Work Text:
As he was lying under the great tree, Kaeya knew that he had pushed his luck. He hadn’t eaten in days now and usually he was smarter than trying to steal food from the guard dogs near the palace, but he was so hungry and desperate that he tried anyway.
It didn’t go well for him.
He was immediately spotted by the dogs, who chased him through a large part of the city. The hunger had made him weak, but he willed his tiny body to run as fast as he could. He didn’t want to die yet.
The dogs were just behind him. He could feel their hot breath on his fur, hear their snarling and barking, ready to eat him alive. His heart was beating in his chest, adrenaline pumping through every vein of his body.
As he ran around a wall, he noticed an opening in the wall just small enough for him to squeeze through. He immediately ran towards it and was almost caught by the sharp teeth of the vicious dogs behind him. After squeezing through the opening, he did not stop and look behind him, even if his ears could no longer hear and feel their ragged, hot breath.
Kaeya ran and ran and ran until his tiny body couldn’t move anymore, collapsing in the shade of a great tree. He was breathing heavily and his vision was blurred, his eyes closing under his dizziness. Was he about to die here? As a stray cat that accomplished nothing in his life?
He suddenly felt a presence next to him. His eyes flew open. Something big reached out to him, something framed in red.
A human.
Humans were not friendly to him. Kaeya was a black cat, which were symbols often connected to witchcraft and other evil things. Humans chased him away whenever he crossed their way or even threw stones at him, which made hunting for food in a place that had so little of it even harder.
But back to the issue at hand, there was a human trying to reach out to Kaeya, probably in an attempt to hurt him. He tried to drag his body away, but he was too exhausted and couldn’t move an inch.
“Shh, it’s okay. I won’t hurt you,” the human, a young male with red hair, said with a gentle voice. True to his word, the redhead gently picked him up, cradling him in his arms.
Kaeya stiffened up a little, but when the human continued to hold him without any attempt to hurt him, he relaxed and closed his eyes again.
“You poor thing! You’re probably starving, aren’t you? I’m actually not allowed to bring animals inside, but I can’t just leave you here to die,” the redhead said. Oh, this one was actually caring, how amusing.
He felt the stranger moving, probably carrying his little body away from the tree. The human was pleasantly warm and the little swaying from being carried made him feel sleepy. With a little sigh, finally feeling safe, he let himself drift off and fall asleep.
The next thing Kaeya noticed was that he was lying on something very soft. He felt so comfortable that he didn’t want to wake up, but his stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten in days.
Kaeya slowly opened his eyes and saw a bowl with food in front of him. He also realized that he was placed on what he thought was the softest, most comfortable pillow in the whole world. He got up and stretched his body, then stumbled towards the food bowl. He took a couple of sniffs before licking it and when he couldn’t smell or taste any poison, he almost inhaled the food in front of him.
First the soft pillow, now the food that was fresh fish which someone cut into tiny pieces that were just the right size to fit into his tiny mouth. After finishing his meal, he finally quenched his hunger for the first time in what felt like ages .
“You look so much better now,” someone said and Kaeya quickly turned around to see the redhead from before standing behind him. At first his instincts told him to run away, but then he remembered that this person rescued him and carried him gently.
This human was safe.
Kaeya meowed quietly to greet the young male, butting his head into the hand that was offered to him. The redhead gave him a good scratch behind his ears and he couldn’t help but purr.
This was his way of showing his gratitude since he couldn’t talk like humans did. He was smart enough to understand them though.
“No need to thank me, I just didn’t want to watch a poor animal die. I’m Diluc, by the way.”
The redhead introduced himself. Kaeya meowed to acknowledge this and let himself get picked up by the human, Diluc, again, happy to receive some positive attention for once.
“You’re so friendly for a stray,” Diluc remarked, scratching a spot behind Kaeya’s right ear that made him purr in pleasure. Oh that felt good .
“You still need a bath though.”
At the word bath, his instincts immediately went into high alert and Kaeya immediately tried to extract himself from Diluc’s hold, but the redhead only tightened his grip on the tiny cat. Kaeya understood that a bath involved water and he hated getting wet!
“Excuse you! Your fur is matted, you smell like filth and you have ticks and fleas everywhere! Be grateful I saved your life!” Diluc argued and carried Kaeya to the adjacent room, which turned out to be a personal bathroom.
In the middle of the room was a bath dug into the ground as a large square and filled with aromatic smelling water. Whatever herbs they put into it made Kaeya’s nose tickle and he couldn’t help but let out a sneeze. It was private, so the maids would not step in unless Diluc called for them.
Diluc put Kaeya down for a moment before stripping out of his clothes, but he left his undergarments on. He then picked Kaeya up again and carefully put him on the steps leading into the water, which were shallow enough so Kaeya could stand on them.
Kaeya hissed, his fur standing up the moment his paws made contact with the water.
“Hey don’t scratch me now, okay? I’m just trying to get you clean,” Diluc said as he poured a little water onto Kaeya’s fur. Kaeya yowled but tried to stay put, even if his fur was beginning to stick uncomfortably on his skin.
Diluc then grabbed a few weirdly smelling bowls and rubbed its content onto Kaeya’s fur and skin. Kaeya yowled again, but the massage Diluc gave him was quite pleasurable and he could no longer feel the itch that was almost ever present. Whatever was inside the bowls also created lots of foam until Kaeya’s whole body was covered in it.
