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It was nearing the end of the year, and a thick layer of white snow had fallen on the nation of freedom. The holiday mood was light in the air, filling it with the sounds of bells and excited chatter. The fountain in the town’s centre had a large pine fixed to it, as was tradition in the city, and it was covered with intricate decorations, tinsel, and candles.
Many of the Knights had slowed down in their jobs, the holiday cheer even getting the Acting Grand Master to slow down with her work, being pried out of her office by a certain tag team of a little blond in red and the witch in purple. There were less and less jobs, as the rush before the week of Christmas approached, everyone satisfied with how the year had gone and often toasting merrily to the next.
Snowmen were being built by children, often left by some of the teenager’s men in frankly odd places, which was Kaeya’s job until the eve of Christmas to make sure no carrot nosed snow creatures were on peoples roofs or in front of their front doors. He didn’t mind, he was basically being paid for sightseeing in his wonderful nation to make sure some teen’s pranks were taken down.
And, between snowmen, he could go shopping for gifts.
He played with the ring on his right hand, feeling the little amber gem inlaid in it. He loved that ring, almost as much as he loved the man who got it for him. There was so much attention to detail, and inner workings of the ring which were just all Albedo. His partner’s hands were always cold, and so the warmth of Kaeya’s would be connected to the matching ring that the blonde had on his finger to warm it up, and if he pressed into the gem just right, it would send the other ring buzzing in a pattern, spelling out I L-O-V-E Y-O-U in morse code.
It was sappy, but Kaeya wouldn’t ask for anything else.
Albedo had more time off, having requested it much earlier than the Cavalry Capt ain, who had forgotten in the change of the season and uplift of jobs, but he didn’t mind. He knew his partner would be at home, probably preparing a warm meal and a warm house for him to come back to.
It had been a long time since he had that.
It brought a bittersweet smile to his face.
This would be the first Christmas he didn’t spend alone, drinking his night away, in a while.
“Ah, Mr. Kaeya!”
A voice called out, and he looked up from his hands, smiling as his eyes caught onto a short blonde hairstyle.
“Dear me, Mika, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
The cartographer flushed a little, and scratched his neck.
“I was going to ask for your help. If you aren’t too busy! That is!”
Kaeya’s eyes softened, and he placed a hand on the younger's head.
“Of course, what is it?”
“Oh, uhm well,” his voice faltered a little, “I was hoping you could help me find some gifts for Miss Jean and Miss Lisa? You know them better than me, and I would like to thank them for all they have done this year!”
“Well, you’ve come to the right man!”
The two of them wandered the market together, stopping at stalls but never finding anything perfect. By the time they had reached the last stall, poor Mika looked a little desperate.
“Hello, welcome! Just looking, I presume?”
Mika looked desperately at Kaeya, who gave him a wink back.
“I would like to have a look at your finest jewellery collection, please.”
The woman nodded enthusiastically, turning around, and rummaging in the boxes.
“And, tada! Now, these are a bit pricey, but they are made out of special stones found in the remains of the elemental hypostasi, gathered from all the corners of Teyvat, and carved by experts into these little charms!”
There were necklaces with tiny charms, all laid out in silk boxes, in various colours corresponding to their respective element.
“Now would you look at that, what a coincidence! Miss Lisa’s signature rose in our very own Electro, while a pretty blue dandelion in the wonderful stone of Anemo, much like our Dandelion Knight, I suppose?”
Mika picked up the jewels, observing them for the traces of elemental energy. His smile widened, and he eagerly asked the woman how much they were. She supplied him a price, well over 10,000 mora each, but he still took them, handing her a heavy bag of coins.
As they walked away, Mika clutched them to his chest.
“Thank you, sir! I presume, the rose for Miss Lisa, and the dandelion for Master Jean?”
Kaeya’s eyes twinkled, and he lent into the younger.
“Ah, there’s where you’re wrong, my little friend! That rose is for Jean, and that dandelion is for Lisa. Trust me on this one.”
With that, he winked, and bid goodbye to a slightly confused Mika.
