Chapter Text
Every now and then, Klee is reminded of something her brother once told her.
It was in response to a question she had asked; one that clearly caught him off guard, but his answer lingers with her even now.
The acrid smell of alchemy filled the room, but neither party cringed away from it, as they had long been accustomed to the environment.
“’Bebo?” The small, red child in the too-tall chair spoke, calling out to the blond-haired man across the table.
“Yes?” Albedo replied, his eyes never leaving his hands as they poured a strange purple-ish liquid into a flask.
“Why do adults always seem sad?” Klee questioned candidly, slightly mumbling her words with her cheek squished against the tabletop.
She could see his hands pause in her peripheral, but only for a second.
Perhaps it was a strange question to ask.
A moment of glass clinking filled the room before her brother spoke again. “Why do you think they're sad?”
Klee peeled her cheek from the wooden surface, her big, crimson eyes gazing over at him in contemplation. “Well…” She hesitates. “Their eyes always look sad... They smile at Klee, but Klee doesn't think they mean it.” The young girl sighs, leaning back in her chair.
“Hmm…” Albedo hums thoughtfully as he sets a flask aside. “Well, being an adult comes with many responsibilities, and we don't always have the leisure of letting our emotions out like children do.”
Klee pouts. “But you never look sad.”
Albedo smiles faintly as he walks around the table. “Most adults aren't like me.”
She tilts her head curiously. “Huh…” Her mouth hangs slightly open as she racks her brain for an explanation. “Is it because ‘Bebo is super awesome?”
He let out a gentle chuckle at her answer before patting her head. “I'd say it's because everybody is a little different.”
A false smile, hiding layers of exhaustion and melancholy behind the pretense of joy—
Klee has seen it time and time again, but there's only one adult that makes up ninety-percent of such encounters.
Klee loves Kaeya dearly; he's like another older brother to her. However, there's something about the look in his lone, lavender eye that makes her feel somber.
Perhaps it's how some days, when he looks at her, it's as if he's looking at someone else, only snapping out of it when he hears her voice.
Some days, when he doesn't know she's looking, his smile disappears and his mind seems to wander elsewhere. His lavender eyes become unfocused, staring at nothing.
Some days, when she presses her ear to the door of his office, she can hear the faint sounds of sobbing.
If only she knew what’s hurting him so much…
She tries her best to cheer him up.
It's clear that he's truly happy when they're together, but there's always something that's distracting him.
The other day, when Kaeya cried at the flower that Klee gave him, she didn't understand.
She still doesn’t.
She only knows that tears mean something bad, but he claimed that he liked them, so why?
Kaeya is so confusing... She wonders if anyone else understands him, or if it's even possible.
Perhaps she needs to investigate this. After all, how can she help him if she doesn't know what to do?
Klee sits on the floor of her room, haphazardly tossing her bag down and rummaging inside. She whips out a journal and pen before lying on her stomach and flipping to a blank page.
She labels the top of the page with ”Mission Kaeya.”
If she intends to investigate the others, who would be the best people to go to?
Klee taps the pen against her head before writing down a name.
”Jean” is listed next to a dot. If anybody knows something about Kaeya, it would be Jean. They're often together, and she had once heard Jean call him her right hand man.
Therefore, Klee concludes she must be the best person to start with.
The next person is more tricky. First, she should practice process of elimination and cross out the people that definitely wouldn't be of much help.
She scribbles on the page: ”Eula, Mika, and Amber.”
Amber and Kaeya work together at times, but not frequently enough to assume that they're that close, mostly because they perform completely different jobs... They're friends, but Klee doesn't think she would be of much help.
Eula and Mika are also in a different section and don't cross paths with Kaeya often. Mika also appears to be intimidated by Kaeya…
Klee can't fathom why, honestly. He's the nicest person in the world.
Moving on to Lisa. Klee knows that the two are friendly, but she doesn't think she should be very high up on the list. Still a candidate, though.
Unfortunately, she still doesn't have someone in the number two spot. Jean is number one, but…
“Ah.” Klee squawks, her face lighting up.
Of course, how could she forget? There's that spooky nun that always lingers around him. What was her name again?
