Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ajax has never thrown up just because someone was ‘too pretty’.

But there’s a first time for everything.

It starts at the grocery store.

Ajax has historically always been proud of the fact that he made his own meals. He’s a fantastic cook, and even after a difficult day of sitting in front of a computer going over spreadsheets, he always makes sure to stop by the grocery store to pick up whatever he’s craving for that day. He unwinds by cooking, by sinking his kitchen knife into various vegetables and sizzling them up in a pan with a savory glaze. It’s how he leaves his work at the door, letting the stress of the day evaporate into thin air with the water boiling on the stove.

Just as he reaches for the box of a certain pasta brand he likes, the last one sitting on the shelf, another hand grabs it before him, and Ajax’s heart stops.

He sees the most tired man he’s ever met in his life, but more than that— he’s gorgeous.

If Ajax had known, then and there, that the person he just encountered worked for a host club, that would make a lot of things make sense in retrospect. His elegant makeup is perfectly done, the eyeshadow over his eyelid sparkling in a way that doesn’t exactly scream ‘grocery store shopping trip’. His hair is perfectly arranged, a neat curl atop his head almost like a halo. He takes the pasta and puts it in his cart. Ajax lets him, because it’s hard to move your hand when your heart has stopped.

He’s beautiful.

Ajax isn’t exactly the type of person who is known for finding others attractive, either— the most excitable he’s ever gotten over a person was when he was fist-fighting them, and that hardly counts. Seeing this guy saunter away with his box of pasta makes Ajax’s jaw set as his heart races, speeding back to life. His throat feels dry. The dry feeling makes him gag.

He rushes to the store’s bathroom, leaving his cart behind.

His cellphone beeps as he pants softly, wiping away the spit from his mouth. He’s not exactly in a career where he can casually ignore his cellphone, so he answers it with a slight cough.

“What is it, Viktor—”

“Where are the reports I was supposed to deliver to—”

“They’re uploaded to the cloud.”

“What file name?”

Ajax groans, feeling ill from two sources, now.

“I don’t know… sort by date uploaded and go from there.”

He hangs up.

Ajax is letting the most gorgeous man he’d ever seen disappear just because he had to do something stupid like vomit. Quickly, he flushes the toilet and heads to the mirror to make sure he looks normal… enough, and if he had his toothbrush with him, he’d scrub his teeth clean, but for now, all he can do is make sure he doesn’t look like hot garbage. He needs to talk to that guy— name, number, anything.

He hurries over back to where his cart is and pushes it towards the front, realizing he doesn’t have a game plan at all. What’s he supposed to tell him? ‘You’re so beautiful that I puked?’ Yeah, the most flattering thing in the world to tell anyone ever. You’re so beautiful that it made me gag. The most natural response in the world.

Think of something, think of something, think of something—

Yet all he can think of is ‘MAN PRETTY’.

He spots him and the urge to puke rises again with how dry his throat goes, but he swallows it back this time. He’s checking out in the 12 items or less lane, and Ajax has… way more than that, so the grocery store clerk will just have to forgive him for breaking rules as he steers his cart in behind his.

“…”

“…”

The man in front of him gets out his credit card, which is promptly declined. He hisses a ‘really?’ as he looks at the card… frowning a bit as he searches his wallet for something that will work.

“I’ll pay.” Ajax fumbles for his wallet, realizing what an ass he’s making of himself just by doing it. “Haha, um, here—”

He’ll hand his card to the cashier, who takes it before the other man can protest. They scan his card and the 9071.23 mora cart is paid for— Ajax is frankly surprised that you can buy 12 groceries and have it add up to that much, but hey— inflation.

“Thanks,” The beautiful man says, a little hesitant at how eagerly Ajax presented his card but no less grateful.

“No problem, I- Uh, I’ve been there,” Ajax hasn’t, but it’s the only thing that comes to mind.

The man pauses, taking the bag with the box of pasta and putting it in Ajax’s cart.

“We’re even.” He says simply, and man— that’s the most expensive box of pasta Ajax has ever paid for. He stammers a bit, not wanting Kaeya to roll off his cart and leave— but…

If he asks his name or number like this, it’s basically extortion, right? It feels scummy. He can’t do it. And so— he lets the guy push his cart away, Ajax slouching a bit as he feels like the world’s biggest dingus.

“Sir.”

“Man…” Ajax whines, dragging his hand down his face.

“Sir.”

“Huh— yeah?”

“This is a 12 item line.”

“…” Ajax glances down to his cart, filled with at least 30 different items— some big, some small. He laughs, a bit nervously.

“… Please let me check out here. Did you see who I just let walk away?”

“…”

They don’t get paid enough for this.

Kaeya’s in what some would call deep shit.

He got an after-college job at a host club to pay for his bills— and being the ‘best host at the host club’ has some pretty major drawbacks. For one, it gains your boss’s attention and makes them sink their claws in deeper. Kaeya was already in debt, and in an act of unprecedented generosity, his host club decided to cover all of it as a favor to him— something he could repay by working for them.

He’s not confident he’ll ever be free of them, and he would rather die than go beg Diluc for help.

Tonight, he’s going to be attending to a party with a bunch of Snezhnayan businessmen. It’s been a few days since that ginger dork paid for his groceries, and thankfully— because he did that, Kaeya got to eat well for the week. He tries not to partake of anything the host club offers him, because then they’ll just put it on his tab, and upcharge it by 300%.

The host club, The Gilded Peacock, is a bit of a co-ed situation— where you can request hosts or hostesses depending on what you’re feeling. Kaeya would call it a distinctly bisexual business if he felt like it.

He puts on his finest clothes, adds a touch of make up to his face. Snezhnayan businessmen— particularly the Fatui, can be hit or miss. Sometimes they pay a lot depending on their preferences. Others try to scam both him and the host club by charging back their cards. Unscrupulous at best.

His cat, Princess, a fluffy ragdoll/birman mix, meows softly up at him and paws at his jacket, as if asking him to stay home. He kisses the top of her head and closes the door behind him. He always feels bad working late and leaving her behind, but he doesn’t have much of a choice.

He’ll drive to the host club and park discreetly, where no one can see him getting out of the too-ordinary-looking old Mazda before he goes inside. The owner greets him with a pat on the shoulders and an order to get to work preparing for the night, as if Kaeya doesn’t already do enough around here.

He’ll sit at the back, waiting for his usuals to come in, but also keenly aware of the Fatui party coming in. They’re celebrating the promotion of a businessman to one of the highest ranks under the CEO, so maybe they’ll actually bring big money.

…

He could really use a sugar daddy or something. Someone who can afford to buy him out of this place, but is that not trading one cage for another? He listens for the bell ringing above the door, watches as the other hosts greet their patrons— Thoma has that rich heir Ayato giving him wine every single night. Mona’s in a similar situation to him, but for some reason, she’s always dealing with slimeballs…

And there it is, the Fatui party.

Along with a familiar ginger.

Kaeya blinks, standing up to greet them along with a female hostess— Kokomi, a girl he’s always found sweet and agreeable. He puts on the face of not knowing this one, not wanting to bring up the dork’s kindness which was just a little bit cringeworthy.

Kaeya knew he did it to try and ask him out, but he’s hesitant around people who wish to pay for his attention, inherently doesn’t trust them, so it was the right move in not asking him for his name at the time. Ajax doesn’t know that, naturally.

Ajax freezes when he sees Kaeya, realizing the chance he lost was found again in the worst possible place. A place where getting to know the person in question is forbidden, where shallow flirtation is the name of the game. If he asked for Kaeya’s name here, would he even get his real name? He’s not even entitled to it, all he thinks is… he’s a man whose gaze staggers him, stuns him more readily than a mallet to the head.

He feels like one of those wolves in a 1960s cartoon, hooting and hollering at the prettiest dame in a sparkling dress.

“If I could show you to your seats…?”

It’s evident that the other Fatui businessmen with him will be interested in Kokomi and Kokomi only, so Ajax can count on having Kaeya’s attention all to himself.

“Hey, so—” Ajax begins as he takes his seat.

“Thanks for the other day,” Kaeya will pour him a glass of champagne and hand it to him after one of the businessmen places the order for it. “Can I know who my grocery store savior is?”

“… Aj— Tartaglia.” He doesn’t know if he’s the one who should be using a fake name. 

“Ah… your CEO uses names from the Commedia Dell’arte for her highest ranking, doesn’t she?”

“That’s right.”

“Congrats on your promotion, then.”

Ajax chuckles a little, nodding. “Y- yeah… hey… can I ask your name?”

Kaeya pauses… with someone he doesn’t trust, he typically sticks with a fake name. Something like ‘Jasper’ or ‘Diluc’. And Kaeya doesn’t trust anyone.

“Kaeya,” He answers, leaning over to face Ajax, leg crossed over the other as he rests his arm on the top of the sofa. “I imagine Tartaglia isn’t even close to your real name… but that’s okay, sweetheart. You don’t have to share it if you don’t want to.”

Kaeya hates this job.

He truly does. It was fun at first, but each time he has to flirt with someone he doesn’t want to, he gets sick to his stomach. It’s why he rarely drinks on the job unless his patrons insist, and sometimes they do insist. However, Ajax is perceptive— he can tell that the flirtation isn’t genuine just by how it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Hey,” Ajax begins. “You… don’t like this job that much, do you?”

Kaeya laughs melodically. “A job is a job is a job, but I don’t let it stop me from having a little fun. What about you? Do you like your job…?”

“I … love it, actually.”

In the city of Teyvat, there’s two businesses that reign supreme, along with a few others— G.E.O., run by the famous Rex Lapis, and the Fatui, as run by the enigmatic “Tsaritsa”. Ajax has always had ambitions for climbing to the top, if only to send money home to his family. Now that he’s here and has a eight digit bank account nearing a ninth, he finds it a little lackluster.

He does believe in their mission statement though, so at least there’s that.

“I’m jealous,” Kaeya says, leaning against the sofa.

Ajax pauses before asking, “Why don’t you quit?”

Kaeya’s gaze flickers for a moment. “Oh, you know. Cement shoes.”

He laughs after that, as if he really made the world’s funniest joke, like can you imagine, but Ajax knows when someone is lying and when they’re telling the truth.

“Do you owe them a lot of money…?” He asks, quietly.

“…” Kaeya shrugs. “An amount. Boss doesn’t really like us talking about it.”

Because the boss gets good free labor from Kaeya in doing it.

… Ajax considers his options.

He’s not hurting for money, and the amount that Kaeya owes is probably not insubstatial, but… what would be his reason for doing it? What would be the motivation? Altruism? … no, he should be honest with himself. He wants to get to know Kaeya, because no one has ever stunned him the way he’s been stunned like this before. However… if he’s upfront about what he wants, then that means it’s a little less intimidating, right?

(He’s been hanging around too many Fatui…)

“Let’s say I paid off your loan here—”

Kaeya snorts.

“Don’t laugh— let’s say I did.” Ajax begins. “Would that help you at all?”

“It’d be like carving free my shackles and letting this peacock fly,” Kaeya hums. “But you wouldn’t do it for free.”

“I wouldn’t,” Ajax begins. “I would want to get to know you.”

“For a relationship?”

“…” His throat goes dry. “If it goes there, but if it doesn’t, it doesn’t matter.”

You’re dealing with a Fatui, Kaeya’s mind supplies. He’ll want something.

He doesn’t know Ajax, so he doesn’t trust him… but would being in service to just one guy be a lot better than being in service to many people, day in day out? … Should he really weigh his options like that?

“… let’s say you did,” Kaeya answers. “What exactly do you want? Outline it exactly for me.”

“… Two dates.” Ajax responds, trying to decide on something fair. “One to break the ice and the other to get to know you. If there are any more after that, it’s up to you.”

“Two dates?”

“Two dates.”

Kaeya leans forward to pour his own glass of champagne when he usually skips it, knowing an offer too good to refuse when it’s laid out in front of him.

“Alright,” He begins. “Two dates.”

Ajax watches as he sips the champagne, eyes lingering on his neck.

“Two dates.”

Ajax learns that it’s a pretty penny that Kaeya owes the host club, but he’s good for his word. He pays it all.

He pays for it at the end of the night, and the club owner looks over the payment as it’s processed in his system. Huh… awful, that he has to get rid of one of his best-sellers, but even so…

“… Clear out your locker and get out of here, Alberich.” He says. Kaeya feels his heart soar.

“When do you want that date…?” Kaeya asks Ajax as he walks him to his car.

“Mm… maybe this weekend.”

He knows that this is a fair trade— and he is Fatui, meaning some of that deep-seated unscrupulousness exists in him. He just hopes it goes somewhere. Please let it go somewhere.

He’s not sure he can find anyone else attractive after meeting Kaeya Alberich.

I mean, look at him. Blue hair the color of starlight with two stars set into his eyes. A gorgeous, handsome smile that hides just an air of mystery. Ajax could not help his feelings any more than he could ignore a hurricane headed straight for him.

“Alright. Meet me at the pier, then? We can go on a little date on the beach.” Kaeya responds, an airy smile on his face.

“Yeah! Sounds good.” He’ll give Kaeya his number, praying that he'll text him soon enough. Already, his hand itches to bother him, but as Kaeya gives him his number, he realizes he’s going to have to restrain himself in order to be any flavor of impressive.

He sighs…

He did a good thing today.

To the tune of 2,500,000 mora.

But a good thing, nevertheless.

Ajax makes it back to his lonely apartment, bedecked in grey furniture with a computer set-up in the corner of his living room. His apartment is nice— towards the penthouse but not quite. It’s spacious and cozy somehow at the same time, with blankets from his home decorating the sofas and chairs.

He collapses on his bed with a sigh… what luck. What luck that he could meet that handsome stranger again… and then save him from a miserable life of debt. He doesn’t want Kaeya to feel like he owes him— well, not much. The two dates and nothing more, but he knows he has to impress him in order to earn the third.

He turns his head to face his mirror, and realizes how lackluster he feels in comparison. It’s like if the peahen were tasked with impressing the peacock.

His phone buzzes.

A picture of a fluffy cat is in the message window.

🦚 : You’ve subscribed to Kaeya Alberich’s daily cat picture newsletter. Press Y for more daily cat pictures, N if this is annoying and to opt out.

Ajax immediately types “Yyyyyyyyy”

🦚 : More cat pictures on the way.

Oh, she’s cute… Ajax doesn’t know what breed of cat that is, but she’s adorable. He's not sure if he can have pets in this apartment, so he stares at what must be Kaeya’s hand petting the top of her soft, fluffy head, not sure who he’s jealous of more— the owner or the cat.

…

Maybe Kaeya is just as much of a dork as he is, just… secretly. Discreetly.

Wouldn’t it be nice to find out?

Chapter Text

Kaeya wakes up to a face full of fluff.

The dawnlight creeping in through his semi-cracked window casts over his sleeping form, intervals of light and shadow spaced out between the blinds. Princess is kneading at his forehead, a universal signal for her owner to get up and function as a can opener.

Kaeya Alberich is free.

(He thinks. He might be. It depends on how possessive that Snezhnayan businessman is.)

Before he indulges Princess with her morning snack, he plays with his hands just underneath the bed covers, letting them scurry beneath the duvet like little mice for Princess to chase, which she dutifully does, as if she possesses even a single trait that would let her survive out in the wild. Her scuttling across the top of the bed, chasing his hands, brings a bit of much-needed laughter to him before he slips out from underneath the warm blankets and begins walking to his kitchen, Princess following in step.

His apartment is… not great.

It’s a one-bedroom apartment afforded by the grace of saving as much money as possible for rent each month. It dawns on Kaeya that he’s out of a job— but that is also a good thing. It means he can actually get a job where his earnings actually accumulate, maybe put his degree to good use. His bathtub feels like it’s from the 1870’s, his kitchen from the 1970’s, with its black-and-white checkered tile and stove with the most modern of amenities— a digital clock that is somehow always wrong.

Even his refrigerator has seen better days— though he dutifully cleans it. Kaeya Alberich will live with a lot of things, mold isn’t one of them. He takes the can of cat food from beside the refrigerator and scoops it out into Princess’ glass dish— it’s the fancy stuff, too. Kaeya might go a day or two without eating, but he makes sure his cat absolutely does not. Kaeya got himself into his own situations, but Princess is just a cat and has no idea why she feels hungry if she does.

He thinks about the Snezhnayan businessman as he snaps a cute video of his cat chowing down on her morning wet food.

Does love at first sight exist? No, he thinks, absolutely not. Maybe infatuation, maybe his looks actually pulled a guy who could make his life better. Guys (and girls!) at the Host Club are all the same— ‘come with me, baby, I’ll take you on a yacht my uncle owns’ and the yacht is an ugly-ass little fishing boat the guy talked up a storm about and suddenly you regret ever giving him your number. Host Clubs are for lies , from both the person having a fantasy and from Kaeya himself.

But the Snezhnayan businessman— Tartaglia— met him at the grocery store, paid for his groceries, and didn’t ask for a single thing from him. It doesn’t count as lies if it’s not at the Host Club.

He unlocks his phone and sends the video of Princess eating her food with her accompanying ‘mrah mrah mrah’s to Tartaglia.

He’s surprised that he gets a response so quickly. Isn’t this guy in direct service to his CEO?

🦊 : she’s so cute. what’s her name? what breed is she?

🦚 : Princess. She’s like a ragdoll mix.

🦊 : wanna bury my face in that fur. ugh. i’m at work :(

🦚 : I’m not. Since… you liberated me on that front. I’ll have to go job hunting today.

Maybe he’ll stop by the cafe down the street, he saw that they were hiring… Favonius something? The little Mondstadt-esque coffee shop.

🦊 : i could get you a job here if you want!

🦚 : No way. Office romances are nightmares. Best to keep us under different employers, cutie.

That, and Kaeya isn’t keen on working for the Fatui… he feels like his soul will be sucked out of his body with a silly straw if he does that.

🦊 : yeah, that’s fair… still, if you ever need it, i can arrange something.

🦚 : Noted.

🦚 : I don’t think I’ll struggle too much. I’ve always known what to say in interviews.

🦚 : ‘Why do you want to work with us?’ ‘Well, I would say I love the customer base you’ve built up, I have a passion for making fancy coffees for rude middle-aged women, and that your brand is important to me, but really, I have a cat to feed.’

🦊 : LMAO

🦊 : yeah that's how it went for me

🦊 : anyway g2g meeting i’ll text you later

It amazes Kaeya that Tartaglia is the one who types like he’s still in college, but Kaeya, who worked at a far more relaxed business, is the one that uses proper caps and punctuation. Ah, well, he’s probably different when he’s talking to his boss.

Ajax is chipper on the way to the meeting, walking with a certain confidence in his step, because Kaeya texted him and Ajax didn’t have to prompt him to do it.

They’re basically dating.

Okay, maybe he’s being extra— that’s still a very good sign. It means that the beautiful man he met just a day ago is warm and receptive to him, though he supposes most people are if you give them 2,500,000 mora. Ajax can’t stop thinking about him . Is that weird? He’s been analyzing every word Kaeya said ever since they last spoke in his mind. The guarded, mysterious aloofness; the signs that he’d been hurt in the past and wasn’t open to trusting again… Ajax is a very good judge of character, which is how he got this far in the Fatui.

Here’s the thing. Ajax is not what the chronically online call a ‘daddy dom’ or whatever— he’s not going to Christian Grey at anyone, like a particularly obnoxious leather-wearing parrot. He’s not going to lay down fat stacks of cash and ask someone to cater to his every fetish while also asserting ‘you’re mine, and I’m going to lock you up in my sex dungeon’, that’s weird . Weird people do that, and money hasn’t changed Ajax yet.

So all he wants from the most beautiful man in the world is his time, and the opportunity to impress him, like an equally obnoxious, but earnest parrot. Maybe like a scarlet macaw. Are peacocks into macaws?

…

He’s sitting down at his meeting seriously considering bird compatibility between two different species as an allegory for him and Kaeya.

Someone should kill him.

Il Dottore, the man running the meeting today, very well might.

That man has it out for Ajax. It feels like every day working with him is like being a rat in a little cardboard maze, and finding the cheese is a constantly moving goal post. If Ajax didn’t feel committed to his job, working with Dottore would make it his own personal hellscape. As Ajax listens intently to things like profit margins and bottom lines , his mind is thinking about Kaeya and his cute cat and his cute face and what it would be like to put that face really, really close to his own. Practically touching— no. Touching .

“Tartaglia.”

“Yes…?”

“What is our bottom line for this quarter?” It’s a pop quiz, to see if he was paying attention.

“To expand our reach a bit further into Sumeru and adjoining regions. They’ve been the slowest to adopt our products.”

Dottore almost sounds disappointed that he got it right, but he’ll use Tartaglia’s words as a jumping off point into his next powerpoint slide—

And Ajax is back to thinking about Kaeya.

Ajax’s life has not been the easiest dance.

A playful tempo of a childhood amped up when he suddenly became too much for his parents to control at age 14, and it took him to boarding school. Ajax had two options after that— join the military or go to college. In another life, he would have been happy to join the army, but it doesn’t necessarily pay well, and both his older brothers, who were enlisted, firmly told him that there was no honor or glory in it. Against what he thought was his better judgment, he went to business school just because it’s considered a natural career progression to join the Fatui where he’s from, and he tore that shit up .

Ajax is unstoppable when it comes to achieving what he wants, and while his home life with his parents (at least, his father) isn’t the best, he wanted to do so much better by his siblings. He wanted to send money home to make sure they have everything he didn’t, and he goes home regularly to make sure what he sends is spent mostly on them.

Ajax always comes home for the holidays with whatever toy is the newest and shiniest of them all in the big city.

And Ajax, honestly… has never been attracted to anyone before.

He sort of made himself act all ‘hey girlie’ at various people, somewhat as practice, but he has never had that lightning bolt strike him. Before he saw Kaeya for the first time, he was ready for a life devoted to nothing but the climb to the top. A box of pasta changed his destiny real quick.

As he eats his late lunch in his office, a little plastic box full of dishes he handmade, portioned out Inazuman-style, because he thinks it’s sensible and he likes the aesthetic, sue him— he picks up his phone and texts Kaeya again.

His thumb hovers over the typing window, wondering what to say.

🦊 : does the daily cat newsletter come with a backlog of photos? i would love to see princess as a kitten

It takes a few minutes, but Kaeya sends one— a precious little ball of fur that looks shy, sitting on Kaeya’s odd kitchen tile.

Then, the deluge of photos crashes down on him.

Kaeya practically sends him an album of cat photos, some of them with Kaeya, some of them just of Princess herself. Ajax hovers over one of the pictures of Kaeya with his face pressed to her fluff.

Man, would it be crazy pathetic if I saved this?

…

No, pathetic would be making it my lock screen before we go on one date. I can save it.

Thumb held down, image saved.

Something about his face, gods, his face, he’s so pretty, it’s not fair. It’s more than his face though, his voice sends ASMR tingles down Ajax’s back and he hasn’t even heard it since last night. Already, Ajax is thinking of things he knows he shouldn’t as a certified down bad idiot.

🦊 : thanks! she’s adorable :)

Better not forget to actually respond.

🦚 : She is! Princess is my princess.

🦚 : By the way, where do you want to meet up on the pier?

🦊 : hmm… maybe like near that famous ice cream shop? we can go swimming too, it’s warm enough.

🦚 : Alright, then. Give me a time and I’ll see you this weekend.

Ajax will clear his calendar of anything else on it, but he thinks all he was supposed to do that day was his laundry— which can get pushed back to Sunday. He quickly checks his phone to make sure. Yup— laundry day.

🦊 : 2 pm sound good?

🦚 : Sounds good.

God, what he wouldn’t give to have Kaeya send a heart emoji to him. When Kaeya called him ‘cutie’ earlier, he just about pounded his fist to his desk out of joy.

He’s got to earn the heart emoji.

Before he forgets, he sets to work on his emails before it’s time to leave. He has a business meeting with someone from Liyue at 5 o’ clock, then he can spend the rest of his day dreaming about Kaeya.

Maybe someday he’ll get to meet Princess, too.

Kaeya, meanwhile, grew up in the lap of luxury.

Adopted from a young age into the Ragnvindr family to a single father and his redheaded son, Kaeya was best friends with (and rival to) Diluc Ragnvindr from day one. They did everything together— Diluc broke him out of his shell like a cracked egg, and Kaeya learned how to be charismatic and playful just from his big brother’s influence. He was a shy kid, at first. Unsure of the kind of things he was allowed in a rich winemaker’s family, especially after feeling abandoned by his own.

Crepus did his best to help him express himself, and he ultimately succeeded. However, things weren’t meant to last— Crepus died and the brothers had a massive falling out after his death, not over money or anything superficial like that, but just… words.

Kaeya turned his back on the Ragnvindr fortune and tried carving a name out for himself, got into a lot of college debt, fell in with the Host Club, and — gods, he’s felt like the worst ever since. Like he’s been spitting on his father’s memory by making bad decision after bad decision.

He still sometimes gets calls from Diluc, asking where he is and what he’s doing— in this kind of standoffish, distant way that speaks of caring for his brother, genuinely, but unable to get across any sort of affection.

Kaeya doesn’t return them, but they’re still friends on Facebook.

As he walks down the street to the coffee shop he intends to interview at, Favonius Brews, a little Mondstadt-inspired cafe, he wonders if he still has it in him to interview at a place like this. He worked at a Tsarbucks, a franchise owned by the Fatui, throughout college, and he knows how to make just about any drink under the sun so long as the machines are relatively similar.

The person running the cafe, a young man named Albedo, takes off his apron to interview him then and there, and Kaeya pushes forward his resume and talks the talk about coffee and mixing drinks and feeding his cat for about fifteen minutes before Albedo hires him on the spot. He’ll still call his references, but an employee walked out today and he needs as many hands on deck as possible.

“When do I start?”

“Now.” Albedo grabs the spare apron that says EULA and hands it to Kaeya. “We’ll fix it later. Go work your magic making coffee, like you said you could.”

Kaeya laughs, tying the apron around his waist.

“Alright, alright.”

Kaeya exhales dramatically as he gets home later that afternoon. He was promised a bonus for working on short notice, one he will happily take.

“Comfort me, Princess,” He calls out to her, making little kissy noises as her cute little paws trot over to him and she meows softly up at him. Even so, Kaeya vastly preferred the coffee shop over the host club. Albedo was even rude with some of the more snitty, demanding customers, not holding his tongue if they made some egregious claim about their coffee having oat milk but it tastes vaguely like almond, so their drink should be free (it was oat, he made sure. Messing up an order with the milks can be deadly if you use the wrong one. Allergies and intolerances are no joke).

He pulls his phone out of his pocket, surprised that it’s still holding a charge as he sees that Ajax texted him a picture of a seagull with a french fry in its beak, along with the caption ‘ i don’t have a cute fancy cat, but this guy is outside my meeting place and he’s the only animal i can send you ’.

He texts Ajax back, ‘ Does he have a name?’

‘i’ve been calling him eduardo.’

‘Marvelous.’

Kaeya flops onto his old, seafoam green sofa as Princess joins him while he turns on the TV. Sure, he should have more enriching hobbies than watching trashy television after a long day of work, but Kaeya looks at the overstuffed bookshelf near his wall and scrunches his nose. Maybe another day, he’ll summon up the strength to hold open a book and skim the pages.

He drags his hand down his face, but he’ll have afternoons off from now on, meaning more time to spend with Princess and do whatever he wants, instead of late nights entertaining whatever guest comes to the host club until ass-o-clock in the morning. He’s still in a group chat with his old coworkers— Mona, Thoma, and Kokomi. They’ve been lamenting his loss ever since he got bought out.

‘ DOES HE LIKE GIRLS WITH BLUE HAIR ALSO ’ Mona texts him somewhat desperately. ‘ IF SO TELL HIM ANOTHER BLUE HAIRED BEAUTY WOULD LIKE TO BE BAILED OUT OF DEBT ’

‘ I think he only has eyes for me ;)’

“damn it’

He’ll set his phone to the side, not wanting to be glued to it as his back slides down the sofa and he twists so that he’s pressed against the cushions with Princess on his chest.

Tartaglia is… friendly! There is that! He’s a nice guy who earnestly wants to talk to him about his pet, rather than text him half-nude selfies and ask what he’s wearing right now. Maybe that’s later down the line. Gods help him if so, Kaeya will laugh him right out of his messages.

Kaeya stares at his apartment ceiling, still feeling this sense of unease that permeates from a consistent feeling of ‘not being good enough’ and ‘everything good turns out rotten, actually’. It happened with the Ragnvindrs, arguably the best thing that ever happened to Kaeya. It could happen with the strange ginger, too.

He sighs.

If only there were a way to see his future, to see if he’s wasting his time and he’s setting himself up for more failure. If he’ll inevitably say the wrong thing (again) and fulfill his destiny as ‘guy who ruins every relationship he has’. Besides, Tartaglia could be a Patrick Bateman. Kaeya could be outrunning him with a chainsaw, one day.

…

Nah, Tartaglia doesn’t have that kind of…

…

Well, he does sort of have that glassy stare, but his words are otherwise too heartfelt.

Kaeya realizes he hasn’t eaten since this morning, and he should probably put the groceries Tartaglia bought him to good use.

He gives a short swear when he realizes he doesn’t have any pasta.

Chapter Text

It’s tough, deciding what to wear to the beach.

On one hand, he paid a lot of money in order to have the privilege of being shirtless in public. On the other hand, Kaeya still has a bit of cooked-in self-consciousness about having his chest on full display— partial display is fine, and in fact, the standard for Kaeya Alberich, but fully tits out? It still doesn’t feel like the most natural thing in the world.

On the other hand— Tartaglia doesn’t know. Maybe he should go shirtless just to clue him in a little. Gods, what if he asks about them?

… He’ll tell him he got the scars from The War and if he doesn’t pick up on it after that, Kaeya will make it a little more clear and direct.

As he puts on a lace cardigan and braids his hair, his phone buzzes.

Momentarily wondering if it’s Tartaglia, he picks it up and sees a familiar line of text from none other than his own brother.

🦉: Haven’t heard from you in a bit… heard you quit your job at the host club and you’re working at Favonius Brews?

Kaeya leaves him on read. It is already bad enough that Diluc knew that he worked there, of all places, but why does he already know about his new job?

There’s this… spite, there.

It’s like an infected wound that doesn’t clear up no matter how many antibiotics you take and how many desperate attempts are made to change the bandages. The last time Kaeya and Diluc talked (like, really talked), Diluc had this judgy expression on, hearing Kaeya was working in a host club, and Kaeya just couldn’t. He’d hoped and prayed he would understand. He didn’t want sympathy or anything like that, he just— selfishly, wanted him to understand that he was doing his best in a tough situation.

Diluc didn’t know he was in debt for college, and then after that, in debt to the club, he just judged. Kaeya knows, on some level, if he had gone to Diluc and told him the truth, he would have waved his hands and made everything go away.

… but the spite.

The desire to make it on his own, without the Ragnvindr money.

The wish to be able to mend things between them while simultaneously proving he could do it without them. It’s a conflicting, messy thing that Kaeya doesn’t know how to fix. Diluc hurt him— earnestly. Kaeya was betrayed, and Diluc likely felt the same way.

But by the gods, do they miss one another. Kaeya misses his brother, his best friend, someone he could be playfully mean to without checking himself. Someone he could be himself around, but he finally found it. The dotted line that you do not cross.

He thought he knew it before.

He didn’t.

Spite is a very sorry feeling, it’s born of hurt, even when the best revenge is living a better life. But… Kaeya just misses his family. He misses the winery, misses Diluc, misses their father. Maybe swallowing his pride and telling Diluc what really happened would have made everything better, but Kaeya would rather choke on his pride.

He’s independent, now. Free. In a way, it frees him from the expectations of failure; to have someone like Diluc expect to catch him when he falls is to anticipate him falling in the first place. He’s already taken enough from the Ragnvindrs, anyway.

He glances at the clock. It’s 1:45.

Time for a date.

Diluc waits for a response.

Waits, and waits. He sees the little ‘read’ icon pop up.

He waits a little while longer.

Predictably, no response.

He sighs.

It is only recently that Diluc learned that his brother was in debt to some shady people who owned a host club, and suddenly, it made sense that Kaeya would work there of all places. He was trapped, it was not meant to be a long-term job until his boss made it one. Of course, the very first thing Diluc did was act. If money was what was keeping Kaeya under someone else’s thumb, he has a duty to help him in the one place he easily can.

Only to find out a Fatui businessman had bought out Kaeya’s debt.

Kaeya, why would you throw yourself from the frying pan straight into the fire?

Maybe because Diluc fucked up so badly that Kaeya’s trust in him is utterly broken. Maybe he pushed him away so much that bitter words are now a barrier between them. Maybe Kaeya saw his contemplative expression when they last spoke and thought he saw something else in it.

Diluc Ragnvindr is not known for being the world’s most expressive man, after all.

Kaeya had walked away, snapping about ‘If you’re just going to judge me for where I work, then we don’t need to have this conversation’, but he wasn’t. He was trying to figure out why Kaeya would work there in the first place, because he knows his brother well and knows he would prefer literally any job to that one.

A job of fantasy, of faked closeness when he’s always known his brother to be shy with relationships… wouldn’t that be like nails on a chalkboard to him? His brother is a graceful liar, but he doesn’t particularly enjoy the role he slots so well into.

…

It’s frustrating.

He looked into the Fatuus who bought him out, and it’s some scrappy upstart that recently made Harbinger. ‘Scrappy’ might be Diluc’s distaste talking, though, the man is far from it.

He wanted to tell Kaeya that if he needed to pay him back, Diluc would foot the bill, but Kaeya would take that as an insult over anything else. A ‘you can’t expect me to handle my own problems?’ Sort of thing.

If Diluc could, he would write the Fatuus a 2,500,00 mora check to fuck off forever.

It wouldn’t work— he has no idea that Tartaglia is already head over heels in love with his brother. But damn it, he’d try.

Ajax waits, in his incredibly cool, not lame at all, teal-orange octopus swim trunks by the famous ice cream stand where he said he’d meet Kaeya.

He’s so nervous.

What if he doesn’t show up? A more ignoble man might not, but Ajax isn’t left thinking about that question for very long before he sees the world’s most gorgeous man walk towards him, in slow motion. Blue hair braided over his shoulder, a calla lily tucked behind his ear. Blue swimtrunks, and a lacy cardigan saved only for his excursions to the beach. The cry of the seagulls fades into the background, as does the voice of the guy next to him who is ordering a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone. For a moment, all he sees is Kaeya.

Ajax can, will, should, and must explode.

Kaeya takes note of his expression.

He almost… can’t decipher it.

“Tartaglia?”

Ajax never told him his real name.

“H— yeah! Hey, glad you could make it!” It takes an astronomical, cataclysmic amount of power for Ajax to put on his charismatic work face and voice. He realizes his choice of words is… odd? Of course he made it, Ajax paid 2,500,000 mora for this particular meeting. He just went so hard on businessman autopilot that those were the first words out of his mouth.

Kaeya chuckles, as if he doesn’t really mind it— that, or his judgment is reserved for the neon nightmare that Ajax is wearing right now.

“Nice trunks.” He chuckles a little, getting in line for the ice cream stand, and Ajax instinctively gets out his wallet.

“Huh? Yeah— I … sixty thousand mora.”

“What?”

“They were sixty thousand mora.”

“Why?” Kaeya asks, as if questioning their very existence.

“I— thought they were only 6,000, but I misread. I was a little drunk on firewater at the time—” Trying to steel his nerves for his date while he tried shopping for the perfect swim trunks a few nights ago, the alcohol both impaired his judgment for picking out the perfect pair and seeing the correct price, apparently.

Charming!

Kaeya wonders if this is a flex, or if he’s ashamed of that. Putting on his suave host voice, Kaeya pats his back and laughs a little.

“Well, they’re…” He pauses. “Neon.”

“I know.”

“And… fitting?” Kaeya asks with a tilt of his head. Ajax breathes a sigh of relief.

“I’m Ajax, by the way.” He says, instead of squawking out his own name like a pokémon like he very nearly did. “No need to call me by my work name.”

“Oh,” Kaeya says, a mysterious glance his way. “You trust me?”

“It’d be pretty weird if I didn’t, yeah—?”

“Fair enough. I trusted you with my real name, after all.”

He’ll step forward and ask for a raspberry sorbet on a cone while Ajax gets an orange flavored one. Kaeya will walk alongside him on the pier, side-eyeing his way a bit. This guy is… understandably, a bit dorky. His thick Snezhnayan accent really comes through on some words, and he kind of likes that. He’s not sure about how he feels about the swim trunks, but if they were an alcoholic mistake, Kaeya gets it. He’s had a few drunk orders from Kirarazon show up at his doorstep.

“So, Ajax,” Kaeya begins, licking a bit of his sorbet off the top of the cone. “You move here recently?”

“Was a member of the Fatui main branch back home— sent to help manage this one.” He responds, feeling a bit relieved that Kaeya shifted the tone of the conversation towards one geared to getting to know one another. “Did you… find a new job, like you said?”

“Mmhm. Favonius Brews, though it’ll probably be an in-between job until I find something with my degree.”

“What degree…?”

“Communications.”

“Interesting…! Ah, by the way, Kaeya—”

“Yeah?”

“Mind if we take a picture together…?”

Kaeya snickers lightly. “I’m not a celebrity, you know.”

“I like having pictures of memories— things to look back on while I’m having fun. If you don’t want to, that’s okay.”

“No,” Kaeya shrugs a little, choosing a spot with good lighting on the pier. “It’s fine.”

Ajax gets out his phone from his pocket, lifting it up to snap a picture of the two of them, putting on his brightest smile while Kaeya wears a more subdued one—

When.

Kaeya, looking thoroughly ruffled, gasps… brushing himself down as he catches his breath from the surprise attack.

… Ajax offers him his orange cone, wordlessly. An apology for not acting like a tough date and physically bodying that bird out of there.

… … Kaeya, for some reason, accepts it.

They’re sitting on the beach, Ajax quietly watching all the people having fun and playing, while Kaeya enjoys his orange sorbet. Kaeya notices that Ajax is starting to become slightly redder in the sunlight, so wordlessly, he gets out sunscreen he bought for the occasion and has Ajax turn his back to him.

“Wha—”

“I figured a guy who lives on his own wouldn’t have someone to put sunscreen on his back.” Kaeya uncaps the bottle and squirts some of the jelly blue sunscreen onto his palm. “Stay still. I don’t know if you’re burnt enough for this to sting a little.”

Oh no, he’s burnt back there—? But the soothing touch of the sunscreen against his skin is… man, there’s nothing like it. On top of that, it’s not just anyone’s hands lavishing sunscreen on his back— it’s Kaeya. He can feel how gentle his fingertips are, how firm but deep his touch is. Ajax is… melting into a puddle under the warmth of the sun and Kaeya’s hands.

“Man, that feels nice…” The words escape Ajax’s lips before he can catch them, but Kaeya doesn’t seem to take them the wrong way.

