#genshin x male reader

Chapter 9: a Villain’s Departure

Hero Kaeya x Villain male reader

Summary: Nieblina was just a stop along your journey. This, your friends didn’t know.

Word Count: 3,600

Warnings: arguments, fighting, crying

Mayb’s notes: Wrote this in two days? After spreading out chapter 8 within several months??

Kaeya was restless.

Even if the day had been long, even if his feet ached, even if he laid in the swimming comforts of your bedsheets.

He could hardly close his eyes. So, he busied himself with planning.

“We’re leaving tomorrow.” You say for the umpteenth time, “I’ll pick up Nyx and Raph at the stables and you’ll go around asking for information. We’ll meet by the entrance. I won’t be taking longer than five minutes. The wait alone won’t be hard.”

He sits with one leg up and the other laying across the length of the bed, his torso resting against a pillow. Clearly he wasn’t going to be sleeping anytime soon. He stares to the side, at the stars and the moon of the sky.

“Or?”

“We can get them together.”

“Right.”

Kaeya can make out the sound of your amused laugh at his side. You’re laughing at him, he knows, at his request for unnecessary repetition and his restless shuffling and impatience. The night was still young and he needed to rest, else he spends the rest of it paranoid under the bright moonlight.

“What of your friends?” He asks, now; a new question.

Regardless, you don’t see the need for him to ask. “What of them?”

“Will they be alright with your sudden departure?”

You think about it but for a moment. You’re sure they would be fine. After all, you were far from a settler. They knew you traveled often and they knew you’d be back sometime. This, you were sure of. “Of course they’ll be.”

“Are you sure?”

Although, were you really? “Yes.” You hoped so.

“What of Morden, then? He doesn’t quite seem the type.” Kaeya, tonight, was full of doubts, as he was the past week and the past month; ever since the misterious plague had arisen. This was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long while, not for eight years, and he certainly hadn’t missed it.

“And he isn’t the type. A single day of reconcile will not be enough for him, that is certain, but he will have to understand as he always does.”

“Always?”

“Always.”

Kaeya frowns to himself, staring down at his hands only illuminated by moonlight. He then turns and meets your eyes.

You’re staring at him, half smile on your face, head leaning against the fist you’ve propped up on an elbow. There’s a tiredness in your droopy eyes, and he can tell you’re only staying up because of him. Him and his doubts.

“You’re sure of it?”

You laugh again, “Yes, darling, I am.”

He lets his gaze drift away to the young night sky again. But… even with the reassurance, he was sure of something different than you were. Despite knowing the man for nought but a day, he felt like he knew how he would react. “He wouldn’t convince you to stay? With him?”

“With him?” You chuckle at the idea and begin to speak again, if not for your realization. “Are you jealous?”

“What?” His gaze snaps to you again. “No.” He replies, all too gruff and quick.

“Areyousure?”

He scoffs, “Yes. Yes, I am.”

His eyebrows are furrowed and, quite clearly, you can see his irritation. Though, this was another thing you were sure of, his jealousy; and so, you continue to prod him open. “Then what is causing the doubts about him? About me staying with him?”

Kaeya purses his lips, having been finally caught. His jealousy hadn’t been apparent to him, not in a clear way. It had only been feelings, frustration he hadn’t quite decyphered. Iamjealous, he realizes.

But he does not admit it.

He leaves the question unanswered, though his silence clearly proves your point. You smile, though he only sees it through his peripheral. Even if you would usually flaunt your triumphance, tonight was not the time. You were too tired and you were sure he was too, even through his uneasiness.

“We’ve discussed our plan twice over, and then some.” You announce with flair, arms splayed out to silently ask him to come to you. “So come here, let your mind rest. It’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.”

Kaeya sighs. He hoped you were right. For now, he should listen to you.

When he finally relaxes in your arms, back against your chest and hands holding yours as they intertwine in front of you, you feel as though you’ve gained a victory. “‘Sides, Morden’s place is messy.”

The knight laughs, forgetting his worries but for a second. He’ll allow himself to, instead focusing on you and your embrace.

The next morning, unlike the one before, he wakes with you.

“Hey.” You greet, a small, groggy smile upon your lips.

“Morning.” He replies.

Sometime in the night, he’d shifted to face you. His head still lays upon your pillow, and yours upon your fist, just like the night before.

The strip of your hair that hangs just shorter than the rest stands out in the morning sunlight. He tucks it behind your ear. You notice this, of course, and smile. He smiles sheepishly too. You take his hand, which couldn’t help but linger, in yours and push it to your cheek. Kaeya traces his finger along your cheekbone, feeling the warmth of you. “What time is it?”

“Just after sunrise.” You chuckle, “You missed the view.”

