Chapter Text
If someone told Kaeya that he would get jumped on the street and then get patched up by Venti’s tall, mysterious and handsome Liyuen friend all within an hour, he would've definitely chosen a better outfit.
Well, nobody told him.
And so he is knocking at Venti’s door at 9 in the evening in a leather jacket that definitely wasn’t torn at the shoulder when he put it on (shame, he really liked this one) and a t-shirt that used to be pristine white but now was adorned with a muddy shoe print over his lower ribs and blood stains around his collar.
He is leaning heavily onto the door frame, hand clutching at his side. This is not looking good for his ribs. He knocks again, harder this time.
The door finally opens slightly and Venti’s annoyed head peaks outside.
“What- Kaeya?” Venti blinks at him, looking confused, before opening the door properly.
That makes him lose his balance and he basically stumbles in and straight onto the hardwood floor, taking Venti down with him in the process. They crash to the ground with a loud thump and a string of curses from Venti.
“Kaeya, what the fuck,” he basically screams into his ear. Kaeya groans and rolls off. His head is throbbing and his entire body aches.
“This is your fault, don’t open the door so quickly next time,” he manages to grit out before he curls up on the ground and closes his eye.
Venti groans and shuffles around for a bit. “Don’t use my door as a life support next time.”
Then he hears a set of footsteps quickly approaching them which makes no sense because Venti is still sitting next to him, rubbing the back of his head. The footsteps come to a halt and an unfamiliar voice speaks out. It’s deep but soft, laced with concern.
“Venti, what’s going on?” there’s a pause and more shuffling,” Is he alright?”
Oh, that’s probably about him. Kaeya finally opens his eye, squints, and waits till his eye adjusts to the indoor lighting. He can see a pair of long legs that hover behind Venti. That’s it really. His head hurts too much for him to try and lift it.
“I’m just peachy,” he croaks out though the other two seem to ignore him.
“Oh, this?” Venti laughs and slaps Kaeya's thigh,” This is Kaeya. He’s usually more charming than this.”
The long legs come closer and suddenly they have a body and a head too. Before he can say anything two strong hands are helping him up from the ground and guiding him towards the living room. He drops down onto Venti’s green couch with a sigh and watches the man circle back to Venti. They talk about something for a while in hushed voices and he catches only the last few lines before the conversation dies out.
“No, Zhongli, he is here because he doesn’t want to go to the hospital,” Venti says, sounding a little exasperated. Both of them turn to look at him before turning back to each other. He pretends he is not listening in on them. Instead, he stares at the coffee table and pretends that the half-full bottle of dandelion wine and the two glasses next to it are the most interesting things he’s ever seen. Honestly, the wine sounds divine but he resists the urge to down it straight from the bottle and tunes back into the conversation.
“Do you at least have a first-aid kit? I used to patch up Xiao all the time.”
Venti taps his lips in thought. “I think so, I will have to find it though.”
“Alright, then, I guess my apartment is turning into a field hospital for tonight” he points to Kaeya and speaks a little louder” you hang in there, it will take a while, “ then he turns to his companion,“ you keep him company.”
“Right,” the man - Zhongli, if he heard correctly - stands in the middle of the room and stares after Venti, looking slightly confused. He shakes his head with a quiet sigh.
After Venti disappears somewhere into the depths of his tiny cramped apartment to search for the first aid kit, Zhongli slowly approaches him. He drops down so that they are eye-level, and just stares at him in silence, his head cocked slightly to the side.
Kaeya resists the urge to squirm.
He is not feeling quite like himself. Definitely not enough to put on his usual charming mask. Instead, he is stuck in a weird state - half mask on and half the saddened torn emptiness that’s hidden underneath.
The fight has shaken him more than he initially thought. It summoned the memories from that faithful rainy night 4 years ago, and now he can’t get rid of them. They lurk at the edge of his consciousness, ready to pounce at him whenever he stops thinking for a moment.
“Kaeya?”
A low voice, a rumble like rocks falling that reverberates through his skull, calls out to him. He blinks once, twice, and focuses on the man before him. He is frowning, clearly concerned, though Kaeya can’t quite piece together why. His mind feels slow, and he is tired. He feels it in his bones, even though his body doesn’t seem to get the message. Still high-strung, running on pure adrenaline. His hands tremble where they lay on his knees.
“Are you with me?”
He nods.
“I’m afraid I will need your words, please,” Zhongli moves a little closer and slowly raises his hand.
“Yes,” it comes out strained, hoarse like it had to fight its way out of his mouth.
“Good,” he smiles at him, and it’s gentle like the morning mist that falls over the Cider lake in autumn, ”now, how many fingers am I showing?”
Kaeya answers question after question, slowly coming out of his shaken state. Though it still lingers over him, even when Zhongli excuses himself and disappears into Venti’s kitchen for a good few minutes. He can hear Venti still rummaging somewhere in the apartment and wonders if he should go check on him because it’s taking him way too long.
How hard is it to find a first aid kit? You should keep this somewhere easily accessible.