“Mmhm. I got this sunscreen specifically for the palest skin.” He’ll rub it down his arms, next, and Kaeya— somewhat subtly, feels along the muscle of his arms. Ajax is toned, fit— a strong form and stronger muscles. Kaeya knows he’s on a date with the guy to see if they’ll be compatible for the future, so… he’s weighing his options and whether or not he would like to be twisted into a pretzel by these arms someday.

… it wouldn’t be so bad, but he wonders if he has any technique.

Feeling a bit playful, Kaeya pats his shoulder, earning a soft yelp from Ajax. He can’t have him feeling too comfy around him just yet, after all.

“We really put this sunscreen on you a little too late, huh… ?” Kaeya teases.

“You should have showed me the bottle before we came down here…”

“I was too busy being attacked by birds.”

“Ah— yeah.”

Ajax sighs, turning towards Kaeya.

“So— tell me about yourself. Where’re you from? Mondstadt, judging by the accent?”

“Y— yeah, grew up there.” Kaeya wonders if he can spin this around towards Ajax, somehow. “And you grew up in Snezhnaya, right?”

“Yup. Big fishing family— Got six siblings,” Ajax says with a huff of pride. “I’m right in the middle as number four.”

“Really…? What was it like?”

“It was a lot of sharing, fighting, arguing, helping. Everyone pulled their weight.” He’ll pause, not wanting to get onto the subject of parents, but siblings are okay. “I have the cutest three little siblings— and I try to bring home gifts every holiday and birthday, so they’re spoiled rotten now.”

“Aw,” Kaeya coos softly. “I— have a brother.”

“Really? What’s he like…?”

Kaeya suddenly regrets bringing him up at all.

“We… fell out a while back. Our dad died, and things got messy.”

Ajax frowns a little at that— to him, family can be complicated, yeah… though it’s a shame not to be on good terms with your siblings. Parents, he can understand. Siblings should always try to look out for one another, though.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry, it’s not your fault.” Kaeya smiles slightly. Ugh, he’s opening up around this guy more than he wants to.

“Want to walk along the beach…?” Ajax suggests.

“… Sure.”

Kaeya will stand up, put the sunscreen back in his bag and throw away the wrapper for the ice cream cone in the nearest bin. He and Ajax walk along the shorelines, Kaeya occasionally pausing with him to collect seashells. Ajax tells him of his favorite kind, a starconch, while Kaeya talks about how he grew up collecting shells, but he tries not to do it anymore. Good for the ocean to throw them back.

“… Ah, I don’t think the ocean will miss a few seashells. It’s like a gift to the people on land, don’t you think?”

The way Ajax talks about the sea, he seems to reference it as a living, breathing thing— because to him, it is. It’s what gave his little fishing village sustenance, made the winters crueler or easier, its temperament made trips on their little boat either safe travels or dangerous.

For the first time, the whole day, Kaeya finds himself a bit endeared. He’s always had a little poetic side to himself as well.

Ajax offers to drive him home once the sun sets. Thankfully, Ajax’s sunburn never progressed past a healthy pink thanks to Kaeya’s intervention, so even though it stings just a bit, and the slaps on the back from his coworkers will be hellish to endure, Ajax is grateful.

He drives him to the apartment where Kaeya lives, noting that it’s… not such a great place. He clicks his tongue. That won’t do.

“Can I walk you inside…?”

Kaeya nods. “Sure.”

He uses his key on the front door, walking up the steps to the second floor where his door is. Already, paws are scratching on the door and Princess’ soft ‘mowww mowww’ noise can be heard. Ajax chuckles, and presses his luck.

“Can I say hi to her Majesty? She’s really cute.”

Ajax won’t go into the apartment, but he would really like to pet that cat. Kaeya laughs a bit, nodding as he opens the door and picks up Princess so Ajax can pet her.

His touch is gentle, sweetly scratching her behind the ear and whispering ‘hi, cutie!’ as his hand moves underneath her chin.

“I—” He begins, feeling a bit awkward. “Date number two sometime soon?”

“Mmhm. I’ll let you know my schedule. Text me?”

Ajax feels his heart swell, but it hits him that this is their final date unless he’s seriously impressive. He failed to protect him from a seagull attack today, so their next date, he better pull out all the stops. Maybe ask his coworkers for some advice— some of them are married, right?

Ajax isn’t exactly surrounded by friends— he tends to make them all over, and he realizes that he should let Kaeya get back to his apartment. Feeling a bit sad he has to do so, he’ll take his hand back from Princess, who catches his wrist in her paws.

“Aww,” Kaeya says, a soft chuckle. “She doesn’t usually do that.”

For some reason, that’s the compliment that Ajax will be riding the high of all night. He already gets the impression that the way to Kaeya’s heart is through little moments like this.

With that, he’ll bid him farewell, head down the steps, and hear the door shut behind him. With a happy sigh and date #1 behind him, he’d better spend every waking moment thinking about how to make the second one perfect.

Chapter Text

“— And he’s beautiful , and—”

“Is that all he is?”

Ajax, immediately , is stunned silent by Arlecchino’s response as she doesn’t even look at him, instead scrolling on her phone, checking her texts. He was just in the middle of describing Kaeya to her, and she just smacks him in the face with that . He tries to drum up what he knows about Kaeya, only to realize he knows basically nothing.

“He,” Ajax begins, and adds somewhat thoughtfully, “Likes cats.”

“Him and half the population. Tell me, what do you really know about him?”

It takes Ajax a minute to think of something, and that minute is stretched out ad infinitum as he snaps his fingers trying to remember things from their date. “He has a bad relationship with his brother!”

“Riveting.”

“He doesn’t like it when birds swoop down on him, also.”

“Tartaglia, are you done.”

Arlecchino is one of the higher ranking Harbingers, and as such, her time is money. She doesn’t have the time to be babysitting an upstart that recently made Harbinger as he talks about his not-boyfriend, she’s in Teyvat City for a reason . Ajax realizes he’s been chatting up his coworker about something that she both doesn’t care about and doesn’t want to help with.

“Y- yeah, I’m done.”

Ugh, he looks like a kicked puppy when he says it like that… rolling her eyes, she locks her phone.

“I would suggest you learn more about him before committing to him.” She tucks her phone back into her coat pocket, her heels clicking against the floor as she walks away. It’s good advice, advice that Ajax should really be taking. It’s not good to build someone up in your head to be something they’re not, after all.

Even so, Ajax has never felt this way about someone before, so he desperately wants it to work out… he should think of big questions to ask Kaeya about himself on their next (possibly final , if he screws it up) date.

Just as he starts to walk away from the water cooler, he bumps into a girl with seemingly no presence at all— a girl with fair brown hair and her hair pulled back into a bun. He knows this girl— she’s Arlecchino’s adoptive daughter. Nepotism does get you far within the Fatui, after all.

“Sorry… ” Ajax says, turning to leave, but Lynette stops him before he goes.

“You were looking to impress someone…?” She asks, tentatively. He pauses, wondering what advice she might have to offer, if any.

“Yeah. A guy I like,” He responds, curiosity in his tone. He’s usually much more open with the coworkers on his level, wanting to maintain an air of authority with everyone else— though that typically means he doesn’t have many friends within the Fatui’s ranks. “I met him at a host club— bought him out of debt from the place, but I don’t know him all too well, as you… probably heard.”

“Oh…” She begins, resting her knuckle against her chin in thought. “… Why don’t you try a grand gesture?”

“… Huh?”

“A grand gesture. My brother is always reading about them in his romance novels, a gesture that shows your affection that you can manage— maybe he’ll open up to you then? He’ll know how serious you are about him, at least.”

… Ajax isn’t sure if that’s the best idea. He might stick that one in his pocket for later, though. “Thanks… I’ll give it some thought. By the way—”

“Yes?”

“How’d you conceal your presence like that? I didn’t even notice you.”

“Being out of sight and out of mind is what I’m paid to do.” She answers simply, and that frankly raises more questions than it answers them. “Maybe also try showing some interest in his friends… it’ll help you in the long run.”

That advice seems better than the grand gesture, so Ajax will file it away. He’ll pause for a moment, before he realizes he’s being given the time of day by someone who will hear him out about this sort of thing, as opposed to his fellow harbinger’s opinions.

“So like—” He begins, walking with her down the various walls of cubicles, the sound of ringing phones and tapping keys all around them. “He’s a little bit aloof, a bit distant— he’s… kind of hard for me to read, but I can tell he’s got a good heart. You can tell a lot about someone just by how they treat animals, after all.”

“What exactly are you looking to learn about him…?” Lynette asks, with a slight tilt of her head.

“Anything that would gain his trust…?”

“Hmm. That typically comes after you volunteer information, though. He needs to know more about you in order to trust you, after all.”

“So… talk about myself?”

“Think of it this way,” She responds, dropping off some papers at someone’s desk without them even noticing her at first. “If you make it all about him, he’ll think you’re prying for information, and he’ll guard it more closely. You’ll catch more flies with honey, or however the saying goes.”

Ajax doesn’t think there’s too much about himself that would interest Kaeya, but… he’ll look for an opening to talk about it, if Lynette is so sure it will work.

He’ll bid her farewell, getting out his phone and texting Kaeya a few things before he heads back to his office.

🦊: Hey Kaeya…?

🦊: I was wondering if you’d have time to talk.

🦊: Nothing serious, of course!

🦊: I just want to get to know you better.

…

He doesn’t get a response, before he realizes he’s at work. They’re both at work, and Ajax should also be working if he wants to keep his rank. With a sigh, he’ll plop down into his chair and rub his forehead…

What does he know about Kaeya Alberich?

Well… unless there’s an artful story behind the scars on his chest, he’s likely trans— which Ajax has no problem with, and doesn’t intend on bringing up. He has a bad relationship with his brother… and he likes cats. He’s got a touch of sass to him, and seems rather playful… wow, Ajax really does know nothing. He went full thinking-with-his-dick-and-heart and not his goddamn brain .

Even so, it’s hard to regret helping him the way he did.

He could tell Kaeya was desperate for an escape, but… Ajax could be getting played right now. It’s funny that it occurs to him now of all times. Or maybe, more accurately, he played himself. Maybe he should just count saving him from that Host Club as a good deed and expect nothing more from it.

… There is a part of Ajax that’s truly selfish, though, and hopes that it will go somewhere. He just hopes that his instincts didn’t lead him astray about Kaeya Alberich, and that his gut was right.

… the same gut that made him throw up at the sight of him.

… … he’s doomed.

Kaeya handles the morning rush of a coffee shop with a certain grace.

He works well under pressure, and frankly, this is far easier than entertaining people at the Host Club. He has to work fast, but all you do is measure and mix. As long as he holds onto that fact, he can handle any seven-pumps-of-caramel, five-pumps-vanilla, almond-milk-or-I’ll-die order that comes his way.

Even so, after a few hours of working, he’s glad to hang up his apron and go home. He’s still looking for a more suitable job— something in the private sector, something that will pay well and actually make his degree worth something.

He made himself a drink on the way out, a sweet but not too sweet latte that he tips to his lips as he checks his phone— ah, a text from Ajax. And… he’s already launching into ‘we need to talk’ language? Kaeya feels a bit of dread hit his stomach— he wants to learn more about Kaeya…? What is there to say?

(A lot. So much it could fill an encyclopedia, annotated with a glossary of terms at the back.)

He’ll walk to his apartment as he texts him back.

🦚 : Trust me when I say there’s not much to learn.

🦚: Adopted into a rich family, dad died, bad terms with my brother, got a useless degree and now I live here.

🦚: Why the sudden interest?

Kaeya asks that, knowing that the sudden interest isn’t so sudden— Ajax wants to date him, after all, and Kaeya is hesitant on letting anyone into his life. Even to the tune of two million and a half mora. Ajax likely came to the conclusion that Kaeya’s been mulling over for the past week: they know nothing about one another.

He gets home before he gets a call from Ajax, startling him. He rarely hears his phone ring, after all. As he sits down on the sofa, he holds it to his ear while swiping the green answer button.

“Hello…?”

“Hey— um, just got off work.” Ajax sucks in a breath, knowing that what he’s about to ask is against the rules. “I was wondering if you wanted to go to the grocery store with me?”

“…” Kaeya pauses. “As a date?”

“N— okay, yeah, it’s cheating to call it a date, huh…?” He laughs a little. “I want to take you on a proper date next time, with all the bells and whistles, but I’d also like to make you dinner, if you’ll let me…? Please, let me take you on date 1.5 rather than just the second.”

Kaeya pauses, before he stands up and walks over to his refrigerator. There’s hardly anything inside, unless he feels like eating a kale salad with absolutely zero dressing.

“Date 1.5 sounds fine,” He relents.

“Good! I’ll be there soon.”

Kaeya tries telling himself it’s just so that he’ll eat well, but part of it is also born of curiosity. Maybe the Fatuus can actually cook— and maybe, he’ll divulge more about himself in the process.

Only one way to find out.

“Hmm… What are you feeling tonight? I can make food from all over.”

They walk through the aisles of the bougie grocery store together, Kaeya trying to consult his stomach on what he wants to eat, but all he gets as an answer is a slight nervousness that churns his gut.

“Maybe beef…?” Kaeya suggests. “Something meaty.”

Ajax will get a few steaks from the meat section and set them down in the cart, not even blinking at the fact that he picked the most expensive ones. Kaeya wonders if he’s trying to impress, or if he naturally just goes for the best ingredients.

“So,” Kaeya begins, walking alongside his cart. “You.. wanted to know more about me?”

“… maybe I phrased it wrong,” Ajax says, picking out a few fresh vegetables to go into the cart. “I… wanted to talk to you about me.”

“What about?”

“…” He’ll weigh the bundles of asparagus in his hands, as if trying to figure out which one has more heft to it. “I realized you know nothing about me, so— is it okay if I talk for a bit?”

“Sure.”

Ajax will walk with him through the aisles of groceries, stopping to get some fresh potatoes to mash.

“I’m actually from a poor fishing family. Morepesok, on the coast of Snezhnaya.”

“Ah, yeah. You said you had six siblings.”

Ajax smiles a little at that, glad that Kaeya remembered. “Mmhm. That’s right. As a kid, I was a bit of a troublemaker… but I had really rough teenage years. My parents sent me to a boarding school, and— from there, I could either join the military or join the Fatui.”

Kaeya listens quietly… a problem child, maybe?

“Doesn’t take a genius to figure out which you chose.” Kaeya murmurs, stopping at the ice cream section to pick something out for them. Some vanilla ice cream sandwiches sound pretty good…

“Haha, yeah…” Ajax laughs, leaning on the cart in front of him with crossed arms. “I don’t have the best relationship with my parents— my siblings, absolutely I do. So… I guess I relate to things being strained in your family, too.”

Kaeya pauses, wondering if he should really reveal this as they walk to the checkout.

“… Do you know the Ragnvindr family? The one that owns Dawn Winery?”

“Hmm? Yeah, doesn’t everyone? Most famous family in Mondstadt.”

“I was the second son. Adopted into the family.”

Ajax pauses, wincing a bit at that. Ah… so he went from riches and a promised easy life to… working in a host club. No wonder he doesn’t trust easily— if you fall out with a family like that, it would have to take a pretty big schism to want to turn your back on them. After a moment, he wonders if he should ask what separated them.

“And not anymore, huh?”

“Nope,” Kaeya hums, not volunteering any more information than that, though he adds, “I know the Fatui tried to acquire Dawn Winery. Know anything about that?”

“Not really— that was before my time as Harbinger.”

“Hmm…” Kaeya will start putting things onto the checkout conveyor, content to let Ajax pay for it all. He’s the one who invited him out, after all. “In any case— my brother’s a bit hard to talk to, these days.”

“I can imagine…”

Kaeya pauses as Ajax walks forward to scan his card. That’s a lot more information than he intended to volunteer, as paltry as it was. Maybe Ajax talking about himself made the avenue a bit easier to open up. He could have just— lied, he could have said anything he wanted. But he didn’t.

Weird.

They go to Ajax’s apartment after, in the good neighborhoods, in the best apartment building. His building overlooks the ocean, and the floor-to-ceiling windows probably provide the best alarm clock one could ask for in the form of the sun rising over the horizon.

Kaeya grimaces a bit the moment he sees his furniture.

All gray. Minimalist in nature. On top of that, the gray furniture is decorated with various Snezhnayan-style quilts and things from his home, but the rest of the apartment is stark as hell, feeling empty and quiet. The only place inside that feels homey is the kitchen, which clearly sees a lot of use.

Ajax puts the plastic bags on the counter, and Kaeya sits on the stool by the kitchen island as he watches him work.

He chops the asparagus, drenches it in seasoning and oil before he puts it in a glass pan and roasts them in the oven. He cooks the steaks to perfection, he heats and mashes the potatoes, he makes a sauce with wine that smells so good and Kaeya’s stomach is actually growling, but not to the point where it distracts him.

“Why me?” Kaeya asks as Ajax smashes the potatoes like they owe him money.

“Huh?”

“Why’d you single me out and buy me out of the host club? There were cuter guys and girls there. Kokomi, for example.”

None as cute as you, Ajax thinks to himself, but instead of saying anything, he just smiles a bit.

“I have a bad habit of listening to my heart.”

Kaeya wrinkles his nose. That was… a bit corny. Ajax quickly picks up on that, and elaborates.

“I-I mean— I just saw you at the grocery store and… talked to you at the host club, and…” He sighs, setting down the bowl of potatoes to mix in a bit of cream. “I couldn’t leave it alone. I know you don’t feel the same way—” He wants to add ‘yet’, but doesn’t. “But I couldn’t ignore myself, and my own instincts… that’s a little weird, huh?”

“A little. We don’t even know each other.”

Ajax’s smile turns a bit sad. “I would like to.”

Kaeya pauses at that, standing up to help him prepare the rest of the food.

“… Adelinde taught me a little bit about cooking.” He says, plating their food as soon as the steaks are done. “Not a lot stuck, but I learned the basics of survival from her. I wish I could thank her for everything she taught me, but I don’t know if I’ll ever show my face at the winery again.”

“… Adelinde?”

“The head maid. We grew up in practically opposite situations, after all,” And Kaeya’s subtle volunteer of information is everything to Ajax. “You started out poor and became rich— I started out rich and became poor. A prince and a pauper.”

Wow… Kaeya grew up with maids? It really is a polar opposite life they have— but… Ajax feels certain warmth from that, from the idea that Kaeya is sharing more about himself with him as they walk to the living room and sit down on the sofa, Ajax turning on the Great Fontanian Bake-Off on TV while they eat, rather than sitting at the dinner table.

He watches Kaeya’s reaction to his food carefully, desperate to add another point in his favor. Kaeya cuts into the steak, and…

Even Ajax can see how the star in his eye lights up at the flavor, how he immediately goes to the side dishes to see if they’re just as good. Ajax feels relief wash over him, his heart calming down as he cuts into his own food. It really did turn out great, but good company always enhances the flavor.

“S’good,” Kaeya says between bites. “I wonder why you’re a Harbinger and not a chef.”

“… I only cook for those I care about,” Ajax says, and decides to lay his intentions bare, “Or those I want to impress, of course.”

Kaeya’s expression turns from hesitant to playful as he talks— no wonder he invited him out. Cheating the rules , sure, but with a meal like this? He hardly minds. 

“Hmm… I wonder if you succeeded,” He responds, a light, mysterious air to his tone.

“…” Ajax gets just a bit cocky with him. “I doubt you would be enjoying the food as much as you are if I didn’t.”

“Touche.”

With that, they sit back, watching the TV as they eat the fruits of Ajax’s labor, a home cooked meal and idle conversation. Kaeya thinks he’s starting to understand Ajax, and Ajax— well, he’s got a little bit of an idea as to what makes Kaeya tick.

… he still has a ways to go, though.

Chapter Text

It’s a dalmatian.

Ajax knows what dalmatians are like— they’re energetic and need to be trained well in order to thrive in households, they need to be exercised regularly (they are, after all, the kind of dog bred to run alongside fire trucks), they’re a little snippy with people they don’t trust, they’re a bit demanding to teach— but once you do, you won’t have a more loyal dog.

He stands in front of the small townhouse with the puppy chained outside of it, a sign clearly written by a child that says ‘free to good home’. Dalmatians are expensive. He knows that much, too— an iconic designer breed made popular by a few movies, but that means they get adopted often by well-meaning families that don’t know what they’re getting into. It doesn’t take a genius to guess that this puppy is such a problem for the family that they would offer it up to a stranger.

There’s even a note written by the mother of the family taped to the sign, saying that the dog is a bit of a headache, bites, and if they don’t get rid of him, they’ll have to put him down. Unusual, considering that they want to be rid of it, but he supposes they have to disclose it in order for it not to be a liabilty.

…

He kneels, unhooking the pup’s collar from the chain and petting its face. He sees a child peek their head outside of the doorway. A pause stretches out between them.

“Are you taking Buster?”

“… Is it okay if I do?” Ajax asks, tilting his head at the girl.

“Dad says we can’t keep him.” The girl clearly looks depressed about this, but what could a child do? They have no agency to change their parents’ mind about a beloved family pet— no, more angering than that, it’s a puppy. Looks to be only four or five months. Barely given a chance to thrive in his own house.

“… I’ll take good care of him,” Ajax tells her, his expression softening a bit, offering a kind smile. “He’ll be one spoiled mutt. Do you want me to keep the name ‘Buster’?”

“…” The girl nods. Ajax is offering her that choice as a kindness; he imagines she doesn’t get to choose much in that household.

“Well, Buster and I are going home, then.” He’ll take the puppy in his arms, beginning to walk away, when the girl closes the door for a moment and runs back out with a leash. Her eyes are shiny with tears, but she clearly wants him to have it.

He’ll take the leash and hook it into Buster’s collar, setting him down so the two of them can walk side by side, thanking her for it. He promises her he’ll take the best care of her puppy, and maybe someday, he’ll come by this street again to show her.

It only dawns on him later how silly, and how impulsive the action was later.

However silly and impulsive it may be, though… Ajax isn’t the type to leave well enough alone.

He’s got a puppy now, which means he needs puppy food and puppy toys and puppy everything— a vet visit, too. Also, the note wasn’t lying when they said Buster was a biter. The puppy has been playfully gnawing on his hand ever since he got on the subway— but not hard enough or with enough intent for him to bleed.

It’s a surprise who he meets there.

When the train pulls to a stop, the sliding doors open and none other than Kaeya Alberich steps off the platform and into the train, spots Ajax with a dalmatian puppy beside him, and gawks.

Ajax gives him an awkward smile he knows is awkward, like being caught with his hand in the shredded cheese bag in the fridge, except his hand is currently being bit by a puppy.

Kaeya will sit across from him, looking at the dalmatian puppy with chocolate brown spots before he looks at Ajax…

…

Yeah, this is weird.

“Are you… babysitting?” Kaeya asks, a bit surprised to say the least.

“Ah— nope. He’s my puppy.”

“…” He can tell that the dog is a recent development— Ajax didn’t have one when he went to his place last time, after all. “Are you… sure?”

“Sure that he’s mine? Yeah.”

“No, I mean—” Kaeya huffs. “You’re a businessman. Pretty high ranking, too. Do you even have time for a puppy?”

…

In truth, Ajax hadn’t considered it. It was in the back of his mind, thinking that he could have one of the interns watch his dog whenever he wasn’t busy— man, should he take a few days off to work on training Buster, then…? Is he going to be one of those people who brings their dog to work and lets them sleep under his desk…?

(He doesn’t know it yet, but he is.)

“I’ll make time.”

Something about his situation, something about a puppy being thrown out for simply being a puppy— Ajax couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t just walk by… but now he has an unending responsibility on his hand for the next twelve to fourteen years. He made that commitment decision in a blink of an eye— it’s no wonder this man falls in love at first sight, he does pretty much everything on impulse.

“… Do you have a vet picked out yet?” Kaeya looks down, getting out his phone. He seems to understand what Ajax did right away, scrolling to Princess’ vet on his contact list.

“No, I was going to look after I went to the pet store—”

Kaeya will press the ‘call’ button and hold the phone to his ear, staring at the puppy in Ajax’s lap… before he reaches out with his hand and lets him sniff it before he gives him a pet. Huh, Kaeya seems pretty good with animals, Ajax thinks to himself. It’s a moment or two of sniffing before Buster allows Kaeya to pet him without trying to gnaw on his hand, and Kaeya gives a light laugh as he pats the top of his head. There’s a cute, satisfying flop to his ears as he does, and Ajax feels his heart skip a beat.

(If his heart continues to do unusual things around Kaeya, he might need to book a doctor’s visit— skipping beats and stopping altogether can’t be good for him.)

“Hi, do you have an opening today? For a walk-in? … A friend of mine needs to get his puppy looked at.” Kaeya will listen, and with a pause, ask if Ajax knows anything about the pup’s medical history.

“…”

He does not.

… Many of his problems right now could have been solved by knocking on the door of the townhouse and asking more about the pup, it seems.

Kaeya sighs a bit, asking the vet about what immunizations they’ll need at this age, when they can get in— and secures a walk-in appointment for later that day. Kaeya will get up from the seat across from him and sit next to Ajax as he checks out the puppy, gently urging him to put him on his lap.

“…”

“…”

Ajax watches as Kaeya checks out the puppy, and oddly, Buster goes along with it, not complaining even a little as Kaeya moves him around. He must know well how to handle animals— or at least dogs and cats.

“No visible illness… still wouldn’t hurt to get him tested, but I doubt he’d have anything bad if he was living a comfortable life until now.” He’ll pause, noting that Ajax is staring at him. “What? I was going to be a vet for a while there. I know a thing or two about house pets.”

“What made you switch?”

“Couldn’t stand the idea of putting animals down all day. I’d probably go insane with the amount of people who would rather get rid of their pets than cough up two hundred dollars to treat or train them, too…” Kaeya looks at Buster somewhat sadly, knowing he falls into that category. As much as he wants to tease Ajax about stopping to pick up a puppy on the side of the road, he would be sorely tempted himself.

Kaeya nudges Ajax into standing up, putting Buster back in his arms as he leads him off the train at a stop that is definitely not his stop. It turns out, down the street is the veterinarian that Kaeya recommended.

Ajax wants to ask him what he’s doing, exactly— why he’s helping him, but Kaeya could so easily turn that question onto him that he knows better than to ask for the Uno reversal card before it smacks him in the face. They sit in the waiting room, to their right, a family with a tabby cat in a cast, a gigantic black laborador to their left, and someone with a little parakeet that’s obviously stressed from being in a waiting room with its natural predator, despite that predator hardly being able to walk.

The man that calls them into the back is a short man with dusty brown hair— Inazuman, with a nametag that says Gorou pinned to his chest. He’ll bring the three of them back, and Ajax will set Buster up on the exam table.

As they go back and forth with the doctor, explaining his situation and how he got here, Gorou will note everything— the pup’s age (four and a half months), what immunizations he’ll need (he tells them that even if this is the second round of immunizations, puppies get frequent boosters through their childhood anyway, so another dose won’t hurt him), and how best to care for him. Gorou is not ashamed to upsell Ajax on the fancy pet food they have in the front of the clinic, and Ajax gladly buys a few bags, along with several other little things— heedless of the fact that he’ll have to carry all of it home.

But— Kaeya won’t let him do it alone, so that’s a relief.

As they walk out of there with a few bags underneath Ajax’s arm and Kaeya carrying his new puppy, Kaeya will point across the street to a little mom-and-pop pet shop.

“If you want to spoil your new son, now’s your chance.”

“Will you help me carry it home … ?” Ajax asks, a light, teasing lilt to his voice. Kaeya gives a defeated, yet amused little ‘hm’.

“In for a penny, out for a pound,” He says with a shrug, jaywalking with him across the street to hurry over to the other side.

The first thing Ajax gets him is a cute collar with whales decorating it.

(“Why whales?” “I’unno, I like them.” “He’s a dog, not a whale.” “Obviously, a dog would be redundant. Do you wear clothes with other humans on them?” “… Band shirts, Ajax, along with many others—” “Ah.”)

The second thing he gets him is a toy he let Buster pick out himself by lowering him in front of the bin of stuffed animals and letting him snap one up with his jaw, like a little crane game.

(“… Aww, you’re letting him pick out his own toy? … Looks fragile, he’ll destroy that thing in a week.” “I destroyed my toys too, when I was a kid.” “Like father, like son.”)

The third thing will be a set of dishes and a tray to put them in, along with everything else a puppy will need. Kaeya watches as Ajax spends an absurd amount on a dog that was free, arms crossed, but Kaeya always did have a weakness for people who take care of animals. He grew up with horses, was raised to train them himself and clean the stables as an act of responsibility. His mare, Celeste, still lives at Dawn Winery… though more accurately, she’s probably Diluc’s horse now.

He sighs… he wishes you could keep a horse in a dingy apartment. Bringing Celeste with him would almost be worth setting foot in Dawn Winery again. The most his apartment can handle at the moment is one Princess.

The two will walk out of the store, Kaeya holding onto his puppy while Ajax carries all of the bags.

“We should head to the dog park… he might need to use it, and it would be good to get some food in him, too.” Kaeya pauses, considering the fact that they live in the city... “Hope you’re ready to clean up after a dog for the next decade.”

“The dog park is near my apartment,” Ajax says as he remembers— right. He’s going to be getting up in the middle of the night, running his dog to the dog park just so he can pee— god, that’s going to be a nightmare in winter. “Let me drop off my stuff and I’ll meet you there? You can take Buster there first.”

Kaeya is already walking away with his dog, cooing at it in his arms.

“Sure, sure—”

… damn it all, the dog has more of Kaeya’s attention than Ajax does. Even so, Kaeya’s doing him a favor, so he’ll head to his apartment to drop off everything before changing out of his work clothes and heading to the park.

Ajax is not the most jealous person, he’s reasonable by nature. He is, however, a touch possessive of things he likes that he wants to keep as his.

So when he heads out to the park and sees another man talking to Kaeya, he pauses. A friend? He has no reason to assume the guy is flirting with Kaeya until he overhears him trying to ask him out as he draws nearer… saying he has a cute dog and wouldn’t mind getting to know the owner.

Ajax slows down, but Kaeya shuts the man down almost immediately.

“Sorry, no thank you. I’m taken.”

…?

In fact, Kaeya gets up and walks over to Ajax, tucking his hand into his arm and smiling brightly at the man. “We just adopted this puppy together, as a matter of fact… so you’ll have to forgive me.”

The man gives an awkward excuse and leaves them alone for now, and Kaeya lets go of Ajax’s arm. The two walk over to the nearby bench, and Ajax wants to ask if that ‘I’m taken’ is a temporary dating license granted to Ajax before their second date, or if he just wanted that guy to leave him alone. Ajax knows, in his heart, that it was the latter.

“Did you bring treats?” Kaeya holds out his hand.

“The milk bones? Yeah.” Kaeya texted him before he left his apartment to bring them, and Kaeya will take the bag and immediately, Buster goes wild for the sound and smell. Kaeya will tell him to sit, but predictably, Buster only gets on his hind legs and stretches his body out as far as it can for the treats. Kaeya holds them just out of reach.

“Sit.”

Buster responds with a bark.

Kaeya sighs, then urges the puppy to get on his paws again, and carefully— he’ll close the treat in his fist and move it around his head in a counter-clockwise motion, and as Buster turns his head towards the treats, he’ll involuntarily sit.

“Good boy.” Kaeya opens his palm and lets Buster catch the treat.

“…? He didn’t understand, though— he just sat on accident.” Ajax tilts his head at the dog, wondering if that’s all tricks are— accidents that are rewarded and repeated.

“Of course he doesn’t know what the verbal cue is yet, no one taught him,” Kaeya insists, repeating the trick as Buster sits a little more readily. “You just have to do that several times and reward the behavior when he does it and wait when he doesn’t. The psychology of training dogs essentially boils down to that— with a few caveats, here and there.”

… Ajax wonders if Kaeya has used the same kind of psychology on humans, and better yet, if it’s worked.

In any case, Kaeya will repeat the trick a few times until he thinks Buster has had enough treats. “If you want, I can help you train him.”

Ajax blinks.

“Why…?”

Isn’t this still the beginning of their relationship? Kaeya doesn’t owe Ajax anything, why is he offering to help? Does he feel like he owes Ajax something, if not his time? … At the same time, Ajax is hard pressed to refuse, given that he wasn’t the one to train his family dogs— they were his father’s or older brothers.

“Because I like Buster, and you’re a friend. Do I need another reason?”

Ajax will pause at that… and some people would bristle a lot at ‘friend’. They would think Kaeya is drawing a line in the sand, but Ajax doesn’t see it that way. As much as he strongly feels for Kaeya, the truth is, they weren’t even friends before this. A friend is a step up, a step in the right direction. You cannot date someone before you’re their friend, after all— not unless a very strange dynamic is involved.

“No, that’s— I mean, yeah! You can help me train him.” Ajax does know some things about dogs, considering his family owned them, but they weren’t his dogs and they certainly didn’t like playing with him. As Buster flops onto the grass by his feet, his brown eyes look up at Ajax pleadingly, as if he’ll give him more bones so long as he gives the most baleful expression.

Kaeya sighs, and strokes Buster’s back, making the dog’s tail wag like a fast-paced metronome. “Guess we’ll be seeing another a lot more often, hm?”

…

Ajax, suddenly, gets it.

Kaeya is the type to invite people into his life like he’s bound by the rules of the fae. Using distraction and misdirection to allow people in, saying one thing and meaning another. Insisting on helping train his dog doesn’t mean he just wants to train his dog, he wants to talk to Ajax while he does it, too. He would not offer if Ajax wasn’t the goal— Kaeya is not so altrustic that he would help train the mutt of a person he didn’t like.

Ajax gets it.

Not only is the word ‘friend’ a step up, so is the offer he just gave, but Ajax has to meet him halfway.

“I guess so.”

“I was talking to Buster.”

Ajax playfully elbows him, a slight charming edge to his voice. “Seeing him means seeing me, doesn’t it?”

“… I guess. Don’t let it get to your head.”

Ajax laughs, a soft, pleasing chuckle. He looks at Kaeya with eyes slightly creased, suddenly feeling a lot more comfortable around him, considering how his presence often leaves him breathless.

“I’ll try not to.”

Chapter Text

At first, he thinks it will be a normal day of work. Clock in, make coffee, clock out with a stolen pastry or two. What Kaeya wasn’t anticipating though, was Diluc.

His brother stands at the counter, talking about… something, Kaeya doesn’t know what and doesn't want to stick around to find out. If he had only paid attention, he would have known that the chain was recently acquired by the Ragnvindr family, and that means— his brother owns the store he works at. And before Kaeya can walk out, Diluc walks over to catch his wrist, frowning a bit.

“Kaeya.”

“Diluc… did you seriously drop by just to bother me at work?”

“…” Diluc goes tense at that, and Kaeya can feel it in his grip. The use of the word bother is rather telling, all things considered, but he refuses to let Kaeya walk out of his life again. He’s let him take the easy way out too many times.

“I heard about how you quit your old job,” He responds, his voice measured and even. “About the Fatui who—”

“Did I ask you to pry into my life?” Kaeya snaps back, taking his hand back with a frown. “That’s rather creepy, bro. I don’t recall telling you about that.”

It’s just how Kaeya gets a rise from him… Diluc knows this, yet his patience is being tested.

“… Do you need to pay him back?” Diluc asks, and Kaeya grits his teeth. Diluc, you don’t just get to rush into his life to be a savior when what you said and did to Kaeya, was—

“No, I don’t. He and I are dating now.”

It’s a lie, but it’s one that stops Diluc in his tracks. Kaeya regrets the words as soon as they leave his lips, but he doesn’t take them back. Diluc has always suspected their father’s death was tied to the Fatui, so for Kaeya to admit that so openly… and this is how the brothers work, how they compound little slights against one another until the whole thing is just unmanageable. Diluc still suspects something, but he’s too upset to follow through on it.

“…”

“…”

The silence is so tense that Albedo wants to kick them both out, but Diluc owns the store and Kaeya works there, so he can’t. Kaeya glares at Diluc.

“What are you doing here…?” He asks, finally. It’s an accusation with less barbs than earlier, but it’s still a bit hostile.

“… Just was checking in on you, but clearly you have everything sorted out.” Just as hostile back. This is how it always goes, a song and dance that always bears repeating. To think he’d come here to check on Kaeya, to make sure he was okay… only for this. Only for Kaeya to say he’s dating a harbinger. It’s ridiculous. The lengths Kaeya will go to to spite his brother is absurd.

Kaeya would argue that it isn’t about spite. Diluc will have to learn to respect his decisions one way or another, and like it or not, Tartaglia is part of his life now. However, the open wound, which was just beginning to scab, has now been pried open once more, and Kaeya goes behind the counter to put on his apron. He wears his best customer service smile as he looks at Diluc but doesn’t really see him.

“Can I get you anything to drink, sir?”

Diluc leaves.

Kaeya spends the day in relative dissonance, even going so far as to mess up a customer’s order. He apologizes profusely, and the customer is actually pretty chill about it for once. It’s here that Kaeya confesses to himself that he has many friends, but not many close ones. Jean is all the way back in Mondstadt, so he can’t easily confide in her, as nice as it would be to have a night out with her.

By the time his shift is over, he realizes the one and only person he’d like to talk to is… Ajax himself… here they have this little gamble, this little wager over whether Ajax will win his heart by the end of the second date, and Kaeya’s already tempted to break the rules and just— go for it.

Surely texting is okay, right…? He sends a message to Ajax while he cleans up after his shift, asking if he’d like to… he doesn’t know, go see a movie. He doesn’t get an answer right away, but sure enough—

🦊: YSE

🦊: YESS*

🦊: YES

🦊: i mean haha what do you want to see?

Kaeya pauses… there’s probably superhero movie schlock playing right now, right? There’s always one… but now they’re all part of some interconnected universe and you can’t just go to see one and turn off your brain, and Kaeya’s pretty sure he hasn’t seen the last five.

🦚: how about Pirates of the Primordial Sea? Always had a thing for pirates.

🦊: sounds great! what theater you wanna meet at?

🦚: Meadowview sound good?

🦊: meadowview it is. looks like there’s a 7 pm showtime, is that too soon?

🦚: no it’s perfect. See you then.

Kaeya sighs with a light smile at Ajax’s eagerness… seems the guy really wanted to go out with Kaeya (yet again) before their second date. And here Kaeya is, indulging him instead of adhering to the rules he himself imposed.

…

Maybe this is, just… dating. The very notion of it makes Kaeya freeze up. He stares at his phone like its glow is the headlights and he’s the deer.

Oh no.

Ajax is one of those kinds of dog owners.

The kind who brings his dog to work whenever he isn’t able to find a dog-sitter. The kind who doesn’t like leaving him alone in a crate for eight hours of the day. The kind who pays good money to his neighbor to look after his puppy while he’s at work. The kind who, also, is moving to an apartment lower in his building so getting to the dog park isn’t as much of an issue of waiting for an elevator.

