Kaeya: Poisoned Smile
Kaeya was a man of many titles, and many many masks. He was the captain of cavalry, he was the brother of Diluc, he was an adopted son into a noble family, he was the true son of a pirate, he was a knight, he was a louse, he was a citizen, and he always, always kept people guessing when he could allow it.
Annoying for his superiors was that necessity to be so lax at times but it often balanced itself out through a meticulous process of measurement where each portion that had to be pushed on for something had to return to balance or all of it would go out of whack leaving him and his men in the lurch. Training one day and cavorting in the night with his brother he was often mocked by those who did not know him or would try to be made the joke after finding him the jester of the knights one to many times.
When people pushed him too far or held his loved ones in danger there was a portion he brought out and made sure that they learned the lesson easily for it was going to be a lesson that he could often teach once before death took them.
Cryo had been an interesting elemental vision, and he learned how to get the most out of it. It was useful to get people to keep their tongues loose. One particular memory had come to him when he was sitting at the outside table. Diluc had been taking to his vengeance for their dad and he had been sure to join him until he was sure he would not do anything stupid. He was a proud man and would not accept help on pain of death so while embarrassing his big brother he would stay with him. They were to look through to see if they can get any testimony for what was going on in the chaos order and he could remember when he was taking care of some treasure hunters when one had smacked his brother across the back of the head with an oar dropping him to the floor.
Kaeya chuckled at the memory because while they thought they were making progress it was then the point he really could go all out and knowing they had hurt his brother had made a rumbling range settle in his chest before slowly getting the people to fear the cold. One unfortunate soul had his legs frozen slowly and when he heard an answer he did not like he had taken to kicking the body part until it shattered.
No one was left when his brother woke up to give any information in fact as he had blinked away the sleep and grabbed at the pain at the back of his head his brother had taken a set on a lip of stone while Diluc scanned the room to see no more enemies existed. What had existed was a set of papers with handwriting that from the scrawl he had to think was his brother.
He hated showing that side to his brother, for while he could show it to Jean or Rosaria for the sake of a mission there was the fact that he would hat to see the last remaining member of his family look up and suddenly see how cruel he can be.
Rosaria was someone he had actually found himself connected to whether emotionally or further there was a definite bond between them that had grown from the same kind of attitude about work and getting things done. What no one had heard as while Diluc and jean were clearly carrying the flame for each other so did Rosaria for him. It had been just for comfort at first as both had come from hard places and hard lives and the company of someone just for such things was a nice way to end the day that didn't involve a hangover or more problems.
Leaning his head in his hands he wondered how his brother would react about the relationship, because while it started so simple, go to the other's house, warm each other's bed, and work out any kinks they have, all meanings of the word between them.
One night she had worked with him and seeing him unleash the cruelty on the enemies had been something that was both thrilling and inviting. He had not wanted to show her but after finding some of the skeletons of the citizens he had let loose a little easy as one skeleton had been noticed with a set of clothes that had reminded him of one of the missing children of the time.
It had been almost a full year later but she could not understand as he had clutched his pen hard enough where it shattered in his hand causing the ink to bleed between two of his fingers before a couple drops hitting the paperwork haphazardly set on his desk.
"You will need to be careful, that can cut your fingers if you are still lost in thought."
A familiar voice had pulled him from the view out the window. Where from the door frame a familiar set of legs had been set against the door frame with the red headed nun crossing her arms looking at who she had gotten much to close to. Closing the door behind her he had looked outside to make sure that no one could be seen looking inward.
"How are you Rosa?"
"Doing okay, had gotten a little bit stuck in the past so I thought I would check in on you."
"Thank you, honestly I should not have shown you such a side."
"But you did, and I love it, like I said before good people can have such sides. It made me feel comfortable about mine."
"You are a nun, you have to be a good person to be a nun." he said smiling.
Her tone had been as flat as her brow as she she stared at him, a usual tool to make him question his actions she had found.
"We need to find them."
"And we will, there will be people trying to stop us Kae, we made progress last time, and with what your brother had to deal with, I wouldn't be shocked if we made eve more next time."
He nodded out looking as if he could see the skeleton still, the body in clothes clearly from the bakery with the patches of flour on his shorts. She had taken to walking around the desk and closing the curtains knowing full well that Jean would be out on riding duty for the day and would not come back until evening.
A long leg extended to the right of his head, and she had taken to kicking the chair back sending him to the floor and soon found herself shimmying herself up to him.
Kaeya was brutal, and sometimes sadistic and a drunk, but good Barbatos she was blessed with everything a woman could be blessed with right down to cooking some good food and being able to fight like a demon. She was bright and strong and looking down she was blushing as she wondered what he was thinking.
"Is that how you show your love, by making me feel like a demon too."
"There is a demon I think you emulate but it isn't on the battlefield."
She had to think about it before her cheeks tried to match her hair before coughing it away.
Kaeya looked down to her and saw the face she wore for him, unsure of what she needed to do and in reference to their bedroom activities it was her first partner and his second making him a bit of a teacher but as she learned a few things she had been easily teachable and knew how to make the most of her own talents.
They had both lived hard lives and taking things slow and trying to make it almost excruciating had been the game between them to make them only focus on the other and the other learned of how their body ticked and rang to the point where exploration and testing began driving the other mad during their nights together and often making for a mocking statement or two during the days when they had to separate.
Separation, it always stung because while both were adults she was a nun and nuns could not be married according to the church, although if Venti just explained who he was to Barbara there could be an exception he thought. While that was not done yet there was still a need to hide as Rosaria did believe her work in the church was useful and the church had used her as a bit of a heavy hitter in case any area was dangerous enough from attackers or had been known for robberies. Often the icy nun would make sure such activities would be dealt with before sunrise where she would enjoy the simple walks back making sure that the children were safe another night.
He had his hands rest on her hips where the tight muscled legs of his love had been needing a little massage and through the stockings did his best to rub a particular knot high on her thigh that had caused her to close her eyes and enjoy the treatment. Massages after a heavy work day was a way to get her to fall apart and he was happy to her the contented sighs and deep breathing meant of a relaxing Rosaria.
Despite how he wished he did not show her the worst part of him he was very happy that he could at least show her that those things could be focused, and it was done in a way that most just thought the pair to be drinking buddies making a perfect excuse for the other to be nearby.
"What do you think of having kids of our own.. after all of this, at that point I would be happy leaving the church.."
Her face was muffled by his jacket and her face close to his bare chest a part of the uniform she loved as she could often feel the thumping his heart did when she was near. Looking up his eyes had seemed to be lost in thought with a small smile before shaking it away.
"Do you think we could be good parents?"
She had kissed him right after the question as Kaeya was always struggling with the self doubt in such things, but together they could very well keep the other in check and to her thought make a family that would be the safest in the land because a parent was a demon she had thought, when the child was in danger, for the pair of them who were demons in battle could be something of a force in case anyone had looked at their children the wrong way. She nodded against him and saw his vision point up at the ceiling.
Kaeya had a vision not of shame or Diluc or his family but of a home many years from now and a pair of dark skinned wine haired kids running around as they wait for the uncle and their aunt with their baby and seeing his brother with their own child as well. The vision was too good to be true but he could use a dream to keep walking towards even if he had to wear a poisonous smile to do it.
Rosaria on the couch reading a book with the kids while he took a nap was a beautiful thing she could enjoy and he could too, and he had hoped they would all get their happy endings well after it was all finished. For right now he had slid his hand up because there was one very important woman right now who needed a happy ending and as his smile was a little more playful and she was receptive they almost could get lost in the beautiful dream together.