maid • kaeya

xv

• third person •

"Luca! Hey, you're coming?"

Luca raised his head, fiddling with something in his hand. The afternoon breeze whistled softly.

He averted his gaze. "Yeah."

"Thank the archons." The familiar man sat next to him on the lone bench. "I honestly thought I was dead meat this time."

A small laughter escaped Luca's lips. "You underestimate your strength, Leon. I feel my strength is overestimated." His eyes narrowed, falling upon the object in his hands, the stone-like weapon sharpening within an instant.

"Don't be stupid." Leon, Luca's trusted colleague and friend, heaved an exhale, shaking his head. "Do you really not see the extent of your mastery with your vision? I'd be terrified of you if you weren't a softie lover boy."

Luca's shoulders shook with a chuckle. "Is that really how you all see me?"

Leon leant back. "'Course. The cutie patootie that can kill if he really wanted to. That's what they all call you."

"I think I'm a little too old to be called a 'cutie patootie'... haha."

"Are you serious?" Unexpectedly, Leon sat up again. Luca blinked, tilting his head. "Have you ever even looked in a mirror? Most of these 'clients' that we've had before could have easily been dealt with if you just attempted to seduce them."

Luca fell silent. His gaze dropped.

His friend's shoulders tensed. "A-ah, sorry. Sorry. Are you sure you'll be alright for this? The last time you went on a trip was..."

"Before my wife died: you can say it." Luca sighed quietly. "I'm not the type of person to be comfortable with that..."

"Yeah, I know..." Leon patted his friend's shoulder, before pointing at the stone sword in Luca's lap. "This will probably be more ideal this time anyway."

The sword instantaneously disappeared. Luca's eyes fluttered shut. "Yeah."

"Is it just us two this time?"

Smiling, Leon shook his head. "Nah. August is coming too. It's always gonna be us three. We should get a drink before we leave!"

"You know I don't like getting drunk–"

"Oh, come on!" Suddenly, Leon wrapped his arm around his friend's shoulders. "Just this once? August is a damn baby. I can never have fun with you two!"

Shaking his head, Luca folded his arms. Then, he stood.

"I should get home and help my daughter pack. Once I'm sure that she's settled and sleeping comfortably tonight, I'll join you, alright?"

A shining grin rose upon Leon's face.

"But don't get yourself so hungover. I need clear minds for tomorrow."

Leon burst into laughter, nodding. "Yes, Sir!"

•

When Luca pushed open the front door, he was met with quite a familiar silence.

Ever since Ilse passed, the house was no longer lively. Oftentimes it would be drowned in this silence, though, it wasn't a lonely silence. It was more a solemn silence; a silence full of longing, but a comfortable one, one that you could breathe in. A loving silence that was just missing a little part of it.

A very loved face popped out from the top of the staircase when the front door closed.

"I don't know what to take," was the first thing (Y/N) mumbled.