Diluc worked quickly, but also gently. Kaeya eventually stopped growling and was awarded with another nice scratch behind his ears. Eventually Diluc washed the foam off of him, turning the water into a grim brown-like colour.
Finally, the redhead picked him up and used a towel to rub him dry. Kaeya raised his tail at the unexpected massage and actually leaned into Diluc’s hands.
“See? Wasn’t that bad,” Diluc remarked and let the cat go, who promptly walked into a corner, sat down and began to lick himself clean as well. He saw the redhead shaking his head with a smile and hung up the towel to dry, then left the room. He left the door open for Kaeya and he walked back into Diluc’s room after cleaning himself.
Diluc was looking out of the window when he spotted Kaeya. “Look at you, you look like a completely different cat!” he exclaimed and brought him to a mirror. Kaeya couldn’t believe that the big, poofed up cat with dark fur was supposed to be him, but when he touched the reflection in the mirror, he confirmed that it was really him.
Under Diluc’s praise and affection, he did feel like a completely different cat that belonged to a royal household and not on the street where he was unwanted. He meowed slightly and walked over to Diluc, rubbing his body against Diluc’s legs. The redhead chuckled and picked him up again and Kaeya decided that this was something he could get used to.
Diluc let him stay the night in his room. Kaeya was more than happy to rest for a little while longer because running from menacing dogs had taken its toll. For the first time in his life, he slept comfortably and felt safe. Diluc had given him the nice fluffy pillow from before, but he decided to sleep on the human’s large bed instead.
In the morning, Diluc gave him some fish again before letting Kaeya out. He said he had things to do, but he left a way for Kaeya to return whenever he wanted to. Thankful for this, he bumped his head against Diluc’s hand when Diluc pet him before leaving the room to explore the area.
Kaeya soon found himself exploring a huge manor house. It had a wall at the front and a large forest behind it. It stood separate from the other houses in the area and was larger and bigger, so Kaeya’s assumption that Diluc was from a wealthy family was confirmed. He had already thought as much when he first saw the spacious bath, because other humans he met or saw through the window didn’t have such big baths.
Feeling like he had seen enough outside, he sneaked into the manor without being seen by other people that were in the manor. He didn’t know what they were doing and they were dressed differently than Diluc.
There were many nooks and crannies he could hide in, but also many closed doors he couldn’t open. He observed the loud chatter of people chatting in a room - it sounded quite serious but Kaeya didn’t understand what they were talking about.
Finally he found the most delicious smelling place of the whole house. He managed to sneak into the kitchen without being seen and quietly climbed onto a table on which some warm dough bags lay on the table. There was a man preparing some food, so Kaeya intended to take something and leave as soon as possible.
He took a sniff at the dough bags and picked one up with his mouth just to see the person turning around, catching him red handed.
“What is a cat doing in the kitchen?!” the man yelled and jumped from the table. The man attempted to catch him, but Kaeya was faster and managed to run out of the kitchen shortly before the man slammed the door shut. Kaeya did not stop running though, surprising the people in the house and unfortunately bringing attention to himself.
Fortunately, he remembered where the exit was, so he ran straight out into the gardens and into the forest where he knew he would be safe. Diluc’s room had another way in from outside so he didn’t need to sneak into the house. Hopefully the redhead wasn’t too angry that he caused a ruckus, but he really wanted to taste that delicious dough bag.
When the noise died down, he finally ate his treat and thought it was also the most delicious thing he ate after the fish Diluc gave him earlier. The dough was soft and still warm, filled with the juiciest meat he had ever tasted. It was nothing compared to the scraps he fished out of trash cans in order to survive.
Finally when the moon was shining brightly in the sky, he returned to Diluc’s room. Everything was pitch black inside, but for a cat, the low amount of light was no problem for him. His eyes quickly scanned the room and landed on the big lump of bed.
Kaeya approached it quietly, jumping on the edge of it. Diluc was still awake, but something was wrong with him. He had his face hidden in his hands and was quietly… crying?
Kaeya didn’t know what was wrong, but he didn’t like that his newfound friend was upset. He meowed and pawed Diluc’s hands, even pressed his cold nose against them but Diluc only rolled away, clearly not wanting to speak to Kaeya right now.
Kaeya meowed again to get his attention and eventually gave up after he got no response. With his head hanging low, he jumped from the bed and quietly walked outside into the garden where he first met Diluc.
The garden was quiet except for the chirping sound of crickets filling the air. The air was crisp, but not cold. It was a peaceful night, except Kaeya felt uneasy. A storm was brewing in his mind, making his head ache with many questions he couldn’t answer. The most important question to him was: how could he help Diluc?
He sighed quietly to himself and walked towards a pond, looking at his reflection. He still couldn’t believe that Diluc managed to transform him into a beautiful cat just by feeding and washing him. How could he ever repay him for this kindness? If a cat like him wasn’t able to do anything, then who could?
The stars were reflecting on the surface together with the moon. Kaeya looked up to the night sky, watching the stars twinkle. Suddenly a falling star appeared out of nowhere, and although Kaeya had seen so many, something urged him to make a wish.
“If anyone is up there in the sky and if anyone can hear my voice… then I wish only for one thing. I wish to be able to help Diluc and for that I would do anything! If only…”
He took a deep sigh and looked down into the pond again, the water rippling slightly. “If only.. I was human. I would do anything to make him happy! I don’t need anything in return, I just want to see him happy.”