He notices you’re about to speak again, but of course, he knows what you’ll say. “Of me, right?”

You give him only an amused smile, “You know me well.”

The moment only lasts a little while, and in that time, he almost forgets what is to come in the day ahead. His realization comes with a groan as you pull yourself to sit up. “We should start our day, else we run late on our plan.”

“We should.” He agrees, though he stays in his position for a little more time, watching you wake up for a second time that day.

He watches intently as you rub the sleep out of your eyes with a yawn, then stretch your arms and legs as far as you can. He can almost feel how nice they feel himself. Afterwards, you turn back to him, “You were saying?”

“Right.”

The morning, nor the planning of the night before, hadn’t done anything to put him at ease. Soon, he would be out in the wild with nothing but travelers’ hearsay of plague to follow; back in the fogged forest, then whatever came afterwards. He wasn’t used to wilderness; Mondstadt’s walls were all he knew, if not that, then the fields of its outskirts.

It was as though his own Grand Master wanted to keep him within Mondstadt when he took all the horses at the Cavalry Captain’sdisposal.

But, for the moment, he had to think about something else. He had to distract himself, thus he did so with work. It came to you as a bit of a surprise when he decided not to fetch the horses with you, though it was quickly covered up by joy. His attachment to you in a 'dangerous’ place like Nieblina was apparent, so it was nice for him to step out on his own. It showed you he understood that the people weren’t bad.

Kaeya’s first stop was the 'Ducklings Dung’ bar, which was the name he’d missed the day before. Before stepping in, he takes a deep breath. He does stuff like this all the time, that is, activating his charming side in the hopes of athering information. This time shouldn’t be all too different.

The bar wasn’t all that full this morning, but that wasn’t a problem. The bartender, he knew, held the most secrets. “Never did catch yer name. You’re not here with (y/n)?”

Kaeya shakes his head and leans against the bar counter.

The bartender notes his stance, how he doesn’t sit, and already knows what is to come. The stranger wasn’t going to be here for long.

“It’s Kaeya.” With those words, he pulls down his hood.

The bartender snickers just at the sight of him, “Ye look just like Morden.”

He offers a nice, small smile, “I’m aware of that. But, I can assure you, I am nothing like him.”

“That’s good!” She exclaims in return. “We don’t need two no-gooders livin’ in this bar. So, what can I get ya? I see it’s not drink fer sorrows you seek.”

“That’s right. I’m looking for information.” He prepares himself to ask the hardest question, “Do you have a price?” A woman like this bartender wouldn’t take too kindly to it. She was too headstrong, ever, to accept even bribes for valuables. Those things couldn’t be paid for with currency.

She gives him an apprehensive stare up and down, “Depends.” Her mood changes entirely from good spirits to serious and careful.

“Do you know of a plague?”

“Sure,” She busies herself with cleaning a pint cup, “I know of plenty. You mean ongoing ones, though?” Kaeya nods. “Then it’ll be the 'Blood Parade’.”

His interest was piqued. “Tell me about it.”

“I have a price.” He hums in agreement, so she continues, “All I need is to know what you need this information for. I’d apologize for being nosy, but you’re a new face around here. Rumours say you’re not staying for long, either.”

Rumours? They’d already formed about him? He shakes his head, “I hope you won’t speak of this to anyone else?”

She nods, “My lips are sealed.”

“Then, I’m trying to find its origin in the hopes it’ll help me find a cure.”

The bartender’s face immiedately scrunches up. “I know one that has done this before, and you do too. I suggest you ask them about it, but the search was long, and the results barren. You do not want to do this.”

“This plague is affecting my city.” Kaeya insists, “I have to do this for them.”

“Then you’re a fool.” For a moment she pauses, though Kaeya stays to see if she’ll continue. Noticing his persistance, she sighs. “But the price has been paid. I’ll tell you of the Blood Parade.”

Then, he spoke with different vendors. Specifically, those who sold wares that originated from nations allied to Mondstadt or were of those nationalities. The problem, however, was that they often varied. Some held disdain for their previous home, others only gained their information from travelers, and the rest did not know of strife within their hometown.

The King of Mondstadt had held the news of plague under wraps, in fear of news spreading of the kingdom’s momentary weakness. He did not need his (dishonest) powerful reputation being stained. Perhaps allied Kings knew of the problem, but it was evident that the citizens did not; especially if they were citizens no more.

In some occassions, he knew about their former nation more than they did.

“You want to ask me of Fontaine?” The vendor snickers, knocking her hook hand against her table as if it were funny. “I barely know 'er. Been exiled since I turned the ripe ol’ age of sixteen. Sorry, boy, I’ve got nothin’ to tell ya.”

