Chapter Text
“Captain Alberich?”
Eula’s voice was that of pure disbelief as she stared up at the cavalry captain who had just saved her life from a group of Fatui. Of all the people she had thought would come to her rescue, Kaeya wasn’t really first on her list, let alone thinking that anyone would actually save her.
Well, no. That’s not what happened.
Not if she could help it. She had the situation completely under control. She knew that the Fatui were present, and she was more than capable of defending herself, no matter what they had planned against her. She was Eula Lawrence, after all. One of the strongest knights in Mondstadt. She handled every situation with unmatched elegance and grace, and Kaeya Alberich—her fellow knight, her co-captain, of all people, should know that. Yet he still had the audacity to look down at her with a charming smug smile.
“Captain Lawrence,” Kaeya greets, “fancy seeing you here.”
The trip back to Mondstadt was the very opposite of boring.
Kaeya accompanied Eula on the way to the knights’ headquarters, walking right beside her as she complained about his presence over and over. He listened to everything she’d said, of course. Regardless of the fact that most of them were expressions of frustration. She was adorable, anyway; something he’d never dare say to her lest her anger fester even more.
(And can he just comment on how absolutely colorful the Spindrift Knight’s vocabulary is when no one else is watching! Kaeya now thinks of it as their little secret.)
“I cannot believe that you of all people would interrupt my mission.” Eula stomps as she walks, whining for the umpteenth time. “I suppose this is what happens when you run out of work, dear cavalry captain?”
“I am not out of work.”
“It sure seems as though you have nothing better to do.” She crosses her arms over her chest, still frowning. He snorts at how her brows were furrowed, looking ever so displeased with what had happened. Unable to resist the urge, Kaeya reaches a hand out to cup her face, using his thumb to smooth her brows down in an attempt to get rid of the expression she was making.
Ah, he made it worse.
“Hey—!”
“Oops.” Kaeya laughs, retracting his hand and raising both of his arms in the air, surrendering before she even thinks to bring her weapon out. He tries to ignore the warmth that lingered on his palm. “Sorry, sorry.”
“First, you steal my targets, taking credit for their capture without my permission, and now you mock me!” Her cheeks turn red from frustration, a wonderful contrast from the blue that framed her face. “I shall have my vengeance, Captain Kaeya!”
Kaeya smiles at her. Partly from amusement with how she was reacting to all of this, mostly because she looks lovely despite being so mad.
He sighs, knowing by now that she wasn’t going to listen to him no matter how much he explained how he just wanted to help her—how he wanted her safe. He shrugs. “If that’s what would sate your anger.”
The remainder of their walk was full of banter and chuckles, with Eula storming off to her office the moment they arrived at headquarters.
“Here,” Eula says as she places a paper bag on top of Kaeya’s table. “For yesterday.”
Kaeya stared at her with what looked like utter shock, his one eye conveying his confusion rather clearly. He quickly recovers himself, though, and Eula wanted to wipe that stupid grin off of his face. She preferred it when he looked idiotic and clueless.
“My, my, Captain Lawrence, what could this be?” He digs his arm inside the bag to fish for its contents.
Eula places her hands on her hips, impatient and nervous. “If you just opened it, then you wouldn’t have to ask.”
“Yes, yes, I am opening it now.”
The cavalry captain does just that, opening a food container to reveal a stormcrest pie—Eula’s specialty.
(Yes, she cooked it herself, but he doesn’t have to know that!)
“Oh?” Kaeya stares at the pie, an expression that was somehow in between disbelief, and... was that fondness? “Did you make this yourself, Captain?”
“Perhaps.”
“So you did.” He chuckles, looking up at her. Perhaps it was just the embarrassment from what she had done, but she could not bear to look at her colleague. Not when his smile implied how much he knew about everything, not when it made her chest tighten. “I’m touched.”
“I simply do not want you to think that I owe you. Now, we are even.”
He only hums in agreement, perhaps even amused to see that Eula had given him anything. Archons, even she surprised herself. “Is that so?”
“Yes, that is so!” Eula makes her way to the door, finding it more difficult to breathe by the second, and she knew that Kaeya was to blame. “If you don’t want to eat it, I will not force you to. All that matters is I have taken my vengeance.”
Kaeya laughs. “Of course I’ll eat it. It’s from you, after all.”
Eula’s hand stops just at the handle of the door, her mind repeating what Kaeya had just said. The more it did, the louder it got, and she hate, hate, hated , it so much, hate how he had her wrapped around his finger, how words so simple can sound so twisted and heavy and memorable if it came from Kaeya Alberich, how Eula couldn’t do anything about what she was feeling.
“I shall see you later, Captain Alberich!”
She left his office in a rush, but she’d definitely heard him before she had closed the door.
“Thanks for this, snowflake.”