Work Text:
Your fingers drummed against your thigh as you sat on a bench outside of Good Hunter’s. You resisted the urge to pull out your pocket watch, you knew that a scant few minutes had passed since you last checked. You were early to the meeting, the fear of being late forcing you to get there a half hour early. The morning chill had long since faded, so the only thing making you uncomfortable was yourself.
The crowd thinned as you waited, the pre-lunch rush slowly petering out. It was just a work meeting, nothing else. There’s no reason for you to be this nervous.
You spot Kaeya as he rounds the corner, and raises a hand in greeting. He catches sight of you and smiles. You stand up to meet him as he takes his sweet time walking to the counter. A small blonde head pokes out from his side and grabs his hand. He swings their joined hands until he finally stops in front of you.
“Hello!” Klee shouted. You smiled, and reached over to ruffle her hair.
“Sorry for the intrusion,” Kaeya said, “I was put on babysitting duty for the day.”
You’re about to say oh, it’s no problem, but Klee stomped her foot. “I’m not a baby!”
“Hm, I’d say you’re still about the size of one.”
Kaeya’s laughter is cut short as Klee aims a kick to his shin. As you leaned to check if the girl did any lasting damage, Klee skipped past you and up to the counter. Sara, having witnessed the attack, gave her a slight frown before opening her mouth.
“I take it you’ll have your usual, Miss Klee?”
“Yes please!”
You helped Kaeya limp to the counter and ordered your own meals.
You found a table and waited for Sara to finish cooking. Kaeya sighs, and pulls a few sheets of paper and a bundle of colored pencils from his bag.
“Klee, please be good while we discuss important knight stuff.” Kaeya said.
“No promises.” the girl crossed her arms.
“How about this. If you’re good, and don’t interrupt us, I’ll take you on an adventure when we’re done.”
Klee thought for a moment. “Deal.” She leaned as far out of her seat as she could to reach across the table and give Kaeya’s hand a firm shake.
Potential crisis avoided, Kaeya again reached into his bag. He pulled out a massive stack of papers, and your heart sank. You knew paperwork was a pain, but was there really this much from just one mission? There’s a reason Kaeya prefers to slack off.
Your papers over brunch soon turned into papers over… a late lunch? Whatever. The sun was now high overhead, but you knew with the seasons changing that you only had a few hours of daylight left at most.
Your mind began to drift a bit. You knew that as rude as the kid could be to Kaeya, and only to Kaeya, he spoiled Klee, against his best interest. You knew that the promise earlier would be held up despite the waning daylight, they even shook on it. The thought of them traveling in the dark… It was normal to feel protective over Klee, every knight felt the same way. Everyone loved the little girl, in fact, it was practically a requirement to get into the knights at all. But why…
Why did you feel protective over Kaeya? He can very well handle himself, he’s a captain after all. He’s proven his strength on the battlefield time and time again. There was no questioning his prowess. So why?
You’re broken out of your train of thought by the sudden silence. Kaeya stared at you expectantly.
A bit flustered, you decide to just tell the truth. “Sorry, I got a little lost in thought. Can you repeat that?”
The rest of the work passed quickly, most pages needing only the signatures of the both of you to verify the content. Klee made good on her word and just stared and bounced in her seat after she got tired of drawing.
Kaeya finished his (non-alcoholic) cider with a hum. “Good meal as always, Sara,” he called to the server. She rolled her eyes as his weak attempt at a flirt but thanked him anyway.
Kaeya paid for the whole meal, ignoring your protests.
As soon as he stands up, Klee is talking again. She shoves her drawings into Kaeya’s chest, waiting for him to flip through them. She narrates as he shuffles the papers. “This one’s for Jean, this one’s for my mom, and this one’s for Albedo!”
Kaeya paused, counting the papers in his hands. “None for me?” he asks.
“Nope!” Klee called, up and ready to go fight some monsters. You decided to not mention the folded piece of paper she slid to you before she stood up.
You hesitated. “Say..”
Kaeya turned toward you.
“I know Klee can be a bit of a handful,” you ignored his bark of a laugh at that, “would you like someone to help you watch her?”
“Oh? Are you offering?”
You bit back your nervousness, trying to not let any show. “Yes.”
“Let’s go!!” Klee was already down the first set of stairs, doing a little dance as she waited.
“Off we go then,” Kaeya smiled at you.
You headed towards Wolvendom, the only place deserted enough for Klee to use her weapon. As useful as her skills were when she was allowed into battle, the side effects of her specialties were unpleasant for all flora and fauna within a kilometer’s radius.
Klee spotted a pair of wandering hilichurls and sprinted towards them. Kaeya sighed, and took off into a light jog. You followed.
Kaeya stopped you as she reached the monsters. “I usually stay back. Jean hates when I do this, but I think it’s important for Klee to get used to dealing with some things on her own.”
Seeing the look on your face, he quickly adds, “Of course I’m ready to jump in if she needs me. But she’s more capable than Jean gives her credit for.”
“Jean gives her plenty of credit,” you say. “Why else do you think she locks her up half the time?”
Kaeya huffs out a laugh. Klee comes bounding up to you, the remains of the hilichurls already dissolving behind her.
