Let's Make A Wager (Kaeya Alberich x reader)

No.9 Nowhere Left But Home

You held your spear horizontally in front of yourself, and you pursed your lips in sadness. The last thing you wanted was to fight Kaeya, but if you had to, then you would. You couldn't risk him losing his reputation in Mondstadt, or else Khaenri'ah would surely have no way to retaliate the atrocities committed against you both.

A loud crash sounded from your weapon's harsh impact. Tears bubbled in your eyes at the realization that this was no longer something that could be stopped with words alone.

"Kaeya, please! Don't make me do this, please, I beg of you." You pleaded while still keeping a firm grip on your spear. Kaeya didn't seem to show any signs of stopping though, and you gave a sigh.

Taking the blunt end of your pole arm, you slid the edge of his blade along the metal and hit his side with your spear.

Kicking his knee, he fell as you pointed your spear at his throat. Unyielding with a resolve of stone is what he saw in your eyes as tears clouded them. Never did he think that you would fight him, especially when he wanted nothing more than to protect you from the cruel world.

"I don't understand... why must you be so cruel to me, my love?" Kaeya asked, looking up to you with an expression full of pain. You gritted your teeth at this, tears now spilling and falling from your cheeks.

"You think I wanted this?! How dare you call me cruel when you give me no choice! You have no right, Kaeya Alberich." You retorted back, bringing your spear back down to your side out of exhaustion. Worrying about Kaeya all morning had caused you to feel more tired than usual, only to fight him shortly after seeing him.

"Why... why do you do this to me? Why must every moment I spend with you be constant fear of not being near you? Leaving me with your brother, leaving me in your home, both times without so much as a warning. You are so childish!" You yelled, your anger evident as Kaeya refused to look at you.

"I love you, more than anything I have. I'm sorry about all that we had to endure apart from each other, but I there's nothing I can do to fix it. If I could make us trade places so that you weren't chosen that day, I would do so in a heartbeat if it meant your happiness. But I can't. I can't and I'm sorry that I'm not able to."

You continued rambling, your voice cracking more and more with every sentence that left your mouth. The truth was that you were just as broken as he was, if not more. That's precisely the reason why you two needed each other.

You were broken together.

"Please, Kaeya I need you. Don't do this to me, I can't lose you, too." You voiced, watching him focus his attention on his sword.

He furrowed his brows before gripping the hilt tightly to the point where it shook. He scoffed angrily and threw his blade to the ground, making you flinch at the loud sound. "I..." he began before sighing and bringing his gloved hand to his temples. "I don't..."

You turned towards Master Diluc and Acting Grand Master Jean. "Can we please have a moment?" You asked, to which they responded by nodding and you took Kaeya's hand comfortably into yours while leading him a ways off for seclusion.

You sat on the grass, and he followed in suit hesitantly. Beside the water laid a Calla Lily, and you plucked it while absentmindedly tugging at it's petals. After years of knowing Kaeya, you knew that he needed silence to think, and you were willing to wait as long as he needed until he was ready to talk to you.

You twirled the stem of the Calla Lily between your fingers, throwing it into the water before leaning back and balancing on your palms.

"Y/n... I'm sorry." He finally spoke, causing you to turn to him fully and allow him to have every ounce of your attention. "I was awake when you spoke so freely with me last night, and I just... when I'm with you, I'm a different person than I am with anyone else. With you, I'm vulnerable and it scares me."

You scooted a bit closer to him, still listening intently to his words as he looked to the sky solemnly.

You kept your gaze onto him, until he suddenly leaned forward and captured your lips with his. His hand cupped your cheek lovingly as your mouths moved in unison, and your hearts beat as one. If you weren't bound to the Abyss, you most likely would have married Kaeya by now. How you wanted to be his everything, and for him to be yours in turn.

He pulled away and rested his forehead against yours, letting his breath linger on your cheeks as he closed his eye.

"You know I love you, so so much... right?" He asked and you nodded while entwining your fingers with his. He was such a different person around you, and it made you feel special to see such a vulnerable side of Kaeya.

"Kaeya, this can't happen again. If you fail the Abyss' commands, there's no telling what they'll do to you." You told him, and he furrowed his brows at you. He then pulled you into his chest and gave you the gentlest embrace you'd ever felt before and kissed the top of your head.

"Y/n, I don't want us to be Khaenri'ah's last hopes anymore. I want you to be free from their grips... I want you to be free with me." He started, and you backed away from him ever so slightly.

"What do you mean by that?" You asked, praying that he wasn't saying what you thought he meant. He gave you a sad smile before retracting his arms back to his side and looking down at the clear water's surface in complete momentary silence.

"I want us to be free, I don't want to be under their control anymore. Aren't you tired of being used all the time? Only getting to spend four months with each other?" He asked, and you looked away. Everything you'd ever done was ordered of you by the Abyss, so the idea of anything different felt other-worldly.

"But... they're our people, Kaeya. We can't abandon them when they're depending so heavily on us. Think about everything they sacrificed for us to have gotten this far!" You protested, but he frowned heavily before taking your hand in his and bringing it to his chest.

"Y/n, think about everything you've sacrificed. You gave up the chance to lead a normal life, your chance at getting married, having kids, having a future away from violence. Wouldn't you accept it if you were given the chance to regain those things?" He questioned with eyes that were pleading for you to answer 'yes'.

He was right, you did have many elements of your future stripped away from you... but your people came first.

"No, Kaeya. Not at the expense of our people." You answered while pulling your hand away from the rhythm of his beating heart. He looked down to the space between you two and abruptly stood up, not giving you a second glance.

"If that's really how you feel, then you should go." He muttered, turning his back to you and walking back towards the village. "If it's not me you choose, I don't think I can stand to be around you. Go back to the Abyss and rot in the torrents of time if you want, just don't come back to Mondstadt."

For some reason, your heart didn't ache at his words. Maybe it was the fact that you'd prepared yourself beforehand, maybe it was because he didn't mean as much to you as you thought he did. Whatever it was, it left you feeling devoid of any emotion as you picked up your spear and walked away.

Each step farther and farther away you took, the more the realization set in. Kaeya didn't want you anymore, and you guessed that's just how things had to happen. The same boy that promised you that you would get married when he was young, the same young man that gave you a sense of safety and love, the same man you loved so incandescently... he didn't want you anymore.

The more you thought about it, the more it pained your heart. Soon, tears began falling and your chest ached from such a realization, and you began wiping your face clean of the tears now spilling effortlessly from your eyes. The best option would've been to go back to the abyss, so there your journey began back home, even though you'd only been in Teyvat for a total of three days.

Word count: 1497