So when Kaeya texts him out of nowhere to go to the movies, he looks at Buster with a little frown, like— ‘I don’t think they’ll let me call you a service puppy, buddy’… it looks like he’ll be bothering his neighbor for a favor again. By this point, the neighbor feels like she has partial custody… but she’ll oblige. Ajax pays well, after all.

He hurries back to his apartment, washing his hair and combing it and pulling on a casual band shirt and pair of jeans. He needs to look good… Ajax still is in a constant state of wanting to impress, after all. That first day when they met— where Kaeya was the most beautiful, most tired person he’d ever seen— has Ajax trying to be the one strutting like a peacock, now, attracting a mate like he’s in the wild.

… though something dawns on him, just then.

Can Kaeya really claim to like him if all Ajax does is try to impress him? That tactic wins everyone over eventually, after all, but rarely does it keep them. Maybe he should… try to be himself, rather than the thing he thinks Kaeya would like the most. Hell, he’s not even sure he knows what Kaeya would like the most, given how unreadable the man is most days.

… he’ll try to be himself at the movie theater. Just to see how it goes— see what Kaeya likes and doesn’t. If Kaeya gives him a look that screams ‘ick’, he might have to give up on this, even though he desperately doesn’t want to.

It’s so hard to see someone for who they are, when you have an image of them already in your head, after all.

Kaeya waits outside the old theater with arms crossed, having headed there right after he'd texted Ajax. Sure, it meant he was waiting for a long time, but he didn’t want to go home… home is the place where deeper thoughts dwell, for better or worse, and when you have company, you tend not to think of them. He sees Ajax’s car pull up in the parking lot, and he sighs in relief. Between an encounter with Diluc and what’s going on in his own head, he’s relieved that Ajax will be a distraction… even if Ajax might be part of the problem.

“Hey…!” Ajax’s voice calls out as he jogs from the parking lot to the theater’s entrance— “I didn’t keep you waiting, did I?”

Kaeya chuckles, wearing a smile that doesn’t quite reach his face, and Ajax picks up on it rather fast.

“No, not at all. Let’s go inside.”

The two of them head to the ticket booth as Kaeya orders two and picks out their seats— it seems like there’s no one else watching this showing. This movie has been in theaters for a month, after all. Everyone who wanted to see it has seen it… so it will be just him and Kaeya, alone in the theater… he’ll do his best not to get distracted by any uncanny thoughts, though.

“You feeling okay?”

“Hm? Yeah, why?”

“Well, you wanted to go out with me.”

“Yes.”

“On another date before our ‘second’ one.”

“Yes…?”

“Why?”

Kaeya chuckles a little, “Because we’re… because I like you, Ajax. Nothing deeper to it than that.”

It felt like he was about to say ‘because we’re friends’ and thought better of it, instead opting to go for something a little more intimate. That thought does make Ajax pretty happy…

“… oh.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Kaeya asks with an airy smile, walking up to the concession stand.

“N- no! Not at all, I’m just… surprised, I guess?” He asks, picking up a box of those sour rope candies.

“Why?”

“Because…” Ajax says, with a slight sigh, though in truth, he’s not disappointed or anything like that. “I thought this would be a grand game where I did some elaborate thing to win your attention or catch your eye— I didn’t assume I would be enough.”

“First of all,” Kaeya says, picking out a box of sno caps, “A grand gesture would give me the creeps. Second, why don’t you think you’re enough?”

“Because you’re so… so much.”

“…? You think I’m beautiful, you mean?” He asks as Ajax pays for their snacks. 

“… you are, but it’s more than that. You helped me with my puppy… you walked with me along the beach, you cooked dinner with me… Sure, the original feelings were there because you were gorgeous, but… I like the rest of what I’ve seen, too.”

Kaeya’s brows furrow as their tickets get torn and they walk into the theater… Ajax is a good judge of character, he knows this— you don’t get as far as he has without some instinct of what you like in a person. If Kaeya were offputting, he has no doubt that Ajax would have detected that by now. But… has what Ajax seen, been enough? He hasn’t seen his ugly side— this side of him that’s a little mean, a little catty.

But at the same time, you don’t just willingly show someone that side, you let it come out whenever it rears its head because you can’t control it at times.

As they take their seats in the empty theater, Kaeya has Ajax sit down first.

Then, Kaeya sits in his lap.

He feels the man bristle and stammer behind him, and at first, Kaeya thinks he’s going to joke with him, say he was playing a little prank and then stand up— but Ajax’s chest feels far more comfortable than the back of the chair, and his lap more comfortable than the seat of it. So he settles, gets comfortable, waits for Ajax to tell him to get off, but he doesn’t. Eventually, those strong arms settle around his waist. Kaeya opens up the box of sno caps and pours a couple into his hand, popping one in his mouth and holding up the other over his shoulder so that Ajax tries it.

“… n- never had that before.”

He’s unsure if he means the candy or someone sitting in his lap. Kaeya decides it must mean both.

The movie plays out in front of them, a story of a ship sailing an ethereal sea. Kaeya is rather comfortable, finishing off his box of candy and feeding Ajax his halfway through the movie. Kaeya moves to get up to stretch, sits back down, and… notices something poking into his thighs that he hadn’t noticed before, probably because his weight was entirely on it before it filled in—

… he snickers a little, and feels the heat of Ajax’s shame hot on the cheeks that press into his shoulder.

“… Can you blame me? It’s— you’re— stand up, it’ll go down and—”

“No, I’m comfortable.”

“Kaeya…” Ajax whines.

“Do you really want me to move…?” Kaeya asks sincerely, and Ajax falters for a moment.

“Not really…”

“That’s what I thought.”

… ah, so this is the kind of relentless bullying that Kaeya is capable of. He doesn’t make a big deal out of the fact that he managed to get Ajax hard just by sitting on his lap, but he does poke a little fun at him. Just the barest hint of being playfully mean. It doesn’t escape Kaeya’s notice that even though Ajax is painfully aroused, his hands didn’t wander, nor did he try to flirt his way out of the situation or perhaps deeper into it. He just… let Kaeya be comfortable without making a big deal out of anything, and some of that was probably because Ajax didn’t want to draw attention to it, sure, but—

… it’s a lot of self restraint for his comfort, and then cutely complaining about it when Kaeya teases him a little.

If affection were a meter and this were a video game, you could see Kaeya’s raising by several points. He’s always liked a guy you could trust implicitly not to behave like a dog.

Kaeya decides by the time the credits roll that his bullying has served its purpose and gets off of him, and Ajax exhales as he does so. He’s so glad there’s no one else in the theater, and it takes him a few minutes to let his body calm down, but sure enough, it does.

“So mean…” Ajax pouts, and Kaeya flashes him a grin.

“You signed up for Kaeya Alberich, that means you signed up for a little bit of that.”

A direct consequence of having a crush on Kaeya is being teased about it— it’s how Kaeya deflects from himself, most of the time… this time was a little different, though. Kaeya was teasing him out of fondness, not deflection. If it were anyone else, he would be a bit disgusted underneath all that bullying…

… but because it was Ajax, he knew what he was doing.

Kaeya invites Ajax into his apartment by the end of the evening. They went out for coffee after the movie, and Kaeya confessed he’d like to chill with him for just a little while more. Texting his neighbor that he would be late and he’ll pay double for the trouble, Ajax steps inside his apartment and wow.

Wow.

It is small.

And ugly!

So… so ugly. From the seafoam green little sofa to the black and white kitchen tile to the crack in the window— it’s obvious that this place isn’t entirely well cared for, though most of that is on the fault of the landlord. Kaeya keeps it clean, but it’s clear he doesn’t have much of a decorator’s sense. Entirely gifted in fashion, not so much in affording fancy furniture that all matches.

Princess trots over to him with a soft purr, weaving between Ajax’s legs and apparently not caring that he smells like dog, just a little bit. He asks permission to pick her up, and Kaeya nods— and then, he proceeds to hold her like a baby, cooing soft Snezhnayan pet names at her while she paws at his face.

Kaeya gets out a bottle of wine from the kitchen cabinet and pours them both a glass after he turns on his unimpressive-looking television and Ajax ignores the distinct urge to be a sugar-daddy and try to get him a better apartment. Kaeya lives here, he obviously likes living here, he shouldn’t interfere… he takes the glass of wine after setting down Princess and sips from it. At the very least, if Kaeya can’t afford a good apartment, he can at least afford the good stuff when it comes to wine— it’s very delicious.

“Hey. Kaeya?”

“Yes?” Kaeya glances back at him, curious as he tips back the wine.

“Are we ever going to have that second date…? … The one where you decide if you want to keep me or not?”

Kaeya hesitates with his answer, not wanting to commit one way or another to it just yet. He’ll walk over to Ajax with a curious expression…

“Do you want to?”

“…?”

“Or… do you want to put it off indefinitely, and just… hang out around each other?” Kaeya suggests. “Get to know one another. You know… like normal people do.”

“… yeah,” Ajax falters a bit, but he finds even ground with his voice soon enough. He realizes what Kaeya is asking— he wants the final date to be the next stepping stone in their relationship, not an impossible assessment of someone’s full personality within two days. “Yeah— I’d like that.”

“Good.”

“… could you answer another question for me?” Ajax asks again, hesitantly.

“Sure, go for it.”

“Why’d you invite me up to your apartment tonight?”

Kaeya swirls his glass of wine, staring into the reflection with a light sigh.

“… I would like your company, that’s all. Not— sexually. Not strictly. Just… it’s nice being around you. I’m starting to realize that.”

Somehow, that’s the best compliment of the entire day. 

The most meaningful one.

Even if tonight is nothing more than cuddling on that ugly sofa in front of that dim TV, Ajax can go to bed completely satisfied with that.

Chapter Text

Some time passes.

It is the dead of night, and Kaeya Alberich, is… thinking of Ajax.

His legs shift in the sheets, dragging across their soft surface. His hands come up to hug the pillow underneath his head.

With a little sigh, he scoops up Princess into his arms and walks her to the living room, setting her down before he goes back into his bedroom and shuts the door. She paws and complains at said door for a few minutes before giving up and curling up on the couch.

Kaeya gets back in bed, and since he went to all the trouble of kicking Princess out for a little bit, surely he should get this show on the road, right? He closes his eyes and thinks of various… things, but his mind is always drawn back to Ajax. He thinks of him in those garish swim trunks, but he thinks about what is above the waist before he thinks about what’s beneath them. A muscular torso, strong arms, a cute face dusted in freckles. Kaeya works himself up to the main event, first thinking of what it would be like to rest his cheek against that chest. It’s probably firm… and he probably smells of that typical dude-shampoo smell that practically all of them smell like.

He wishes he wasn’t as into that as he is.

With a disappointed-in-himself groan, he slips his hand beneath the comforter and toys with the hem of his pajama pants. Ajax is typical in many ways and different in the most important ways. His icon on social media is of him holding a big fish. He dresses sharp except when he shops drunk, he supposes. He’s a family man. He doesn’t hold too many grudges, even against the people who hurt him most. He’s… cute. He can cook. He stares a bit too hard into his reflection when he sees someone who’s suffered like he has.

What would it have been like if Kaeya simply fell into his arms…?

For some reason, that is the fantasy of tonight. Of… surrender, if only in Kaeya’s dreams.

He’d be in a much nicer apartment, but he’s not here to set the scene. He’s here to think of Ajax’s lips on his throat as he whispers too-sweet praises and looks at him with those empty, lovesick eyes. He thinks about his slightly crooked canines and the indent they’d leave on his chest when Ajax bites gently into his pliable skin. He thinks about those hands finding his hips and staying on them, reluctant to let go, even though he has many other places he wishes to touch.

Kaeya’s hand finally slips beneath the waistband of his pants. He trails over coarse hair to rub circles against himself, his breathing becoming a bit more intense.

He thinks of Ajax begging, no, pleading to eat him out, like he’s a starving man that’s nevertheless very picky, and it’s the only food he could stomach. Fantasy-Kaeya toys with the idea of letting him, eventually caving in and Ajax throws back the blankets they’re under to scoot downward and shimmy his slender pants and underwear off his hips like he’s unwrapping a present on his birthday.

Ajax doesn’t even wait for permission in his fantasy, mostly because it’s a fantasy, and he just goes for it— pressing a kiss to his clit and teasing it with his tongue before he draws his tongue up his folds— oh, Kaeya’s hand is working faster now, it seems, picking up the pace to match Ajax’s in his daydream. His hand slides down to tease at his hole, trying to imagine Ajax’s size from stolen glances at the front of his pants and the incident at the theater (big, he’s big and Kaeya knows this) before he pushes at his forehead in his fantasy and asks him to back up and give him what he came for.

Ajax pulls himself up, wiping at his lips with the back of his hand in a sexy yet careless way, Kaeya’s juices staining it while he lines up his hips with his and pushes down the front of his pants. He taps his length over the top of his cunt and playfully measures, murmuring something like ‘think I’ll be able to fit that all in there?’ or something equally cocky and fun—

Kaeya cums the moment he envisions him pushing his length inside— and he’s a little disappointed with himself for it, too. Normally, when he has fantasies like this, he at least lasts until someone cums inside of him. He draws his hand out of the blankets with a frustrated moan, fingertips shiny and mind thoroughly clouded.

…

He should call Ajax… after he has a particularly long shower.

🦚: Ajax?

🦚: Hey, so, strange question… would you like to come over?

🦊: huh? it’s 11 PM

🦚: I know. Is your answer no?

🦊: … no… it’s not. but is something wrong?

🦊: don’t tell me this is this a ‘we need to talk’ situation :(

🦚: Ideally some talking would happen, but I doubt it’d be the kind you’d complain about.

🦊: hmm… why don’t you come over here? i don’t have someone to watch buster and cats can be left alone for an evening right?

🦚: Yeah, makes sense… I’ll be over soon, okay?

🦊: gotcha. need me to pick you up?

🦚: No, I can get there. Thanks.

🦊: text me when you’re at the door so i can buzz you in. see you soon!

Kaeya waffles for several minutes over whether to bring a box of condoms in his bag. Surely a grown man has his own, right? But it never hurts to be safe… he’ll fill Princess’ bowl with food so that she doesn’t go hungry over the course of the night, he did all the necessary pre-sex maintenance just in case it really does go there… it’s been a long time since he’s slept with someone, so… might as well look his best, with an outfit and makeup that’s almost too much preening for this peacock. 

…

On some level, he knows Ajax would probably be content with Kaeya even if he looked fresh out of bed in the morning, but still! Good impressions are everything.

He calls a ride and locks his apartment door, letting the taxi take him to the apartment building Ajax calls home.

He hears the scuttling around of someone busily cleaning their house when he approaches his door, and Kaeya bites back a little laugh of amusement when he hears Ajax’s ‘oh!’ on the sound of his knock. 

“You got up here fast—” Ajax says as he opens the door, a significantly older puppy beside him. Kaeya looks at Buster with an approving smile— he isn’t trying to bark his head off at the sound of a visitor this time. Progress.

“Yeah, well, I really wanted to see you.” Kaeya answers mysteriously, looking around— his new apartment looks more lived in than the last, slightly smaller but more home-y with the dog bed and toys on the floor. He moved to a lower level so the dog park would be closer to get to, right? … It’s the same building, after all—

“… can I ask why?” It’s not hard to hear the hope in his voice, and it’s endearing. Kaeya would guess that Ajax isn’t really sure what he’s hoping for— just that he’s hoping for it. Kaeya will pat Buster’s head and sit on the sofa, motioning for Ajax to follow. Like he’s more of a puppy than the literal dog present, he does.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Of all the stupid times to get embarrassed, it’s the one where he’s making a god damn booty call—

“Kaeya…?” Ajax asks, a little unsure now, like the hope in the room is growing thin.

“Would you sleep with me?” Kaeya manages to get it out, and Ajax… stares.

“… huh?”

“Sex, Ajax.”

“No, I… I got that… I…” Ajax sucks in a breath through his teeth, as if willing certain parts of his body not to get too excited. “I think you know my answer, but I’m also… kind of curious. What brought this on?”

“… had a daydream about you,” Kaeya answers in a rare, honest fashion. “I simply wanted to see if you lived up to it.”

“So it’s … casual?”

“… insofar as few labels being attached, yes, but I’m not ignorant of how you feel about me, nor do I want to use you to sate some urge. I just… craved you, a little, that’s all. It’s just something we can do if we both want it, I suppose.”

Kaeya’s words are the biggest boost to Ajax’s ego in his life. The man of his dreams fantasized about him. Craved him. And is telling him he wants to sleep with him. There is some small part of Ajax that wants to start a little debate about it, an ‘if you’re not using me, what is this, then?’ debate. The ‘does that mean we’re dating’ debate. The side of Ajax’s brain that’s both horny and uncaring of how he’s used wins by a landslide.

“I want it,” He answers eventually. Cogs are turning in his head— sex is an expression of love, for the most part. Maybe this will be the kind of dance where he can show rather than tell— demonstrate how he feels for Kaeya, rather than simply say it and hope he believes him.

He’ll lead Buster to the crate he rarely uses for him, stuffed with a dog bed and treats and chew toys. He’ll let him out again after they’re… done.

Ajax will lead him to his bedroom, and his hands hover for a moment, wondering if he has permission to rest them on Kaeya’s waist, but Kaeya seems to understand. He takes his hand and plants it firmly on his hip.

“You can touch me as you please until I change my mind.” Kaeya says. “So get bold and creative with it.”

Ajax chuckles a little… his hand sliding up and down his waist, and honestly? He’ll be bold, just as Kaeya asks. He leans in and steals their first kiss.

Ajax tastes of peach.

Kaeya can’t tell if it’s peach candy or peach as in the fruit, but he finds himself getting backed up against the wall as Ajax drinks hungrily from his lips. It seems like Kaeya’s permission did something to his brain, because he starts to act and move in ways that Kaeya can easily read as the same as a hungry mutt finally being given permission to eat. His lips, just as Kaeya imagined, are on his neck in no time. Soft grunts as he selfishly works a hickie into his neck— Kaeya feels heat begin to pool in his lower abdomen again. They’re really doing this, aren’t they…? Things will be different… but different is okay.

— and then Ajax hefts him over his shoulder.

Kaeya learns really quickly that in Snezhnaya, they play a bit rough, as he’s carried to the bed and planted down on top of it, the space above him immediately occupied by Ajax. Little kisses trail down him, starting at his jaw and leading down his throat and to his collarbone. Kaeya’s open-window shirt is pulled downward to hook beneath his chest, and man— his tits are magnificent, Ajax thinks. Even with top surgery, it was clearly done with the intent to leave him with a bit of a masculine curve out of preference.

He can’t resist— one hand gently pinching one of his buds, he buries his face in his chest as he has no doubt yearned to do since the second time they met. Kaeya heaves a soft breath at that— gods, he’s so affectionate… he’s probably drowning in it, since he’s craved it for so long. To encourage him, Kaeya lifts one leg and puts it around his waist, drawing him in closer to his heat. Ajax’s thin flannel pajama pants do not hide much from him, pressing that close. He can feel Kaeya’s intimate warmth from this proximity…

… and man, does he love it.

“… how do you want me?” Ajax asks— no, it would be more accurate to say that the question is asked with a playful rumbling, a certain roughness that comes from the throat.

“However you’ve wanted me. Skip to the main course or play with your food, I don’t mind either way.”

As if considering his options, Ajax hovers over him for a moment. A divine meal in front of him, and all he can think about is— worship. You give prayers before you eat your food, after all, and so, Ajax will kiss all over his body. He’ll start with the chest, giving his buds little kitten licks just to be playful before he kisses down his arms, down his legs as he slides his pants off his hips, paying him the reverence he deserves in each measured kiss.

It’s almost like speaking to Kaeya in another language.

Kaeya is someone who knows he straddles the line between the most desirable thing on earth and simultaneously someone you’d never want to get involved with. He’s sneaky, he lies if it’s easier for him to deal with, he’s not really the best at close relationships— hell, the closest one he ever had with his family went to hell as soon as they lost one of them— but here Ajax is, pledging with his lips and hands that he wants this. That he does not care what kind of red flag that Kaeya is— he’s signing up for him regardless.

Or maybe, Ajax knows.

And that’s why he’s paying him so much worship, because someone who was loved and loved well would not have been working off a debt to a host club, and Ajax wants Kaeya to just give him that chance, and oh god, that’s so fucking scary.

He bristles, but he doesn’t want to get up. He’s afraid of disappointing Ajax with what he is rather than what Ajax thinks he is, but the two are closer than Kaeya thinks.

“Kaeya,” Ajax’s voice is raspy, soft. “… Don’t be afraid to use me.”

…

Huh?

“Money, sex, I don’t care,” Ajax professes, pressing one last kiss to his ankle before he brings himself up. “That’s been my whole life. I’ve never loved anyone or anything, but you are like— this aggressive lightswitch in my brain. I see you and the chemicals that I never get from anything else come flooding out. You’re like the right perscription… or maybe, you’re just a drug, but I don’t care what you are, and I simultaneously don’t care what I am to you, so long as I have this...”

There’s light in Ajax’s eyes that isn’t typically there, a rose-tinted glass that has fully accepted what Kaeya is to him; and Kaeya… almost—

Gets it.

And he’s jealous and sad all at once.

Jealous that he could make someone feel this way, and sad that Ajax has never had love like that before. Something like pity pricks his heart, like a needle managing to poke through a solid dam of feelings he resists letting himself feel. That needle stirs up his heart, and he pulls Ajax in for a kiss.

He doesn’t know if it’s really just pity.

He doesn’t know if Ajax really knows what he is asking for… and if Kaeya were a vile person, this kind of thing would be rife for abuse… but… Kaeya does not see an opportunity, he only feels… something, as Ajax smashes their lips together in a greedy, desperate kiss. He’s never been unconditionally wanted. Not once, in his entire life, there was always a catch.

Kaeya falls back against the bed and pulls Ajax with him, and Ajax’s hand goes to the undersides of his thighs and pushes them apart. Kaeya is pent up and needy and Ajax is simply starving at this point— to take him is a pleasure he won’t pass up. He doesn’t follow the cues of Kaeya’s fantasy; instead of measuring his length on his abdomen, he takes the time to stretch him out and finger him. Instead of being cocky and fun, he looks genuinely lovesick, pressing the head of his cock inside of him with a delighted hiss. The intrusion is more than welcome, especially with the stretching beforehand.

Ajax’s eyes don’t leave his face.

They don’t tilt downward to look at his bouncing chest or glance where their bodies are joined. They don’t move anywhere but the stars in Kaeya’s eyes, as if trying to search them out for himself. Kaeya has never been so full in his life, never felt like there was such a perfect fit between his legs. Sorry, exes— you’ve been outclassed instantly.

And though Kaeya’s gaze occasionally shifts between his thighs, they mostly stay locked on Ajax as well, even if it makes him feel a bit self conscious and have to glance away, but Ajax will cup his cheek and guide him back to his attention.

“… Kaeya… my Kaeya…” He murmurs, and Kaeya feels him picking up speed. With a soft grunt, Kaeya bites his lower lip as his second orgasm of the evening crashes over him— not quite as fast as cumming right when he’s entered, but still faster than any other partner has ever been able to do for him.

Ajax’s hips slap into his, each measured thrust and motion drawing his hips back has them connected by trails of fluid, dripping onto the blankets beneath them. It takes Ajax a few more thrusts before he stills his hips against his, a grunt as his eyes squeeze briefly shut and he floods his womb with his seed, painting it in ropes of white.

He sighs, slicking his hair back as he comes down from his high, looking at Kaeya with a loving expression— he pulls out in short order, cleaning him up with a careful touch. Kaeya stares at the ceiling as he comes down from this, realizing he’s not satisfied, not yet— and when Ajax comes back from the bathroom with a warm, wet towel, he pulls him into another kiss that he isn’t sure of the meaning of.

… complicated.

Things are definitely complicated, now.

Kaeya’s hands itch as he wants to tell Ajax he would never use him, but… would he not? Ajax is so content with the idea. Can he really promise him that he won’t cave into the instinct someday?

(He wouldn’t, but he doubts himself. Doubts his goodness, doubts the innocence of his own soul.)

The fact that Ajax doesn’t care about that… bothers him. Is Kaeya really enough? Is what he is enough for someone as sweet as Ajax, love at first sight or not?

… what a mess.

Yet, Kaeya will not pull himself from his arms, content to let himself rest on his chest, just as he imagined.

He does smell like the typical masculine shampoo and bar soap, after all, but Kaeya remembers that he tasted of peach, too.

Chapter Text

Kaeya, laying on Ajax’s chest, is forgetting something.

…

…

…

Oh fuck.

The immediate launching of himself out of bed to gather up his clothes and hurriedly put them on does not escape Ajax’s notice. The sunlight casts brightly over Ajax’s bed, and Buster, who was allowed to sleep at the foot once they were finished and cleaned up, lifts his head towards Kaeya, cutely tilting it to one side. 

“What are you doing…?” Ajax blinks, wondering if Kaeya forgot work or something similar… he did call him late at night, after all—

“Plan B.”

“Pl… wha…?”

“I need to get Plan B from the pharmacy.”

The cogs in Ajax’s head start turning at a rapid pace at that, throwing the blankets off himself and immediately fretting.

“Wait— you can get—”

“Pregnant? Yeah, absolutely, T doesn’t stop the production of eggs—” Kaeya is throwing on his jacket and lacing up his boots, trying not to imagine the bun that could potentially be in his oven.

“… wait… I thought trans guys—”

“… You thought what.”

“I thought you had surgery, to— you know—”

In the next apartment over, one of Ajax’s neighbors immediately drops their fine porcelain teapot when they hear the gutteral yell of “YOU THOUGHT I WAS SPAYED?!”

“No! No! I didn’t! I thought there was, er—”

Kaeya does not have time to humor his ignorance; he barely has enough time to put on his boots properly. Every ticking second is another moment that his dumbass ginger seed can take root, so Kaeya hurries out of his bedroom while Ajax puts on clothes and chases after him, his dog barking hot on his heels. Kaeya realizes, with a groan, that he didn’t bring his wallet with him— why would he? Ajax is his wallet whenever they hang out— so he waits for Ajax to catch up.

“Will you pay for—”

“Yes. Obviously,” Ajax says, his face burning bright red at the thought of accidentally getting Kaeya pregnant, and also the fact that he messed up mentally what bottom surgery is so, so badly—

“Good, let’s go.”

Kaeya opens the door after putting his bag on his shoulders, realizing with bitter irony that he did put the condoms in there, after all. Of all the stupid things to forget… he knows it’s not all on Ajax, but it makes him feel better to blame him for now. 

When they buy the pill from the pharmacy window in the back of the store, Kaeya does not waste time.

He cracks open that box, tearing it open with both hands and gets out the little foil container that holds it, pops it open, and puts it in his mouth. He gets a water bottle from the nearby refrigerator aisle and downs it without paying for it yet. Ajax is honestly impressed at the speed and efficiency here, to the point where he’s still putting away his credit card after it got swiped for the Plan B.

“I’ll buy the water,” Ajax offers, and Kaeya wipes his mouth after handing it to him. Nothing to do but let the medicine do its stuff… he sighs. He knows that this is both their fault’s— probably his own more than Ajax’s, Ajax was just dumb and misinformed. Kaeya literally brought condoms and forgot to use them, so…

“Sorry.” Kaeya says with a light frown, still wanting to be mad at Ajax, but…

“I’m— the one who’s sorry, I really should have thought to ask you first.” Ajax’s hand goes to the back of his neck, rubbing it a little. “I was just kind of caught up in it… and I didn’t know.”

“… We should pick up pregnancy tests while we’re here,” Kaeya says. “And hang onto them.”

“… yeah…” Honestly, Ajax doesn’t know how soon they’ll need to use them, so he’s keeping his mouth shut about that and just going to the correct aisle with Kaeya. Man, this morning, he intended to ask Kaeya if he could call him his boyfriend, but that plan is long gone by now. Standing awkwardly beside Kaeya, he watches as he picks out several different brands of pregnancy tests and unlocks his phone to check reviews on them, eventually settling on three of the most reputable ones. Ajax buys them without complaint.

… it’ll probably be a few weeks before the tests will bear usable results, so Ajax is going to be on the edge of his seat at work the entire time… did he fuck this up? Permanently? He looks to Kaeya as they walk back to his place, opening and closing his mouth like a fish on land while he tries to choose his words.

“I’m not mad, Ajax.” Kaeya eventually says.

“… says the most stressed Kaeya I’ve ever seen,” Ajax quips back, though he pauses for a moment before he says anything that would piss Kaeya off further. “… I’m sorry, for what it’s worth. Keep me posted…?”

“… Yeah, I will.” Kaeya says, distractedly. “I’m heading home.”

“Alright. See you later?”

“Mm.”

With that, Kaeya walks down the street, waving over his shoulder as he gets out his phone to call an uber, waiting for it notably far outside of Ajax’s place— he must not want to go back for breakfast.

Ajax feels more than a little dejected.

Two weeks pass, and Kaeya feels sick.

Well, it’s not unusual for him to feel sick, he reminds himself, he’s been worrying himself over this an insane degree, and it’s no doubt making him nauseous. So could a ginger baby, he reminds himself again. The tug of war pulls Kaeya’s mind back and forth over the issue before he decides to get out the pregnancy tests a few days later. He texts Ajax that he’s going to test them today, and Ajax sends a fingers-crossed emoji.

While he’s up to that, Ajax sets to baking.

He saw something on his phone’s feed not too long ago, a chocolate brownie cake with letters on it with a personalized message written in tempered white chocolate lettering. He figures he should make two— a failsafe.

One says, “SORRY I GOT YOU PREGNANT.”

And the other says, “SORRY I GOT YOU ALMOST PREGNANT.”

Because— hey, nothing makes life better than a brownie, right? He waits for them to bake, mixing together the chocolate and pouring it into the correct letter molds. He anxiously awaits the text that will change his life for the next eighteen years, possibly, or perhaps the next five minutes. As he’s popping the letters out of the chocolate mold to put onto the brownie he gets the notif that he set to play for Kaeya’s messages.

He takes a deep breath, and swipes up on his phone.

At first he has a heart attack, because the first thing he sees is ‘PREGNANT’ in big rainbow letters.

Then, he scrolls up and sees the ‘NOT’.

He breathes a sigh of relief.

🦊: congrats!

🦚: Haha, you have no idea how relieved I am.

🦚: I mean, it’d be nice to have a kid and all someday, emphasis on someday, but not in a studio apartment with a barista job.

🦊: aw. i would have taken care of you both

🦊: assuming you didn’t— yeah

🦊: … anyway—

🦊: in any case can i come over? i have something for you

🦚: Aw. Did you buy something to celebrate?

🦊: even better. i made something :D

🦊: i’ll be over in a bit! 

Ajax puts the brownies in two decorative boxes. He decides he’s going to drop off the ‘SORRY I GOT YOU PREGNANT’ one in the office at his work as a little prank— just to see his coworkers gossip over who could have gotten this for who. He anticipates a fight will break out over it, and he’s excited to see it—

But first, he hands the box over to Kaeya at his door, pets Princess, and bids him farewell before he goes to work.

Kaeya, in truth, is in a good mood, so when he answers the door next, he honestly stops and stares in surprise.

Diluc…

Diluc found out where he lived. Huh.

“May I… come in?” His brother asks. As always, he’s dressed a little too formally, a wool peacoat and a scarf with their father’s pendant on it. Kaeya figures old money doesn’t know how to dress like anything but old money— conveniently forgetting he was also raised in a house of old money. Kaeya frowns a bit, but he steps to the side and lets him in. Princess walks over to Diluc and rubs her face all over his legs, and Kaeya is quietly amused by it— that’s pale cat hair all over his fancy pants, but Diluc doesn’t seem to mind, even crouching to pet her.

“You kept Princess?”

“I kept— of course I kept Princess, Addie got her for me. I would never give away a cat Addie got for me.” Kaeya huffs, walking into his apartment as if giving the grand tour, and indeed, Diluc does not look impressed by where he’s living. His gaze flits to the cracked kitchen window (“Isn’t that a security risk?” He asks. Kaeya laughs.), to the kitchen tile outdated by decades, to the ugly sofa.

“… you’re living… modestly,” He tries, a bit awkward. He stands by the kitchen, where a conspicuous pink box is sitting with a red ribbon wrapped around it. It’s half-open, so he glances inside as Kaeya talks about how it’s not the most glamorous apartment, but it’s suited to his paycheck and he’s not about to grovel for a penthouse, and—

Kaeya’s words fade into background noise as Diluc reads the words:

“SORRY I GOT YOU PREGNANT”.

Ajax opens the box after sneaking into the employee lounge, giggling to himself over who everyone will assume brought the brownie, when—

Ah.

The wrong one.

Does he have time to take this back to Kaeya…? He glances at the clock. Yeah, he’s got time. He closes it up again and hurries out, heading towards Kaeya’s apartment.

“…” Diluc takes the box into his hands, as if staring at it will change the lettering somehow.

“Diluc?”

“…”

“Diluc—”

There’s a knock at the door. Wordlessly, Diluc goes to answer it, shellshocked that his brother would sleep with a Fatuus and let that Fatuus get him pregnant and then that Fatuus got him a fucking brownie apology cake and —

“Hey Kae—…” Ajax’s brows knit in apparent confusion when a redhead who does not look anything like Kaeya answers the door.

“…”

“…”

Diluc is glaring daggers right into his soul— he glances down at the box in Ajax’s hands.

“… who are you?” Ajax asks, naturally confused.

Diluc takes the brownie cake in his hands and smashes it into his face.

Today was supposed to be a good day. Not pregnant, not expecting a nine-month-then-18-year responsibility. Instead, Kaeya is watching Diluc wrestle his boyfriend to the wall in fury. There’s a steep staircase behind them and they’re going to tumble down it if someone doesn’t stop them, so Kaeya intervenes. He steps between them, and Diluc backs off, if only because he thinks Kaeya is pregnant right now and that’s enough to cool his jets.

“… did you cheat on me…?” Ajax asks, half dazed, feeling rather betrayed.

“I’M HIS BROTHER,” Diluc spits venom in his words, and it’s amazing how much relief that gives Ajax— only to realize that something must have happened for his brother to be this angry. With the remains of the brownie cake on his face, Ajax can only come to one conclusion— this guy thinks Ajax knocked Kaeya up.

“Oh, well, don’t worry! He’s not pregnant.”

“…”

“I gave him the wrong cake, you see—”

“…” The raw, seething energy coming off of Diluc right now is scalding hot. Face to face with the harbinger his brother called his boyfriend, Diluc decides to issue a warning, here and now. “Break up with him.”

“…? What?”

“Break up with him. You will not be part of my family.”

“…” It’s amazing how those words shift Ajax’s demeanor instantly from dazed and covered in chocolate to serious, humorless, and also covered in chocolate. “No.”

“Diluc, let him go.”

Diluc’s hand on Ajax’s collar tightens, fighting the growl in the back of his throat.

“Break. Up. With. Him.”

Ajax laughs.

“Are you serious? … This kind of cheap threat would only work on someone weaker than you. Seeing how you’re so quick to violence, I wonder why Kaeya isn’t exactly keen on talking about why he doesn’t see his family anymore.”

The insinuation freezes Diluc in his tracks, and for a second, it looks like he might throw him down the stairs. Surprisingly, though, it has the opposite effect. Diluc lets go. The words were like clapping right in front of someone’s face, and he has no rebuttal for them.

Diluc leaves, hurrying down the steps, completely discarding the reason he came. The door to the apartment building opens and closes, and Kaeya sighs… he offers a hand to Ajax, frowning a bit at all the chocolate on him and his suit.

“What a waste…” He says with a sigh. “Come in, you need to clean up before you go to work. I’ll have to loan you one of my suits…”

Kaeya ushers Ajax inside, who’s currently picking the letters P and G off of his face… pausing to pop one of them into his mouth. What? It’s still good chocolate, it doesn’t matter if he got smacked with it. It’s not like his face is the floor.

Kaeya turns on the shower, and Ajax nearly kneels down to pet Princess before Kaeya barks at him not to or he’ll get chocolate on her. Shrugging lightly, he takes off his suit, noting to get it dry cleaned if it’s salvageable, and steps into the shower while Kaeya stands on the other side of it.

“… Sorry about that,” Kaeya says, crossing his arms. “Today was supposed to be a good day.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ajax calls over the sound of the shower, washing the chocolate off his face and hair— ugh, he hopes his skin won’t break out because of this… “So— was my guess right? Was he violent with you?”

“…” Kaeya sighs… he doesn’t really want to answer.

“You don’t have to tell me… but. It’s pretty clear you guys fell out at some point, yeah?”

“Yeah, we did. Pretty bad.”

“… man, I’m sorry. I understand why he did what he did. I would have done even worse if someone sent a cake like that to one of my siblings and I saw it… but to ask us to break up, jeez—” He borrows Kaeya’s shampoo, running it through his hair to get all of the chocolate out with the help of the steaming hot water. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have gotten mad.”

“No, it’s fine that you did. He had no right to ask you that.”

Ajax pauses…

“Are we dating, Kaeya?”

“We might as well be.”

“That’s not— what I asked… to you, are we dating?”

“…” Kaeya pauses before he answers, deciding to relent— to surrender. “Yeah— I, yeah. Dating is fine.”

“…” Ajax smiles, just a bit to himself in the shower. “Okay, then, since we’re dating—”

“Yeah?”

“I want to take you out on another date.”

“…” Kaeya gives a sigh and a laugh. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. A ‘celebrating not being pregnant’ date… or maybe just a regular date.” He turns the faucet off, shaking out his mop of ginger hair before he borrows one of the towels. The tub is old-fashioned, tall, yellowed with age as it’s genuine porcelain, so he’s careful as he steps out of it.

Kaeya goes to get one of his suits, choosing the least ostentatious one from his days at the host club. He gets a plain white shirt and tie to put underneath it and hands it to Ajax in the bathroom, opening up the door.

“… you don’t have to hide so shyly, we had sex—” Ajax remarks, plain as day.

“Don’t I know it. Anyway—” Kaeya sighs. “That sounds fun. Sorry I was so— you know, tense these past few weeks.”

“Hey, it’s alright. But… you know, I would have supported you no matter what you wanted to do, right?”

“… I know, Ajax. You’re really too sweet.” Kaeya shakes his head, and watches Ajax get dressed in the deep blue suit, putting on his tie and letting Kaeya tie it for him when Kaeya pats his shoulder and turns him to face him.

“… so did you mean that text?”

“Huh? Which one?”

“That you said it’d be nice to have a kid someday.”

Kaeya sputters with a laugh. “That’s— don’t, Ajax. Please.”

“I’m just saying— I come from a big family, so…”

“Ajax.”

“I’m used to it if you ever want to change your mind.”

“Ajax—!”

