Work Text:
Where the Lampgrass Leads
Xxx
It was nighttime in Mondstadt and though the hour wasn't especially late, it was time for the youngest residents of the City of Freedom to be going to sleep.
The single candle still lit the room as Kayea leaned down to tuck Klee into bed. With Albedo busy on Dragonspine, Klee was once again in the care of the other knights. Bedtime wasn’t particularly stressful as a rule, the young girl was rather good at wearing herself out during the day. When she wasn't in lessons she was out exploring and even now her bag bulged with the rocks, plants and Archons only knew what else she'd gathered that day. However, Kaeya’s heart wasn’t in it tonight. A rather successful operation had led to a mountain of paperwork that didn’t seem to be going down even after he delegated a chunk to Noelle. All he wanted was to do was clear it so he could go home and worry about the next thing. If he did it fast enough, he could even make time for a drink on the way to his house.
So when Klee fussed and played with her blankets his usual easy going mood wasn’t at the forefront.
“Kaeya?” She looked up at him from under the covers. “Can Klee keep the candle lit tonight?”
Kaeya sighed. Allowing Klee to keep it lit meant he’d have to come back later when she was asleep, it certainly wasn’t safe enough to leave it all night. It meant staying even longer and causing further disruption to his plans.
The excuse slipped out all too easily. “And provide the monsters a beacon to your location? Use your head, sweetie.” Smiling, Kaeya used the barest spark of cryo to snuff out the candle as he headed to the door before she could ask again. “Sweet dreams, Klee. I'll see you tomorrow."
At the back of his mind, Kaeya knew he was being unfair to her, but he didn't have the time or energy to deal with a lengthy discussion right now. He'd take her to Good Hunter for lunch tomorrow and explain about candle safety when the workload was less.
The door clicked shut and he walked away, the conversation already fading from his mind.
Xxx
As the door closed, Klee sat up, her eyes wide as Kaeya’s words rang in her ears. "Monsters?" She whispered, reaching out to hug Dodoco close. There couldn't be monsters here, could there? This was the Knights of Favonius headquarters, with brave Knights always ready to defend the city.
Looking down, she could see the crack of light coming from under the door from the brightly lit hall. There were Knights on guard right now, of course she was safe. Kaeya… Kaeya had been mistaken, he had to be. There wouldn’t be any monsters here, in the well defended building. Trying to reassure herself, she looked around the room, squinting into the dimness to be sure there was nothing else there.
There was a window of course, but heavy drapes covered it now and there were no lamps over that side of the building anyway, so no light came from there. Something caught her eye and she turned, a flicker of something unknown making her heart race. "Hello?" She whispered as she scanned the shadows, which seemed to move before her eyes. Tall and long, were they really shadows? Or were they the very monsters that Kaeya had just warned her about?
The drapes twitched slightly from an unknown draught and she squealed, biting her lip and diving under the covers.
That only made the darkness worse though and she threw it off a moment later, though nearly stopped breathing when her foot caught the edge of the sheet, tangling in it. In a rush she tumbled out of the bed, sitting in a heap on the floor, her covers bunched around her.
Glancing to the door she considered going to it and calling for the Knight on duty, but oh, she couldn’t! She was the Spark Knight and Knights were brave even when they didn’t want to be. Just then, a thump from the hall sent her scurrying under the bed and even though she knew it was only the Knights changing shifts, she couldn’t help but worry. What if some silent monster snuck in and defeated them all before she knew, because it was too bright in the hallway and they’d been found?
Her thoughts spiralled, becoming increasingly illogical and ever more dramatic. Every shadow was a monster and the drapes were a mage's robes. Was that really lamplight in the hall, or a samachurl's staff? As she shifted to try to hide herself, her hand fell on the comforting strap of her bag. It was then that Klee remembered something she’d picked up earlier that day.
She didn’t need light to open it, she knew every strap and clasp by heart. Pushing the flap up, she felt inside, pushed away the three jumpty dumpties and rummaged until she found what she wanted.
There in a side pocket was a single lampgrass. The stem had been broken when she found it, but it was so bright and pretty she’d picked it up to bring home. Even now, it still gave off a soft blue light that soothed Klee’s frayed nerves.
Clutching it in one hand, she gathered up her covers and scrambled back into bed as quickly as she could. Pulling the covers over her, she kept her eyes locked on the flower, holding it close along with Dodoco until exhaustion took over and she finally drifted into a fitful sleep.
Xxxx
By the time the sun rose, Klee was exhausted. She'd hardly slept at all and now that it was daytime she definitely didn't want to. Slowly she got dressed and cleaned her teeth… carefully, all the way round the back and front, just as Kaeya taught her. "Got to keep your smile shiny!" He always said. Even if she didn't feel shiny or smiley right now she did it anyway.
There were no lessons today and Klee was glad. She was far, far too tired to do annoying things like reading and writing and sums. Sometimes Miss Lisa let her read the more interesting books, but she didn't want to read at all today.
Her stomach rumbled but the big hall where the other knights ate was just too noisy this morning. Klee was so tired she was scared that even her own bombs would hurt her ears right now. Pulling out her purse, she carefully counted her coins. Maybe she had enough mora for some Fisherman’s Toast at Good hunter? Well, Sara would probably let her have the toast if she didn’t and she could always catch her own fish. That thought made her smile a bit.
With slightly more spring in her step she made her way out of headquarters and into the town. The sunlight improved her mood and she was feeling almost herself as she reached the counter and peered up. “Hi Sara!”