For a short moment, the chirping of the crickets was the only thing that could be heard, until it suddenly became eerily quiet. Kaeya looked up in confusion when the sound stopped and the wind picked up. Something bright caught his attention and he looked up to the sky to see a big star falling right towards him!
Kaeya slowly moved backwards, afraid of whatever was coming. And yet he couldn’t move from his spot, curious and afraid at the same time.
Shortly before the big star from the sky hit the water in the pond, it gradually slowed its descent to float above the water. Kaeya curiously approached the pond again and was forced to look away when the big star glowed brightly. When the glowing finally stopped, Kaeya looked back to the pond and saw a beast that resembled a large snake.
A dragon , he suddenly thought.
The dragon huffed, looking down at Kaeya, who felt dwarfed in comparison to the dragon.
“Of all the things I’ve experienced, never had I thought that I’d see a creature like yourself seeking for my help,” the dragon rumbled with its deep voice. Kaeya thought that he should be afraid; the beast could swallow him whole. The size of its jaw could probably fit three cats of Kaeya’s size in it and anyone else would have ran away by now.
“Yeah, I’m a cat. So what? Cats have wishes too! Or do you just grant them to humans?” Kaeya bristled, making the dragon laugh lightly in return.
“I have granted wishes to humans in the past, though I have never specified that I only grant wishes to humans. It was just so unexpected, your wish was brighter and purer than any other I have ever heard in the heavens of Celestia,” the dragon explained, lowering its head so he was at eye level with Kaeya.
“Your wish is to become a human to help another person. You wish nothing in return, except to see this person being happy. Is that really all?”
Kaeya nodded, looking back to the window where Diluc’s room was, sighing deeply.
“I cannot help him as a cat. I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be loved and cared for. But Diluc, he… he has issues that I don’t understand. He was crying and I couldn’t help him. I don’t know why I feel this way but… I want to help him and see him happy. I want nothing in return, I just want to see him happy,” Kaeya explained, looking back to the dragon who was watching him intently.
“Hmm, I see,” the dragon hummed, swishing with its tail. “But I am no god that grants wishes without anything in return. I am the god of contracts, after all.”
Kaeya didn’t know specifically what a contract was, but he understood that nothing came for free and that he had to give something in return. However, he was a cat. He didn’t have any possessions humans could give, so he didn’t know what to do.
“I… I give up my soul and become your loyal servant if you help me out,” Kaeya finally decided. He thought he saw the dragon smile, but because it had no facial expressions, he couldn’t tell if it really was smiling.
“Hmm… that doesn’t sound too bad. I could need an extra helping hand to manage all of my contracts,” the dragon said and lifted its head. “Then I shall tell you this: in order to help Diluc, you must find the person that he truly loves and who truly loves him and brings him out of his shell. Only then will this kingdom be spared from its terrible fate that will come, should Diluc’s situation remain unchanged."
Kaeya was surprised and shocked to hear that and he jumped closer to the dragon.
“Wait, what does this mean? Why must Diluc fall in love? Why is this kingdom in danger?”
The dragon sighed and lowered its head again. “I have seen many kingdoms like this one. They all fell a long time ago, some lasting longer than others. The ones that fell quicker had one thing in common: grief in the royal family changed a member of it and they became bitter and cold. And when a ruler is not generous and kind, when they no longer listen to its people, the kingdom will turn against the ruler and a great war will break out, causing many lives to be lost.”
Kaeya looked back to the city and thought about how the people in it seemed to be in distress lately. If what the dragon said was true, then the kingdom may be doomed to fall. He shuddered at the thought of seeing his home in turmoil.
“However, I have seen rulers overcoming their grief with a loved one by their side. The kingdom flourished again and a war could be prevented. The situation is the same here: the prince’s father went on a mission, but never returned. Now all the responsibilities lie on the fragile shoulders of the young man you wish to help.”
The cat gulped at that. If he was going to go through with this, he had quite the responsibilities to take care of as well. The biggest questions Kaeya had right now were: who was destined to be Diluc’s beloved and is it someone he already met?
“Well, what is your answer, little one? Do you accept this contract?” the dragon asked curiously.
“Yes,” Kaeya replied after a moment of silence. “My wish to help Diluc remains unchanged and I’m not going to run away from a challenge!”
The dragon huffed lowly again, sounding like it was laughing. “I like your spirit, little one. Then, with this contract, I will give you a human body for an entire year. Should you fail this mission, you will become my loyal servant and I will erase everyone’s memories of you.”
As soon as it said that, it let out some steam from its nostrils, which engulfed Kaeya. He could not see anything, but he felt his body being lifted into the air, his limbs stretching and twisting. Information streamed into his head, — the basics of being a human being — whilst his body was changing. There was no pain during the process, but no words could describe how it felt.
When the smoke dissipated, he was gently put down on the ground. At some point, Kaeya had closed his eyes and when he opened them again, the dragon was still there. Slowly, his gaze moved down to inspect his body and he was surprised to see that he was standing on two feet!
He slowly walked towards the pond, slightly while he tried getting used to his new legs. When Kaeya finally reached the pond, he curiously stared at his own reflection.
All fur had disappeared from his body, exposing sun-kissed skin underneath. He wore a plain white shirt and black pants that went as high as his waist. His hair was a deep shade of blue and covered one of his eyes. When he moved his hair away, he realized that one of them had a different color than the other. One was grey-blue, while the one that was originally covered underneath his hair was a glowing yellow.