He knows Ajax is just teasing him, and he is. Ajax will check himself over in the mirror. His hair is still slightly damp, but it’ll dry by the time he’s at the Fatui headquarters. He leans over and kisses Kaeya’s cheek, before kneeling down to pet Princess’ head, finally.

“Text me when you get home,” Kaeya says. Despite everything, he’s gotten used to Ajax’s hovering texts over the past few weeks, accompanied by funny memes and things to make Kaeya laugh, that sort of thing. He can expect even more of them, now that something so stressful isn’t hanging over their heads. Ajax grins at him.

“Sorry about the brownie… I think I accidentally flung the other one down the stairs when your brother grabbed me, so, uh,” He winces. “I’ll make you a new one?”

“Sure. Go to work, Ajax, before her Majesty gets you in trouble.”

“Of course.” He salutes playfully, heading out of Kaeya’s apartment, down the stairs and out the door to where his car is.

Kaeya bites his lower lip, wondering what Diluc was even doing here in the first place… was he going to ask about Ajax, or was it something else entirely? He almost feels bad that he was chased away, but…

He supposes he could always text him.

Chapter Text

A few days later, Ajax walks into the break room to see half of his coworkers standing around a conspicuous pink box wrapped in a red ribbon.

(Yes, he re-made the brownie cake twice— one that reads ‘SORRY I THREW THE LAST CAKE’ for Kaeya, and another one that says ‘SORRY I GOT YOU PREGNANT’ specifically to put in the Harbinger break room. Listen, it’s a prank he had to do.)

Signora stares at the cake with her arms crossed.

“It’s not for me. I mean, look at me—”

“You have been looking rounder around the middle,” Dottore idly comments as he opens the refridgerator, and it’s a comment he’ll pay for in blood. She scoffs, and Arlecchino shakes her head.

“I didn’t put it there.” That rules out Columbina as a recipient, too—

“Who on earth would even bring this cake to work…?” Pantalone hums as he looks at it. “Who among us knows how to bake, even?”

“Could have been bought.”

“Are you sure? It looks… rustic.” Pantalone adds. Ajax’s eyebrow twitches, and he fights the urge to call the cake a work of art, but he won’t out himself so quickly. He worked hard on it! He thinks it at least looks semi-professional.

“That rules you out, too,” Signora rudely closes the refrigerator door on Dottore’s head while he’s still in there. “Captain?”

“This is not how I would apologize to my wife.” On top of that, his wife doesn’t work here, so…

“Well, it’s not Tartaglia,” Arlecchino reasons, and everyone else agrees. Ajax stands up with a bitter frown. 

“Hey, I could have—”

“Nope.”

“No.”

“Couldn’t have.”

“Can someone please throw it away before it becomes an HR nightmare?” Pantalone sighs, “I don’t want to deal with Pierro after he sees it—”

“After I see what?” A deep voice asks as he enters the room. A few of the ones standing near the cake look at one another, while another subtly pushes it into the trash.

“Nothing. Just some practical joke.”

Ajax pouts. He used good chocolate for that… but it’s probably for the best. He doesn’t want to get written up for it.

Kaeya stares at his phone.

It’s been at least fifteen minutes since he unlocked it and opened Diluc’s contact on it. His gaze falls to the send button and the message he was about to send. His thumb has flirted with the idea of pressing that button many times over, but … maybe he just needs to do it.

🦚: Why did you come to my apartment?

There.

He waits for an embarrassingly long time to see if Diluc starts typing, and he does, after a few minutes.

🦉: You were gone from work for two weeks and you only told Albedo. I was wondering if something was up.

… oh yeah. Diluc owns the store. He should have remembered that.

🦉: You’re 100% sure you’re not pregnant?

🦚: Yeah. Uh… sorry. About Ajax.

🦉: I’m not sure you really are.

🦚: … yeah, probably not… but. I am sorry he said that to you. I know it’s a sore spot.

There’s a starting and stopping of typing, pauses before ‘Diluc is typing’ shows up again on his screen.

🦉: Kaeya…

🦉: Do you really want to do something like this? Date a Fatuus, after…

🦚: First of all, Ajax wasn’t a Harbinger when Dad died. He’s not involved, even if your theory is true.

🦚: Second… I knew I wasn’t going to have your approval regardless, but I still don’t want or need it. If you think I’m spitting on Dad’s grave, then…

🦚: Know that I loved our dad. And it does weigh on my heart.

🦚: But I like Ajax a lot…

🦉: If it’s an issue of money…

🦚: It’s not about money!

🦚: Do you think I would still be living in this apartment if I was flirting with him for a step up in life? Do you think I’m so shallow?

🦉: … No, I don’t.

🦉: I just…

🦉: Addie misses you. We all do.

🦚: I know she does…

🦚: I miss her too.

Kaeya quickly backspaces on ‘you too’ over and over, deciding not to send it.

🦚: I’ll come to the winery sometime soon, okay? Not today, but… I’ll book a flight.

🦉: Thank you.

🦉: She’ll be happy to hear that. Text me when you decide when you’re going to visit?

🦚: … yeah. I will. See you.

Kaeya locks his phone, dragging his hand down his face… looks like he’s heading home sometime soon. He’ll have to ask Ajax to watch Princess for him… gods, the very prospect of heading home makes him sick with anxiety. He knows he’ll be drowned in love and affection from people he doesn’t think he deserves it from, who he turned his back on once he and Diluc had that fight in the vineyard…

He talks to them still— still texts, still sends little emoji reactions on Facebook, but it’s been so long since he’s actually seen them— at least two years. Maybe three.

He looks around his little apartment, and Princess, like a good girl that senses his trepidation, weaves between his legs with an insistent meow, as if trying to forcefully divert his attention.

He picks her up and buries his face in her fluff. Well… he’s not going to put it off. If he books a flight, it’ll be difficult to cancel and harder still to get his money back, so he resolves to do it, selecting a flight for the next weekend. With that, he texts Ajax, asking if he can watch Princess while he’s gone, and Ajax asks him where he’s going.

“Home,” Kaeya texts back, “I think.”

Kaeya, with his backpack over his shoulder, steps into the Mondstadt airport once he gets off his plane. The urge to turn around and hide in the back of the plane until it takes off to its next destination is strong, but he doesn’t listen to it. As he walks out, he sees a sign lifted above the head of the woman who helped raise him— Addie. It says his name, in bright, colorful letters…

Kaeya sighs, and holds open his arms as Addie runs up to give him a hug.

“Oh, I’ve missed you…” She croons, petting the back of his head. “Kaeya… I know you and Diluc fell out, but that doesn’t mean you can’t come home, okay?”

“… Diluc owns the place, so—”

“Psh. Diluc might own it, but he’s missed you too. He… regrets everything he said to you.” She sighs. “But it means less coming from me and everything coming from him, so I’ll let him tell you himself.”

Kaeya sighs…

On some level, he knows.

He saw it when Diluc said those words to him— when Kaeya accidentally said that, and Diluc said that in response, he saw the regret flash instantly in his eyes, as soon as the anger hit. The ‘you’re no brother of mine’, the ‘you aren’t even part of this family’ and the fist-fight that had them tumbling through the trellises… Diluc wasn’t fighting Kaeya in that moment, he was fighting himself. All of his grief and anger, taken out on the other person who was also feeling it just as strongly as him.

But Kaeya was not content to let Diluc take his grief out on him. He left, and Diluc grieved two people at the same time, one lost directly from his own actions. Kaeya did the same.

Kaeya’s always had a sense of othering.

A sense that he’s never belonged, anywhere he went. He stood alongside the Ragnvindrs, but was acutely aware that despite them loving him with all their hearts, he didn’t look like them, he didn’t share the same blood and storied lineage. He doesn’t know why his father left him with Crepus, but his father was very ill at the time… he reasons he was asking for a favor from an old friend before he passed.

Though Kaeya doubts he would have felt like he belonged with his birth family, too.

He carries the name Alberich like it’s a penance, a stark reminder that no matter what he is, it’s not a Ragnvindr. A reminder that the family that birthed him gave him that name and left his life, and a reminder to himself that he will not belong until he forges his own path. He’s always had the fantasy of making that name mean something to him again, either by giving it to a partner he loves, or by shelving it completely to take someone else’s.

… he wonders, lightly, as he gets into the car that will drive him back to the winery, if that person is Ajax.

He doesn’t know. Not yet. Not when Ajax so readily volunteers himself as someone to be used— doesn’t he know that Kaeya wouldn’t want to use someone he loves? Or maybe Kaeya just thinks that… and he’s really all too eager to have a partner who volunteers to do the heavy lifting for him.

… no, he thinks to himself as he looks at the changing scenery of the city as the countryside comes into view on the highway. He’s not content with that. He wants to love someone and be their pillar and rock… but he’s just a guy who works a crappy barista job and has the world’s smallest apartment. He’s not stable enough to be anyone’s rock. He’s more like a shoddy fence to lean on.

Maybe he doesn’t realize that it’s okay to let someone else be the pillar for a while, while he builds himself up again, finds his place in the world. If he really surrendered to that kind of thinking, he’d get complacent, he thinks.

And so, the question of use or be used floats into his mind once more…

Kaeya gets out of the car, slinging his backpack over his shoulder once they get to the winery. Diluc is outside at one of the tables on the porch, and he looks relieved that Kaeya decided to come and didn’t chicken out. Many of the maids and butlers come out to greet him, particularly the older ones who helped raise the boys. Kaeya gets his cheek pinched several times over, wincing a bit as they hurry him in, saying that it’s such a long way to travel from Teyvat City and if he’s tired or if he’ll tell them stories about what he did there (Kaeya is mortified that he’ll have to tell them he worked at a host club), and Kaeya pauses for a moment, getting some things out of his backpack for the older maids— some souvenirs from the city.

He talks with them at length about his flight, how smooth it was, how he’s taken care of the kitten Addie got for him all this time, he’ll show pictures of Princess, particularly ones that don’t show off how small and cramped his apartment looks. He’s asked if he has a boyfriend, and he fumbles with the idea of answering for a little bit before he shows pictures of the two of them together. The maids giggle at the one where a seagull stole his ice cream cone— but they coo at Ajax, too, saying how handsome he is, and demanding to know if he treats him right.

“He does,” Kaeya answers. “He does.”

As Diluc sits down, some of the maids scatter, as if conscientious of the fact that this is their job and they should get busy— not that Diluc would ever scold them for talking to Kaeya after so long, or scold them period— Addie is the only one who does that, as head maid.

“Want to go horseback riding…?”

To be honest, Kaeya would rather not. It would be stranding himself alone with Diluc while they’re atop horses, and while Kaeya is not afraid of him, there’s something far scarier than a potential fist fight— reconciliation or having a heart to heart, something Kaeya would have to be dragged to do while kicking and screaming.

At the same time, Kaeya does miss his horse.

“Is Celeste still here?”

“Yeah, of course. We wouldn’t get rid of her.”

Kaeya stands up, his hands resting on his thighs.

“Let’s go see her, then.”

He stole an apple from a fruit bowl in the house to bring to Celeste, and for some reason, that heartens Diluc a bit. Kaeya still feels casual enough in Dawn Winery to do things like that, and to be honest, Kaeya didn’t give it a second thought. He figures Diluc can buy all the apples he damn well pleases, and if he’s going to complain about it— well, Kaeya will give him ten mora for the apple.

As he steps into the stables, the familiar, pungent smell of Horse greets him and he sees a black nose poking over her partition. Kaeya coos softly at her, oh— his friesian mare is just as beautiful as the day he got her.

“Hey, girl…” He says, offering her the apple. “It’s been a while, huh?”

The horse stares at him for a moment before giving the most delighted nickering sound and immediately snuffling at his hair before she takes the apple. Still remembering how to saddle up, Kaeya gets her ready while Diluc prepares his black forest horse to go for a ride, named Träubchen (He never was great at naming things).

With that, like it’s as simple as riding a bike, the brothers ride off toward the horizon, or more accurately, the coast.

“…”

“…”

But convincing them to talk is like trying to lead a horse to water and forcing it to drink.

“You know…” Diluc begins.

Here we go, Kaeya thinks.

“You can come home.” He finishes, and Kaeya stares on straight ahead. He chooses his words carefully, even though the urge to answer right away is strong.

“I know.”

“So come home. I can’t imagine that tiny apartment is more comfortable than your room here, nor is working as a barista.”

“I know, but my independence is important to me,” Kaeya shrugs as Celeste trots forward along the trail they’ve known since they were kids. “And…”

“Yeah?”

“I like Teyvat City. I’ve always had a fondness for places that were walkable. Living out in the country means I couldn’t do that anymore.”

“Mondstadt City is just a hop, skip, and a jump away, you know…”

“I know.”

“And everyone would be happy if you came home— you could save up money… hell, your half of the inheritance you’ve never even touched—”

“It’s not mine.” Kaeya answers, simply. “It’s yours.”

“… I didn’t mean it.”

“Hm?”

“I didn’t… mean it when I said you weren’t part of this family.”

Kaeya sighs.

“You did, though. Whenever someone has an outburst like that… it betrays what they really feel, doesn’t it? There’s that saying— your first thought is your instinctive thought, and the second one is the corrective thought. You told me that based on your instincts. You knew I didn’t belong here.”

“No, Kaeya,” Diluc rides up next to him. “I didn’t say that because I believed it. I said it because I wanted you to hurt as much as I did. I thought about the worst thing I could say, and then I said it.”

“…”

“It probably hurt more than the punch, huh?”

“…” Kaeya’s gaze lowers to the ground. It really did. It was something that stuck with Kaeya and formed his opinion on himself for years… “I’m not with Ajax to be rebellious against you, you know. It’s not a way to snipe back at you, or to spit on our father’s grave.”

“What is it, then?” Diluc is almost afraid of the answer, like he’s been in denial about it this whole time.

“I like him. It’s just… something independent of his identity as a Fatuus. I wouldn’t date one just to get back at you, that’s insane.”

“…” Diluc still has a hard time reconciling that within his own mind, but… “Does he treat you well?”

“Like I’m his saving grace… even though I’m just a barista.”

“… I could never give him my blessing, but…” Diluc pauses. “He doesn’t need it. You’re your own person with your own life. I just… want you to be careful with that life, that’s all.”

“…” He’s still the same Diluc as he always was. Typical older brother nonsense, thinking Kaeya is in danger or is doing something risky when really, Ajax is the one who’s throwing himself into something ridiculous. He wouldn’t say Ajax is as harmless as a fly, because he isn’t, but he’s not a danger to someone he loves as much as he loves Kaeya.

“… I’m safe around him,” Kaeya says. “I know it. I trust him.”

“…” Diluc gives a disappointed huff. “I do want you to take your half of the inheritance, you know. I never touched it, and I want you to be able to afford a better place than the one you have.”

“It doesn’t… I don’t feel like it belongs to me.”

“Dad would have wanted you to have it. You were just as equally his son.”

“…” Kaeya gives a terse sigh as he turns the horse back towards the winery. “I’ll race you for it.”

“What?”

“Beat me in a race back to the winery and I’ll take the stupid money that I’ll have to pay a stupid amount of taxes on. If I win, you keep it and donate it to some charity or something. Don’t just sit on it.”

Before Diluc can say something like be reasonable, Kaeya starts riding off, and Diluc knows he’s being serious, so he digs in his heel and takes off after him, intending to win the race. If nothing else, he at least wants the peace of mind that Kaeya is living in a building without cracks in the windows, and if Diluc wins, he will go apartment hunting with him tonight, online. He is not going to take no for an answer, like a typical stubborn brother.

… It’s not perfect.

Nothing is really resolved, no real apology spoken, but…

There’s a baseline restored. Diluc can talk to Kaeya like he’s his brother rather than a stranger, and honestly— it’s the one and only thing he’s wanted for the past few years. He won’t get greedy for more.

Chapter Text

In the time Kaeya is gone, Ajax learns many interesting things about Princess.

She must be fed in the morning at 8 o' clock on the dot, and if you’re even a few minutes too late for that, she will lay down by your face and put her paws on it and yell. In addition to being very cute, Princess is as bossy as her namesake implies. Yawning as he stretches his arms out, he’ll scoop her up underneath his arm and carry her like a football to the next room. Buster, surprisingly, gets along with Princess rather well, though she is pretty overbearing with him too. She’ll pin him to his doggy bed and lick his hair as if trying to groom the younger pet, and Buster is so confused that he honestly just lies there and lets her.

Ajax yawns as he opens up her can of cat food, giving a soft yelp when she stretches her body up his leg and sinks her claws in. He mutters an ‘okay, jeez’ as he sets the dish down, Princess immediately sticking her face in the plate before it even gets to the ground. “Acting like nobody ever feeds you… the most starved cat in the world, huh?”

He’s distracted, momentarily, when his phone buzzes with Kaeya’s signature sound. He swipes up on his phone (which now, proudly, has Kaeya’s picture as the background) and checks to see what Kaeya’s saying. In a brief message, he tells him he’s moving apartments, and Ajax asks if it’s back to Mondstadt with some worry— but no, Kaeya says he’s recently come into a windfall of money under the stipulation that he uses it to buy a place.

Oh, Ajax asks. Want to go house shopping, then?

With you? Kaeya asks back.

Oh, uh, Ajax quickly types to make up for his little faux pas— I mean with me, yeah, but not moving out together or anything. I just want to help.

There’s some typing on the other end…

Sounds good. I’ll need the help.

Ajax breathes a sigh of relief… guess Kaeya’s breaking his lease. As long as he gets out of that crummy apartment, he’ll be happy no matter where he moves.

🦊: are you coming back soon?

🦚: Yeah. Tomorrow. How’s my baby?

Ajax sends a picture of her eating her morning food.

🦚: Awww. Sweetie has probably been your alarm clock, huh?

🦊: princess gets what princess wants. she makes sure of that lol

🦊: ill pick you up at the airport, okay? What time’s your flight?

🦚: 4:30 is when I land. Gate 2A.

🦊: ill be there :)

Ajax smiles a bit… boyfriend, boyfriend, boyfriend, Kaeya is his boyfriend. Every time that thought comes to him, it gives him the good endorphins, the happy feels. To think the guy he fumbled in the grocery store would be giving him the time of day now… Ajax has realized, in his absence, that prolonged periods of Lack of Kaeya leaves him missing him. He really wasn’t joking the night he slept with him, Kaeya is like the injection of what makes him feel human, the missing element to the whole of Ajax. 

In his more private, embarrassing thoughts, he wonders what it will be like years down the line. Will they still be together? Will Ajax have fucked it up somehow? … No, thinking like that helps no one. While most relationships are transient in nature, there’s nothing that says they all have to be. He and Kaeya could be in their eighties and Kaeya still might not have figured out if he wants to get rid of him…

And in his most private of thoughts, Ajax thinks about the first night they had sex.

He wants repeats of that particular incident, of course. To think Kaeya was daydreaming about him… as if Ajax hasn’t every single day since they first met. He walks over to his sofa and sits down with an exhale, wondering what neighborhood he should help Kaeya move into. Maybe one close by? It’d make midnight visits to each other’s places far easier… and there’s a little neighborhood with condos and houses nearby.

Buster trots up to him with a toy in his mouth, a little squeaky bone, and Ajax takes it from him and throws it down the hall, his dog scampering after it. Despite everything and the chaos it introduced into his life, he’s happy he has him now. Buster matches his energy, and it’s less lonely to go on runs through the city now.

He becomes acutely aware of the fact that despite feeding the animals, he hasn’t eaten himself, so he gathers up his keys and puts some proper clothes on to run to the corner bakery, thinking he might get one of their famous breakfast sandwiches if they’re not sold out yet.

He’ll keep an eye out for places with ‘FOR SALE’ signs on the way there.

Kaeya gives Addie a kiss on the cheek goodbye, now worth several times his own weight in gold.

(That is an exaggeration, but it certainly feels like that.)

Diluc won the race by a long shot— the moment Kaeya challenged him, Traubchen darted ahead of Celeste at impressive speed, and it figures. Traubchen gets taken out more often than Celeste, though Diluc promises he gets both horses to exercise. In either case, Diluc got off his high horse and told him he was taking the money, and he was using it to buy a place. Not rent. Buy. If he’s so determined to live in Teyvat City for now, he shouldn’t waste money on rent.

And so, Kaeya’s bank account is now absurdly overpopulated. He made sure to have Diluc walk him through the process and what to do now that he’s rich, and he asked, sheepishly, if this cut into Diluc’s funds any. The prick answered, “I made several times that amount over in the past five years— that sum is what Father left you at the time of his death. Fifty-fifty, with the property and assets going to both of us, but—”

“But I don’t want the property or assets, right…” Kaeya frowns… he kind of… almost wants to move home now, but he’s afraid of poisoning their relationship further. Like distance is good for them to maintain civility… in either case, he’s accepted the money, so that’s an earnest weight off Diluc’s shoulders. Kaeya doesn’t know what he’ll do with the money. Maybe he’ll buy Princess one of those really Aesthetic cat trees, in addition to a condo. The kind with moon-shaped cat beds and cloud-shaped tiers…

(… he suspects Diluc gave him more than the will stipulated, too.)

In either case, Kaeya heads back to the city feeling significantly richer. Man… now he’ll be Ajax’s sugar daddy. Now they can sugar daddy at each other. An absurdly wealthy couple… assuming Kaeya does not blow his fortune on unwise Kirarazon purchases (entirely possible).

The plane ride there is uneventful, though Kaeya did upgrade to first class, mostly because he could.

They bring him wine as his in-flight drink. He notes that it’s from Dawn Winery.

He smiles.

Ajax waits by Kaeya’s gate with a soft smile. He has Buster on a leash in a posh little puppy jacket.

“… they let you bring your dog in here?” Kaeya balks.

“I think they saw the vest and assumed he was a service dog…”

Kaeya wrinkles his nose at him. “Ajax…”

“I didn’t want to correct anyone! I can’t find a sitter for him right now and he’s still in the puppy crimes phase.”

“Puppy crimes phase…?”

The two walk down the crowded airport hallways with Buster trotting along side him. “Puppy crimes phase. Imagine a box that’s puppy-sized.”

“Okay…”

“Now as the dog grows up, he’ll outgrow the box but still stay in it. That box is crimes.”

“…”

“When the puppy is small, he’s 100% crimes, fitting entirely in the box. A full-sized dog is maybe 50% crimes.”

Kaeya envisions it.

“Yeah, it’s like that with cats too. What a metaphor…”

“Schroedinger’s cat crimes box?”

“This conversation is a crime. Speaking of pets and boxes, I’m going house shopping today, want to come along? I called a realtor while I was still in Mond.”

“Yeah! Can Buster, too?”

“So long as he doesn’t pee on anything. If he pees on the house, I have to buy it.”

Ajax leads him to his car, and Kaeya gets in with Buster hopping in the back. A little blanket is spread out on the back seat that he immediately lays on. The car definitely has traces of Puppy inside of it, little bite marks on various parts of the leather…

“Where’s the realtor?” He starts his car and the two drive out of the airport.

“She’s meeting me at Cecilia Coast.”

Ajax balks. “… that neighborhood? Kaeya, that’s for celebrities and high-profile lawyers. And influencers, I guess—”

“Uh-huh. Guess how much Mora is in my bank account now? It has a ‘point’ in the sum now.”

“… huh, why?”

“Diluc made me take my inheritance.” Kaeya crosses his arms, and Ajax raises his brows.

“You had an inheritance? In that crappy apartment?”

“Yes, well… I refused it initially when I moved out. Wanted to make it on my own. Now that Diluc and I are…” He pauses. “Getting along… he made me take it in that typical bossy brother way.”

Ajax snickers. “I owe him a favor, in that case.”

“Diluc wants you dead.”

“I know. That’s not the favor I’m giving him.”

He’ll pull into Cecilia Coast, the richest neighborhood in town. Multitudes of vegan grocery stores and fancy cafes line the roads, and Kaeya gives Ajax directions to the house he was going to first meet his realtor at. Her name is Keqing, and she shakes Kaeya’s hand and asks him to introduce his husband— something that makes Kaeya sputter.

“I— boyfriend, boyfriend, he’s my boyfriend—”

Ajax grins, just happy to be referred to as a husband. “Yup, I’m Ajax. Nice to meet you.”

She’ll lead Kaeya into a fancy neighborhood nearby, one where she’s in charge of several properties there. She asks Kaeya what he’s looking for in a place, and he says small enough to be maintained easily while having enough room for hobbies, he guesses. What kind of hobbies, she asks? Kaeya blanches.

“You know… I guess a computer and a TV room and a really comfortable sofa, and—”

Kaeya is really betraying how little he’s had, over the years. Ajax winces just a bit, before turning to Keqing.

“He wants probably a three-bedroom with a basement and a good kitchen, a decent sized living room…”

She nods, and she picks out a red brick house with two stories. Kaeya thinks it’s the most darling thing he’s ever seen, with a green roof and green shutters… who would want to sell this place?

“The last owner died—”

Ah.

“— and it was put on the market this morning by her family. Shall we head inside?”

Kaeya almost wants to say he wants it now, but she’ll lead him inside… the interior is gorgeous, well-maintained, and clearly whoever lived here lived stylishly. Kaeya is imagining a retired actress grandma… should he check the news and see if someone famous died recently? In either case, there are portraits on the wall, family photos, vacation photos… Kaeya peers into the life of the previous resident.

“Think it’s haunted?” Ajax asks, a playful grin on his lips.

“It was built a hundred and fifty years ago,” Keqing hums, letting that be her answer.

“Don’t—” Kaeya frowns. “Not when I’m falling in love with it.”

She shrugs, and leads him around… the main bedroom has been cleaned out and packed up except for a mattress and a bedframe, but the other rooms are mostly intact. A cozy kitchen, a peaceful-feeling living room with a great view from the window, a second-floor balcony with a pair of chairs sitting on it, and a basement…

Kaeya is surprised with what he finds in the basement.

A gaming set-up. Grandma clearly loved to game… though Keqing quickly says that she had this built for her grandchildren whenever they came over. Kaeya glances around… there are little things all around the finished, carpeted basement that makes him think this house was well-loved and cherished. From things like little plushes clearly meant for children to play with, to the indents on the bean bag chairs in the basement, all the way to how worn and used the kitchen utensils are in the kitchen…

Kaeya smiles softly. He likes it.

Ajax slips his arms around Kaeya’s waist as he checks out the basement while Keqing goes upstairs to let them look around on their own. There’s a laundry room down here, some storage… not that Kaeya needs it.

“Hmm…” Kaeya begins, crossing his arms. “I could turn it into my sex dungeon.”

“Our sex dungeon.” Ajax corrects him, and Kaeya snorts.

“No, my. I’m the one buying it.”

“But I’d be the only one you’re having sex with in it, right?”

“Right.”

“… so it’s ours.”

Kaeya snorts, wanting to say something crass but deciding not to. “Right, it’d be ours. But I’d decorate it.”

Ajax snickers. “Not gonna let me help…?”

“Oh, you’re going to help me move.”

Ajax pauses, thinking about Kaeya’s tiny, awful apartment and how the stuff in there would fit in four good-sized boxes in his car, Princess’ carrier included.

“What a nightmare.” He murmurs. “Do you like it?”

“Ajax, I’m in love with it. Don’t people usually wait to see other places before they pick one?”

“Well, if you’re in love with it, and it’s in your price range—”

“I could buy a skyscraper at this point.”

“— well, there you go.” Ajax shrugs. “Does it suit your needs? Does it spark joy?”

“… yes…” Kaeya huffs. “Let’s go see Keqing.”

Keqing shows him the contract, as well as tells him that the furniture can be included for a bonus cost. Kaeya looks around, thinks of the well-loved furniture and utensils and how he’d like to carry them on (as well as the fact that he doesn’t have enough fucking furniture to fill this house) and accepts the bonus cost. He asks if it includes the gaming rig. She says it does, but the family will come back to wipe the private data.

Kaeya double checks his bank account… no, he has more than enough. The only thing he’s going to throw out is that bed in the master bedroom, he doesn’t want to think about how someone probably died in it.

He signs his name.

“When can I move in?”

“In about a week, the family should be done going through the previous owner’s stuff.” Keqing says. “I hope you enjoy your new home.”

Kaeya feels giddy.

House!! House!! He has a house! And he’s going to break his lease! He feels like a kid with way too much mora in a toy store. He looks at Ajax and gives him a hug, just to get that excited energy out.

“You’ll come over often, right?” Kaeya asks. In truth, he knows Ajax will probably move in here someday… and that’s why he leaned on his opinion so much. Ajax laughs.

“I’ll be here as often as I can be, as often as you’ll have me. Let’s get your stuff packed for the move, okay?”

Kaeya exhales happily.

“Yeah!”

Ajax was right.

Kaeya’s belongings fit in three and a half big boxes. The awful single-bunk bed with a ladder that Kaeya used to sleep on gets taken apart and thrown in the dumpster. He donates all of his old kitchenware. Princess gets a new (aesthetic) cat tower sent to his new place. Kaeya debates keeping the awful seafoam green love seat, but he decides to throw it to the curb, too.

143 Calla Lily Lane.

His new home.

He should… thank Diluc. Somehow, even though it was inheritance and not a gift. He’ll invite him to see him sometime soon.

Ajax drives over to his place with his boxes in tow, and Kaeya sitting in the front seat. Princess meows in her carrier, and Kaeya coos softly at her as they bring his stuff to the new place. There’s plenty to unpack… well, not really, but he needs to build the new bed he had sent here, along with setting up the king-sized mattress. And by build, he means Ajax will build it while Kaeya ‘helps’ (reads the instructions and hands him screws).

Princess runs around the house and Buster follows her, exploring her new digs. Ajax and Kaeya build the nice, new bed and Kaeya tapes mood lighting to the side of it, controlled by an app. His star-lit garland is gone, but… it was a tacky way to light a dim room anyway.

Kaeya looks at his new bed proudly. He holds out his arms to Ajax.

“Want to stress test the new bed with me? Tackle me onto it.”

Ajax snickers. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. If it collapses, we either did a shit job or it was destined to fall apart anyway—”

Ajax will do as he’s told then— he charges forward and pins Kaeya to the bed. It gives a resounding ‘squeak’, but it does not budge. The two giggle a bit, and Ajax steals a kiss from his lips.

“Welcome home, Kaeya.” Ajax smiles softly at him. Kaeya laughs, throwing his head back.

“Mmhm… home.”

His boyfriend will pause, looking at him for a moment before he asks a question.

“You know—”

“Yes?”

“Why did you have a twin bed with a ladder?”

“I needed the space for storage.”

“… but why a ladder. Did— wait. You invited me over there. Did you want me to fuck you on that awful bed?”

“… well, there was the loveseat—”

“THE LOVESEAT?”

Kaeya snorts. “What, not adventurous?”

“No. If not in your bedroom- Kaeya, Princess would have seen me. I don’t want to fuck in front of anyone’s pet. That’s weird.”

Kaeya giggles, tossing his head back.

“I guess, true… we won’t have that problem here.”

Ajax pauses… “Want to stress test it a little more?”

Kaeya pats his cheek

“Sure.”

Chapter Text

The gaming setup is an atrocious RGB colored nightmare.

The case is garish, a glowing mess that always jumpscares Kaeya whenever he walks into the basement to do laundry while all of the lights are off and it suddenly comes to life. It is, however, a great computer— he logs on to see that the last family did indeed wipe all the data, and so, with an open evening with nothing to do, Kaeya boots it up and downloads an old game he and Diluc used to play as kids— Nightfortress 2. He doesn’t know how many seasons it’s been since he last played— at least eight or nine years, but a familiar character greets him on opening the game. Him and his brother’s favorite character, decked out in fancy, expensive cosmetics.

He sighs, clicking through the new menu options to get to the game mode. To his surprise, a message pops up.

Now, he and Diluc shared a primary account, because their father did not see the point of buying the same skin twice (but also, to teach them about sharing)— so imagine Kaeya’s surprise when a stranger he never met messages him to play.

“Dude! Where were you last night? Were you busy again :(“

…?

“Last night? I haven’t logged on in ten years.”

“ lmao good one Lulu. Anyway are you free???”

Kaeya freezes.

He immediately logs off the game and grabs his phone, hitting Diluc’s number in his contacts list. When Diluc answers the phone, Kaeya’s barely restrained laughter erupts in full.

“Hel—”

“YOU STILL PLAY NIGHTFORTRESS???”

Click. Diluc hangs up.

(He also changes his password, booting Kaeya out of the game, but somehow, Kaeya doesn’t seem to mind.)

Today feels like a perfect day to see some old friends.

He’s still in the same group chat from the Host Club, though he found out that Mona graduated from the club in a surprisingly similar way to him. When he sees her at the cafe down the street, she has a designer bag on her arm and he quirks an eyebrow, wondering if it’s real— but he realizes that’s the latest one from that line. There wouldn’t be a bootleg of it yet…

“I see your sugar daddy is treating you well,” Kaeya muses.

“Don’t call her that.”

“Huh?” He blinks— Mona said she found her own high-ranking Fatui partner, thank you very much, and now Kaeya is very curious which one it is. Would Ajax know them…?

“What’s her name?”

“Lynette. Adopted daughter of one of the harbingers,” Mona beams with pride. “She’s the cutest thing, honestly… she came to the host club with a few of her coworkers and wouldn’t stop staring at me the entire night. Even though I knew it was risky, I exchanged numbers with her…” She gives a light shrug of the shoulders, “and here we are.”

… happenstance is weird. Kaeya looks to Thoma and Kokomi.

“Anyone else with an inexplicable Fatui partner?”

Thoma laughs at that, and Kokomi shakes her head.

“It’s just Kokomi working there now, right? Er, at the Host Club,” Kaeya takes a seat at the table, placing an order for a caramel macchiato.

“That’s right,” Kokomi sips her bubble tea, a playful smile on her face. “Thoma got a very generous sponsor, didn’t he?”

“… well, I suppose that’s one way to put it,” Thoma says, arms crossed over the table as he leans forward. “Ayato is pretty fun, though… not something you’d expect from the heir to the Kamisato Corporation. He’s playful and just a bit mean—”

“A rich guy is mean,” Kaeya grins, “What a shocker.”

“Not — specifically mean. Mischievous? Mischievous.” Thoma shakes his head. “In any case, Kaeya— you are a rich guy, now.”

Mona’s eyes light up briefly, wondering if she can push the check onto him…

“You are?”

“Brother forced me to take my inheritance. I got a house now. And what I said stands, even knowing that.”

“Really?” Kokomi’s voice is inquisitive. “… You’re talking to Diluc again?”

“Mmhm.”

“How did that happen?”

“…” Kaeya sighs, jaw slightly set. “He bought my workplace, then found out where I live because of it… came over, and it gradually opened a dialogue, I guess. He told me some things… it helped. It doesn’t fix anything, but it helped.”

Thoma pats Kaeya’s shoulder.

“I’m glad for you. You missed him, right?”

Kaeya scoffs, but it doesn’t sound honest. “… Not really, I got used to him not being here.”

Thoma knows that a lie is still an indirect answer in the opposite direction, and drops it. “In any case…”

The conversation takes on a lively tone of them ribbing one another, teasing gently and laughing. Grateful that Thoma dropped it but not so grateful that he won’t tease him, Kaeya pokes fun at Thoma for his infatuation with the heir to the Kamisato Corporation… though doing so invites questions about Ajax. The group chat knows about the scare the two shared, and while Kaeya sips his drink, he endures a little bit of bullying over that, too.

Somehow, Kokomi is the sweetest one amongst them, but has the most devastating comebacks if you push her just a bit too far. Kaeya loves his friend group— they shared misery together, and misery loves company. He wants to get Kokomi out of that place, too, but it’s a little bit harder, considering it’s a family member of hers who runs the club.

When it comes time to pick up the check, Kaeya pays for all of them… he figures it’s the least he can do when they’ve helped him out by doing the same in the past. As they begin to disperse, Kokomi pauses when Thoma and Mona go their separate ways, leaving only her and Kaeya behind.

“… Kaeya…?”

“Hm? What’s up Kokofish?” The playful nickname escapes his lips as he writes down the tip amount on the check.

“You look a lot happier, these days,” She says with a smile. “I’m proud of you.”

… somehow, Kokomi’s words, even when he’s come to expect hearing things like that from her, hit deeply. Maybe it’s because that while Kokomi is kind, she reserves words like this for occasions when she really means them— and wants him to know that, even if she’s always been proud of him. … Kaeya does not have many people telling him they’re proud of him for whatever reason, unless it’s Adelinde or Ajax, so he smiles at her, feeling a bit touched.

“… thanks.” He says, standing up. “I’m… happy to be happier.”

She’ll bid him farewell, telling him to keep in touch with all of them as she walks off… Kaeya shrugs his shoulders with a smile, saying he’ll try, and heads on home.

Work can sometimes be such a pain.

Ajax’s job sometimes requires him to travel, to go all over the world and finalize business deals. It takes him away from Kaeya’s side, but he can’t take all of his vacation days just for his sake. After being jet-lagged from a trip to Inazuma that then went to Fontaine, he finds himself exhausted in a way that caffeine can’t fix. He slips his phone out of his pocket and quickly texts his boyfriend, asking if he can visit.

🦊: back home

🦚: Ah! You are? That was a long trip… you okay?

🦊: yyyeah tierd :*( tird 00 tired**

🦊: can i come over after i pick up my dog?

🦚: Yeah, of course.

Ajax smiles softly… he can’t wait to pin Kaeya to the sofa and curl up with his head on his lap, maybe fall asleep like that. He drives to the bougie kennel where he set up Buster and pays his fee before taking him back to Kaeya’s place, Buster excitedly whining in the back seat, happy to have his owner home. His training isn’t anywhere close to being finished yet, considering he jumped up on Ajax the moment he saw him, but he’s made some great strides. He knows Dalmatians are harder than most pets to train.

… He got a message from his family earlier. They want him to come back up north— and to bring his new partner with him. It sends a shiver up his spine, because they expect a girlfriend, emphasis on girl. When he told them he was gay ages ago, his parents said ‘no you’re not’ as if… as if that was the end of it? Like, they decided, not him? Mostly his father— but his mother follows his father in everything he says, so…

He needs to talk to Kaeya about it— about… that.

As he pulls in front of Kaeya’s house, he’ll let Buster out after attaching his leash, walking him up to the front door, trusting him but not trusting him enough to let him walk freely beside him when a squirrel could run by. He gives his signature knock, and Kaeya opens the door with his hair in a lopsided bun.

“Ajax…! Welcome home.” He’ll lean in and kiss his cheek, and the whole thing feels so domestic… he’ll walk in and Ajax will follow in step, closing the door behind him and letting Buster run free off his leash. Kaeya got a dog bed just for him when he comes over, and though Kaeya offered to watch Buster while he was gone, Ajax insisted on the kennel for now, because Kaeya’s house is very new and he does not want his dog to chew it up.