Kaeya can’t stop his exclaim of surprise, “Really?”

“As real as the stars.” She smiles sullenly, eyes drifting off to her wares; the only thing that connects her to Fontaine anymore.

“How do you cope with that?”

Her lips press into a thin line, “Some days I sit by the docks and admire the water. Fontaine was often described as the City of Oceans, right? I can’t quite remember anymore.” She laughs drily, “Some other days, I simply cannot. Being freshly sixteen and leaving your hometown, your parents and your friends… It’s not easy to deal with.”

Kaeya sympathizes, gloomy frown of his own spread across his face. The vendor notices this and asks, “Left your town too, have you? For good?”

“Not for good, no.” He scoffs, “But I have not left it for longer than a week since I’d arrived, I was only a kid. You can imagine the attachment I have for it, Mondstadt.”

She chuckles lowly to herself, “I don’t have to imagine. Well, uh- What’s your name?”

“Kaeya.”

“Well, Kaeya,” She clasps her flesh hand on top of his shoulder reassuringly, “You’ll get over the homesickness. You’ll come to accept the bitterness of it all. Eventually, you’ll feel whole again. Leaving is hard, but life goes on. You can’t stay behind, 'else you’ll get dragged down below surface by the waves of your sorrows.”

He nods appreciatively, “That’s good advice, miss..?”

“Not miss, nor missus.” She declares indignantly, “Just call me Vyra.”

“Thank you, Vyra. I visited Fontaine just over a month ago, by the way.” Vyra’s face lights up. “She is still the City of Oceans you remember, and she is doing better than ever.”

“That’s good to hear, Kaeya.”

The last people to seek information from were travelers. A great many people were travelers, and in Mondstadt, he’d only have to find a new face to identify one. But he was new here too, so he didn’t know the faces of new nor old differently. He would need your help for this one.

When he meets you at the rendezvous point, you’re waiting for him; evidently bored as you create random, purely aesthetic sparks of color in front of you. The horses are already packed up and ready to go, all that was missing was him.

“Took your sweet time.” You remark light-heartedly with a smile. “You ready to leave?”

“Not quite.” He ignores your little sigh, “I’ve asked vendors and I’ve asked bartenders. I have info on what we’re looking for, and traces. All we’re missing though, is the travelers. They don’t stand out for me.”

You shrug, “Okay, makes sense. But tell me about what you know first.”

“Well,” He starts, “The plague we found in Mondstadt is widely known as the Blood Parade. You know what that reminds me of?”

“The ball music.”

“That’s right. The plague parades through town, quickly infecting everyone in its path. Parades are signs of celebration, and this ball clearly is too. What nation is celebrating with a ball soon?”

You search through your mind for hearsay you might’ve heard throughout your travels.

There’s Mondstadt’s own festivals, though you were sure the King (being a puppet) wouldn’t be capable of invoking an entire plague.

Then there’s Sumeru’s festivals, but Sumeru didn’t have any areas for balls, giving away all large enough spaces for libraries or laboratories.

Finally, there was Fontaine. Fontaine was fond of their classical music and ball dances, and their Queen’s liking for grandeur certainly fit the need for 'perfect musicians’, as you’d heard when examining the plague-ridden corpse.

“Fontaine.”

“We have a suspect.” Kaeya declares. “Anyway, most bartenders told me what we knew already, as well as places ridden by plague. They’re mostly fairly small Kingdoms –though they can handle plague better than Monstadt’s King– currently struggling through sickness. It’s safe to assume they’re not causing it, nor do they have a cure.”

“Worth a visit anyway, right?”

Kaeya analyzes your hopeful look, pleading eyes, raised eyebrows, downcast face… He couldn’t say no to you, but it was extremely dangerous. “We can’t guarantee protection, a way to help them, nor our own safety.”

You sigh, “It may help us find traces. I do agree that we cannot guarantee our safety, but we also cannot guarantee we’ll find clues in places were the plague isn’t prominent.”

“Then it shall be our last resort.” That, you could agree on.

“What about the vendors, then?”

“Unfortunately, most were disconnected from their former lands. Those that did know something had nothing to say of the plague. If the other powerful nations hid the plague as well as Mondstadt did, then it’d be even harder to get information over here.”

You nod. It made sense. Nieblina was isolated and the people were outcasts. Perhaps it was only wishful thinking. “Then off to the travelers, yeah?”

“Travelers?” The both of you turn towards the entrance of the stables, were Lorelai stands, seemingly shocked.

“Lorelai?”

“(Y/N).” Almost as instantly as shock paints her face, anger comes. Her eyebrows furrow and she frowns deeply, “You’re leaving.”