“Did’ya see? Did’ya see?”
“Yes Klee, you did a good job. However, your catalyst makes you better suited for ranged attacks--” Kaeya spends a few minutes giving tactical advice to the small girl, and it very obviously passes through both of her ears.
Klee already knows that the best way to please Kaeya is to agree with everything he says. So she just gives him a “thank you” before she runs off again.
The girl leads the two of you around the woods, dashing through the trees where there’s no path. Her small form easily ducks past bushes, but you and Kaeya aren’t as lucky. You quickly lose sight of her, the only hints to her whereabouts are the sound of snapping twigs and the occasional blast.
“Shit,” Kaeya lets out.
Splitting up is too risky, as neither of you knew the area well. You decide to check different areas when the path branched, but always meet back in the middle.
It’s almost an hour before you stumble into a wide clearing and find Klee seated on a large rock. Her hair is adorned with a sloppily made flower crown and she snacks on some berries you knew she didn’t have before.
Kaeya lets out a heavy sigh of relief and stoops down to gather Klee up into a hug. She tried to wiggle her way out of it, but his grip was too tight. “I don’t think I need to tell you that I’m angry with you, Klee.”
Klee scrunched up her face. “Why?”
“Why? Why?” Kaeya repeats, incredulous. “You ran off, and it took us an hour to find you. What if we didn’t find you, Klee? You’d be sleeping out in the cold with no one to help you. Archons know what could be waiting for you in these woods.”
You let out a slight grimace at his choice of words, but kneeled next to the trapped Klee. “He’s right, you know.”
Klee’s face fell. She thought you were on her side!
“You scared us quite a bit, I don’t know what we’d do if you got hurt,” you say, as gently as you can.
“I can handle myself just fine! Plus, I met my friend while I was waiting for you guys,” Klee explains.
You’re confused, but Kaeya recognizes the mentioned friend right away. “Oh, that Razor boy, right?”
“Yep! He helped me pick some berries to snack on, and he even brought me a gift,” she gestured to the loose flower crown on her head. It’s a bunch of half squished windwheel asters, calla lilies, and… cecilias ? Just how far did this boy wander to gather flowers for her?
“Klee, you need to promise me that you won’t run off like this again.”
“But I’m fine,” Klee said, genuinely not understanding the issue at hand.
“Do you want me to tell Jean about this?”
“I’ll never do it again. I’ll be good on every single trip we take,” Klee babbled.
Kaeya smiled.
Finding Klee may have taken a good chunk of time, but finding your way out of the woods? It was past sunset by the time you finally stepped out of the brush. You felt the cold breeze hit your face, no longer being blocked by trees. Kaeya looked unaffected, while your cheeks already felt cold and raw.
Klee shivers and sets down her pack, unties the top, and pulls out a small jacket. Kaeya grabs it from her and holds it out so she can put her arms through the sleeves. Her thick fingers fiddle with the buttons as you tug her hood up over her head, spying her pink ears.
You’re halfway to Springvale when Klee starts nodding off. The day was much too exciting for her. Before Kaeya can offer, you hold your arms out to ask if she needs to be carried. She lifts her arms up sleepily and you scoop her up, leaving one arm free.
You carry the girl until you reach one one of the few restaurants in Springvale. Luckily, they were still serving dinner. The inside of the building offered blessed relief from the cold and worsening wind. You set yourself down on a chair and hold Klee on your lap, not trusting the sleeping girl to keep herself upright.
Kaeya returns from placing your order and sits down across from you. You wait in a comfortable silence until your food is called.
You’d opted to have your food to-go, so you start gathering your things. Klee came first, then your bag, then hers. Kaeya waits across the room, already holding your food.
The chef coos when she sees Klee.
“Aw, what a cute little one! How old is she?”
“She’s six,” you and Kaeya say in unison.
“Oh my goodness, you both look so young! She must be an angel then, to not give you grey hairs.”
“No, she’s actually quite the handful,” you respond, smoothing loose hair away from Klee’s face. “Luckily, I don’t have to be responsible for her too often.”
“Huh? You make your husband do all the work?” She tilts her head in question.
“My hu-- oh. Oh no, you’re mistaken!” You stutter out, but Kaeya just laughs and throws an arm around your shoulders.
“We’d better get going, don’t want the inn to close for the night.” He decides to ignore the misunderstanding.
Cheeks blazing, you let Kaeya lead you out the door and back into the cold. The inn isn’t far, a few hundred feet at most, but you feel yourself growing more and more tired in the face of the chill wind.
You reserve just one room, both not needing the extra space and not wanting to spend the extra mora. The room was definitely… cozy. A desk and table set took up most of the space, with a lavishly painted wash basin and pitcher obviously being made the selling point of the room. A full-sized bed was covered in a homemade quilt, and a smaller trundle bed had a matching pillowcase.
Wait.
Klee, energized from her nap, sees the little trundle bed and immediately flops down, bouncing off the hard mattress. She claims the bathroom first and takes her pack with her to get ready for bed. You toe off your shoes near the door and sigh, taking out your emergency bedroll from your own pack.
