiled back.
“Think I’ll beat you one day?” She asked.
“Maybe. Won’t make it easy for you, though.~” A playful reply that earned a wider smile.
“I’ll just have to keep trying, then!” She decided, making herself stand. Madison wobbled a little as she tried to lift her sword again, stumbling back to keep from falling onto her butt. Kaeya decided that was enough for the moment and easily plucked the training weapon from her hands. “Hey!”
“Now, I told you that I promised Diluc I’d visit. You wanted to come, right?” Kaeya gently chastised, casually walking to his bag to strap the training tools to. “Can’t have you so tired you can’t walk.”
“You’d carry me, though.” True, but Madison didn’t need to know that.
“I think I’d strap you to my backpack and drag you instead.” He teased, earning himself a noisy raspberry. “Classy.~ Well, I’m heading to the Winery now; are you coming?”
“Y-yeah!”
–
Kaeya was unsurprised, but Madison only lasted as far as Springvale before her fatigue set in. Contrary to his threat, Kaeya did not strap her to his bag and instead draped her over his back, taking the safe roads on his way to the winery with the napping girl in tow.
He mounted the hill towards the winery, the trees and vineyards obscuring most of his sight at the towering mansion blocked the sky. Standing before the building, arms crossed in silent vigil, was Diluc. Fire red hair and equally red eyes stuck out against the natural browns of the mansion doors. His normal dour expression softened upon seeing his brother and he walked down the path to meet him half way.
“What’s with the look, you didn’t really think I would forget about you, did you?” Kaeya teased his sibling once they were in earshot.
“You wouldn’t without good reason, is that not enough to warrant worry?” Diluc countered calmly, glancing to the sleeping child. “I see now why you were delayed.”
“A tired nine year old is not the fastest, no.” Kaeya laughed, adjusting his grip on her and allowing Diluc to slide his bag from his shoulder, hoisting it onto his own. “Let me lay her down on a couch.”
“Sparring again?” The pair began walking up the path to the Winery as they spoke.
“Yep; she swings her sword like a claymore.”
“I wonder if we should train her in that?”
“I doubt she’d let us; she’s heart set on using a sword like me.”
“But she uses it like I do.” Diluc sighed and looked at the girl. “Stubborn.”
“Something else she gets from you.~”
“You’re hardly a great influence either.”
“I am the best influence, you wound me!”
“I hope you are lying to yourself, because I believe you for about zero seconds.”
Kaeya laughed, slipping through the opened door and depositing the child on the couch by the window, rolling his shoulders. He turned to his brother and smiled. “So. My turn to be white, right?”