“Why…” You deflect her statement, “why are you here?”

“Lester said I’d find you here.” The bartender… Kaeya realizes she told Lorelai, and possibly Morden too.

He hadn’t thought of the possibility, but if he had, he wouldn’t think it much of a problem. Clearly, he was wrong, and so were you. You’d lied to him. Your friends were certainly not going to take this lightly, and it was already taking effect with Lorelai.

“You’re leaving.” Lorelai says again.

You quickly find an excuse, “I’m merely attending to my horse.”

Her eyebrows furrow even deeper as she analyzes the saddle and bridle on both your horses, meaning they were ready to leave. She knows you’ll lie, so she turns to the stablehand, “How much longer are you keeping the horses?”

“I was told to keep them for a mere two days.”

“When?”

“The night before yesterday.”

“You’re leaving.” She repeats, “Stop lying to me.” Her eyes, as wild as they’d seemed the night before, seem much different now.

There was no more denying. “I’m leaving.” You confess.

Her eyes seem sad.

Lorelai’s nose scrunches up, “Why? Why are you leaving?” She doesn’t give you time to respond, “You’ve only been here a day, and you’ve been traveling for a month prior. There’s no reason for you to leave. You don’t have debts to settle. You’ve seen the world twice over. You’ve found your old lover boy. So why?”

You move to speak, but she interrupts, “It better not be what Lester told me.”

You shoot him a look and he can only manage an apologetic one. “What’d Lester say?”

“You’re chasing another plague.” She stalks forward, heels digging hard into the stable’s dirt floors. “This one’s going to kill you, (y/n).”

This one?

“Lorelai-”

“Don’t deny it.” She stabs her accusatory finger against your chest, “Don’t deny me.”

“Lorelai, I’ll be fine.” You assure, placing your hands on her shoulders so as to soothe her in a way, “I’m not doing this alone, and-”

“Why are you leaving us?” Lorelai interrupts. Her eyebrows furrow and raise and suddenly her eyes find it hard to keep themselves open, “Why are you leaving me?”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“You are.” She cries out, “You are!”

“What’s going on?” Morden bursts into the stables, Zero close behind. He takes sight of your furrowed brows and deep frown, the tears streaming down Lorelai’s conflicted face, and Kaeya by the corner.

“(y/n)’s leaving for another plague.” Zero fills him in.

Immediately, Morden’s face falls. But instead of just blaming you, he’s coming down hard on Kaeya. “It was you, wasn’t it, pretty boy? You’re convincing (y/n) to do this?”

While Lorelai’s anger had morphed into sadness, Morden’s anger was going to stay angry. “You don’t know how the last time went, how hard (y/n) tore himself apart. It was a madman’s search and you; you, Kaeya, are a madman.”

Kaeya raises his hands in surrender, “I’m only trying to protect my nation-”

“And it’s the one that betrayed (y/n), but you’re stringing him along.”

“Shut up Morden.” The man quickly snaps his head to you, “Shut it. I’m following along on my own will. I’m leaving.”

“Are you listening to yourself?” He asks in disbelief.

“Yes.” In a quick motion you turn away from Lorelai, who almost doesn’t stop herself from falling forward as you do. She reaches out to grab you by the shoulder but you’re quick to deflect her.

“The people need help, Morden. Zero, I know you understand. Lorelai, as I once helped you, I have the instinct to help others.” You beckon Kaeya to follow with the gesture of your hand. “Nieblina is an isolated town. You have no idea how bad it is out there; out where the plague marches through town like it’s nothing but a pile of hay.”

“What we do have an idea of is how hard you put yourself into your work!” Lorelai shouts. “This’ll be the death of you.”

As you grasp the saddle, ready to mount up, Morden puts a hard hand atop your shoulder. This one, you can’t shake off. “You can’t spend the rest of your days searching in the wake of death. We tried to help you last time, but you shook us off. If you’re going to the same thing again, then… then we’re not going to try anymore.”

Kaeya has a view of your face, but they don’t. He can see how hard you’re taking this, he can see your closed eyes and gritted teeth. But he knows you, and he knows you’re going to stand your ground.

You don’t offer anymore words. Instead, you mount up in silence. Kaeya does nothing but follow your lead.

As the two of you leave the stables, you don’t so much as spare a glance. He does, though, a final one. He stares at your friends: Lorelai in her tearful anger, Morden in his rage, and Zero in their silent conflict.

It made him feel all wrong. It reminded him of how Diluc left him that night after he’d used his newfound cryomancy against him for the first time. It reminded him of how he left Mondstadt, how he left his best friends and knights.

“Are you coming?” You ask, and he can hear your frustration as clear as day.

“I am.” Is all he says.

You leave them all behind.