“Good morning, Klee!” Sara smiled back. “You’re out early today. What can I get you?”
“Um…” Klee clutched her mora in her hand. “How many mora is Fisherman’s Toast?”
“It’s nine hundred and twenty mora, Klee. Do you have enough?” Sara glanced at the handful of coins in Klee’s hand.
Klee screwed up her face in concentration as she counted, narrowly avoiding dropping her money all over the stones. “I think… Klee will just have toast. I can go and get some fish by myself!”
“There’s no need for that.”
The voice behind Klee made her jump. “Oh! Mister Weird… I mean… Master Diluc!” Klee stared up at him with wide eyes. “Hello.”
Diluc seemed to ignore the slip up. “Hello, Klee. Did I hear you talking about fish blasting?”
Klee’s gaze dropped and she stared resolutely at the floor. “Just one fish. For my toast! Because with fish is too many mora.”
“I see.” Something imperceptible flitted across Diluc’s face. “Well, for the sake of Master Jean’s blood pressure and the Mondstadt fish stocks, why don’t I buy your breakfast?”
“She blinked at him. “Master Diluc will buy Klee’s breakfast? But Albedo says you should never just take things from other people. It’s rude.”
“And that’s a very sensible rule,” Diluc replied. “But you are not just taking, I am offering. I’m getting one myself anyway. Sara might as well make two.”
Klee considered his words. They seemed to make sense - after all, she hadn’t asked Master Diluc to buy her breakfast. Surely that wouldn’t make Albedo cross. And she really was very hungry.
“Thank you, Master Diluc! Klee would love that!” She smiled up at him.
He smiled back.
Klee’s jaw dropped. She had never, not even once seen Master Diluc smile. Even last summer on their wonderful adventure he looked very grumpy. Having breakfast with her must be really important to him.
“Why don’t you find us a table, Klee? I’ll pay Sara.” He smiled again.
“Ok!” She nodded, already energised by the thought of her favourite food. “I’ll find the best table, don’t worry!” Giving him her very brightest smile - so he knew smiling was always okay - she hurried off, to make sure they got the table near the wall where you could see everything going on around you. Luckily it was so early that no one else was using it yet and she scrambled up into the seat.
Diluc returned a few minutes later, with two plates of Fisherman’s toast, coffee for himself and apple juice for Klee.
“Here, enjoy. I asked Sara for extra fish.”
“Extra fish?” Her eyes were wide. “Oooh.” She wriggled as the plate was set down, barely managing to wait until Diluc was sitting too before she started eating. Jean always told her it was good manners to wait, but she was so hungry. The moment Diluc was down she lunged for the toast.
The toast was as delicious as ever and the extra fish was a special treat. Still, as her stomach filled and she was no longer distracted by hunger, she began to remember how tired she was and soon eating seemed to take a bit more effort than it had before.
“Klee, are you feeling well? You don't seem quite yourself.” Diluc’s eyes were fixed on her as she chewed slowly.
“Klee is fine!” She smiled through her mouthful of toast. “Um… Klee just didn’t sleep a lot last night. But it’s okay! I am going to go and find my secret treasure and then pick wolfhooks so Albedo can make wolfhook berry pie for me when he gets back! And… and tonight I will sleep a lot!” At least, that was her hope. She tried very hard not to squirm as Diluc stared at her.
“Very well,” he said at last. “But if there is anything bothering you, you can talk to me, okay? My door is always open.”
She nodded, though she found it hard to believe that Master Diluc never closed his door. After all, sometimes it rained and his house would get wet. “Thank you, Master Diluc. And thank you for the yummy Fisherman’s Toast! Klee has to go now! I want to get lots and lots of wolfhook berries so we can make the biggest ever pie when Albedo comes back.”
“I see. Well then, have fun and be careful. Those woods are very big, don’t get lost.”
She beamed at him as she pulled her backpack on and jumped down from the chair. “I won’t! I know the woods very, very well! I never get lost!”
Xxx
Klee was lost.
She wasn’t sure how it happened. One minute she was filling her bag with berries, the next it was getting dark. She wasn’t supposed to be out when it was dark. It was one of the Big Important Rules that she was supposed to follow. She never really knew why - until now. The forest looked completely different at night. She’d taken the path she thought led back to Mondstadt, but instead she’d just ended up even deeper in the forest.
“Oh Dodoco, what do we do?” She gripped the toy tightly. “Klee doesn’t even know if we’re near where Razor lives.” Razor lived near the wolfhooks, didn’t he? But they were spread over a large area and she might be in exactly the wrong place.
She sniffled, trying in vain to remember the guidelines for being out of the city that Albedo, Kaeya and Jean were always telling her. There was something about keeping walking but she was too tired and too scared to remember what it was.
If only she wasn't so sleepy. It made her head hurt to even try and think of the instructions she'd been given.
"Um… Klee thinks… we should maybe… go this way?" Taking a cautious step, she looked into the dense woodlands. The ground here was slightly steeper… going up was good, wasn't it? Maybe if she got high enough she'd be able to see where she was and how to get back.
Oh, how she missed Albedo. He often made flower platforms for her so she could get to higher places. Her vision didn't do that, it just helped her blow things up. And while she usually loved that a lot, she really wanted to be a bit taller right now.
Still she kept walking up, increasingly hopeful that she was making the right decision and that soon she'd see Mondstadt or something else she recognised.
And then something moved behind her. The bushes rustled, but from the top, not within, as though something was above them.