Rosa… Rose… Rosie? Right, she always hears Kaeya refer to her as the latter.
They seem to be very close. She would fill the number two spot perfectly, and Lisa can be number three…
“Err…” Klee mumbles. “Lisa would be closer…”
Even though Lisa is number three, Klee will just talk to her second, because she's literally right across from Jean's office…
But this doesn't change their priority rankings to Klee.
As Klee looks down at the writing on her page, she realize that it looks very… empty. Kaeya is friends with lots of people, but she can't think of many people who would know him on a deeper level.
“Ugh…” She grumbles to herself. Albedo probably won't be of much help, and she essentially had already asked him a similar question in the past. Him and Kaeya don't seem to be very close despite Klee connecting them. It's more like a babysitter-employer relationship…
Maybe she could ask Diona..?
Klee sighs defeatedly. She'll probably just complain about the wine industry to her. Klee listens, but she doesn't understand a word of it no matter how many times she does.
She'll just put Diona down as a ”maybe.”
Sitting up and crossing her legs, Klee thinks long and hard about who else she could ask. Lumine isn't in Mondstadt often, so that's a no… Barbara wouldn't know a thing, she just likes him from afar, and Razor knows basically nothing about anybody aside from Lisa and herself… Bennett and Fischl? No, they're not that close with him either.
So many that idolize him yet none that understand him. Klee feels like she might understand why he’s always sad.
Klee would be sad too if she didn't have so many people who know her so well. She can go to virtually anybody in the knights and they'll know her likes and dislikes.
…Does Klee really know Kaeya?
Klee grunts and shakes her head roughly. No sad thoughts right now. She has a mission she needs to start.
Klee makes an effort to think of at least one more person before she decides to commence her operation. She tries to see if she's forgetting anybody else in the knights, but she's certainly not. Outside of the knights? She's decided on those as well…
…Wait.
The ball— didn't she learn something important that day?
After a moment, she gasps.
The weird adult.
She had completely forgotten that they're apparently brothers.
But then again, they've never… seemed very close. Klee saw them talk a few times, but their conversations always felt cold… Literally. The chill radiating off of Kaeya gave her goosebumps.
But, Klee doesn't think it's because Kaeya was angry at him. It had to have been something else.
Whatever it was, it doesn't matter. They were together at the ball, so things must be okay now, right?
Though, the weird adult might be a bit difficult to reach since he lives outside of the city and doesn't exactly visit often… or at least, he used to not. Maybe she'll have a better chance of seeing him now that him and Kaeya are on better terms.
…She realizes she doesn't even remember what his real name is. This might be difficult.
”Weird adult” is written on the page, punctuated by a highlighted ”MAYBE” in full capitalization.
Okay, now she's definitely done. It's time to commence Mission Kaeya!
She awkwardly pushes herself to her feet, keeping her journal in hand as she ties her backpack shut and slips her arms through the straps.
With her pen and book handy, she sets off to acquire the testimonies.
As she makes her way out of her room, she beelines to Jean's office door, pausing in front of it. Her confidence falters slightly, but she steels herself, filled with the determination to make Kaeya happy. Her little hand lifts up before knocking on the door tentatively.
Pulling away, she stands a couple steps from the door, holding her journal close to her body, awaiting an answer.
After a short pause, she hears boots clicking against the hardwood floor, getting louder and louder before the door gently opens.
“Ah, I could tell it was you by the knock.” Jean leans down to get closer to her. “Is there something you need?”
Klee steels herself, looking up at Jean with a determined expression. “Klee wants to interview Jean!”
Jean's eyes widen momentarily before she chuckles, giving her a playful look. “Oh my, is that so?”
She steps out of the way, gesturing for the child to enter. “Well, come in then, Miss Klee.”
Klee grins before she confidently strides into the office, glancing back at Jean as she closes the door.
“You can sit on the loveseat, dear.” Jean nods towards the couch on the far right side of the room. Klee nods eagerly, skipping towards it and hopping up on the seat. She flipped open her notebook and readied her pen.
“So, what's this interview about, then?” The older woman inquires, carefully taking a seat next to the little girl.