“So how was your trip?” He asks as Ajax takes off his work jacket and loosens his tie on his neck, and all of a sudden, Ajax is seized with terror— because while Ajax would not mind cutting ties with his parents, cutting ties with them would mean cutting them with his little siblings, too, and he absolutely can’t do that. He realizes he’s up against the first dealbreaker for their relationship— homophobic parents, who would no doubt be pretty transphobic too, either because they would or wouldn’t consider Kaeya a man, thinking of him as the girlfriend Ajax brought home. It’s lose/lose.

… Kaeya… wouldn’t want to go through that, would he? … He’s already been through a lot in life, what if this is where he calls it quits? Ajax swallows dryly and realizes he hasn’t answered his question.

“Fine… it’s— fine.” He nods. “It was fine. Inazuma’s pretty this time of year— cherry blossoms and stuff. I got you some snacks from there… I found the ones you wanted, too. Was kind of hard, since I couldn’t read the packaging, but I pull through—” He gives a playful laugh, and Kaeya seems to notice that something is off… but at the prospect of finding that treat he’s always wanted to try, he’ll let it slide for now.

Ajax will hand him the convenience store bag of Inazuman snacks and Kaeya will look through them, giving a ‘yessssss’ when he finds the little dark chocolate squares he wanted. He’s going to break out his best wine for this so they can both try it, he’s heard it pairs magnificently with a vintage from Dawn Winery. Ajax will flop on his sofa while Kaeya hurries to the kitchen, the clinking of bottles and wine glasses distracts him momentarily from his predicament.

… he can’t… do this to Kaeya, right?

Like… force him to endure bigotry from his family in one direction or another just because he wants to have his cake and eat it too. Ajax has never wanted anything as much as he wanted Kaeya, but he adores his little siblings, and can’t imagine not being their big brother, or waiting until they grow up to see them again.

… should he break up with him?

The color drains from Ajax’s face as he realizes that that’s probably what he should do. Maybe… he should ask him first, though? Or is that cowardly? Or is not asking stupid?

Kaeya sits next to him with the glasses of wine in hand, giddily opening up the box of chocolate for them to share. He takes a bite of one of the squares and sips his wine immediately after, giving a pleased shiver at how the wine pairs. He encourages Ajax to try it too, and he does— but Ajax tips his wine glass all the way back, pounding it down in a way that surprises Kaeya.

“… you okay?” He asks, an eyebrow raised.

“Kaeya,” Ajax begins. “About my family…”

Kaeya hasn’t heard much about them. He knows Ajax adores his siblings— Kaeya even helped him pick out their gifts for the most recent holiday, listening to his stories about them and how cute they are. He does not mention his parents, but Kaeya always presumed that was because there was little to say. Kaeya, after all, does not often bring up his, even though there’s a lot to say.

“Yeah…?”

“… they want me to bring you home.”

“Well, I can go with you to Snezhnaya. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“No, there is. When I told my dad and mom I was gay years ago, they brushed it off and told me I was being rebellious. If I tried to bring it up ever again, they told me to ‘drop that nonsense’ and wouldn’t hear it. Then, they would ask about girlfriends, and… I don’t think I need to tell you what their opinion of me bringing home a trans boyfriend would be.”

Kaeya pauses… resting his hand over Ajax’s, though it’s hard to keep the hurt out of his voice.

“… are you ashamed—”

“… no, I could never be ashamed of you, Kaeya. I’m ashamed of them. Ashamed that in order to keep my siblings in my life, I have to play nice with them. And ashamed that the best thing that ever happened to me has to deal with the fact that I have such a— such a … dealbreaker.”

Ajax’s voice is tired and morose, his deep blue eyes turning up to look at Kaeya sadly.

“If it is a dealbreaker, then…”

Kaeya shakes his head.

“Ajax… do you think someone’s shitty parents are the first time I’ve ever dealt with those two phobias? … I had to go up against doctors who thought I was lying and were desperate to convince me I was a girl, and my father was my only advocate— and he was stinking rich, and could afford the most supportive doctors. The most supportive doctors were still pricks. I dealt with people in school that Diluc fought with on my behalf on a daily basis— your parents are not the first gauntlet I’ve ran.”

He squeezes Ajax’s hand gently… he knows Ajax is not like his parents, despite being just a little bit uninformed about some things.

“… what do you want to do, though?” He asks, and Ajax pauses.

“… I don’t want to take you to them. I really don’t. The idea that you would have to put up with it—”

Kaeya shakes his head.

“I’m not about to make it so you can’t see your siblings, awkward visits aside… maybe bringing them proof of who and what you are would be an act of defiance? Of proving to them that their smart, cunning, immensely successful son can choose his own damn life? If you let them put you under their thumb, they will.”

“…” He knows Kaeya is right, but to subject Kaeya to that— the coldness that he’d face, the shallow politeness that would change the moment he left the room, to even risk him overhearing… he doesn’t want to open up old wounds for him.

“I just don’t want you to suffer because of me,” Ajax says, tiredly, fidgeting with his hand. “You really are the favorite part of my life. The person I look forward to talking to every day. A reason I get up in the morning and work hard… to put you through that, is…”

“Let me ask you something, then. If your parents said the worst things imaginable to me, would you stand up for me?”

“Huh?”

“Let’s say they call me a girl. Would you correct them? … Or they call me something else— would you tell them off? Ajax, I can face that kind of thing, but I do it better when I have backup. If you can’t, then … it might not work out between us. But if you can… I don’t have any problem going with you and listening to whatever they have to say. Sticks and stones.”

Ajax thinks of his little siblings… his brows knit in worry.

“Of course I would… I guess I’m just afraid.”

“Of?”

“… of losing contact with my siblings.”

Kaeya nods… that is the trickiest part of this… that Ajax wouldn’t be able to see them until they grew up if things went from bad to worse. At the same time, though, if Ajax shows his siblings that he will not back down when it comes to the things that make him happy in life— it will inspire them, too. He is their favorite brother, after all, and his kindness would not be immediately forgotten just because their parents would tell them to forget.

“I understand… think about it, okay? … If you need to push the trip off for a while, you can while you weigh your options.” Kaeya guides Ajax to rest his head in his lap, and Ajax feels tiredness creep up into his bones. He wants to sleep… wants to let this topic fade from his mind. To be stuck between a rock and hard place is an unenviable position.

No matter how much Kaeya protests, says he can take it, he doesn’t want him to be put through that. It’s not fair of Ajax to even ask it of him… Ajax is not used to letting other people take hits for him, even to make a statement. The last thing he’d want to do, ever, is cause Kaeya pain in any way.

…

He never thought he himself would be the deal breaker. That Kaeya wouldn’t be the one to break up with him, but that Ajax might have to. Not because he loves him any less, but because he can’t hurt him.

The guilt gnaws at him for a little bit before he drifts off, having restless dreams while Kaeya turns the TV on at a low volume, letting Ajax catch up on his sleep in his lap and wondering about the things he’s said.

He just hopes he doesn’t do anything reckless, but reckless and Ajax go hand in hand, partners in crime. To ask him to play it safe is to ask him to do something he doesn’t know how to do.

His fingers card through his ginger curls, biting his bottom lip…

He hopes Ajax trusts him, enough to let Kaeya help him, but that’s a tall order. Kaeya himself struggles with it on his end, too, so it’s not as easy as asking… but he’ll hope and pray that he will. It’s all he can do.

Chapter Text

It’s a bit of a complicated situation.

Ajax’s mother is a bit of a meddler— if he told her ‘I don’t have a partner’, she would immediately try to set him up with someone she knows— likely the daughter of a friend that’s around his age who would very much like to be on the arm of a rich businessman, and if he tells his family ‘I’m seeing someone but they’re very busy’, they would just ask over and over when he’s going to bring her home.

And— if he says ‘it’s a boyfriend’, he will be met with dead silence and he will not be allowed to come back home until he breaks up with him.

And if he says ‘I’m not terribly interested in dating, can we just drop this?’, again, it’s met with ignoring what he wants and being set up with a girl he has no interest in dating.

The most convenient option would be not to play this game at all, but Ajax cherishes his siblings… and does not want to be banned from seeing them, so lying about Kaeya being busy over and over only prolongs the inevitable. And Kaeya insists he can take it, and who knows? Maybe his family will change their minds once they meet him.

Ajax knows better.

He knows better, he knows them, he knows his family, and if they don’t accept the simple fact that he himself is gay, there is no way for this to end in anything but disaster… but Kaeya is right. If he doesn’t send a message to his parents that he can’t be controlled and can lead his own life, they will take it as implicit permission to continue controlling.

He messages his elder brother about it, a brother that he trusts because he is, also, a black sheep of the family for coming back from the military less than stable. His elder brother agrees— if Ajax brings home Kaeya, that will likely be the last time he can come home at all. At the same time, his brother tells him to do it.

You can only live for other people for so long, Jax. Sadly, that includes our little siblings… you can either forfeit your happiness to keep our father happy, or you can choose to live for yourself. Do you like this person you’re dating?

… yes, Ajax answers. A lot… he’s not some on-again off-again boyfriend, he’s… my world feels a lot better with him in it.

Well, his brother responds, consider strongly what it would be like to not have him anymore because you chose our parents instead. Think long and hard about it before you bring him home.

And… the way his brother phrased that— there is no instance in his life where Ajax would ever choose his parents. His parents hardly chose him in the first place— they shipped him off when he was a troublemaker in his teens, citing how they ‘couldn’t deal with this right now’, when Ajax didn’t even think fighting was that big of a deal. Hell, it was probably something that could have been solved if his parents were just—

Better.

He knows the only reason he gets their text messages anymore is because he sends home money to help with his siblings, and also because having a Harbinger son is a brag-worthy thing, something to gossip and be proud of— Ajax doesn’t doubt that if he did everything his parents said, they might come around to loving him someday, but it truly would be that conditional.

And so, he thinks about it.

He thinks, and he thinks…

And he books two seats for a flight to Snezhnaya.

Kaeya isn’t even remotely nervous. After all, it was made clear that he wouldn’t be impressing these people no matter what, by sheer virtue of what he is. Therefore, what is there to be afraid of? Failing? Being not enough in their eyes? Maybe if impressing Ajax’s family was actually on the table, Kaeya would be a little nervous about his ability to do so— however, since he is already rejected on the basis of who he is, there’s this inner defiance in his heart that doesn’t permit him anxiety. He’s here to send a message, so that’s what he’ll do.

Ajax, meanwhile, has thrown up twice at the airport.

Kaeya really suggests that he goes and sees a doctor for his trigger-happy gag reflex or reflux or whatever— but Ajax says he’s always been like this and they’ve never really found a cause for it. Furthermore, even if he wasn’t, he’s pretty sure he’d still be throwing up from fear. So much is on the line, and so much hinges on his parents being people he knows they’re not. His father might close the door in their faces, and his mother is so passive that she just goes along with whatever her husband says, only taking authority when it comes to ordering the kids around.

“… do you think they’ll hurt me?” Kaeya asks, raising a brow.

“No! No, they’re not insane— they’re…” Ajax struggles to explain. “My dad is stuck in his ways. If he saw your car broken down on the side of the road, he would neither hurt nor help you. He’d just keep driving… when he’d stop and help anyone else. That’s what I mean— bigotry isn’t always massive acts of violence, sometimes it’s little things. Disdain, rejection, and just being shitty.”

Kaeya nods… he’s been through enough of it himself to know what he means. He’s not going to be worried on that front, then… but…

“Ajax…” He begins, finally showing some doubt. “… you don’t have to choose me over your family.”

“…”

“I know how important your siblings are to you, and your parents are the locked gate that keeps you from them if you don’t fall in line. I do think you should stand up to them, but I also know that there’s consequences to that. So… just be sure, okay?”

“No, I have to.” He sighs, exhaling through his nose. “They can’t control me forever— and there’s no changing who I am. Therefore… nothing to do but to do it.”

He smiles so sadly at Kaeya, turning his head to him…

“But I can’t promise that after, I’ll be the happiest guy in the world… it might take me some time to recover. Can I count on you?”

Kaeya nods, and their group is called to board.

Ajax takes Kaeya’s hand and squeezes it. That feeling of defiance that Kaeya feels, Ajax feels it too. It’s just tempered by the fact that he won’t see Teucer, Anton, or Tonia until they move out after this visit… a deep depression wells up in him at that thought, but— at the same time, he wants to take something away from his parents. He wants to take away their right to brag about him, to be unable to tell their neighbors why they never bring up their successful son anymore.

They can’t take credit for what he is; Ajax made himself , without their help, and Ajax is finally choosing his own happiness versus theirs. He imagines that’s what will piss them off most of all. Not being gay, not the boyfriend… but that simple act of rebellion, of asserting that he means more to himself than they do to him.

After all, family comes first, back home. Maybe it’s time he got to work on choosing who is and isn’t family.

He stands at the doorway to the house, squeezing Kaeya’s hand, who squeezes it back reassuringly. Before he can even knock, Teucer throws open the door and throws himself into Ajax’s arms, eagerly calling out to his siblings that their big brother is home. Tonia follows suit, along with Anton— and soon, Ajax is surrounded on all sides by his siblings. Ajax coming home means a lot of things— it means he likely brought them gifts, it means he’ll play with them, it means just getting to see their favorite brother.

Ajax bristles when he hears his mom’s footsteps approach, and she looks to Ajax and then to Kaeya with a smile.

“Who’s this, who’s this? What’s her name?” She asks, excitedly. Kaeya would ordinarily flinch when someone gets it wrong, but— he kind of expected it, this time.

“ His name is Kaeya,” Ajax begins, “And he’s my boyfriend.”

Ordinarily, there would be silence so tense you could hear a pin drop, but between his excited siblings, asking what he’s brought and if he’ll play with them, there’s no opportunity for a hostile stare. Instead, she shelves whatever she was going to say and welcomes them in, and if there’s one thing that she, Ajax, his father, and Kaeya all agree on, it’s that you don’t start adult fights in front of kids. Only Tonia seems to understand what’s wrong with what was just said, looking to Kaeya with some due surprise.

Kaeya looks around, committing every corner of the home to memory because he knows he’ll likely be here only the once, and not for very long. There are crocheted blankets lying atop the sofa, numerous family photos but few with Ajax in them. It seems the family favors the youngest three in terms of pictures, along with a few of the three oldest. No room for middle children, it feels like… But the house is cozy and Kaeya, if he didn’t think right now that he was on thin ice, would enjoy it in its comfortable, homey aesthetic.

Ajax will bring in his luggage and immediately open it up, then and there, because his siblings are standing around him and he always brings home something fun— and what he brought this time was truly special, because he knew there would be a good chance it would be the last gift he could give them for a while. It’s three of a brand new, recently released video game console— but one with its own screen, so they don’t have to plug it into the TV and take it up from the rest of the family. He packed a lot of games with it, too, and there was a slight ulterior motive with choosing this— With this, his siblings will be too busy to notice any antagonism shared by the adults in the house.

It was pricey, but Ajax hardly blinked at the receipt when he picked them up. His siblings squeal with delight as he tells them this is their birthday gift for the year, and they thank him excitedly and pick out which color they each want… Kaeya smiles softly at the sight of them eagerly looking through the games… snickering a bit when he sees Nightfortress 2 amongst the games.

Maybe this will go okay— better than he expected. He’ll follow Ajax to his childhood bedroom, laughing a little when he sees the small bed they’ll have to share— ah well, they’ll just have to cuddle super close. Ajax’s smile fades the moment he steps into his bedroom.

“… Kaeya, if you ever want to leave, just tell me, okay? We’ll be gone.”

“It’s okay, Ajax.” He pats his cheek. “Like I said, this is not the worst of what I’ve had to confront over the years, and not the first time.”

Ajax nods, staring into space for a second…

“Alright. Let’s… let’s go see Dad.”

While the sound of kids playing video games fills the living room, dead quiet fills the kitchen. Ajax’s father immediately stares at Kaeya, and Kaeya has to look away. He knows what he’s thinking— and it’s not ‘about time Ajax brought someone home’. Ajax’s mother fusses over the kitchen sink, washing a plate so that her hands are busy with something.

“I thought you were going to bring home a girlfriend,” Her voice has that passive aggressive hurriedness to it, as if she’s distracting herself. “Imagine my shock, when…”

Ajax shrugs. “I mean, this shouldn’t be a surprise? I told you both I was gay at least five times—”

She mutters something like ‘thought it was a rebellious phase like you always had’ and something in Snezhnayan, and Kaeya gets the distinct impression that he won’t be understanding a lot of their conversations today. Ajax goes to help with getting dinner ready, muttering something to her back, and that’s where Kaeya loses the thread of the conversation.

…

He looks at Ajax’s father.

A man with ginger hair that has white streaks, and a perpetual resting bitch face— or maybe he’s just furious to see Kaeya here. Well, Kaeya isn’t going to put himself in Ajax’s mother’s radius— he’ll sit across from his father at the table and get out his phone, pretending to read it. He doesn’t anticipate he’ll say a single thing, and he doesn’t.

Ajax looks at his mother with a slight glare, whispering, “You could be nicer to him.”

“Ajax, in my home?”

“You demanded this— demanded time and time again to bring home my partner.”

“Well, if you were honest with us…”

“I was. I told you my orientation and gave you no indication it had ever changed.”

She doesn’t answer him, instead focusing on getting dinner on the table. Ajax will help, if only to give himself something to do, and that seems to be the end of the conversation for now. She’ll call in the three youngest to sit at the table, and Ajax will sit across from them. Thankfully, the conversation takes on the lively tone of the games Ajax brought back— but his parents, notably, do not speak much. Kaeya directs no questions at them and gets none in turn, when ordinarily, he would.

He is here to make a statement— to antagonize any further than that is pointless and will only lead to trouble.

The kids eat fast, eager to get back to the video games, while the adults take their time. Kaeya likes the food— it’s homey cooking, but he somehow can’t bring himself to compliment it. It tastes like Ajax’s cooking, and he envisions Ajax teaching himself his family recipes to comfort himself away from home, when he was in that awful boarding school for problem kids. Kaeya will finish his plate even without any appetite, and Ajax will too.

Ajax is just waiting for them to say something— to him, to Kaeya, and when it happens…

At first, his mother just cleans everything up wordlessly, but Ajax’s father turns to Kaeya, and surprisingly, addresses him.

“In this house, cleaning up after dinner is a woman’s chore.”

He offers his plate to Kaeya.

Ajax sees red.

“It’s nobody’s chore in particular, Dad,” Ajax quickly says, standing up and taking that plate before Kaeya can and walking it to the sink. “We can all pitch in and help.”

“Hm.”

The only reason Ajax is civil at this moment is because his siblings are in the living room next to the kitchen, and the only thing every adult in this house agrees on is you do not start fights in front of the children. Kaeya… blinks, surprised that his father would be so overt. It stings, of course, makes him bristle in a way that it used to when it happened more frequently, when his classmates knew him pre-transition… but more than that, more than anger or offense, it makes Kaeya sad, because if Ajax grew up surrounded by this kind of thing and still came out to be the sweetest guy—

— how much did he endure?

Ajax will come back, resting a hand on Kaeya’s shoulder as he hears the kids head up to their bedrooms upstairs to get ready for bed and likely continue to play their games— he’ll lean in and whisper to Kaeya.

“Babe, could you be a peach and pack our things for us?” They didn’t unpack. He’s just politely ushering Kaeya out of the room, and Kaeya senses that Ajax is about to have some strong words with his parents. He nods, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before he stands up and walks back to Ajax’s room.

Ajax smiles, watching him walk off, before his expression darkens and he turns back to face his parents, who are both staring at him now, his mother with arms crossed and his father lighting a cigarette in his chair.

“How dare you.”

His father begins, “You know, you bring this into our house—”

“How dare you act like this . Like—”

“You expose our kids to this—”

“He has done nothing to you. Nothing. I can’t believe you’d act like a fucking bigot to his face.” A white hot rage burns in Ajax’s voice, in his blood, in his heart. “Listen to me. I have done everything you ever wanted since I turned fourteen. When I was a kid, I let myself be shipped off to that terrible school— I joined the Fatui and I rose through the ranks so I could do something nice for this family, to apologize for being a brat you couldn’t manage. I am the most successful person in this family and it isn’t even close.”

His father scoffs. “Your uncle—”

“— is a war vet who drinks his liver to death every weekend he gets the chance. The fact that he earned one medal is nothing on me. I’ve made more money than the last ten generations of our family. I’ve put in the time, the effort, the work into becoming what I am. And my whole life, I haven’t asked you for anything. I’ve just worked . This— Kaeya? — he’s the one thing I’ve wanted for myself.”

“She-”

Ajax’s fist comes down on the table, shaking it and everything that’s still sitting on it.

“DON’T YOU START!”

He wishes they wore even the slightest bit of surprise on their face, but they’re schooling their expressions to stay disappointed and annoyed. Typical of them, to not even care when he’s pouring out his soul.

“Don’t… you fucking dare. Don’t you dare talk about him like that. Don’t you dare call him something he’s not. I know what you two are doing— you’re using the fact that I’ll always come home to my siblings to try and control me. To force me into the mold you wanted for me when neither of you even like me to begin with.”

Surprisingly, it’s his mom coming in with the next words, wondering if she went too far… or perhaps, just trying to calm him down. “Ajax…”

“… I don’t want to hear it from you, either. You enable him. You let him do whatever the hell he wants and you agree with the things he says, so you let him talk. I… I can’t come back here. Not when you’re this. You can call me for money or favors or to fix the fucking roof when you get your act together but not a second before.”

He knew it’d be bad. He didn’t think it would be this bad. He didn’t think they would be so obvious— he thought the rejection would be a silent disdain. He thought they would be rude, but this?

… his older brother was right. Kaeya was right. He can’t do it— even though he loves his siblings more than life itself, he cannot be obedient to two people who act like this and treat him and who he loves like this. He stalks off to his bedroom, but not before making a stop at his siblings’ door.

Teucer looks up at him with a surprised look— he heard shouting, but he has no idea what it was about.

“Is everything okay? …”

“Teucer…” Ajax begins. “… it might be a long time before I can come home again.”

“… no! You have to come back!”

“It might not be up to me… but…” He gets something out of his pocket. It’s a cell phone… it’s his last resort. He bought one before he came here, and stocked it up on minutes. “You can keep in contact with me, okay…? Call me whenever you need me, and your big brother will always be happy to talk to you. I’d move heaven and earth for you and your brother and sister— though it might be a while before I can see you again. I put my number on this… keep it hidden and don’t let mom and dad find it, okay? Only Tonia and Anton can know about it.”

He ruffles his hair, a sad smile on his face…

“… I gotta go, now. Will you— be strong? Be an awesome brother to your siblings? … Be a good kid, okay?”

Kaeya can’t overhear everything Ajax is saying, but he does hear sniffling as the other two siblings step into view, having heard what he just said and asking why he’ll go away… his little brother seems to understand that this might be goodbye for a long time. He hears the three of them cling to Ajax and sees it from the cracked door… his heart breaks in two, realizing this is because of him.

Ajax walks back to his room, looks around it like he knows this is the last time he’ll see it, and takes a few things with him— sentimental things he’ll miss, and shoves them into his suitcase.

“Let’s go, Kaeya.”

They’ll have to book a flight on short notice, but it won’t be a problem. Kaeya reaches up to cup Ajax’s face… a guilt starting to gnaw at him for encouraging him to do this. Ajax’s gaze is empty, but resolved. Even if it wasn’t Kaeya, it would have been someone else— and that hypothetical boyfriend wouldn’t have deserved this, either.

The two walk their luggage down the hall, greeted by no one. Kaeya glances to the kitchen, but doesn’t see his parents there— but he hears them talking, so they must be out of sight.

Kaeya reaches for Ajax’s hand and squeezes it. He does not squeeze back, but he doesn’t have to.

With that, the two leave— walking out into the snowy dark of the evening, to their rental car and inevitably, back to the airport.

Chapter Text

Ajax opens the door to his apartment.

His dog sitter is there, and said sitter stares at him with an eyebrow raised. It’s one of the people from work, someone who Tartaglia was able to boss around and make do his bidding under the distinct impression that he would get a promotion for it. He won’t, but that’s all right. Ajax will still pay him.

Numbly, he gets his phone out of his pocket and enters the username and price into Venmora and sends the payment. Kaeya stands just behind Ajax, and really… the guilt is all consuming. Ajax did this for him. Ajax lost contact with his siblings for him— and usually, Kaeya self-imposes punishment for this sort of thing, but Ajax asked if Kaeya would stay by his side for a little while, so here he is.

The dog sitter leaves and Buster trots up to Ajax, sensing his mood is low and seeming uncertain as to whether or not excitement or calm is appropriate when Ajax isn’t hyping him up. He leans forward and licks at his hand, and Ajax ruffles his ears. He… never got to show his siblings his dog. It stands out to him now, a thing that simply stings in the way it occurs to him.

Kaeya just isn’t sure what to do. Should he be holding him, hugging him, reassuring him? Or would Ajax really appreciate his distance from the person he just screwed himself out of family for? There has to be resentment there, right? But Ajax takes his hand and squeezes it, looking at Kaeya with the most depressed stare he’s ever seen anyone wear, and he’s lived with Diluc.

“Don’t run from me, Kaeya,” Ajax mutters, “I might not recover if you do.”

“Oh… I wouldn’t, it’s just…” He sighs, trying to find the right words. “It’s hard not to blame myself for this, you know? It was over me.”

“It would have been over any boyfriend…” Ajax smiles sadly. “So don’t blame yourself. Everything that was said and done back there, it was— a matter of time, not a matter of who.”

Though he knows that’s true when you deal with people like that, Kaeya doesn’t feel any better for it, like he knows the blame sits squarely on his shoulders regardless of whether or not it would have sat on someone else’s. It doesn’t make him feel better to know that Ajax chose him and his own freedom over something that must have been equally important to him— his family, in the form of his younger siblings.

Kaeya’s brows furrow as he purses his lips, looking up at Ajax.

“You can yell at me, if you want.”

“…?” Ajax blinks. “Why would I?”

“It’s my fault. Even if it’s just to get your aggression and sadness out, I can take it.”

Ajax pauses, realizing what’s happening here.

“Kaeya… you might think you’re to blame, but you did nothing wrong. Got that? Absolutely nothing. There’s no reason to seek punishment when my parents were the ones who were assholes.”

“Yeah, but…” Kaeya falters, staring at him. “You must be feeling some kind of rage, right? Anger? Depression? Venting it out feels good.”

“In truth… I’d just like to lie in bed and hold you for a bit.” He smiles, a bit weakly, but it’s there. “After that, I’ll learn to be okay.”

It’s something antithetical to Kaeya’s nature to just… not take the blame for something that is clearly and obviously his fault, at least when he’s with someone he cares deeply about. He wants Ajax to express what is no doubt hurt in his heart— but the only way he’s dealt with this kind of pain before is through the anger of his brother. Therefore, he thinks that Ajax is lying and must be feeling some kind of anger as well… right? He doesn’t consider that the despair of a situation you can’t change like this doesn’t always take on the tone of agitation, but melancholy.

He follows Ajax to his bedroom, gaze lowered to the floor with the pale white light of a cloudy afternoon casting the room in the same dreariness. Ajax crashes onto the bed and holds his arms out; Kaeya obliges him by falling into them.

He has to make this up to him. Somehow. He needs to… he needs to validate that he was the right choice, even though this whole scenario isn’t about right choices, it’s about family being egregiously shitty and taking away the right to be oneself. Kaeya talks before he even thinks the words through.

“Want to move in with me?”

“…?”

Ajax shifts him around so that Kaeya is laying on his side and facing him.

“… Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I mean— you probably pay stupid amounts of rent here, it’s just practical.”

Ajax pauses, before he answers him. On some level, he knows. He knows Kaeya is only offering because Kaeya was what has kept Ajax happy for so long— gave him a goal, gave him the good feelings, gave him the serotonin and dopamine and all that great stuff. On the other, that is what he sorely needs right now— more of the sweet drug that is Kaeya. He weighs his options like he’s desperately trying to decide if saying ‘no’ is the more reasonable thing to do, because he can see right through Kaeya.

“Okay,” is what he says instead, though.

It might be inevitable anyway, but Ajax quickly doubles back and realizes something; what if Ajax is trapping him with him? What if he’s accepting knowing full well it will be harder to tear them apart if they live together? What if Kaeya wants to leave—

“… only if you really want to, though. Because— you don’t need to do this just to make me feel better.” Ajax tries, and Kaeya sighs a bit, shaking his head.

“… alright,” He murmurs, sitting up in bed, drawing his legs beneath him to look at Ajax while he lays down, sprawled out on his bed. “Let’s hash this out.”

“…?”

“… Ajax, I would only offer if I wanted you there. You know that, right?” Kaeya tilts his head as he traces his fingers along his jaw. “I … the reason this hurts… the reason I wanted you to yell at me— is ironically, because I love you.” He murmurs for the first time, the first time those words have ever been spoken between them. “If I was in your shoes, I would be enraged— despondent, heartbroken, because I did lose my sibling once before. Admittedly, it was his fault— well, our shared faults— but the feelings were still here.” He rests his hand over his chest.

“… you want me to yell at you because you think that’s how people grieve.” Ajax murmurs.

“Well, yes, isn’t it?”

“Not everyone.” Ajax pulls himself to sit, cross-legged across from him. “I… I don’t typically get mad like I did at the house. That’s not how I deal. What I heard and saw when my family treated you like shit, was them trying to ruin the one thing that has made me happier than I’ve ever been in my life for the stupidest reason. That’s the kind of thing that makes me angry— when what I love is taken from me.” And of course, that goes for the siblings he’s cherished, too. “But you didn’t take ‘you’ away from me. You went along with my stupid plan. You knew it was going to end badly but you did it anyway, because you knew it was important.”

He takes Kaeya’s hand in his, holding it limply as he shrugs his shoulders forward. “I… jeez. I love you too, Kaeya… I would not risk losing my siblings for just anyone, just to make a point and a statement. I don’t know what it is about you… what… changes the gears in my head whenever I look at you, but I am obsessed with you. And that scares me, because I don’t want you to feel like you have to be stuck with me and my baggage just because I’ll cling too tight.”

Kaeya stares at him for a moment, taking the hand that’s holding his into both of his hands.

“You realize I don’t want to go, right?”

“…?”

“I don’t. I run from people by habit, Ajax. If they get too close, if I get too close, if I see things that aren’t there and things that are— some part of my head tells me that too much of a good thing means I have more to lose. It’s… an instinct I’ve had to fight this entire time… maybe that’s why I wanted you to yell.” He sighs. “… you keep talking about me like I’m some ethereal thing… beautiful and unobtainable, but the truth is, I’m a real problem, Ajax. I always have to fight this instinct to ruin things.”

Ajax stays quiet as Kaeya continues to speak, his gaze flitting up to him as he does.

“… but you’re far more … what’s the word— perfect? Than I’ll ever be. Because I know how I’d react if I were in your shoes, and I would be single shortly thereafter. If I had a little sister or brother I cared about more than anything and I lost them for some guy, I’d… probably harbor resentment. But… I guess I’m not you.”

“… you don’t really get it, huh?” Ajax tangles his fingers with his, locking them together. “You didn’t do that. You didn’t take them away— maybe you think that because we knew how they’d react, you’re to blame, but it’s them. My mom and my dad, who made that decision to cherish— I don’t know, ignorance over their own damn son. I don’t blame you because there’s no blame to place on your shoulders for this. You didn’t act up, you didn’t say anything out of place, you were just there.”

Ajax’s hand squeezes just a bit. “You were just there… and that’s all they needed to be shitty. That’s why I can’t forgive them.”

Kaeya falls silent again, though he’ll speak one more time.

“How much is the rent here?”

“It’s about—300,000 mora a month.”

“Th— jeez, Ajax, there isn’t even a pool here. What are you paying that much for? Now you have to move in with me. I refuse to let you piss away money like that when I have a perfectly good bed for you to sleep in and a small yard that Buster can run around.”

… maybe Kaeya is better at taking care of people than he thinks he is.

Ajax hesitated because who would want to be stuck with me after having to deal with my family drama, but it seems as long as Kaeya is reassured once, twice, thrice that he’s wanted, he won’t hesitate on returning the same feelings.

“Really?” Ajax asks, quietly.

“Mhm. Do you want to pack?”

It’s menial labor that won’t require as many brain cells as it will muscles, so Kaeya thinks it might be a good distraction.

“… yeah.” Ajax says, feeling some kind of heartbreak mend. When the door closes, another opens. He lost his childhood home in favor of the one he’ll live in with his soulmate… some wouldn’t call that the fairest trade, but to Ajax?

It’s everything.

In a week’s time, Ajax has broken his lease and all of his stuff has been moved from his old apartment. He stands in the kitchen of Kaeya— well, no, his and Kaeya’s house and cracks two eggs one-handed into a frying pan. Kaeya has already left for the day, he wakes up at 4 AM to get ready for his barista job after all.

(“Why haven’t you quit? You’re loaded.”

“Mm, well. Albedo would kill me for doing to him what Eula did.”

“What did Eula do?”

“Oh, you don’t want to know.”)

As a matter of fact, Kaeya will be home soon, and the 10 AM breakfast they’ll share before they enjoy their day (Ajax is working from home today; co-opting the RGB nightmare gaming rig to do his work on) is going to become a habit.

Princess hops on the counter next to him and Ajax once again scoops her up like a football to set her down on the floor.

“Counter isn’t for kitties… man, Kaeya really spoiled you.” He boops her nose gently. “Then again, you didn’t have much space to roam in that old apartment, but there’s always teaching an old cat new tricks.”

meow

“I know, I know, you’re only 3 years old. I bet that’s sort of old for a cat.”

meow

“It isn’t? … I suppose you don’t look a day over 12 months—”

He goes back to scrambling eggs and pushing them aside to fit more things within the breakfast skillet, and like she didn’t learn her lesson, Princess hops up on the counter again. Ajax scoops her up and deposits her on her cat tree this time, moving the dangling cat toy hanging from it in order to entice her and distract her— and it works, the little squeaky mouse has her full attention.

…

He does get messages from his siblings from time to time— he can tell they’re pretty miserable about having to be secretive about it, though. He asks them if anything’s changed, and Tonia truthfully answered that their parents act like Ajax never existed in the first place, and he wishes he could say that stings— they’re his parents, after all— it’s also completely what he expected.

He knows he’ll see them again someday, it just won’t be any time soon.

Ajax won’t dwell on it, though, he’ll wait until he hears the door open and Kaeya’s tired sigh as he hangs up his coat and apron and starts off with ‘someone wanted a strawberry cooler without any strawberry in it and I about committed a murder—’

“Strawberry pieces or just strawberry entirely?” Ajax calls out from the other room.

“Entirely. I told them that was tonic water and lemon, but they were undeterred.”

“Did they get mad when you gave them their order?”

“Oh, absolutely. Asked me why it wasn’t sweet and wanted a refund…”

“Why do you subject yourself to retail hell again?”

“I’ll quit the moment Albedo has someone new lined up. He was interviewing a kid named Bennett today.”

… and that will be its own chaos, its own story, and its own nightmare within a small cafe kitchen, but it won’t be Kaeya’s problem. He brings himself up to sit on the kitchen counter as he watches Ajax work and plate up a late breakfast. He’s known for working late into the night, so Ajax has decided to align his first meal of the day’s with Kaeya’s second, just so they can eat together.

“… it smells really good,” Kaeya murmurs. “Though you always make the best breakfasts— ah, don’t tell Addie I said that.”

“I would have to talk to Addie to be able to tell her, but I’m afraid nothing could stop me from bragging about how delicious you find my cooking.”

Kaeya slides down from the kitchen counter and wraps his arms around his waist, leaning his chin over his shoulder. “Noooo, don’t get me in trouble with her—”

“Can you imagine? If I dug up her social media and messaged her just to say that—”

“She would be on her way to prove both of us wrong.”

Ajax shrugs. “Ah, well…”

He sets both plates at their kitchen table and Kaeya sits down in the chair across from his. They set to eating in comfortable quiet, words about work interspersed here and there. It really does feel like home… like… something warm. A place that Ajax always looks forward to returning to. Kaeya’s here, their cute pets are here, it’s cozy and comfortable, and…

… drip, drip.

A wet tear falls onto Ajax’s plate, followed by another. He didn’t even realize he was crying, but it’s so strange— he’s not sad. And he’s never been the kind to cry from joy, either, so what is this? It hurts, but in a good way, but it also still hurts—

“… ? … Ajax?”

“H- haha, your guess is as good as mine,” He mutters, wiping his eyes with the tips of his fingers. Maybe it’s just having everything he’s ever wanted has come tinged with the fact that he had a bittersweet loss to accompany it. Ajax is in a home where he’s loved, that he can always return to, something he hasn’t had since he was fourteen. Kaeya pushes himself to stand up and walks over behind his chair, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and resting his cheek on the top of his head.

“It’s okay…” Kaeya murmurs, swaying gently from side to side. “I got you.”

… why does that almost make it worse? Better? Some combination of the two? He wants to cry harder, but he also wants to smile, and it’s such a confusing feeling that he doesn’t really know how to deal with it, so he stands up and wraps his arms around Kaeya’s waist.

“… jeez… got emotional over the fact that… I— shit, I’m not alone anymore, am I?”

“…” Kaeya tilts his head, reaching his hand up to cup his cheek.

“I have a home— like, anyone can have a house, but I have a home. I get to share two cute pets with you, we get to eat breakfast like this every day. I gave up a lot to have this, but it’s still… the best thing I’ve ever had…”

Kaeya’s thumb brushes away his tears, and a soft smile crosses his lips.

“I know how you feel.” Kaeya murmurs. “I get a strong, cute boyfriend who’s good at cooking that I can come home to from work every single day. Stars, I’m lucky.”

He’ll wrap his arms around him, and the tears will start to fade as Ajax wraps his arms around his waist and buries his face in the crook of his shoulder.

Home, he’s home.

What a wonderful thing to have.

END ACT 1

Chapter Text

Two Years Later

This is too many good things.

Too many— Kaeya realizes he’s hit the quota for his life being perfect and that means it’s all downhill from here.

It is a law that bad follows good closer than Princess follows Kaeya when he has the can opener; bad is good’s best friend, and shows up to crash all its parties. What will it take the form of… illness? A stalker? Straight up cold blooded murder? An accident? Suddenly, the prospect of the unknown manifesting in a way he can’t predict is scarier than whatever it might potentially be.

His bed is warm, and cozy, and comfortable. At the foot of the blankets lays Buster and in between him and Ajax, enjoying all of their warmth, is Princess. He wants to ask Ajax if he feels it too, some sort of calm before a storm, but Ajax is peacefully sleeping and Kaeya does not wish to wake him. He’ll have to pry himself out of the warmth that is their shared bed and get ready for work, knowing that every extra minute spent in bed is one that takes away another minute of being able to do his hair.

He gets up, walks to his shower and runs the faucet to get the water hot before he runs the shower. He can hear Ajax’s groan of complaint as he feels the spot where Kaeya once was, picking up Princess into his arms as he complains that Kaeya abandoned him to the cold… oh no…

Kaeya peeks out of the bathroom at him with a wry smile, “You know, you’re free to join me in the shower.”

