#march2022

It was a freak accident.

Or, given his track record, the hand of fate.

It wasn’t the first time Kaeya had stumbled across some poor traveler, or occasionally one of the more active knights, collapsed upon the road and in need of care.

He called to the prone black form, mentally praying it wasn’t Diluc. (The likelihood that this individual was in fact, his ex-brother, was far higher than he wanted.)

As he approached he saw a shock of blonde hair, bringing relief to his heart. Still he stayed on task.

“Hey? Are you awake?” he said loudly as he approached.

Getting on his knees he grasped the blonde man’s shoulders and turned him onto his back.

Mid motion the man groaned.

“Hey! Can you speak to me?” He asked, lacing seriousness into his tone, but still aiming for calm.

The gentleman had scrapes on his face, none which looked severe nor deep. His shirt was bloodied, and there was a noticeable tear.

Kaeya almost hissed aloud, but it would’ve done no good to alarm his ward.

The man blinked blearily, still not verbally responding to Kaeya. He moved to sit up.

“Hey! Hey! You’re injured! Please don’t move-”

The blond man was stronger than he anticipated, which might be a good sign or a bad sign depending, and managed to leverage himself into a sitting position despite Kaeya’s gentle-ish attempts to force him back down.

“Where-?” The man started, his voice was dry and raspy, he was blinking and glancing around in confusion.

Alright so potentially concussed.

“You’re a fair ways outside of Mondstadt city, collapsed near a road, do you remember how you got here?”

The blonde man hummed before returning his gaze to Kaeya. His brows were furrowed slightly in confusion but besides that his eyes seemed focused and present-

The man gasped.

Kaeya blinked, glancing over his shoulder slightly. Had something happened? He hadn’t heard anything-

A hand gently grabbed the side of his face, turning it back to look at the stranger.

Eyes which had been surprised now stared into his, wide with some emotion.

Kaeya swallowed, uncomfortable as he stared the stranger in the eyes-

Wait-

“Your eye…” The man said softly, with something akin to wonder and awe.

Two intense blue eyes stared into his single calm blue eye. At their center rested two identical star shaped pupils.

Kaeya sucked in a sharp breath and found he couldn’t move.

They’d come for him, they’d come for him and he hadn’t even been able to put up a fight.

“I thought I was the only one,” The strange blonde man said, barely a whisper.

Kaeya blinked, brow furrowing, “Wait-”

He nearly coughed from how choked up he felt, caught between hope and despair.

Could-

Wait, the only one?

“You didn’t know I was here?”

The blonde man blinked at him, “Why would I?”

Kaeya was reeling.

This man was undeniably Khaenri’ain.

But-

“You don’t- You- ‘why would you’?” he said in utter disbelief, numb shock seizing his brain.

The blonde man had gone from his look of awe to a look of concern, his lips drawn into a thin line.

“I think- I think we may have some things to discuss.” He said quietly.

Kaeya felt much the same; however, he’d like to discuss those things six feet away, holding his sword.

Maybe also with backup.

Or not since he’d rather nobody else know about his secrets.

(A traitorous voice in his head reminded him that Diluc knew, that he might back him up.)

The stranger rose, swaying a bit (oh and he was A GIANT, that certainly made Kaeya feel better), he glanced down at his own torso in confusion before sighing long and drawn out.

“I may need to clean myself up first however.”

Kaeya nodded numbly, his mind blank as his heart beat faster than the hooves of a horse. “Right.”