But it’s Venti, Kaeya watched him throw a fire extinguisher into his closet because he needed a better spot for his plant. He wouldn’t be surprised if Venti kept his first aid kit somewhere with miscellaneous junk, just so he could have a nicer space for his ukulele.
Zhongli emerges from the kitchen with a steaming cup of something in his hands. He sits down next to Kaeya, sets the cup down onto the coffee table, and gently slides it towards him. It’s a cup of tea, though it seems quite different from what he is used to in Mondstadt.
“Drink this. It will help you calm down and warm you up.”
Kaeya eyes the cup hesitantly and experimentally balls his hands into fists. They don’t tremble nearly as hard and so he reaches for the mug, cupping it in both hands like a child, and carefully lifts it. The aroma hits him even before he takes a sip.
It smells sweet and a little like lavender and some citrus fruit. He can taste a hint of apple. It's surprisingly good. He hums, closes his eye blissfully, and leans to rest his back against the cushions. Enjoys the way it warms him up from the inside, the warmth spreading all the way to his fingertips. He stays like that for a moment before he opens his eye and finds Zhongli staring at him with an expectant expression on his face. He is suddenly really close and Kaeya can see that his eyes are framed by softly blended burnt orange eyeshadow.
“Do you like it?”
“Yeah, it’s really good, “ he nods.
“I’m glad then,” Zhongli basically beams and Kaeya’s left to wonder about the sudden show of enthusiasm.
“I'm not usually a tea person. What’s in this? It smells really nice,” he asks, intrigued to see more of this side of Zhongli.
Zhongli perks up in a way that reminds Kaeya too much of Klee when someone asks her about Dodoco or her big brother (or explosions). His amber eyes seem to light up.
“I believe you just haven’t had the right kind of tea before, there’s tea for everyone. As for this particular blend, it’s a mix of lavender and lemon balm with orange blossoms, apple pieces, and a few rose petals,” he explains with a focused but joyful expression on his face.
He looks younger like this, Kaeya thinks, less serious, more lively.
A high-pitched voice can be heard from the hallway before he can come up with something else to say.
“If I find blood on my couch, I will end you, Alberich.”
Venti finally appears in the doorway, holding a box with some jars balanced on top of it.
“Were you buying the first aid kit? I was starting to think you got lost in your own apartment,” he snaps back.
Venti stares at him, unimpressed.
“No and no. And I will throw this on your head if you don’t shut up.”
Zhongli levels him down with a stare.
“What took you so long?”
“Oh. OH. Don’t you dare gang up on me! Not in my house.”
“Just bring it here, please, “ Zhongli sighs.
Venti gently drops all the stuff onto the couch and plops down into an orange armchair next to it. He throws his legs over one of the armrests, hugs a throw pillow to his chest, and props his head up with it.
Meanwhile, Zhongli has managed to sort through all the medical supplies that Venti brought, most of which were completely useless in this situation. He taps Kaeya’s shoulder.
“Can I please get your hand?”
Kaeya puts down his cup of tea (which is probably the tastiest tea he’s ever had) and obediently extends his hands. Zhongli gently grabs one and starts cleaning his knuckles with a disinfectant.
“Thank you,” he says while gently dabbing the wounds.
Kaeya blinks at him. How polite. He doesn’t really know what to say. You’re welcome sounds weird but what else is there? This is really not a good day for him. Not for the first time, his usual charm feels just out of reach.
Thankfully Venti solves his dilemma for him.
“So, who beat you up so badly?”
“I’m not sure. I think they were some low-lives from one of Mond’s Treasure Hoarder branches, but they shouldn’t know who I am,” he answers after thinking about it.
It’s hard to recall any details. The whole thing has been a blur. He didn’t even think to try and find out more about them, just threw a few punches to get out of their hold and ran.
“Maybe someone set them up for it? Paid them maybe? I think I overheard Rosaria complain that the Fatui are getting braver and it’s not past them to pay for jobs like that. And they definitely don’t like you. But well, neither do Treasure Hoarders or the Abyss Order for that matter. Honestly, you have way too many enemies.”
“Could be or maybe they weren’t Treasure Hoarders at all and were just looking for someone to beat up.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Venti hums in agreement and then goes uncharacteristically quiet.
The silence stretches for long enough that both Kaeya and Zhongli turn to look at him. He is definitely thinking about something, Kaeya can basically see the gears in his little head turn. Then suddenly, he smacks his fist into his palm. His green eyes get a familiar spark and there’s a triumphant grin plastered on his face.
Oh no.
Venti has got an idea, and that's never good. The musician seems to operate completely on impulses, and any time he actually puts a little thought into things, it never ends well. For Kaeya at least.
“Zhongli should teach you self-defense if you insist on righteously taking down all the bad guys!”
Oh, he must be kidding. Leave it to Venti to come up with something ridiculous.
“I know some self-defense,” he exclaims, hissing the last syllable when Zhongli dabs the rubbing alcohol onto a cut on his cheek.
“Clearly not enough,” Venti points an accusatory finger at Kaeya, waving it, “just look at the state of you!”
“Aw, you care about me, how sweet” Kaeya smirks, “I could fold you though.”
Venti throws his arms up and points at himself. His voice raises an octave.