He sees the blankets lift where Ajax’s head is in interest. He can literally feel him weighing his options before he slides out of bed to Princess’ complaint. Ajax will do many things to see Kaeya naked, and getting up out of bed early in the morning is one of them. He stretches his arms above his head, his shirt slightly lifted by the gesture, and god, does it make Kaeya want to kiss him some more.

He steps into the shower and hears the rustle of clothes as Ajax quickly discards his and gets in after him. Immediately, lips are on the back of his shoulder, spoiling him with affection as Kaeya playfully rolls his hips against his groin as he leans forward to adjust the temperature just the way Ajax likes it. Kaeya is sleepy, far too much to do anything sexier than that, but intimacy is a whole other story. He’ll close the gap between them, press a few kisses to Ajax’s lips as he lathers his hair with soap and water.

He loves the feeling of Ajax’s hair between his fingers when it’s wet, the way it naturally curls, almost as much as he loves carding his fingers through his hair when it’s dry and fluffy right after a shower, how it springs back into its usual style. Kaeya will spend hours with Ajax asleep in his lap just threading his fingers through those curls, lost in thought and in bliss.

Ajax is greedy with his hands, often grabs where he shouldn’t just for the privilege of touching him— his hands take a generous handful of chest and squeezes gently just because he likes the feeling of it beneath his palm. Ajax is… shameless. He takes his affection where he can get it, and fantasizes often and regularly about the life they have and they’ll have together.

He’s going to ask him to marry him.

It’s going to be soon.

And then, their lives will begin.

Ajax wants his whole life in this little house (unless they find somewhere better, of course, which he thinks is a tall order anyway), he wants it spent by Kaeya’s side through thick and thin, sickness and in health, all that good stuff. Gods, it’s shameless, but he actually wants kids with him, too— now that he knows he’s capable, of course, and also wants that in his future too. They’ve discussed it, here and there in the form of jokes— “Don’t do too much to the guest room, that’s our future son or daughter’s room,” while redecorating the house.

Ajax gets lost in those eyes, even now, even when water is running down his face and making him squint. He hopes one day he’ll hold a son or daughter and those eyes will stare at him back. It’s so ballsy, so shameless, to think of these things when he knows Kaeya can look at his face and deduce what he’s imagining half the time, just from the dopey, dreamy expression he wears.

Kaeya washes him up and Ajax does the same, washing his hair delicately but with that strong, almost hairdresser-like grip that Kaeya finds so soothing. The shower is over and done with far too soon, and Ajax steps out to put on a towel and put on a fresh set of pajamas. He’s not working today, and Kaeya—

— has a new job! It’s not much, though, because not even miracles can make a Communications degree useful. He manages another location of a Favonius Brews, while Albedo has the last location. It’s a nepotism job, to be sure, but Kaeya’s not complaining about being on his brother’s payroll— at least, not anymore.

Ajax hears Princess yelling, the cue that 8 AM has rolled around. Has… it really been that long while they were in the shower? Ah well, time can get away from them in there. Ajax goes to feed her, and then prepare breakfast for the two of them in the kitchen. Buster lazily gets up from bed and trots after to get his breakfast as well.

Kaeya will spend the next hour getting ready for work, so Ajax has plenty of time to cook them a fabulous breakfast. After cracking open the can of food for Princess and one for Buster as well, he decides to make crepes today, mixing together the batter and getting out the special instrument he uses to thin the batter against the pan. Kaeya loves crepes— he’s always had a taste for the finer things, after all, and crepes are a bitch to get right.

But Ajax is undaunted in the kitchen, and so crepes Kaeya will have.

By the time a good stack of them sits on the kitchen counter, with cream, strawberries, blueberries and little mandarin orange slices between the layers, Kaeya wanders in and slips his arms around Ajax and kisses his cheek.

Too much of a good thing, Kaeya reminds himself, and though he freezes for a second, he melts against Ajax with a soft smile. Ajax seems to sense he bristled for a moment, but maybe something just surprised him—

This dread has settled into Kaeya for quite a while.

He’s well aware that when something is too precious, too wonderful, it will leave him. It’s one of the most deeply rooted things in his soul, that fear of abandonment and the desire to abandon before the abandoning happens to him. It started with his parents, continued with Diluc, and he’s worried that a trend repeats itself, as does history. Even so, he can’t help but hold tighter to him, afraid of that day he says the wrong, rude thing that pushes him away.

And Ajax has no clue.

Of course he wouldn’t, Kaeya talks about many things but his inner turmoil is not one of them.

“Crepes…!” Kaeya exclaims, looking at the stack with eyes lit up. “Thank you, love…”

“I know they’re your favorite.” Ajax says, sitting at the kitchen table. “Hey, Kaeya—”

Dread dread dread fear fear fear loss loss loss what is he going to say—

“Yes…?”

“Um, can I ask you something?”

DREAD.

“Sure, go for it.”

“… when you said we should keep the spare bedroom sparse because you don’t want to move furniture in and out of it too much for when we inevitably use it for a baby—”

“…”

… dread? … No, now Kaeya’s just confused.

“— did you… mean that?”

Kaeya swallows. His answer will change his life one way or another— knowing one answer will push Ajax away and the other… well.

“… while I was joking,” Kaeya raises a brow at him as he sips his orange juice. “… I’m not opposed. But not yet.”

…

Ajax’s eyes light up like the sun, a rare sparkle they don’t often possess.

“Really…?”

Kaeya wonders if he’s eager to replace the family he’s lost with one of his own making— and… that idea, to Kaeya, feels nice as well. Even though he’s regained Diluc in some small way, he does… want…

…

His wants are similar to Ajax’s; he’d like to hold a little gingersnap someday, a reflection of someone he loves.

“Yes, but not yet. We’d be skipping a few steps, Ajax.”

Right, first comes love (checkmark), then comes marriage (pending), then comes— god, he can’t believe that childish rhyme popped up in his head just now. It is an apt timeline, though, for what Kaeya just described. Ajax opens his mouth, and Kaeya puts his finger to his lips immediately.

“… if you propose to me in the middle of our kitchen because you want to make me a brownie cake that’s congratulating me on a baby, I’ll be just a little miffed.”

“…” Ajax closes his mouth— he can’t believe he just almost let loose his practiced speech like a rambling waterfall. “Got it.”

Even so, his movements seem… hurried, now. Excited. Thrilled. He cuts into his crepes as if he needs to rush off and plan the perfect proposal before someone else somehow trips into their house and accidentally proposes to Kaeya and Kaeya accidentally says yes— like some sort of Corpse Bride situation.

His mind is really going in bizarre directions, this morning.

As he finishes off his plate, he leans over and gives Kaeya a very berry-tasting kiss. Kaeya returns it, closing his eyes for just a moment while he relaxes into it.

“I’m gonna fold laundry,” The universal yet unspoken love language of ‘I love you, I love you so goddamn much, thank you for this’. Kaeya sees eagerness in every step he takes, and it feels like wheels are turning with that one conversation… he falters, just for a moment, thinking that the wheel of time will spin too quickly, and if he blinks, he’ll be in a chapel’s bridal suite by tomorrow.

It’s intimidating.

But… it’s not rejection. It’s not abandonment. So it’s not the worst thing in the world that Kaeya unspeakably fears. It’s just marriage. And a family.

(Oh, lord help him, his poor body will never be the same, and he really likes his goddamn body as it is—)

Right.

It’s just the two biggest commitments one person can undertake short of being a Grandmaster or President.

Kaeya is doomed.

Ajax is a bit of a daydreamer.

As he folds laundry, he imagines what it’d be like to be a dad. He imagines it’s a lot more laundry, and a lot more cooking, and a lot less sleep, but so much happiness. Tantrums in grocery stores, and playing games imitated from children’s shows. It’s watching the same movie five times a day because your son or daughter is obsessed with it and knows it by heart. And, of course, at times it’s a problem. Ajax was one of those problems, but… at the same time, he wonders if he really was, or if it was his parents.

He thinks it was probably his parents, but he didn’t help the situation either.

Even so…

He just— wants to be better than they ever were, as if he has something to prove by raising the happiest family, or at least a lot less dysfunctional one. He rehearses conversations in his mind to a child he cannot completely visualize yet, but he’s already named them lots of different things in his head. “Yulia” “Percival” “Liev”— so many different names come to mind that he wants to use, and he obviously won’t have enough kids to use them all on. He’s not going to be that cruel to Kaeya.

… but he wonders if he’s even father material.

Like, he has no doubt he’d be better at it than his own father, a rock with the words ‘GOOD DAD’ painted on it could be. But that’s still not a guarantee he’ll be good— he just knows he wants it more than anything, and the thing about Ajax is, such things don’t daunt him too much. He does not dwell like Kaeya does when it comes to achieving his dreams.

Even so… it’s enough to give one pause.

He gets up once the laundry is folded and walks over to a table where he’s stashed his ring in the drawer beneath. It’s a silver band with a kite-cut aquamarine. A shape similar to his eye…

He could just give it to him. He could. He could just say will-you-marry-me and Kaeya will either say yes or panic and say no but, later on say yes because he got scared and had to think about it— to which Ajax would just tell him to just say so next time. Ajax has a degree in Kaeology by now, he can read his reaction to just about any scenario.

But he wants it to be special. He wants the scene to drip with every bit of meaning he can cram into it, all the love and specialness that comes from the heart and soul, proof that Ajax wants to stick to him like glue. He wants his ring on his hand, his hand in his. He wants life to un-pause, to get moving towards— not death, of course, but whatever the next grand ‘event’ of his life will be.

“Do you want a little sister or brother, Princess?”

meow

“Do you want to be our ring-bearer? Or a flower cat? … I guess it’d be a tough order to train you to do anything, huh.”

meow

“Yeah, that’s what I thought…”

Things like that only happen on social media, perfectly rehearsed, and Ajax doesn’t know if he wants his life to be picture perfect. Maybe slightly off center, maybe a bit blurry, but certainly too bright.

Diluc is in the city today, sipping a coffee at Kaeya’s Favonius Brews location. His brother is lucky enough to not have to come in at the crack of dawn every single day, but he tries to come in as often as he can. Therefore, Diluc has been waiting for a little while when Kaeya comes in.

“… Boss!” Sucrose calls out. “We’re almost out of donuts…!”

“Already? Sheesh… alright, I’ll get another batch in the oven.”

Diluc holds up a hand. “Kaeya?”

“Yeah? Oh— hey, you’re here.” Of course, Kaeya would only acknowledge him now. At least… at least his brother takes his job seriously.

“Was just in the neighborhood—” Liar, you only come to Teyvat City to check on Kaeya, “— and was wondering how things were going here?”

“Good, good. Our baker just quit so I’ve been taking over the ovens—”

“… you’re not working yourself to death, are you? I can hire someone else.”

“I’m fine!! Really! It’s overtime I get to pick from your pocket.” Kaeya ties his hair up behind his head and puts on his apron. “But a new baker would be nice, yes.”

“How are things with Ajax?”

Kaeya’s eyes glaze over for a moment when he realizes he was almost proposed to today. His mind just completely blanks, staring into space like he was hit with a memory blanking laser.

“… good!” Kaeya steps back towards the kitchens, and Diluc follows him. Kaeya throws a hair net at him, and Diluc stares… before he realizes food safety is important, and puts it on. He has a lot of red curls after all. “Very good! Almost proposed in our kitchen today.”

“— he wants to marry you?” Diluc balks.

“I mean— yeah? Our anniversary passed a month ago. Two years. It seems like the right time, doesn’t it?”

“…”

Diluc still isn’t over Ajax being Fatui.

He’s not. He would have to get cool with a lot of things really quickly in order for him to be okay with Ajax. It’s like having a family member who roots for a rival sports team, or … he doesn’t know, votes for a candidate who endorses kicking puppies. The rest of him is fine, but that aspect of them is so much.

“… yeah.” Diluc mutters.

“What, you’re not happy for me?”

“You don’t seem happy, either.”

“Wh— yes I am.”

“You’re not smiling.”

“I’m not smiling because I just realized I have to bake 600 donuts in addition to what our case needs. There’s an order going out today.” Kaeya snorts. “I am happy, Diluc, I just… what if—”

And he shuts up, because the last incident was with Diluc, and if he reminds Diluc of that, what if Diluc accuses him of being ungrateful? Of dredging up old wounds just to be shitty? He might… so Kaeya purses his lips and makes up a lie on the spot.

“— what if he dies?”

“… what?”

“Or something. What if I throw myself into this relationship and he dies.”

“…? Everyone will.”

“No, I mean—” Kaeya gives a frustrated snort. “What if something happens to him and I’m never the same again? … What if I have the best thing I’ve ever had in my entire life and because I let myself love this much, it all gets taken away from me in some tragic way?”

“… Kaeya…” Diluc almost wants to give bad advice here, because if he were even a hair manipulative, he could divide them and make Kaeya break up with him. Luckily, Diluc doesn’t have a bone like that in his body. “… you realize that can happen to anyone, right?”

“… I know…”

“So don’t—” Ugh, Diluc has such a hard time forcing the words from his mouth. “Don’t… worry. So much. You could lose the best thing you’ve ever had by fearing the worst thing that could ever happen.”

“…”

Perhaps Kaeya… just feels pain too strongly, or maybe he just fears it too much.

“So you’d approve of him?”

“I never said that.”

“…” Kaeya sighs as he kneads the dough in front of him. “Don’t… tell him we talked about this, okay?”

“… I don’t talk to him anyway.”

“Good. Are you going to help me knead this dough or what?”

“…” Diluc chuckles a little as he puts on an apron, washes his hands, and walks over to him. “Forgot the technique Addie taught you already?”

“Didn’t forget. Just don’t have your stupid gym gains.”

Diluc sighs, clicking his tongue as he moves him aside, helping his brother for the rest of the day as idle chatter fills the room. He really doesn’t want Ajax as a brother in law, but… he makes Kaeya so happy that he’s afraid of losing his happiness. How can he deny him that?

He just hopes that Kaeya’s worries are not, in fact, correct.

Chapter Text

While working from the RGB nightmare gaming rig is nice, Ajax still prefers the comfort of his office. Sure, it’s always funny when they’re in a zoom call and he’s looking at all of them trying to guess who’s still in pajamas and who isn’t (it is always, only him). It was really funny seeing Scaramouche quit live on camera with a string of swears before Pierro forcefully disconnected him, but Ajax is a sociable being by nature, and thrives best when he’s working in person.

Even if it takes him away from Kaeya. By now, he keeps the ring in his pocket at all times, waiting for the right moment. He actually wants to ask his coworkers how they all proposed to their respective partners, you know, mine them for ideas. He wants it to be truly special, after all, and he hopes the discussion sparks something in his mind…

He asks Arlecchino, and she says she proposed at the opera. Okay, that’s pretty basic…

He asks the Captain, and he tells him he forged his wife a sword as a proposal. (Very cool, but Ajax doesn’t metalwork and has no forge. It is also 2025.)

Pantalone is famously divorced, so he probably shouldn’t ask him or Ajax will be treated to a very long diatribe about it.

The rest of them are unmarried or Ajax doesn’t frankly know if they’re married or not. While the sword idea is cool, he’s not sure if Kaeya’s the kind of guy to appreciate being given a weapon and being told “I love you, here’s a thing I made because I love you so much”. As he stands near the coffee machine in the upper floor office break room, who should he see but—

Ah, his boss. Pierro.

“Evening boss.” He’s searching for his favorite coffee grounds as he says it, and he wonders if he’s about to be asked why he isn’t at his desk, or scolded for asking about his coworker’s personal lives. Pierro gives him a casual nod as he checks his phone for something, and Ajax figures— well, he’s here, even if he’s never seen a ring on his finger, might as well ask.

“You ever propose to someone?”

“… an unusual question to ask someone.”

“I’m looking for ideas,” Ajax says as he starts the coffee pot, and now he knows he’s going to be scolded for it—

“Tartaglia, this is hardly an appropriate work topic.”

There it is.

“Alright, alright…” Ajax pauses as the coffee drips into the pot. They really should have a fancier coffee pot in here, this is the harbinger break room and the rest of it is suitably fancy, mahogany furniture from a kind of tree that’s extinct and art pieces from actually famous artists, long since dead. “I just want to ask to marry him, because we’re gonna start a family, and you do things in a certain order, you know?”

“… try not to rush. A family is a big responsibility.” Translated: you will have less time for your job here.

“I know I shouldn’t, but… it feels right, you know? And even if it’s a big responsibility, I’m ready.”

“…” It’s rare, but Pierro, for the first time since Ajax met him, talks about himself. “I had a son.” Oof, had, Ajax thinks. “It was back when I first started working here. I was sick at the time, and my attention was stuck between my son and my work… and I chose work. I let him live with a friend for a while, but the work never slowed down, and I kept getting promoted. When I recovered from my illness, I went to get him, but … he had integrated so perfectly with the family he was now living with. My old friend’s son treated him like a beloved brother.”

He shakes his head. “I couldn’t take him away from that. Not when the life he’d live with me would be isolating. My friend adopted him… and I hope this gives you some perspective on how important the work we do is, and what your priorities should be.”

Ajax stares for a moment as he pours coffee into his mug.

“How would you have known he’d be happy without his own father?”

“My friend treated him like his own son, one wasn’t absent from his life. Besides, he was a wealthy winemaker from Mondstadt. My son would want for not a thing in his life.”

…

“Tartaglia, why are you making that face?”

“WhAt fAcE?”

“That face that— wait,” Pierro saw his face change the moment he said Mondstadt. “Do you know him? My son. He would be about your age—”

“NO SORRY GOTTA GO.” Ajax dumps out his coffee and power walks back to his office, though he senses this will not be the last time the topic is brought up between them. He’s blessed enough to have his own office, and it will give him the privacy he needs at the moment.

“Oohhh my gods, oh my gods, oh my god—” He speed dials Kaeya’s number and waits for it to ring, practically bouncing in his seat from anxiety and shock. There’s no way— but how many other kids vaguely resembling Pierro were dumped at wineries in Mondstadt twenty-something years ago? They’re the same goddamn absent father oh my god his eyes are the same color as Kaeya’s how did I not notice hardly anyone has those eyes!! AJAX IS SLEEPING WITH HIS BOSS’S SON.

Well… Pierro doesn’t need to know that! But Kaeya… probably should.

He swallows thickly as the phone rings, drumming his fingers on the side of his chair. When he can hear the sound of picking up, he breathes a sigh of relief.

“YOUR DAD IS—”

“Hello, hello… I’m sorry, just kidding. I can’t come to the phone right now. Leave your name and number and I’ll get back to you ASAP.”

His heart drops the moment he hears the first three words, sighing because he’s always duped by his voicemail for some reason. He can’t really let this go, though, and he doesn’t really want to tell him through text. He dials over and over, knowing Kaeya should be at work right now…

But eventually, the phone does pick up.

“Jeez, Ajax, who died? I was in the middle of making a customer’s order… and 5 consecutive calls is alarming, to say the least.”

“It’s not about who died—” Ajax begins, swallowing back his spit. “… it’s more about who’s alive?”

“What do you mean…?”

“Did Crepus— your dad, ever tell you what happened to your birth father?”

“He said he would tell me eventually, but … I’m pretty sure he died from what I overheard the maids said? … Ajax, wait, what are you—”

“My boss is your dad.”

“………………………………………..”

“He, uh, said he abandoned a kid my age at an old friend’s house in Mondstadt. A winery. Said he could never tear him away from his new family. Disappeared from his life voluntarily, and weirdly implied I should do the same thing…? What do you think he meant by that—”

“AJAX. WHAT?”

“P— Pierro. My boss. He’s your dad— shit, uhh, his real name is…”

Ajax says it out loud, and Ajax hears the sound of impact as his phone hits the ground and the glass protector shatters. He can guess Kaeya dropped it, and it’s a few moments before he even thinks to pick it up.

“What… what the fuck?” Kaeya’s voice is scarcely a whisper. “Ajax, you’re fucking joking—”

“I’m not! I’m not—”

“… dammit dammit dammit— okay, I’m coming to your office building.”

“Uhhh… are you sure that’s a good—”

CLICK.

Ajax pauses and falters the moment he hears that sound. He’s… he’s going to have to protect his boss from his future husband, or maybe possibly the other way around? Pierro did not sound like a good dad— after all, if Kaeya never incessantly asked about him and liked living with the Ragnvindrs so much more…

… oof. Ajax is not the only one with parent drama on account of still having parents, it seems. He steps out of his office and tells his underlings to watch his dog for him, he needs to, uh… meet someone at the front desk. He’ll hop in the elevator and smash the “1” button repeatedly to get the door to shut. He knows well he needs to diffuse this situation before it gets… bad.

…

Maybe telling Kaeya or not should have been more of a moral dilemma than it was— we are talking about the reason Kaeya fears abandonment like Buster fears the vacuum cleaner. Maybe he should have kept it to himself.

Ajax walks into the lobby and stands awkwardly by the front desk, waiting to see when Kaeya will pop in. His mind points out that the store across from the Fatui building? It’s an upscale wilderness and sporting goods store. They sell guns there, and other kinds of things that serve as weapons.

Hopefully Kaeya doesn’t realize that.

Kaeya pushes open the double doors into the Fatui building and charges in with a gait and strut that Ajax would find incredibly hot in any other situation, because it’s paired with a look that says he’s going to kill someone. Ajax finds that pretty hot, too.

“Where is he.” Kaeya snaps, and Ajax holds up both hands.

“Kaeya, hold on. Chill for a moment. What are you going to do.”

“What am I— Ajax, he abandoned me. When he dropped me off, I never saw him again. I want to catch him up on the lifetime of complexes that gave me—”

“Okay, well, he’s not the most emotional or receptive guy—”

“You think I don’t know that?!” Kaeya snaps, and it really is the first time Ajax has ever seen Kaeya this angry… and… Ajax understands why. Ajax’s abandonment went in a different direction, but it was abandonment all the same. At the same time, this is his boss, and…

… well, Pierro kind of made this bed, and now he should sleep in it. Ajax wonders how this might go up in flames… will he lose his job? Will he lose Kaeya? … no, he won’t lose Kaeya, but uhh, he’d better stop him from maiming him.

“Where is he.”

“… he’s probably on the top floor.”

“Take me to him.”

“Hold up,” Ajax holds up his hands. “… Do you really think it’s wise to go guns blazing on him in public— Kaeya, you are furious right now, and it’s a hot look on you, but you do need to calm down.”

“Ajax, if this were you—”

“I’d. Probably want him dead! No kidding. But I’d also know that being within mauling distance wouldn’t be good for me, in a legal or physical sense, and—”

The double doors of the elevator opens. A man steps out.

“…”

“…”

“…”

The room goes silent between them, but idle chatter from the other officials working in the building is still dully heard in the background. Ajax hesitantly reaches out for Kaeya’s arm, and instantly— his eyes lock onto Pierro with a burning, raw hatred that can only be expressed through physical violence or the most brutal verbal takedown of the century.

“You.”

“…” Pierro, though, does not flinch. “This isn’t how I intended to meet you again, Kaeya.”

“Because I doubt you ever intended to at all, huh?” Kaeya spits venom at him. “You have no idea— no fucking idea how badly I—”

“You were treated badly?” He asks.

“… no, they were kinder to me than you ever were.”

“I fail to see the problem, then.” Pierro goes up to the front desk to get what he came down here for, some mail. “You were raised well, in a well-to-do household, with a sibling and a full house staff. You thrived there better than you would have in my home.”

“…” Kaeya’s eyes go wide in shock— but it’s more like white hot rage, flames that burn orange turning blue in their temperature. “I thought you were sick. Dying.”

“I was,” He says, tearing open the letter and reading it. “I got better.”

“And you never came back for what. Because I was too big of a problem? Because you didn’t want me?”

“As I said,” Pierro repeats. “If you were raised in my house, it would be a cold environment. I evaluated my options and yours, too— I decided there could be no better home for you than with the Ragnvindrs, and to pull you away from them would do a disservice to you.”

“A DISSERVICE?” Kaeya shouts, “I WANTED MY FUCKING DAD! FOR YEARS!”

The whole room goes quiet, a few businessmen and women turning their heads to look at them.

“I did not raise you to raise your voice in public.”

“JOKES ON YOU, YOU DIDN’T RAISE ME AT ALL.” Kaeya’s shaking now, his voice breaking down. “I can’t believe this… I can’t believe you! When Dad died—”

“…?” It’s the only part of this conversation that takes Pierro by surprise. “Crepus died?”

“— YEARS ago!” Kaeya snarls, and god help the poor woman at this desk, listening to this fight. “When he died, I had to leave that family behind! I fell out with my brother, I spent four miserable years working in the worst places in the world! I didn’t think or know I had family anymore!”

“… my apologies. Had I known you had grown up and been ousted, I would have helped. Naturally, his estate did not contact me.”

It’s not the apology, it’s a paltry, shallow substitute for one, said with very little feeling on the matter at all. It’s placing the blame on them for not calling him, when most of them didn’t even think he was alive.

“I can’t believe this… I can’t believe you.” Kaeya’s voice is quiet, shaking. “All this time… not a call… not a birthday card… nothing. You’re disgusting. I was your kid… and you threw me away for your job. What about mom?”

“Your mom left me when I became ill. Heaven knows I don’t know where she is now.”

She was as easily discarded as Kaeya was.

Kaeya can’t even look him in the eye.

“…”

Ajax would have punched him in the face, were he not his boss. He’s not entirely convinced he shouldn’t right now, either. That whole conversation made him sick, too. His hand reaches out to Kaeya’s shoulder.

“Kaeya, let’s go for now.”

“… what is your relation to my son?” Pierro asks, and Kaeya scoffs, as if using the word ‘son’ is too funny.

“I am his boyfriend, and I live with him.”

Pierro’s voice grows quiet.

“I see… well. Take him somewhere he can cool off. This conversation is done for now.”

He leaves without another word, spoken with the authority of a true absent father. Kaeya’s knees nearly buckle, and Ajax holds him up. Damnit, job or not, he really should have punched him—

“Ajax…” Kaeya says, quietly. “Can we go sit down somewhere?”

Ajax nods. He puts his arm around his shoulder and walks with him to a little park outside with benches they can sit on. Kaeya’s voice shakes as he feels tears sting at his eyes. For years, Kaeya thought he was abandoned because he didn’t mean enough to his family to keep him by their side. And he was right. Pierro said he left him with the Ragnvindrs because he knew he would be raised coldly in his own house and thought Kaeya would thrive with them. And he was right. That’s what’s angering Kaeya the most— that he didn’t even care enough to try, he just knew the foregone conclusion for what it was.

He was not loved enough to try.

Ajax puts his arm around his back… ugh… at least they have their siblings, the ones that understand them. He lets Kaeya rest his head on his shoulder.

“… hey…” Kaeya says quietly, “Why’d you tell me…?”

“I didn’t realize I probably shouldn’t.” Ajax admits. “My first thought was that you should definitely know. And… yeah. Now… you do.”

Kaeya sighs, shaking his head… of all the shitty things to interrupt his life. He can go back to pretending he doesn’t exist… he knows he can. But can he really? Can he really just ignore the biggest bombshell in his life so far? He wants to beat his face in. Oh my god, does he want to tackle him to the ground and beat him up and Kaeya bets he probably could, too— the dude looks old, after all.

“… think he’ll just go back to ignoring me?” Kaeya suggests halfheartedly. “You do work for him, after all. What’s he like?”

“He’s got a stick up his ass, that’s for sure.” Ajax clears his throat. “I don’t… know, but I won’t try to fix things between you two. It’s… obviously terrible, what he did. I don’t think he deserves that kind of help.”

Kaeya sighs, slicking his bangs back. There’s no real good end to this situation. Either he’s ignored forever or has to deal with the man who abandoned him. With a issue as deeply rooted as this one, his heart still hurts at the idea of being further ignored. Even if he never wants to speak a word to him again, it would at least be gratifying if he tried. It would give Kaeya the opportunity to slam the door in his face.

He knows you can’t expect anything out of people who don’t want to give you anything. Pierro wanted nothing to do with him, and got what he wanted.

But deep inside of him is that question, that unmistakable truth that as horrible as his father is, he was probably right. He did fit better with a family like Diluc’s. But admitting that is like trying to drink sand.

He’s so mad, he almost doesn’t know what to do with himself.

“I can’t keep you from work,” Kaeya sighs, standing up. “Sorry.”

“Don’t… I was the one who dropped that bomb on you. Come on. You should head home… tell your coworkers something came up and you need to bail. I’ll be home soon, okay?”

Kaeya nods, sighing a bit.

“Yeah, I’ll see you soon.”

Chapter Text

“I can’t believe this…”

It is rare that Kaeya ever chases the taste of alcohol outside of his home these days, preferring the comfort of just being in his living room while he has a glass of wine and his favorite show is auto-playing in the background, but he used to be a very social drinker, so it’s not his first time walking into a bar after work. They’re usually dingy and depressing if he doesn’t pick an upscale one like he usually does, but dingy and depressed suits his mood. He remembers rumors that this bar was haunted; that a furious ghost menaces the bartender every chance it gets— but maybe that’s just a rumor to sell drinks and excuse clumsiness.

He needs a drink, and it can’t be soft as wine. It has to be a Death After Noon, and he needs to be in absinthe’s sweet embrace.

He sits at the bar, places his order, and opens his phone, a lock screen with Ajax sleeping on the sofa with both their pets on top of them swiped past so he can send Ajax a message. As his drink is set in front of him, he takes a deep sip of it before sending a quick message, ‘going for drinks after work, join me at 91st Street Bar if you want to indulge with me’.

He gets a text back, ‘that shitty old place? It’s not even haunted’.

‘Yeah, but they make Death After Noons well. Just how I like them. Will I see you here?’

‘yeah gimme 45 minutes’

Kaeya sighs, and puts down his phone. He doesn’t recognize anyone in this bar, so there’s no one he can chat to about how fucked his life feels right now. Well— scratch that, a guy who he knew at the host club is making eyes at him from just down the counter. It’s the one with the shitty “yacht”. Kaeya dutifully ignores him as if trying not to pay attention to an elephant in the room.

Ugh, and Ajax saw him truly angry for the first time, too… well, not the first time— Ajax once left the door open on accident and let Princess out, Kaeya barely caught her in time before she ran into the street. The little lady can run fast on all four of those paws if she feels like it… safe to say, Kaeya slept with his back firmly turned to him that night. But— even that was paltry compared to the words he had for his father. The man who comprises half of his DNA… ugh. What a joke.

Yet, he’s just as Kaeya remembers him. Coldly logical, like how he reasoned Kaeya would be happier elsewhere than with him… he was right, of course. If Kaeya grew up in that loveless household, he doubts he would have ever felt any sort of warmth from him at all— but it pisses him off that he’s right. Another sip of his glass. How annoying, to deal with this when he thought his issues regarding parents were dead and buried with the two he had.

What is he even going to do about it? Nothing…? … Wait for the old guy to croak and pretend to be sad at his funeral? … ugh, no, it doesn’t sit right with Kaeya no matter how he spins it. What’s making him the most angry is how he realizes this is opportunity, not a closed door. He can…

…

Find out what his deal is, at the very least.

As he feigns interest in sports over the next thirty minutes, he waits for Ajax to come by. The blue guys scored a goal against the green team, that’s good, right? According to the jeers of the people in the bar, probably not— though there’s games on the four TVs lining the wall, so who knows what that was in response to.

He hears the door open, and Ajax steps inside. He immediately walks over to where Kaeya is sitting, and steals a kiss from him (breaking the heart of Yacht Guy in the process).

“… You don’t usually drink outside of home,” Ajax comments, sitting next to him. He doesn’t know what to say, at first, knowing that this is more or less his fault… but Kaeya doesn’t blame him, and he knows Kaeya doesn’t. He crosses his arms on the counter and leans in close to him, voice low so their conversation remains their business and not any nosy listener’s.

“Are you going to be okay…?”

“Yeah, I— yeah, It’ll… yeah. It’ll pass.”

He understands, his mind must be running amok with feelings, and Ajax only wants to draw him away from them— to warm his spirit like the liquor is trying to. He looks at the glass, almost empty, as Kaeya tips it back and nearly goes to order another—

“Hey, mind if we drink at home?” Ajax asks. “I’ll make you one of those—” He gestures to the empty glass. “And we can talk a bit easier.”

Talking… ugh.

Nevertheless, with Ajax, it’s not something Kaeya fears anymore. He nods, putting down Mora for the drink and standing up. Ajax will be his designated driver home… he walked here, after all, from the Fatui building and he walked to the Fatui building from work, and walked to work this morning— so thankfully, they won’t have to gather his car later.

“Sounds good…” Kaeya heaves a dramatic sigh, as if pulling him from the bar is taking him from the one place he wants to be, to be miserable with the rest of the people here— misery adores company, but Kaeya loves Ajax more. The two leave, Kaeya getting in Ajax’s car on the passenger’s seat as he slouches in it, as Ajax drives them home.

There’s the sound of meowing and skittering dog nails on the floor when Ajax inserts the key into the door. It’s always their welcome home. Ajax opens the door for Kaeya, who murmurs a ‘sorry’ on the way in.

“What for…?”

“For… drinking, I suppose.” Kaeya’s not too sure what he’s apologizing for, either. Maybe being embarrassing at his workplace. At the same time, though, it was incredibly justified in his eyes—

“Kaeya, I would not get mad at you for drinking—” Ajax chuckles. “Some of the best fun we have is when I’m downing firewater and you’re drinking wine and we dance around our living room. I just… worry when you drink while you’re sad, that’s all.”

Kaeya sighs, running a hand through his bangs as he pushes them back. “It only makes you more depressed, huh?”

“Y... yeah, that’s what alcohol does.” Ajax takes off his jacket and hangs it up, loosening his tie before Kaeya turns around and helps him take it off. Kaeya, above all things right now, could sorely use affection. His glance up at Ajax is almost surly, as if to ask ‘why aren’t you kissing me right now? I need kisses. The doctor prescribed it.’

Ajax dips his head low to tilt up Kaeya’s chin and press one to his lips, able to read his thoughts from the look on his face. He smiles a bit, rubbing his thumb along his lower lip before he lets go and decides to make good on his promise, by mixing a Death After Noon in their kitchen for Kaeya.

Kaeya decides to wait in the living room, sitting on the sofa when Buster jumps up to lay on him and Princess hops on the back of the sofa to demand her evening dosage of attention. With both hands petting either of them, Buster resting his head in his lap while Kaeya reaches up behind himself to scritch Princess’s fluff, it’s hard to leave his mind focused on absent fathers and their reasons for absence, be it by death or by choice.

Ajax walks into the living room with two glasses— peach-flavored firewater for him and the Death After Noon for Kaeya, who takes it with a thank you and tilts it back. He savors the flavor of it… nevermind his thought from earlier, Ajax makes them better than that shitty bar does. He can taste the love in it, here— measured in perfect quantity.

“… what would I do without you, Ajax…?” Kaeya muses, and Ajax tilts his head on his, rolling the glass around in his hand.

“I’unno, just like I don’t know or want to know what my life would be like without you.” Ajax chuckles, tipping back the bitter drink in his hand. “Just… whatever happens with my boss, you’ll… be okay, right? I’ll back you up no matter what you do.”

“Mm…” Kaeya sips his glass. Without Ajax, he would still be in the Host Club. Without Ajax, Kaeya would still likely be in that shitty apartment. Without Ajax, Kaeya would be…

Miserable. He glances over at him, star-eyes sparkling his way, and Ajax wonders what he needs—

“Yeah…?”

“… can I… can we head to the bedroom?”

Ajax’s eyebrows raise, unable to keep the interest out of his expression.

“Oh…?”

Kaeya finishes the glass in front of him, making it his second drink of the day. He sets the glass down before tilting Ajax’s face towards him, warming his hands on his blush.

“Please…?”

Ajax finishes his firewater and sets it down as well, tucking his arms beneath Kaeya’s legs and back and lifting him up from the sofa with newfound excitement. He carries him up the narrow stairway leading to their bedroom (accidentally bonking Kaeya’s head on the wall as he does— with a hurried apology) before he opens the door and closes it quickly behind him before either of their pets can run in. He pins Kaeya to the bed after, pressing his forehead to his as he steals an absinthe kiss from his lips.

“… what do you wanna do while we’re up here?” Ajax asks, a little coyly.

“… sit on the edge of the bed, please?” Kaeya tilts his head at him with a playful smile, and Ajax does as he’s told, his hand going to his belt to unbuckle and slide it out of the loops since— well, he thinks this is only going to go one place.

Kaeya chuckles a little at his eagerness… and Ajax isn’t wrong. He situates himself between his knees and waits as Ajax’s hand goes to unbutton his pants, and Kaeya sneaks his hand over his crotch to feel the hardening tent beneath his fingertips. For a moment, he just touches him like that, enjoying the sight of him hardening in his office clothes— before he snags the zipper in his fingers and pulls down.

Ajax’s moans are very soft, breathy sighs that escape his lips without his notice while he shoves down the front of his underwear and lets his cock spring out. Kaeya presses one sweet kiss to the side, near the base, forcing his legs apart while he noses at his pubic bone, darting his tongue out to lick all the way from the base to the tip. He presses a few short kisses to the tip while his hand wraps around the base… slowly pumping his length while his lips hover over the head.

He would be somewhere much worse without Ajax… and though he knows Ajax doesn’t need him to express gratitude like this, Kaeya just enjoys the act on his own, he likes seeing his face slightly scrunched with pleasure, his brows knitted and lips parted. He likes being the source of that pleasure, too— it gets him heated, fans the flames that Ajax started. His lips sink over the tip of his cock while his tongue laps up it. His cheeks hollow while he strokes him off, his knees and hips shifting as he tries to abate his own arousal.

His head lowering ever so slightly, he takes more and more of him into his mouth, tasting his precum on his tongue, salty and bitter, but proof Ajax is enjoying himself— gods, that alone makes the taste bearable. As he sucks his length, dipping his head lower and lower until his tip hits the back of his throat, he can feel the warmth from the alcohol fill out to the tips of his fingers, a pleasant tingling throughout his torso and legs. Cum, unlike what any romance novel will tell you, does not taste like ‘his distilled essence’ or ‘salty, but bearable’. It’s gross. Kaeya knows it and Ajax knows it—

Even so, he thinks he’ll let him cum in his mouth today, the taste might be unpleasant, but the feeling of it filling his mouth, dribbling from the corners of his lips is a sensation that Kaeya kind of enjoys, but Ajax surprises him when he threads his hands through his hair and pulls him off.

“… can I…”

“Mm…?” Kaeya blinks so sweetly up at him.

“…” Whatever Ajax was going to ask, he reconsiders and changes his tune. “Can we have sex…? It’ll take me a hot minute to get hard again, so—”

Kaeya gives a frustrated sigh, as if he was looking forward to this… but he smiles a little, nodding as he pulls off his shirt and clothes, sliding his pants off as he stands up. A trail of slick fluid connects him to his underwear as he pulls it down, and Ajax greedily stares at the sight. He scoots back against the bed, and Kaeya gets a condom out from the drawer beside them.