Kaeya’s mouth formed into a small o when his hand moved to his head, pulling slightly at the cat ears and tail that were somehow still there. He tried moving his ears and realized in surprise that he could. Kaeya was pleased with the way he looked.
“Fear not. I have given you the ability to shift between human and beast. If you ever need your exceptional hearing, perfect balance and nimble feet, you may tap into your feline side. The yellow eye will disappear with the end of our contract.”
Kaeya looked to where the dragon was and found a man standing in its place instead. He had the same glowing golden eyes as the dragon, with brown hair tied into a long ponytail. His brown tailcoat was adorned with dragon scale patterns.
“You… you have a human form too?” Kaeya spoke and held his throat in surprise. His voice sounded lovely too.
“It would be quite the shock to see a floating dragon, don’t you think?” The man chuckled. “You may call me Zhongli. What name do you go by?”
“My name is Kaeya,” Kaeya introduced himself and moved away from the pond. “How am I going to see Diluc now?”
“I will help you with that. There is a vacant spot for another butler because the last one quit. I on the other hand will serve as a teacher, because the young lord could need it. Do not speak to anyone of this contract or that you originally used to be a cat. Are we understood?”
Kaeya nodded, but had another question for Zhongli.
“Okay, how do I make these go away?” He asked, pointing to his cat ears.
Ever the patient teacher, Zhongli gave him advice about how to summon or hide his cat features and after Kaeya managed to do so, they went to the castle. Everything that happened was a little of a blur to Kaeya. He was immediately filled in about his work, met the other butlers and maids, was shown to his room, got told he would receive new clothes in the morning and that the prince was not seeing anyone right now.
So much for meeting Diluc in his new form , Kaeya thought. However, it was getting late and after Zhongli told him that he could request his help if he was free, they parted ways for the day and Kaeya was left alone in his room.
His vision wasn’t as good in the night compared to when he was a cat, but he was too exhausted to care. He shifted back into his cat form and even though he had a human bed to sleep in now, he didn’t feel like using it. Instead, he climbed on a fluffy pillow he saw lying on a chair and fell asleep while his thoughts circled back to the redhead.
Early in the morning, he rose from his sleep and jumped down from the pillow he was lying on, stretching himself. The memories of the day before resurfaced in his mind and Kaeya quickly changed into his human form. Right after he did so, he heard a knock on the door.
“Sir Kaeya? Are you awake?” a woman called from the other side. He opened the door to Adelinde, the head maid, standing in front of him.
“I bring you your clothes and your tasks. You are expected to maintain the garden, serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the royal family. Some of the doors in the castle also need fixing because they have broken down with wear and tear. You don’t need to finish everything at once, but the doors are a priority. We can’t have members of the royal family get locked inside their own rooms,” Adelinde explained and handed him his clothes.
Kaeya was a little overwhelmed with the information he received, but accepted the clothes and nodded.
“You may take a break for an hour and get food from the kitchen. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime,” Adelinde smiled, curtsied and left.
Kaeya closed the door and changed into his new clothes. They consisted of a dress shirt, a ribbon tie, a sleeveless vest, an apron, pants, shoes and a pair of boots he was supposed to wear when he was out in the garden. He also found an eyepatch among the clothes to hide his yellow-colored eye, though he assumed that this was Zhongli’s doing. After all, Adelinde wasn’t supposed to know he was a cat, right?
When he finished getting dressed, he left his room and began inspecting the doors. He went through the whole castle, familiarizing himself with the layout and found a couple of doors that could need some repairs. He asked for the necessary tools from the other servants of the house and began fixing the doors. He knew how to do it because he had observed people doing it while he was still a cat.
A couple of hours must have passed already while Kaeya went from door to door and he was beginning to feel a little hungry. He thought about getting a snack from the kitchen, when he suddenly heard someone shouting nearby.
“I said leave me alone!” a young male voice shouted, which Kaeya recognized to be Diluc’s.
“Come on now, you’ve holed yourself in there for two days! You can’t stay forever in this room, Master Diluc!” Adelinde argued. As he went closer to the source of the commotion, Kaeya saw Adelinde inside of Diluc’s room. Diluc appeared to be visibly upset, but Kaeya could see that he was also hurt and confused. Losing family must have had a big impact on him and strengthened his desire to help the prince.
“Please, Master Diluc. Your people need you!”
“Go away!”
Kaeya sighed.
“Pardon the interruption, my lord, Miss Adelinde,” Kaeya cut in, stepping between Diluc and Adelinde with an elegant bow. It was partly to appease them, and partly to shield Adelinde; Diluc looked like a wounded animal cornered by its hunters.
“Who are you and who gave you the permission to enter my chambers?” Diluc angrily asked, but Kaeya only smiled and remained calm.
“My lord, I am your loyal servant. I was working on fixing the doors when I heard your voice and wanted to see if I could help,” Kaeya explained, giving Diluc a gentle smile. “We have such lovely weather outside. It is a shame to stay indoors all the time.”
“I don’t want to leave, I want you to leave!” Diluc huffed, but Kaeya stayed stubborn.
“And do what? Curl under your blankets and cry? Think about how terrible your life is? Is that it?” Kaeya taunted. “So does every lord run away from their own responsibilities like you?”
That seemed to have struck a nerve. He heard Adelinde gasp when Diluc stepped closer to him. If looks could kill, Kaeya would have been dead by now.