“First of all, I’m a 5’3 twink, a big child could fold me in half,” he takes a deep breath before continuing, “second of all, I need someone to annoy Diluc with when he graces Angel’s share with his presence.”
"Well, at least I'm not in a massive debt to Diluc," he snaps back at him.
"It's not a debt. It's a tab. I just put it away and pay it sometime later."
The room is silent for a moment. Kaeya can see Zhongli stare at Venti with a mildly horrified expression on his face.
"Venti, that's the definition of a debt," he says with a carefully measured tone, like lecturing a child.
“Okay, maybe,” he throws his hands up again, “but at least I don’t have a whole fan club of people who want me dead. Unlike someone here .”
Kaeya just grins back at him.
“I’m just popular like that!”
Venti glares at him, his small frame shaking with barely contained rage.
Uh. Oh. Not good.
“What were you even thinking?” he shouts and Kaeya winces, ” Why don’t you have a taser or pepper spray or something? You clearly know that the gangs around here don’t like you. If you won’t stop chasing after them, then just do something! Ask Rosaria to escort you home for all I care! You WILL end up in a ditch if this keeps going on.”
Ouch.
Kaeya got scolded by Venti, of all the people. This is embarrassing. It’s even worse than whatever awaits him tomorrow at work when Jean sees him.
Zhongli stays silent throughout their conversation, patiently cleaning Kaeya’s wounds, and only turns to him when Venti stops fuming.
“I could teach you basic self-defense,” he says while bandaging Kaeya’s knuckles, “It’s been a while since I taught anyone, but it shouldn’t be a problem. Now, sit still, I need to check your head for injuries next.”
Kaeya does what he is told, hangs his head, and lets Zhongli work his magic. The man seems to know what he is doing. His long fingers thread gently through Kaeya’s hair, looking for any wounds.
Don’t tell me he agrees with it.
Spending time with Zhongli doesn’t sound half bad, especially because Kaeya could maybe pry some good leverage on Venti out of him. Something juicy and embarrassing that would shut him up and save Kaeya’s wallet next time they go drinking. But he doesn’t exactly want to spend one on one time with him, at least not without learning something about him first. He is hard to read, and Kaeya’s yet to figure out what works on him due to their unfortunate first meeting. And he definitely won’t figure it out by getting pushed around in a gym.
Venti collects the wine and the glasses from the table and stomps off into his kitchen, taking a deep swig out of the bottle in the process. The room goes still then. Zhongli works precisely and in silence. Kaeya decides that this is the best time to intervene before the other two men decide the situation entirely for him.
“You don’t actually need to train me or anything. I can run. I’m good at it.”
“So, you expect this to repeat?”
“Well, yeah,” he blinks, surprised by the question, ”it’s kind of a part of being an investigative reporter. You either chase after people or they chase after you.”
The hands stop and lift his head instead, gently cradling it. Zhongli’s frowning at him. His eyebrows furrow slightly, and there is a tiny wrinkle in between them.
“If you chase after them and catch them, then what’s stopping them from catching you?”
“I’m faster,” he offers him his best easy-going grin, but Zhongli remains unfazed.
“And what will you do if they do catch you?” he says, his frown deepening, “You can’t run forever. To rely on that is to be foolish.”
Kaeya almost winces at the words. They sting a little too deep. He tries not to take it to heart because they've just met, and Zhongli definitely didn't try to make a jab at his past, but it's still a little too close to home.
“I’ll be fine, really. I wouldn’t want to bother you. I’m sure you are very busy,” Kaeya offers him a polite smile.
Just give up.
“I’ll be in Mondstadt for at least a few months, definitely until summer. My schedule should clear out a little bit by spring. See, I, unfortunately, do not have the indoor spaces here that would be required for training, so we would have to wait until it gets warmer anyway.”
“Wait, I said it's fine,” his smile grows strained.
“Just one lesson, when it gets warmer. And then we don’t have to see each other again. I can’t just let this go, I would feel bad, “ he smiles at him, but there’s a distant look in his eyes as if he is remembering something from the past, “please, I insist. You can keep running in the meantime.”
He is definitely persistent, stubborn even. And it annoys Kaeya, just a little. They just met, he didn’t ask for any of this, and Venti must have known what he was doing when he suggested this. He’s been hiding in that kitchen for way too long.
Anyway, the last thing Kaeya wants to do in his free time is to get smacked around. He has things to do, important things, like getting names of treasure hoarder higher-ups from their drunk, unsuspecting subordinates, or making sure that the Abyss Order keeps its distance from Mondstadt. Even babysitting Klee with others while Albedo is on Dragonspine is more important than learning how to fight.
But, logically, Kaeya knows he would be a fool to pass out on this, if not just because being taught hand-to-hand combat by a good-looking man is definitely somewhere on the list of his teen fantasies.
“Fine, if you insist. One lesson.”
“Thank you,” he positively beams at him.
This is definitely going on the list of the most questionable things Kaeya’s ever agreed to. Ah well, they might not ever see each other again after this night is over, maybe he will be able to get out of this. After all, they can’t have a lesson if he doesn’t see the man to work out the details.