Chapter Text
Snow in Mondstadt, a nation that experienced clear turquoise skies and warm weather all year-round, was unheard of. So imagine your surprise when an ice crystal landed on your skin one fateful day during the week of Christmas. Soon, the town and all surrounding grassy plains were powdered in white, and the cobblestone streets were not long after crowded with half-finished snowmen, giggling children, and fussing parents.
Some of the townspeople called it a “Christmas miracle.” Not all, however, shared the same enthusiasm for the sudden drop in temperature. And that was evident from the piling stack of “to-go” orders at your workplace, the Good Hunter.
Head resting in your hands, you watch the children from the front desk of the small shop now, frolicking about in the snow and shrieking with laughter. You too, have been waiting for a time when you could indulge in the “Christmas miracle,” but long shifts at the Good Hunter have made it rather difficult.
“Alright, one final delivery, and I promise I’ll let you go.”
Your boss’s voice snaps you away from your idle daydreaming, and your eyes flicker from her to the new package she slid your way. You’re not sure if you heard her right.
“This early?”
Sarah puts her hands on her hips. “Don’t think I didn’t see you staring at the children just now. I know you want in on the fun. Plus, it’s Christmas time! I may be your boss, but I’m not a monster. You deserve a break, hun.”
You can’t suppress the smile that comes across your face at that. Christmas miracle indeed. “You’re the best, Sarah. Who’s the order for?”
“None other than the Cavalry Captain himself,” Sarah says, her lips twitching into a smirk. “I don’t know how you managed to rope him into ordering from us so often, but if he keeps this up, he’s going to replace Guy as our number one customer.”
“Archons, again?” You sigh. “At this point, I’m willing to bet half the stack of these to-go orders belong to him.”
Sarah barks a laugh as your hands grab hold of the paper bag—and nearly drop it altogether. Mother of Celestia, did Kaeya order bricks?
When you finally think you’ve got a good grip on the package, you hasten out of the Good Hunter and into the world of white. The snow crunches deliciously beneath you, and the pure delight that fills you at the sound is almost enough for you to forget the package’s weight and the long trek to Kaeya’s headquarters. Almost.
“Tell the captain I said hi!” Sarah calls after you. “And recommend him to ease down on the skewers while you’re at it!”
“Will do!”
As you drift farther and farther away from the Good Hunter, thoughts of the playful blue-eyed captain begin to occupy your mind. The last time you’d seen him—or rather, delivered his order—he’d pulled a stunt by answering the door half-naked. You can still picture him vividly in the back of your mind now, greeting you with that damned dimpled smile, his towel hung low on his hips, his dark locks of wet hair cascading down his bronze chest—
Another sigh escapes your lips in the form of a condensed puff of air. First, it was the snow. Now, it’s Captain Kaeya. You have an inkling this afternoon will be quite eventful indeed.
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Much to your relief (and mild disappointment), Kaeya decides to open the door like a normal person today. He shows up at the door in a loose white blouse and casual trousers. A cheeky smile spreads across his face at the sight of you on his doorstep, as if he had been expecting your arrival. Now that you think about it, he swung open that door speedy-quick…
Had he been waiting for you near the door this entire time?
“This is your eleventh time ordering chicken-mushroom skewers this week, Captain,” you say accusingly. “Either you’ve begun eating four meals a day, or you’re using this as an excuse to see me.”
“My, what ever do you mean? Hard-working captains have big appetites,” Kaeya retorts, but his grin is much too wide for him to be telling the truth. “Though I will admit, seeing your pretty face is always a pleasant bonus.”
You dismiss his shameless flirting with a deadpan look and hand him the package, trying your best to ignore the warmth of his fingers brushing against yours as you do. Rather than paying you for delivering his food and bidding you farewell, however, Kaeya suddenly steps aside, giving you a clear path into his abode. Confused, you arch your brows at him. He merely blinks back at you.
“You didn’t think I ordered all of this just for myself, did you?”
You cock your head to the side and plant your hands on your hips. “I thought you said hard-working captains have big appetites.”
He chuckles. “I did say that, didn’t I. But alas, I’ve spent all week looking at nothing but dull paperwork, and the snow has made my house so lonely and cold. Can you blame me for wanting a little company?”