“What does a lowly servant like you know about responsibilities? And how dare you speak to me like this?” Diluc yelled and Kaeya raised his hands in defense.
“My lord, if you wish to teach me respect, then why don’t you and I spar a little? The gardens should be a perfect place for that, don’t you agree?” Kaeya said in a teasing tone, which made Diluc harrumph.
“You think you can win against me?”
“Who said anything about winning, my lord?” Kaeya smiled. “Or are you afraid?”
“I’m not afraid! I’ll show you!” Diluc growled. “Meet me in the gardens in ten minutes then. Weapons are at the armory.”
And with that, the redhead promptly left the room. Adelinde just stood there in shock, looking at Kaeya with wide eyes.
“You… while I don’t approve of your methods, you actually managed to convince him to leave his room. However, he could punish you for breaking the etiquette,” Adelinde warned.
“I just wanted to help him to let out some steam,” Kaeya told her before heading to the armory.
While he was walking, his heart was racing a little. Although they didn’t meet on the best terms, Kaeya finally had a chance to see Diluc again! He only had a year to fulfill his mission and every minute was precious. First, he needed to rebuild Diluc’s confidence in himself. Then he could start looking for love.
Finally he arrived at the armory. Many different weapons and armor were stored in boxes or racks in the room. From polearms to bows — the armory had a lot of variety and Kaeya wasn’t sure what to choose. In the end he grabbed a simple, lightweight sword and quickly went to the gardens.
It seemed that the news of them fighting had spread around as several maids and butlers had gathered there, watching him and Diluc. Kaeya felt a little nervous, but tried not to let it show.
When he was finally standing in front of Diluc, he noticed that the redhead had picked a claymore as his weapon. He looked at Kaeya with an impassive expression, shaking his head slightly.
“I thought you chickened out and left the castle,” he said quietly.
“Me? Running away from a challenge? I’d never, my lord!” Kaeya laughed, shifting to a fighting stance.
“Since I am a servant, your lordship should go first. Attack me with all you’ve got,” Kaeya said and took a deep breath, closing his eye as he remembered Zhongli’s words.
“If you ever need your exceptional hearing, perfect balance and nimble feet, you may tap into your feline side.”
Balance and nimble feet was what he needed, so he remembered how it used to feel like when he was a cat. Holding onto the memory, he opened his eye right on time as Diluc lunged to strike him down with his claymore.
With a hand on his back, Kaeya easily dodged the attack by stepping to the side. Diluc looked a little surprised after he realized that he missed and tried to attack Kaeya again, but he twirled around like he was dancing, avoiding his attack once more.
At this point, he wouldn’t need a sword; there was no chance that Diluc was going to hit him.
“My lord, I expected more of you. You must already have some combat experience, while I am just a lowly butler. You have not managed to hit me even once,” Kaeya taunted with a smirk, pointing his weapon at Diluc. “Should I slow down for you? But then that would hardly be called a fair fight, don’t you agree?”
“Shut up!” Diluc yelled and attacked again, but he kept missing.
Kaeya almost looked like he was dancing while he avoided Diluc’s attacks. Finally after some time, the prince was too exhausted to carry his weapon and he fell to his knees, panting heavily and looking to the ground.
Mission succeeded , Kaeya thought.
Kaeya heard the servants around him clap and cheer, but he paid them no mind. Instead he went to Diluc, offering his hand. “This was a good fight, don’t you think so? We can definitely do this again if you’d like.”
Diluc raised his head and slapped Kaeya’s hand away, getting up on his feet again.
“I don’t need your help!” he bristled and went past Kaeya, who looked at him in confusion.
Only when he heard a door slam did he realize that he chased the prince away into his room again. He groaned and massaged the bridge of his nose.
“Alright, alright, the show is over. Everyone go back to work!” Adelinde called and approached Kaeya, squeezing his shoulder.
“I think the prince needs to calm down now. Don’t worry about it, he will leave his room in no time. You should also go back to work,” she said.
Kaeya nodded and picked up Diluc’s weapon. It was heavier than he expected it to be and he wondered how much muscle strength Diluc had to carry such a heavy weapon.
“Actually, once you fixed all the doors, you can enjoy the rest of the day. You may also explore the city but please return before the gates close,” Adelinde said and helped Kaeya carry the weapons back to the armory. “By the way, no one has ever managed to defeat Master Diluc in a battle before. Are you sure you weren’t taught combat moves before?”
Kaeya chuckled. “My lady, does it look like I know how to wield a weapon, let alone fight? I was just dodging his attacks, nothing else.”
“Fair enough,” Adelinde smiled and left after they put the weapons back.
Kaeya stayed in the armory, letting some time pass. Once he could no longer hear Adelinde or anyone else nearby, he quickly transformed into his cat self. Fixing the doors could wait, he thought. His priority right now was to see how Diluc was doing now.
He dashed out of the room to the gardens. Just to his luck, all servants were busy elsewhere, so he ran to the window of Diluc’s room. The window was closed, but the curtains weren’t drawn so Kaeya could peek inside.
He announced his presence with a loud meow, surprising the prince who was lying on his bed. Kaeya saw the redhead opening the window, picking the cat up.
“Oh, it’s you again! Where have you been? I thought you ran off. Well, you are a stray after all, why would you even stay here?” Diluc wondered aloud, moving back to his bed. He lay down on his back and let Kaeya rest on his chest, stroking his ears a little. Kaeya couldn’t help but purr at that.