After that exchange, he pulled the stone out of his pocket, and inspected it. It was a piece of Cor Lapis from the nation of Liyue, a gift he requested from the Traveller, who claimed it was one of the most refined pieces out there. He had been collecting small gifts for his partner for quite a while, and was looking forward to how he would react. Of course, he still had more he wanted to purchase, specifically for a certain little spark that the two took care of, but he could almost see the rare look in his partner’s eyes when he got his hands on the ore.
As he rounded a corner, he saw a stand closing up, getting ready for the end of the day. Something caught his attention, a small charm set. A blue jay and a red phoenix. He traced his finger along it, something in him feeling awfully connected to the set.
“Like that one? I’m surprised I haven’t sold it yet.”
The man who ran the stall had appeared.
“Made from some pretty rare stuff, took a while to get them even to sit in the same box together. Do not try to get Cryo and Pyro concentrate to cooperate.” He sighed, picking the box up. “A shame, I thought these elemental jewels would have gotten me a pretty penny this year. Spent a lot getting them, and-”
“I’ll take them.”
Before he could think, the words had left the swordsman's mouth.
“Whatever price.”
The keeper looked at him a bit confused, before sighing and smiling.
“50,000 for the set.”
“Sold.”
He handed over the mora, and then walked away, wondering what caused him to commit such an impulse buy. Something in him just said that he needed it.
…
He pushed the door open, feeling a wave of warm air wash over him.
“’m home!”
He slid his boots off, shrugging off his scarf and dusting the snowflakes from his hair.
“’bedo?”
He walked inside, pulling his bag off his shoulder and quietly placing it in the hallway, out of sight. As he rounded into the kitchen, he saw his partner. Blonde hair tied up into a small ponytail, apron on, concentrating on the meal he was making in a small daze, making small notes to the side. Kaeya snuck up, placing a chaste kiss on the back of his lover's neck and wrapping his arms round his waist and resting his chin on his shoulder.
“What you up to, ‘bedo?”
“Ah! Kaeya. You’re cold.”
The alchemist quickly stowed away the notebook before Kaeya got a glace at it. He relaxed, leaning his head back against the taller’s.
“Just got home, glad you're warm so I can use you as my heater.”
Kaeya didn’t miss the small dusting of red on his partner's cheeks.
“Well good thing I just finished our meal, it needs to be left to simmer, so I can give you undivided attention.”
His partner placed a lid on the pot, and began to remove his apron, placing it on a hook by their kitchen, then walking back over to Kaeya. The blonde wrapped his arms around him, placing his head on the other's chest. And they stood like this, just enjoying being with each other for some time.
…until a little red comet came and joined them.
“Unnncccleee KAAEEEYAAA!!!!”
The pair felt a small pair of arms wrap around their legs, and squeeze, almost causing the blonde to tip backward, before Kaeya caught him, positioning the two in a sort of dip.
“Hey, beautiful.”
“Ewww… are you doing the… the flirting?”
Klee pulled a face, as Albedo covered his face with his hand, and batting the captain’s face with the other. Murmuring something along the lines of ‘embarrassing idiot…’, the blonde pulled himself back up, drawing out of Kaeya’s arms, and getting latched onto by his sister.
“I give better hugs than him right ‘bedoooo?”
Albedo squeezed her, smiling and nodding, getting a devastated look from his partner, who clutched his chest and let out a fake sob. The little girl turned around and stuck his tongue out at him, then giggled to her brother.
“He’s so silly ‘beedo.”
“He is, little clover, but he’s our little silly.”
“More like your little silly, he’s very big to me. Too tall.”
Suddenly, the girl squeaked, and was tugged out of her brother's arms and spun around the room, then placed on a set of shoulders, hands gripping into blue hair.
“Now you are big for me, Klee!”
“Kaeyaa!!” the girl squealed, tightening the grip on his head as he started walking around the room, coercing giggles out of the girl. He then swung her off his shoulders, placing her on her feet and tapping her on the head as she shook the dizziness away.
“Now, what time are we going to bed tonight?”