"H…hello?" Klee froze on the spot. "Is someone there?" Her eyes were fixed on the rustling bush but she couldn't see anything. "Is someone hiding?"
A low growl came from the air. "Ahh!" She cried out in shock. "What was that?!" Stepping backwards, she could only watch as the air split, and a black crack formed before giving way to three strange, floating hounds with bared teeth and glowing eyes.
"Who are you? Are you Razor's friends? He never said you could fly…"
The first of the three rifthounds snarled. It seemed to move as though it walked on the ground, not through the air. Claws dug into nothing as it stalked towards her, the other two on its heels.
"You're not Razor's friends… oh…" Klee's fear grew as the rifthounds got closer, moving to circle and trap her. "Go away… go away!"
She yelled at them, but that was the worst possible decision. The first of the three lunged, snarling and snapping, bared teeth so close that she could see the old grooves in the wicked fangs.
Jumping away, Klee tried to run, only to realise that they had her surrounded. No matter where she turned, there was one behind her. She couldn't escape.
No! Leave me alone!" Frantically she reached for her backpack and the contents within, even as she tried to move back. She made it a few paces before she backed into something hard and gasped. It was only a tree, but it served to make her feel even more trapped. "Go away!"
The rifthounds were still circling, the unpleasant rumble still in their throats. Once Klee was pinned against the tree, they attacked.
All three came for her at once and it was only because of the many tips she'd been given that she knew what to do. Dropping low, their attacks went over her head, with one slamming into the tree and yelping.
Before she knew it, there was a jumpy dumpty in her hands. Pyro sparked and the fuse lit, before Klee threw it at the rifthounds with all her strength.
"BAD DOGGIES!"
The bomb exploded, but she wasn't going to wait around to see if it got rid of them.
Klee ran. She no longer cared where she was going, her only thought was to get away from the terrors of the forest at night.
Pushing through bushes and ignoring the branches that grabbed at her, she ran as fast as her legs would carry her. The foliage changed gradually but she hardly noticed, every bit of energy she had already focused on just moving.
At last, when she was sure her heart was going to burst out of her chest, she slowed, daring to take a moment to catch her breath, though she never stopped looking around, searching desperately for some clue as to where she was. The forest was as dark and scary as it had been before, but at least the bad doggies seemed to be gone.
Something caught her eye. A soft blue glow, warm and gentle, over by a tree. Lampgrass, the same light source that had helped her sleep the previous night.
Klee whimpered, stumbling over to the plant and sinking down beside it. The glow that illuminated the surrounding area was a small comfort, but it was better than no comfort at all. "Now what does Klee do?" She whispered into the dark. She didn't know how long it would be until the sun came up again, but it felt like a long, long time. She didn't want to stay here until then. What if the bad doggies came back?
It was a while until Klee finally noticed that the lampgrass she was sitting by wasn't the only one. There were lots, dotted around trees and bushes as far as the limited light let her see. "Do you know where Klee should go?" She whispered to the plant as it swayed.
Of course the plant didn't answer, but the breeze sent them all swaying in the same direction and that was enough for Klee. Getting to her feet she hurried towards the next patch of Lampgrass and then the next and the next. Klee still didn't know where she was going, but at last it felt like she was going somewhere and that was better than nothing.
At length, the trees thinned, the forest giving way to more open land. The number of Lampgrass lessened too, but they had done their job of getting Klee out of the woods. And now, finally, there was another source of light.
Standing on a low cliff, Klee realised she now knew where she was. Stretched out before her were rows and rows of vines, far more than she could count. And beyond that the warm, welcoming lights that lit up the Dawn Winery.
"That's Master Diluc's house! Oh Dodoco, we're at Master Diluc's house! And he said his door was always open!" With renewed energy she scrambled down the cliff, not caring if she slipped or tore her coat. It didn't matter now that her destination was in sight. She ran through the vines, crystalflies dancing around her as she disturbed them, not stopping until she reached the door.
The heavy, closed door.
"Oh… oh no! You promised, Master Diluc, you promised! Let Klee in!" Her fear came back full force and she pounded on the door with her fists.
Xxxx
It was rare that Diluc was home so early, but Mondstadt had been quiet these past few nights and so Adelinde hadn’t had to work terribly hard to convince him to take a night off. And he had to admit, it was nice. The fire was lit, he had a good book to read and there was a large slice of Adelinde’s spectacular fruit cake nearby. On evenings like this, he could actually forget the many things that often weighed on his mind.
Breaking off a piece of the cake, he was about to eat it, when a thumping at the door startled him. Thump, thump, thump, low and loud. “Hello?” He called out as he rose from his chair, a frown marring his face. Who was at the door at this hour?
No voice answered him, but the sound came again.
This time, the noise brought Adelinde from the other room.
“Master Diluc, shall I get that?” She hesitated as she stepped towards the door.
“No,” he stopped her. “I will. It’s late, something might be wrong.” Ever vigilant, Diluc checked the small cubby near the door where a blade was concealed at all times. Cautiously, he opened the door just as the thumping came again.
For a moment, he thought there was nothing there - and then he looked down. Standing on his doorstep was a small, terrified and familiar figure.
"Klee?! What are you doing here so late?" He was horrified, he knew Klee roamed and was allowed to do so, but it was his understanding that she was always safely back in Mondstadt by the evening.
She looked up at him, eyes wide and afraid. "Klee got lost! And it was dark and there were bad doggies and then Klee followed the lampgrasses until Klee got here… and… you said your door was always open but it wasn't but Klee didn't know where to go!" She threw her arm over her face in a valiant effort to hide her tears.