“You know… I just lost a fight. To a really mean servant, no less! He was so rude, can you believe it? Urgh! But… but I do feel better after our fight. I wonder why that is,” Diluc mumbled, petting Kaeya as he got lost in thought.
“I don’t remember ever approving more help. It was kind of my fault that the last servant left,” Diluc sighed. “They all leave me, one after another. Adelinde is the only family I have left, but she takes her job too seriously sometimes.”
So what Diluc was trying to say was that he was lonely? Kaeya could understand the feeling. He was just as lonely before meeting Diluc.
“Oh yeah, what was this guy’s name anyway? I never asked. He didn’t look like he was around here. And he wore an eyepatch! Don’t tell me, is he secretly a pirate?” Diluc rambled on. If Kaeya could chuckle as a cat, he would’ve. Instead he placed his paw on Diluc’s nose, making the redhead chuckle.
“Yeah there’s no way! Adelinde would have kicked him out of the castle if he was one,” Diluc mumbled, yawning a little.
The redhead put Kaeya down next to him and rolled to the side, sighing a little.
“I should probably ask his name if I meet him again… but do I really want to? He had no manners! But also the only person who didn’t cower in fear. Argh! I’m so confused and tired.”
Kaeya snuggled closer, rubbing his face against Diluc. Sometimes naps work wonders, so he encouraged Diluc to take one. He would even cuddle with Diluc if he let him!
Diluc chuckled, giving Kaeya’s ear a few more scratches. “You’re cute, but I’d probably squish you in my sleep. You can catch a few mice if you find any.”
Kaeya meowed and walked to the edge of the bed, watching Diluc from there. The redhead seemed to understand, covering his body with a blanket.
“I guess I’ll see you around then, kitty,” Diluc mumbled before closing his eyes. Kaeya stayed there and watched over him until the redhead’s breath settled into a slow rhythm.
Ever since the fight from several weeks ago, he earned the respect of his fellow servants of the castle. When they passed each other, they would strike up a conversation before moving on to their tasks. In the afternoons, they would invite him to hang out in the kitchen and get some food.
But as much as Kaeya wished to befriend his workmates, his priority was Diluc. He hadn’t met the prince again after their fight and he didn’t know if Diluc already fancied someone. It’s not like he could ask anyone either.
Speaking of food, he also became acquaintanced with the chef named Tartaglia. He was caught stealing some pastries late in the evening, so as “punishment”, Tartaglia decided to make him his taste tester. And yet Kaeya could hardly complain because the food was very delicious.
While he was eating the new dish Tartaglia had prepared for him, he couldn’t help but ask about the prince.
“Have you seen the lord around lately? I wanted to apologize for what I said, but haven’t seen him again,” Kaeya sighed.
“I rarely leave the kitchen, Kaeya. Man, I wish I was there during your battle! I wanted to see lord crybaby getting worked up because he couldn’t defeat you,” Tartaglia snickered, but went silent when Kaeya gave him an unamused stare.
“Anyway,” Tartaglia coughed, going back to preparing food, “why don’t you try looking for him on the upper floors of the castle? Or are we not permitted to go there?”
The upper floor had many rooms that were used for important discussions between the royal family. However, the library and music room were also there, which was why servants could roam the halls but were not allowed to enter any of the other rooms unless a royal permitted them to do so.
“You know, you’re right. And if I can’t find him, I’ll take a walk through the castle until I have to go back,” Kaeya replied and got up from the chair he was sitting on. “Thanks for the food.”
“You’re welcome! Oh and tell Mr. Zhongli about the food you got to taste today! I want to know if he likes it.”
“Will do if I see him,” Kaeya said and left the room. It seemed that Zhongli had also made some friends around here, or so he thought.
He took the longer route up, staring out of the windows while he was getting lost in his own thoughts. Only when he went around the corner and accidentally bumped into someone did he snap out of his thoughts, immediately taking a step back.
“My apologies, I didn’t see where I was— oh, forgive me my lord!” Kaeya hastily apologized. Out of all the people he could have bumped into, he didn’t expect that Diluc would be one of them.
He expected to be yelled at, mainly because the other royals were not very friendly to servants, but no such thing happened.
“It’s alright. I should have been more careful too,” Diluc mumbled, blushing slightly when Kaeya raised his head. Kaeya was a bit confused at that, but didn’t comment on it.
“What brings you up here anyway? I haven’t seen you here before,” Diluc asked. Now it was Kaeya’s turn to blush a little in embarrassment.
“A-ah, you see, I wanted to speak to you, my lord. You see, I didn’t mean to hurt your pride,” Kaeya apologized and bowed again.
“There’s no need for you to apologize,” Diluc quickly said, looking a bit panicked. “You wanted to help me, didn’t you? I had so much pent up frustration inside of me that I didn’t know what to do with it and almost hurt someone in the process. I apologize for losing my temper.”
They both looked at each other in awkward silence. Was this interaction even real? Diluc, who had slapped his hand away after losing the battle, was now really polite and nice to him. Kaeya blinked at Diluc for a couple of seconds before reminding himself who he was talking to, coughing slightly.
“In that case, I am glad that I could be of service!”
Diluc smiled in relief and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. “If… if you are not too busy, would you like to accompany me? I wish to go to the gardens,” he expressed with a blush, avoiding Kaeya’s gaze.