The girl stood straight, placing a hand to her head in a salute to complete their well practiced routine.
“Just after dinner, sir!”
“Good response time, soldier!” Kaeya mirrored her stance, much to the amusement of the other blonde in the room.
“And what will we do in bed?”
“Sleep! At least until the sun rises!”
“Yes! And if we wake up before the sun?”
“Go back to sleep or stay quiet and not wake everyone up!” Klee’s voice gained a little bit more volume with every word, adding to the smile on Kaeya’s lips.
“Then when the sun is up?”
“CHRISTMAS!”
He picked her up again, spinning her and placing her back where she started. “Yes!”
Albedo had walked over, and placed his finger on the two’s noses.
“Now you two, let's eat dinner, no need to get too excited about tomorrow, alright?”
And the trio wandered to the table, enjoying the night, chatting with excitement about their days. Slowly, the little girl was put to sleep, and the two men made their way to bed, holding each other to keep their bed warm through the beautiful Mondstat winter night.
The city began slowing down, everything closing early for the holidays, the streets aband oned and dusted with the evening fall of snow. No animals were left on the streets, and the light of the street lamps were the only to illuminate the dark paths. The only thing that could be heard is the soft strumming of a lyre, with even softer words to follow them. The words were in a language lost to the ages, wishing the people of the city a wonderful next year, and praying for safety for them. But slowly, that sound stopped as well, joining the sleeping populace.
…
Kaeya awoke on the morning of Christmas tangled together, wrapped up with his lover, enjoying the warmth they shared for some minutes as Albedo slept softly, forever calm while he was off in dream land.
Archons, how he loved him.
He quietly slipped out of bed, leaving a small kiss on the blonde’s head, to go wake up his sister for their ‘secret surprise’. He opened her door, seeing she was already awake, and her expression full of so much wonder.
“Uncle Kaeya! Look how much it snowed!”
She jumped up, grabbing his hand and dragging him to the window, where a thick layer of white had covered the city.
“Wow, you’re quite right little Klee. Now, keep your voice down, and let's go make your brother the special surprise.”
Klee quickly clamped her hands to her face, her little fingers covering her mouth as she eagerly nodded, her little eyes sparkling as she quietly ran out of her room, Kaeya’s slow footsteps silently following her behind. He stepped out into the hall, glancing into the room he shared with Albedo and seeing his figure still laying under the covers, his breath moving the duvet slowly up and down. He drew the door shut and followed the little girl to the kitchen.
They spent the next hour making pancakes and ensuring that they didn’t get batter on the pyjamas that Lisa had made them. It was one of the best early gifts they had gotten, a set of matching pajamas for the leaders of the Knights. They were warm and pretty comfortable, and Klee enjoyed her crimson nighty, which led her to being the most careful she had ever been to cook. Kaeya’s deep blue set was also quite pretty, embroidered with little white snowflakes. He really didn’t know when the woman found time to make everyone a set, between her slacking off and her naps, but he was thankful.
The smell of freshly baked breakfast must have awoken the third member of the household, as a set of heavy, sleep-ridden steps made their way to the pair.
“Good morning, brother!” Klee chirped, running up to wrap her arms around his legs. He was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, surprised at the surprise. “Do you want pancakes? We just finished them! They’re all cooked!”
Albedo nodded, swiftly hugging her back and joining the blue haired man at the stove.
“Morning, ‘bedo.”
The blonde leaned over and rested his head on the other’s shoulder. Kaeya wrapped his hand around his waist, drawing him close as he wrapped up the cooking. As they turned to place the plate of freshly cooked delicacies on the table, to see three plates placed out, and some syrup and cream placed on the table, complete with spoons. Each plate was decorated with drawings, and had names on them. And little Klee was sitting behind her plate, the biggest smile on her face.
“Merry Christmas!”
Albedo placed a hand on his plate, tracing his name on the porcelain, and sitting down in the chair. As they both sat down, Klee smiled at their reactions.
“Mister Mika helped me!! He taught me how to draw on them and then sealed them up all nice so they’re edible!”
