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Kaeya could feel alcohol and exhaustion dragging him down. Too little food and some mild blood loss had ruined his tolerance. After barely any drinks that evening, his eyelids started to droop as his head grew heavier. The soft rumbling of Angel Share seemed miles away as the conversations around him finally grew incomprehensible. The familiar warmth of the tavern was a stark contrast to the past few days. The first breath he had actually taken since getting sent on the expedition a week ago.
The lack of alcohol on the trip was only a minor inconvenience. It was the fact that it was a training camp; no battles for Kaeya to unwind with — no one to outplay. Just bright-eyed recruits watching his every move. Every time he stepped from his tent, they snapped to attention, faces a mixture of horror and awe. He tried sending them away on meaningless endeavours, but it did little to quell their gaze. Kaeya loved the spotlight, of course, but by day four, without a chance to hide in his office for a few hours, he was running on fumes.
He’d intended to go home after giving his analysis to Jean. Relax with a bottle of wine on his couch, a book or a play script to entertain himself. One had just arrived from Fontaine the day before he had to leave. It was still sitting on his living room table, just waiting for him. Instead, his feet had betrayed him, crossing the cold cobblestone to Angel Share where Patton beckoned him in. He felt fine enough, telling himself he’d only have one drink to touch base with his network in Mondstadt. As it stood after a couple of hours, he hadn’t spoken to anyone and certainly drank more than a single glass.
Kaeya knew those misjudgements would cause Jean to press her lips together into a thin line, her expression twisting with guilt as she tried to work out how to lighten his load. The rest of the knights would slap him on the back and tease him for being drunk, but Kaeya would do the same to them (with a lot more threatening undertones), so he couldn’t be too mad.
That is, of course, to say – when a body slid down on the seat next to him, he could only muster a momentary glance towards the newcomer. Red hair filled his vision, as pale wrists leading up to black gloves set down a glass of water in front of him. Kaeya must’ve been out of it; he hadn’t noticed so much time passing. It seemed to move like molasses. And yet here Diluc was going to chase him out. His brother had yet to lose his rough edges, but he at least gave Kaeya a chance to sober up while he cleaned the bar down. He blinked slowly, leaning into the body next to him.
“Mmm, Luc, I’ll be going… in a second.” The words seemed to rumble in his chest rather than float in the air, the syllables gravelly and slurred. “I just need a moment.”
Diluc responded with something that was probably scalding. His thick black coat was missing, instead his hard muscles moved beneath his cheek. The shoulder pads had always provided some extra cushioning, even with the embroidery leaving creases on his cheek. The fabric instead was smooth, silk perhaps? Some distant part of his brain wondered why he didn’t smell of grapes and wood. He felt cooler, too, even without the fabric barrier, less like a human furnace. Kaeya didn’t have enough energy to ponder it as he relaxed into him. The unfamiliar was brushed aside in exchange for a chance to rest.
He fell asleep against his shoulder, one hand resting over Diluc’s arm to trap it down and keep his pillow still.
-
Ajax couldn’t help but feel that he had missed a step somewhere.
He’d noticed the man a short time ago. He was certainly the most stunning man he had ever laid eyes on. A well-maintained sword was slung from the belt that hugged the high jut of his hip. The belt swooped down to the winged cryo vision fastened on the opposite side, dangling near the apex of his thigh and framed by a looped decorative golden chain. Long legs crossed over at the ankle, emphasised by tight dark pants.
One of the man’s hands rested on the table next to a wine glass that he would absentmindedly sip from; thin fingers pinching the stem elegantly. His chin rested on the palm of his other hand, fingers pressing into his cheek as his elbow pressed into the table. The firelight illuminated his features with a soft warmth, forming a stark juxtaposition between the man’s ethereal glow and the cold violence Ajax was certain bubbled beneath his surface. His fringe obscured part of his eyepatch, the sides curling around to hide his strong jaw. Golden earrings glinted against the light, twinkling like stars every time his dark hair shifted.
Ajax had bided his time, watching as people wandered over to the cryo-user and tried to speak to him. They would stand at the front of the table, talking loudly and gesticulating. The man wouldn’t shift or even look over at them, lips pulled down into a pout and gaze distant. Eventually, their energy would flag in the face of his disinterest, and they would wander off back to another table.