"Oh Klee…" Diluc dropped down, kneeling on his own doorstep as he opened his arms to her. "You did the right thing,” he said, his voice soft and gentle as he offered reassurance. “Come here."
With the utmost care he moved her hand from her face so he could see her - and she him. “You’re here now and you’re safe. Let’s get you inside, shall we?”
Klee blinked - and threw herself into Diluc’s waiting arms. Tiny hands grabbed the back of his shirt and held on for dear life.
“That’s it, good girl.” Diluc stood, easily lifting Klee as he did so. “Don’t worry, it’s okay.” He held her close he carried her inside, one foot closing the door as he brought her in out of the cold.
“Adelinde,” he said, approaching the stunned maid, “Blankets and hot chocolate please. I think Klee will appreciate them.”
“I’ll bring her some cake too,” she replied, before hurrying off. The look of concern on her face was one that Diluc had seen many times.
He carried Klee to the sofa and tried to set her down, but found, somewhat to his alarm, that she refused to let go. “Klee… oh dear.” Changing tack, he sat himself down instead, bringing the small girl with him. “How’s that, hmm? You must have had quite a fright.”
She nodded into his shirt and he didn’t attempt to make her let go. “The forest can be quite scary at night, I’ve been caught in it myself a few times. I’m glad you came here, just as I said you should.”
“But Master Diluc…” Klee finally looked up, though her grip never loosened. “Your door wasn’t open like you said.”
“Ah… my mistake. That’s just an expression, Klee. It means you can always come and find me no matter what. And if there *is* a closed door, it will be opened for you.”
“Oh. That’s good.” She mumbled and curled into him just as Adelinde returned, a tray in one hand and a blanket draped over the other arm. “What… What's that smell?”
Diluc smiled. No matter how upset he’d been as a child, the smell of hot chocolate had never failed to perk him up. (The same was true for Kaeya, but that wasn’t something he needed to dwell on at that moment.) “That is Adelinde’s wonderful hot chocolate, her famous fruit cake and the softest, fluffiest, blanket the Dawn Winery has to offer.”
“For Klee?” She leaned forward, slowly disentangling her hands from Diluc’s shirt.
“All for you,” he confirmed, taking the opportunity to help her out of her heavy backpack. “It’s what always cheers me up when I’m scared or sad.” He draped the blanket over her lap as Adelinde pressed the mug into Klee’s waiting hands.
“It is very delicious,” she nodded, her eyes closing a little as she sipped. “Thank you, Master Diluc.”
“You are very welcome, Klee.” He hesitated, before deciding to ask. “Can you tell me what happened? You are usually very good at getting home when you’re supposed to be. Something must have gone very wrong for you to end up here so late. I’d like to help if I can.” He chose his words carefully, making sure Klee knew she wasn’t in trouble.
Klee was quiet for a moment, before she turned to look at Diluc, mug still clutched tightly in her hand. “Klee was tired because I was up so very late looking for monsters! And then after breakfast I walked all the way to Wolvendom so I was even more tired and then I was so busy collecting wolfhook berries and finding new treasures that I didn’t notice the sun going to bed! But then… then it was dark and it all looked wrong and I didn’t know where I was! So I walked even more and walked up too but there were bad floating doggies so then Klee ran and ran even though I was already sleepy! And then there were lights and your big house and I remembered what you said so I knocked and knocked!” She finally stopped, taking a breath before a mouthful of hot chocolate and snuggling a little closer to Diluc.
“Right…” Diluc tried to process the stream of information he’d just been given. ‘Floating doggies’ were definitely rifthounds and he winced at the thought of Klee facing them alone, even with a vision and bombs. Still, they didn’t seem connected to the first monsters she’d mentioned. “What monsters kept you up last night? Hillichurls? Abyss mages?”
“Oh… um…” Klee blinked, looking suddenly confused. “I don’t know. But Kaeya said…”
Diluc felt his blood pressure starting to rise. “Kaeya said what?”
"Well, when Klee asked to keep the candle lit last night he said that was a bad idea because it would prov… provide a beacon for the monsters to find me! And that made Klee scared so I stayed awake to make sure there were no monsters about to get in! Master Diluc, can monsters really get into the Knights headquarters?"
Diluc took a long, deep breath, followed by a second, then a third. With effort, he suppressed the desire to find Kaeya right now and throttle him. Klee mattered more at the moment, he could deal with Kaeya and his thoughtlessness later.
“No, Klee. Monsters can’t get in there.”
“But Kaeya said!” Klee protested, “Why would he say that if it wasn’t true?”
Despite his high levels of frustration and anger, Diluc couldn’t bring himself to shatter Klee’s faith in Kaeya. He was aware that she adored him and he was fairly sure it was mutual, though with Kaeya it was always hard to tell.
“I think he was just teasing you, Klee, but he didn’t do a very good job of it. I have known him for quite a while and he has, shall we say, a bad habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and things get a little… messy.”
“Oh. So he didn’t mean to scare Klee with monsters?” Some of the tension left her small body.
“No. He is just careless with his words sometimes. I’m sure he’ll feel terrible when he finds out how much he upset you. I’ll be making sure he knows what happened.” He kept his voice light, so that Klee wouldn’t know about the murder on his mind.
Klee was silent as she took that in, finally nodding slowly. “He can be very silly sometimes. Will you tell him off, Master Diluc? Albedo says when people make mistakes they have to learn from them.”