“You mean food safe?”
“Mhm! Do you…” the girl dropped her head a bit, before continuing, “…do you like them?”
“We love them, Klee.”
“Little Clover I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
The girl looked up again, eyes sparkling. They began to eat, a certain little girl eating her food with speed she had never had before, finishing her plate and asking when they could start presents with syrup dripping down her chin, gaining some chuckles out of her companions.
Once they had all finished, they made their way to the living room, Klee sitting right by the tree, holding her hands in her lap so she wouldn’t touch. Kaeya joined her on the floor, while Albedo sat behind him on a couch.
Before they could even open the presents, a sound rang through the room.
Someone at the door?
Kaeya stood up, assuring them he’d get the door.
He walked over, something in him confused at why someone would visit them on everyone’s day off.
And he swung open the door.
And a familiar face stood there.
…
“Diluc…?”
The red head stood there. Staring into his brother’s eyes. His brother looked right back.
“Look. I wasn’t going to come. But… Miss Adelinde insisted. I… bought you all presents, and she refused to deliver them in my wake.”
Kaeya’s surprise grew, his jaw dropping a little.
“Come… in. It’s cold outside.”
Kaeya stepped aside, still shocked at his brother’s sudden appearance.
“Coat there. Boots here. And follow me to… the living room.”
The two awkwardly shuffled around each other, Diluc pulling a frankly massive bag of presents in to where a surprised Albedo was waiting, with Klee excited at the presence of another. Diluc explained himself, and placed his gifts under the tree, their wrapping paper contrasting the paper of the three who lived in the house.
“Guess I’ll be off then.”
Diluc turned to leave, the awkward silence still not having lifted. Until something in Kaeya clicked.
“Wait here, please, Diluc.”
And Kaeya walked to his room, and grabbed his impulse purchase from the day before. The two charms. Still in their white box, sitting on silk. He drew the box out, and brought it back to his brother.
“Here. If you’re going to give us gifts, it is only right you get one in return.”
“I could never-”
“Please. Just take this Diluc.”
He handed the box over. And his brother tentatively opened it. The charms sat inside, and he lifted the out of the box, hanging them on their small ropes. Something in his eyes softened, and he looked at Kaeya a way he hadn’t since they were small.
“Thank you.”
Then he turned, attempting to leave once more.
“No, Master Diluc, wait.”
Albedo had stood, catching the redhead's attention.
“I’d like to invite you to stay. Would it not be more enjoyable to have a guest this Christmas?”
The blonde’s eyes settled into Kaeya’s gaze, a conversation happening through glances.
“Come, sit, enjoy the fire. It’s quite cold outside.”
And so, he did. They all enjoyed the morning together, presenting gifts and eating food, and enjoying the company of the fourth person in the house. Little Klee disappeared at one point, only to reappear with a gift for Diluc, a drawing of them all around the Christmas tree, which Kaeya caught him sliding a tear out from under his eye, but didn’t comment. The celebrations continued into the afternoon, the snow clearing enough for them to venture out to make snowmen and have snow fights. Albedo kept an eye on his partner and his brother, who, in his eyes, looked the most relaxed they both had in a while.
As the snow fell, they all returned home, the redhead being offered a bed in the house for the night, and an invitation to join them for dinner. The sun’s rays slowly faded, and they all headed to bed. The snow kept falling, and they all fell into a quiet, dream filled slumber.
…
The red head smiled a toothy grin at his younger brother, holding the claymore he had gotten as a gift tight to his chest. The afternoon sun shone through the window, illuminating his wild hair.
“When we’re older, and I’m the hero of Mondstat, you better invite me to your Christmases, or I’ll come bursting in your door with more presents than you could imagine!”
The blue haired boy looked up at his brother, a massive grin, reflecting the red heads, growing on his face.
“I’ll make sure that me and the person I marry have a massive feast for you then, Mr. Hero of Mondstat!”
The older crashed the other into a hug, and they talked about their future until the snow reflected the deep blue of the night sky, and the moon hung low, watching over their slumbering faces.