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Kaeya always ran cold. It was natural, being a cryo swordsman and all. But his “cold-bloodedness” – as you like to call it – proves to be a problem in the height of Monstadt’s winter.
Mondstadt is a small nation. Everyone knew each other intimately, and secrets and rumors spread like wildfire. The whole population was like a large family, with the shopkeepers as nosy aunts and the older hunters the boisterous uncles. While this proved to be quite problematic at times (the only reason you and Kaeya got together was because your mother’s friend’s daughter had revealed your crush to the blue-haired knight, but that’s a story for later), it did help you save Kaeya.
Kaeya is a renowned cavalry captain under the Knights of Favonius. Though he has a flirtatious attitude and is quick to delegate all of his responsibilities away, when he is sent on a mission, he is determined and sets his life on the line.
Right before the beginning of Mondstadt’s annual winter festivities, Kaeya and a few select knights were sent to handle some Fatui agents on the southern shore of Dragonspine. The trip would take a week in total, and you spent your days cleaning, helping out at your mother’s bakery, and picking out presents for close friends and relatives.
This year, you decided to gift Kaeya a cream muffler and a set of glass earrings made from frostshield potion. Kaeya required extra layers during the cold, and as much as you appreciated the fur and leather he routinely donned, it was not enough to keep him warm. The earrings would be the first pieces of jewelry from you to him, so what better reason to get them?
It wasn’t until two nights before Kaeya’s designated return did you rush out of your house to visit Dragonspine.
As you were wrapping Kaeya’s presents late at night, there were a series of knocks at your window pane. Turning around, you realized those knocks were actually pecks. A messenger hawk was perched outside, gripping a small note in its beak. The crimson ribbon tying the note indicated not only the sender but also the urgency of the message.
After sending the hawk away with a small snack, you unfurled the paper and skimmed it.
How you made it through Dragonspine was no surprise. As a teenager, you were an up and coming knight, and you trained in the same cohort as Jean. Recognized for your speed and agility, you were supposed to become a leader for younger outriders such as Amber. But after a gliding accident that hospitalized you for several months, it was impossible to regain your former strength and become a full-fledged knight. Regardless, however, you knew what you were doing.
Given Kaeya’s descriptions in prior conversations and the details listed in the letter, you navigated across the snowy plain and steeled past hillichurl camps. Along the way, you noticed remnants of Kaeya and his team’s trek across Dragonspine, such as the occasional tent and unlit campfires. As long as you followed these signals, your path was bound to intersect with theirs.
You reached the camp a little past sunrise. A large campfire was set up in front of a damp tent, and the knight on watch was sifting through a notebook. You approached the knight, and after explaining the situation, he led you into the tent.
On the ground, sleeping, was Kaeya. You sighed as you knelt down and opened up your backpack.
As you brought out some medicine and additional blankets, you ordered the knight on watch to hurry back to the city to fetch a few horses.
“I told you to wear more.”
Kaeya’s eye fluttered open. “Ah, but darling, you know I can’t sacrifice style.”
“You need to rest. You have a fever.” Placing a warm towel over his forehead, you brushed his bangs behind his ear and tucked him in. You whispered, “Just a few more hours, and we’ll be right back at home.”
You slipped your hand under the covers, gripping his palm when you found his hand. Kaeya let out a breathy chuckle and said, “We could have gotten home faster if you brought some horses with you.”
You smiled in response. “I was too worried about you to think things through.”
When you and Kaeya arrived home, his fever had worsened. You stuck close to his side, despite the possibility of getting sick yourself, and focused solely on him. After all, Kaeya was often away, and it wasn’t common to see him with his guard down.
“Please, continue to admire me. I know my face is enchanting,” he remarked through a fit of coughs.
“With your ego inflating exponentially, I’m sure your cold will be gone soon.” You checked his temperature only to see it had risen. “I’ll go make some more soup.” But before you could stand up, Kaeya wrapped an arm tightly around your torso, dragging you back into your seat. Even though Kaeya’s eye was closed, the slight tremble in his body gave away his embarrassment.
“Just ask next time,” and you removed his arm before repositioning your body to face him.
You don’t know when Kaeya fell asleep. Nothing, from his facial expressions to his posture, changed. Even though the two of you have been together for years, many aspects of him are still a mystery to you. But you’re never annoyed or frustrated. Rather, you appreciate the gradual build-up and learning more about your partner every day.
So the next morning, before you entered Kaeya’s bedroom with breakfast, you witnessed for the first time a child-like glee on his face as he examined the muffler and earrings you put on him in his sleep.