• third person •
Kaeya's gaze wandered quietly as he watched Adelinde walk off to get some snacks for (Y/N)'s aunt.
But for some reason, the moment her aunt was left alone, she immediately began to pace.
Kaeya's head tilted in curiosity. But then, Lucien looked up.
Kaeya's face fell flat when he accidentally made eye contact with her this time.
And then, she began to come up the stairs.
"Uh..." Kaeya shuffled on his feet awkwardly when she simply stood in front of him.
"What's your name? My name is Lucien," she greeted, her voice warm.
"K-Kaeya." Kaeya lowered his head a little. "It's nice to meet you, uh, Miss... (L/N)..?"
A small giggle escaped her. "You can just call me Lucien. It's very nice to meet you too, Kaeya." She smiled warmly. "Are you (Y/N)'s... boyfriend?"
At that, Kaeya's face instantly reddened. His pupils darted away for a moment, his lips pursing. "It's... complicated. Don't tell her I said that."
Lucien beamed. "I see. Do you think..." Lucien glanced at the bedroom door closed before them, "she will let me talk to her..?"
Kaeya's expression softened a little. "She's not as feisty as you might think she is. She just has a lot of walls built up around her fragile heart."
Lucien nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you, Kaeya. That is very helpful."
Kaeya gave her a small smile, before Lucien knocked on the door to (Y/N)'s room.
As expected, there was no reply. They could hear the sewing machine inside.
"(Y/N)..?" Lucien called quietly. "It's... Auntie Lucien... Hehe, it might take me some time to get used to that."
"Can I talk to you? I promise your dad isn't here. It's just me."
There was a few moments of silence. Lucien and Kaeya shared a solemn glance, before, to their surprise, the door opened ever-so-slightly.
Kaeya couldn't help his smile when Lucien's lips rose into a sparkling beam. She nodded at him in thanks, and then disappeared into the room.
(Y/N) simply stood behind the door when she closed it behind her, staring at the floor.
"Hi..." Lucien waved, her voice wavering just a little. "I'm sorry. Everything happened so quickly yesterday that I didn't get a single chance to speak to you..."
Her breath shook, making sure not to get too close. "You know, I was more nervous to meet you than to see your dad again." She giggled. "It pains me to think about how I couldn't watch you grow up, but... I can see you've grown into a beautiful young woman. You know, you look exactly like your mother did the last time I saw her."
(Y/N) didn't say a word. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve, sniffling. Suddenly, she had no idea what to say. She had been so rude... avoiding her...
"Do you want to talk about... what's making you hurt inside..?" Lucien asked quietly.
(Y/N) shook her head.
Lucien smiled softly. "That's okay. Let's sit."
Gradually, (Y/N) guided her towards the bed. Lucien only sat after her, her gaze still so warm and so gentle. (Y/N) could still barely even look at her.
Auntie Lucien was very soft-spoken. Even more than her dad. (Y/N) almost couldn't believe that this was the same girl who stood up to her dad's parents, who pointed her sword at them.
Lucien held her chin for a moment in thought. "(Y/N), have you heard of the five love languages?"
(Y/N) blinked. Finally, their eyes had met.
"Umm... yes," (Y/N) whispered.
Lucien smiled. "Do you know what yours is?"
(Y/N)'s head fell. "I dunno..."
"That's okay." Lucien fiddled with her fingers a little. "Your dad's is physical touch. I don't know if you've been able to tell. It might've brushed onto you, hehe."
(Y/N) hummed. "Yeah... Dad loves kisses and hugs."
Lucien beamed, nodding. "I'm glad he hasn't changed," she said with another giggle. "Mine is quality time."
"It's so fun to do things with others. To spend time with everyone. Ever since I heard you were born, I've always thought about so many things I've wanted to do with you as my niece..."
"How about it?" Lucien lifted her head. "Would you like to do anything with me?"
"I-I-" (Y/N)'s face reddened. "I don't... know what..."
"Do you like baking?" Lucien asked.
With a small smile, (Y/N) nodded.
Lucien instantly returned it. "How about we bake a cake for your dad? He just came back from a business trip, didn't he? I saw you decorated the kitchen beautifully. We could have a party!"
(Y/N)'s eyes widened slightly.
How did... Auntie Lucien... understand her so easily?
It was like she could see right through her...
Lucien laughed when (Y/N) nodded rapidly. "Can you decorate the cake..?"