Diluc smiled all too sweetly. “I certainly will. Albedo is quite right, there is a lesson for Kaeya to learn here. But we can deal with that tomorrow. It’s too late to take you back to Mondstadt tonight, you can stay in one of my guest rooms and I’ll take you back myself after breakfast.”
“That sounds nice.” Klee yawned, resting her head on Diluc’s chest. “Can I finish my drink and then go to sleep?”
“Of course you can. I think we all need to get some rest.”
He was aware that Klee’s absence might have been noticed by now. But he needed to stay with her and the hour left it unsafe to send a message. They would just have to wait. And if Kaeya was worried? Well. So he should be.
Xxxx
“Kaeya?” Jean stepped into the Captain’s office after the briefest of knocks. “Is Klee with you?”
Kaeya looked up from where he’d been bundling reports into a pile. He winced slightly at the question, remembering he’d planned to take her to lunch today. That hadn’t happened. “No… I haven’t seen her today, actually. Shouldn’t she be in bed by now though?” He frowned, trying to remember who was on bedtime duty today.
“She’s not, I’ve already checked. Lisa was on bedtime duty but she got called away and she thought someone else had done it, but no one has. Swan said she went out this morning but he didn’t see her return. I thought she must have slipped in during his break, but no one has seen her. I don’t think she’s come back.”
“She must have.” The lamps were already lit, it was dark outside. “She knows never to wander at night.”
“She hasn’t. Kaeya, I don’t think she’s in the city,” Jean looked worried. “And it’s already late.”
He was on his feet in an instant. “I’ll check her room. Maybe we can get some clue as to where she might have gone. Then I’m going to look for her.”
Striding past Jean and out of his office, he headed to where Klee should have been.
The solitary confinement room had long since become Klee’s bedroom. It worked well usually - it was on the ground floor where she could be easily monitored and despite its name, it was large and comfortable. Especially now that Klee had moved all her things in - bomb making eqipment and all.
The door was never actually locked and Kaeya stepped in unobstructed. It was dark inside and he frowned as he lit the lamps. Klee’s room looked much like it always did. Drawings were stuck to the wall, the bookshelf overflowed and there were toys peeking out of a wooden box. In one corner a table was covered with an assortment of half constructed jumpty dumpties and over to the far side, her bed sat against the wall, with the small cabinet next to it, the long extinguished candle sitting alone on the top.
His eye scanned the room, taking in everything. One of the maids had been in earlier that day, so the bed was made and the toys tidied away, but something was still wrong and he needed to find it. The maids wouldn’t be back in until next morning and he didn’t have the time to wait.
The drapes were pulled back, but they didn't help much with light. Really, there ought to be lamps outside, or at least one. Turning, he looked at the unlit candle and recalled Klee’s plea to leave it lit. Something uncomfortable stirred in his chest. This couldn't have anything to do with that, could it?
He continued his search, noting that she didn't seem to have been back all day. That wasn't particularly unusual when she had no lessons- it wasn't particularly unusual when she did - but he felt that the room was lacking its usual vibrancy.
As he moved over to the candle, something crunched underfoot. Alarmed and more than a little worried something was about to blow up, he was relieved to see it was nothing more than a half dead flower. But on picking it up, his heart dropped as he noticed the indents on the stem that could only have been made by little fingers gripping it tightly. With the broken and squashed lampgrass in his hand, Kaeya knew.
"Oh no. Oh, Klee. What have I done?"
Xxxx
Diluc held Klee’s hand as he led her along the hall. The bedroom he'd picked out wasn't usually one used for guests, but keeping Klee close after her fright seemed like a good idea.
“Here we go.” Diluc opened the door to the room. “This is the closest room to mine, I’m just along the hall there. I’ll leave the door open in case you need anything. But the bed is big and soft so I think you'll be comfortable. Then after breakfast tomorrow we'll get you back home."
"Oh… okay." Klee was looking at the bed with a blank expression. "Thank you, Master Diluc. The bed looks very nice."
Diluc frowned. There was something off about Klee’s reaction that he couldn't quite place. "Klee, is something wrong? Remember I said you could tell me if anything is bothering you."
"Um…" Klee picked at a piece of fluff on Dodoco. "It's a very lovely room. But… but… Klee… Klee doesn't want to be alone!" The words came out in a rush. "It's dark and scary!"
"Oh, I see." Diluc sighed softly. He could remember making a similar plea to his father at around her age. Crepus had given in just as easily as he could feel himself giving in now. "Well then, would you rather stay with me?"
Klee’s eyes lit up. “Really? I can do that?”
“Absolutely,” Diluc replied, “if it makes you feel better.” Reaching out, he offered her his hand. “Come on then. I don’t know about you, but I’m in need of some sleep.”
Smiling widely, Klee took his hand. “Me too! And I will sleep much better if I’m not by myself - apart from Dodoco of course!”
“Of course.” Diluc had to suppress a laugh as he guided her out the room and towards his own. Was this how his father had felt those many nights when he couldn’t sleep? It was rather nice really.
Entering his room, Diluc guided Klee to a large bookshelf set along one wall. “I’m going into the bathroom to change. There’s some books on the bottom shelf you might like, pick one and we’ll read before we sleep. If you want to, that is.”
“Story time?” Klee looked positively delighted. “I never get story time, the knights are too busy and they say I can read all by myself now! But Klee loves story time!”
Diluc’s heart went out to the girl. Although many around her loved her, few had the time to show her. And that was no way to live. It didn’t seem to bother her now, but if nothing changed, eventually it would. “Then story time we shall have. Pick a book and get comfortable, I’ll only be a minute.” Grabbing some sleepwear, he disappeared into the bathroom.