“About Mister Kaeya.” The child responds simply, her big red eyes looking up at Jean with intent.
“Oh?” Jean's smile falters for a moment. “…Haha, well, I'm sure I could answer your questions.”
Klee can tell something worried her for a moment, but she isn't sure why. For all Jean knows, Klee could just be playing a game. It solidifies her desire to know more about what's going on with Kaeya.
“Um… does Jean think that Kaeya looks sad?” She questions. Her intent is to test the waters to see if Jean knows what she's talking about.
A flicker of concern passes over Jean's face, faintly lingering as she gathers her words. “What… What do you mean?”
Klee suddenly feels like she said something bad. “Like, um—” She fidgets with her pen, struggling to find her words. “Klee thinks that, um… sometimes Mister Kaeya looks really sad… like it's for no reason.”
Jean's expression softens, but not in a happy way. Her eyebrows are still ever-so-slightly furrowed, and her gaze seems unfocused. Something about it feels familiar to Klee.
It's almost like… the expression Kaeya always makes.
“Look, Klee.” Jean speaks up suddenly, her voice just barely above a whisper. It's the softest she's ever heard her speak.
She kneels on the floor before the child, taking one of her small hands into her own. “There are some things that you shouldn't worry about.”
The statement is concise, as is typical of her. Klee isn't taken aback by her words, but her heart clenches at the thought of ignoring that sad expression. She can't pretend everything is okay when she knows it isn't.
Jean's hold on her hand squeezes gently. “Kaeya loves you very much, okay? That's what matters.”
Klee nods somberly, her ears drooped and gaze lowered. Maybe Jean wasn't the best person to go to, after all.
“Now, I have to get back to my work. Go ahead and play, but don't leave the headquarters alone.” Jean reminds her of the usual rules, as if Klee hasn't memorized them already.
Klee slowly slides off of the couch. “Yes ma'am.” She replies.
She shuffles out of the office, closing the door behind her. Looking down at her notebook, she taps her pen against the page before writing down some words.
”Miss Jean knows something.”
To Klee, Jean's words only solidified the fact that something is wrong with Kaeya; something that she doesn't want to tell her about.
She slips the bookmark between the pages and shuts it before she makes her way to the library post haste.
Waving at the guard next to the entrance, she pushes it open, scurrying inside with new-found confidence.
She knows she's right, now she just has to prove it.
The little elf looks up at the empty desk and huffs. Looks like Lisa is elsewhere. Assuming she can't be far, Klee makes her way down the stairs and begins her search there.
Her ears perk up when she hears faint shuffling sounds coming from the back of the room. She waddles over, stopping when she rounds the corner and sees a familiar purple figure sorting books.
“Miss Lisa.” Klee whispers softly, minding her library manners.
Her head snaps in her direction before looking down at her with wide, green eyes. “Oh, goodness.” She whispers back. “You startled me, love.”
“Sorry.” Klee sheepishly apologizes. “Can Klee talk to Lisa?”
The older woman's eyes flicker between her and the bookshelf before she ultimately decides to step away. “Sure, let's go upstairs, hm?” She points her hand in a subtle upward motion as she steps around Klee and makes her way to the staircase.
Klee obediently follows suit, hopeful that she'll get more useful information out of her.
After reaching the main floor, Lisa lazily lies down in her lounge chair, adjacent to her desk. Klee glances around before sitting on the footrest that complements the seat.
“Now, what does the prestigious Spark Knight want with this ol’ librarian?” Lisa inquires, a lighthearted lilt to her voice.
Klee clears her throat decisively, hovering pen over paper before she speaks. “Klee has some questions…” She begins, deciding to go with a different approach than she did with Jean. “Does Miss Lisa know lots about Mister Kaeya?”
For some reason, Lisa appears to perk up at that. “Oh? Trying to get the scoop on our dear Calvary Captain?” She sits up a bit, resting her upper body weight on her arm, still lying on her side. “Well, I'd say we're good friends, but I can't say I know him in a personal sense.”
Klee’s ears droop, feeling like she has reached another dead end.
