Wren held a package of chicken skewers in her arms as she ran past the buildings of Mondstadt. She glanced around, searching for Kaeya's signature head of blue hair. She stopped to pet a cat, spotting Cat's tail pink haired bartender through the window. Wren waved, but the girl didn't seem to notice her, to preoccupied with dumping what looked like mud and sand into a glass. Wren shimmied through a narrow space in between the two buildings, wincing when her cheek scraped on the bricks.
"Hey!" Wren ran over to the alley beside's Angel's share. Kaeya was sitting on top of a wooden crate of empty milk bottles, using a stick to poke at the ants crawling at his feet. He looked bored. Hearing her voice, Kaeya looked up, visibly brightening when he saw her. He jumped to his feet and trotted over. "Wren!" She giggled and threw her arms around his neck. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she kind of wished Kaeya never turned back. She preferred the younger him; he didn't try to provoke her or use cheesy pick up lines. She felt Kaeya tense under her embrace, but he was quick to relax and hug her back. She turned her head, blowing Kaeya's blue locks out of her face as she smiled, spotting the light pink flush on his tan skin.
"Did Master Diluc leave you out here?" She pulled back and asked. Kaeya shook his head. "No. He had to work. And I got bored. So I came out here." He pouted, and Wren laughed at his puppy-like expression. "I got you something that might cheer you up!" She stepped back and handed him the package of food, the paper slightly damp from the oil. Kaeya peaked inside, smiling when he saw it's contents. "Thank you," He said quietly. Wren smiled back at him. "Heh. You're welcome!" She sang. Kaeya thought for a moment, then said, "You always seem to give people food." Wren stopped, cocking her head to the side. "Huh?"
He took a bite of a skewer as they headed up the stairs of the plaza. "Food. You always have snacks to give me. Do you really like food so much?" Well, of course she did, Wren thought. She always had a special appreciation for good food. She was thinking of trying to recreate recipes from her old world, actually. But she had never actually realized that she had that particular habit of returning kindness as food. "Huh. Really? I never really noticed..." She hummed. "I guess..." Reaching the top of the stairs, she clasped her arms behind her back and leaned towards him. "I just like to give things to people I like!" Kaeya's eye widened, almost dropping the food in his hands. She tried to hold back her laughter as she watched him fumble for a few moments. "Come on, come on!" Wren turned around, not missing the embarrassment on the boy's face.
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The stopped in front of Barbatos' statue. She looked up with a grin on her face. Kaeya stopped beside her, wiping his face carefully with a napkin and disposing of it in a nearby trash can. He narrowed his eyes. "What's with the look on your face?" He asked. "You gonna do something dumb, are you?" He said accusingly. Wren stared at him, puffing out her cheeks in annoyance. "I'm not dumb! And what do you mean again?" She spun on her heels. Wren walked towards the statue, and only when she reached up to grab hold of the stone did Kaeya finally catch on to what she was doing. "Wait!"
She paused, and turned around, only to find Kaeya's face right in front of hers. "Don't!" He yelped. "It's too dangerous!" She gave him a deadpan look. "Oh, don't be such a killjoy. I saw someone climb up here just this morning! I wanna try! I wanna sit up there!" Wren lifted her hand and pointed to Barbatos' outstretched hands, which she envisioned could create a makeshift platform for them to sit on. Kaeya looked up, seemingly unsure. "It'll be okay," She assured. "I'm not worried. I have you, right!" Kaeya narrowed his eyes once more, masking his blush with a deadpan look of his own. She giggled, turning once more and hoisting herself up, using the nicks in the stone as leverage. Kaeya's protests sounded from behind her, but she didn't stop, instead continuing her ascend up the statue. Kaeya groaned behind her, finally relenting and reaching forward to climb behind her.
It was the dead of night, so Wren wasn't worried that anyone would see two children inching up the statue like ants. Other than drunkards, there wasn't a lot of people who would venture out late at night anyway. She finally reached the statue's arms, and she strained to wrap her short arms around the top and pull herself up. She scrunched her nose in concentration, finally giving up and allowing Kaeya to help her- who had somehow managed to climb ahead and reach the top before her. They carefully walked across the stone and collapsed onto their final destination, swinging their legs over Barbatos' fingers. Wren laughed, brightly and unrestrained as she threw her hands up, feeling the wind blow through her hair, almost playfully.
Kaeya watched her from beside her, hoping that the girl wouldn't keel over and fall at least fifty meters to her death. Knowing her, it was more likely than not. He reached over, and hesitantly wrapped his hand around her waist. Wren stopped, turning to look at him, bewildered. He quickly averted his eyes before getting lost in her lapis blue gaze. "You're gonna fall off and die if I don't do this," He muttered to defend himself. Wren froze. Then, she felt a grin grow on her face. She laughed and launched herself onto him, ignoring his cry of "Hey, watch it-", and pulling the both of them onto their backs, their faces turned to the sky of stars above.
"So pretty," She breathed. She lifted her hand that wasn't entwined with Kaeya's and waved it across the air in front of her, imagining the stars scattering under her fingertips. "Yeah, it is..." Kaeya agreed, watching her with a soft grin on his face. "Hey look!" She pointed to a particular twinkling light. "That one looks like the one in your eye!" He froze, his fingers clenching around her's momentarily before loosening once more. "Yeah, you're right."
