Chapter Text
The office felt too quiet for the chaos it held.
Piles of parchment teetered on the Knights of Favonius’s biggest desk—patrol reports, supply requests, complaints from townsfolk, some polite, some not so much. Buried underneath, a map of Mondstadt spread out, covered in neat notes and careful ink.
Jean sat right in the middle of it all.
Her posture was perfect, even though she was exhausted. One gloved hand held a quill, the other pressed against her temple as she read yet another report.
A knock broke the silence.
Jean didn’t look up right away. “Come in.”
The door opened quietly.
Footsteps followed, confident and measured, heels tapping stone in a rhythm that sounded almost deliberate.
“I'm starting to seriously consider that you are physically tied to that desk acting grand master.” came that unmistakable, teasing voice.
Jean let out a quiet breath before lifting her eyes.
Kaeya lingered in the doorway, one hand on the knob, the other resting at his hip. His cape swept behind him, fur collar looking untouched by the wind outside. His eye gleamed with mischief he didn’t bother to hide.
“You’re working yourself to death.” he said, nudging the door shut with his heel. “Should I send word to the cathedral in advance ?”
Jean set her quill down, slow and deliberate. “I can handle it.” Although the eye bags signifying at least 3 sleepless nights in a row begged to disagree.
He crossed the room in those easy strides of his, stopping just short of the desk. “I’m just making an observation, we don't want our acting grand master to collapse twice a week now do we?"
His attention shifted to the map, lingering on a thick red circle around the mountains south of the city.
Dragonspine.
For a second, his smile slipped—just a bit—before he covered it up again.
Jean followed his gaze. “A patrol reported Fatui activity near Starglow Cavern,” she said. “Supply crates. Maybe alchemy equipment.”
Kaeya hummed, leaning forward with both hands on the desk, shoulders dipping as he took in the markings upside-down. He looked relaxed, but his eye sharpened, calculating.
“And who are you planning to dispatch?"
He wasn’t really asking, since he already knew that jean was planning to take care of the matter herself.
Jean straightened a little. “The Knights are stretched thin after Stormbearer. Eula’s with a convoy, Amber’s still recovering from her last mission. I can’t just—”
“You can’t just sit here,” Kaeya finished, lightly.
Jean’s lips pressed into a thin line.
Kaeya tipped his head, his expression softening, even if his tone was all playfulness. Shadows clung under her eyes. Ink stains marked her glove. She hadn’t stopped working in hours.
He pushed off the desk and circled it, steps suddenly silent.
“Dragonspine’s not exactly welcoming,” he said, almost casual. “Wind that’ll cut through you, ice everywhere, Fatui up to something. Not the best place for someone who hasn’t slept for 3 nights straight.”
Jean’s eyes narrowed. “Are you volunteering, Captain?”
Kaeya grinned wider.
He swept a hand to his chest with a little bow. “If it helps you sleep, I guess I can risk frostbite.”
No smile from Jean—but her shoulders lost a bit of their stiffness.
“This isn’t a simple mission,” she warned. “The Fatui might be planning something bigger.”
His visible eye flashed with something harder, just for a second but he quickly concealed it with his usual carefree gaze.
" There's only one way to find out."
Then he straightened, tugging his gloves tight, smoothing out invisible wrinkles. Old habits.
“I’ll take a small team,” he said. " If I'm we're not back before sunset send back up. Although, I doubt it will be needed."
" While i do appreciate your enthusiasm I do not condone overconfidence. Never underestimate your opponent, kaeya."
Despite her soft tone kaeya could clearly sense the scolding behind it.
He simply nods and takes his leave, already preparing for the mission.
" I have a bad feeling about this..."
Jean sighs as redirects her attention to the remaining unfinished paperwork and official documents.