“Oh, certainly my lord,” Kaeya said with a smile.
“You can call me Diluc in private. Oh, and before I forget, what is your name? I forgot to ask earlier.”
“My name is Kaeya,” Kaeya said, bowing slightly again. “Shall we go then my lord — I mean Diluc?”
The redhead nodded, walking next to Kaeya. The dark-haired man didn’t know what to talk about with Diluc, so he told him about a silly rumor he’d heard from his workmates. Surprisingly Diluc knew about it too and they fell into an easy conversation while walking to the garden. Now and then, Diluc would stop and greet the servants, ask them about their lives and family if they had any. He remembered all of their names and backgrounds.
They finally reached the garden after that. Kaeya had improved the gardens, had planted a few new flowers and ordered some stone benches near the fountain so that the royals could sit and relax.
“Wow, I’m impressed, Diluc. You know the names of every servant that works here in the palace!” Kaeya expressed delightfully as they sat down on one of the benches.
“It’s nothing special. I grew up with most of the people here. And it’s rude not to know the names of the people working for you,” Diluc explained with a faint blush, making Kaeya chuckle.
“I guess you have a point,” he said. They fell into a comfortable silence after that, until Diluc spoke up again.
“But…”
“But?” Kaeya asked, looking at Diluc in surprise.
“I… I know nothing about you,” he mumbled, twiddling his thumbs.
Oh no. Kaeya completely forgot to come up with a fake background! What should he say? Maybe he could use his motivation for helping Diluc to conjure a convincing story.
“My parents became doctors because they wanted to help people. This kingdom, Mondstadt, has already too many good doctors around here, so they traveled to a faraway land to help others in need. I wasn’t gifted enough for this job, so I stayed behind and helped people in my own way. And that’s why I eventually became a servant,” Kaeya explained.
Diluc nodded, seemingly lost in thought. “Helping people… that sounds nice. Do you know the people in this kingdom well then?”
Kaeya thought about it for a moment. He did sometimes catch conversations from passersby that made no sense to him in the past, but now that he understood the human language fully and had information about this kingdom, it became clearer for him.
“I suppose you could say I know how they tick. But people are… difficult to read and everyone has their own desires and needs. Does that make sense?”
“Hmm… I think so. That means you’re one step ahead of me then.”
“What do you mean?” Kaeya asked, curiously tilting his head to the side.
“I know nothing about the problems in this city or the people I’m supposed to rule over. Right now, someone else acts in my stead and I’m mentored to become the next king, but none of my mentors ever mention the people of Mondstadt,” Diluc complained. “I really dislike when the royals describe them as mere... peasants.”
Kaeya hummed at that. “But didn’t you call me a lowly servant before?”
That caused Diluc to look away and sheepishly scratch the back of his head. “You’re right, that wasn’t very nice of me. It happened on the spur of the moment,” he apologized.
Kaeya nodded, accepting his apology quietly. He could only imagine Diluc’s struggles, but what could he do to help? He suddenly gasped and jumped from his seat.
“I know! Then let's sneak out of the castle and meet the people of Mondstadt! The easiest way to gain information is to listen to gossip during the night. Trust me on this!” Kaeya exclaimed, but kept his voice down when Diluc shushed him.
“Sneak out? How am I supposed to do that? The gate is heavily guarded at night! And people will recognize me because of my hair,” Diluc grumbled.
“Hmm… I know of a way to get out of here. As for a disguise, do you know where to get some cloaks? They should hide your hair,” Kaeya suggested.
Diluc still didn’t look convinced.
“Look, I promise that we will only go one night. And if that doesn’t help you get to know the people and learn about their problems, I’ll think of other ways. Alright?” Kaeya asked, giving Diluc a reassuring smile.
“Hm, alright. Just this once,” Diluc gave in with a sigh. “Then let's meet here tonight. I’ll get us some cloaks.”
They talked for a while longer after that before Diluc had to leave. Kaeya wrapped up his work and went back to his room. For some reason, he felt like wanting to present himself nicely in front of Diluc, so he combed his hair. He tried to style it differently, but nothing really worked or looked good. He finally gave up on the task and got into new clothes instead that he had purchased a while ago.
He wondered if Adelinde would give him a day off someday.
Probably not.
By the time he was done, it was already dark outside. Kaeya took a lantern with him, sneaking out of his room. The castle was eerily quiet during the night, but he could hear the chainmail of the patrols clinking in the distance.
He found Diluc waiting for him in the garden, already wearing a cloak.
“Finally, I thought you’d never show up!” Diluc hissed quietly and handed Kaeya a cloak as well.
“Sorry, sorry,” he apologized and put his cloak on. He didn’t really need one, but for Diluc’s sake, he was going to wear it.
“Come with me,” Kaeya whispered and took Diluc’s hand, leading him into the deeper parts of the garden. While working out here, he found a secret passage that led into a back alley of the city. He didn’t know what it was used for originally, the path was overgrown with weeds and wild plants before he cleaned it up.
Diluc’s hand closed around Kaeya’s and the sensation left him with a warm feeling in his chest. But he had no time to think about it, the patrols would reach this area soon and he didn’t want to be spotted.
“Hurry up,” Kaeya whispered, dragging the prince along.
“I’m trying!” the redhead hissed back, squeezing his hand slightly.