“When do you think we can…?” Ajax begins, and Kaeya looks at him as he rolls the condom onto his cock in a smooth, practiced motion.

“Hm?”

“Y’know…” Ajax shrugs. “Try.”

“There’s an order to everything… at least in my view,” Kaeya says, straddling his hips and hovering above him. “I’ll let you breed me the night of our wedding, but not a second before, okay?” He pauses. “Besides, I’d have to go off T for a while, and get clearance from my doctor— it’s a whole thing.”

Oh damn, Ajax needs to propose right now, he thinks as Kaeya sinks down on top of him. Kaeya’s thighs and legs are strong— easily helping him sink down until his cunt is flush with Ajax’s base. Ajax throws his head back, an errant moan escaping his lips as he cants his hips upward, even while Kaeya has him pinned to the bed. Ajax is such a comfortable fit— his length seems to fit inside Kaeya like a missing piece.

In truth, Ajax’s mind is swimming … because Kaeya had to go and phrase it like that.

While Kaeya comfortably bounces on him, as if he’s using his cock as riding practice, Ajax’s head is filled with the most sordid fucking thoughts he’s ever experienced. His face burns with a red blush that Kaeya’s never seen go so deep on his face. As he lifts up and drops his hips down, Kaeya decides to tease him a little about it.

“… what’s that face for, babe…?” He croons softly. “I’ve never seen you so flushed, and I’ve seen you with a sunburn.”

“I— ahh…” Ajax can’t bring himself to say it, but just as easily as Ajax can read ‘I need a kiss’ from his face, so too can Kaeya see the ‘kink discovered’ look on Ajax’s.

“… oh, I didn’t know you liked that word.” Kaeya murmurs. “Well, I’ll not overuse it then. After all, I’ll want it to have an effect when you breed me for real.”

The sound Ajax makes is akin to a verbal key-smash, and Kaeya chuckles a little at him, increasing the pace of his hips’ movements. “Cum for me…?” He asks oh so sweetly, his hand trailing up his chest to pinch at one of those hardening buds. 

Normally, Ajax lasts quite a while— Kaeya’s even called him too stubborn to cum before, wanting Kaeya to cum at least twice before he does, but Ajax folds like a house of cards today, and Kaeya bounces on him throughout his entire orgasm, sinking his hips down and pushing them into Ajax’s halfway through, just to give him the feeling that he’s cumming deep inside of him.

“That’s my good boy…” Kaeya murmurs, cupping his cheek, stroking it gently as Ajax comes down from his high. He’s acutely aware that Kaeya did not cum yet— so he’ll flip him to the bed in short order after pulling his length out of him, his hand replacing his softened length by kneading his clit with his fingertips.

“You bully—” Ajax huffs, trying to feign being mad, and Kaeya laughs.

“Oh…? I’m a bully?”

“I prefer—” He arcs his fingers inside of him in a way he knows Kaeya likes. “— that you cum first, you know—”

“… well, I couldn’t help myself. Not when you make that cute blush— mmgh…!” Kaeya, already riled up, feels an orgasm roll through him, and only when Ajax feels the pulses of his cunt die down around his fingers will he pull them out and lick them clean. Kaeya flops against the bed and Ajax rolls the condom off of himself, tying it off and throwing it in the wastebin. He steps into the bathroom for a moment, and Kaeya hears the running water of the faucet— likely cleaning up and grabbing a towel for Kaeya, too.

He steps back into their bedroom, still as naked as before, when he goes to their bedside table and opens the drawer.

“I keep— waiting for the perfect moment, but I can have a perfect moment or instant gratification, and I think living with you has given me a taste for the latter.”

“…?”

Ajax sits on the bed, and shows him the ring.

“Marry me, Kaeya.”

Kaeya sits up, stunned speechless. His legs pull beneath him as he presses his legs together while sitting up, as if suddenly modest for this particular moment when really he’d spread out like a starfish if Ajax hadn’t whipped out a fucking ring—

“…”

“Please? You did just talk about weddings.”

Commitment, the biggest commitment, potential pain, losing it all, or living the rest of his life with this dork, having pictures of their family vacations on the walls of this house in fifty years, with grandkids running around and god knows what else would come with marrying him—

Should he take the chance?

…

It feels like a gamble with low odds, knowing Kaeya’s luck, but…

“Yes, Ajax. I-I will.”

Betting it all even with anxiety in his heart, trusting the outcome to be what he dreams of it being. Only the future will tell.

He lets him put the ring on his finger.

For the first time in his life, Kaeya understands Ajax’s anecdote about how when they first met, he promptly went to the grocery store bathroom and threw up. How something, someone can be so good that your throat goes so dry that you feel like gagging.

He’s dizzied… dazed. He looks at the ring. It does not feel like a shackle.

“… thank you.” God, the smile on Ajax's face right now is so stupidly radiant.

Kaeya has never loved someone so strongly that he thought a life with them was possible, but…

There is a first time for everything.

Chapter Text

Well.

He’s engaged.

What can he blame for this?

Perhaps the post-coital bliss bleeding into his mind? That could certainly be a factor. Or maybe he just likes Ajax enough to say yes. That could also be a reason, though Kaeya wonders if he just went temporarily insane. He is engaged. He is going to be married. He’s probably going to have ginger children running around this house someday… this is usually when Kaeya Alberich changes his name and moves to a new region.

Well, usually, if the scenario had precedence to begin with. He’s never been proposed to, aside from drunkenly at the host club once or twice, and those he both firmly rejected. But damn it all, he loves his Ajax. With a soft sigh, his mind wanders, and he realizes that Diluc’s theory about the Fatui being involved in their father’s death must be wrong, as the leader of the Harbingers had no idea Crepus was dead to begin with.

… his father…

It makes him bristle, earns anger unlike any Kaeya’s ever felt before, to know he was discarded so easily for the sheer, cold logic behind the decision. Well, he can count himself as someone not invited to the wedding. Or Kaeya’s life. If his father ever catches that same illness again and relapses, Kaeya will not be saying any bedside eulogies. 

It takes him a while to fall asleep, between the coolness of the sheets and the warmth of Ajax’s breath on the back of his neck. Every now and then, Kaeya thinks he’s fallen asleep already, but then Ajax kisses the back of his neck. He supposes he could be doing that in his sleep, but…

In truth… in Kaeya’s deepest heart of hearts, in the darkest corner of his heart, he searches for a reason for hesitance aside from a general anxiety but he finds none. Ajax is perfect for him. The right mix of banter and genuine care. The fact that Ajax managed to hash things out with Kaeya rather than Kaeya selfishly running away when they first got back from his parents’ house was a fucking feat. Kaeya doesn’t think he could do that for anyone else. Anyone else would get the it’s not you it’s me or the it’s not you it’s us or it’s not you it’s them or some kind of pathetic excuse of an apology, but Ajax makes Kaeya want to work for him.

Kaeya is only searching for hesitance because he knows it’s supposed to be there, knows himself well, and the lack of anxiety is in fact, a reason for anxiety.

Kaeya should bite him. It’s a weird wave of frustration for bagging the perfect man. He feels another kiss to the back of his neck as Kaeya hugs his pillow and wishes it were Princess, but Ajax has his arms comfortably looped around him and Kaeya doesn’t feel like detangling their limbs to go let her in.

He just…

He hopes he can make Ajax happy, baggage and all, but Ajax has told him time and time again the same thing; his own baggage, to Kaeya, was nothing. He faced the worst of it, so Ajax can endure anything Kaeya throws at him.

It is a comfort to be so… accepted. Really, it’s all Kaeya’s ever wanted, to belong in someone’s arms, be it family or relationship. It was something he didn’t have for a long time, after all. He just hopes he can give Ajax what he wants— whatever it is. He hardly fathoms the fact that Ajax already has it.

Ajax asks Kaeya if they can go to Dawn Winery together.

It makes Kaeya pause, over breakfast the next morning as he feeds Princess a treat of unseasoned scrambled egg.

“Why…?” He asks, and Ajax chuckles a little.

“Well, they’re your family. You can call Adelinde the head maid or whatever, but I know a surrogate mom when I hear about one. I… guess I just want their approval?”

Kaeya gives a flat stare. “Diluc would never—”

“I-I know Diluc wouldn’t, but…”

In truth, he does want to ask Diluc for his blessing.

He doesn’t know if it’s a thing you do in old families like that; asking permission to marry a son or daughter, but in this case, a brother— he thinks Diluc might chew him out for whatever reason he can reach for. For having the gall to think that Diluc needs to give his permission, or having the gumption to assume Adelinde’s is all he needs. Diluc is a vital player in this whole thing; the brothers are mending their relationship and that means that Ajax has to impress. It’s not like his parents, where their approval was never in the cards, Ajax really would like to get along with Diluc.

It’s just that Diluc has a say in that, too.

It speaks volumes to how Ajax was raised that he even wants their approval at all; thinking that the lack of approval from his own must be made up for somehow. Kaeya seems to have an idea that that’s the case, but at the same time…

He does want them to get along, so maybe he’ll give this a shot.

And so, that’s how Kaeya finds himself booking a flight to Mondstadt later that day, for a trip in the next week,

He failed to consider how awkward it might be, though.

When Kaeya emerges from the taxi with Ajax beside him, Diluc’s face lights up a tiny bit when he sees Kaeya and darkens the moment that ginger’s hair appears above the taxi, on the other side of it. On top of that, a dalmatian spills out of the car in what’s more of a tumble than a leap. Seems they decided to bring their dog with them… and judging by the carrier in Kaeya’s hand, the cat too.

The maids immediately crowd Kaeya and Ajax, some of them petting the pup he brought along, others asking excitedly how long they’re staying… Adelinde in particular carries Princess’ carrier inside, being the one who got her for Kaeya in the first place, cooing at her through the mesh screen.

Diluc has a few dogs by now, three at least, so it’s on the redhead’s mind whether or not Buster will get along with his own. It is also on his mind whether or not he has space in the garden to bury a Snezhnayan businessman. (He does, but the thought is largely facetious.) His eye zeroes in on the ring on Kaeya’s finger before anything else, and somewhat rudely, he takes Kaeya’s hand and stares at the gem like it’s personally offended him, because it has.

Then, he sighs…

Kaeya can’t always be the one to meet him halfway, but it sure is annoying whenever it falls on Diluc to be a bigger person. His height doesn’t allow for that already.

“… I see you’ve made decisions,” Diluc begins, and Kaeya, charmingly and disarmingly, laughs and waves his hand. It’s slightly flippant of a gesture.

“… I figured it was time you got to know my fiance.” Kaeya says simply. “He’s going to be part of this family, after all.”

“Kaeya, can you and I talk for a moment?” Diluc urges, and Kaeya looks over to Ajax, wondering if he should call for back-up…

“Will you be okay bringing in our luggage?” He asks Ajax, who nods and gives a thumbs up.

“Sure can.”

He’ll follow Diluc, then, to their father’s office. It looks the same as it always has, a little musty and dusty, because Diluc insists everything remains exactly as it is, yet doesn’t clean it himself. The maids practically itch to give this room an overhaul, but Diluc’s word is firm on it.

“Listen, Kaeya, I really think—”

“They didn’t kill dad.”

“Huh?”

“The Fatui did not kill dad, and I have proof.” Kaeya crosses his arms, leaning against the door. Diluc, as if this hasn’t been a borderline obsession for him for years, raises an eyebrow.

“… you do?”

“… the leader of the Harbingers had personal contact with our father. He knew him as a friend, and didn’t know he died until I told him. Why would the second-highest ranking individual in the whole company not know he had died if they arranged it?”

“Why were you talking to the leader of the harbingers?”

“He’s my dad.”

“…”

“…”

“… what?”

“Pierro. He’s my father. I only found out through happenstance from Ajax. And he is someone who would be very interested in our father’s dead or alive status given he entrusted me to him ages ago… yet he never knew.”

It takes a whole minute for Diluc to digest that information: first, that Kaeya’s father is alive, second, that Kaeya met with him, third, that he’s the leader of the fucking Harbingers— and if what Diluc’s going through right now is rough, he can’t imagine how it was for Kaeya. If Pierro gave up Kaeya, and then didn’t know Crepus died ages ago, that meant he wasn’t keeping tabs on Kaeya anymore.

That meant he hardly cared.

It’s… complicated, for Diluc, to face the facts. He was really hedging his bets on that theory, after all, but he believes Kaeya, because Kaeya wouldn’t admit to this without a metaphorical gun to his head. It’s already bad enough to know his father was alive after all this time, after all.

“…” Though the words are difficult for Diluc to choke out, and they’re not all encompassing, what Diluc says next still surprises him. “I’m sorry, Kaeya.”

Kaeya still feels weird about those words coming from Diluc, like they feel awkward and out of place, but they’re also hard to wave off.

“It’s… fine?” Kaeya waves a hand. “I’m not rushing off to greet him as my new-old dad. I… only had one dad, at least in my eyes.”

Diluc sighs, shaking his head as he rests his arm on the office chair.

“So why is Ajax here?”

“He wants to be.”

“Why did you let him come?”

“He wants your approval.”

Diluc snorts. “He’ll have to work hard for it.”

“Oh?” Kaeya raises a brow. “It’s possible, now?”

Diluc sighs, considering it for a moment, and while he’s still considering possibilities where his father may have met an untimely end at their hands— Kaeya is not the type to lie to him about this, or shelter someone who was guilty.

“… Maybe. Does he really think he needs my approval, though? My blessing?”

“He’s a bit traditional. What can I say?” Kaeya shrugs, heading for the door. When his hand rests over the doorknob, he’ll pause, before confessing, “His parents didn’t like me very much, so I think he’s interested in doing things right… at least, in his eyes.”

“They didn’t like you?” His charismatic, responsible younger brother? He can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t be charmed by—

“Oh, you know.” Kaeya flicks his wrist.

Oh.

Diluc feels his blood begin to warm up into a slow boil, but he swallows any anger and lets it go. He’ll follow Kaeya out of the office to the foyer, where Diluc’s mastiff has roused from his slumber to sniff all over the new dog while Ajax watches them nervously— that dog could body buster in a fight, after all, so he’s mentally praying for Buster to behave himself.

“Ah, Diluc—” Ajax begins, remembering that one of the first times they met, Diluc shoved an icing-covered brownie cake into his face. “You, ah— good to see you!”

Diluc swallows down the barb that Ajax certainly cleans up well, remembering that he should probably favor civility over hostility. At least, until Ajax earns it. Ajax extends a hand for him to shake, and Diluc stares at it for a moment before taking it.

“We’ve got a lot to talk about…! You’re my future brother in law, after all.”

“I noticed,” Diluc says, squeezing his hand a little too hard for it to be friendly. To bury the hatchet after all this time is hard to reconcile in his mind, so he doesn’t. “When did you propose?”

The steamy night comes back to mind, and Ajax pauses, glancing to Kaeya, before he fibs a little.

“About a week ago. Just felt right.”

… ah, the woes of proposing ass-naked; now Ajax can never share the truthful story with anyone. He really should have waited, but he’s just glad to have his ring on Kaeya’s finger.

“… what’s your dog’s name?”

“Buster. He’s a dalmatian— a liver spotted one? I think that’s the name.”

“Brown spots, I know,” Diluc hums, crouching down to let Buster sniff his hand. The dog immediately licks it, making Diluc smile. He’s got a tiny chihuahua, the aforementioned mastiff, and a German Shepard— quite a unique bunch. “He’s well behaved.”

“It’s an interesting story— a family was giving him away in front of their house, just left him on a leash and said he was a problem dog. He was just untrained.”

“People who get dalmatians without attending to what they need as a breed usually think of them like that,” Diluc hums. It seems he’s really fond of dogs in particular— well, he has three, no wonder. “Seems you’ve done good work with him. Anyway… come with me.”

Kaeya tilts his head. “Do you want me to come, too—?”

“No. Just me and Ajax, please.”

Ajax swallows a bit, a nervous wave of anxiety washing over him… but now is the time to impress. He’ll follow Diluc out to the gardens, hands resting in his pockets as he notes Kaeya following to the window and pretending not to watch. Ah, his Kaeya is protective… but he doesn’t think Diluc will strike him with a shovel and then bury him half-alive in the dirt.

“… you’re going to be part of my family then.”

“… I want your blessing. I don’t need it, but I’d like it.”

Diluc pauses, letting his mind linger on those words as he hears them… Ajax knows well what he wants and he’s not going to let an obstinate older brother get in his way, but neither is he going to act like Diluc is unimportant to his future. Ajax is extending an olive branch for both their sakes— for Kaeya’s, too. Kaeya is the most important aspect of this whole thing, after all.

“You make my brother happy…” Diluc sighs. “That’s something I see very few people do. Kaeya’s not… he’s not depressed, but I wouldn’t say he was happy before he met you.”

Anyone in his situation wouldn’t be, Ajax thinks. Cornered into debt and basically a cash cow for the organization that employed him. He doesn’t know Diluc’s half of the story for that situation, either…

“… Did you know he was working for a host club, in debt to them?” Ajax asks, a slight tilt of the head, curious as to whether Diluc simply didn’t know or decided not to help.

“I didn’t. He kept secrets from me until I found them out for myself…” Diluc sighs, and… as much as Ajax hates to admit it, it does track with what Kaeya usually does. He doesn’t like to burden people, least of all those who he was angry at at the time. “The day I went to buy out his debt was the day I found out a Harbinger did it before me, just the night before.”

… fate really is funny, like that. If they had delayed his celebration for ascending the ranks any further, he would have missed his shot with Kaeya. He supposes he should be grateful for the fact that Diluc never succeeded in helping his brother before he could.

“… so I owe you thanks for that, too.” Diluc hesitates, looking at the flowers planted elegantly in the garden, no longer thinking of them as a potential gravesite. “You helped my brother when he was closed off from everyone, and didn’t have a single lifeline. I don’t think you did it unselfishly— but you did it, nevertheless. Kaeya wouldn’t get engaged to you just to pay off that debt, so…”

The thought didn’t even occur to Ajax, two years would be an insane amount of time just to fake for that sort of thing, and promising to marry someone or faking love just for the sake of money would be equally improbable.

… he bites his lower lip.

Kaeya wouldn’t… right? He wouldn’t just… settle into a relationship because it was the best thing for him, or because breaking things off would be too damn awkward when someone’s paid such a high bill for you. Diluc seems to see this on his face, and snorts.

“… he really wouldn’t.” Diluc reassures him, though he wonders why he’s doing it. “Kaeya is slippery, he would escape all responsibility in a clever way if he found you repulsive, you know. He’s not so passive as to accept a bad interpersonal situation. Work? Sure. But love? Kaeya’s allergic to most strains of love. The fact that he hasn’t made excuses or worked up some scheme means he really does love you… despite your fumbling.”

“I never fumbled him,” Ajax huffs.

“You let him get attacked by a bird, you nearly got him pregnant, and if I recall right, you brought him home to homophobic parents knowing full well they wouldn’t treat him kindly.”

“… two of those things are way more serious than one of them, you know—”

“My point stands. You did some strange things that Kaeya wouldn’t tolerate even once from another person. The fact that you’ve gotten away with three is proof that he’s sticking it out and really loves you.”

Diluc will pause… and there’s something he’s wanted to say regarding that last bit.

“… I don’t like you yet, Ajax, but I’m not heartless. Your family turned their back on you because you stuck by my brother. You proved your loyalty by eschewing loyalty to the people who raised you. You have my blessing. For now, at least, and I’ll help with the wedding however I can.”

Diluc walks over to Ajax, calm strides as he faces him. Ajax doesn’t look away from his eyes, a steely blue stare.

“… but if you break his heart… after all the work you’ve put in to prove you really wanted it, I’ll break you over my knee.”

Diluc looks like he could do it, too.

“… I wouldn’t.” Ajax says, firmly. “I’ve never wanted anything more in my entire life.”

“… then…” Diluc coughs into his fist. “You’re welcome here. As part of the family… hell knows we don’t have many members to begin with, and neither do you.”

Ajax beams brightly, as light as the setting sun behind them. He playfully pats Diluc’s shoulder.

“Two families coming together, then?”

“… more like three people. But sure. Oh, and Ajax?”

“Yes?”

“… thanks.”

Diluc refuses to elaborate, though, so he’ll head inside as Kaeya slips past him. Kaeya looks at him, confused, wondering if that talk went well or disastrously— and Ajax shrugs his shoulders with a smile.

“… seems I got your brother’s blessing.”

“You didn’t need it.”

“No,” Ajax glances out across the rolling fields of Mondstadt. “I didn’t. But I think I’d go crazy if I didn’t have at least one person’s blessing. I still feel bad it was never in the cards to get my parents’.”

Kaeya smiles, a sad sigh escaping his lips.

“Just don’t fight with him, okay? … He’s got a lot of shit to resolve regarding you, so take what you’ve been given as a sign of peace.”

“I know, I know.” Ajax leans in to brush his lips just above his brow, before taking his hand and heading inside. “Show me your childhood bedroom… ?”

“… haha, sure.”

Chapter Text

They pick a date.

September 27th.

It’s the weekend falling exactly between their birthdays— and Kaeya addresses each envelope, where most of Ajax’s invites are coworkers and the family that hasn’t rejected him completely, and Kaeya’s is mostly friends— and Diluc. It becomes clear that it’ll be a small reception when they pool the individual names for invites, and Ajax hovers over inviting Pierro.

“Uh—” He begins, and Kaeya gives him a look.

“Ajax, no.”

“… he’s my boss. It’s kind of weird that I’m inviting Her Majesty and not him—”

“Do you always call Ana ‘her majesty’?”

“It’s a habit,” he admits with a slight fluster. “But—”

“Pierro will understand,” Kaeya says flatly, moving onto the next invite, and Ajax’s subsequent whine makes him pause.

“… you can’t be serious, Ajax. My absent father?”

“… well, when you put it like that—”

Kaeya sighs… he knows his job is important to him, and his coworkers likely don’t know the bombshell that Ajax does… Kaeya pouts a bit and hands him a blank invite.

“You can invite him,” He says, “But if he talks to me—”

“He probably won’t even show up!” Ajax reassures him, but it’s a fine question of whether or not that was even reassuring. Kaeya glares from his choice of words.

“… sorry—”

Ajax makes sure to sign the invite from him and not the both of them, sorting through all the cards they have to go through next. It’s still only about 50 people, including plus ones, but a cozy wedding suits them better than a big one. Kaeya is already suffering through the awkward questions about who will give the bridegroom away at the altar in his mind, with no parents on either side of the family showing up—

“Hmm… we’ll have to forgo some traditions,” Kaeya says out loud, and Ajax understands what he means. He clears his throat and shrugs his shoulders.

“It’s alright. Rather than have anyone give you to me at the altar, we can say I’m stealing you.”

“It’s a heist now, not a wedding?”

“Yeah. I’m one of those fancy phantom thieves in a suit. I can even get a top hat.”

“No top hats.”

“… speaking of suits—” Ajax begins. “We should look for wedding clothes soon, yeah? We picked a date that’ll come up on us fast.”

Kaeya pauses— they did. They wanted a short engagement… ah, and he’s already seen his doctor, so—

“Think I’ll be pregnant by Halloween, then?” Kaeya asks, idly. Ajax sputters.

“Well damn, Kaeya, I didn’t think you’d put me to work that fast—”

“Well—” Kaeya shrugs, a light chuckle. “We’ll see. You’d have to be incredibly, um, potent to do it that quickly—”

“… I’m a child of a family with seven kids.”

“You are not getting seven children out of me. I’d kill you first.”

“No! No, that’s not, um, what I meant—” Ajax laughs, trailing off a bit. “I mean if it does happen, I would not… be surprised if it were sooner than later.” He’ll pause, turning to face Kaeya a little more. “So if you’re nervous— we can wait. Seriously! We can.”

Kaeya smiles a little.

“You know…” He says, folding each envelope, one after another. “About two years ago, I thought everything was going to go to hell.”

“…? Why?” Ajax’s voice is a little worried at that, at his suddenly bringing this up.

“It’s a thing with me. My life is a series of things going great and then crashing down. I was abandoned by my dad, but to a rich family. Then my father died, and my brother told me I didn’t belong there at all. I went to college, but fell into debt right after. Got nabbed by that host club, and then… you. The best thing. The best thing that’s ever happened to me. I was so worried something would take you from me in that six months after, to the year after, to now— I keep waiting for it to fall apart. To get a call that you were in an accident, or you died, or—”

“Kaeya.” Ajax’s voice is soft, now, with no worry. “Do you think everyone thinks like that?”

“Wh— no? Just… it’s my luck.”

“… there’s no such thing. Do you think— me falling out with my parents was a direct consequence of me finding a good job and you? The bad following the good?”

“What— no! Ajax…!”

“Well, I mean— that was a consequence, but it wasn’t an intangible factor of luck. They were bigots that would cross that bridge no matter what.” He shrugs. “You could say my life is the same way— had a normal family life until I got the boot at 14. Suffered for years to build myself into a good career. Found you. But I don’t see that cause and effect there at all. That’s just… life. Bad things happen. Good things, too. So if that’s what scares you— the idea that… we’d have a family and you’d lose part or all of it as karmic debt… I have to tell you, plenty of people live to be old. It’s kind of a goal for most of us. Sure, lots die too.” He shrugs. “But nowhere near the inflated number in your head.”

Kaeya sighs… “But—”

Ajax tilts his head.

“… Is it really a rule, Kaeya, if it only applies to you and not, say, everyone else on this planet?”

Kaeya’s shoulders shrug. It’s always been a part of his … belief system. That it was something his life taught him. Something that would always be a part of who he was. It’s hard to disengage from that, but… Ajax’s words don’t condescend. They’re just trying to give him an alternative explanation rather than a blank ‘you’re wrong’.

“Besides—” Ajax says. “I think you’ve been through enough. Enough bad karma for a lifetime. That means you have a lifetime of good left.” He concedes. “Okay?”

Kaeya… sighs. He smiles, a little sadly.

“I should book with a therapist, huh?”

“… only if you want to,” Ajax bumps his shoulder to his. “It’ll only work if you don’t lie to the therapist, after all—”

Kaeya laughs a little, the heel of his palm coming up to rub his eye. “Ajax?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s not being a dad that scares me. Nor childbirth, nor losing any freedom or any of that nonsense. Not even the idea that I could mess up my kid, because you know what? I know you wouldn’t let me. I know you wouldn’t let me screw up that bad. And I wouldn’t let you. So trust me— that isn’t where my doubts lie.”

After a heavy conversation like that, humor is the very first thing to come to mind.

“… so after September 27th, you can have as much fun with me as you want—”

“KAEYA—”

“As. Much. As. You. Want.” He huffs.

“Kaeya, please—” Ajax’s shoulders shake with laughter, unable to stop. “Okay! Okay— okay okay okay. And if you were serious about therapy— there’s someone I know.”

“… Huh?” He blinks.

“Yumemizuki Mizuki. She’s one of the best… I saw her for a little bit, then I kinda fell off, but I bet she would do great with you!”

“Her name is the same name twice?” Kaeya asks, incredulous, before he realizes the real question at hand, “You went to therapy?”

“You’re just jealous I’m well adjusted.” Ajax says, a bit smugly. Kaeya pushes his shoulder.

“Help me finish the invites—”

“Okay, okay.”

But before Kaeya could even vaguely consider therapy as anything more than a pipe dream, there were things like ‘cake shopping’ and ‘picking out wedding clothes’ that needed to be done.

They walked into the tailor shop with a vague idea already— Kaeya in white, and Childe in blue. Blue is the color they chose for the wedding, and though Kaeya said it made him feel like it centered on him too much, Ajax shrugged and said ‘you’re more than your pretty hair. Besides, I have blue eyes too—!’.

The tailor leads them inside and to their wedding display, getting out various outfits that would suit their needs. Kaeya’s eyes pause at the various white suits she pulls out, cooing softly at one with a bare back decorated with lace. Yet, he thinks it might be chilly in late September, so he’ll opt for something else.

Ajax isn’t picky. He settles on one suit that fits and is the perfect color, and he’s done. He doesn’t see as much variation between suits, despite having to practically live in them at work. He knows how to get them fitted, but doesn’t particularly care for or about the styling of suits. Kaeya, meanwhile, takes forever. Trying on each and every one, even if he isn’t sure about them. Walking up and down the store to see how they would feel walking down the aisle…

And Ajax just. Stares.

Holy shit, this is really happening.

He’s here, watching his future husband get dressed for their wedding. This is his forever person. Suddenly, he understands what Kaeya was talking about, although not to the same extreme. This whole person is his! And he loves him! What would he do if he ever lost him?! Ajax pushes himself out of the chair and walks up behind him, settling his hands on his waist and his chin on his shoulder.

“You look great…”

“Is this the one?” Kaeya asks, and Ajax realizes in his slackjawed staring that he was supposed to be giving opinions.

“I-I… is it your favorite?”

Kaeya glances down at the train of fabric that reaches down from the coattails… yeah, this is showy, peacock-y in a way he likes. Albino peacock feathers would make this outfit, as a matter of fact.

He quickly googles how much albino peacock feathers cost.

… Oh, he could do this— Ajax blinks as he watches him pull out his phone and quickly enter—

“What do you need feathers for?”

“I think they would make this outfit—” Kaeya says with a hum, though the tailor says they’re a bit too fragile to use— damn it.

“You really like peacocks, don’t you?” Ajax murmurs.

“I am a peacock, at least in spirit,” He’ll pause. “But to answer you, yeah, I think this outfit is my favorite.”

Ajax steps back, looking at him… before realizing.

“Shit! I’m not supposed to see you dressed like this before the wedding—”

“That’s an old wives’ tale for straight people, I’m pretty sure.” Kaeya says, putting aside his phone to go change back into his street wear. “Doesn’t apply to our wedding.”

“You sure?”

“Positive, pumpkin.”

Ajax breathes a faux sigh of relief before going to pay for their suits and the tailoring cost to get them fitted. He’ll pause as he does, looking to Kaeya.

“So…” He begins.

“Yeah?”

“What cake did you like the best?”

“The blueberry orange.”

“Yeah, that one was really good,” Ajax chuckles a little. “I have an idea.”

“You do?”

“For the wedding topper.” Ajax says, leaning against the cashier counter with a grin. “Let’s both pick out one. And it can be any theme, a little figurine that would fit on top of the cake. And we’ll see what the other brings to the table. Er, to the cake.”

Kaeya pauses for a moment, before he realizes that’s actually a really cute idea…

“Huh, sure. Yeah, we can do that.”

He doesn’t know the kind of permission he’s just given Ajax, but— sure. It’s more than okay with him. Already, he’s thinking about what is best to give him— no, he should make it. He should make a little clay figure to put on the cake! … Yeah, that sounds perfect. It doesn’t matter that Kaeya has no experience sculpting clay, but he’s certain he can make something that looks like a cute approximation of him with a few tutorials on YouTube.

Yeah, this’ll be fun.

It wasn’t fun.

In fact, he’s not sure why he ever thought he could make something like this. After buying many colors of clay, he managed to make a lumpy ball of a face, with blue clay slapped on and molded to look like his usual hairstyle— and he tried. Really hard. In fact, trying so hard is probably what continually ruined the figure, trying to sculpt it and make it better and smearing around the colors and—

He tries to make an approximation of the suit he’ll be wearing, trying not to think of how Ajax could probably knock out a handy project like this without any effort at all. He folds the little side-skirt in ripples, then accidentally crushes it when he shoves it into the desk when Ajax walks in. Then tries again. Then tries again.

By the time the day comes where Ajax and him will share their figures to give to the cake decorator, he realizes all he has finished is his lumpy clay monstrosity whose smile looks like a cry for help. He can’t show Ajax this…

… but he doesn’t have anything else. Ajax is going to outclass him by light years—

Kaeya cradles his monstrous clay son in his hand behind his back as they meet each other in the living room, feeling nervous as hell. Ajax will take one look at this thing and go ‘oh, Kaeya… we can… we can buy a topper, it’s okay—’

Meanwhile, Ajax looks pretty psyched.

“On three?”

“Y- yeah. One, two…"

Kaeya shows him the clay monstrosity, and Ajax shows him…

Bowser.

Well, to be accurate, it’s Bowser in wedding suit, from a video game Kaeya has never played. Kaeya stares… oh… it was this kind of thing? It’s not meant to be a homemade, heartfelt gift, it was supposed to be a fun thing? His cheeks flush hotly, but before he can throw Claeya out the window before Ajax registers what the lump in his hand is, Ajax squeals with delight and takes the figure into his hand, cooing softly as he looks over Kaeya’s little clay doppleganger—

“It’s so cute! You made this?? Tell me you made this—”

“I— yeah…? You can’t tell?”

“Kaeya, it’s adorable! I— uh, sorry I didn’t clarify that it was a figurine we’d find, otherwise I would have made my own…” He answers sheepishly. “If you have any clay left, I can make one of me—”

“N- no, no, we can get the Peach amiibo instead—” Kaeya stammers and blushes brightly at the idea of all his guests seeing his kindergarten project, and Ajax shakes his head.

“No, we gotta put them on the cake like this.” He says, with a fond smile. “It’ll be a fun story to tell people, and— well, it makes me happy that you wanted to make something for this.”

Kaeya looks at the two mismatched figures, feeling embarrassment melt away before he snorts and then laughs. He worried over nothing— and Ajax made it that way. Made it so there was nothing to worry about at all.

“Let’s get them to the baker, then…?” Kaeya says, suppressing his giggles. “… I hope we don’t have to explain too much to Escoffier.”

“Escoffier has probably done way weirder cakes than this—” Ajax is still staring so fondly at the clay Kaeya.

Kaeya tilts his head at the figurine in Ajax’s hands, wondering…

“Hey, Ajax?”

“Yeah?”

“Why Bowser, of all people? … Was it just because he’s in a suit?”

“They were out of Mario.”

“Oh.”

“And— he’s a redhead, like me! And very romantic, like me—”

“He kidnaps Peach.”

“— misunderstood…” Ajax adds thoughtfully. “And also, he’s way more attractive than Mario too.”

Kaeya raises both eyebrows at that, but then goes, “Huh… yeah, I agree actually.”

“See? It’s perfect.” Ajax laughs. “As is yours— as are you.”

… Kaeya wants to bite him. Ugh, how dare he talk so cutely. Kaeya will bite him at their wedding, and that will be that— He’ll have to give his vows with Kaeya’s teeth marks on his cheek.

But… he likes it. Mismatched as they are, it feels right.

Chapter Text

Kaeya anticipates fear, but it doesn’t come.

In fact, every day, working at the bakery, he’s showing off his ring each time he hands the customers their change. He makes a mental note to give a discount to every regular who notices it on his finger the next time they come in, and an even steeper one if they compliment it. Kaeya will smoothly chatter about his businessman husband while he makes their coffee and gets their order from the glass case, and if anyone flirts with him despite noticing the ring, or says something like ‘marriage is a nightmare’, Kaeya— well, he doesn’t overcharge them, but he does think something along the lines of ‘Ajax should come kill this guy for me. It’d be the noble thing to do’.

His wedding is in three days. Tomorrow, they fly to Mondstadt.

… it’s a bit bittersweet, but Kaeya wishes his father were here to attend the wedding (no, not that one). He would have loved for him to meet Ajax, would have loved for him to crack silly jokes alongside him… but Kaeya and Ajax will pretty much be each other’s family, with Diluc as a somewhat awkward third wheel.

…

He can’t wait for life to begin after that day. The fact that someone he met in a grocery store of all places— is going to be his husband in a few days… it’s stopped being a source of worry and is now one of excitement. He’s decided to trust Ajax when he said nothing would go wrong.

They’re going to stay at the winery before the wedding and before they go off on their honeymoon, and the whole place is decked out in decorations. The reception will be held here, so everyone’s getting prepared in advance… At the last minute, they decided on orange flowers to accent the blue theme, and a few are already scattered around in vases at the manor.

Kaeya looks to Ajax with a soft smile, squeezing his hand. It feels weird, having a celebration dedicated to you and your partner, like— Kaeya’s not used to that much spotlight. But it does make him happy to see everyone RSVP’d. Even the cake decorator they hired in Teyvat City flew out to Mondstadt to bake and set up the cake for them— listen, if Kaeya wants one thing to be overspent on at the wedding, it’s the cake.

Though he thinks of the toppers decorating that beautiful cake— augh.

Ajax asks him if he’s got everything he needs— he needs to go rehearse his vows, and Kaeya nods. They need to split for a bit so they can both do that— and Kaeya has his written already, but memorizing is another story.

… a lot of it is about Ajax being his saving grace, that he feels like he was — sent him, against all odds. It’ll be weird to admit he’s not all that religious in a cathedral, but Ajax is the one blessing that Kaeya will concede to a higher power— he’s not sure he has enough luck in reserve, so clearly someone was looking out for him. He reads the vows out loud to Adelinde to see if there’s anything he needs to fix, and she’s crying by the end of it. She tells him— “I’ve watched you grow up, but I’ve never seen you so happy. Like you’ve found your place, finally… I hope he brings you so much joy. If he doesn’t, there’ll be words.”

“He already has,” Kaeya says, a gentle, heartened smile on his face.

And Kaeya is in the bridal suite in a blink of an eye, by the next day.

Adelinde and a few of the other maids are doing his make-up. Diluc volunteered to give him away at the altar, so they actually are going to do that tradition after all. Kaeya holds onto a vibrant orange and blue rose bouquet, turning it over in his hands… gods… in just a half hour, he’ll be—

“Kaeya—!”

Diluc throws open the door, looking upset. Instantly, Kaeya turns towards him and fear strikes his heart. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it—

“I’m so sorry—”

He knew it he knew it he knew it— good only lasts so long when you’re Kaeya Alberich—

“They were out of the flowers you wanted for the reception. The orange carnations. I asked them to give us the orange chrysanthemums they had otherwise, is that okay?”

…

And Kaeya’s heart starts to beat again. He sputters… laughing a little as his shoulders relax. Diluc likely doesn’t know how badly he just scared Kaeya right now, but the only thing to go wrong on his wedding day, so far, is flowers and his father showing up.

That’s it.

Flowers.

(And Pierro.)

And Kaeya’s decided he can live with that.

Organ music swells as the wedding procession walks in front of them, Alice’s daughter Klee being the designated flower girl, even if she’s a little old for it now. Kaeya clutches his bouquet and holds onto Diluc’s arm, and Diluc notes the grip on it being tight.

“Nervous?”

“I’ll be honest with you, Diluc—” He continues, “I’ve never worn heels this high. If I fall, you’re going down with me.”

Diluc snorts. “Alright, alright…”

Yet, Kaeya manages the walk well as the music climbs, his eyes locked on Ajax as Ajax’s are fixated only on him. He doesn’t notice his father in the seats, doesn’t notice anything else in the room, his gaze doesn’t latch on the architecture he used to see every Sunday growing up.