Ah. Why did she have to remind me? Of what I have to do? That I don't deserve this?
Wren smiled. "I like it." Kaeya turned to her. "Don't you think it's weird?" Wren shook her head. "No? I think it's cool. Don't you?" Kaeya grit his teeth. "Not really," He said quietly, opting to close his eyes so he didn't have to see her expression. "It's just a reminder. Of where I came from. And I hate it." Wren frowned. "Don't say that, idiot." He stayed silent. "Hey-" She reached over and shook him until he opened his eyes. She was leaning over him, her long strands of hair tickling his face. "Don't say that. You don't hate it. You shouldn't." "But I do," He said bitterly, sitting up and pulling his hand from hers. Wren stared at him dully. "I'm not from here, I'm not supposed to be here. I could betray everyone here, you know that? I'm supposed to do that. Because of who I'm supposed to be, that's what I have to do. Even if I don't... even if I don't want to."
"I don't think you will." Kaeya turned to her. "Huh?" Wren smiled. "I don't think you'll do that." Kaeya hesitated. "But... how do you know that?" She turned her gaze down to her fingers, twisting them together. "Because I know you. I just know you won't do that. To me, you're just Kaeya. I don't care where you came from. Because you didn't choose that, your past. But you can choose your future. Like- like what you're gonna eat for breakfast tomorrow-" Kaeya snorted, and she shot him an annoyed look. "You aren't going to betray us. Because you're a nice person- you care, about all the people here-" She waved a hand towards the city, and the red tiled buildings within it. "All the people that helped them- Miss Jean- Master Diluc- Mister Albedo- and Klee- you won't hurt them. I know you won't, and that's that," Wren finished, nodding to herself. "Oh yeah," She added, sitting up straighter. "If you do, though, I'll bash your head in." Wren said.
Kaeya was silent for a moment, processing her words in his head. Finally, he said, "Well. If you're even tall enough to- ow!" He rubbed the top of his head, staring sheepishly at Wren, who had her arm raised in a fist. "I," She said threateningly. "Am tall enough to beat you into the ground any day, Kaeya Alberich." He stared at her, and she wondered if she had gone too far this time. He was silent for a while. He dropped his arm, wrapping his hands around his waist and bending over. Wren's eyes widened when he started to shake. "Oh- oh my god, are you okay?" A choked sound. "Kaeya, wait, what are you-" Kaeya threw back his head as he howled with laughter, Wren blinked in confusion, her mouth slightly open as she watched the boy rock back and forth laughing unrestrained. She frowned, furrowing her eyebrows as he continued. At least he had the decency to try to stop, she thought, watching Kaeya attempt to choke back his laughter and choking on his own spit. How eloquent, she thought, reaching forward and pounding him on the back.
His laughter eventually died down. "You done?" She asked. He nodded, and she helped him to his feet. Wait. Something was... off. She looked up, blinking rapidly. Kaeya had suddenly gotten a lot taller. She had to crane her neck to look him in the eye- now, the top of her head barely reached his shoulders. Before, they were both around the age of six, maybe seven- but now, Kaeya looked as if he was at least fourteen years old. He stared back down at her, confusion evident on his face. "Wait." He raised his arms, swinging them a few times, almost smacking her right off her feet one time, to which she had responded by kicking him in the shin. He doubled over, as Wren tried to process this new information. Kaeya had grown up. But she hadn't. Why- why had that happened? Her thoughts were interrupted when she was suddenly lifted into the air.
Kaeya held her up like a cat, bringing her up to his eye level. "Huh. You really are small, aren't you?" He said, smirking. She snarled, swinging her body backwards and slamming both her feet into Kaeya's abdomen. To his credit, he only winced, but didn't fall over. He opened his mouth to speak once more, but was interrupted.
"KAEYA ALBERICH!" The both of them looked down, where a certain blond haired knight was standing imposingly with her arms propped on her waist. Ah. Right. She had forgotten that Jean was doing night patrol today. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Kaeya gulped. Wren snickered. "Heh. You're in trouble," Wren sang happily. Kaeya glared at her. "Hey, if I'm in trouble, so are you!" Wren shook her head, a triumphant smile on her face. "Nope! I'm still cute and tiny! You're just a big meanie!" She finished her statement by sticking her tongue out at him, his eye twitching in annoyance. "I could let go, you know, right now." He said. Wren giggled. "Ah, but you won't do that. That would hurt me! And then I'll cry!" She said. "And you know what happens if I cry," She said, cackling. They both did. The both of them turned back to Jean, who had not moved.
"ARE YOU GOING TO COME DOWN HERE OR DO I HAVE TO COME GET YOU MYSELF?" She was yelling because they wouldn't be able to hear her otherwise- but she still sounded mad. Kaeya muttered something under his breath, throwing Wren over his shoulder and beginning his descent down the statue. Wren howled in protest, beating her fists repeatedly on his back. "Quit whining," He said. "You're lucky I like you. Otherwise..." Wren went limp for a moment. She twisted, peaking at Kaeya's face at the corner of her eye. It was dark, so she could tell what he looked like. But she knew that she didn't imagine that fond look on his face- and the soft adoration in his eye. Wren smiled to herself, wrapping her arms around his neck. What a long day, she thought, yawning. She was tired. Wren fell asleep, Kaeya's next words lost to the wind.
I think I might...
love you...
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~❄️👑~