"Of course! We can do it however you like-"
There was a knock on the door.
"M-Miss Lucien? Master Kaeya said you were in here."
"Ah yes," Lucien spoke immediately. "Sorry I walked off, hehe..." She stood, holding out her hand. "Come on," she whispered to (Y/N).
(Y/N) stared at her hand silently. Lucien was about to pull it away, thinking that maybe she didn't want to, but (Y/N) was quick to make sure she didn't. Auntie Lucien's hand was very soft.
She followed as Lucien spoke cheerily to Adelinde as if they had known each other for years, soon finding themselves downstairs, where her father and Master Crepus had returned.
"(Y/N)!" Luca exclaimed, approaching her. "You should at least leave a note for me if you're going to leave the house without my knowledge, okay?"
(Y/N) looked away.
Luca met eyes with Lucien. Lucien only smiled bittersweetedly.
"Master Crepus, is it alright if I take my lovely niece?"
Crepus grinned. "Of course. You can take the day off if you'd like (Y/N). You've been working very hard these days. The stress might be getting to you."
"No, I'll... come back later," she mumbled.
Her grip on Lucien's hand loosened.
"If that's what you want," Lucien said with a kind smile. "Let's go then."
(Y/N) nodded, before quickly following her auntie. Luca rushed to Lucien's other side, patting her head.
"Looks like you got her to like you then," he whispered with a beam.
Lucien hummed in content. "She's a cutie pie, hehehe. Be nicer to her."
Luca pouted. "I am nice to her," he whined beneath his breath.
Lucien shrugged. "Not nicer than me..!"
Sighing, Luca folded his arms. "Whatever you say."
• • •
Though (Y/N) seemed to be so enthusiastic at the thought of it, right now, (Y/N) didn't look the slightest interested in making this cake.
When she thought about the reason she originally wanted to make one, it was so that she could make it just for her dad, and they could eat it together, just the two of them, like it had been for so long.
But now, her reason had been rendered useless.
She didn't want to make a new reason. This didn't feel like 'quality time'. She just wanted to go back to work...
"I didn't get to introduce him properly yesterday, sorry, haha." Her father was also in the kitchen, along with his recovering colleague. "This is Leon. He's um- We're friends. I've told him to stay here for the time being because he's recovering from- I mean, he got injured on our trip. I hope you don't mind."
Lucien's lips curved. "Nice to meet you." They shook hands. "Are you in pain?"
"I'm alright. Nice to meet you too. Luca would talk a lot about you when we were younger," Leon commented nonchalantly.
(Y/N)'s eyes narrowed to herself in the corner of the room, stirring the mixture. He never told me anything about her when I was little...
Lucien burst into giggles when Luca rubbed the back of his neck. "Is that so? I wish I could've talked about him a lot too. Unfortunately, your name had become a bit of a taboo."
"Hehe, I'm glad Luca managed to make such trustworthy friends anyway."
"I know how to make friends, Lucien," Luca sighed, pouting.
"I know." Lucien's shoulders shook in her laughter. "I meant, because you two must have been friends for a long time, since he said when you were younger. Do you have any other friends? I want to know what you've been up to."
Luca smiled. "We have a friend called August too. He's your age. But he's in Sumeru right now. His little sister just got into the Akademiya! She's only thirteen."
"Oh wow!" Lucien clapped. "Sumeru Akademiya? I've heard it's pretty competitive there! That's amazing!"
"It is." Luca had a big smile on his face. "August usually lives in Mondstadt with his father for work, but he went over there to help her with the transition."
"He sounds very caring." Lucien giggled. "You really have made yourself some good friends. I'm so glad."
Leon chuckled a little. "She's beginning to sound like the big sister now."
"Hey." Luca pouted.
"Where did (Y/N) go?"
Both Luca and Leon turned their heads simultaneously.
The cake mixture was left lonely on the table, fully mixed, the recipe laying next to it with a pen on top.
"Oh..." Lucien frowned, rushing up to it, picking up the recipe. At the bottom, in fresh ink, was a little word, that simply read, 'Work'. "She went back to work," she mumbled sorrowfully.
A complicated expression threaded through Luca's face. "I should get her. Something's clearly wrong. I don't want her to do something reckless."
"Is she upset with you, Luca?" Lucien questioned. "It might make her feel worse..."
Luca's gaze fell.