Your eyes flicker from him to the depths of his quarters. Passing time at the captain’s house had definitely not been a part of your planned schedule for the day, but you had to admit, you were curious as to what Kaeya’s home looked like. What would you find in there, you wonder. Another layer of the secretive man before you waiting to be discovered?
“Come in. You have my word that I won’t bite.” That cheeky grin again. “Not unless you grant me permission, of course—”
“Okay, okay, I’m coming in so quit spewing nonsense.”
Kaeya’s face immediately brightens at your surrender, and for a moment, you feel a twinge of warmth in the nook of your chest. The thought of him being so eager for your company made you a whole lot happier than you wanted to admit.
But of course, he didn’t need to know that.
After taking off your boots and putting them beside his, you follow Kaeya deeper inside, letting your gaze trail on his belongings as you do. In his living room, there’s a loveseat couch, a wooden desk, and a fireplace. You spot a singular calla lily on his windowsill and some stacks of paperwork on his desk, but there’s not much else to study besides that.
His house is surprisingly… mundane. You weren’t sure what you were expecting, but you definitely never would’ve guessed someone who paraded around in polished boots and a feather boa to live in a home as simple as this.
Kaeya leads you into his kitchen, which is just as ordinary as the rest of his rooms. The ones you’ve peered into, that is. His bedroom remains uncharted territory—but gods, why was your mind already wandering there of all places?
“Here,” Kaeya says, dropping a pouch of coins into your hands. “Mora for the delivery.”
Your eyes go from the bag in your hands to him. “Don’t I get a tip for spending extra time with you?”
In response, Kaeya merely gives you a lazy smile. “Spending extra time with me is the tip, sweetheart.”
Before you can come up with a retort, he moves swiftly over to one side of the table and pulls out a seat, gesturing for you to come sit. Once again, your heart skips a beat. Kaeya Alberich, ever the gentleman. If you hadn’t known better, you’d think this was a date.
As you take your seat at the table, Kaeya strides back to the counter and pulls something out of one of the cabinets. When he turns, you realize he’s holding a bottle of wine in his hand.
“No meal is complete without a complementary drink,” he declares. “And what better way to digest food than with a bit of wine?”
You can’t help but grin at that. Classic Kaeya. Seeing the bottle of wine brings back memories from the first day you ran into him at the Angel’s Share, nearly passed-out drunk. He had made some comical attempts at flirting with you before you ended up hauling him to his headquarters with one of the knights’ help. You shake your head at the memory. Some things never change.
“You’re lucky I’m off for the rest of the day.”
“So I get to have you all to myself then?” Kaeya pours the wine into your glass with ease, his one eye glimmering with mischief. “Heh, lucky indeed.”
You snort at his words, trying not to dwell too much on the fluttery feeling they stir in the pit of your stomach. Since when did his words have that kind of effect on you? You convince yourself that everything simply feels more intimate because you’re in his kitchen.
Once he takes his seat, it doesn’t take long for the casual conversation to begin. The two of you don’t talk about anything in particular—the conversation just flows in whichever direction feels most natural. And when it’s your turn to talk, Kaeya rests his chin on his locked hands and devotes all of his attention to you. You, however, are too engrossed in ranting about the rude customers at the Good Hunter to notice the rare glint in his eye or the small smile he does to himself when you make a funny expression or exaggerate a hand gesture.
At one point, the conversation lapses into a comfortable silence, and while Kaeya takes the last few bites out of his skewers (you threatened him to lick his plate clean), you sit back and search for any more pieces of him you can get.
His kitchen walls are bare, save for a single sheet of paper taped onto one of the cabinets.
Upon closer inspection, you can make out a crayon drawing of a little girl dressed in red surrounded by other stick figures: a woman you recognized was Grand Master Jean, her younger sister Barbara, a boy with long gray hair, one with blonde hair and a white coat, Kaeya, and… a grisly man with a mane of unruly red hair.
Is that supposed to be Diluc? You raise a hand to your mouth to suppress your laughter.
At the corner of the drawing is the name “Klee,” scribbled in big bold letters. Cute. You wonder if this is the name of the little girl you sometimes see in Kaeya’s arms. There is still so much about him you don’t know…
“I know eating skewers with me wasn’t exactly how you pictured enjoying your day off,” Kaeya chuckles, interrupting your train of thought. “Still, thank you for letting me borrow you.”
