The Chalk Prince (Kaebedo)

Chapter IV: Harmless

Kaeya brought the sandwich up to the boy's lips. He opened his mouth and took a bite, eating rapidly.

"Hey there, slow down. We don't want you throwing up now do we?" Kaeya chuckled. The boy slowed down again, listening.

Once finished the first sandwich, Kaeya brought out the other.

In record time, both sandwiches were done and two of the three bottles of water were empty, the boy drinking the last of the third.

Kaeya reached to put the bottle back into the bag when he felt something.

He looked into it and found a book laying at the bottom. Lisa must have put it in there.

The bluenette stared at it for a moment, not really sure what exactly to do with it.

"I... have a book. Would you like me to read it to you?" Kaeya asked, earning a small nod from the blond boy. That was a good sign.

It was a children's book, but it would do.

He opened the cover and started reading the story aloud, getting small, almost mute giggles at funny parts, and the occasional clinking of heavy chains when he shifted. The boy seemed to be really enjoying the tale.

-

About half an hour later, Kaeya finished the story. He closed the book with a sigh.

The boy had moved significantly closer during the story, probably wanting to show his like for the tale.

Kaeya stood up and stretched, a yawn leaving his lips. "I should probably be going now. It's getting late." He got a quiet whine in response.

"I know, I know. I'll be back tomorrow with food. Hopefully we can get you out of those chains and back upstairs." The boy whined again and tried to shuffle closer to Kaeya.

"Hey, don't move too much! You could hurt yourself." The bluenette placed his hands on the blond's shoulders to pause his movements. The boy breathed heavily, chest falling up and down rapidly from exhaustion.

"See? All better. I'm coming back tomorrow, it won't be long. I'll stay with you just a little longer so you can fall asleep, okay?" Kaeya asked calmly.

The boy gave a hesitant nod, the thick metal clasp around his neck preventing his head from moving too much. Kaeya felt bad.

"If you want, you can lay down?" He asked.

The boy nodded and Kaeya helped him from falling as he made his way down to rest on the floor.

He let the boy's head lay in his lap and ran a hand through his hair, softly working through knots. Kaeya hummed a tune — one he'd heard from that bard with the anemo vision.

The boy beneath him rested completely still, only his chest moving ever so slightly. Kaeya almost panicked when he looked down at the boy, thinking he was dead.

The captain sat, leant against the wall with the blond boy laying in his lap. He wanted to cuddle this boy and squeeze him until he heard a giggle. He wanted to unlock this boy's chains and bring him home and read him as many stories as he wanted.

This boy was so pure. He liked being read a children's book. That was adorable.

Kaeya sighed again and decided he needed to talk to Jean or Lisa. He needed to tell them this boy was harmless.

Deep down, he knew though, this boy destroyed his home — killed his adoptive father.

"I'm going to go now. I'll see you tomorrow." Kaeya shifted, taking his fluffy scarf off and placing it under the boy's head as a pillow.

As he was doing so, the blond flinched and scrambled away as much as he could. He was scared. Kaeya felt a pang in his heart.

"Just me, it's just me." He whispered, reaching a hand out to caress the boy's face. The tear stained blindfold being soaked with tears as he blubbered and hiccuped.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you..." Kaeya whispered again. He wanted to hug the boy, but that would probably scare him even more.

"Here. Lie down again, I'll stay a little longer until you to fall asleep again, would you like that?" The boy nodded and whimpered.

The bluenette guided his head to lay back on Kaeya's scarf. The boy let out a sigh and curled in on himself as much as he could, stuffing his head into the fluffy fabric and against Kaeya's thigh. The captain's heart warmed at the sight.

He ran a hand through the boy's hair again, trying to calm the boy down and let him go to sleep.

He sat there for another 10 minutes. Every time he moved, the boy would wake up and whine, grabbing onto Kaeya's shirt to make him stay.

The boy's antics made him say just an extra few minutes until Kaeya decided he had to leave. He was getting hungry and it was probably getting late as well.

"I'll be going now. I'll come back tomorrow and see if I can get you out of those chains, sound good?" The captain said softy, stroking the boy's head. He earned a shift and a whine in return.

Kaeya stood up, not having it in him to put the cloth gag back on. He grabbed the now empty bag and said one last goodbye.

As he walked the boy started crying, letting out painful whimpers and sobs that physically hurt Kaeya.

He could hear the boy try and shuffle closer to him, balling and sobbing, trying to get Kaeya to stay just a little longer.

"Hey now. I'm not going to be gone forever." Kaeya said, his voice coming out a bit harsh. "I'll be back tomorrow. Just stay put and go to sleep. It will be okay." And with that, he slipped through the metal bars and out the door, up the stairs. He felt bad for leaving, but he knew it had to be done.

-

As Kaeya stepped back into the library, he had officially started to overthink almost everything.

How could he explain to Jean that this boy wasn't going to harm anyone and that he should be freed from the heavy chains?

What if — if Jean did grant his request — the boy went blind when he took off his blindfold? What if he ran away and destroyed everything once again? He couldn't prove the boy was harmless in the first place.

What if the boy was just acting to get out and hurt everyone?

Kaeya sighed and stalked to Jean's office. It wasn't too late into the day, but it was about dinner time. He hadn't realized how much time he spent down there.

He made his way to the Headmaster's office, knocking twice and waiting.

A quiet "come in" came and Kaeya opened the door. Well, here goes nothing.

-

Hi besties! Sorry for the late update, I just haven't felt like writing lately and my motivation has been more to getting homework done than finishing this chapter, but here it is.

What do you think Jean will think of the "boy"? Remember, ideas and thoughts are welcome!

Eat, drink, walk around, and shower! Ilyyy ❤️