Extending the Olive Branch - Kaeya x Reader

Speak of the Devil and He Shall Appear

"I just couldn't refuse the offer," you said sheepishly to your friends sitting at the bar with you, "I'm behind on my rent to the dorms and I needed the extra Mora." Mona sighed and the red-haired bartender looked at you sympathetically.

"I know that feeling," Mona muttered sadly, "I thought I was going to get kicked out last month."

"I was worried about the same thing," you replied and put your forehead down on the bar, "Diluc, just take your bar knife and chop my head off. Solve my problems, please." Diluc rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"I don't think that would be good for business," he mused as you pulled your head up to look at him. You rested your chin on the bar and eyed him sadly.

"You could just quit the Knights and come work for me," he suggested, something you had considered.

"You know I can't do that," you mumbled, "I'm meant to be a Knight, I'm just working on getting where I deserve to be." You sipped your drink out of your straw as Mona patted you on the head.

"You'll get there eventually," she said encouragingly, "The stars told me you would achieve your dreams." You groaned and finished off your drink.

"Yeah, I just wish the stars would give me a timeline," you grumbled. Diluc grabbed your glass and refilled it then returned it to you.

"Thanks, Diluc," you sighed. He nodded and smiled at you.

"Do you really think you'll be able to handle seeing him all day, every day?" he asked, "Considering I have to throw you two out of here consistently, I'm not sure it's the best idea."

"Hey!" you protested, "It is never my fault. He always starts it!" Diluc gave you a look.

"Always?" he inquired. You pursed your lips and narrowed your eyes at him.

"What are you trying to say, Diluc?" He tried to hide his smile as he wiped the bar down.

"Nothing, nothing," he replied quickly, "Just that maybe if you tried resisting the urge to make snarky comments to him, maybe you would get along better." Mona laughed.

"You sound like Albedo and Sucrose," you said under your breath and drank more from your drink.

"You're one to talk!" Mona accused the man behind the bar, "He's your brother and you can't even have a full conversation with him." Diluc put his hands up defensively.

"This isn't about me," he replied, "I'm just trying to help make Y/N's life easier." You gave him a disbelieving look.

"If anybody knows how difficult Kaeya can be, it would be you," you said flatly to Diluc, "One simple act of kindness isn't going to change his stubbornness." Diluc's eyes drifted from you to something behind you and you turned to see the topic of conversation enter with his librarian friend. You quickly turned back to Diluc, feeling anger build inside you just at the sight of his stupid face.

"You'll never know until you try," he whispered and slid you a fresh drink.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," you spat to Mona, who had just noticed Kaeya entering. She giggled as he approached the bar.

"You know, I don't know what you said, but I know it was an insult," Kaeya remarked as he leaned on the bar to order. He ordered his usual, Death After Noon, and then turned back to you with a grimace on his face. He leaned in threateningly.

"The least you could do is say it to my face," he growled. You could smell alcohol already on his breath. The drink he had ordered was clearly not his first of the night.

"Enough, you two," the voice of the wealthy bartender rang out, "Don't make me kick you out before I've even served you, Captain Kaeya." Kaeya gave his brother a side-eyed glance before breaking away from you and quickly transitioning into his suave, cool demeanor.

"You don't have to worry about me, I won't do a thing!" he said cheerily, "I don't start fights, I just finish them." He glanced back at you intensely, and you glared right back.

"Funny... Y/N was just saying the same thing," Mona mentioned thoughtfully. You quickly elbowed her and shot her a look.

"So now you're just blaming everything on me, are you?" Kaeya asked you directly. You shrugged, unfazed.

"Well when it's your fault..." you responded, a winning smirk on your face. Kaeya's hands balled into fists.

"Amazing, isn't it Lisa? I never believed there could be a person who genuinely believes they're never at fault. What a spoiled brat," he spat hatefully. You stood up quickly and got in Kaeya's face. The scent of alcohol was thick on the both of you, and your friends looked on nervously.

"Please leave me out of this," Lisa whined sheepishly, "You know I don't like it when you two fight."

"Me neither," Diluc interrupted harshly, "Separate, or I throw you both out right now." A second passed, the both of you glaring at one another with rage in your eyes. But then Kaeya broke away.

"Whatever," he mumbled, "You're not even worth my time." He snatched his drink off the bar and walked away. Lisa smiled at you nervously and followed him. You breathed a sigh of relief when they were out of earshot, then glared at Diluc.

"Why are you threatening to throw me out?" you slurred, "I didn't even do anything! It was all him! You saw! Right Mona?" You turned to your friend who looked at you with an unsure look.

"I mean you did call him the devil..." she replied timidly.

"Not to his face!" you protested, "He just assumed I was talking shit, but I could have been saying anything!"

"But you were talking shit," Diluc pointed out. You stared at him drunkenly, feeling the alcohol course through your body.

"Ion't like yer attitude, Diluc," you commented, clearly intoxicated now. Diluc chuckled and put his hands up again, signifying he was staying out of it. You turned to Mona.

"We should kick Kaeya's ass."

"NO," she replied quickly, "Absolutely not. Do you want to get banned from your favorite tavern?" You chuckled.

"Oh come on," you said, leaning in, due to the alcohol throwing you off balance, "Diluc won't ban me, I'm his favorite customer!" You smiled at the bartender who shook his head at you.

"Don't tempt me," he remarked. You laughed and turned back to Mona.

"We could take him, that's all I'm saying," you giggled, shrugging. Mona sighed and patted your shoulder.

"You say that every night," she told you, "and every night I tell you, I can't afford to bail myself out of jail." You booed loudly, causing a few patrons to look over.

"Well I could take him myself, then," you asserted and crossed your arms, "I don't care if we're supposed to work together now, I'm still going to kick his ass."

"We'll see," Mona commented taking a long drink of her beverage. The door to the tavern opened again and you turned around to look. Immediately, your head snapped forward again.

"Oh my god, Timaeus is here!" you squeaked and covered your face. You had developed a huge crush on Timaeus after joining the Knights, but you never had the guts to say anything. You had the occasional hangout at the Angel's Share and saw each other at work all the time due to your mutual friends and felt like there was something there, but didn't know if he felt the same.

He ordered from Diluc and then moved over to you, smiling warmly.

"Hey, Y/N," he said, "I heard from Albedo that you got promoted. Congratulations!" You giggled like an idiot and blushed an extremely deep shade of red.

"I-well, y'know-it's cool. I'm-I'm cool," you stuttered, "Crazy Sucrose got promoted over you, am I right?" Timaeus' smile faltered a bit.

"Yeah, crazy..." he replied awkwardly, "Well, my friends are waiting for me over there, so I'll see you around, Y/N." He patted your shoulder and moved past you to join his friends at a table. Once he was out of earshot, Mona burst into laughter. You held your head in your hands and blushed a dark shade of red.

"Next time," she managed to say through her laughter, "Just say 'thank you.'"

"I'm a fucking idiot," you muttered, then allowed your forehead to drop to the counter of the bar, "Wanna reconsider that decapitation, Diluc?"