“But…” Lisa begins. “I can still try to answer any questions you have, Miss Klee. Is there anything specific you want to know?”
Klee looks up at her, a glimmer of hope in her eyes, before nodding. “Klee knows it sounds weird, but…” She gulps nervously. “Does Lisa think that Mister Kaeya seems sad..?”
Lisa brow furrows before she shifts her body to sit more upright. She taps a finger against her thigh in contemplation. “Hmm, that's a bit vague, isn't it? In what sense do you mean?” She questions.
The child tilts her head slightly in thought. “Like, Kaeya will be laughing and smiling, but when Kaeya looks away, his expression changes and he looks… really sad. It's in the eyes, Klee thinks.” She rambles on, hoping it makes any sense at all.
“Ah, I see what you mean.” The librarian nods in understanding. “I have seen a similar expression on his face a few times, but only when he didn't know I was there.”
Klee nods repeatedly, excitedly pressing her pen to the page as she checks off Lisa's name.
“In my opinion, he's in his own little world a lot of the time. I wanted to pry, but with the way his eyes looked, I couldn't bring myself to ask. It seems more serious than the gossip I prefer to hear about.” The older woman sighs, resting her hand against her cheek.
Klee nods again. Unfortunately, Lisa didn't tell her anything she doesn't already know, but it's better than nothing. This further confirms her theory.
Next to Lisa's name, she writes: ”Witness.”
“Well, thank you anyways, Miss Lisa.” Klee shuts the journal swiftly as she slides off the footrest. She bows her head slightly in gratitude.
“No problem, sweetheart.” Lisa smiles softly. “And hey— keep me updated, okay? I'm sure you'll find some good leads.” She chuckles faintly.
“Klee will!” She eagerly exclaims, lifting her arms up with her notebook in both hands before she turns around to leave, scuttling across the floor in a hurry.
She leaves the library post-haste, making her way towards the main exit before screeching to a halt.
Jean's words echo in her skull… She isn't allowed to leave on her own.
But unless she gets to the church, she can't interview the weird nun. Tapping a finger to her chin, she tries to think of the best course of action.
Does it count as being alone if she's with any adult figure? If she meets up with the nun, then she wouldn't be alone technically…
It's decided. As long as she ends up with a familiar adult, then she isn't breaking any rules!
Holding the book close to her body, Klee glances around before making her way to the two large doors. The lower-level knights don't care what Klee does, her only concern is the possibility of Jean leaving her office. She keeps her eyes on the office door as she stops in front of the exit. Slowly and surely, she pushes the doors open as quiet as possible before side-stepping through the opening.
Once outside, she hops down the steps, her skin tingling with anxiety as she hurriedly sprints, following the path that leads to the church.
.
.
.
After a long, arduous climb up the endless steps of this city, Klee finally finds herself standing in front of the church doors. She hesitates, wondering if it's a good idea to just walk in there. It's possible they could be having mass at this time…
Before she can deliberate any further, the smell of smoke tickles her nose, causing her to step back. She glances both ways, trying to determine where the smell is coming from.
If her memory serves her correctly, that scary nun has a bad habit of smoking. She remembers a time where she was accompanying Kaeya, and he scolded her to put out her cigarette since Klee was present. She did listen to him, so at least Klee knows she isn't an inconsiderate person or anything...
Using her sense of smell, she attempts to find what direction the smoke is coming from as she quietly shuffles to the right side of the building.
Finally, she peeks around the corner. Her eyes adjust to the shadows before she realizes her vision is suddenly blocked…
Oh.
She looks up at the tall figure standing right in front of her face.
“Klee?” Rosaria’s husky voice calls her name with a confused tone. “What in Barbatos are you doing here, kid?”
Klee’s ears pin themselves back as she takes a step backward to put some space between the two. “Umm, Klee was looking for you…”
Rosaria's expression contorts in confusion. “Why would you ever do that?”
“I-Interview…” She mumbles, unsure of how to interpret this woman’s tone of voice.
The nun tilts her head slightly as she looks the child up and down. “What? Like, you want to ask me questions..?”
Klee nods anxiously, clutching her notebook and pen close to her chest.