They finally arrived at the alley Kaeya had found. It was a little narrow, so Kaeya went first and Diluc followed, still holding his hand. The lights of the city marked the end of the alley and they emerged on the busy streets of Mondstadt. Despite the loud chatter, Kaeya was able to hear Diluc gasp in surprise.
“I didn’t know that the city was still so alive at night,” Diluc remarked.
“Welcome to the outside world.” The joke earned him a light punch on the shoulder from the redhead.
“Ha ha. Let’s get moving.”
The normal shops and stands were closed in the evening, but the bars were bustling with people. There were drinks and food everywhere, people laughing, the sound of music filling the air. Kaeya watched Diluc trying to take in the sights, but he didn’t know where to look.
They arrived at the fountain plaza, where Kaeya reluctantly let go of Diluc’s hand.
“Alright, we should gather some information now. It’s easier if we split up and mingle with people. Do you think you can do that?” Kaeya asked and Diluc nodded, pulling his hood down a little.
“Okay, then let’s meet back here in say… an hour? And if you need me, just call my name,” Kaeya suggested and Diluc nodded again.
“Stay safe,” he said, making Kaeya smile a little.
“You too.”
He watched the redhead’s figure disappear in the crowd. Kaeya looked up to the sky; the moon was full and shining brightly. When he was still a cat, he used to jump on a roof and watch the stars. Something inside of him told him to try it, to jump over the roofs of the houses in the city.
He tried to ignore it, but it just wouldn’t leave him. With a frustrated sigh, he quickly hid in a deserted alley and used his feline skills to quickly climb on a roof. When he was up there, he suddenly felt so free. Free from his burdens and responsibilities, just living in the moment.
Kaeya felt daring and let his ears and tail out, grinning to himself. He stepped back and ran towards the edge of a roof, jumping at the last second before landing gracefully on the next roof. Kaeya did this again and again, adrenaline rushing through his body, but he felt his racing heart come to a sudden stop when his eyes landed on a familiar figure below him.
Although it could have only been a few seconds, Kaeya felt as if he was floating in the air for much longer. Time seemed to still as he stared into Diluc’s beautiful crimson eyes. He forgot that his tail was probably visible under the cloak he was wearing, but he didn’t care and smiled at Diluc instead, with the moon illuminating the scene.
The moment ended when Kaeya almost crashed onto the other roof, correcting his stance at the last second and finally remembering that he let his feline side out. He quickly hid them away and peeked onto the ground, sighing in relief when he couldn’t see anyone around.
Kaeya jumped down from the roof and decided to help Diluc out a little. He hoped that Diluc didn’t see anything.
An hour later, Kaeya was waiting for Diluc to meet him at the fountain plaza. He was about to look for the prince when the redhead finally arrived, panting heavily and resting his hands on his knees.
“There you are! Is everything alright?” Kaeya asked, peeking under Diluc’s cloak. Diluc threw his head back at that, avoiding Kaeya’s gaze with a blush.
“Huh? Y-yes, of course I’m alright! I also learned a lot about the people here,” he quickly said, nodding to himself.
Kaeya raised an eyebrow at the prince’s odd behavior but chose not to say anything. “Good. Let’s go back to the castle then before anyone notices that you’re gone,” Kaeya said and offered Diluc his hand again so that they wouldn’t get lost in the crowd.
Diluc seemed to be a little hesitant, but he took Kaeya’s hand anyway, keeping his head slightly down as Kaeya led him out through the city and back into the alley. He picked up the lantern he had left there since he didn’t need an extra light in the city, but the path to the castle was too dark.
“I… I actually had a lot of fun. Never knew the city was so lively at night,” Diluc mumbled. “I had to turn down so many offers for drinks, though.”
“Oh? Why did you refuse?” Kaeya asked curiously. He had to be old enough to drink.
“I have my reasons,” Diluc said so quietly that Kaeya almost didn’t hear him. What was up with the prince tonight, he wondered?
“Well, if you want to visit the city next time, we could get us a few drinks. What do you say?”
“Only if you promise to come with me.”
Kaeya chuckled. “Alright, then tell me when we should sneak out again,” he suggested as they arrived at the garden. Kaeya led Diluc through it while avoiding the patrols, finally reaching the fountain area.
“I guess this is goodnight then?” Diluc asked, letting go of Kaeya’s hand. “I could walk you to your room if you don’t mind.”
“You can visit me anytime, but I think you should hurry back for now,” Kaeya said, patting Diluc’s shoulders when he saw them deflate a little. He wasn’t too sure, but was the prince… pouting?
“Fine. I want a detailed report from you tomorrow,” Diluc said, then he stepped towards Kaeya and hugged him all of a sudden.
Kaeya was too perplexed to react, but Diluc didn’t really give him a chance to do so anyway.
“Well, goodnight, don’t get caught!” he spluttered and quickly ran into the castle, leaving a confused Kaeya behind.
As he was walking back to his room, he couldn’t help but think of the way Diluc acted ever since their sparring match. The prince treated him with an unusual amount of kindness.
They also held hands and Diluc hugged him. Kaeya stared at his hand, clenching it into a fist before opening it again. He could still picture Diluc’s grip on it. Why did this make him feel so warm inside? What was that feeling only Diluc could give him?
Kaeya didn’t know the answer, but he was sure about one thing: he wanted to spend more time with Diluc.
With this new wish in his heart, he went to sleep in his human form and dreamed of jumping over the roofs just to see Diluc under the moon again.