By the time he emerged a few minutes later, Klee had already made herself comfortable. Her bag, shoes and coat were in a corner and she was already under the covers, Dodoco tucked under one arm and a book open in front of her.
"Comfortable?" He smiled, sitting down next to her. She looked almost too small in the large bed and once again he was reminded of the many times he'd snuck into his father's bed. At first alone then later, after Kaeya arrived and gained confidence, they'd sneak in together. Despite everything they were good memories and it warmed him that Klee had brought them back to him. "What book did you choose?" He asked, moving the pillows behind them as he settled in.
"This one is about birds!" She smiled. "The pictures are very pretty. Though Klee can't read all the words because some are very big."
"That's okay, that's why I'm here," Diluc reassured her." I'll read all of it to you. This book is called The eagle who feared to fly - and it was my favourite story when I was your age. You've made an excellent choice."
Klee didn't know just how special the book was, or that it was one of a kind. She didn't need to know that it had been written by a friend of the family and illustrated by Crepus himself. And she certainly didn't need to know that the eaglet was based on himself as a child. None of that mattered. That she'd chosen it without knowing those things was enough.
“Let’s make sure we’re comfortable, shall we?” This was the first time the book had been opened in years and he didn’t want to squander the moment. It only took a minute to arrange the pillows to prop them up and the covers so that Klee was tucked in up to her chest. “That’s better. You know, I read this book with my father many times. I’m sure he’d love to know I was sharing it with you now. Though I fear I may not be quite as good at the voices as he was.” Her eyes widened and he laughed. “But I will try.”
Setting the book on his lap, he blinked in surprise as Klee snuggled into him once more, resting her head on his shoulder. Well… as long as she was comfortable he didn’t mind and her easy trust warmed his heart. Keeping one arm around her, he began to read, the words jumping off the page just like they had years ago.
“Once upon a time, though it wasn’t terribly long ago really, there was a little eaglet ready to leave the nest. But though the little bird had all his feathers and so many kind words from his mother and father, the little eagle was too afraid to fly…” Diluc’s voice was soft and soothing, even as he affected different pitches for the three main birds he kept his voice quiet, recalling what his father always told him about using stories to aid a peaceful transition to sleep.
Klee yawned as he read and he felt her slowly slump against him as she lost her battle against exhaustion. She was still curled up to him and he tucked her in a little more firmly before laying her back against the pillows and moving the book to a safe place on the bedside table before closing his own eyes.
By the time Adelinde came in to extinguish the lamps - all except one - he was fast asleep and oblivious to the maid’s fond smile as she closed the door.
Xxxx
Kaeya was exhausted. He’d been out for hours, ever since realising that not only was Klee not in bed, but that her absence may well be his fault. He’d already checked all her usual spots and had spoken to nearly everyone in Springvale, waking up most of them, but no one had seen her at any point during the day or evening. His hope was that she’d been sensible enough to find somewhere safe for the night, but that did little to alleviate the guilt and fear that churned in his stomach and tightened in his throat. Your fault, your fault, your fault, the words repeated over and over in his mind.
He took the path away from Springvale, heading towards the Winery. He’d started at Wolvendom, knowing how Klee favoured the place, before going to Springvale and then out the other side, towards the vineyards. The sun was rising now, but that did little to improve his mood. The only bonus was that Klee would be easier to spot in the daylight.
Looking over the neat rows of vines, he saw the workers going about their tasks. They tended to retire for the night early, but they also rose before dawn, it was worth asking if they’d seen anything. Diluc would likely not appreciate his presence, but that was currently the least of his worries.
He’d barely set foot on the grounds when someone called out to him.
“Master Kaeya!”
Even if he hadn’t recognised the voice, he’d have known who it was. There was only one person in Teyvat who still called him that.
“Adelinde.” Kaeya made no attempt to smile. She knew him too well, she’d see right through it anyway. “I apologise for coming so early. I’m looking for…”
“Miss Klee?” she interrupted him. “She’s here, don’t worry.”
“She is?” There was no hiding the sheer relief in his voice. “Is she okay? She went missing last night, I’ve been looking all over for her.”
Adelinde smiled gently. “She’s fine. She had a bit of a scare, but she made her way here and she’s been well looked after. She’s having breakfast with Master Diluc right now. Would you like to join them?”
Under normal circumstances, Kaeya wouldn’t dare to set foot in the Winery, but his need to see Klee, to be sure she really was unharmed and safe, overrode all of his usual self preservation instincts. “Yes please, Adelinde.”
“Come along then.” Adelinde patted his arm. “I should warn you though, Master Diluc knows the reason behind her little adventure. I’m afraid he’s not best pleased with you.”
Looking at the large building as they approached, Kaeya sighed, taking in the confirmation that it was indeed his fault. “I’m not best pleased with myself. I know what I did, Adelinde. I should have known she’d take my words to heart. I was tired and I wasn’t thinking, but that’s no excuse. She trusted me and I let her down. She could have been hurt last night and it would have been my fault.” Nothing Diluc could say or do would be worse than the terrifying what-ifs.
“We all make mistakes, Master Kaeya.” Adelinde paused at the door. “What matters is what we learn from them.”
Xxxx
Diluc woke the next morning to a small foot in his face.
Only a long honed instinct kept him from automatically pushing the intruder away and opening his eyes to see what was going on.
Ah yes. Klee.