Slowly, the strange adult crouches to Klee’s level before sitting down on the dusty stone floor, her back pressed against the wall.
“Okay, sure. Why not?” She replies, shrugging nonchalantly.
“R-Really? Okay…” The little elf opens her book once more, holding her pen at-the-ready.
“Are you close to Mister Kaeya?” She questions right off the bat, simply wanting to make sure she was right.
Rosaria glances somewhere before answering. “I'd say so.”
Klee nods, satisfied. “So… um, does Mister Kaeya ever seem…” Her sentence trails off for a moment. “—s-seem sad to you, Miss nun?”
Unlike the last two adults she had spoken to, this one doesn't even bat an eye at her question. She simply sighs. “I see. Even a little kid caught on, huh? He's not as subtle as he'd like to think he is…”
Klee stares down at her. “Uhh…”
“My answer is yes.” Rosaria answers succinctly.
After staring in bewilderment, Klee belatedly wrote down her answer in her book. “Do… does Miss nun know why?” She questions further.
“Yeah, I do. —Also, just call me Rosaria.”
“O-Okay… Miss Rosaria.”
The nun lets out a sigh, but says nothing.
“So…” Klee begins shyly. “Why is he sad?”
Rosaria’s mauve eyes glance at her before staring off into the distance ahead, her metal claws tapping against the stone below her. “Hmm… I'm not sure if this is something I should be telling a kid. It might be hard for you to understand.”
Klee frowns, her little fingers clutching her pen tightly. “K-Klee… Klee is smart! Klee can understand!”
A subtle smirk breaks Rosaria's apathetic demeanor. “Well… if you say so. You really want to know?”
Klee nods enthusiastically, dropping to the ground and crossing her legs as she adjusts her journal in her lap. “Klee will write everything down!”
Rosaria faintly chuckles. “Fine, I'll tell you.” She turns to look at her. “His brother is a jerk, Kaeya is an idiot, and they're both too busy wallowing to do anything about it.”
Klee looks down at her paper as she writes. “Umm… how do you spell wallowing..?”
Rosaria huffs. “You don't need to write that last part.” She waves a hand dismissively. “Look, has your brother ever been mean to you?”
Klee shakes her head. “Never!”
“Then this might be difficult for you to understand.” She chews on her bottom lip in thought.
“With Kaeya, it wasn't just a simple squabble, it was… it was bad. I mean, I don't know everything, but I know that much.” She sighs. “Sometimes, people do things that hurt you, whether or not it was by accident, and sometimes they hurt you so bad that it stays with you for the rest of your life.”
Every word is absorbed into Klee’s mind, a realization flooding her.
“Did… Did Kaeya’s brother hurt him that bad?” She questioned, temporarily foregoing her journalistic tendencies as her pen halts on the page.
“I don't know all the details, but I know something happened. I just— I do wish they can fix things… I'm tired of witnessing the aftermath of their inability to communicate over and over.”
Klee sadly looks back down at her notebook, scribbling a circle around the ”weird adult” she had written prior. Perhaps she will have to seek him out after all. The only issue is, she has no idea where to find him.
“Miss Rosaria…” She begins, her gaze landing on the woman in front of her once more. “Where can Klee find Kaeya’s brother?”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “You want to find him..? Hm…” Her claws tap against the ground once more. “I don't know, he's a bit difficult to talk to.”
Klee nods. “I know… Klee thinks he's weird, but Klee wants to try.”
“Weird is an understatement.” Rosaria huffs. “Well, alright. I think he's at Angel’s Share today. Do you know where that is?”
Klee nods. “Yes.”
“Alright, I’m sure you’ll be fine, then. He's harmless— towards you, at least. Good luck with your investigation, kid.” Rosaria slowly stands to her feet, Klee following suit.
“Thanks a lot, Miss Rosaria.” Klee politely bows her head. “Bye!”
Rosaria silently waves as they part ways in opposite directions. Klee makes her way back to the stairs, starting her long journey down to the main floor of the city.
On her way, though, her mind is addled by worry. She knew Kaeya was sad, but she never knew it was something this serious. She can't imagine her brother ever hurting her in any way.
