I do not own Genshin Impact.

This fanfiction takes place just prior to Kaeya's New Cape.

After a long morning of adventuring, Bennett was more than ready to halt for lunch. He bounded into the abandoned campsite before turning to his companion. "Hey Captain Kaeya, think this is a good spot?"

The tall Cryo user's mouth tilted up in a teasing smirk as he followed the younger man into the camp. "Come now, you're the Adventurer, not me. I trust your judgement."

Despite Kaeya's words, Bennett waited. The knight's single exposed eye flicked across the camp in a swift analysis, ended in a short nod of approval. Bennett let out a tiny breath of relief. "All right! Let's get some food going, then!" Eagerly he opened his pocket dimension as he plopped down beside the empty fireplace. A second later he shot up again with a yelp, the egg in his hand sailing off into the bushes. "Ouch! What was that?!"

Kaeya glanced over at him from where he knelt beside the cold coals. "You alright?" He emptied a vial of warm red syrup over the coals, then dropped the vial back into his inventory.

Ruefully Bennett rubbed the back of his leg. "Looks like I sat on a Samachurl's staff again. It's fine, no harm done!" He picked up the scrawny totem and examined it for a moment. With a shrug, he hurled the staff off into the woods. The staff hit a tree and rebounded, whacking Bennett in the head. "Ouch!" Rubbing his forehead, he nudged the irritating staff off to the side. "Maybe if I just leave it here…" He started to sit down, then realized Kaeya was still trying to coax the fire to life. "Oh, here, let me try!" He jumped forward, Pyro sparking at his fingertips as he reached for the small pile of sticks.

Kaeya's eye widened with alarm. "Hang on, wait—"

There was only a split second for Bennett to watch Kaeya's long half-cape fold languidly over his shoulder and dip into the fireplace. And then his Pyro connected with the red liquid Kaeya had poured over the kindling.

Boom!

Both men were thrown back by the explosion of flames. Bennett landed awkwardly on his ankle, and Kaeya was knocked straight into a bush. Coughing, the young Adventurer struggled upright. "C-Captain Kaeya!" He stumbled towards the place where his companion had gone down.

To his relief, Kaeya's dark hair emerged from the bush with a shower of bright jade leaves. The knight shook his head with a slightly dazed look. "I'm fine, don't worry." His reassurance ended in a cough, making Bennett bite his lip.

"I'm so sorry, Captain Kaeya! That was all my fault!"

"Nonsense." Kaeya climbed to his feet and shoved his way out of the bush… just as the greenery combusted.

Bennett yelped in alarm, and Kaeya let out a startled word in some other language, jumping away. But the lick of flames followed him, trailing from his shoulder. Twisted ankle forgotten at once, Bennett darted forward. "Your cape! It's on fire!"

Real alarm sparked in Kaeya's starry eye, and the Cavalry Captain fumbled with his clasp. But the flames were racing up the mantle, turning the pale blue to a dead black in seconds. There was no time for the clasp. Bennett didn't know what to do. His Pyro would only make things worse, and he didn't trust his luck enough to attempt such a delicate cut with his sword. Wincing, he drew his sword anyway. I hope I don't accidentally stab Captain Kaeya…

With another muttered word in the unfamiliar language, Kaeya yanked a dagger from a sheath concealed in the small of his back. A single deft strike, and the Cavalry Captain sliced through his mantle right at the clasp.

The flames reached for the long ponytail draped over his shoulder just as the cape fell away. For an instant, the ends of Kaeya's cobalt hair glowed red-hot. Oh! This I can do! Striking as fast as he could, Bennett batted the flames back before they could take hold again. His Pyro energy warmed his hands for a moment, fending off the fire so he didn't get burned.

As soon as he'd finished, Kaeya whipped around, slinging a spray of Cryo at the blazing pile just behind him. "Freeze!"

The fire sputtered into pathetic oblivion as his ice cut it off. For a long moment, the two men stood staring at the ashy remains of Kaeya's once-pristine garment. Bennett bit his lip, barely daring to look up at his companion. But once he did, he felt even worse.

Kaeya looked stricken, one hand held over his mouth as he gazed down at his cape. Bennett flinched at the look on his face. "Captain Kaeya, I—I'm so—"

Instantly Kaeya's devasted expression vanished, and he let out a forced laugh. "Pff, at least you put me out." He patted the long strands of his dark hair, inspecting the ends with a relieved spark in his eye.

Bennett wrapped his arms around his own waist, unable to forget the very real grief he'd just seen in the typically easygoing knight. "But I—"

An ominous crackle behind him cut off the rest of his apology once more. Freezing, the two companions looked at each other, then turned slowly to the rest of the camp. Bennett's shout of alarm coincided with Kaeya's exasperated sigh. The Cryo user drew his sword, ice already forming along the blade as he eyed the inferno of fire raging across their campsite. "Come on then. I think we'll be needing a bit more of your firefighting skills here." With that wry statement, he leaped forward.