At some point in the night she'd moved from her original and regular position with her head on the pillow. One foot was now resting on his cheek, while the other was planted firmly in the middle of his chest. The rest of her was sprawled out on the sheets, one arm draped over Dodoco. Her mouth was open and she was snoring softly, utterly oblivious to the location of her feet.
Carefully, Diluc removed the offending limb from his face. Klee was adorable, but he was rather attached to his teeth.
"Good morning, Klee," he said, quietly so as not to startle her. It was early yet, but no one really slept in here and he needed to get her home sooner rather than later.
"Morning Dodoco…" she mumbled sleepily, rolling over to hug the toy and narrowly avoiding kicking Diluc in the neck.
"Not Dodoco, Klee." Diluc chuckled at her half awake mutterings. "Remember? You're at Dawn Winery."
One eye opened, then two. She blinked and Diluc saw the haze of sleep clearing as she sat up.
"Oh! Master Diluc! Klee forgot she went to sleep here." Stretching, she yawned widely. "Your bed is so soft and comfy! Klee doesn't want to get up!"
"I rather like it too," Diluc agreed. "Though we can't stay here all day. However, if it helps, Adelinde's breakfasts are absolutely delicious. I'd say they're even better than her cake."
"Even better?" Klee's stomach rumbled as though on cue. "Ooh that sounds yummy! Is there fish?" Already she was climbing off the bed, her reluctance to get up vanishing at the mere suggestion of breakfast.
Grinning, Diluc moved to get up as well. "Of course. What is a breakfast without fish? But I promise you, there will be more than just fish. Adelinde knows you are here for breakfast today so it will be extra special."
"Yay!" Klee bounced. "I bet it will all be the best!"
"Oh, most certainly. Why don't you have a wash in the bathroom while I get dressed? Then we'll head down. Knowing Adelinde, she's started cooking already."
That got Klee moving and she rushed into the bathroom, giving Diluc a precious few minutes to dress in peace.
Vaguely, he wondered if this is what it would be like to have children and if such a life would ever be his. It seemed impossible to imagine such a thing and yet, he felt, he'd welcome it if it should happen. Life had been hard these past years, but what was he doing if not fighting for a better future?
That thought was still on his mind when Klee came running out of the bathroom, looking remarkably neat and tidy. He supposed she was used to getting ready on her own.
"Shall we go then?" He offered her his hand with a smile.
"Yes!" Klee grabbed his hand and pulled with surprising strength. "Let's go! Klee is soooo hungry!"
Unable to hold back a laugh, Diluc let her lead the way. There wouldn't be leftovers today, he was sure.
Xxx
He was right. The plates before them were empty with almost no sign that they'd been piled high not long ago.
"Ooh, Klee is so full!" Klee patted her stomach and giggled. "All full of fish and pancakes and fried potatoes and fruit!"
"That was an impressive amount of food you ate, I must say." Diluc chuckled, sure that Klee had eaten twice as much as he ever could. "But that's fine, so long as you enjoyed it."
"Very much! That was the best ever!"
Diluc rather suspected she'd been left with quite the appetite after being lost in the forest for so long, but he didn't say. There was no need to spoil the mood.
"Master Diluc?"
He looked up as Adelinde entered, with a familiar face behind her. "We have a guest."
"Kaeya!" Klee smiled brightly, jumping down from her chair. "Look at all this breakfast!"
Kaeya seemed content to ignore Diluc as he strode over and without the slightest hesitation, pulled Klee into a tight hug. “Klee… I was so worried. Are you okay?” There was no disguising the fear in his voice.
“She’s fine.” Diluc’s voice was entirely too pleasant. “She’s a clever girl and knows how to look after herself, even when afraid.”
“I was very afraid, Kaeya.” Klee wriggled in his arms. “I thought there were monsters in my room and then there were monsters in the forest! But Dodoco helped me make the bad doggies go away and then Master Diluc opened his big big house and let me in!”
“Bad doggies?” Kaeya asked quietly.
“Rifthounds,” Diluc replied, taking a little too much pleasure in the way Kaeya paled. “We’ve had trouble with them around here lately. Klee ran into some last night. Fortunately, she was able to fight them off and made her way here.”
Kaeya seemed to sag under the realisation of how precarious Klee’s position had been. He leaned back, looking her in the eyes. “Klee, I am so sorry. I was tired and didn’t feel like explaining to you that it’s dangerous to leave a candle lit overnight, so I made a joke. I never meant to scare you, I just… said the wrong thing. I really am sorry.”
Klee nodded solemnly. “Master Diluc said you sometimes say the wrong thing at the wrong times! And that makes things get messy!”
Wincing, Diluc took a step back. He hadn’t actually expected Klee to repeat that. He really needed to watch what he said around children.
“Well, he’s not wrong,” Kaeya sighed. “Sometimes my mouth works before my brain catches up. I’m terribly sorry, Klee. I hope you can forgive me.”
Klee tilted her head, looking like a bird who had seen something shiny. “Do you promise not to scare Klee with monsters again? If you promise then Klee forgives you!”
“Yes, absolutely.” There was no hesitation in Kaeya’s reply. “I promise I will never be so thoughtless again. The only monster was me, for saying what I did. Master Jean should be putting me in solitary."
“You’re not a monster, Kaeya! Just very silly! But Klee loves you.” Her small arms wound around his neck, her forgiving nature not letting her hold a grudge.
“And Klee loves Master Diluc too!” She let go of Kaeya before he could respond, spinning to face Diluc instead. “Master Diluc is very kind and has the best books for storytime!”