Klee can't even theorize about what could have happened. She doesn't understand adult problems… Sometimes adults fight over dumb things, though. However, with the way Rosaria spoke about it, it can't be something that simple. She spoke about it as if she's seen them both up close in their sorrow… Something Klee has never really seen.
The closest she witnessed was those tears he shed from the calla lily she gifted him. She wonders what meaning they have.
She skips down the last few steps, walking towards the fountain area.
Klee rarely ever experiences sadness, so it's a strange feeling to have at the moment.
Whenever she is sad, she knows she can go to Albedo and he'll hold her close, wipe her tears, give her kisses, and distract her with some long winded explanation of an experiment he's been performing. She won't understand it, but it makes her feel better for some reason.
Perhaps it's just the fact that he's there, that he loves her, and that he cares for her that cures her sorrows. She can't imagine any world where he doesn't.
She can't imagine him somehow being the source of her pain.
Who would she go to then? Maybe in such a world, she would still have Kaeya…
But for Kaeya, who does he go to when he's sad?
Can he really not go to his brother at all?
…Does he have anybody to go to?
Klee pauses her steps, feeling her face heat up as she holds back tears that threaten to spill.
Imagining not having Albedo… it makes her feel horrible. Is this how Kaeya feels, but in a world where it's true?
What a horrible, awful, terrible feeling.
She doesn't understand why an older sibling wouldn't care for their little sibling. Doesn't he understand his role?
She shakes her head, just barely managing to control her tears before continuing on. She has to talk to him to figure it out.
Gripping her journal tightly to her body, she runs down the stone pathway as fast as she can, beelining towards the tavern that's just barely in sight.
She had only been here a few times with Kaeya in the past, happily being served apple juice as she sat in the too-tall chairs.
If she can recall, Kaeya was always trying to make conversation with Diluc, despite it being mildly antagonistic. Diluc never really… reciprocated, minus a rare time he teased him back. It reassured Klee that nothing was wrong, and that maybe Diluc was just a weird, quiet adult.
She sees now that maybe there was a reason for their strange interactions. Kaeya must have missed him a lot to try so hard to talk to him all those times…
Ugh, she's just making herself sad again.
Before she can reach the door, it swings open suddenly, causing her to step back.
A pair of bulky legs nearly crash into her before halting and stumbling off to the side.
“What the hell—?” A startled voice mumbles above her.
Klee looks up to see owlish red eyes staring back at her own, utterly bewildered.
“What— Klee? What in Teyvat are you doing here alone?” Diluc immediately questions her as he reorients himself, walking out of the way of the door.
“U-Um… Klee wanted to… Klee wanted to talk to you…” She mumbles anxiously, slowly turning to face him as he moves.
“About what? You shouldn't be alone… Where's Kaeya?” He glances around.
Klee sniffles. “Kaeya…”
“What?”
“About Kaeya…”
Diluc raises an eyebrow. “What about him?”
The child looks around, fidgeting with the items in her hands. “Can— can you….” Suddenly, she chokes up, feeling tears prick at her eyes once more. “You— um…” She balls a fist against her eye as a tear slips free.
“Are you okay?” She hears Diluc’s concerned voice.
All she did was go and make herself sad, didn't she? She can't cry in front of him, not like this…
But no matter how hard she tries to hold the tears back, they refuse to die down.
Finally, with a warning whine, an uncontrollable wail leaves her body.
It’s unrelenting, only pausing to allow her to breathe.
She can barely see though the tears pouring from her eyes, nor can she understand the panicked voice in her ears.
Her journal and pen slip out of her hands in her fit, causing her to pause with a little “oh,” sniffling aggressively as she crouches down to grab it.
Before she can, Diluc’s hands fly into view as they collect her items with haste. He holds them in one arm as his free hand reaches for hers.
“Klee, let me take you back to the headquarters.”
It's a request, not a demand, yet Klee can't help but acquiesce.
“…Okay.” She sniffles. On instinct, she lifts her arms up to be held, as she normally does with Albedo and Kaeya.