A fascinating cycle that only aided in making Ajax more curious.
He finally took his shot, approaching the man with a glass of water as a peace offering. It was unlikely the man would drink anything a Fatui would offer. Especially a Harbringer, even if he was out of uniform. He assumed the Captain would notice his arrival rapidly, even in his inebriated state.
He set the cup down with care and slipped into the seat next to the bleary-eyed man. “Greetings, Comrade!” He smiled widely, facing the man fully. The other people had all stood at a distance, waiting to be invited into the seat. Ajax would prefer to ask for forgiveness than permission, but he would truthfully rather murder everyone than do either. The knight looked at him, just a fleeting glance followed by a slow blink. Up close, his dark skin had deepened with the flush of alcohol. His nose scrunched up slightly as a furrow formed between his brows.
Something had changed here, something that separated him from the previous encounters throughout the night. Perhaps the mask that rested on his hair had changed the man’s behaviour? But Ajax hadn’t even seen him glance up at the others. Part of it fuelled the burn of anticipation in his gut. Ajax opened his mouth to follow up his greetings with an introduction, but the words died on his tongue as the man fell against him.
His soft hair brushed against Ajax’s chin as the man collapsed onto the Harbringer, eye closed, and lips parted, letting out soft exhales. His expression was open and relaxed. Ajax tensed, glancing around the room before he looked back down to the man pressed against him, a solid, warm weight. His hand came up and rested on Ajax’s sleeve, creasing the fabric beneath his grip. Nails traced lightly over his forearm.
A rumbling started in the man’s chest before they formed into words, slurred and gravelly. His breath ghosted Ajax’s neck with each word. He shivered despite the warmth. It took a concerningly long moment for his words to form coherent meaning. Ajax strained to hear them with bated breath.
Luc? Ajax startled. That made more sense than the Captain relaxing around some stranger so suddenly. “Oh! Oh, I’m not ‘Luc’. I’m —” He tried to move his arm on instinct; held down under those long, slender fingers as the man’s breathing turned steady. Ajax could have tossed him off easily; a clingy drunk is not the strongest enemy he had faced, but, after all this time watching, wasn’t this exactly what he wanted? Or, well, he had hoped the man would be more talkative, but if he played his cards right, he could be there when the man woke up.
Ajax pushed the man’s hair back, exposing his eyepatch and the side of his face. Up close, he was more beautiful. A dark eyepatch split up the plains of his face, soft blue hair curled artfully around his strong cheekbones and chin. A light flush was covering his cheeks and blooming towards his ear. Long eyelashes cast shadows over his cheeks, softening the sharp lines and turning him into something dainty. Just like a prince from his sister’s books.
The weight grew heavier as the man fell slightly down his chest, resting at an odd angle. Ajax leaned back onto the chair, using his free arm to hitch the man further up and hold him securely into his chest. It caused the Captain's head to fall higher on his shoulder, hiding his expression as his cheek rested on Ajax’s collarbone.
He was so warm against Ajax, smelling of earth and rain.
Ajax shifted around to make himself comfortable, careful not to jostle the man too much. It was hardly ruining his evening plans. He’d already spent the majority of his evening watching the man, and it was good encouragement to nurse the drink he’d brought over for himself. Besides, he probably should drink some water too; the Captain wouldn’t even notice that he had drunk the offering.
He hoped whoever this ‘Luc’ was wasn’t possessive.
Out of all the crimes he could have committed, being chased out of Mondstadt because someone used him as a pillow would be an insult.
He turned his gaze to the rest of the bar, watching the other patrons sing and talk as his thumb lightly rubbed circles against the Captain's bicep. The bard Signora had dealt with was staring at him. Ajax smiled at him, more of a predatory baring of teeth. The bard’s eyebrows furrowed as his face turned red. A little bird trying to pick a fight with its wings clipped. Ajax looked away anyway before he could escalate it; any confrontation would wake the sleeping beauty against his chest, a waste of all his previous observation. He cast his gaze to the rest of the room, enjoying the twin looks of disgust and jealousy that marred several people’s faces.
He took the mask off his head, setting it onto the table next to his cup, and leaned his head against the crown of the knight’s hair. A floral scent surrounded him as he let himself relax.