“What are you doing?” Kaeya asks.
“Sleeping on the floor? You’re injured, you should take the bed.”
“Injured?” He was genuinely confused, until he realized that you’re making fun of him for getting kicked in the shin by an overactive child earlier that day. “I’m much more used to sleeping in uncomfortable places, there’s no way I’m letting you sleep on the floor.”
Klee exits the bathroom, and Kaeya waves you forward. You grab your sleep clothes from your bag.
Quickly getting changed, you look at yourself in the mirror. You give your cheeks a small slap, trying to prepare yourself to fight against Kaeya once more. You knew how sweet a talker he was, and you wouldn’t let yourself get charmed into taking the bed. You were determined to take the floor.
You open the door to the bathroom and the first thing you see is Kaeya laying on the floor. You huff out a breath and roll up a sleeve, ready to drag him if absolutely necessary.
Kaeya stretches languidly, showing off in a way that brings a tinge to your cheeks. “Beat you,” he says.
Klee is already tucked in, but you can tell that she has her arms crossed under the blanket. “Isn’t the bed big enough for two people?” You both turn your heads to the sleepy child. “Jean and Miss Lisa share all the time when they watch me.”
You shoved that piece of information away for later.
“Ah, Klee…” you start to say, but Klee isn’t done.
“It’s like a sleepover!” she says.
“Well, I wouldn’t be opposed,” Kaeya admits. “The floorboards here are a bit uneven, I’m worried for either of our backs should we take the floor.”
“...fine,” you let out.
You take the left side of the bed, gingerly lifting the quilt to slide under. You purposely make your mind blank as Kaeya slides in next to you. There’s enough space that you aren’t touching, but you can still feel the heat of his arm trapped by the blanket.
“You are okay with this, right? You look a little uncomfortable,” Kaeya says.
Without turning to look at him, you respond. “I’m fine. Just a little embarrassing being told to learn how to share by a kid.”
He laughs silently. The kid in question is already fast asleep.
“Well, good night.” Kaeya turns away from you.
“Good night,” you whisper.
“ Quiet, Klee. Some of us are still trying to sleep.”
Your eyes are still closed. You try to hold on to the last dregs of sleep, knowing you didn’t get enough. There’s a pleasant warmth by your side, and you sleepily rub your face into it. A weight makes itself known over your hip.
Finally deciding to open your eyes, you’re met with… skin? Oh. You’ve tucked your face into the crook of Kaeya’s neck. You try to turn, roll away and shove your face into your hands to cover your embarrassment, but you don’t get far. Kaeya’s arm tightens around your waist and he holds you in place. You can feel his legs tangle with your own.
“Five more minutes.” He’s muffled, and you realize his face is crushed against your hair.
You’re frozen in place, but a hand starts to gently rub your back. You melt a little, and decide to treat yourself. Just for five minutes.
Barely two minutes later, a now-hyper Klee jumps onto the bed. You hiss, all her weight landing on your legs. Kaeya groans, and you want to both erase the memory and save it at the same time.
You feel a light pressure to the top of your head before Kaeya finally releases you and sits up. Klee immediately crawls up into his lap. He rests the full weight of his head on her shoulder, then drops all of his weight onto her. She shrieks, and he laughs.
As you lay on your side, staring at the two of them, it strikes you. It’s so… domestic.
Thoughts rush through your head. Why are you so fine? How do you like your eggs in the morning? “What time is it?” you settle on.
Kaeya looks up from where he’s currently pinning Klee on the bed with ruthless tickles. In between her screams, he manages to say “Six. The little one woke us up early.”
You sigh and toss an arm to cover your forehead. With your eyes closed, you can’t see the way Kaeya’s eye traces up your figure. It’s another minute before you fully wake up and swing your legs to get out of bed.
The three of you make quick work of gathering your things and tidying up the room before heading out.
The trip back to Mondstadt proper was uneventful, if you ignore the times where your hand brushes against Kaeya’s as you walk.
The flurry of birds as you step across the bridge shields you, momentarily, from the burning gaze of Jean. She stands between the two guards, hands on her hips and rage in her eyes. Kaeya goes still at the sight.
“Hmm.”
Klee is hiding behind you, scared of the waves of anger coming off the grandmaster.
“I’ll take the blame if she punishes us for this. She really shouldn’t, though, I didn’t let Klee rampage too much,” Kaeya says.
Even though you’re finally within earshot, Jean motions with her hand for both Kaeya and Klee to come with her. Klee hangs her head, but shuffles over to the woman anyway.
“This is my cue.” Kaeya turns. “This was a fun outing, minus Klee getting lost. We should do it again sometime.”
As an afterthought, he leans closer to you. “Next time we share a bed, I’ll make sure we have more time. Who knew you were such a cuddler?”
With that, he’s off. Jean spares an apologetic look your way. She grabs Klee’s hand and the lapel of Kaeya’s jacket, and leads them back to the headquarters.
Completely in awe at the forwardness of the man, you’re left standing on the bridge for a few minutes. He really has no shame. He’s lucky you like him.
You finally move your feet again and set off towards your apartment. Another week of paperwork lies ahead.