Diluc visibly hesitates, his eyes taking on that owlish look she saw before, if only for a moment, before he oh-so-carefully scoops her up into his arms.
It's feels awkward and clumsy, but not terribly uncomfortable. Klee wonders if he's ever handled a child in his life…
Despite that, she wraps her arms around his neck and buries her face in his hair.
She notices that his hair looks different than she remembers. From the few times she’d seen him, his hair was always tied up, whether it was high or low… but today, it's completely down.
She wonders why.
His steps rock her, letting her relax as he makes his way down the cobblestone path.
“You shouldn't even be out here alone…” Diluc sighs, mild frustration laced in his tone. “Did you somehow slip past Grandmaster Jean?”
Klee has been found out… “Uh, maybe…” She meekly replies.
“Why didn't you just ask Kaeya? Isn't he at work?”
Klee sighs. “Mm, but Mister Kaeya has been really busy…”
She feels his steps slow a bit.
“…I see.” He mumbles.
There's a long pause after that. His pace stays the same, nearly lulling Klee to sleep.
Suddenly, he speaks again, his voice gentler than before.
“Does that mean he can't come to the tavern today?”
Klee’s eyes flutter open as she slowly registers his words. “Umm, maybe he will just go late in the day…”
Diluc hums. “I see.”
A realization dawns on Klee. “Is Mister Diluc asking because he wants to see him?”
A cough. “Wh—What? Where did that come from?” He blurts out.
Klee pats his back. “It's okay, Klee will ask Kaeya.”
Diluc sighs. “You don't need to do that...”
Adults are so stubborn. Klee doesn't understand why being honest is so hard for them.
She's certain Kaeya would want to see him too.
However, having been spent of her energy, Klee opts not to argue. The walk back to the headquarters is silent for the most part, making it difficult for her to resist the need to doze off.
At the last set of stairs, Diluc speaks again.
“…Can you tell me why you were looking for me now?” He questions, the topic clearly weighing on his mind still.
Klee feels a bit better now, but she might rehash her emotions if she isn't careful.
“Um, well… Klee wanted to ask some questions, but Klee is too tired now…” She mumbles.
“Right… of course. Never mind, then.” Diluc doesn't push the topic further.
As they approach the Favonius headquarters, Diluc suddenly stops several feet away from the building.
“…I'm not walking up to the door. Can you get there yourself?”
Klee sighs dramatically. “What? Whyyyyy?”
“Because I don't want to.”
“Ugh… Fine…” Klee grumbles. This adult really is weird.
Just as carefully as he had lifted her, he crouches down and helps her touch her feet to the ground.
His long, curly hair spills over his shoulders, encompassing Klee in a sea of red until he stands up.
She sort of misses it already. What a weird feeling.
Diluc pauses before taking a step back, his joints moving stiffly as he hands her back her notebook and pen. “Um, well, goodbye then.” He awkwardly mutters.
For a moment, Klee hesitates, an uncomfortable feeling creeping up on her. It seems a bit strange to leave things like this, doesn't it? After all, she had walked all that way to find him, only to break out into tears for seemingly no reason. How embarrassing…
“Um, wait—!” Klee blurts out before his can stop herself.
Those owlish eyes look back at her once more. “Wh—What?”
She steps forward, her free hand lifting up and squeezing around three of his fingers. “Can you promise something to Klee?”
His brow furrows in some unreadable emotion. “I… I suppose I can.”
“Please make Kaeya happy.”
Her request noticeably catches him off guard, his pupils dilating as his eyebrows nearly shoot off his forehead. “Where— where's this coming from?”
Klee squeezes his hand tighter. “You have to promise!”
He's visibly uncomfortable, turning his head as his eyes dart across their empty surroundings before they return to her. “I… Oh, Archons…” He sighs.
Klee stares at him with all her might, refusing to break eye contact.
“…Okay, I— I promise…” He gives in, begrudgingly conceding to her whims.
“Thank you!” The child beams brightly, letting his fingers slip from her grasp as she turns away, skipping towards the headquarters.
“Bye bye Mister!” She looks over her shoulder and waves at him enthusiastically.
He faintly waves back at her.