Cross-posted on AO3

Day 27: "I Wish I Had Never Given You A Chance"

Kaeya didn't know how things had gone so wrong.

After years of tension, Diluc had finally decided to give Kaeya another chance. Everything had gone slow at first, like a probation period of sorts. Kaeya was fine to go at his brother's pace. As long as he was in his life, Diluc could have asked him to throw himself off of a cliff and he would have done it.

He knew it was likely unhealthy – if what Albedo had warned him was true – but he couldn't have cared less. He knew he was being stupid, irrational, and a fool.

He knew that.

But he had never thought he would have seen Diluc glaring at him with such venom in his eyes again. Not since the night he had kicked him out after almost killing him.

So how had they ended up here?

Kaeya was kneeling on the ground in front of a destroyed cathedral. While most of the city had escaped unscathed because of Mona's predictions, the quick-acting by Jean was the only thing that kept the entirety of Mondstadt from being destroyed.

Now all he could do was meet Diluc's furious gaze as the man glared down at him. It was such a familiar sight that the captain had hoped he would never seen again. He thought they had gotten past this. What could he have possibly done to earn this gaze this time?

"Once a traitor," the other growled, "always a traitor."

Kaeya felt like the world was falling down around him again. This couldn't be happening.

"I wish I had never given you a chance."

Kaeya felt his heart drop to his feet.

This was it?

Diluc blamed him for this?

They didn't even know who had been behind the attack yet!

He didn't protest when Diluc's sword lit up with flames. He remained kneeling even as his brother stomped towards him, his steps filled with purpose. He knew that this would be the end. Not that he minded going out this way.

As long as it was Diluc.

He closed his eye and bowed his head as he accepted his fate. There was no reason to fight back this time, nothing for him to live for. Without Diluc, he would once again be alone without any family; without anyone to know him as well as the other did.

He heard the sound of Diluc raising his claymore and squeezed his already closed eyes as he prepared for a hit. The sound of metal meeting metal and a surprised noise had him looking back up. What he saw had his jaw almost falling to the ground.

Albedo had blocked Diluc's sword with his own and – despite its smaller size – was doing a good job of holding him back. The shorter teen refused to back down, standing his ground like the Vision he wielded.

Diluc's face quickly changed from surprise to anger.

"Why are you defending him?!" he shouted.

"I should be asking you why you're trying to kill him," the alchemist answering calmly. "I know for a fact that Sir Kaeya had nothing to do with this."

"How can you be so sure?" the redhead demanded.

"Because I would have gotten an order as well, seeing as I was created by a Khaenri'ahn."

As Diluc's face darkened, Kaeya couldn't help but wonder what Albedo was getting at. Why would he admit something that would only get him arrested? They weren't friends and didn't really interact much outside of work. They didn't have anything in common nor did they really know anything about the other.

So why was he risking his life for him?

"Albedo-gege!"

Oh no.

Klee ran up from behind Diluc, the little girl clearly distressed that her brother was fighting Master Diluc. Kaeya didn't want her to get involved in this.

"Klee, sweetie, go back to Jean!"

His words were ignored as the girl noticed that he was injured. Running past Albedo, the child ran up to Kaeya and began fretting over his injuries. She kept asking is he was okay, but Kaeya didn't have the energy to lie. To say anything, really.

"Klee, " Albedo said cautiously, "please go back to Jean. The adults are having a discussion."

It was then that she seemed to notice how angry Diluc was as she pressed herself into Kaeya's side. On instinct, the captain found himself wrapping an arm around her in comfort. The girl looked petrified by the look on the other Pyro user's face.

Diluc seemed to notice her fear and at least tried to reel in his bloodlust.

"Are you really allying yourself with that traitor, Chief Alchemist?"

"If simply being from an outside country makes you a traitor, aren't I already one, Master Diluc?"

The snipped remark only succeeded to rile the ex-knight's anger.

"Albedo-"

Kaeya was cut off by the arrival of the other knights.

"What's going on here, Master Diluc?!" Jean demanded.

Amber looked worried and Lisa's signature smile was absent from her face. Sucrose, the poor girl, looked about ready to have a heart attack.

It seemed like everyone was here.

However, before Diluc could say anything, a bright light appeared in place of the fallen cathedral. Everyone was stunned by its appearance and Kaeya was quick to realize the similarities between it and the one on one of the islands not too far from Mondstadt's shore. His only warning was movement out of the corner of his eye before he felt a sharp tug on his jacket.

With a whoosh, Albedo, Kaeya, and Klee (who was still in Kaeya's arms) disappeared through the portal and into the Abyss.

A/N: This story was written on the 28th and was the one so far to give me the most trouble. I just wanted this one to be the one where Kaeya, Albedo, and Klee's family started. Klee is going to experience the world that Albedo came from and that Kaeya spent the first decade or so of his life in. Good thing she has two older brothers who would protect her no matter what.

Albedo acted for the first time without thinking, doing what he thought would keep Kaeya and Klee safe. He and Kaeya are sure to have a disagreement about later, but there was no way Albedo could have just sat back and watch Kaeya be punished for something he didn't do.