Diluc felt a blush creeping up his face, the soft side he tried to keep hidden dragged out into the open - in front of Kaeya no less. “It was a pleasure to share them with you, Klee. Perhaps the chance will arrive again in the future.”
“Indeed.” Kaeya sighed. “I love you too, Klee-Bee, but we need to go now. Everyone is worried. And Albedo will be back later, we don’t want to worry him too, do we?”
“Oooh no! And I still have my wolfhook berries for pie! If he’s worried he won’t want to make dessert!”
"Klee, why don't you go and get your things? Sir Kaeya and I will wait here for you." Diluc ruffled her hair, his gentle expression hiding the storm within.
“Okay!” She nodded amicably and dashed out of the dining room and up the stairs.
Diluc watched and waited until Klee was out of sight before turning to the dejected looking captain. “Kaeya.”
“You don’t need to say it.” Kaeya interrupted before he could continue. "I know. Trust me, nothing you can say or do can make me feel any worse. You think I don't know I messed up? I know. Anything could have happened to her last night and it would have been my fault. Rifthounds… if she didn’t have her bombs…” Kaeya shivered, unable to finish the sentence. “Tell me, can you top the hypotheticals running through my mind?”
“Probably not,” Diluc admitted. “How ironic. You truly are your own worst enemy.”
“No need to rub it in. I’m perfectly capable of spending the next few weeks doing that all on my own.”
Frowning, Diluc observed Kaeya for a moment, watching for signs that he might be either lying or only telling half the truth, but there were none. And while Kaeya was capable of covering his feelings completely, instinct told him that was not the case this time.
“Fine.” At last he looked Kaeya in the eye. “Then let me say this - do better. That girl adores you. Adores most of the Knights I’d say. But from what she said last night, she’s rarely shown that she is loved in return. She lit up when I read to her and she was asleep before the book was done. Are the Knights really so busy that they can’t take a few minutes to read a bedtime story? And for that matter, why is she always wandering alone? I find it hard to believe that there is never someone who can accompany her."
"I…" Anger flitted on Kaeya's face at the admonishment, but then his shoulders sagged and he huffed. "You're right. I need to make more time for her. I do love her, no matter what you might think.”
There was no real doubt in Diluc’s mind about that. The exhaustion in Kaeya’s voice and the relief when he’d seen Klee told him that. But he wasn’t about to let Kaeya off so easily. “Then show it. Because Archons help me, if this ever happens again I will raise hell. She was terrified when she got here and if anyone knows how it feels to be lost and alone in the dark, it should be you.”
“That’s a low blow, Diluc,” Kaeya said quietly. “But you're right. I'll make changes. And… Thank you. For being there for her and keeping her safe. I don’t know what I’d have done if she’d been hurt.”
“Then let’s just be glad she wasn’t.” Diluc’s frown faded as a thumping on the stairs announced Klee’s return.
She all but bounced down the stairs, now fully dressed in coat and hat, her backpack with Dodoco swinging around - rather worryingly for something full of bombs.
“Master Diluc! Kaeya! I’m all ready!” She smiled, showing no traces of the trauma of the night before.
Diluc smiled. Children were so resilient.
"Do you have everything, Klee? Wouldn't want you to leave Dodoco here."
"Uh huh! Dodoco is right here!" Klee giggled, attempting to grab the toy from her backpack but only succeeding in going round in circles. "Uh I mean… here!"
With supreme effort, Diluc managed not to laugh. "That's okay Klee, I can see you have Dodoco." He smiled softly, then dropped down to her level. "Before you go, do you remember what I told you about coming here?"
"Of course!" Klee nodded. "You said Klee can come here if she needs to and if the door is closed it will be opened!" She grinned at him. "Klee remembers everything!"
"Good girl. But there's something else too. You can also come here just if you want to. You don't have to need anything. You will always be welcome."
"Really? Oh, thank you Master Diluc!" She launched herself at him with such force that he nearly fell over. "Klee would love to visit!"
He did laugh this time, pulling her into a tight hug. "And I'd love to see you again. Just… tell someone where you're going first, okay? Let's not have any more late night panics."
She nodded. "Klee promises! Thank you Master Diluc!”
“You are more than welcome.” He hugged her again, more gently this time. “Off you go now.” He let go and stood up, ruffling her hair as he did so. “And if Kaeya says wrong things again, you tell me okay?”
Kaeya let out a positively nervous laugh. “I assure you, Master Diluc, that will not be an issue.” Holding his hand out, he looked gratified when Klee took it. “I can’t have Klee liking you more than me, can I?”
“Klee likes Kaeya and Master Diluc!” Klee interjected, her smile bright. “Though I think Master Diluc has better breakfasts.”
“I’ll see you for breakfast soon then,” Diluc chuckled before Kaeya could respond. “Have a lovely day, Klee.”
“You too, Master Diluc!” Still holding Kaeya’s hand, she bounced to the door. “Thank you!”
The door swung open easily, much as it had the previous night, though this time Klee stepped out with a smile and not alone.
Standing in the doorway, Diluc watched them leave. Last night had been unexpected and initially worrying, but in the end, it had all worked out for the best. Klee was happy and safe and had a new place to go when she felt the need. In addition, Kaeya and hopefully all the knights had learned a valuable lesson about valuing the small girl.
He’d be checking up on her though, just to be sure. And he’d be planting a few pots of lampgrass near the front door, so she could always find her way back.
~~~End~~~