Leon stared at the cake mixture.
"We could make the cake for her for when she gets back. It might cheer her up," he suggested.
Luca frowned. "You need to rest, Leon."
"We just need to put it in the oven..." Leon rolled his eyes with a smile. "Don't worry: you shouldn't trust me with the decorating anyway."
"Luca and I are pros!" Lucien exclaimed. "Leave it to us, hehe!"
Luca's eyes were fixed upon the open kitchen door for a moment, before nodding. "Y-yeah..."
• • •
For the second time that day, (Y/N) had made it to the winery, clocking herself in once again. It seemed Master Crepus hadn't noticed her reappearance. After all, his soon-to-be-adult eldest son was here. These days, Crepus seemed to coddle him a lot. Hell, even Adelinde.
"The pride of the Ragnvindr clan himself!" Crepus exclaimed. (Y/N) assumed Diluc had just gotten here too. He was always working these days. Diluc giggled when his father ruffled his messy red hair. "Ohh..." Crepus squished his baby face. "I can't believe you're not just my baby anymore!"
"He grew up too fast," Adelinde sighed. "Where has that little bundle of chaos gone?"
"Addie..." Diluc grinned. "I'm only turning eighteen. It's not the end of the world! I'll still be little old Diluc, hehe!"
"Well, I'm making sure we have the grandest party for the Cavalry Captain, don't you worry about it, son. You just tell me who you want and don't want there. I'll get it all sorted!"
Diluc shook his head, his cheeks beginning to hurt from his big smile. "Everyone here at the winery is more than enough. And Jean."
(Y/N)'s eyes widened when her wrist was grabbed, yanking her away from her hiding spot.
"You're back."
(Y/N) hurriedly claimed her wrist back, pushing him away. Though, she didn't say a thing, her fists simply clenching.
Kaeya stepped back, frowning a little. "What're you doing, sneaking around? You're invited to the party too, you know. You're literally making our clothes."
(Y/N) only stared at him. And then, she ran off to her room.
Kaeya didn't waste a second to follow.
He carefully pushed the door open, only to find her pacing inside.
Immediately, he closed the door behind him. She was gasping for air.
"(Y/N)," he called. "(Y/N)."
"There's something wrong with me," she whispered. She continued to pace back and forth. "There's something- wrong."
"It's okay..." Kaeya approached her, attempting to get her to slow down. "You don't have to keep it in."
"(Y/N)."
"C-careful-!"
Kaeya grabbed her when she was about to bump into one of the mannequins. (Y/N)'s breath hitched, Kaeya abruptly yanking her into his arms. The mannequin wobbled for a second, before finally, it was still again. He sighed in relief.
Though, soon, he realised that that mannequin wasn't the only thing that had become still.
(Y/N)'s head leant against him silently, enticed by the sound of his gentle heartbeat.
Kaeya's gaze softened, his arms locking around her, like she fit perfectly inside. (Y/N)'s eyes fluttered shut, snuggling into him without a second thought, as if all of the noise in her mind had been drowned out just by the sound of him.
"You were overwhelmed," Kaeya whispered. "Overworking isn't going to fix that, you know."
(Y/N) looked up at him tiredly. Their eyes had locked.
His attention was all on her.
Just on her...
She blushed, her gaze slightly hazy, everything around them silent.
Kaeya smiled a little, noticing that she was in a daze.
(Y/N) hid her face when he pressed a kiss upon her forehead, before lifting her up. She gripped onto him in surprise, though, when he placed her onto the bed, she didn't want to let go.
"Rest a little, okay?" Kaeya spoke warmly. "You didn't get much sleep last night, did you?"
(Y/N) didn't answer. "Are you going..?" she whispered.
Kaeya beamed. "Do you want me to stay?"
(Y/N)'s blush deepened as she averted her gaze. "Maybe," she mumbled.
"Then..." Kaeya sat, slowly reaching out. (Y/N)'s eyelashes fluttered as he stroked her hair. "I'll stay as long as you need."
The gentlest smile finally curved her lips, before, eventually, the exhaustion had overtaken her.
Though, as Kaeya played with the locks of her hair, he couldn't help his own lingering thoughts.
How long could he really stay..?
How long would it be... until she no longer wanted him there..?
Kaeya's heart clenched, turning his head away.
How long would it be until... he had to tell her the truth..?
• •
this spare time is actually killing me