The sincerity in his words catches you by surprise, and you immediately feel a pang of guilt for having shown any reluctance to eat with him in the first place. The truth was, you really appreciated Kaeya’s company—craved it, even, in the lonely hours of the night after your shift has ended and the streets are empty and cold. When you first ran into Kaeya, you figured he was another womanizer because of his witty remarks and easy-going demeanor. However, over the past few months you’ve spent with him, you came to realize that all of this was just a facade he kept on, and that the real him was someone who was kind and selfless. Without even knowing it, he quickly became someone you admired and enjoyed being around.
But maybe that never came across clearly enough.
“You know I don’t actually mind it, right?”
When Kaeya simply stares back at you with a confused expression, you force yourself to continue.
“Your antics, I mean,” you say. “All the teasing and even the terrible attempts you make at flirting with me. I like being in your company. In fact, I was actually… really happy when you invited me to come inside.”
The half-finished skewer in front of you suddenly looks incredibly fascinating.
“You do catch me off-guard sometimes, but you’ve shown me more kindness than anyone else around here since I arrived.”
And that was true. From day one, Kaeya was one of the few people that was always by your side, making you laugh, checking in on your day. You muster up your last bit of courage to lift your head and look him in the eye.
“You’re not a bother, Kaeya. In fact, I consider you one of my most cherished friends.”
He looks a bit taken aback at first, and for a second, you can see it again—a small glimpse of his vulnerability that he tries so hard to keep hidden from the rest of the world. As quickly as it appears, however, it vanishes behind a familiar facade. But for now, it’s enough. His reaction was already more than you bargained for.
“What was that?” he asks. “I was chewing so loudly, I couldn’t hear you.”
Your face grows several degrees warmer. “Eat your food before I finish it myself, Captain.”
“Threatening the Cavalry Captain now, I see,” he hums. “I don’t believe that’s any way to talk to a cherished friend.”
“Oh shove off.”
But your words lack any true venom because you can’t help mirroring Kaeya’s smile either. One of these days, you’ll make him understand what you mean, you promise yourself. One day.
It doesn’t take the two of you much time to finish the remaining skewers. Soon enough, you find yourself back at the front of Kaeya’s house, with a full stomach and your coat bunched up in your hands.
“Thank you for inviting me inside,” you say with a small smile. He returns it earnestly.
“Thank you for staying.”
You know you should probably turn and leave—you’ve already overspent your stay at his quarters. And yet, your feet refuse to move, and Kaeya, by the looks of it, is struggling to say goodbye as well. It's strange to see since he's normally so composed.
“Were you planning on going somewhere?” Kaeya suddenly asks. You look back up at him in surprise.
“Well,” you begin. “I was thinking about taking a stroll to the Dawn Winery.”
“Really?” His eyebrows spring up. “Funny, I was just planning on going there myself.”
“Oh were you?”
A smile worms its way across your lips. He was lying. He was most definitely lying.
“What a coincidence!” he exclaims. “Since we’re heading in the same direction then, allow me to personally escort you there myself.”
You purse your lips. “Hm, the streets have been looking a little slippery lately, haven’t they?”
“Oh, dreadfully so,” Kaeya agrees with a sympathetic nod. “Jean happened to slip on one of the church’s steps just the other day! If I hadn’t been there, who knows where our beloved Grand Master would be now?”
“Yes, imagine my fate if I slipped on ice and broke my nose… or got attacked by a wild band of Christmas carolers on the street!” you gasp. “Wouldn’t that be tragic?”
Kaeya’s lips twitch into a brief grin as he offers you his arm. “Good gods, I’m getting chills just thinking about it! But not to worry, I, your valiant escort, will defend you from such Christmas perils until the very end. Rest assured that you’ll be safe with me.”
He winks (or maybe blinks—you can never be sure), and you laugh out loud. “I suppose I see your point. Very well then. I’ll leave myself in your care—again.”
This time, when your stomach does a somersault as you link arms with Kaeya, you convince yourself that it’s because of the skewers and definitely not because you’re giddy at the thought of spending more time with him.
He peers down at you through his eyelashes, and your stomach does another.
No, definitely not that.