Ajax’s mystified, awed expression is all he wants to see.

When they get to the front of the aisle, Diluc passes off Kaeya to Ajax, and in a voice that sounds like both congratulations and a warning, he says, “Treat him well.”

Ajax nods, taking Kaeya’s hand and kissing it.

And the truth is, neither of them are incredibly religious. But the cathedral holds a lot of memories for Kaeya, which is why they decided to have the wedding here. They will listen to the drawn-out speech of the priest, their attention split between the words spoken and their eyes falling on the other. Ajax looks so handsome— his hair slicked back, his curls slightly tamed— and Kaeya can tell he just wants to kiss him. Kiss him and start the celebration.

But then comes the time for the vows, and Kaeya remembers every word he was going to say.

“… Ajax. Someone sent you to me. I don’t know who or what, what deity, if it was Barbatos carrying you on the wind or if my luck simply flipped around that day, but gods, you are the best thing to ever happen to me. You make me unafraid of the future, and that’s no small task. You make me happy to be myself, because you love me for who I am— I can’t believe it was a box of pasta that changed my future. I can’t believe it was because of an old, awful job that meant we would meet again… I want to give you the world, Ajax, all of it. The moon and stars. How lucky am I that I was born at the same time as you. How lucky am I that you chose to love me out of billions of people— I really am the luckiest man. I thought the opposite until I met you. I love you, Ajax, and my life is yours, always.”

Ajax smiles so softly at that, a tear in the corner of his eye that he wipes away as he takes the microphone from him to give his vows. He memorized his, so there’s no card in his hand.

“I think I just knew. I think I knew when I saw you for the first time, that I had met my soulmate… and believe me, though you’re the most gorgeous man in the world, it was something else that convinced me of that. The way you tease me with love, the way you take care of me, the playful competitions, the quiet moments at home… there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I would go up to bat against anyone and anything in your honor, like a knight with his lord’s favor. I’m excited to see what the future holds for us— what… we’ll have together. You say you want to give me the world, Kaeya…”

He squeezes his hand.

“I have it.”

Kaeya feels tears sting the corner of his eyes, mentally willing them not to fall, or he’ll ruin his makeup— the priest begins the whole ‘do you take this man to be your husband, in sickness and health, ‘til death do you part’ spiel, but halfway through it, Ajax leans in and kisses Kaeya, to the surprise of the crowd.

“This is a heist,” Ajax murmurs against his lips. “No ‘I do’s’. I’m stealing you, and that’s that.”

The priest stares for a moment… then shrugs, closing his book and declaring them lawfully wed with a laugh. Kaeya tilts his head up and then grabs Ajax, dipping him low to the ground to press a kiss to his lips to the thunderous applause of their small crowd. He pulls him back up with a laugh, joyously grinning from ear to ear as he takes his hand and begins the walk down the aisle—

Nothing could spoil today— not even the wrong flowers, it seems.

The reception goes off without a hitch, though Kaeya stares at their gorgeous cake with the not so gorgeous things on top of it— the little Bowser figure and Claeya. A lot of people ask questions about it, and Ajax excitedly tells the story every time, and even Kaeya warms up to the misshapen clay figure as he talks about how he tried sculpting something good over and over—

They smash cake into one another’s faces, they dance, they drink, they party. No one has an awkward, drunk speech that makes Kaeya cringe a little, no one talks to Kaeya about his absent father— though a few of the older maids glare at Pierro, including Adelinde. By the time that the guests disperse, Kaeya is worn out, a little drunk, and thinking about his honeymoon… they’re going to go to Liyue for a week, and then head home.

They’re leaving Buster and Princess at the winery to be looked after, but they’ll stay the night there and leave in the morning…

Kaeya takes off his jacket, removing his makeup in the mirror while Ajax takes off and hangs up his suit. He wanders over to Kaeya, slipping his arms around his back and resting his chin on his shoulder.

“…” He hums a little, swaying with him as Kaeya finishes taking off his make up.

“I know. I promised,” Kaeya says with an airy smile. “Can you let me get out of my clothes, first?”

“… will your brother hear—?”

“These walls are practically soundproofed. You can’t hear anything in this corner of the winery.”

Oh, well if that’s the case…

Ajax grabs Kaeya by the waist once he’s done with his makeup and picks him up, carrying him over to the bed and practically tackling him onto it. Ajax has always played rough, like a puppy who learned to play by biting their master’s hand, but Kaeya likes it. Ajax’s teeth on his neck feel good.

“Oh, excited, are we—?”

“… you could say that.” Ajax murmurs, kissing down his neck to his collarbone. His hands slip off the silver top that was beneath the jacket, his hands splaying up against his chest. “It’s all I’ve thought about since proposing to you.”

“And here I thought you had more romantic thoughts on your mind.”

“This is romantic,” Ajax says indignantly, pushing himself to look at his face with a pout. “What could be more romantic?”

“… I don’t disagree.” Kaeya says with a soft smile. “… you’ll put up with a lot, you know.”

“Leaving the house for 3 AM food cravings, you being moody and cute, easily annoyed and coping a bit poorly—” Ajax pauses. “… we already do the first thing. And I want to experience the rest. Will you be okay, though? …” His voice holds concern, wondering if this is the kind of thing that would make Kaeya uncomfortable in his body.

Kaeya leans up to kiss his lips to reassure him. Yes, it will be a big change, but it’s not one that particularly scares Kaeya— more worrying is the idea that his mood will change a lot, but he can cope with that.

“… I’m looking forward to you spoiling me rotten. I won’t accept anything less.”

Ajax crushes his lips to his, pinning him to the bed as his hands thread their fingers together.

“Let’s get to work, then.”

The next morning, Ajax and Kaeya (who is limping, slightly) pack their things and head to Liyue.

It’s beautiful, there.

Though Ajax is terrible with chopsticks and always has to make the shameful request for a fork, they both love the food. In Teyvat City, they always went to the authentic shops that sold Liyuen cuisine, so it’s neither a surprise nor an adjustment to get used to the local food. Ajax speaks Liyuen fluently because of his job, so he’s the one often posing questions to other people about where to go and what to do. They go shopping together, get souvenirs, and talk eagerly about their wedding.

Ajax introduces Kaeya as his husband to everyone. Everyone.

And Kaeya does the same.

They explore ruins open to the public, walk down winding streets and see the sights. By the time they have to return to Mondstadt to collect their pets and wedding gifts and all else before returning to the city, they’ve got plenty of stories to tell about Liyue. Ajax anticipates the pile of work that awaits him when he goes back in on Monday, and Kaeya hopes quietly that Sucrose didn’t burn down the bakery on accident— no, she’s too responsible for that.

The flight back is quiet, not a full flight. As they sit next to one another in first class, Kaeya looks out the window and thinks for a moment. Princess is in a carrier beside him, and Buster is sitting on the chair beside Ajax— perks of traveling with your pets.

“… Ajax?”

“Yes, my blueberry—” Ajax glances up from his phone. He’s watching some egregious action-packed movie on his phone, John Wick-adjacent.

“… What names were you thinking of?”

“…” Ajax pauses for a moment, knowing what he means. “Well, if we have a girl, Yulia. A boy— Liev or Percival.”

“You really have it all figured out, huh?” Kaeya says with a soft smile. “… Will I get to name one?”

Ajax blinks… one? As in… more than one?

“Yeah…?” The joke’s on him, if they do have more than one, Kaeya will always give Ajax the honor of naming them. Their last name is already Alberich, so Kaeya’s already given any future children one name, Ajax can give them the other one.

“… my doctor said that my labs were fine,” Kaeya says, leaning into his chair. “That by the time I got married, I should be all set. So… jeez… with the amount of times that you took me to a certain town that begins with P and ends with Ound—”

He tilts his head… ah. So— it may happen sooner than anticipated, though he does fluster a little at Kaeya’s choice of words.

“… was it a risky week for you?”

“Yup.” Kaeya leans back in his seat. “… let’s not get ahead of ourselves though. It will probably take a few attempts.”

He doesn’t want to get too excited— he’ll just set himself up for disappointment like that. He glances over at Ajax, who’s staring at him… Kaeya snickers at the slight sparkle in his eye.

“Give it another week,” He says. “Then we’ll buy the tests, okay?”

He can see Ajax fidgeting a little in that cute way, like he’s unable to sit still— Kaeya knows an impatient look when he sees one, but you just can’t rush this sort of thing. Even if he had a tracker on his phone.

“C- cool,” Ajax stammers like he wasn’t just given something to look forward to. “By the way—”

“Yeah?”

“My company always has a Halloween party in lieu of a holiday one. Do you want to go with me this year?”

… it’d be another time he’d see his not-father, probably… but he can’t say no to Ajax when he’s making that face. “Sure. Want to pick out costumes?”

“We could be Peach and Bowser—” Ajax suggests.

Kaeya snorts. “It’d be a bit redundant, don’t you think…? Besides, pink isn’t my color.” He says that, yet he’s thinking about wearing an Elle Woods costume. Or something from the new Barbie movie, which— again, pink.

“… ooh, oh, what if we were—”

The discussion takes on an animated tone for the rest of the flight, Ajax suggesting more and more ridiculous costumes as time goes on (“An eggplant and a peach!” “What?” “That couple from Monster’s Inc!” “Kind of cute—” “Beetlejuice and Lydia!” “Ew.”), Kaeya lets him lead the conversation while he loses himself in thought. Say the worst thing doesn’t happen— what happens if the best thing does? What if— glancing down at his abdomen, currently buckled up by the plane seatbelt— everything is already in motion?

Kaeya tempers his expectations. There’s no rush. None at all. There’s no telling how it could go. It could even go very badly— but. He promised. He promised Ajax he would try to keep himself from spiraling down those thoughts, or at least see a therapist about them eventually. Maybe he should— what was her name? Yumemizuki Mizuki?

…

He writes down in his phone— ‘book appointment’.

With that, he’ll listen to Ajax’s spiel about how they should actually be Freddy and Jason for Halloween, the true couple’s cosplay. Kaeya pauses, then asks—

“Can I be the guy from Scream instead? And you be Jason—”

“… I guess—”

Kaeya snickers. “Alright, alright. Into the ‘maybe’ pile it goes.”

Chapter Text

The funny thing about having a hectic life, one managing a cafe and the other being a high-ranking businessman, is that you tend to forget things. Ajax has to fly out to Sumeru the next week, and Kaeya has to take over morning shifts for the next seven days— they forget to buy the tests and they only get to see one another at night, Ajax is gone for five days and comes back worn out and exhausted, and they forget the next week, as well.

Then, it’s the Halloween party the week after.

Really, Ajax only remembers the day of, and by the time he remembers, he’s already in his grungy Chucky outfit while Kaeya puts on a white dress with a leather jacket.

(They decided against Jason and Ghostface in favor of Kaeya being hot, because of course they did.)

“Hey, Kaeya?” He asks as he meticulously does the splatter effect on his shirt with an old toothbrush and fake blood, “Can we go to the pharmacy after the party? Oh, and don’t drink—”

“I won’t, I haven’t had anything since our wedding—” Kaeya huffs. He’s not wearing a wig, hoping that the dress and leather jacket combination will be enough to signify he’s ‘dressed up’. “I can’t believe I forgot about…”

“Have you felt any different?”

Kaeya pauses as he tries to think… he wakes up a little tender and queasy these days, but not to the degree that screams pregnant to him— then again, everyone is different. And he missed his period, so—

… he blinks.

He was so used to not having it on T that he didn’t realize he should have had it again already. Maybe that’s a side effect of having been on T in the first place, he wonders…? He tempers his excitement. No use paying attention to the obvious evidence in front of you when it’ll result in crushed hopes—

“… a little,” Kaeya says, not wanting to get Ajax’s hopes up, either. “But it could be anything, you know—”

Ajax laughs a bit, like he hasn’t been putting in overtime bending Kaeya over their kitchen counter. Little does Kaeya know, ‘a little’ can sometimes mean ‘a lot’ and Ajax errs on the side of hope. He decides they’ll stop at the pharmacy beforehand, and after the party, they can try them out. Kaeya stares…

“You want me— in costume— to walk into the pharmacy and…”

“Yes…?”

“That’s just asking for someone to make a joke about that awful movie where Chucky has kids—”

“Seed of Chucky?”

“I hate that you know the title.”

“Listen, you don’t get called that name as many times as I did growing up without knowing the lore,” Ajax huffs. “I’ll go in by myself, pookie, don’t you worry—” He says, pecking his cheek with a kiss, trying to hide the grin on his face to no avail.

Kaeya blinks…

… And later on, when he does go into the pharmacy and walks out, he says someone did, in fact, make that joke. But the tests go in the backseat of the car, and Ajax drives the two of them to the party.

Kaeya takes a step inside, and realizes he feels a little dazed for two reasons.

One, absolutely no one else dressed up. Well, with the exception of her Majesty, who is rocking the world’s most expensive Frozen cosplay, likely with real diamonds to form the ice around the dress. No one else. Everyone is wearing their post-work clothes with a few discreet closet costumes, or a paper sign taped to their chest that acts as a tongue in cheek, ironic costume— ‘guy who’s tired from working 60 hours a week’ or the like.

Kaeya feels heat creep into his face and a vague nausea… augh, they should have gone to a real party, the kind where the host kicks you out if you don’t show up in costume. Ajax, however, is undaunted.

“Remember—”

“I won’t,” Kaeya smiles a bit, bumping his shoulder to his. “Not until we know, at least.”

Ajax kisses his cheek, accidentally smooshing some fake blood on it at the same time as he goes to talk to a few of his coworkers— Kaeya recognizes them as the ones who were with them at the Host Club all the way back. Speaking of the host club, he sees Mona in the distance with Lynette, and decides to go over and say hi.

“Kaeya.”

“…”

He feels a vein twitch in his forehead at the sound of that voice— it can only be the man audacious enough to show up at a wedding he wasn’t welcome at but was nevertheless invited to. Kaeya forces a smile, and the forced look is more to be insulting than it is to be polite.

“Hello, father.”

“Didn’t expect to see you here.” Pierro says, still dressed in his work clothes, and Kaeya feels nauseous. It just goes to show that this man’s presence makes him feel ill no matter what, but… it’s strange. He doesn’t usually feel sick looking at him. It’s more like anger, not actual sickness. But he definitely feels sick right now.

“Didn’t take you for the type for a Halloween party. What’s your costume? Absent parent?” Kaeya says, swallowing back his sickness and spitting out barbs instead. “It looks good on you. Very apt.”

“…” Pierro sighs. “It was a lovely wedding.”

“Oh, yeah, definitely. Was surprised you were bold enough to darken the doorstep of Dawn Winery after all those years. Guess it took a proper invite, huh?”

“Kaeya.”

“I’ll stop.” He says, in a tone that implies stepping on the gas pedal. “I didn’t expect you to show up.”

“I didn’t expect to be invited.”

“It was Ajax’s idea…” Kaeya mutters, crossing his arms as Ajax sees two people who should definitely not be interacting and quickly walks over to them. The room feels tense— like it’s spinning a bit, and Kaeya suddenly really wants to sit down, but sitting down is a weakness and so is walking away.

“Oh, hey boss—” Ajax quickly cuts in, and Kaeya listens to them talk a bit, to Ajax’s obvious diffusing of the situation, as he feels something start to pull at the back of his throat, a gag. Like there’s a feather or a string or something stuck there and clinging to the back of his tongue. He feels ill, and he reaches up for Ajax’s sleeve and tugs it gently.

“Yeah, Kaeya…?” He turns his head towards him, and Kaeya thinks this is probably, definitely little weakling behavior and he should swallow back whatever is making him ill, and—

For some reason, that’s the thought that makes him the sickest.

And promptly, much like Ajax’s own gag reflex was triggered by thinking Kaeya was too pretty—

— Kaeya throws up on his father’s half-a-million-mora shoes.

“Serves him right,” Kaeya thinks as they drive back home, feeling both mortified and vindicated. He threw up on Crepus once, too, when he was sick as a child, so welcome to the club of all the experiences you missed, asshole.

Kaeya sits in his bathroom while he hears Ajax pace outside. He’s already taken the tests, he’s just waiting ten minutes for results. He watches the clock tick over one minute on his phone. Nine more minutes to go.

It feels like the precipice of destiny or something— though it really is more mundane than that. That he’s either going to have a kid or not— but it’s important. Kaeya’s whole life was shaped by the decisions of his fathers, and it feels like a weight on his shoulders won’t be lifted until he knows the results. God, it would have been… one month? By now— eight more to go.

Two minutes pass.

So many things could go wrong, and yet— he’s not worried about himself. Not in the least. Just about Ajax and the potential jellybean in his abdomen. Are they jellybean sized by now? Gods, that feels fast.

Three more minutes pass, and Kaeya bites his lower lip. His eyes find patterns in the tile floor as he sits on the closed toilet seat lid. He’s tempted to flip the tests over, the three different brands to make sure it’s working right, but he promised himself he wouldn’t touch them until the timer goes off. He opens, closes, and opens Candy Crush on his phone, does one level, and immediately closes it again.

By then, nine minutes have passed.

…

It should be fine right now, right? He stands up and walks over to where the tests sit, flipped away from him. It feels so simple to look, but daunting as well. He hears the timer go off on his phone and Ajax stopping his pacing. He reaches out with a shaking hand for the first test, and flips it over.

He’s pregnant.

“Oh shit—!” The rare curse flies from Kaeya’s lips in a sudden gasp, and Ajax throws the door open as if a pregnancy test can somehow give you more shocking news than being pregnant. Kaeya quickly scrambles to pick up the other two tests, flipping over positives on both of them. He stares, looking at Ajax with wide eyes, the star practically sparkling in them—

“Your goddamn,” He begins, a shaky laugh, overwhelmed and overjoyed as he realizes this is actually happening and as he shows Ajax all three tests, “Ginger seed— works fast.”

Ajax stares. He takes each test into his hand by the clean end, jaw slightly open before he grins brightly and laughs in a shaky, ecstatic way.

“No shit…? For real?” He asks, and it takes him a moment, but he sets the tests aside to grab Kaeya in a hug and squeeze at his shoulders— rocking him back and forth as a happy choked sob escapes his throat. He darts out of the room in such an intense way that Buster barks at him for it, and Ajax shouts back, “I know, it’s exciting, isn’t it, buddy?!”

He stops when he gets to his phone, and while Kaeya thinks he might be calling a friend or someone, he’s surprised when he hears Ajax’s father of all people pick up on the other line— he’s calling his awful dad?

“[I’M GONNA BE A FATHER!]” Ajax screams, in Snezhnayan, into the receiver. “[SUCK IT.]”

He immediately hangs up, dials someone else— this time Kaeya hears Diluc and he immediately rushes over to gently wrestle the phone out of Ajax’s hand.

“… Hi, Diluc!” Kaeya says breathlessly as he hears his brother ask why he’s calling on Ajax’s phone.

“GONNA BE A DAD—” Ajax says in the background of the call, and Diluc blinks.

“Is he serious?”

“Well, as serious as a positive test…” Kaeya says sheepishly, and he can practically hear Diluc’s dropped jaw.

“… already?” He asks, and Kaeya laughs.

“Yup.”

“Do you need any help? You’re taking time off from the bakery. I don’t want you to set foot in there for even your next shift.”

“… Really? Diluc, I’m not that fragile.”

“I’ll hire someone. I just want you to take it easy, okay? Don’t worry about a single thing.”

“I’ll get bored,” Kaeya says with an earnest pout, and Diluc refuses to hear it. He’ll have someone manning the store in at least three days, and if not, he’ll do it himself. 

“… alright.” He supposes he shouldn’t complain about a forced vacation. He should take it easy on himself, test his limits where necessary but not more than that. He watches as Ajax picks up Kaeya’s phone and resumes calling whoever he wants to scream at them about fatherhood and quickly hang up after, though he lingers on a phonecall with one of his coworkers to ask for advice—

Kaeya sits down on the sofa, and finishes up talking to Diluc as Princess plods over and sits on his lap. As if she already knows without even being told, or even comprehending human speech, she nuzzles a little against his stomach. Kaeya sighs, smiling a bit as he pets her fur. He quickly trades phones with Ajax and makes an appointment with his doctor in the last five minutes that they’re open, so he can head in the next morning.

Ajax eventually gives his voice a rest and flops down on the sofa next to Kaeya, beaming ear to ear.

“Do you want anything? Need anything?” He asks quickly, and Kaeya shakes his head.

“No… just wanna rest. I still feel kind of sick.”

“… man, my boss is gonna kill me—”

“No, he won’t. Not when you tell him you’re going to be a dad—”

“… no, he might kill me twice as hard, then—”

Kaeya laughs. “Well, tell him I’ll kill him if he kills you. Our baby isn’t going to grow up without his dad, I’ve already had enough of that in my own life.”

Ajax sighs, resting his arm over Kaeya’s shoulder while his other hand pets the cat on his lap.

“… it does make for a funny story, though, you have to admit—”

“What?”

“Throwing up on your dad and that’s how you found out you were pregnant—”

“Ha ha. I’ll tell everyone.”

“That’s the spirit,” Ajax says with a playful grin. “We heading to the doctor tomorrow?”

“Oh yeah. Gotta make sure everything’s all good.”

Ajax gently bonks his head to his.

“… so no wine for eight months…”

“You better have a bottle bedside in the delivery room for me, then—”

“I’ll have anything and everything you’ll ever want in there. All the food you couldn’t eat, too, I promise.”

Kaeya chuckles a little at that. “Alright…”

The two head to the doctor early the next morning, and Kaeya gets good news. Everything seems to be going well, despite any challenges his body might’ve ordinarily faced. He’s warned that he’ll face every other symptom that a pregnant person might face, and the hormonal flux might be a bit stronger with him— so Ajax should prepare for that, as should Kaeya. There’s many medications he can’t take now, after all.

As they walk out together, Kaeya sighs a bit… he wonders if he’ll be grumpy. He has been feeling a little testy lately, but mostly in the sense that things try his nerves more quickly than they usually would. He imagines that will get much worse.

“Alright, love… I have to head to work.” Ajax smooches his cheek. “Want me to drive you home?”

“Actually, I have another appointment.”

“… oh?” It’s the first Ajax has heard of it.

“Yeah. Yumemizuki Mizuki.”

Ajax blinks, but he smiles a bit when he hears that… ah, it seems Kaeya is going to work on— that. Rather, he must have realized he has to, if he wants to be a good father. 

“Want me to drive you there? Do you have a way home?”

“Yeah, Kokomi’s gonna pick me up after. Thank you, sweetheart.”

It’s a really nice, quiet office. There’s a fountain in the corner with running water, a fish tank, and the whole office is done in purple pastels and monochromatic color. Kaeya thinks any good office should probably have a fish tank with healthy looking fish— it shows they care for living things, and these fish do indeed look healthy.

(He’s a little surprised to see a puffer fish in there, though, floating through the water, small sized and thriving… he guesses they’re more common than he thought.)

After a while, a woman with pretty teal hair holds open the heavy door for him, and invites him inside. She’s got a serene disposition, kind and sweet, and she starts with a warm, welcoming question of how his day has been going.

“Well,” he begins. “I found out I’m pregnant yesterday—”

“Oh!” Mizuki’s voice sounds earnestly surprised. “Congratulations…?”

Kaeya chuckles a little at her hesitance to fully congratulate him— she must deal with a lot of drama in this field, so…

“Don’t worry, not an accident.”

She smiles warmly at him.

“Well, I’d like to know a little bit more about you, Kaeya. Tell me who you are and what you’re about.”

… It’s funny, he’s never been one to open up to anyone. Ajax is among the rare few who gets his honest words, and while he’s keenly aware he’s paying her for her time here, he’s still a bit hesitant. He struggles for a bit to speak, but he decides on a good opening line.

“My name is Kaeya,” He begins, leaning back in the chair. “My life has been a lot of bad luck and good luck… but lately, a lot more of the good. I’m mostly here because—” Because he has to unlearn that the bad luck doesn’t always follow the good, “— because there’s a lot of stuff I have to unpack. I tend to… believe that bad things will happen just because something good happens, because it usually does, and—”

Oh no, she’s writing something down…

“And?”

“…” He shakes his head, trying to force himself to get over this. Ajax is counting on him. “And I could use your help, Miss Yumemizuki.”

“You’re in the right place,” She says with a soft smile. “You said you’ve dealt with a lot of bad luck. How did that start for you?”

“Well,” Kaeya begins, glancing to the clock. “I suppose it must have started with my father…”

Chapter Text

Kaeya deals with it…

In a very Kaeya way.

As the second month ticks by and changes to the third, he goes from having a flair for the dramatic to having a degree in it. He’s irritated, excitable, morose, and thrilled— and he’s demonstrated he can wield these feelings to great effect and even more than one at a time. Ajax carefully navigates Kaeya’s moods, because if he does it wrong, then he can count on being on the sofa for the night. Luckily, that only happens rarely.

(He did make the mistake of bringing home grape juice when Kaeya was missing wine, reasoning that grape juice is just wine without extra steps. Kaeya wouldn’t let him hear the end of it.)

Despite all of this, Ajax loves it. Loves every day that passes when he can see the swell on Kaeya’s abdomen grow a little more. Talks to it like their baby can hear him, working from home more often because he gets to take paternity leave early that way. And Kaeya, well, Kaeya is very bored most of the time.

By the time he reaches the fourth month, his favorite pants don’t fit anymore and he’s mad about it. He’s mad about a lot of things. The sun being too bright, construction outside his house, Buster barking— he doesn’t really lash out about it, but Ajax can see the concentrated annoyance on Kaeya’s face. He thinks it’s very cute, because Kaeya rarely lets himself be angry for no reason— he needs a good reason, or he did before he got pregnant.

Ajax, wanting to keep him calm and relaxed, will often put on soothing nature documentaries while he works and while Kaeya folds laundry, needing something to do and stealing chores away from Ajax. But today, the nature documentary is about mother whales and how they carry their babies for a year and how they teach them how to properly Whale and all of a sudden—

“These whales are going to be better parents than me…” Kaeya’s voice is tinged with a sniffle. Ajax glances over from his laptop and immediately goes into reassuring mode.

“Aw, baby, no, we’re going to make the whales crazy jealous of our parenting skills. I promise, they won’t hold a candle to—”

“They carry their babies for sixteen months! I could never.”

“… that is pretty cool.” Ajax concedes. “But baby— why compare yourself to a whale? … If anything, the whale would probably be jealous you’re halfway through your pregnancy—”

“Are you calling me a whale?” Kaeya asks, tears streaked down his face—

“NO! No no no—”

Kaeya, for some reason, cries harder. Ajax closes his laptop and presses a kiss to his shoulder, going ‘aww, baby…’ while thinking that this is the cutest Kaeya has ever been.

… he definitely wants to do this again. At least— one sibling for their child, right? Kaeya might agree? He’ll beg, honestly.

Though Kaeya has the propensity to hide away, too. He feels too different, feels too strange— the belly comes paired with a little dysphoria, too. He doesn’t leave the house as much anymore, can’t bear the questions. His friends from the host club all stop by to hang out with him instead, bringing foods they know he craves and company he craves just as much. He asks Kokomi if he looks like anything less than himself, and she says ‘shh, Kaeya. You having a child doesn’t make you less of who you are. You should be proud! You’re positively glowing.’

And while Kaeya would say he’s more… dimly lit than glowing, he appreciates her words nevertheless. Thoma sometimes comes over, but for some reason, Ajax gets weirdly jealous of him— maybe because Thoma makes home-cooked food? Or maybe because they’re too alike. In either case, he talks about how his food is Kaeya’s favorite and gets weirdly needy for Kaeya’s attention soon after Thoma leaves. It’s the first time Kaeya’s ever seen him jealous.

Kaeya leans his head on his shoulder, going, “You know Thoma’s not my type, right?”

“…” It’s hard to tell if that disquiets Ajax or not, considering they’re so similar, but Kaeya follows it up with:

“I like bad boys, Ajax, with a little bite. He’s a sugar cookie.”

Ajax snorts a little at that, turning to face him with a smile. “What kind of cookie does that make me?”

“… the kind with M&Ms—” Kaeya decides on. “And a little crunchy.”

“… is that true, or is that simply what you’re craving right now—”

“It can be both,” Kaeya teases him gently, and Ajax relents. He’ll make the M&M cookies later, and Kaeya will demolish the whole jar of them in under two days flat.

By the time seven months have passed, Kaeya caves and opens the envelope with their baby’s gender written inside, given to them by the doctor a few while back. He and Ajax were going to open it the day before the due date, but he’s so impatient for the news that he opens up the drawer they hid the letter in and immediately tears it open.

Ajax lifts his head the moment he sees him walk in and go straight for the letter, and while another partner might scold him for the impatience… Ajax is pretty impatient too. He’ll stand up and walk behind him, hands slipping around his waist to rest on his stomach.

“What is it?” He rests his chin on his shoulder, glancing over at the note…

“A girl…” He can hear Kaeya’s lip wobble, and Ajax isn’t sure if that’s a good or a bad thing.

“… Are you okay with her being a girl?”

“Ye- yes! Of course!” Kaeya sniffles. “These are happy tears… no wonder I craved sweet things… ahh, I hope she looks just like you, Ajax.”

Ajax’s lips curve into a soft smile, kissing Kaeya’s shoulder.

“She can be whoever she wants to be, whichever features of ours she wants.” Ajax reassures him. “I’m hoping she has your pretty eyes, though.”

Kaeya takes a steadying, grounding breath. Only two more months to go— and Kaeya will be incredibly busy for the rest of the next eighteen years, at minimum.

It’s upon them in no time at all. As Kaeya reaches the end of the ninth month, he’s uncomfortable every single day. It feels like Yulia is kicking his ass from the inside; wanting to be out and out now, and Ajax gets a call one day that he’s already on his way to the hospital, a friend is driving him.

It’s in the middle of meeting, and Ajax stands up and immediately walks out of the room. Though one of his superiors tells him to sit his ass down and continue, her Majesty waves him off.

“We knew this was coming,” She says with a shrug. “He never let us hear the end of it, after all.”

It is five hours later, and Yulia Alberich is finally in the world.

Kaeya feels like a towel wrung of water, or maybe a peach without the pit— he aches completely, and though each passing second was agony, and he couldn’t stop himself from cursing out Ajax during the worst of it, the proudest papa holds their daughter next to him while Kaeya counts the dots on the ceiling tile and tries to keep his mind off the pain.

Diluc sits next to Kaeya, and it’s very kind of him to keep passing his brother all the food he’s missed. He regrets a little that he can’t have the fresh bottle of wine Diluc brought, thanks to the medication still in his system, but there will be time for that later.

Kaeya tiredly looks to Ajax…

“Are you happy…?” As if Kaeya can’t tell… he’s mostly asking like ‘I made her for you, are you satisfied?’

“Happy— Kaeya… it’s my little girl.” He stares down at Yulia’s sweet face with the softest, most loving smile. “I’m going to take such good care of both of you—”

Kaeya watches Ajax for a moment, eyes blinking softly… he smiles a bit, a tiny little smile. He did this for Ajax— he’s not sure he would do it for anyone else on this planet. Their daughter is already impossibly cute, too— small wispy, ginger curls atop her head and Kaeya’s eyes, in a deeper shade of lilac blue. Kaeya already adores her with his whole soul, and that’s no small part due to the fact that she resembles her father so much.

He can already think of all the ways he’ll tease her about today, how her papa cried the moment she was born and when she was first placed in his arms. How her uncle got stiff and nervous when it was his turn to hold her, as if he was afraid he’d drop her, but melted the moment she was placed in his arms and shown how to correctly do it. Kaeya knows Ajax will spoil his daughter rotten, but so will Diluc— he has no doubt it will be a competition between the two of them to see who will spoil her more.

“Kaeya…” Diluc begins, lifting his head towards him. Ajax is still holding onto Yulia, and with a bottle prepared, is giving her her first meal.

“Yeah, Luc?”

“… Dad would be so, so proud of you. He would have wanted to be here. He would have been the happiest, most excited person in the room—”

Kaeya snorts, looking to Ajax. “More than him?”

“… He’d give him a run for his money, at least.” And in that sense, Diluc shows why he’s here— he’s a representative of the Ragnvindrs, of course, but he is Kaeya’s brother, and therefore his niece’s uncle. What Crepus can no longer do, Diluc must. And so, he’ll brave holding onto his baby niece and make sure Kaeya wants for nothing while he recovers.

“… Hey, Diluc—”

“Yeah?”

“Can we visit sometime? With the baby. I want Addie to meet her.”

“Of course— of course, you would always be welcome.”

Kaeya sighs, leaning back into his pillow as he rests. He wants the winery to represent what it meant for Kaeya— a place of childhood happiness— to his daughter as well.

“Thanks.”

Six months later…

Yulia is a chatty, chatty girl.

She loves to giggle and babble, won’t hesitate to make her dissatisfaction known, but not to the point where it grates. She yells when she needs attention, wants food, or anything else— but other than that, she’s very smiley and playful. Kaeya adores her, and Ajax has been working from home to give her all the attention in the world.

Kaeya is washing dishes and Ajax has Yulia in his lap in the living room when there’s a knock at the door.

Kaeya says he’ll get it, and he’ll peek out the peephole viewer in the door and gasp when he sees who it is.

“A- ah… Ajax?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s— it’s your sister.”

Ajax immediately stands up with Yulia in his arms, walking quickly but safely towards the door.

“Tonia…?”

“Yeah.” Kaeya opens the door for her, and sure enough— recently turned old enough to travel on her own, is Ajax’s sister. 

Kaeya steps aside, taking Yulia from Ajax’s arms while Ajax welcomes her inside, and Tonia crashes into her brother, hugging him tightly.

“We missed you so much…!” She sniffles, the tears already coming out faster than she can stop them. “… I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner! I couldn’t…”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay—” He says, rubbing her shoulders as he lets her inside. “Are you on your own?”

“Y- yeah… I’m on a college visit.” She rubs at her eyes with the heels of her palm. “I-I searched up how to contact the Fatui, and asked someone for your address after telling them who I was—”

Ajax sighs, welcoming her into the living room as he sits down across from her.

“Are mom or dad with you?”

She shakes her head. “Ajax… nothing was ever the same after that day. We had to treat you like you were dead.”

Ajax looks a bit sad at that. “I know… I … thought it would be like that.”

“I’m…” She falters for a moment, before adding, “Teucer misses you so much. Anton, too—”

“I know,” Ajax says quietly, “I miss them, too.”

“…” There are many things she wants to say— and though the most painful would be ‘why did you do it? Why did you poke the hornets’ nest that was our parents?’, she also knows the answer. She can see it looking at Kaeya and the baby in his arms. And while she missed Ajax terribly, and that Ajax was a source of comfort in a tense household— can she really blame him for wanting to never be a part of it again?

“… is that my niece?” She asks, a wobbly smile on her face. Kaeya nods a bit.

“Yeah… this is Yulia.”

Slowly, he’ll walk over and sit beside her, letting her see her niece. Tonia brushes some tears out of her eyes as she smiles at the little baby.

“… aww, she looks like her papa—” She coos. “Such pretty eyes.”

“Tonia…” Ajax begins. “You said you were looking at schools in this city?”

“Y- yeah, I got permission to fly out…” She gets a handkerchief from her pocket and blots her eyes with it. “… but I won’t be able to stay. I went to the school and it’s way out of our budget.”

“I’ll pay for it.” Ajax says, resolutely. “Tell our parents you got a scholarship. I’ll make a fake letter that looks real— I can do that much.”

Kaeya doesn’t argue. Ajax has more than enough money to do so, and more than that, he’s desperate to keep his sister nearby. Tonia’s eyes go wide at that.

“A- are you sure?”

“Do you like the school…?” He asks, a soft smile on his face as he ruffles her hair.

“Y- yes! It’s so— so open and fun and I already made a friend on campus…” Just like Ajax, she grew up a bit isolated, so to see the world for the first time gave her an unparalleled sense of freedom. To think she’d have to return to her small coastal town was nerve-wracking. “… Are you sure? I-I could never repay you.”

“I don’t ever want you to repay me. You can repay me by staying in the city. Or…” He looks up at Kaeya, and a bit nervously adds, “Here?”

Kaeya pauses, thinking about it… but he’ll smile a little, knowing how important this must be. To see your sibling after a long time of being separated… Kaeya knows that feeling all too well, though Kaeya has more negative connotations associated with it.

“Yeah— it’ll be cheaper and more comfortable than the dorms, won’t it?” Kaeya asks, and Yulia giggles a little in his arms. “And Yulia will get to know her auntie.”

Tonia blinks a little, brushing tears out of her eyes as she looks to Kaeya.

“… I-I was mad at you for a long time… I thought you were the reason I’d never see my brother again.” She admits. “But you made my brother happy… happy enough to break away from our household for good. I understand why, now.”

Kaeya will pause, letting those words sink in. In truth, he always did wonder if his siblings blamed him, if Ajax wouldn’t— to have confirmation of that, but also forgiveness…

Well, it’ll put a lot of restless thoughts to bed, finally.

“Can I ask something?” Kaeya tries, and Tonia nods. “Was it hard for you in that house…? … I ask because I don’t think you’d turn your back on your parents unless you had a good reason.”

She nods a little.

“Ajax and me are… similar.” She confirms for him. “So… eventually, what they did to him, would…”

Ah.

Kaeya smiles a little, patting the top of her head. It only dawns on him now how lucky he was to have his adoptive father, growing up, be as supportive as he was.

“Well, so long as you can deal with a very noisy little girl, you’re welcome to stay, Tonia. We’ll have to clear out the guest room for you, but—”

Tonia breaks out into another round of tears, unable to stifle them back, and Ajax holds onto his little sister with a tight, brotherly hug. He pats the side of her head, helping her stand up so she can wash her face and they can make a plan together on how to get her to attend college in the city. Ajax has always talked about what a sweet and responsible girl she is, so Kaeya has no doubts about this decision.

… ah, though… he imagines it must have been hard, to hear all the things her parents would say about Ajax, or didn’t say— pretending he never existed in the first place.

“… your auntie is going to stay here with us,” Kaeya coos down at Yulia, who is chewing on his necklace. “I’m… happy. I thought it was just going to be me, Ajax, and your uncle as a part of your family.”

Yulia babbles up at him, and Kaeya chuckles a little.

“… Oh yeah?”

Ababababa—

“I guess I never considered that…” Kaeya casually talks to Yulia like this often, knowing she can’t understand him yet but it’s important for her growth anyway— for her to learn how to speak more easily. With a slight sigh, he’ll put her in her baby swing while he finishes up cleaning up the living room.

… it’s nice.

This house— the one he fell in love with all that time ago, finally feels like a home. It feels like the people who were meant to be here are finally here. It’s the kind of home Kaeya’s always wanted, and much like the winery, it feels like this house has become a lighthouse in the dark, for wayward family to take shelter in if they need it.

It’s the kind of place Kaeya has always wanted for himself, and he finally has it.