pc; kaeya

[shouldbe]

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[shouldbe]

[Sir, can you please stop reminding her of Ai, she likes you for being Kaeya, thanks.

But oh, the drama. Poor baby. There's truth in here too, though, it's just a matter of sorting it from the shit.]

But not enough to stop caring about him, huh?

[Kaeya wouldn't still refer to him as his brother if he didn't, she thinks. There's a reason she doesn't refer to Coriolis as home.]

[schmooze]

[so what you're saying is he has to fight ai for supremacy, got it

Ah, but as always, Wave's aim is true. Nothing stops her from striking right at the heart of the matter, and Kaeya chuckles, shakes his head.]

Oh, I wouldn't go that far. I'll bail him out of a tough situation if the need arises and bring him the occasional gift to ensure he doesn't forget me completely, but that's about it. We're cordial.

[shouldbe]

[Literally a fight she would never want to see ever, dear gods. It would be so ugly, please keep separated at all costs.

There's a lot about Kaeya he tries to keep hidden, she thinks, but she chooses to leave it for the moment, humming noncommittally and letting it slide.]

Even that sounds nice to me. I don't remember much about my brother.

[schmooze]

[Thanks, Wave. It's a subject he's never been too fond of, not that he resists digging into Wave's sordid past.]

Oh my... Are you estranged?

[shouldbe]

Nah. He was killed when I was a kid.

[Her hands still in his hair; if Kaeya looks, he'll be able to see her debating on whether to say more.

...Fuck it.] Actually, that's the reason I won't use the elevators. We were hiding in a place like that when it happened.

[schmooze]

[you ever just regret opening your mouth

He's looking at her, of course. He wouldn't blame her for not continuing and certainly wouldn't press her either, but...]

...I had no idea. I'm sorry for teasing you.

[He very nearly hauled Wave over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes into that elevator on more than one occasion. He's very thankful now his shenanigans never went that far.]

[shouldbe]

[There's a small laugh, a little huff of air as she gives him a wry look.]

If you'd ever pushed it too far, I would've let you know. You don't need to apologize.

[Sure, he's teased her, and yeah, he's got carte blanche to pick her up any time he wants, but she wholly believes he would have noticed when the mood changed and her panic spiked. She trusts him.]

Besides, it was a long time ago.

[schmooze]

That's a relief. You're one person I'd seriously regret angering.

[Considering she's willing to slash throats on his behalf. Pretty sexy, he must admit, but now's not the time to get weirdly turned on. Lifting a hand, he strokes his fingers along Wave's cheek.]

But it's still hard, no? Family is family.

1/2

[shouldbe]

[It's sweet, and the feeling of his fingers on her cheek is nice, but she can't help the way her expression goes flat.]

You don't know the half of it.

[shouldbe]

[BUT LET'S NOT GO THERE RIGHT NOW. Instead--subject change! Let's talk about something else!]

What's going on between you and Fai?

[schmooze]

That was a sharp pivot. [DON'T EXPECT HIM NOT TO COME FOR YOUR JUICY SECRETS LATER, WAVE. The sharp drop of her smile has him concerned... but her question distracts him, makes him itch with frustration instead.] Fai, was it? Nothing at all. Why do you ask?

[It's obviously not nothing.]

[shouldbe]

My pivot was about as good as your deflection. [The difference is that he let her get away with hers...] Normally I'd say that if nothing's going on, there's no reason for me to share, but my curiosity's been piqued.

During the King's Game earlier he did what he said was an impression of you in the haunted house--just the first floor, I'm guessing, but...

[But it left a bad taste in her mouth. It wasn't quite on the level of friends teasing friends, especially when Kaeya wasn't there himself.]

[schmooze]

Oh? He did?

[Petty bitch mode: Engaged.]

Please, give me all the juicy details. I just love being talked about.

[Not. He doesn't derive any pleasure from being mocked by the likes of Fai either.]

[shouldbe]

Hey.

[Kaeya's just going to... get a firm tap to the head with a finger. Not hard, just enough to get his attention back on her. You shut that petty bitch mode off right now, sir. You can pick it back up when she's done with you.]

I'll tell you what he did once you tell me why he did it. What the hell happened?

[schmooze]

[Ugh, he's being scolded. Fine, fine— this is Wave, so he'll fess up without much fuss... and he'll be honest to boot. A genuine rarity, but she's earned this privilege.]

I rejected him. Simple as that.

[And as Wave might imagine, Fai didn't take it well.]

[shouldbe]

Wait. Seriously?

[She wasn't expecting that.]

Do you mean in this week's Top 4 picks, or...?

[Fai can't have been that dumb, right?]

[schmooze]

[He's just gonna nod and watch as the incredulity sinks in. He'll explain the rest after Wave's had her fucking seriously? moment.]

[shouldbe]

[Yeahhhhhh give her a moment, because this? This is a lot. This is a fucking lot. She tips her head back against the headboard, looking at the ceiling and sighing.]

So he came to you with declarations of love, you told him no, and now he's throwing a fit about it?

[Lords help her, why are men.]

[schmooze]

[Kaeya sighyas.]

Not quite. As much as I'd love to overdramatize things, he told me he liked me and was merely disappointed that I hadn't chosen him because he was certain I felt the same way. [Fighting to swallow his embarrassment and cowardice—] And... I do, but my role simply would not allow for me to pick him again. That's all.

[That is not the full truth and also not all. Kaeya is, above all else, a lieya.]

[shouldbe]

[Well. On the one hand, it's good that it isn't the worst-case scenario as she'd thrown it out there, but on the other? LORDS HELP HER, WHY ARE MEN. She's just going to... lift her hands to her face for a moment, sighing again.

Okay.

This is stupid, but fuck it. Why the hell not. She takes a breath, then looks back down to him, fixing Kaeya with a look that he probably hasn't seen so far. It's a sharp look, eyes narrowed just slightly, carefully almost suspicious and fucking perceiving. It's a "you're going to answer me, and you're going to answer me honestly" look.]

If that's the case, then tell me--why didn't you tell him that? Before he found out the hard way?

[It's not that hard--it is, after all, what she did.]

[schmooze]

[Oh, if looks could kill, Kaeya would be a smear on the floor. Kaeya's jaw clenches and he stiffens, unable to look her in the eye.]

...Because I'm afraid, Wave. Because I would rather die alone than drag someone else down with me. You understand that, don't you?

[For all you claim to be just as bad.]

[shouldbe]

[Oh, he hasn't begun to see "if looks could kill" and hopefully he never will. That look was "first warning" :')

But he's admitted to it, and that makes her relent, dropping her hands back to his hair and beginning to smooth out the braid she'd been idly doing earlier.]

...yeah. I do.

It's easier when you don't have to worry about catching anyone else in the crossfire. The rest of the world can go to hell and it doesn't matter if you burn with it, as long as it burns. Right?

[schmooze]

[...Oh, Wave. She's one of the good ones even if assuring her of that is a fool's errand, so Kaeya relents only with a hefty sigh.]

Exactly. I regret hurting his feelings, but if the fault lies with anyone, it's me. Don't give him a hard time for my sake.

[He doesn't deserve it.]

[shouldbe]

I'll give the both of you a hard time, because you're both being complete idiots.

[AND HERE SHE IS, HELPING SWEEP UP THE PIECES.]

But I'll consider it, if you promise to actually listen to what I'm about to say.

[schmooze]

[Wave's opinion on the matter does, well, matter... so in a rare form of humility, Kaeya shuts right the fuck up and nods. He's all ears, ma'am.]